Alex took out his phone, found Jessica’s number, and dialed it. During the call, he didn’t mention borrowing money; instead, he informed Jessica that they had an urgent matter and asked her to come to the hotel.
In Cloud Dream Mountain, after hanging up the call, Jessica asked Martin to drive her to the hotel where Alex and his family were staying. Being her own brother, Jessica was genuinely concerned about the urgency mentioned on the phone.
Upon arriving at the hotel and entering the room where Alex and his family were staying, Jessica was momentarily taken aback.
Alex and his family were all sitting comfortably on the couch, munching on melon seeds, and there was no sign of any urgent matter.
“Alex, you called me here in a hurry. What’s going on?” Jessica asked with a hint of displeasure.
Alex first invited Jessica and Martin to sit down and then cleared his throat. He began, “Jessica, our family has been in Langstel for a while now…”
Jessica, thinking he was referring to Ethan’s situation, interrupted, “I know about Ethan’s situation. If you stay a few more days, I’m sure Sophia will agree.”
“Aunt Jessica, it’s not about my job,” Ethan hastily added.
“What’s the matter, then?” Jessica was getting confused.
Alex continued, “Here’s the situation. Ethan has been in a relationship with a girl from our hometown for two years, and it’s reached the point of marriage. But the money the girl’s family is asking for is too much…”
As Alex spoke, he wore a troubled expression.
Jessica immediately had a foreboding feeling. She nervously chuckled, “People from our hometown all tend to be like this. They demand money for their daughters, and they Dr. Davy’t budge.”
“Yeah,” Alex sighed appropriately. “The girl’s family said that if Ethan wants to marry their daughter, he needs to come up with a bride price of fifty thousand. Not a cent less.”
Jessica exclaimed, “Fifty thousand!? Are they crazy?”
“Jessica, Dr. Davy’t say it like that,” Paige interjected. “You’ve been living in the big city for a long time and might not understand the situation in our hometown. Nowadays, fifty thousand is the standard price, and some even ask for a million.”
Paige sighed deeply and continued with a touch of sadness, “Our family’s situation, Jessica, you know. Fifty thousand is an astronomical sum for us. We can’t afford it.”
Paige subtly winked at Alex, and he picked up the conversation, “Jessica, as you know, people from our hometown are traditional and conservative in their thinking. Our father is over eighty years old now, and the most important thing on his mind is Ethan’s marriage. It’s just that I’m not capable enough to provide the fifty thousand…”
“Jessica, in our family, you’re the most successful one. Not only do you live in a big city, but you also have a luxurious home in Cloud Dream Mountain, Langstel’s most exclusive villa area. Do you know that the women from our hometown envy you so much?”
Hearing her younger brother’s praise, Jessica started to feel quite pleased with herself. She modestly replied, “It’s not a big deal, really. The rumors about the villas in Cloud Dream Mountain are exaggerated. Our villa is only two hundred million.”
Two hundred million!
The family of Alex couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Two hundred million was not just an astronomical sum; it was more like a mythical number for them.
They had no idea that Jessica’s family was so wealthy, making it seem quite easy to ask her for fifty thousand.
With the atmosphere adequately set, Alex decided to get to the point, “Jessica, to ensure that Ethan can get married, could you lend me some money?”
Though Jessica had mentally prepared herself, Alex’s request left her dumbfounded. What she thought was an urgent matter turned out to be a request for a loan, and not just any loan-fifty thousand dollars!
For a modern-day Scrooge like Jessica, lending money was akin to having her flesh cut. She was fully aware that once she lent money to Alex’s family, it was unlikely to be repaid.
Jessica had initially wanted to refuse directly. However, she suddenly remembered Alex’s comments about people in their hometown envying her. If she didn’t lend them the money, they would likely badmouth her once they returned home. So, Jessica found herself in a bind-lending money was a painful sacrifice, but refusing would be a blow to her pride.
After some internal struggle, Jessica hoped that Alex’s family wouldn’t ask for too much money. If they would leave for a few thousand dollars, that would be perfect.
“Brother, how much money are you thinking of borrowing?” Jessica asked hesitantly.
Alex, looking at Jessica, extended five fingers, saying, “Fifty thousand.”
The number caused Jessica’s face to pale.
Goodness, if they need fifty thousand for the dowry, did Alex’s family not have a single penny to their name?
Seeing Jessica seemingly taken aback, Alex hurriedly explained, “Jessica, I do have some savings, but they’re all invested in Ethan’s future home. You know that these days, when people get married, they expect the man to have a house.”
“As for the fifty thousand, I honestly can’t come up with a single penny. For the sake of Ethan’s lifelong happiness and for the sake of the continuation of our family, I can only shamelessly ask you for help.”
“Jessica, if you’re willing to lend me this fifty thousand, I’ll write you an IOU, and as soon as I have the money, I’ll pay you back.”
Seeing Jessica’s hesitation, Alex added, “Jessica, you once helped Keith with thirty thousand. I’m your own younger brother, and now, when your own younger brother is in trouble, you won’t just stand by, will you?”
Alex’s words left Jessica momentarily speechless.
Indeed, not long ago, she had lent thirty thousand to Keith. It wouldn’t be right to refuse to lend money to her own younger brother in this situation.
After a considerable pause, Jessica finally found her voice and looked at Alex and Paige, saying, “Alex, Paige, since it’s Ethan’s lifelong happiness, and I’m his Aunt Jessica, I’ll help, but…”
From the expression on Jessica’s face, Ethan could tell they were making headway. He quickly interjected with a tone of mild grievance, “Aunt Jessica, Grandma is no longer with us, and Grandpa is at an advanced age. His one remaining wish is to see me get married and have children while he’s still alive. I’m sure you wouldn’t want him to depart from this world with regrets.”
Ethan’s words struck a chord with Jessica. It wasn’t just about saving face anymore; it was about being filial.
Under the persistent persuasion of Alex’s family, Jessica had no choice but to relent. She grit her teeth and said, “I can lend you the money. But let’s make this clear. You must repay me promptly when you have it.”