After listening to everyone's discussion, Jiang Qiao turned and went inside. Ning Hao's friends, leaders, and colleagues were all sitting inside drinking tea and chatting.

Everyone envied Ning Hao. He got a house as soon as he joined the company, and he got married. She was so beautiful that people couldn't look directly at her. Her daughter was well-known, and her family was even better off than Ning Hao's. You can't believe how lucky this guy was. He had all the good things in the world.

Sure enough, as soon as Jiang Qiao walked in, Ning Hao's colleagues started to cheer.

"Oh, bride, come and sit down. You know, as a bride, you can't be running around the courtyard making arrangements. Today you're the most important one, so we need to sit still. Do you know what this means? This is called 'sitting in blessing'—"

Jiang Qiao greeted everyone with a smile, "Then I'll listen to you. Today, I'll stay calm and collected, I won't do any work, we'll just chat."

While eating wedding candy and smoking wedding cigarettes, everyone's eyes lit up as they watched the beautiful bride take off her red wool coat and then put on a fitted Chinese-style padded jacket.

Appreciating beauty is one thing, but several young people who are about to get married are also thinking to themselves, "If I let my wife wear Jiang Qiao's outfit, will it dazzle everyone on our wedding day?"

The older comrades were wondering if their daughters could dress like Jiang Qiao, the bride, when they got married.

As parents, everyone wants their children to look presentable on their wedding day. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event, so we can't be careless. We can make do with whatever we want on ordinary days, but not on wedding day. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event, so we have to make sure our children look their best.

So, Jiang Qiao became the main focus of the conversation, with everyone asking where the fabric for the clothes was bought and who made it.

Jiang Qiao really couldn't tell the truth about this. Could she say that the fabric of the clothes was made while she was unconscious?

I can't say it, so I can only lie and say, "The material for the overcoat was bought in the north, and the material for the cotton-padded jacket was bought in the south. As you know, I travel around a lot, and if I find something suitable, I'll buy it."

It's okay if you can't buy it. Something similar will do. This is the style you can copy. Any tailor in the city can make it. My mother also had it made in the city.

Later, when you need them, you can come over and get the clothes to make them yourself.

However, she never intended to give the clothes away. Her mother had them made and designed them herself, so she really couldn't bear to give them away. Besides, with so many people to give them to, it wouldn't be appropriate to give them to anyone.

With Jiang Qiao's words, everyone felt reassured. It was good enough to get the clothes and make them. No one thought about borrowing clothes for someone's wedding day; they couldn't bring themselves to ask, and they were too embarrassed.

Once the banquet started, Jiang Qiao and Ning Hao went out for a walk, and then there was nothing left for her to do. With all these people gathered together, there was wine and meat, so why not have a good time?

Jiang Qiao and Zhu Lin were the last to eat, joining Li Meilan and Song Lianfeng, the older women who helped with the cooking.

Song Lianfeng pulled Jiang Qiao over for a good look and said, "Tsk tsk tsk, I told you before that if our Qiao'er got married, she would definitely be the most beautiful bride. Don't you think so?"

Li Meilan nodded vigorously, "That's right. Who would have thought that the skinny little girl back then would grow up to look like this? I never imagined that one day I would be able to host Jiang Qiao's wedding banquet. It feels like a dream."

Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "It's because you old neighbors don't mind that you haven't seen the most beautiful or good-looking people. You've been busy all morning. Come on, everyone, take your seats. I need to pour you a drink to reward you all for your great contributions."

Looking at Jiang Qiao like this, Song Lianfeng couldn't help but sigh, "What a pity, our Chunming is away on a business trip, otherwise, you guys could have gotten together. Did you see Jianjun just now?"

Jiang Qiao nodded. "I saw him, he brought his wife back—"

Li Meilan winked at Jiang Qiao, "You saw Jianjun's wife this time, didn't you?"

Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "Not bad—"

This one is not bad, but that's just superficial praise. To be honest, it can't compare to Yin Jiaqi at all.

Li Meilan glanced outside and whispered, "It's only because we neighbors are kind-hearted that we have this. You don't know what people outside are saying. They say that Zhao Jianjun married an ugly wife in order to climb the social ladder."

"You say she's ugly, fine, but it's good that she's beautiful inside. It's a pity, though, that woman has a terrible temper. I heard that if things don't go well, she makes a scene with Jianjun. Sigh, you're all daughters of officials, why isn't our Qiao'er like that? She's just spoiled."

Jiang Qiao smiled and poured Li Meilan a full glass of wine. "Auntie, you can't say that. My dad isn't any kind of official. He can't be compared to others. He's just a man who leads troops into battle."

Besides, I've grown up in this courtyard all these years. To be honest, I've had a harder life than ordinary people. I simply don't have the luxury of being willful. People who grow up in front of their parents have a completely different experience.”

Song Lianfeng and the others nodded in agreement, mostly with sighs, "Jiang Qiao grew up right under our noses. If we're talking about understanding, we understand her better than anyone else. Honestly, back then, Qiao'er was really worse off than even children from poor families."

Other people have parents who love them, but what does this child have? So young, yet she has to take care of her grandmother and the whole family. She's gotten to where she is today entirely through her own hard work.

The others echoed the agreement, and Li Meilan spoke up for Jiang Qiao even more, saying, "Auntie, now that Qiao'er has married your Haozi, we, as elders, can't let the child call me 'Auntie' for nothing, can we?"

From now on, you must treat Qiao'er well. She has finally woken up. She is a very lucky girl. If you treat her well, she will definitely repay you many times over. Look at me now, am I like that?

I know my own flaws, but Qiao'er hasn't looked down on me. Over the years, we've gotten along quite well. She always thinks of me, her aunt, when there's something good to eat. She'll definitely treat you, her own grandparents, well in the future."

Jiang Qiao hadn't expected Li Meilan to say something like that. "Auntie, just for how much you've always cared for me, let's have a drink, mother and son. We'll drink as much as we can; this liquor isn't very strong, I'll finish it—"

Zhu Lin said with satisfaction, "That's right. Qiao'er is a child I've watched grow up since she was a child. I've always been happy to have Qiao'er as our granddaughter-in-law. It's Haozi's good fortune to be able to marry this child."

You'll see from now on, the young couple's life will definitely get better and better. As the elders, we can only wish for the best for our children.

You elders, please give the children some pointers when you have time. The couple has just gotten married, and there are some things they may not understand. We would appreciate it if you aunties and grandmas could guide the two children more.

"Come on, everyone, eat more. You've been working hard all morning. Without your help, the two kids would be completely lost. Don't be shy, help yourselves."