Davidzhu

My parents have been saving for decades, penny-pinching and sacrificing to accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's the fruit of their labor, and every time I see that money, I feel a pang in my heart, reluctant to touch it. But when I'm about to get married, suddenly that money becomes a massive sum in other people's eyes. They keep asking how much my family has saved, as if having more money would guarantee their son a better wife. I really can't understand why my parents' savings have become a bargaining chip for others. Why do I need to use all that money just because I'm getting married? Doesn't my parents' hard-earned money have any value? I think that money belongs to my parents, not my marriage integrity. What's more, I'm not willing to use that money because I know how hard my parents worked to save it. But to others, it's just a massive sum that can be used at will, without considering my feelings or my parents' feelings. I really can't accept this logic. Am I supposed to use up my parents' savings for my marriage and make it my partner's private property? If that's the case, I'd rather not get married. At least that way, my parents' money can still be enjoyed by them.