C3 Where Is My Dowry?

What does Zhao, the man who makes Jiaojiao blush and her heart race, look like? In today's world, he'd be the quintessential rugged, mature man with a touch of weariness from a year of parenting, hitting all of Jiaojiao's sweet spots. Jiaojiao has a thing for older men. While everyone else is obsessed with young heartthrobs, she's captivated by those overlooked, mature, and charismatic supporting actors.

The male lead in the book she's in now is smart and precocious, but his looks are just too boyish for Jiaojiao's taste. But this Zhao... oh my gosh! He's exactly her type. His physique is strikingly tall and lean, and while he has a tan, it's a healthy, sun-kissed shade that suits a mature man perfectly.

Jiaojiao, who once considered drastic measures to avoid marriage, has completely abandoned that idea. Why choose despair when life can be so good, right?

Jiaojiao's mother, puzzled and cautious, watched her daughter, who was practically glued to Zhao with admiration, and asked carefully, "So, you're not against marrying him?"

Jiaojiao shot her mom a look. "When did I ever say I was against getting married? What I'm against is you all deciding everything without even asking me."

Well, that was a twist. Her mom felt like she could strangle this stubborn girl. But at least her daughter had shifted her focus away from someone else's man. Now, Zhao would be her daughter's man, so she could focus on him all she wanted.

"Alright then, why don't you just go with Zhao today?"

"What?" Jiaojiao was frustrated. "No wedding?"

Her mom snapped back, "A wedding? You're lucky someone even wants you after all the chaos you've caused. Who would even show up to a ceremony?"

Jiaojiao sighed, knowing her reputation was less than stellar. Yeah, notorious was the word for it.

"What about my dowry?"

Her mom was stunned. "You... you..."

Jiaojiao stood her ground. "What? Didn't you say you had a dowry ready for me? Don't try to fool me, I saw it. I'm getting married, so why shouldn't I get my dowry?"

Her mom was about to lose it. She really felt like this daughter was sent to test her patience. "You'll get it, don't worry. Now go on, and it might be best if you don't come back too often."

Jiaojiao playfully hugged her mom's arm. "You're my mom, how could I not come back to see you? Otherwise, people would say I'm ungrateful."

"Where was this filial piety when we needed it?" Yuh's mother was at a loss with her shameless daughter.

These days, getting married wasn't as taboo as it used to be, so Jiaojiao confidently followed her mother out.

Yuh's father watched, puzzled by his daughter's complete turnaround from the night before when she seemed so desperate. He kept his thoughts to himself, though:

"Jiaojiao, you're an adult now, ready to start your own family and career. You can't be messing around anymore. You need to live well with Pengcheng, understand?"

So, his name was Zhao Pengcheng. Jiaojiao thought it was a nice name, one that would still sound good even forty years later.

"Jiaojiao? Jiaojiao? Are you listening to me?"

Yuh's father was nearly exasperated. What was this girl doing, staring at a man like that? But he figured it was better for her to be focused on her fiancé than someone else.