Grace Li hadn't expected Joseph Li's wedding to involve her in any way.
The next afternoon, her uncle, Baoheng Li, invited Grace and her family over for lunch. After the meal, Grace was ready to head home. Even though it was the holidays, she still had some work reports to finish.
As she was about to leave, Baoheng called out, "Grace, don't rush off. Come have a cup of tea with your uncle."
He pulled out a traditional Chinese tea set he had brought over from back home and began preparing to brew tea. Grace sensed there might be more to this invitation and decided to stay, curious about what might unfold.
The two families gathered around the coffee table. Baoheng brewed the tea with deliberate care, while her father, Shichen Li, sat on the couch smoking a cigarette. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, and Grace couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Once the tea was ready, Baoheng hesitated before saying, "Big Brother, maybe you should explain."
Shichen exhaled a puff of smoke, glanced at Grace, and began, "Yesterday, your uncle and I visited Joseph's girlfriend's family. We finalized the wedding arrangements, including the bride price. It's set at $150,000."
As soon as money was mentioned, Grace had a sinking feeling about what was coming next. She knew Joseph had been unreliable for years—ever since graduating from a vocational school, he'd hopped from one short-lived job to another. Meanwhile, her uncle's modest income barely covered his family's expenses, leaving little in savings.
Baoheng continued, "Joseph hasn't been able to save much with his job situation. We can scrape together $50,000, but we're still $100,000 short. I was wondering if you could lend us the rest to help us out."
Grace couldn't even remember how many times relatives had come to her for financial help. Four years ago, her aunt had borrowed $20,000 for a premature baby's medical bills—money that had yet to be repaid. Three years ago, another relative borrowed $30,000 to buy a house, though they returned it after the purchase. Two years ago, Baoheng himself had borrowed $20,000 for home renovations, of which only $5,000 had been repaid so far.
Now, with Joseph's wedding, they were asking again. Grace's immediate reaction was resistance.
"Uncle," Grace said firmly, "I'm already stretched thin. I shell out $16,000 a month for my mortgage, and I'm still furnishing my new place. I really don't have any extra cash right now."
Baoheng replied, "Your dad told me you're making seven or eight hundred grand a year. Sixteen grand for a mortgage is nothing. Besides, we're family. You know I'll pay you back—just like I did last time, right?"
Grace didn't like confrontation, but her uncle's words rubbed her the wrong way. "Uncle, I'm really in a tight spot. I just don't have the money to spare."
"How about this," Baoheng said, trying to compromise. "If you can't lend $100,000, maybe $80,000 would work. We'll figure out the rest."
Grace knew that if she agreed this time, the requests would never stop. She steeled herself and said firmly, "I'm sorry, but no."
Her uncle's expression darkened. "You're being so stingy. Joseph is your cousin. As his older sister figure, shouldn't you lend a hand?"
Grace thought to herself, Even if it were my own brother asking for this much for a bride price, I wouldn't agree so easily—let alone for a cousin.
"I'm sorry, but I just can't," she said coldly.
Frustrated, Baoheng turned to her father. "Big Brother, you talk to her."
Shichen stubbed out his cigarette, paused, and then said, "Grace, do what you can. Joseph's wedding is a family matter. We can't just ignore it."
Grace hadn't expected her father to pressure her too, and frustration bubbled up. "Dad, you know I just moved into my new place. Furnishing it is costing me a fortune. I really don't have the funds."
Her mother, Huiyun Liang, chimed in, "That's right. Grace is doing her best to make ends meet in New York. Her income isn't fixed—it goes up and down. This year, she really can't spare any money."
Baoheng's wife, Haimei Zhu, scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Forget it, Baoheng. Grace is a big-city success now. She probably doesn't even see us as family anymore."
Huiyun quickly defended her daughter. "Sister-in-law, that's not fair. Grace really can't help this time. If she could, she would have lent the money already."
At that moment, Joseph walked into the room and said loudly, "Stop arguing. If it's such a big deal, I just won't get married!"
Baoheng shot up, glaring at his son. "You ungrateful brat! Shut your mouth!"
Joseph rolled his eyes and stormed out.
The tension in the room was unbearable. Grace stood up and said, "I've got work to finish. I'll head back now."
Back at home, Grace locked herself in her room and opened her laptop. She tried to focus on her work, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the uncomfortable scene she had just left behind.
She was born in a small rural town near San Diego, in a traditional Asian immigrant family. Growing up in the peaceful countryside, she never thought much about her family's traditional beliefs and customs. But after moving to New York for school and work, experiencing a broader, more modern world, she began to resent those outdated ideas and practices. Every time she faced them, it left her feeling stifled.
Sometimes, she envied Isabella Hsueh. Isabella, a lawyer, was far more assertive than she was—fearlessly standing her ground against unreasonable family demands and firing back with well-reasoned arguments. In contrast, even during her firm refusal to lend money earlier, she had still been mindful of preserving family harmony.
But deep down, Grace knew she couldn't afford to keep being softhearted. Every dollar she had was hard-earned, the result of countless late nights and countless frustrations—sacrifices no one else could truly understand. What she had achieved was the rightful reward for her efforts. She owed no one anything and had no obligation to give away the fruits of her labor to satisfy her relatives' expectations.
She wasn't a saint!
Grace Li had just stepped out of her room when she saw her father, Shichen Li, sitting on the living room couch with a cigarette between his fingers, his brow furrowed. He looked tense, clearly frustrated. Grace took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and walked over.
"Dad, if any relatives come asking me for money again, can you help me turn them down right away?" she said, her tone firm but respectful. "Here in the U.S., we're expected to be financially independent. I've got my own goals and a plan for my future—I really don't have extra money to lend out."
Shichen flicked the ash off his cigarette, looking irritated. "Enough already, Grace. I'll deal with it. Just leave it to me."
Grace shook her head, clearly confused. "But why is this such a big deal? Why does it have to be you who handles this? Over here, people focus on taking care of their own families. It's not common to go out of your way to help relatives when it's beyond your means."
"This is a matter for the Li family," Shichen said, his voice rising. He took a long drag from his cigarette and added, "One day, you'll get married. You don't need to worry about these things. Focus on your own life here and your career."
His words hit Grace hard. She stood still for a moment, stunned. The underlying message in his words was clear: she was being excluded from the core family decisions. While she understood that her father was upset, the dismissive tone still stung. She had always thought of herself as an important part of the family, but now, it felt like she was being pushed away just because she didn't lend money to her cousin.
Suppressing the lump in her throat, Grace bit back tears and turned to leave without another word. Back in her room, she slumped into the chair at her desk, staring blankly at her laptop screen. She felt like her whole world had just shifted, leaving her adrift.
When she first arrived home, she had been excited. After all, work had kept her so busy that she barely had time to breathe. She had been looking forward to spending time with her family, even if she was bracing for the usual "when are you getting married" talk. But now, she felt like she had fallen into a deep hole, unable to find her way out.
She kept asking herself, Did I do something wrong? But she knew the answer. No. She had lived in the U.S. for so many years and understood how important personal financial independence and boundaries were.
Over an hour later, Grace started packing her things—work documents, clothes. As she stepped out of her room, she noticed her father was no longer in the living room. She went outside and found her mother, Huiyun Liang, sitting in the garden, trimming the plants.
"Mom, where did Dad go?" Grace asked.
Huiyun, looking frustrated herself, didn't look up. "Who knows? He went off somewhere. I can't be bothered. Why's he so worked up over Joseph's situation? We've got enough problems of our own. Life's tough here, and we don't have money lying around to help others."
Grace hesitated, then said, "Mom, something came up at work. I need to head back to New York right away. You know how it is—sometimes things pop up out of nowhere, and if I don't handle this, it could mess up the whole project."
Huiyun looked up, surprised. "But tomorrow is New Year's Day! You're going back now? Can't it wait until after the holiday?"
Grace bit her lip and replied, "I wish it could, but it's really urgent. The client's pushing hard, and it's about a major contract. If I don't show up, it could cause huge losses for the company."
Her mother sighed and set down her pruning shears. "So, you won't be home for New Year's?"
Grace nodded. "Yes, this can't wait."
Huiyun waved her hand, resigned. "Well, you do what you need to do. Just be careful on the road, alright? And call me when you get there."
Grace smiled faintly. "Thanks, Mom."
Huiyun paused, then added, "About Joseph, you did the right thing. You've got enough to deal with in New York. Between the mortgage and everything else, it's not like you have spare cash. Your dad's just too traditional to understand how things work here."
Grace nodded, grateful for her mom's support. "I know, Mom."