Chapter 16 The Groom Can’t Be Clueless

Chapter 16 The Groom Can’t Be Clueless

Hearing Zhao Zhiao say that the wedding would proceed as planned, Wang Junyao let out a sigh of relief.

"I figured you wouldn’t believe it. If I had to call off the wedding, I truly wouldn’t know how to say it," Wang Junyao observed Zhao Zhiao’s expression. She still couldn’t figure out why Zhao Zhiao wanted to marry Lin Yufan.

At first, she thought Zhao Zhiao was just speaking out of anger, but the next day at noon when he returned from outside, he had already prepared the list of betrothal gifts.

The betrothal gifts were so lavish that she once suspected it wasn’t Zhao Lixiang, that rascal, who was truly lustful, but Zhao Zhiao.

On second thought, in terms of beauty, although Lin Yufan was good-looking, she wasn’t the most breathtaking beauty. Zhao Zhiao, who had seen much of the world and had seen many beauties, even had three concubines. Surely he wouldn’t go that far...

She couldn’t understand it.

But since it’s come to this, asking her to call off the wedding, she really couldn’t do it.

This daughter-in-law was still a good match.

"The wedding suite is almost ready. Would you like to take a look?"

Zhao Zhiao took a file bag from the drawer and prepared to go out again: "No need, Mom, you handle it."

Wang Junyao really couldn’t grasp Zhao Zhiao’s thoughts. If he didn’t care, why would he marry someone said to be a jinx? If he did care, he was pretty hands-off during the whole wedding planning.

Luckily, the budget was sufficient, otherwise it would have really exhausted her.

She trailed behind to remind him: "Tomorrow morning we need to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get the marriage certificate. The main witnesses from both families and the matchmaker, Uncle Thirteen, need to be there. You’re the groom, remember?"

Zhao Zhiao walked quickly: "I know."

"Are you coming back for dinner tonight?"

"Don’t wait up for me."

*

Early that morning, the Fifth Branch sent a car to fetch them. Lin Yufan’s cousin brother and sister-in-law accompanied her to the Civil Affairs Bureau for registration.

Lin Yufan wore a peacock blue cheongsam that Xi Gu had sent her, and amidst the crowd, she walked into the office for the certificate. As soon as she entered, she saw Zhao Zhiao.

Zhao Zhiao was dressed in a dark blue formal suit today, standing in front of a giant screen talking to Uncle Thirteen.

Their eyes briefly met, then they coolly looked away.

Wang Junyao stepped forward first, exchanged pleasantries with the in-laws, then took Lin Yufan’s hand and smiled: "The outfits you’re wearing today really complement each other."

Zhao Zhiao took the initiative to greet Lin Yufan’s brother and sister-in-law.

Wang Junyao introduced on the side: "This is Yufan’s brother and sister-in-law."

Zhao Zhiao extended his hand to shake hands with Lin’s brother and apologized: "I was busy with some matters before and didn’t personally visit your home. Please forgive me, brother and sister-in-law."

Lin’s brother was quite surprised and satisfied with the marriage of his cousin sister to Zhao Zhiao.

From any angle, Zhao Zhiao was a top-quality son-in-law.

Why would someone like him marry a widow?

They had thought about it for several nights and still couldn’t understand.

With everyone there, they started the paperwork.

The marriage certificate required not only the signatures and personal seals of the bride and groom but also those of both parents and the introducer, which is why there were so many people present today, making the decent-sized office feel somewhat cramped.

The groom signed first, and after he finished, he handed the pen to Lin Yufan, who signed her name to his left.

His strokes were strong and forceful, while hers were delicate and refined, earning admiration from onlookers.

After signing and stamping, amid the lively crowd and with the sounds of gunfire and pursuits echoing outside, Lin Yufan and Zhao Zhiao became a legally married couple.

Everyone crowded by the window to see what was happening outside.

Lin Yufan stood still, not moving.

She had only read about or watched couples in novels and operas who were filled with joy, either because of love or anticipation, when they entered into marriage.

Clearly, she felt no excitement or hope in either of her marriages.

The groom in her first marriage was a sickly man, and the current groom only wanted to stabilize her, so she felt no excitement or hope in either marriage.

But at least this time, there was material security. Thinking of the betrothal gifts, she felt a sudden warmth in her heart.

Zhao Zhiao glanced back and noticed her faint smile. Her happiness brought him a sense of relief.

Just as everyone was about to leave, a few more people appeared at the door.

"Mr. Zhao! Mrs. Zhao! Congratulations! Today is truly a good day."

The newcomers warmly congratulated Zhao Zhiao.

Lin Yufan instantly recognized the man without needing an introduction—it was Han Weimin, the director of the Haicheng Civil Affairs Bureau!

In her previous life, Han Weimin had also ended up in Hong Kong and found a job at his relative's bookstore, where Lin Yufan endured significant hardship under his supervision.

Lin Yufan was hired by Han Weimin. He initially treated her kindly as her boss, like a dignified and kind elder, going out of his way to offer her numerous employee perks and chatting with her about domestic and foreign literary works during leisure time.

Lin Yufan once thought she had met a good person in a foreign land, but not long after, his true intentions were revealed.

He started seeking chances to harass her. After she firmly rebuffed him, Han Weimin, furious, called her a disfigured woman who didn't know her place!

From then on, he deliberately created difficulties for her, constantly finding ways to make her work difficult.

After the difficulties, before Lin Yufan could react, Han Weimin would start another round of appeasement.

Unfortunately, his malicious intentions persisted. One day, when the bookstore was sparsely staffed, Han Weimin called her into his office and tried to force himself on her.

In desperation, Lin Yufan picked up an ashtray and smashed it on his head, then fled. Han Weimin was later taken to the hospital by his colleagues and received several stitches.

Lin Yufan also faced legal proceedings.

This was one of the straws that broke the camel's back.

After Lin Yufan learned that Zhao Mingjie and his wife had caused Gui Xiang's death and disfigured her, she chose revenge without hesitation.

Although it was from a previous life, the deep-seated disgust was still subconsciously present.

Seeing Han Weimin's face, Lin Yufan could feel the veins on her forehead throbbing.

Lin Yufan couldn't just leave, so she held back her feelings and plastered on a smile, standing in place.

Zhao Zhiao had only met Han Weimin twice and wasn't familiar with him. After a brief exchange, he smoothly turned to her and introduced, "This is Director Han of the Civil Affairs Bureau, and this is my wife, Lin Yufan."

Han Weimin knew that Vice Mayor Liu had once tried to set his daughter up with Zhao Zhiao, but it didn’t work out. He was genuinely curious about who Zhao Zhiao, with his high standards, would take a liking to. When he heard whispers it was a widow from their own clan, he was even more intrigued.

Today, hearing they were coming to register, Han Weimin made a point to come downstairs and greet them. When he saw Lin Yufan, he was a little surprised—she was indeed a beauty.

"Mrs. Zhao, congratulations on your marriage. You and Mr. Zhao are a perfect match, truly made for each other!"

Lin Yufan didn’t want to respond, but with so many people watching, ignoring him would’ve been rude. She forced a polite smile and said, "Thank you."

Han Weimin then asked, "When’s the wedding banquet?"

Han Weimin clearly knew their wedding was tomorrow. Zhao Zhiao didn’t want to invite too many outsiders, so he said, "Tomorrow, we’ll just have a small gathering at home for close family."

Catching Zhao Zhiao’s polite brush-off, Han Weimin didn’t press the issue. He buttered up Zhao Zhiao not just for his wealth, but also for his connections with powerful figures.

With the room crowded, they didn’t talk much and gradually made their way out.

Today, the Fifth Branch brought two cars, and with Thirteenth Uncle’s car, there were three in total.

After getting into the car, Han Weimin crouched by the window to spout some parting pleasantries. Lin Yufan kept a polite smile until the car pulled away, then her smile vanished.

Upon returning home, Lin Yufan immediately called her Fifth Brother.

Fifth Brother Lin Yuwu was the closest of Lin Yufan’s many cousins. Though he was reckless and often unreasonable, he was fiercely loyal.

"Fifth Brother, help me hire some thugs to rough someone up."

"Who?" Lin Yuwu, cigarette dangling from his mouth, perked up at the mention of a beating.

When Lin Yufan said it was the Director of Civil Affairs, Lin Yuwu asked quickly, "Did he mess with you?"

Lin Yufan couldn’t tell the truth, so she said, "He didn’t mess with me. He messed with a friend of mine. My friend’s paying to have him taught a lesson. The rougher, the better."

She pulled out two stacks of silver coins, "Will this cover it?"

Seeing his sister wasn’t going to explain, Lin Yuwu didn’t push and took one stack, "It’s not a hit job. One stack’s enough."

If she weren’t worried about getting her Fifth Brother in trouble, she’d have wanted Han Weimin dead.

Maybe there’d be a chance later, but for now, she had to settle for beating him up to let off steam.

That afternoon, as Han Weimin left the Civil Affairs Bureau and hopped into a rickshaw, the puller took him into a narrow alley. A sack was tossed over his head, and a group of men pummeled him until he was barely recognizable.

Han Weimin was a coward and wet his pants in fear.

He begged for his life, pleading with ancestors and gods.

After being beaten, Han Weimin, not knowing who his enemies were, hid at home for a long time, not daring to go out. These are all later stories.

*

After getting the marriage certificate, everyone had their own business to attend to at noon and didn’t eat together.

The Fifth Branch had ordered dishes from the best Chang'an Restaurant in Haicheng, sending two tables to Lin Yufan’s maternal family, one table to the Thirteenth Uncle’s family, and one table to the Second Branch.

When the dishes were delivered to the Second Branch, they happened to use them to entertain Zhao Mingjie’s friends.

Such good dishes, the eldest lady was initially reluctant to use them to entertain Third Brother’s friends, but thinking that preparing other dishes would cost money, it was better to save money for other things, saving a bit here and there.

Zhao Mingjie’s friends chatted with them until two in the afternoon before leaving. As soon as he left, the two brothers of the Second Branch started arguing.

First, Zhao Lijie’s voice: "What kind of dog meat friends did you invite? Just to trick me into selling my family property!"

Zhao Mingjie shouted angrily, "Big brother, I've gone through great pains for this family. You're the assistant manager at the bank, haven't you heard any news? If we don't sell now, you won't be able to sell later!"

Zhao Lijie was initially a bit swayed, but the friend Zhao Mingjie brought today clearly looked like a con artist, making him believe in a scammer no better than believing in himself.

"How could I not hear the news? Even if the north invades, they won't cross the Yangtze River. At worst, we'll divide along the Yangtze. Look at Germany and the Korean Peninsula, the worst is a division into two, but Haicheng will be on the southern side, understand? We sold our northern farmlands years ago, now our southern farmlands and properties are our foundation. No matter how confused I am, I wouldn't listen to a con artist's nonsense."

Actually, everything the so-called friend said was arranged by Zhao Mingjie, who was mentally prepared that his brother wouldn't heed his advice.

"Fine, you're great, you only believe in yourself. But don't regret it!"

"Selling the family assets is what I would regret."

"If you won't sell, I will! I want to split the family!"

Zhao Lijie snorted coldly, "You want to split the family? You'll have to ask if the old lady agrees."

The old lady certainly wouldn't agree.

Zhao Mingjie made up his mind, "Call Uncle Thirteen over, I must split. I'll bear the loss, the farmlands to you, the properties to me! The old lady can choose whom she wants to follow. We can't all listen to you and be tied down here."

The Second Branch had four or five properties and shops in Haicheng and Hangcheng, but the property and land deeds were all in the old lady's hands. Zhao Mingjie needed to find a way to get them.

*

At night in the Qin Yue Lou teahouse, a crescent moon hung over the courtyard wall, like a mischievous child, eavesdropping on the adults' conversation inside.

The pingtan melodies hummed softly, some at the table listened to the music, while others talked business.

Some discussed serious matters, some chatted idly, with the casual chatter inevitably including some off-color jokes.

Since Zhao Zhiao was getting married tomorrow, the men were all animated discussing the wedding night.

"Back in the day, there were books, paintings, and even puppet dolls to teach newlyweds about marital relations. Unlike today, they don’t need teaching; they figure it out on their own."

"If the groom doesn’t know what to do, the bride might laugh at him, oh, how times have changed."

"Those old books and paintings are probably antiques now."

"Not really, you can find them in bookstores, tucked away in corners."

They were all chatting away, Zhao Zhiao was quietly discussing serious matters with the host, not joining the conversation.

A man nearby was teasing a courtesan with riddles.

"Let me tell you one, and you guess."

"Go ahead."

"In a patch of wild grass, an old thief, alone with two hammers. Doesn’t bask in the sun but stays dark, doesn’t eat or drink but stays fat."

The courtesan pondered, then quickly realized, lightly hitting the man, "You’re asking for it!"

The man laughed heartily, "Come lick..."

"Who licks whom?"

"I'll lick you."

"Get lost."

"Then you lick me!"

The courtesan playfully hit the man again, and the two whispered and flirted with each other.

After finishing his conversation, Zhao Zhiao stood up and left, with the host personally escorting him to the door.

Sitting in the car, Zhao Zhiao pinched his temples, feeling a slight headache. The moon, which had been low over the wall, now hung high in the nearby clouds.

Zhao Zhiao suddenly remembered that at this time tomorrow, he should be in the bridal chamber.

The risqué poems and jokes from the dinner echoed in his mind.

As a man with three concubines, he couldn’t act like he was inexperienced tomorrow night, could he?

No.

"Shen Te..."

Shen Te, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around: "Sir, what can I do for you?"

"Is there any bookstore still open this late?"

Shen Te furrowed his brow, looking puzzled. "They’re probably all closed by now. What book are you looking for? I can buy it for you tomorrow."

Zhao Zhiao looked away and said calmly, "Never mind, let's go."

When the car started, he glanced out the window again, and the moon had already slipped behind the clouds.