Chapter 423: Little Daughter's Big Wedding

Chapter 423: Little Daughter's Big Wedding

The next day.

The Deng Shirong family and their relatives boarded the clan’s bus to head to Guangzhou.

This time, Deng Yunzhu was getting married and did not plan to have the groom's family come to Nanning or their hometown to pick her up. Since this was a matter among family, there was no need to cause trouble that would affect work. Besides, she had her own business in Guangzhou, and the hotpot shop was already bought, which could serve as a temporary home. Getting married here would be much more convenient.

As the Deng Shirong family and their relatives set off for Guangzhou, the Deng Yunheng family of three and nanny Deng Dame also boarded the plane to Guangzhou, which was far in Fujian.

The moment she boarded the plane, Deng Dame felt like she was in a dream.

Ever since she came to Fujian to help take care of Uncle Changmao, she had been living a life she had never dared to imagine.

Because she often took Uncle Changmao out for walks, all the aunts and sisters-in-law in the family compound knew her. These distinguished aunts and sisters-in-law treated her warmly and often gave her snacks and treats.

Although Deng Dame did not read much, she understood why these aunts and sisters-in-law treated her so warmly.

It was simply because she was Yunheng Gong’s granddaughter, and these aunts and sisters-in-law were actually being nice to Yunheng Gong.

The first time encountering such a situation, Deng Dame immediately told Yunheng Gong, who then told her that valuable gifts could not be accepted, but sharing some fruits and snacks was fine.

Since, Deng Dame’s fruits and snacks never stopped, and as long as she took Uncle Changmao out for a walk, she had plenty to eat.

Of course, these were not the most important things. With her current income, achieving the freedom to enjoy fruits and snacks was a simple matter.

What she valued was the different respect she received here, where the aunts and sisters-in-law vied to treat her well, something she had never experienced growing up.

When she was young, due to her family’s poverty and her mother having five daughters, her mother was not treated well by her grandparents, and the so-called "money-losing goods" were also not treated well by her family.

Thinking about how even her own family did not treat her and her four sisters well, how many people in the village would treat them?

The only exception was the Jiu Zu family. If not for Jiu Zu’s scolding of her grandmother, her mother’s life would have been even harder.

Just as Deng Dame was lost in her thoughts, the plane began to take off.

Since this was Deng Dame’s first time on a plane, Gu Caiwei was afraid she might get airsick, so she did not hand her child to hold. As the plane ascended to high altitude, the feeling of weightlessness made many people feel nause.

Once the plane stabilized, Gu Caiwei asked, "Dame, how do you feel? Are you okay?"

Deng Dame smiled and replied, "I’m fine. You rest well, I’ll take care of Changmao!"

Gu Caiwei shook her head and said, "No, I’ll hold the baby. You rest well You’ll have to take care of him in Guangzhou."

Deng Dame nodded and responded, "Alright, you let me know if you need anything."

...

In the capital.

Deng Yunsong also boarded the plane to Guangzhou. As a formal-level official, he usually could not take leave unless there was a real reason. But for the wedding of his second sister, everyone in the family went to participate, so he naturally would not be absent.

...

In the afternoon, at the Spicy Sis Hotpot in Guangzhou, the Deng Shirong family and a large group of relatives gathered. Zhou Haidong, as the groom-to-be, was naturally there.

Since he knew the identities of his second uncle, third uncle, and brother-in-law, Zhou Haidong spoke carefully to avoid offending these three people he could not afford to offend.

Although the third uncle was now at the same level as him, he graduated from Tsinghua University and worked in the Ministry of Finance, and his promotion speed was not something he could compare with.

As for the second sister and second uncle, they were a formal-level and a deputy level, respectively. Although they could not manage his head, as a relative, Zhou Haidong dared not neglect their presence.

Zhou Haidong did not stay there all the time. After eating dinner, he arranged to leave early the next morning to assist with the wedding, then said goodbye to everyone, and returned to the village to prepare for the next day’s wedding.

Before Zhou Haidong left, Deng Yunheng said, "Dada looks good, this Zhou Haidong is quite clever and kind. He won’t dare to bully Yunzhu."

Deng Yunzhu laughed and said, "Second brother, you underestimate me too much. Just because he dares to bully me? I could have told him anything before agreeing to be his girlfriend. From now on, he has to listen to me."

Deng Yunheng laughed and said, "Yunzhu, you shouldn’t act so rudely. After all, he is a formal-level official, and in front of others, he should give face."

Deng Yunzhen also advised, "Ah Zhu, your second brother is right. A woman shouldn't be too domineering. In a marriage, both partners should respect each other and not bully the other."

"Big Sister, Second Brother, you can rest assured. I know my limits."

Saying this, Deng Yunzhu reached out and patted her second brother's shoulder, grinning mischievously, "Second Brother, speaking of which, if he ever dares to bully me, you have to stand up for me, okay?"

Deng Yunheng was speechless and said, "Looking at you, it's already a miracle that you don't bully him. How could he possibly bully you?"

Deng Yunzhu chuckled, "I'm just being prepared. What if one day his wings get too strong and he dares to bully me?"

Deng Yunheng sighed, "Alright, if he ever dares to bully you, I will definitely stand up for you."

With her second brother's promise, Deng Yunzhu beamed with joy. In the family, her father naturally had the most authority, followed by her second brother. With her second brother supporting her, she felt much more confident.

Seeing this, everyone couldn't help but laugh.

On the night before a daughter's wedding, the atmosphere at home is usually somewhat sad, especially when the aunts and sisters-in-law gather. When they get emotional, it's common for them to cry together.

After all, once a daughter marries, she becomes part of another family, and this is an unchangeable fact unless she brings in a son-in-law.

However, seeing Deng Yunzhu's behavior, everyone just found it amusing, completely unable to feel sad. This girl hadn't even married yet, and she was already looking for support at home, clearly planning to take charge in her new family, allowing her to bully others but not the other way around.

...

Zhou Haidong returned to the village and saw his father, uncle, and a few village elders drinking. He greeted each of them one by one.

Zhou's father asked, "Haidong, have all the in-laws arrived?"

Zhou Haidong nodded, "Yes, they have all arrived. Ah Zhu's second brother's family came from Fujian, and the third brother also came from the capital."

Zhou's uncle sighed, "Haidong, you're really something. You managed to marry such a wealthy and powerful wife. My age and your father's age are not far off. From now on, you will have to carry the banner for our old Zhou family."

Zhou Haidong shook his head, modestly replying, "Uncle, you are still vigorous and full of energy. It's not my turn to carry the banner. Moreover, my cousin has made a lot of money from his business over the years. He is the eldest in our generation, and he is the most suitable to carry the banner for our old Zhou family."

Zhou's uncle waved his hand, "Don't be modest. I've heard from your father that your cousin's assets are nothing compared to your wife's hotpot chain. Plus, you are the only one in our Zhou family's male line who is a key university graduate and a formal-level official. Now that you have married such a wealthy and powerful wife, if you don't carry the banner for your generation, who else would be qualified?"

"That's right, Haidong. With the wife you've married, you have both money and power. Who in your generation can compare to you?"

"Old Zhou, I really envy you. My son just spends all day at the dance hall, doing nothing all day, which really angers me. If he had even half of Haidong's abilities, I would laugh in my dreams."

"Old Zhou, you have really raised a good son!"

"..."

The village elders also chimed in with their praise. They had all heard about Zhou Haidong's fiancee's background and genuinely envied Zhou's father.

Zhou's father was flushed with pride. In life, it's all about face. He was already the most successful person in the village, with his entire family on the government payroll, making many people in the village envious.

Now, his most successful son had married a wife with a background even more powerful than their Zhou family, raising their family's status even higher. He was naturally very proud.

...

The next morning.

The makeup artist hired by the Zhou family arrived at Spicy Sis Hotpot to do Deng Yunzhu's makeup.

Spicy Sis Hotpot was over 300 square meters. Apart from the kitchen, Deng Yunzhu had set aside two small private rooms for her and her old classmate Li Shuqin to rest in.

Since the hotpot shop was not far from the Zhou family, starting her makeup at six or seven in the morning was not too late. Unlike in the future, where some brides would either have their makeup done in advance or wake up at three or four in the morning to get ready, which was very tiring.

Of course, another reason was that makeup in this era was not as intricate as in the future, with fewer styles and a faster application process, unlike the hours it could take in the future.

By the time Deng Yunzhu finished her makeup, it was only nine in the morning, leaving plenty of time.

According to the wedding customs of Shuangwang Region, when a daughter gets married, her parents must prepare a chicken leg for her to eat. The meaning of this has been explained before: since children are the ones who usually eat chicken legs, the daughter eating a chicken leg before her wedding represents her last time being a child in her parents' home.

This custom was quite meaningful, so Deng Shirong did not plan to abandon it. After his youngest daughter finished her makeup, he brought in a bowl with a small portion of rice and a fragrant chicken leg, handing it to her and saying, "Eat this. From now on, you are an adult. When you go to your in-laws, you must control your temper, respect your in-laws, and get along well with your new family."

"There's one thing you must remember, and that is 'far fragrance, near stench.' As long as you grasp this principle, you will be able to live comfortably in your in-laws' home. Also, it's wise to be a little vague at times and not be too meticulous about everything.

"In short, getting along with people is a profound art. You will gradually understand it. If you have any questions, call me, okay?"

Deng Yunzhu took the bowl and chopsticks, listening to her father's earnest advice. She, who had always been carefree and cheerful, suddenly felt a bit sad. Today, she was getting married, and from now on, her home would be the Zhou family, no longer the Deng family where she had lived for over twenty years.

Thinking about this, Deng Yunzhu's eyes became slightly moist, and she responded with a complex mix of emotions, "Dad, I understand. I will get along well with my in-laws. In the future, when I'm not by your side, take care of yourself."

Deng Shirong, with his combined psychological age of over a hundred years, had seen through many things. He would not be like those first-time fathers who secretly wipe away tears when their daughters get married. He did not want his youngest daughter to be sad; he wanted her to be happy on her wedding day. So, he smiled and said, "Don't worry. Dad is in good health. Even though you're getting married today, your lifestyle won't change much. Most of your hotpot chain stores are in Guangxi, so you'll be spending a lot of time here!"

Deng Yunzhu thought about it and realized that her hotpot chain's headquarters were in Wuyue Square, Nanning. Since her father had mentioned "far fragrance, near stench," she would spend most of her time near her natal home, which would also help her build a good relationship with her in-laws.

With these thoughts, Deng Yunzhu put aside her sadness and happily started eating the chicken leg rice before her wedding.

...

10:00 AM.

The Zhou family's wedding convoy arrived at Spicy Sis Hotpot.

To make Deng Yunzhu's wedding grand and glorious, the Zhou family had pulled out all the stops. This time, the convoy consisted of six small cars and six large buses, which was already a very luxurious wedding convoy for this era.

Originally, the Zhou family could have borrowed two more small cars through their connections, but those cars were a bit old and looked slightly worn out. They decided against it, as having six small cars already gave a good impression.

Moreover, with Deng Yunzhu's reminder, the Zhou family had also hired a photography team to document the entire event, making the arrangements very thorough.

In this era, wedding customs were not as complicated as in the future. There were no various challenges or last-minute increases in dowry. The Deng family did not engage in such unpleasant practices. The groom simply brought the wedding party, gave a red envelope to everyone, called the father-in-law, and smoothly received the bride.

...

The Shixi Village where the Zhou family lived was just a small, unremarkable village in Guangzhou.

However, no matter how unremarkable, being in the city of Guangzhou, one of the top cities in the country, made it much better than rural villages.

At this moment, the main road of Shixi Village was decorated with lanterns and looked very festive. There was even a welcoming arch at the village entrance with the words "Congratulations to the Groom Zhou Haidong and the Bride Deng Yunzhu on Their Wedding."

In front of the temporary stoves, the chefs hired by the Zhou family were busy preparing for the wedding banquet at noon.

This wedding was a groundbreaking event in the village.

Whether in rural areas or cities, if a wedding was on a large scale, all the villagers had to be invited. Since the Zhou family's wedding was quite grand, the entire village was invited.

At this moment, the villagers of Shixi Village gathered together, discussing the wedding.

"Old Zhou is truly the most capable person in our village. I heard that his wealthy and powerful daughter-in-law was personally chosen by him."

"Everyone says the bride is wealthy and powerful, but can you be more specific?"

"You don't know yet?"

"Know what?"

"The bride is a big business owner. After meeting Haidong, she spent several hundred thousand yuan to buy a shop in Guangzhou and opened a hotpot restaurant called Spicy Sis. And I heard that she has several more hotpot restaurants in Guangxi. Her net worth is at least one to two million, which is very impressive."

"My goodness, so wealthy?"

"Exactly. The most enviable part is that all this money belongs to the bride herself. When she marries into the Zhou family, these assets will become her dowry. Haidong will become the richest person in our village as soon as he gets married today."

"No way, a dowry of one to two million? Are you sure you're not joking?"

"I can't believe it either, but that's the truth. Whether you believe it or not, it's true."

"Damn, how rich must the bride's family be to let their daughter marry with one to two million in assets?"

"I'm not sure, but the bride's family must be incredibly wealthy for something like this to happen."

"Rumor has it that the bride's older brother is an even higher-ranking official than Old Zhou. Is that true?"

"That's what Old Zhou himself said, so it should be true."

"It's truly impressive. Before retiring, Old Zhou was already the biggest official in our village. Now, the bride's older brother, who is still young, holds an even higher position than Old Zhou. It's mind-blowing."

"No wonder they say the bride is so capable. The Zhou family must have hit the jackpot by marrying her!"

"The more we talk about it, the more envious I become. Haidong has such good luck!"

"..."

The villagers gathered in small groups, all discussing the bride.

Meanwhile, the Zhou family's more prominent relatives and friends were preparing to welcome the wedding guests, determined to make the guests feel satisfied.

Around 11:00 AM, the wedding cars that went to pick up the bride finally returned.

As the bride's father, Deng Shirong was naturally the most honored guest today. He rode in a small car and, upon arrival, saw the village decorated with lanterns and filled with festive decorations, which made him smile with satisfaction.

The Zhou family had clearly put a lot of effort into this wedding.

After getting out of the car, Old Zhou, the father of the groom, was the first to greet Deng Shirong. From now on, they would be in-laws.

The Zhou family also arranged enough people to welcome the other wedding guests.

After inviting Deng Shirong and the others into the house for tea, Old Zhou made some polite small talk and then took his son and daughter-in-law to pay respects to their ancestors.

Upon returning, Zhou's father and mother took the stage to give speeches. Both had worked in public institutions for decades, and Zhou's father had reached the formal-level before retiring. Speaking at his son's wedding was well within their capabilities.

After they finished, Deng Shirong, as the father of the bride, was naturally invited to the stage to give a speech.

"Dear guests, dear relatives, and fellow villagers of Shixi Village: Good day to all of you!"

Deng Shirong had not prepared a speech in advance and decided to speak extemporaneously: "Thank you all for coming to the wedding banquet of my daughter, Deng Yunzhu, and her groom, Zhou Haidong. Thank you for being here to witness the beginning of their new life together, and for sending your best wishes to this happy couple. On behalf of my family, I wish all of you a happy and fulfilling life, health, and success in your careers.

At this joyous moment, as a father, I am both elated and apprehensive.

I am elated because my beloved daughter, Deng Yunzhu, has completed one phase of her life and is about to embark on the next. In the future, she will walk this path with the person she loves.

As a father, I am always filled with joy for you both.

I am apprehensive because I can no longer be by her side on her journey.

The future will be shaped by her and her partner. Today, she becomes a wife, and in the future, she will become a mother. Each of these stages of life has its own unique beauty, and she will need to navigate and perfect them on her own.

Fortunately, you both have your own careers and are fully capable of creating your own happiness.

As a father, my only wish for you is to cherish yourselves, as health and safety are the greatest treasures for your future. I believe this is not only my hope but also the hope of your relatives, family, and all the guests here today who have come to bless you.

There are many more things I want to say, but I will turn them into blessings. I silently bless you both and, at the same time, wish all the guests good health and success. Thank you!"

As soon as he finished, the entire venue erupted in thunderous applause.

The Zhou family was impressed by his impromptu speech, which was delivered with great skill.

Only Old Zhou was not surprised, as he had often chatted with Uncle Jiu and knew that Deng Shirong was a very talkative person. Such a speech was easy for him.

Next, the bride and groom also gave speeches, and then the banquet officially began.

As one course after another of delicious dishes was served, the guests were thoroughly captivated.

The Zhou family had spared no expense for the banquet. Not only were the dishes abundant, but they had also hired several skilled chefs, ensuring that the food was of the highest quality. The guests were all full of praise, especially the villagers of Shixi Village, who had attended many weddings over the years. This banquet's food was unanimously considered the best.

The banquet lasted until around 2:00 PM before it finally concluded.

Deng Shirong and the others did not plan to stay long at the groom's family home. After the meal, they stayed for a brief tea session before it was time for the wedding guests to return home.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end