Arranged Marriage in the 1980s

There were two odd families in the residential compound.

One family was surnamed Huang. Both husband and wife were ill, and they were so poor they could barely afford their next meal. Their eldest daughter, Huang Yuexiang, was exceptionally beautiful, though, and plenty of matchmakers came calling. In the end, they were all scared off by the demands Old Huang made.

Old Huang treated his daughter like a bargaining chip. Two thousand yuan, not a cent less!

The other family was surnamed Qi. The father had died young, and the mother was domineering. Their son, Qi Guangdong, had been a delinquent since childhood. He never held down a proper job, but made plenty of money as a black-market trader. His business grew too big, though, and he was arrested and spent several years in prison. After he got out, no one dared marry him.

As Huang Yuexiang and Qi Guangdong got older, one still unmarried and the other still a bachelor, the two families talked it over and agreed to compromise.

Old Huang relented and married Huang Yuexiang off for one thousand yuan.

Everyone said arranged marriages were a bad idea. The two families were birds of a feather: one was willing to demand money, and the other was willing to pay. Their marriage was bound to fall apart within a year.

Who would have guessed that the couple not only stayed together, but built a better and better life?

Theme: Seize the opportunity