Chapter 98 Lawn Wedding Shall we go? I'll take you home. Shall we go? I'll marry you…

From the moment she heard the noise outside the window, Chen Mian's heart began to beat faster and faster, and her fair cheeks flushed red.

"It must be because it's too hot," she explained, fanning herself with her hand.

Even though everything was planned out, I'm still so nervous now that the moment has come.

While Chen Mianmian was still lost in thought, Chen Muhe had already run over and blocked the door.

"Sister, please sit down."

Chen Mian sat up straight again, straightened her skirt, and Da Huang obediently lay down on the floor beside the bed to wait.

After she laid out her skirt, the calico cat gracefully stepped over the fiery red hem and settled steadily on the gap between Chen Mian's legs.

Mimi: This is such a nice nest, of course it's Mimi's territory.

Outside the door, Chen Mubai and his comrades were ready to teach Ji Yu a lesson.

Five tall, young men stood in a row, their hands behind their backs.

Even in casual clothes, their extraordinary demeanor immediately reveals them to be trained martial artists.

Ji Yu saw this scene from afar, stood on the spiral staircase, looked at the five "thugs" in front of her, then looked back at her increasingly overweight group of relatives and friends behind her, and fell silent.

He glanced at Kalikiz, signaling him to quickly think of a solution.

Kalikiz forced a stiff smile, then, remembering that he still needed their help, rubbed his face and smiled even more warmly.

"Good morning, brothers! It must have been a long and arduous journey to come all this way. What are you all doing standing at the door? Go downstairs and wait for the feast..."

Chen Mubai replied politely, "It's alright, we're not in a hurry. We had a full breakfast. We're just waiting for your performance."

"Yes, the bride is already waiting inside. Whether you can marry her or not depends on how capable you are," someone in the bride's entourage teased.

The words had barely left his mouth when the music from the band on the first floor began to play.

"One more! One more!"

Ji Yu knew she couldn't avoid it, so she had been practicing dancing for half a month in advance.

But the teacher didn't mention jumping on the spiral staircase during practice, so he didn't learn that part...

Just as he was at a loss, Kalikiz and Batur exchanged a glance, then lifted him up from either side and carried him to the backyard.

Ji Yu: ...

“It’s too crowded here, Adasi. Let’s go dance on the lawn in the backyard so the bride can see us from the window.”

Seeing that they wouldn't respond, Chen Mubai on the second floor had no choice but to lead his men to the backyard.

"Beautiful bride, come down and dance with us!"

"Hey groom, don't be shy! Come on, sing and dance, show off your best, that's how you'll win a bride!"

Inside the house, Chen Mianmian heard the noise outside the window seeming to grow louder and louder, but there was no sound outside the door.

Holding the kitten, she lifted her skirt and quietly walked to the door, listening intently to what was happening outside.

Chen Mian: "Why is it suddenly so quiet outside?"

Chen Muhe also found it strange. She pushed her sister back and opened the door a crack to peek outside.

At this moment, only a little girl of seven or eight years old remained outside the door.

"Sister, the groom invites you to watch the show by the window!"

She left after saying that, skipping and hopping away.

“The wheat in Fengxi City grows well, and the apples are big and sweet. Where does this girl come from with her long braids and beautiful eyes? If you are to marry, don’t marry anyone else, you must marry me…”[1]

As soon as Chen Mian opened the window, she heard Ji Yu playing the dombra, dancing strange steps, and singing his own adapted version of "The Girl from Fengxi City".

A band on the lawn played beautiful songs, with Ji Yu at the center, surrounded by circles of young people.

Everyone was immersed in the wonderful atmosphere, and no one cared about Ji Yu's clumsy dancing and off-key singing.

Apart from Chen Mubai, whose face was as black as the bottom of a pot, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, refusing to join with his actions.

And Chen Muhe upstairs scoffed and turned her head away.

Chen Mubai/Muhe: Is this how he won over my sister/older sister with sweet talk?

Despite Ji Yu's calm and composed demeanor, she was actually incredibly embarrassed inside.

The last time he was stared at by so many people was the day he enlisted wearing a big red flower.

But there's no need to perform that day.

However, all of this vanished when Chen Mian saw the surprise in her eyes; all the noise and excitement seemed to have been put on pause.

The two looked intently at each other's faces and smiled at one another.

He knew why Chen Mianmian wore Uyghur clothing for her wedding, just as Chen Mianmian knew why he was preparing a song and dance performance.

"Officer Ji, it's you?"

"My mom wants me to go on a blind date..."

"Have you found one you like?"

"No, I can't dance..."

“Shall we go? I'll take you home.” [2]

Amidst another round of cheers and jeers from the crowd, Ji Yu tossed the dombra to the best man and picked up the carefully prepared roses.

With a simple running start, he climbed up the water pipes and steps along the wall to the second floor, and then nimbly climbed over the balcony.

Ji Yu smiled foolishly and held up the blooming roses in her hand for her beloved to see.

Chen Mian smiled and looked up at him, "Officer Ji, it's you?"

Ji Yu: "My fiancée is asking me to come and get married..."

"Have you found her?"

"Yes, I can dance now..."

Ji Yu: "Shall we go? I'll marry you."

“Okay,” Chen Mianmian agreed with a smile.

The girl was dressed in a bright Uyghur costume, her long black hair was braided into soft braids, and she obediently stretched out her arms.

Ji Yu bent down and picked up the girl gently, as if he were holding his whole world in his arms.

The door had already been opened beforehand, and Ji Yu carried Chen Mian downstairs steadily.

Chen Mubai and his sister stood silently with their parents, their eyes already moist.

Lin Huijun wore a silver-gray cheongsam embroidered with orchid patterns, the diagonal placket adorned with translucent green beads. In the warm sunlight, the beads shimmered with tiny sparkles, making the pearls on her earlobes appear even more lustrous.

Chen Yongliang straightened his navy blue striped tie and gently put his arm around his wife's shoulder. "The children are all grown up now, it's time for them to settle down. It's a good thing, a really good thing..."

.

The military green jeep was polished to a shine, with red ribbons tied to its body and even the rearview mirrors.

Ji Yu drove his beloved lover around Ebony City for a whole circle before stopping in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

After quickly getting out of the car and completing the marriage certificate, they drove back to the villa to prepare for the midday ceremony and banquet.

Yu Xiaoyue is pregnant and has been resting in a separate room all morning.

Lin Huijun also prepared an indigo cheongsam for her, the jacquard fabric shimmering with a delicate soft light.

Unlike ordinary cheongsams, this one has an extra long-sleeved shawl-like coat and a pearl brooch pinned to the chest.

With her coat covering her, Yu Xiaoyue's slightly protruding belly was barely noticeable.

At noon, thanks to Chen Muhe's excellent creativity and strong coordination skills, the ceremony began on time.

A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, drifting over the round table covered with a light pink tablecloth, and stopping under the lush ginkgo tree.

The main stage, adorned with pale yellow ribbons, is set up here.

The officiant was Yang Yonghua, a longtime friend of Ji Feng and the current magistrate of Wumu City.

Holding a microphone, he was still wearing a faded Zhongshan suit and old cloth shoes. "I really didn't expect that I would catch up with every important moment of this young couple's life so soon after I returned to Wumu City."

I also have a special connection with this girl, Kapok. The first time we met was at the Agricultural Bureau, where she bravely fought for the right to contract.

The second time we met was at the police station, where she told me about her peach farm plan.

Today marks our third meeting. She has already achieved her goals and become a successful entrepreneur.

And I'm about to start a family with my old friend's son.

Yang Yonghua picked up the canned food jar beside him, took a sip of tea, and continued, "As for Ji Yu, he has also contributed to the construction of our country's border regions."

A hotheaded young man, barely eighteen, ran off to the army and served for six years. After being injured and discharged, he worked as a policeman for three years…

Yang Yonghua devoted his entire life to his work, remaining single with no wife or children.

Standing at Chen Mian and Ji Yu's wedding today, I suddenly felt a bit emotional.

If he had gotten married back then, his children would be in relationships by now.

"Alright, I won't ramble on anymore. Everyone, give a round of applause and welcome the bride and groom!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the band began playing beautiful Xinjiang dance music again. Ji Yu took Chen Mian's hand and ran to the center of the stage.

The pink satin wedding dress, adorned with puff sleeves featuring three-dimensional roses, had its hem gently billowing in a beautiful arc in the breeze.

Ji Yu was wearing a sharp black suit with a pink satin tie.

Unlike traditional weddings, they eliminated cumbersome rituals such as toasting and addressing guests by name.

There was no concept of marriage; they were simply two like-minded young people who formed their own little family together.

After marriage, wives do not have to sacrifice their careers for their husbands or be burdened by household chores.

The husband is not someone who never lifts a finger; a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen.

The moment they exchanged rings, dappled sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, illuminating their clasped hands.

Ji Yu's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She lowered her gaze and stared at Chen Mian's reddened eyes, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

His slightly rough fingertips brushed against the stray hairs falling beside her cheek.

Chen Mian nervously pursed her lips, her curled eyelashes trembled slightly, and her hands, which were clasped together with the man's, unconsciously curled up.

Ji Yu gently squeezed her fingers, and the moment Chen Mian looked up in confusion, he leaned down and kissed his beloved.

Their warm lips pressed tightly together, and conversations began to rise from the audience.

Ji Yu gently protected Chen Mian's waist, turned her back, and completed this restrained yet tender kiss.

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Author's note: Whether you enjoyed reading it or not, I certainly enjoyed writing it, haha.

[1] Adapted from the song "The Girl from Daban City"

[2] is the conversation between the male and female protagonists when they meet at the banquet, which is when they start to have an ambiguous relationship.