The news of the bumper harvest spread from north to south like a virus. Not only did the majority of members smile at the sky, but even the newspaper sent staff to the countryside to interview and report.

It was in this atmosphere that Li Qinglin arrived at the Beijing Newspaper Office. Compared to their last meeting, he looked more stable and reserved after wearing a pair of glasses.

He wasn't the least bit surprised to learn that Zhang Guoqing was enrolled in a military academy. He looked at Zhou Jiao, who was joking with Hu Xiaohui, and asked, "So you can't go to the wedding of the two?"

Zhou Jiao shook her head in embarrassment. "It depends on the situation. I'll definitely squeeze out if I can. Otherwise, I won't be able to handle Yuanyuan alone."

Hu Xiaohui, who had heard about their past, laughed with joy.

"Stop laughing! Where are you planning to hold your wedding? Don't go out of town again."

Hu Xiaohui blushed shyly and looked at Li Qinglin.

Zhou Jiao twitched her lips at the sight, her teeth aching. "Fake! It must be fake!"

Li Qinglin smiled at his lover and looked at Zhou Jiao, "The elders at home are planning to have dinner in both the capital and the northeast, but I'll listen to Xiaohui."

This display of affection was so intense that Zhou Jiao almost jumped in on Li Aiguo and his wife. He truly forgot his mother after marrying her!

"Is the date set?"

Li Qinglin nodded. "After I report to work, I'll get my marriage certificate first. The wedding will be held in Beijing on National Day. If there's no long vacation, we'll go back to Northeast China to hold the wedding banquet at the end of the year."

"Jiaojiao, aren't Zhang Yuntao and his family getting married at the end of the year? What do you think about me holding the wedding banquet right after theirs? That way you and your wife won't have to make an extra trip."

Zhou Jiao glanced at her sideways, "Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you for courage?"

Hu Xiaohui laughed happily, "I knew you understood me the best! It's settled then."

"Good friends are meant to be used?" Zhou Jiao patted her with amusement. "According to regulations, you have over half a month of marriage leave. I guess you won't be able to wait until New Year's Day."

“So nothing is certain yet.”

Zhou Jiao nodded in understanding. She only knew Hu Xiaohui hadn't changed jobs, but she wondered if she'd told Li Qinglin the truth. For someone like them, occasional missions were like eating and sleeping. Hopefully, when the day came, the bride wouldn't run away.

"How many days will it take for your Zhang Guoqing to come back? I want him to take Linzi to meet some more friends."

Zhou Jiao rolled her eyes secretly, not afraid that your majestic evil deeds would be broken. "Where is Xiaobailong?"

"That boy is dating anyone, so why not wait for your man?"

"Tsk tsk, you really think highly of him." Zhou Jiao thought for a moment, "Let's wait until you get your marriage certificate. There's no need to rush."

Hu Xiaohui rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you. Just do whatever you think is right."

As long as she said it to her face, Zhou Jiao didn't bother to pay attention to her little thoughts. Even if Zhang Guoqing didn't come forward, would there be anyone who wouldn't give face to the Bai family?

"Is the new house ready?"

Li Qinglin shook his head. "I just got the job, so I can't wait for the housing allocation. I came here to ask Xiaowu to help me find a house."

Zhou Jiao looked at Hu Xiaohui when she heard this. She didn't believe that the other party's family was not prepared.

"Don't look at her. Her mother has prepared a house, but my parents think that my family should be responsible for arranging housing for the bride."

Hu Xiaohui laughed and scolded, "You're the only one who's so picky! I think it's best to wait until I apply for housing. It doesn't cost any money."

"There's no need! Even if you get the application, it's still crowded and you have to deal with interpersonal relationships." Li Qinglin shook his head in disapproval.

After a tiring day at work, he still has to deal with the neighbors. Is that still home? He likes to close the door and live his own life.

"I'll go accompany Ping An and the others. You sisters can chat on your own."

After Li Qinglin left, Zhou Jiao spoke well of her friend, "The last good man was trapped by you, you really have good taste."

"Hehe, I think Linzi is great too."

Zhou Jiao glanced at her amusedly, "Of course. Besides him being nice, your parents-in-law are also very kind. And the key point is that you don't have a sister-in-law. Your mother-in-law is crazy about having a daughter, and she'll definitely like you very much."

Zhou Jiao wasn't exaggerating. You know, Li Qinglin's mother had even considered adopting a daughter. At least marrying into the Li family meant there wouldn't be any bias against boys when it came to having children.

Hu Xiaohui's eyes lit up when she heard this. "Qinglin told me the same thing, and I thought he was just trying to comfort me. Jiaojiao, my mom asked me to learn martial arts because she was worried I'd get bullied. I was also thinking about whether I'd fight back if my mother-in-law abused me. Now it's all gone. I was worried I'd scare Qinglin."

Zhou Jiao couldn't hold back her laughter before she finished. It seems love really does make people less intelligent. Forget the vast distance between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law; even Hu's mother wouldn't let her daughter suffer. She probably even knew exactly how old Li Qinglin was when he wet the bed.

"If his mother comes, should I make some preparations first? I heard that your mother-in-law loves you very much. Can you give me some advice?"

Zhou Jiao almost gasped for breath as she smiled. "Getting pregnant early is better than anything else. Every time you see her, remember that this is the mother who gave birth to my lover. No matter what her attitude is, you, as her daughter-in-law, should respect her. The more you spend time together, the better your relationship will become. Do more housework in front of her. How could she not like such a virtuous daughter-in-law?"

Hu Xiaohui was silent for a moment, then nodded. "What you said is simpler than what my mother said, but also more practical. Why do we women have such a hard time?"

Zhou Jiao was speechless about her healthy body. She was really born with a lot of blessings but didn't know how to appreciate them. How many people wanted to find a satisfactory lover and have a harmonious family?

Especially since she had seen so many so-called equals in the past two years, she felt even more indignant for women. Even though this society was simpler than later generations, it still couldn't avoid some dirty deals.

Her mother's art troupe had recently disciplined another female soldier. If even a disciplined unit could behave this way, then the outside world must be even more chaotic, away from her sight.

I remembered the Haishi Exhibition scandal I heard about at a meeting two days ago. So many large vernier calipers were sold at the exhibition for only six cents each, and the velvet lining inside the boxes alone could make two cheongsams.

No one would believe that such a waste of national assets didn't involve some shady dealings. Every day, she processed reports and data from all over the country, and even if she tried to whitewash it, she still felt a lingering fear. Some people and some things were forcing the higher-ups to take action.

"...Have you been on a business trip recently? I want you to bring something."

Zhou Jiao shook her head. "We have to wait for notification from above. I'm like a brick right now, going wherever I'm needed. Tell me what to bring, and I'll see if there's any way I can ask someone I know for help."

"Forget about others. It's a pity that I didn't buy a watch last time I went out. It's so expensive now."

Zhou Jiao suddenly realized and gestured towards her.

"Where's your imported watch?"

"It's long gone. Whether I was in school or working now, it's not appropriate to wear it." Zhou Jiao said, glancing at her. They were all smart people, and she didn't believe she didn't understand.

Nowadays, those who show off will be caught in the act. She didn't care about the young couple Li Qinglin, but she did care about Zhang Guoqing. With his temper, he would intervene if his good friend got into trouble.