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◎Day 2 of the control group◎

"Okay, brother, sister-in-law, Wanzhou, I'll head back now." Zhou Qingyu nodded, gave Jiang Wanzhou another deep look, and then turned to leave.

As night deepened, the Jiang family courtyard finally quieted down.

Jiang Wanzhou lay on the bed, which was empty, but she couldn't fall asleep.

I could hear Xingxing and the cheap older brother's family interacting next door.

Jiang Wanzhou thought of Shen Xinglian's four-month-old second child.

The eldest brother's background is most likely that of the Ren family.

After all, he gets the treatment of the male lead.

The Jun family's house is just a wall away.

After putting Niu Niu to sleep, Su Xiaomei looked at her sister-in-law's closed door and heard the faint sounds of laughter coming from next door. Her heart felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and she couldn't breathe.

She sat silently in the darkness, without even turning on a lamp, feeling that life was becoming increasingly tasteless and the future seemed uncertain.

On the wedding day.

Before dawn, when the sea was just beginning to lighten, there was already movement in the Jiang family courtyard.

Shen Xinglian was the first to get up. She quietly began boiling water and cleaning the yard, carefully pasting the paper-cut window decorations she had prepared the day before onto the windows.

The simple character "喜" (happiness) instantly added a strong festive atmosphere to the plain courtyard.

Jiang Wanzhou was actually a light sleeper all night, and when she heard the noise outside, she got up as well.

Her heart was pounding like a drum, filled with both overwhelming excitement and a sense of déjà vu as she prepared to bid farewell to her girlhood.

"woke up?"

When Shen Xinglian saw her, a smile immediately bloomed on her face. "Quick, wash your face with hot water first, and refresh yourself. I'll comb your hair in a bit."

"I was rich in my past life, and I'm glad I married a good man in this one."

"I hope this brings you everything."

The steaming heat from the hot water hit my face, dispelling the last bit of sleepiness.

"I don't need you to bring it, just keep it for yourself."

"We both need to be well."

Jiang Wanzhou sat in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection—a mixture of nervousness and barely concealed joy—and took a deep breath.

Shen Xinglian took the wooden comb, stood behind her, and gently combed her long, black hair.

According to the customs of my hometown, on the day of the bride's wedding, an elder or sister-in-law from a harmonious and blessed family will comb the bride's hair and say auspicious words.

As Shen Xinglian combed her hair, she softly recited: "Combing all the way to the end, no need to worry about wealth and honor... May we share wealth and honor in this life."

Her voice may have been at its most tender in two lifetimes.

Jiang Wanzhou listened quietly, her eyes slightly warm.

In this unfamiliar era, meeting Shen Xinglian was her greatest fortune.

After combing her hair, she changed into her red wedding dress.

When that vibrant red color was applied to her body, even Shen Xinglian, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but admire it again.

"Wow, Wanzhou looks so beautiful today!"

"It's a pity there's no wedding dress."

Jiang Wanzhou looked at herself in the mirror, dressed in red, and felt somewhat unfamiliar with herself.

"Then I'd rather wear a cheongsam."

"When we're in our thirties or forties, we can take wedding photos together as best friends."

Jiang Wanzhou said in a low voice.

At this moment, Sister-in-law Li and several other familiar military dependents also arrived one after another, and the courtyard suddenly became lively.

Everyone gathered around Jiang Wanzhou, offering congratulations and making jokes.

At the same time, Zhou Qingyu also changed into the military uniform of this era, buttoning up his top button meticulously, and looked at himself again and again in the small mirror in the dormitory.

"Stop taking pictures, everyone says Engineer Zhou is handsome."

"Yeah, why did you even put on hair oil?"

"Zhou asked me to exchange a lot of tickets, so we have to treat him to a good meal today."

Several young colleagues from the technical team came over to help, arranging the wedding candies and melon seeds to bring when they went to pick up the bride.

There were also two strings of red firecrackers that Jiang Renzhou had specially prepared.

At the entrance of the Jiang family courtyard, a group of soldiers and their families had already gathered to watch the excitement. The children ran around excitedly, waiting to grab some wedding candy.

Amidst this festive atmosphere, the gates of the Jun family's courtyard remained tightly closed.

Jun Yanghong lay on the bed, her head covered by the blanket.

But the faint sounds of laughter and the crackling of firecrackers coming from outside pierced her ears like needles.

She sat up abruptly, her face twisted with jealousy and hatred, and threw the pillow hard on the ground.

Su Xiaomei sat in the outer room, listening to the commotion next door, unconsciously crumpling an old piece of clothing in her hands, her eyes vacant.

That excitement belonged to others; it had nothing to do with her.

She could even picture Jiang Wanzhou in her red wedding dress, looking shy yet happy. Comparing this to the hasty marriage she had when she first married into the family and the current desolation, her heart felt like it had been hit by a jar of bitter herbs, bitter and astringent.

She glanced at Jun Yanghong's tightly closed door, then at Niu Niu, who was playing innocently, and a deep sense of powerlessness gripped her.

The auspicious time is approaching.

Surrounded by a group of comrades, Zhou Qingyu, with a small red flower pinned to her chest, rode in a car toward the Jiang family's courtyard.

He got off the car amidst the cheers of the crowd, a barely suppressed smile playing on his lips, his gaze fixed intently on the courtyard gate adorned with red paper-cut window decorations.

Jiang Renzhou and Shen Xinglian, as the bride's family members, were already waiting at the door, their faces beaming with smiles.

Mingyuan stood at the front, clutching a handful of flower petals, both nervous and excited.

The firecrackers were lit, and the deafening crackling sound instantly echoed throughout the camp.

Red confetti flew everywhere, and the smell of gunpowder mixed with the festive atmosphere.

Amid cheers and jeers from the crowd, Zhou Qingyu walked step by step toward the door.

Jiang Wanzhou stood in the center of the main room, accompanied by Shen Xinglian and Sister-in-law Li.

Hearing the deafening sounds of firecrackers and noise outside, her heart pounded and her palms sweated.

She took a deep breath, and with Shen Xinglian's encouraging gaze, slowly raised her head to look at the tall figure coming from the doorway against the light.

The sunlight outlined a golden silhouette behind him as he walked step by step, his gaze piercing through the crowd and landing precisely on her.

At this moment, all the noise seemed to fade away, leaving only each other in their eyes.

The room fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on the newlyweds.

Zhou Qingyu's heart pounded like a drum as he walked step by step toward Jiang Wanzhou and stood before her.

He looked at her, feeling a tightness in his throat, a thousand words stuck in his chest, which ultimately turned into a low call.

"Wanzhou".

Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Wanzhou slowly raised her head.

Their eyes met, and she saw herself clearly reflected in his eyes, as well as the surging, almost overwhelming affection within them.

Her cheeks flushed, her heart pounded, and she softly replied, "Mmm."

There were no elaborate formalities, no elaborate sedan chairs; their wedding was extremely simple in this military camp on the island.

The house that Zhou Qingyu was assigned was right across from Shen Xinglian's house.

Nowadays, they are all bamboo houses, and you can see each other just by standing in the yard.

Zhou Qingyu paid for the car to circle the family compound ten times before finally returning to her future new home.

The master of ceremonies, [name omitted], smiled and said loudly, "We revolutionary soldiers don't follow the old ways, but the necessary ceremonies cannot be omitted! First bow, to express gratitude for the organization's cultivation, and to pledge loyalty to the revolution and the Party!"

"Second bow, to express gratitude to parents for raising us, and to remember to be filial to our elders!"

Although neither side's elders were present, they still bowed respectfully in the direction of their hometown.

"Husband and wife bow to each other." □□ drew out the sound, with a smile.

Zhou Qingyu and Jiang Wanzhou turned around and stood face to face.

He looked at her, she looked at him, and all the noise around them seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them.

The two bent down at the same time, their foreheads almost touching. When they stood up, they both saw the barely suppressed smile in each other's eyes.

"The ceremony is complete!" As the loud voice of the [unclear] fell, enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted both inside and outside the house.

"Congratulations, Engineer Zhou! Congratulations, Comrade Wanzhou!"

May we grow old together, and be forever united in heart!

May you have a son soon!

Mingyuan excitedly scattered the flower petals in his hand into the air, and colorful confetti fell down, landing on the heads and shoulders of the newlyweds.

Shen Xinglian clapped her hands vigorously, her eyes red-rimmed. Jiang Renzhou stood beside her, a relieved smile on his face, and clapped his hands hard as well.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Zhou Qingyu mustered her courage and gently took Jiang Wanzhou's hand.

Her hands were a little cold.

He took her hand and bowed deeply to all the comrades and families of soldiers who came to offer their blessings.

"Thank you everyone! Thank you!" Zhou Qingyu's voice was tinged with excitement.

After the simple ceremony, a lively wedding banquet followed.

The cafeteria chefs certainly showed off their skills. Although the ingredients were limited, they still managed to prepare several decent meals, including braised pork, sea fish, stir-fried snails, and stir-fried vegetables. The portions were generous and the aroma was irresistible.

Zhou Qingyu and Jiang Wanzhou, holding enamel mugs printed with the Double Happiness symbol, used water instead of wine to toast and express their gratitude to everyone at each table.

The soldiers exchanged blessings and jokes, while the military dependents held Jiang Wanzhou's hand, praising her beauty and Zhou Qingyu's good fortune.

Sister-in-law Wang even secretly slipped Jiang Wanzhou a small red envelope containing several precious cloth coupons, whispering, "Sister, take this; you'll need it for daily life."

This simple and sincere friendship warmed Jiang Wanzhou's heart.

Jun Yanghong couldn't resist in the end and quietly went over after opening her own courtyard gate.

Her gloomy gaze pierced through the crowd, fixed on the newlyweds dressed in red, receiving blessings from everyone.

Watching Zhou Qingyu carefully protect Jiang Wanzhou, and seeing the tenderness in his eyes that she had never received before, she felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and jealousy was burning her to ashes.

She slammed the door shut.

Shen Xinglian and Sister-in-law Li saw it, and Sister-in-law Li even nodded at Shen Xinglian.

Shen Xinglian breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Jun Yanghong leave.

Su Xiaomei didn't go out. She sat inside with Niu Niu in her arms, listening to the noise outside.

She looked down at her stepdaughter's innocent face and touched her own abdomen.

A tear silently slid down and landed on Niu Niu's clothes.

The wedding banquet lasted until the afternoon before gradually ending.

The comrades helped clean up the dishes and tidy up the new house before tactfully leaving the space to the newlyweds.

After the commotion subsided, a sudden silence descended.

In the small bamboo house, red paper-cut window decorations are pasted on the windows.

A pair of red double happiness cups were placed on the table.

Zhou Qingyu looked at Jiang Wanzhou sitting on the edge of the bed; her profile was soft and beautiful under the lamplight.

He walked over and sat down next to her.

For a moment, both of them felt a little shy and at a loss.