"Second brother, I always knew you and our eldest brother loved me the most." Si Xiaohui couldn't contain her elation, she knew her brothers wouldn't ask her to earn her keep, but a dowry was something she hadn't even dared to dream of.
In the countryside, a daughter's wedding without asking for a dowry was already a sign of understanding parents, let alone a dowry.
Further more, some traditional parents prioritise sons over daughters, even going to the extent of exchanging their daughters' marriages for their sons. The conditions in their home, with parents in good health, were quite different. It was already kind of her two brothers not to ask for her salary, there was no way she could be presumptuous enough to expect a dowry!
The concept of a dowry didn't even exist in Si Xiaohui's thinking. Hearing it now from her second brother felt like she had been struck square in the face with a giant pancake.