I glanced at Erasmo, who was sitting there with his head down like a scared quail.
I understood right away.
Turning to Emma, I said, "If that's the case, then let's forget about the dowry too. It's just a formality. My family won't provide one."
As soon as Emma heard that, she exploded.
She said, "No way! The dowry has to be substantial. At least 300 thousand dollars plus a car."
I gave a cold laugh. What a double standard!
I said, "Marriage is just a formality, right? After the wedding, I'll go back to my parents' place. No need to buy a house.
"And the child's surname is just a formality too, so the baby can have my last name.
"Or maybe your son should marry into my family. After all, it's just a formality."
Erasmo finally stepped in to smooth things over.
He said, "Alright, alright. My mom was just joking."
Emma wanted to say more, but Erasmo pulled her aside. They whispered for a long time, and then she came back with a forced smile.
My parents looked at me, worried. I patted my mom's hand to reassure her.
They thought I was weak.
They thought they could treat me like a pushover.
Well, they had another thing coming.
They sure had a lot of traditions in their family. Apparently, we had to sign some sort of guarantee letter for the engagement.
Erasmo's dad acted all haughty.
He said, "Our family has a long line of scholars, and our ancestors were famous."
I didn't know what to say.
Emma chimed in, "As a noble family, we have a lot of rules. We have high standards for our daughters-in-law too."
She glanced at me and paused.
Then she continued, "Madeline, I like you as my daughter-in-law. I consulted a fortune teller, and he said you have a life that will bring prosperity to your husband. Giving birth to a son will bring good fortune to our family."
With a high-and-mighty tone, she pulled something red from her bag.
It was a contract.
On it, in big letters, was written, [Son Guarantee Agreement].
She said, "To become a daughter-in-law of the Page family, you must sign this agreement."
I frowned, wondering if I'd heard right. "Who's having a son? Who's guaranteeing it?"
She cleared her throat and put on a face full of fake concern.