Chapter 160

Chapter 160

Tang Qingqing did not intend to have a grand wedding; she only wanted a simple celebration. She didn't want to put on a show for a crowd of half-acquaintances, exchanging polite words while harboring unknown thoughts. Such social obligations felt like a burden to her, and such a wedding would be meaningless.

Since the reform and opening up, the first wave of people became wealthy, and the previous tradition of frugality gradually gave way to extravagance. Everyone wanted to celebrate lavishly to show that they were different from before.

Tang Qingqing understood this mindset but still preferred a simple celebration with family and friends.

Zhai Hongyi respected her wishes and invited some relatives and friends to the capital, holding the wedding in their courtyard house.

Before the wedding, Zhai Hongyi had thoroughly renovated the house, even building a new bathroom for convenience. He also organized each room, preparing bedding and linens.

A few days before the wedding, he arranged for all the beds to be made so that friends and family coming from out of town would have a place to stay.

Not only the bridal suite, but Tang Qingqing's other properties were also renovated to provide accommodation for her relatives and friends before the wedding.

Zhai Hongyi took full responsibility for these arrangements, and Tang Qingqing only visited once to see if she had any suggestions, which she did not.

Three days before the wedding, Zhai Hongyi brought his relatives and friends to the capital, with Wang Heizi responsible for escorting everyone. All travel expenses were covered by Zhai Hongyi.

Uncle, Aunt, Wang Caoer, Tang Xingsheng, and Tang Xingqiang all came, and someone from the Public Security Bureau was also planning to attend, though they would arrive on the wedding day due to work commitments.

Tang Qingqing hadn't been back for a long time and was very happy to see everyone.

Uncle and Aunt had changed completely; they now ran a small stall in the county, selling items like socks, hair clips, and head ornaments, as well as peanuts, sunflower seeds, and soft drinks.

It was especially difficult for Uncle, who was disabled, to find suitable work in the countryside. They had initially moved to support Tang Qiaoqiao's education, knowing that they could at least have a meal in the village. After moving out, they discovered they were more capable than they thought. Through Wang Heizi's connections, they started selling goods and found that these seemingly insignificant items were quite profitable, leading them to settle in the county.

Tang Qiaoqiao excitedly grabbed Tang Qingqing's hand and said, "Sis, we bought a house in the county! It has three rooms, so you'll have a place to stay when you come back."

Tang Qingqing was delighted: "Really? That's great! I'll have a place to stay when I visit."

Wang Simi shyly interjected, "Don't listen to Qiaoqiao exaggerate; it's not really in the county, it's almost in the village."

"That area is part of the county now. They say they're going to build a secondary road there, making it very spacious. They're also planning a market nearby, so it will become busier."

Tang Qiaoqiao was thrilled, feeling that their family had finally settled down in the county.

It wasn't that she disliked the old hometown, but it wasn't friendly to their family. Her parents were hardworking, and life outside the village was much easier.

Tang Qiaoqiao had passed the college entrance exam and enrolled in a junior college within the province because she didn't want to be too far from home. This result was already remarkable for their family, rare in the countryside, and could directly change their fate, leading to a career as an official after graduation.

Uncle, who usually saved every penny, hosted a lavish banquet in the village, with an abundance of food and drink.

Tang Qingqing couldn't make it back then and asked Wang Heizi to send a large red envelope on her behalf.

Uncle's family was particularly grateful to Tang Qingqing. Upon learning about her wedding, they immediately set aside their affairs and rushed over to see if they could help.

They were somewhat uneasy, feeling that they might embarrass Tang Qingqing with their appearance.

However, seeing Tang Qingqing reassured them. She remained the same, never treating them differently because of their disabilities or short stature. Zhai Hongyi also treated them with respect, easing their concerns.

Tang Xingsheng and Tang Xingqiang had grown into young men. Tang Xingsheng graduated from a vocational school and was assigned to work as an accountant at the county tobacco bureau.

Vocational schools were still highly valued, and top students often chose them over high school, as they guaranteed employment upon graduation, usually in good positions in small towns. High school, on the other hand, risked failing the college entrance exam and wasting several years.

Many high-achieving students opted for vocational schools to start working early and support their families.

Tang Xingsheng shared this mindset. His family's situation was poor, and he lacked confidence in his ability to pass the college entrance exam. So, he seized the opportunity to attend a vocational school.

Though not exceptionally intelligent, Tang Xingsheng was diligent and chose accounting.

He had considered teaching but abandoned the idea due to low salaries.

Tang Xingsheng was fortunate, landing a job at the tobacco bureau, a well-paying position with excellent benefits.

Tang Xingqiang had also grown taller than Tang Xingsheng and was accepted into Renmin University, becoming Zhai Hongyi's alumnus.

The brothers had endured many hardships, repaying a significant portion of the debts owed by Tang Jianjun.

While studying, they also worked part-time. They didn't idle during holidays and found ways to earn money, managing to get into vocational school and university despite these challenges.

Their success was due to their intelligence and hard work, as well as the support of Wang Heizi, who owed much to Tang Qingqing's influence.

Villagers said the Tang family's ancestors must have been blessed, but they realized that Tang Qingqing's good fortune played a significant role. Those close to her prospered, while those distant struggled.

Wang Caoer worked as a nanny for Zhou Mei, who, as a trusted aide of Tang Jixue, had become a wealthy woman, owning a villa.

Zhou Mei hired additional staff for cleaning and miscellaneous tasks, leaving Wang Caoer to cook, care for the children, and sometimes drive.

Zhou Mei, who owned a car, had encouraged Wang Caoer to learn driving.

Initially, Wang Caoer refused, fearing she might damage the precious vehicle, which she couldn't afford to replace.

But Zhou Mei explained that she needed a reliable driver for business engagements and safety reasons, especially for emergencies involving the children.

So, Wang Caoer learned to drive, surprisingly becoming an excellent and safe driver, especially skilled at parking.

Wang Caoer had transformed from a timid and shy person into a confident one.

Zhou Mei liked her and taught her various skills. If Wang Caoer had shown interest, she could have joined Zhou Mei in business.

Wang Caoer also learned culinary arts, focusing on nutrition and health, even studying basic traditional Chinese medicine to prepare medicinal dishes. She and Zhou Mei had become like family.

Seeing everyone improve, Tang Qingqing was genuinely happy. She could tell that their joy in sharing their lives was sincere, coming from the heart.

The Tang family from Yang City had also come. Tang Qingqing’s relationship with Tang Jianguo and Su Rong remained distant; she couldn’t get close to them, but she still invited them over, making it clear in advance that at the wedding, her closest relative would be Old Liu, and they would be treated like ordinary relatives.

Although Su Rong felt a bit sad, she didn’t say anything and even managed to calm down the angry Tang Jianguo.

Old Liu not only taught Tang Qingqing skills but also saved her life, changing her destiny.

If it weren’t for him taking Tang Qingqing under his wing to learn tracking, giving her the means to make a living, there would have been a series of chain reactions, and she might have long been tormented by Tang Jianjun and Zhao Dahua, perhaps sold off for money.

Tang Qingqing’s three brothers all made time to come, and they tried to arrive early, especially Tang Jixue, who was afraid his sister would be wronged. He arrived five days early and prepared a thick dowry for Tang Qingqing, which she couldn’t stop him from doing.

Tang Jixue said firmly, “Half of my wealth is yours. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know where I’d be playing in the mud right now. Just take it; it will also give me a fallback. Otherwise, with my big-spending habits, who knows when I’ll end up penniless. With you around, at least I won’t starve.”

Tang Qingqing couldn’t help but laugh and cry, and she accepted everything without further argument.

On Zhai Hongyi’s side, he only invited close family and friends. If it weren’t for the sake of appearances, he wouldn’t have even invited his father and stepmother.

Liu Yuan still couldn’t bear to let go of this great opportunity and tried several times to offer to organize the wedding, thinking Zhai Hongyi was too busy and shouldn’t worry about such trivial matters, but he always refused.

If it weren’t for Zhai Hongyi’s quick reaction, Liu Yuan would have invited all sorts of people without permission. Zhai Hongyi directly reported this to Grandpa Zhai and Grandma Wu.

Zhai Hongyi wasn’t a child anymore. In the past, he always stood up for himself, not wanting to trouble his grandparents, even if he won, he wouldn’t have a good reputation because the other party was an elder.

Now he had learned to be smarter. When faced with such trivial matters, he would directly report to his grandparents and let them deal with Liu Yuan.

Liu Yuan indeed became more disciplined and didn’t dare to speak ill behind their backs.

Although the wedding was meant to be simple, Zhai Hongyi’s efforts made it hard to keep it low-key.

While the number of guests wasn’t large, there were enough to fill three or four tables.

The chef was specially hired, rumored to have ancestors who were imperial chefs, with unique skills. Not only did the food taste good, but it looked particularly inviting, different from everyday dishes, all intricate and elaborate.

Zhai Hongyi believed that since it was a wedding, they should eat something special to highlight the occasion.

All the ingredients were the best and freshest, with several seafood dishes alone.

Zhai Hongyi prepared two sets of wedding dresses for Tang Qingqing: one was a modern wedding gown, custom-made from abroad, extremely beautiful and elegant. Although Tang Qingqing usually didn’t care much about dressing up, she loved it so much that she twirled in front of the mirror several times after putting it on.

The other was a qipao made by a master craftsman, equally beautiful and elegant, accentuating Tang Qingqing’s figure while maintaining a dignified and graceful appearance.

If it weren’t for Tang Qingqing feeling that these two outfits were enough, there would have been even more.

Both outfits were expensive and greatly enhanced Tang Qingqing’s charm, making her look even more beautiful and eye-catching, envied by many women.

Tang Qiaoqiao was excited and kept circling around Tang Qingqing, saying, “I want to wear something like this when I get married!”

Zhai Hongyi did his best without giving the impression of being nouveau riche, making it hard for anyone to find fault.

Liu Yuan came with a critical eye, but she had nothing to say once she saw the scene.

Everything was well-organized, lively, and warm, with thoughtful touches everywhere. It seemed simple at first glance, but a lot of effort and money had gone into it, evident from the flowers alone.

If it were Liu Yuan, she could hardly achieve this level. She could only mimic luxury but wouldn’t be able to handle the details as well, and the atmosphere often depends on these small touches.

Zhai Hongyi also hired professionals to video and photograph the entire day, recording everything. The wedding photos were taken on the same day, eliminating the need for a separate session with stiff poses, emphasizing a relaxed and natural feel.

With these, they could look back anytime and never forget this day.

This concept was rare and expensive, but everyone who saw it praised its thoughtfulness.

On the wedding day, Zhai Hongyi’s uncle returned from abroad, bringing technology and capital. The government highly valued his return, hoping to attract this overseas Chinese.

Zhai Hongyi’s uncle entrusted everything to Zhai Hongyi and gave part of his shares to Zhai Hongyi and Tang Qingqing as a wedding gift during the ceremony.

Zhai Hongyi directly registered the shares under Tang Qingqing’s name, saying, “I don’t have much else to give you, just these.”

Tang Qingqing never managed the household, and Zhai Hongyi didn’t need her to. He only wanted her to work peacefully and proactively registered the shares under her name.

As Zhai Hongyi put it, there were too many temptations outside. While he wouldn’t make mistakes, some people might try to take advantage.

By registering everything under Tang Qingqing’s name, no one would covet it, and he would appear as a penniless man.

Thus, Tang Qingqing became a super-rich woman, earning money effortlessly.

Since she was a public servant, to avoid misunderstandings, she had the assets notarized, ensuring clarity.

This way, everything belonged solely to Tang Qingqing. If Zhai Hongyi ever had any other thoughts, he would have to leave with nothing.

Some people had asked Zhai Hongyi if he wasn’t afraid Tang Qingqing would have other interests.

Tang Qingqing was beautiful, capable, and wealthy, always on the move, surrounded mostly by men, with many external temptations.

Zhai Hongyi confidently replied, “Even if there are flies buzzing around, she will notice whether those men have uneven legs, if they’ve ever broken a bone, how big their feet are, and how they walk.”

Under the blessings of their relatives and friends, Zhai Hongyi and Tang Qingqing completed the wedding ceremony and registered at the Civil Affairs Bureau on the same day, unlike many who do these separately.

By combining the wedding and registration, the day became even more meaningful.

Zhai Hongyi arranged everything well, ensuring the process was smooth, allowing their relatives and friends to witness and bless their most special day.

Holding Tang Qingqing’s hand, Zhai Hongyi put the specially customized ring on her ring finger and said,

“Every year on this day, no matter how busy we are, we will celebrate together, just the two of us.”

Tang Qingqing smiled, extending her little finger, “Promise.”

"Hook's promise." Zhai Hongyi also smiled and extended his pinky to hook it, finally sealing the deal with a stamp.

A hundred years up or down, no changing allowed.

*The End*