Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 122 - 117 Wedding Dowries!???

Watching Ren Yu lower her head without resisting his touch, Wang Jian assumed she had taken his advice to heart. But he had forgotten one crucial rule: never try to reason with a woman. If she appears to be listening, there is always another reason.

Oblivious to this, Wang Jian smiled smugly and said, "To me, you’re just like a little sister."

"If anyone bullies you, I’ll make sure they regret it."

Little sister? Sister? Sis?

Upon hearing those words, Ren Yu was dumbfounded. Whatever else Wang Jian said became irrelevant. Hearing that phrase felt not like a comforting pat on the head, but a crushing blow from a mallet.

If he had actually struck her, she might have felt something different, but this label was truly hurtful. Ren Yu had believed Wang Jian had seen her feelings and returned them, which was why he had been acting this way.

"..."

Somehow, she had managed to endure all the grievances of the past few days, but this one comment shattered her defenses.

Xu Qian was still tidying up inside when she suddenly heard loud sobs from outside.

Wang Jian was startled as well and pulled his hand back. Looking at the girl crying her eyes out before him, he immediately realized his words must have been wrong. Other than calling her his "little sister," there seemed to be no reason for such an extreme reaction.

Wang Jian was no fool. As suspicion dawned, a jolt like lightning connected all the clues about the connection between him and Ren Yu. He finally understood.

This girl’s feelings for me are... special. It would be fine if we were actual siblings, but we’re not.

His hand hovered in mid-air, uncertain. Pulling it back felt wrong, but so did continuing to pat her head.

The two of them stood there, frozen.

As Ren Yu’s crying continued, Wang Jian frowned, lost in thought.

Just then, Xu Qian walked out. Reaching the doorway, she saw the two of them from behind, noticing Wang Jian’s hand suspended in the air, hesitant to move. Xu Qian paused for a moment, unsure what had happened. In her eyes, there was an indescribable emotion in Wang Jian’s gaze as he looked at Ren Yu, and for an instant, Xu Qian’s brow furrowed.

But she still spoke, breaking the tense silence. "What’s going on here?"

She said it as if she had just burst onto the scene, her momentary pause having never happened. Tugging off her plastic gloves, Xu Qian untied her apron and set it aside. She quickly walked over to Ren Yu, knelt, and pulled her into a hug. Then, she glared fiercely at Wang Jian. "What happened? Was Xiao Yu bullied?"

Her expression baffled Wang Jian, who hurried to explain, "I don’t know what happened. I was just trying to comfort her." He was lying, but his expression betrayed nothing.

Xu Qian glanced at him and clarified, "I’m asking if that student from out of town was bothering her."

As she spoke, she gently patted Ren Yu’s back, skillfully soothing her in a low voice. "There, there, stop crying. If anyone bullies you, just let your Brother Jian bully them back for you. He’ll make them regret it."

These words were meant to help, but when they reached Ren Yu’s ears, they sounded too much like the dreaded "little sister" phrase, and she only cried louder. The noise even attracted the attention of the widow from the Niu family next door.

Xu Qian didn’t dare say another word and just held Ren Yu tightly. Ren Yu had been bottling up her frustrations lately and desperately needed an outlet. Now that she had one, she couldn’t stop. She hugged Xu Qian back, buried her face in her shoulder, and cried her heart out.

Between sobs, she vented to Xu Qian about everything—the immense pressure from her father, the heavy workload at school, and all the other frustrating school issues. Like dumping out the trash, Ren Yu let it all out. By the time she finished, she had forgotten if she was upset about being called Wang Jian’s "sister" or because of the mess at home.

In the end, Xu Qian pulled her aside for a quiet chat, which finally calmed her down.

For Wang Jian, however, the matter was far from over.

While the two women were whispering to each other, Wang Jian slipped out. His arm was no longer in a sling. He stretched it, yawned, and strolled leisurely toward the Ren family’s gate.

Like his own home, the Ren family’s house wasn’t large, but it had its own small, separate courtyard. When Wang Jian arrived, he saw Ren Yu’s father, Uncle Ren, sitting in the yard with a young man. The two were chatting and laughing like close relatives. Wang Jian stopped at the gate and listened for a moment. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Ren Jiacheng had no idea his conversation with Ren Yu’s classmate was being overheard.

"Chairman Kang, you like Xiao Yu. I can tell," Ren Jiacheng said with a broad smile, clearly pleased with his daughter’s classmate. "I’ve seen your character these past few days."

He was handsome, came from a wealthy family, and was always polite. Over the days they had spent together, his conduct had been impeccable. Most importantly, he liked his daughter and had even followed her from the Capital City all the way to Shanghai City, this godforsaken place.

Because of all this, Ren Jiacheng’s fondness for him grew daily, and he had been trying to set them up. Now, he was even more direct. "Uncle is very satisfied."

Chairman Kang scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed by Ren Jiacheng’s enthusiasm. "Xiao Yu doesn’t seem too willing."

Chairman Kang was no fool. Although he had successfully won over Ren Jiacheng, he could clearly see that Ren Yu’s attitude toward him was much more distant than it had been at school.

"Bah! A marriage is decided by the parents and arranged by a matchmaker. Her mother passed away early, so don’t I have the final say?" Ren Jiacheng waved his hand dismissively when he saw Chairman Kang’s hesitation. "That girl has always been shy; she’s just embarrassed. Don’t I know my own daughter?"

"You don’t need to worry about that," Ren Jiacheng said, patting the young man’s shoulder before he could respond. "When a child comes of age, they must marry. However, our village has a custom. When a couple marries, the groom must offer a bride price of at least three hundred thousand."

This statement floored Chairman Kang.

When he first saw Ren Yu at school, he was mesmerized, falling in love at first sight. He often found excuses to approach her, and he didn’t mind her initial aloofness. His roommate had told him that pursuing a girl requires patience, not immediate success. Chairman Kang agreed; you had to show sincerity.

So he began his long pursuit. Ren Yu never led him on; she told him directly that they weren’t a good match. But his roommate advised him that where you fall is where you must get back up. With the mindset that if they couldn’t be lovers, they could at least be friends, Chairman Kang stayed by her side, and over time, they did become friends.

He never expected that his plan to surprise Ren Yu by showing up in Shanghai City would lead to this. He was even more shocked by what her father had just said.

To be clear, I like Ren Yu, but I just want to date her! I can’t believe people still talk about arranged marriages decided by parents in this day and age...

Chairman Kang froze on the spot, unsure how to respond to the demand for a three-hundred-thousand bride price.

He wasn’t the only one. Even Wang Jian, standing at the gate, was stunned.

As for Uncle Ren, Wang Jian secretly looked down on him. Although Uncle Ren supposedly ran a business, the fact that his house had never been renovated was telling of where the money truly went. Wang Jian had also heard that Uncle Ren frequently gambled out of town, making him completely incapable of saving money.

Now, hearing him discuss a bride price with that classmate—and demanding three hundred thousand right off the bat—Wang Jian couldn’t just stand by. He was about to march in and confront Ren Jiacheng.

But just as he was about to move, his attention was caught by two figures in the distance. Approaching them was a plump man, and beside him was another person.

The plump man was none other than the village chief, Li Dayu.

Walking beside Li Dayu was a white-haired old man. The moment Wang Jian saw him, he froze. He completely forgot about Ren Jiacheng, the man selling his daughter, and ran toward them, shouting, "Master, what brings you here?"