Early morning.

Little Wang parked the car beneath the government apartment building.

The official cars of the Pengcheng City Government were either Crown or Audi models.

To ordinary citizens, these were luxury cars, but in the eyes of wealthy foreign businessmen, they were merely commuter vehicles.

Little Wang was driving the Crown today, Tang Hongen’s designated car. Last night, Little Wang had polished the car until it gleamed. The car’s price wasn’t what mattered – what mattered was its license plate. Little Wang was Tang Hongen’s trusted man, with no particular background to speak of. Tang Hongen found the young man to be a steady driver who didn’t talk much and had kept him close for several years, promoting him and bringing him along to serve in Pengcheng.

Tang Hongen’s interests were Little Wang’s interests.

When someone tried to shame Tang Hongen, Little Wang and Secretary Peng were even angrier than Tang Hongen himself!

Knowing that the leader had been single for over a decade, yet inviting him to a wedding and specifically noting to bring family members – it was too insulting. Ji Ya thought she understood the leader, knowing Mayor Tang wouldn’t randomly bring someone just to fill seats… but Ji Ya would miscalculate this time. The one accompanying the leader to the wedding wasn’t just anyone brought along to make up numbers.

Little Wang took out a clean cloth, happily wiping the rearview mirror.

Unlike Secretary Peng’s constant wariness of Xia Xiaolan, Little Wang quite liked her. Since Xia Xiaolan’s appearance, the leader’s life had gained some variables, most importantly leading him to meet Comrade Liu Fen.

Was that just randomly filling seats?

The leader had even spent New Year in her hometown.

As the driver, Little Wang had witnessed the entire progression of his leader’s relationship with Comrade Liu Fen, from initial ignorance to disbelief, to avoidance, step by step, until now Comrade Liu Fen had tacitly accepted their relationship.

But Little Wang felt something was still missing.

Ji Ya’s ill-intentioned invitation made Little Wang suddenly realize: what was missing was Comrade Liu Fen’s initiative! The leader had always been the one approaching Comrade Liu Fen, but this time, Ji Ya’s provocation would serve as motivation for Comrade Liu Fen.

That’s more like it – how could Comrade Liu Fen remain unmoved by the leader’s sincerity?

When Tang Hongen came downstairs, he saw Little Wang wiping the car while humming, his hips swaying uncontrollably.

“Why are you so happy?”

His ex-wife was getting married, what was Little Wang happy about?

Little Wang wore a foolish grin, “Leader, see how nice the weather is today? Are we going to pick them up now?”

So that’s what he was happy about.

Tang Hongen’s lips curved upward too.

“Let’s go. It’s early enough that we can have breakfast at the hotel. You should grab a bite too.”

There would surely be plenty to eat at the wedding banquet. Given Ji Ya’s personality, the wedding would certainly be luxurious. But he probably wouldn’t have much energy to focus on food and drink. Since Ji Ya invited him, she must have invited many guests who knew him – how else could she maximize his embarrassment? So at the venue, he’d likely be busy socializing with those people.

He wondered if Ah Fen would be nervous.

Tang Hongen wasn’t worried about Xia Xiaolan at all. With her thick skin, forget about Ji Ya’s wedding – even at a state banquet, she would eat and drink as she pleased, and others’ stares wouldn’t affect Xia Xiaolan… But Ah Fen was different, she didn’t have Xiaolan’s thick skin.

The wedding banquet would start at 10, and Tang Hongen arrived at the hotel before 8.

Little Wang wondered if they were rushing to eat breakfast, or if the leader was also anxious?

Probably not – no matter what happened, the leader was always the most composed.

Xia Xiaolan and Liu Fen hadn’t expected Tang Hongen to arrive so early. Xia Xiaolan had carefully done Liu Fen’s makeup – this was perhaps the only feminine skill this tomboy excelled at. Born less attractive in her previous life, she had to make up for natural deficiencies through hard work, and she had quite a knack for professional makeup.

Today’s wedding celebration was classified as a “professional occasion” by Xia Xiaolan.

She didn’t need to wear clothes made by Tailor Sun herself – today most eyes would probably be on her mother, not her.

“Tailor Sun’s craftsmanship is really good, this style suits you!”

Instead of a qipao, it was pants paired with a Chinese-style top.

This subdued blue suited Liu Fen well – though not particularly fair-skinned, she had a good complexion.

Her previously sun-tanned arms hadn’t completely whitened, so Sun Chunsheng had made three-quarter-length sleeves. The overall look was harmonious, though the wrists seemed a bit bare, so Xia Xiaolan had taken Liu Fen to buy a white jade bracelet. In the future, good jade jewelry would cost hundreds of thousands or millions, but now jade prices haven’t skyrocketed yet – top-quality mutton-fat white jade was still very affordable.

Xia Xiaolan herself didn’t particularly like these things, but Liu Fen seemed to quite enjoy them.

“It’s not as eye-catching as gold bracelets.”

That was Liu Fen’s answer when asked.

Liu Fen had also chosen pearl earrings, completely following her aesthetic.

The combination wasn’t out of place at all – Xia Xiaolan appreciated her mother’s taste. Two years had completely transformed a person; if Liu Fen were to return to Dahe Village alone now, the villagers probably wouldn’t recognize her.

When the mother and daughter came downstairs, Tang Hongen, who had waited for an hour, stood up with genuine amazement in his eyes.

He could swear that when he first noticed Liu Fen, it wasn’t because of her looks – she hadn’t stood out then. But now looking at Liu Fen, she became more pleasing to the eye. Tang Hongen prided himself on not being shallow about appearances, yet he couldn’t help but take a second look… He certainly wouldn’t like her less just because she had become more attractive, right?

Liu Fen had dressed up carefully to accompany him to the “battlefield.”

Tang Hongen couldn’t help smiling, “Ah Fen, thank you for being willing to accompany me. Remember what I told you? Only give attention to those who make you happy.”

Curry favor with guests?

No need – after their initial surprise, the guests would probably approach Ah Fen on their own.

Tang Hongen opened the car door for Liu Fen, and they got in one after another, both sitting in the back. Xia Xiaolan and Little Wang were completely forgotten – Xia Xiaolan felt the slight… No wonder so many teenagers from single-parent families resist their parents remarrying; only someone as mature as her could accept such a stark difference.

No, maybe she couldn’t accept it either.

Xia Xiaolan silently sat in the front passenger seat. She had Zhou Cheng now, and as Grandmother Yu had said, she needed to learn to gradually let go of her mother, sharing the responsibility of caring for her mother with Tang Hongen.

…

Before 10 o’clock, guests had already started arriving.

Ji Ya’s luxurious wedding truly impressed many people.

Whether government officials or business leaders, in 1985, none had attended such a wedding before.

“Ji Lin’s sister knows how to marry well.”

“Too extravagant – no wonder they booked the entire resort. If the press knew about this, the Ji family wouldn’t fare well.”

“Can’t blame Ji Lin – his sister is marrying a foreigner. Who can control how foreign guests spend their money?”

The golf course project, with its investment of over 100 million US dollars, ranked highly in current Pengcheng. The attendees weren’t just Ji family connections – George, as the project’s manager now, inevitably had to deal with government departments.

The city government also had guests.

Looking at the luxurious venue decorations, people couldn’t resist gossipping:

“Do you know that Mr. George Wilson’s new bride is Tang…’s ex-wife.”