Bring one more person?

Guan Hui’e hadn’t processed it mentally, but her mouth had already agreed.

“That’s fine, who else wants to attend?”

Xia Xiaolan wasn’t embarrassed at all. When it rains it pours, and people get married – nothing strange about that.

“It’s Uncle Tang. He and my mother just got their marriage certificate a few days ago.”

Tang Hongen and Liu Fen got their marriage certificate!

Guan Hui’e perked up immediately.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier, child? This is wonderful news!”

She was genuinely happy for Liu Fen. Though she’d only visited Xia Xiaolan’s home in Shichahai once, she and Liu Fen had met more than once.

She was also happy for Xia Xiaolan.

Guan Hui’e had met Xia Dajun and knew what an unreliable man he was. Liu Fen’s remarriage was for the best – it would prevent mother and daughter from being harassed by the Xia family!

That’s how the world worked – households of only women, no matter how capable and impressive, would always attract ill-intentioned people’s schemes.

Even if they avoided trouble each time, it still took energy!

“I wanted to tell you earlier, but they both wanted to keep it low-key…”

Xia Xiaolan explained, and Guan Hui’e wasn’t blaming her. Though both were marriages, Tang Hongen and Liu Fen’s marriage certificate would receive only blessings. They were both mature adults who could take responsibility for their decisions. Their marriage hadn’t hurt anyone, unlike Zhou Yi’s situation!

“It’s fine, I’ll congratulate your mother personally when I see her.”

Guan Hui’e immediately told Zhou Guobin about Liu Fen and Tang Hongen’s marriage registration:

“Now you can finally relax.”

She was teasing about how they had once misunderstood Tang Hongen, thinking he was interested in Xia Xiaolan as a daughter-in-law.

Zhou Guobin paused while holding his newspaper, then laughed:

“I might be relieved, but Zhou Cheng should be worried now.”

That Zhou Cheng had it too easy winning Xiaolan over – Liu Fen was extremely agreeable, always following her daughter’s lead.

Now with Tang Hongen becoming Xiaolan’s stepfather, Zhou Cheng would likely face new challenges.

Guan Hui’e refused to concede: “As long as Zhou Cheng is outstanding enough, no father figure could find fault with him.”

Really?

She only dared say such things in front of him – let’s see her say it to Tang Hongen’s face.

Marriage calls for blessings.

While Zhou Guobin was happy, he thought more deeply than Guan Hui’e.

What impact would becoming in-laws with Tang Hongen have on the Zhou family?

Thinking carefully, though they had no prior relationship with Tang Hongen, his reputation was good and their broader positions weren’t in conflict – this shouldn’t be disadvantageous.

The Zhou family had already accepted Xia Xiaolan early on; now she had a mayor as her stepfather – it was just icing on the cake.

Xia Xiaolan had won over the Zhou family purely through her excellence!

Adding more good things was always welcome. Tang Hongen seemed reliable, and having one more person to care for Xia Xiaolan made Zhou Guobin happy for his future daughter-in-law… Others only saw Xia Xiaolan’s excellence, not knowing how much she had to sacrifice behind the scenes for such achievement.

That child hadn’t had it easy.

The weekend passed in a flash.

Xia Xiaolan stayed home for two days, watching Comrade Tang shower them with affection.

It was sickeningly sweet!

By Sunday evening, Xia Xiaolan quickly packed her things to return to school.

The next day would be Zhou Yi’s wedding.

Xia Xiaolan had morning classes, and by the time she finished, it was almost noon. Liu Fen and Tang Hongen had been waiting early with the car, and the family of three headed straight to the restaurant.

The Beijing Hotel was out of the question.

Zhou Yi’s marriage to Yuan Han wasn’t exactly glorious. Jiang Hong had even casually bought quilts to make do – how could they be expected to book a good restaurant?

The Yuan family had quite some opinions about this.

Learning that Zhou Wengang was only hosting two tables at an ordinary restaurant, Yuan Han’s mother was unhappy:

“And they call themselves a cadre family, being so stingy. Back home, even section chiefs throwing their daughters’ weddings are more grand!”

Yuan Han understood why Zhou Wengang acted this way.

He was angry, plus his position was sensitive, so he wouldn’t host large celebrations anyway.

But there was nothing to be done about the anger. Even if they didn’t want to marry Zhou Yi to him, he and Zhou Yi were officially registered, and now he was undeniably the Zhou family’s son-in-law. Yuan Han wasn’t angry at all, and even advised his mother:

“How can minor officials compare to the Zhou family? The higher the leader, the more careful they must be about appearances! Please don’t show any displeasure in front of Zhou Yi.”

Yuan Han’s mother gave him a sideways glance: “Your mother isn’t that foolish!”

While the modest wedding banquet could be explained away, if they couldn’t have faced it, surely there would be substance?

After living with Zhou Yi for a while, Yuan Han’s mother discovered her daughter-in-law truly didn’t care about money. In her thinking, a high-ranking official like Zhou Wengang must have accumulated significant wealth, and with Zhou Yi being an only daughter, how could they shortchange her?

When Yuan Han’s mother asked about Zhou Yi’s dowry, Yuan Han didn’t know:

“Yesterday Zhou Yi mentioned her mother bought her quilts and washbasins and such, following tradition.”

Yuan Han’s mother relaxed, finally showing a smile: “Those are just for show. Besides quilts and washbasins, the Zhou family must have given money to keep hidden away.”

Yuan Han thought the same.

His savings, plus money from his two sisters and the sold antiques, had barely covered the wedding necessities.

After his marriage to Zhou Yi, his sisters would return to their hometown, but his mother would stay to care for Zhou Yi.

Three adults plus an unborn child – living in Beijing wasn’t free!

Just the house he’d rented and furnished for their new home cost 30 yuan monthly in rent!

Yuan Han needed Zhou Yi’s dowry to supplement their expenses.

Normally, the Yuan family should host their banquet, but they had few friends in Beijing. Unless they invited Yuan Han’s former colleagues to make up numbers – but Yuan Han didn’t work there anymore, waiting for his father-in-law’s promotion after marriage, what was the point of maintaining those relationships?

They simply decided not to host a banquet. Including the groom, the Yuan family had only four people, who would join the Zhou family’s restaurant gathering.

Yuan Han’s goal was to ally with the Zhou family, eager to get closer to their relatives.

For this reason, Yuan Han even volunteered to cover the restaurant’s expenses… At this point, Yuan Han’s mother was grateful Zhou Wengang had chosen an inexpensive restaurant, though she was disappointed that when Yuan Han made this offer, Zhou Wengang had accepted without hesitation.

Yuan Han’s mother naturally cursed Zhou Wengang’s stinginess again.

Cursing in her heart while keeping a smile on her face, enthusiastically calling them “in-laws” at every turn.

So when Xia Xiaolan’s family of three arrived at the restaurant, they found it quite peculiar.

At the restaurant entrance, the Yuan family wore new clothes and lined up like hotel greeters, welcoming the Zhou family relatives.

Zhou Wengang and Jiang Hong, who were marrying off their daughter, weren’t even present.

Looking at the presentable groom Yuan Han and the three Yuan women, even Tang Hongen sighed: “This wedding is… quite interesting.”

He came from an ordinary family, and twenty-some years ago, he might have been another “Yuan Han.”

But he had never thought about climbing social ladders.

Even Ji Ya had been matched by Old Master Song.

These young people nowadays were something else!