Chapter 88: The Confused Female College Student
[So it’s not my fault I can’t afford the betrothal gift.]
[My ex and I broke up for the same reason. Turns out I’m not alone, BOOHOO.]
[From dating to marriage, it’s supposed to be a two-way street.]
[The guy is exhausting himself, and the girl is just off on her own, ’living her best life’.]
[Host, host, are you sure more people are flaming her on Xiaohongshu?]
"Aren’t we on Xiaohongshu right now?" Zhang Zhe couldn’t hold back a laugh as he read the comments. "What’s that supposed to mean? You were all cheering when I was calling out that woman, and some of you even joined in on the roast."
"When I’m the one getting called out and flamed later, are you guys not going to step up and back me up?"
"Is this comment even written by a human? What’s this about [The idol pays for the fans’ actions]... I’m an idol my ass."
"Anyway, I really think that woman is the problem. Her boyfriend is just a normal guy, and a normal person’s ability to handle pressure has its limits. Her family kept raising the stakes, and eventually, the guy’s string snapped. There’s no coming back from that."
The methods Zhang Zhe had suggested for resolving the betrothal gift issue weren’t just pulled out of thin air.
He had actually seen people handle it that way.
He once had a colleague who was dating a woman from Gan Province. When they started discussing marriage, her family demanded a 300,000 yuan betrothal gift right off the bat.
The girl’s parents said that if they didn’t get the money, she wasn’t marrying him even if a god himself came down to plead.
The woman knew her family’s situation, knew her parents were obsessed with saving face, and knew the price was non-negotiable. So, she took out all her savings, put up 180,000, and only then were they able to get married.
By the time Zhang Zhe returned from Shencheng City, the couple was already planning for their second child.
That 180,000 from the woman seemed like she was paying it on the man’s behalf, but in the end, it just went into her parents’ pockets. The wealth didn’t leave the family.
Meanwhile, because of what she did, the man became utterly devoted to her. After all, her actions were second only to eloping with him.
But unfortunately, most women don’t have that kind of sense, and they certainly don’t have the savings.
Just like their parents, they all hope to squeeze a little extra out of the man during the betrothal gift negotiations. After all, once you’re married, you won’t find such a legitimate excuse again.
Many men don’t understand why their girlfriends seem to turn into completely different people the moment betrothal gifts are discussed, all the previous affection vanishing.
But is it possible that the person she is during those negotiations is the real her?
And that before, she was just lovesick?
...
"Hello, host. I’m a female college student."
"I’ve been watching your streams for a while. Can I ask you two questions?"
"Are you planning to... do this?" Zhang Zhe raised two fists to the camera, mimicking a Taekwondo stance.
Hmph, ha. Take two punches.
[Hahaha, the host is hilarious.]
[Cringe! The host actually wants to get into close-quarters combat with a college girl.]
[His punches have no form. How can the opponent counter? There’s no way!]
[Too blunt. I’m scared this will be the last stream of his I ever get to watch.]
Whether it was the regular viewers in the stream or Xia Yi, who knew Zhang Zhe personally, no one could help but laugh at his antics.
Just a moment ago, Miss Xia was still mulling over the things Zhang Zhe had said.
Before, she had watched the streams just for the entertainment.
Now, besides looking for a good time, she was also examining Zhang Zhe’s views on marriage.
She had to admit, everything Matchmaker Zhang had said so far was spot-on. He was direct and didn’t beat around the bush.
The only problem was that he was too brave.
Xia Yi was a little worried that if he kept this up, his stream would get reported.
"I’m not here to practice boxing, Brother Zhang, don’t worry," the college student explained. "I just want to defend the woman from before. I don’t think she was selling herself with the betrothal gift; she just wanted a guarantee for her future."
"What if she marries him and he treats her poorly? At least she’ll have a way out."
"There are many, many cases of men committing domestic violence or cheating after marriage."
"I think it’s perfectly normal for a woman to want a sense of security."
"That mentality of yours isn’t suited for discussing marriage." Zhang Zhe made an ’X’ with his arms. "The moment you start talking about ’what ifs,’ the discussion loses all meaning."
"A woman at least knows the child she gives birth to is her own. A man could be married for over a decade and find out none of his three kids are his. Isn’t that a bigger risk?"
"Are women like Yan Dongping really that rare?"
"Marriage itself is inherently risky."
"If you don’t want to take any risks, then don’t get married."
"But I think the risks of marriage are greater for women," the college student retorted. "It’s difficult for a woman to remarry after a divorce, but it’s very easy for a divorced man to find a new wife."
"Greater risk for women?" Zhang Zhe rubbed his chin. "Then why is it that in the matchmaking scene right now, women outnumber men more than ten to one?"
"Oh, so they’re ignoring the risks and proceeding anyway, is that it?"
[With so many simps these days, what risk is there for any woman with half a brain?]
[A man can outsmart a woman? Four women can create five group chats, and they’re all full of schemes.]
[High risk, high reward. For a woman, marriage is like starting a business.]
[Yeah, if there’s so much risk, why are some women in their thirties still going on blind dates every day? You’d think the risk wasn’t big enough for them.]
[Just look at all the ’pig-butchering scam’ cases. For people who aren’t very bright, life is full of risks everywhere.]
The woman was left speechless by Zhang Zhe’s retort and didn’t know how to respond.
After thinking for a good while, she finally found a reason: "Host, you admitted that marriage has risks for women, so there’s nothing wrong with using a betrothal gift to mitigate that risk."
"There is a problem." Zhang Zhe leaned back leisurely in his chair. "By that logic, if I, as a man, want to spend less on the wedding and focus on building our life first to avoid a marriage scam, isn’t that also mitigating risk?"
"Your money can mitigate risk, but mine can’t?"
"Young lady, to be honest, debating with you feels like getting a brain massage."
"If all my opponents in my college debate days were like you, I would’ve been the national champion."
"Uh... I really can’t win an argument against you." The woman conceded defeat. "But..."
"But based on what you’re saying, doesn’t that mean none of us should get married?"
"Whoa, don’t just say things like that." Zhang Zhe quickly sat up straight. This question was a trap, and he couldn’t just answer it casually. "The risks can be avoided."
"Isn’t that what we matchmakers are for?"
[This must be a shill the host hired, right? Is he about to sell something?]
[You sly dog, you’re starting to run ads now, are you?]
[A professional matchmaker really can lower the risks of marriage.]
[So where can I buy one of these matchmakers?]
[LMAO, this girl is no match for the host at all.]
"Why do some parents prefer their children to break up and go on blind dates rather than letting the loving couple get their happy ending?"
"Why is that?" the woman asked, following Zhang Zhe’s line of thought.
"Because the parents think blind dates are lower risk," Zhang Zhe analyzed. "Many parents believe that if you want to know what a person will be like when they’re older, you just have to look at what their parents are like."
"Living habits, views on spending, even the attitude toward one’s partner—all of these are passed down through the family."
"Let’s just take the previous example."
"The woman’s parents demand a high betrothal gift, and the woman unconditionally sides with her parents. At that point, the man’s parents will start to worry:
’Will this woman also mindlessly support her maiden family after marriage? Will she be just like her parents, ignoring affection and only recognizing money?’"
"The risks of the marriage shoot right up."
"Matchmaking can, to a large extent, avoid these kinds of obvious risks. Many couples who transition smoothly from dating to a happy marriage could have just as easily been matched with each other through their families’ blind dates."
"So," Zhang Zhe said seriously, "regardless of whether you fell in love on your own or not, when you’re considering marriage, you should just apply the standards of matchmaking."