Chapter 116: Even the Virtual Machine Can Provide Support

When it came to getting married and settling down, Chen Bin couldn't help but feel a dull ache in his heart. His family was incredibly destitute. Among four brothers, Chen Bin was the youngest; his three older brothers were all well into adulthood, with the eldest over thirty and the third brother already twenty-five. Yet, not a single one of them had managed to take a wife.

For one, the family was notoriously poor. A family with four sons was a rarity, and due to the specific policies of that era, his parents had been fined nearly into bankruptcy just to register the four boys. With their home in ruins, no one was willing to marry into such a household. They didn't even have a decent house; their old mud-brick dwelling had only two rooms for four grown men, meaning there wouldn't even be a bridal chamber if one of them were to marry. Whenever a matchmaker heard the name "Chen," they would frown and shake their heads; even with a generous red envelope, they couldn't help, as every match they attempted fell through, making the commission money far too difficult to earn.

Secondly, Chen Bin’s brothers were as honest and simple as their parents—too tongue-tied to woo women, and quite ordinary in appearance. His second brother had once dated a girl while working away, and they had even reached the point of discussing marriage, but after the girl visited their home once, that was the end of it. Because of their circumstances, the three older brothers had only finished junior high before heading out to work. Lacking education and charisma, they held menial factory jobs with meager incomes. Chen Bin was the lucky one; being the youngest, his three brothers had sacrificed much to help him through school. Had he been the eldest, he likely wouldn't have had the means to study.

Of course, another major factor was the increasingly exorbitant bride price in rural areas. If anything in modern China could outpace housing prices, it was definitely the bride price—especially in the rural regions of Jiangnan Province, where the demands for cash and gifts were among the highest in the country. Setting aside the various "customary" requirements, the starting bride price in their hometown of Shannan Town was at least 180,000 yuan, and the trend rose every year. That didn't even include the "fixed assets"—a car and a house. A car cost at least a hundred thousand, and a down payment on a house required several hundred thousand more. It was truly a daunting task to take a wife.

If two young people were in love, these requirements might be negotiable, but Chen Bin’s brothers lacked the skill to find partners on their own. Consequently, they became the village’s famous bachelors, bearing the brunt of ridicule. His father had even told them that he wouldn't object if they had to become "matrilocal sons-in-law"—marrying into the woman's family—despite the deep-seated shame such a practice carried in rural society, where a son-in-law’s children would not carry the family name. His parents were simply desperate for their sons to marry and escape the humiliation of being the "four bachelors of the Chen family." It was their greatest wish and their most difficult burden.

"Dad, Mom, we have a new house now, and we have money," Chen Bin said, setting down his bowl and chopsticks, his newfound wealth giving him a sense of security. "Let’s use this New Year to settle the brothers' marriages. Whatever the conditions—houses, cars, or bride prices—we will meet them. I refuse to believe my brothers can't find wives."

"Yes, we were thinking the same," his father nodded, tears welling up in his eyes at the mention of his two eldest sons. They hadn't returned home for several years, unable to bear the gossip and the suffocating culture of comparison among relatives. They had chosen to visit their parents quietly during off-peak times instead. "I’ll call them both back. We’ll get everything sorted this New Year."

With a plan in place and Chen Bin’s full financial backing, the family moved quickly. His three brothers returned the very next day. Chen Bin drove them to the county seat in his BMW, bought each of them a car, purchased three spacious, two-hundred-square-meter apartments in full, and took them to a high-end salon for a makeover and custom-tailored suits. He transferred one million yuan into each of their accounts. In an instant, his brothers were transformed from struggling, humble laborers into dashing, confident men.

Chen Bin understood that clothes make the man. Since his brothers were average in looks and reserved in nature, they needed the extra support of wealth to compete in the cutthroat rural marriage market. With houses, cars, and savings, they were suddenly prime candidates.

The results were immediate. The Chen family now boasted the most luxurious home in the village, with four BMWs parked outside. The brothers, though still not naturally eloquent, carried themselves with the air of successful entrepreneurs, handing out premium cigarettes to anyone they met. Matchmakers who had previously ignored them were now eager to help, and relatives were quick to offer introductions.

In the living room, Chen Bin’s father chatted happily with a matchmaker and the parents of a potential bride. Chen Bin’s eldest brother sat across from a woman, blushing. It was clear the girl’s parents were initially hesitant due to his age, but the matchmaker worked tirelessly to highlight his advantages: the new apartments in the county, the cars, the savings, and his honest, hardworking nature. She emphasized that even if he wasn't a man of great personal ambition, he had a brother who was a high-level executive at Fuyun Technology Group—a man who would certainly look after his own.

The girl, Xiao Juan, glanced at the eldest brother occasionally. Despite his fashionable attire, his shyness was evident; he was over thirty, yet he still turned red during a date. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Wait, is that the latest virtual machine on your wrist? How did you manage to get one?"

"You've heard of it?" Xiao Juan’s eyes lit up. "I've been trying to get one, but I’m eighty-millionth on the waiting list. I have no idea when I'll ever get mine! Is it fun?"

"It’s incredible," the eldest brother said, generously unclasping the sleek, matte-black device from his wrist and handing it to her. "My brother gave it to me. He’s an executive at Fuyun Technology. Getting a few of these is easy for him. I’ll have him get you one—what color and style would you like?"

"Really?" Xiao Juan was ecstatic. The virtual machine was the ultimate status symbol among the youth, and her interest in the brother shifted instantly.

With the allure of the virtual machine and the undeniable material security the Chen family now offered, the match was settled quickly. With the eldest brother’s future secured, the family finally let out a long-held sigh of relief. Soon after, the second and third brothers also found partners. The entire New Year period was spent in a whirlwind of joyful engagement banquets, finally putting an end to the long years of loneliness for the Chen brothers.