They say they're worshipping Buddha, but actually they're mostly praying for good luck in the college entrance exam. Whether or not they believe in these religions, it's always good to come and pray to Buddha and ask the gods, at least it can put their grandmothers' minds at ease.

The Wen family left home rather late, and when they arrived, they found that a large number of villagers had already gathered there, lining up to bow and offer incense.

"Hey, Yi Quan's here? Happy New Year!"

"I came back the day before New Year's Eve. Happy New Year!" Wen Yiquan replied with a smile. Perhaps he couldn't stand too many stares, as he kept subconsciously looking away. Su Juan pinched him hard, which finally made him perk up.

"Juanzi looks beautiful again, hahaha."

"No way, he's almost forty."

Su Juan waved with a smile, took Wen Yiquan's arm, and waited at the back of the line. The two younger members of the family quickly followed.

It's called a temple, but it's actually just a two-story bungalow with Buddha statues on both floors. The money to build the temple was paid by the villagers themselves, so that they would have something to remember them by and ask the Buddha and Bodhisattvas for their blessings.

Most of the people who come to worship Buddha are families, dressed in bright and beautiful clothes, clearly having just returned from out of town for the New Year.

After the uncles finished praying to Buddha, they weren't in a hurry to leave. They gathered in groups of three or five in a corner to smoke, laughing and joking, occasionally glancing at each of the new families who had just arrived.

"Mom, why do I feel like there are several middle-aged men looking at you?" Wen Mo frowned and subconsciously stepped in front of Su Juan, his tone unfriendly.

He hates it when people talk about his family behind his back, especially when it's his mother. If there weren't so many people around, he would have gone over and asked them what they were talking about.

Seeing this, Xia Lian blinked and stood beside Wen Mo to block Su Juan, like two door gods on either side. The girl's expressionless face was particularly comical.

Su Juan was amused and shook her head, laughing so hard she was shaking. After a while, she shook Wen Yiquan's arm, signaling him to look over, "Tell the two children about what happened before."

Why don't you just tell me yourself?

"I can't speak as well as you. Oh, hurry up and speak, hurry up!" Su Juan urged.

Wen Yiquan had no choice. Looking at the still long queue, he decided to speak quite frankly about the past emotional history of the village.

It's impossible for a beautiful woman like Su Juan, who is famous throughout the surrounding area, to have no suitors. All the young men of marriageable age in the village would fawn over her like a madman, and matchmakers would practically wear down the threshold of the Su family's house.

Those uncles from earlier were just a bunch of hot-headed young men 20 years ago.

Therefore, it was not easy to marry Su Juan. When the news first spread in the village that Su Juan was getting married, everyone was asking who her ideal partner was.

When I pulled it out, wow! Goodness!

Isn't that Wen Yiquan? The worst one.

This isn't meant to belittle him, but rather to say that his family was far behind others in terms of financial situation. For them, getting married meant not only not being able to give a dowry, but even being able to afford a banquet was considered a good outcome.

Everyone thought they were seeing things until Su Juan sweetly hugged his arm, and then they realized that the two of them were serious.

The young men who lost their crushes almost overnight were dumbfounded. They had thought they might not be able to compete with others, but they never thought they would lose to someone they had never been rivals before.

What they didn't know was that there was no competition in love; if there were, Wen Yiquan would already be a pre-selected contestant.

Neither the villagers nor the Su family members reacted in time.

Especially the grandfather, when he found out that his daughter's boyfriend was such a thing, he almost fainted from blushing.

Every father hopes his daughter can marry into a good family. It doesn't mean she has to be rich, but it also doesn't mean she has to marry a penniless man! This guy is penniless; he doesn't even know what kind of job he'll do after marriage.

When Su Juan shouted "I'm pregnant," Grandpa's vision went black. He wasn't exactly furious, but he was close.

Then came the well-known incident where Wen Yiquan was chased and beaten by his father-in-law. After the beating, he felt relieved, but he couldn't win back his daughter's heart. The marriage was now a done deal.

"This wedding was quite a spectacle," Wen Mo couldn't help but remark.

To come up with such a wicked trick as acting first and informing later, Mommy is truly a genius.

Most people in the village didn't know that Su Juan was already pregnant at that time; they just thought that Wen Yiquan was beaten simply because his father-in-law was unhappy with him.

It wasn't until Winmer was born that people realized something was amiss, but no one questioned it further, as it was their private matter.

"You think getting married is easy? I was besieged on all sides back then. Being chased and beaten by your grandfather was the best-case scenario. I couldn't even afford a wedding banquet. I was really useless..."

Wen Yiquan couldn't help but shake his head, recalling the past as if he were complaining or disgusted with his former self.

Everyone says that marriage is a joyous occasion, but this couple's marriage was very low-key, and they didn't have the means to be extravagant. Getting their marriage certificate was enough for them. As for a wedding banquet? They didn't have the money.

Back then, there were no ceremonies. Getting a marriage certificate was just like having a meal. We went to the Civil Affairs Bureau in the morning and came back at noon.

Grandpa and Grandma knew they weren't well-off, but even so they couldn't let their new daughter-in-law suffer, so they insisted on hosting a banquet.

Then Su Juan stopped him, shaking her head with a smile.

"Why spend that money on a banquet? Don't bother Mom and Dad."

Recalling everything from that time, Wen Yiquan was still quite emotional.

The reason he is so henpecked, even after becoming a big boss, is because he truly, truly loves his wife.

I've always felt that marrying her was one of the greatest blessings of my life, and even decades later, that feeling will never change.

"I'm sorry to your mother, we got our marriage certificate without even having a ceremony."

Wen Yiquan shook his head bitterly, but before he could finish speaking, Su Juan grabbed his chin and looked at him with a pout and displeasure, saying, "What are you saying? Have I ever complained about you? Be confident, okay? You're so stupid... stupid and you've made a fortune."

The two, both nearing forty, flirted with just as much as young people, leaving the middle-aged man smoking nearby completely bewildered.

Perhaps feeling they should do something, they rummaged in their pockets as they walked over, and when they reached the Wen family's house, they pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

Wen Yiquan didn't hesitate either, pulling out a cigarette and clipping it to his ear, "I'll take one after I finish queuing."

"OK."

The middle-aged man had a cigarette in his mouth, but when he saw two children behind them, he shook the cigarette, looked away, and threw the half-smoked cigarette into the trash can.

"How old are these two?"

"My daughter is sixteen, and my son is seventeen, soon he'll be eighteen."