Chapter 97 Chapter 97 The Tracing Talisman Box—Hot! …

It was a perfectly tailored magenta satin cheongsam, the material exceptionally fine, though the style was a bit too trendy. Xiao Lanqin's snow-white arms were exposed, and the knee-high slit seemed a bit too high. Xiao's mother, deeply concerned, had draped a fur cape over her. Because the Lin family lacked any female elders capable of caring for the bride, and Xiao Lanqin was still uneasy with her pregnancy, her mother had reluctantly come to help. However, she felt it was inappropriate for her to go downstairs and be seen.

But this outfit looks perfect with Xiao Lanqin's newly permed hair.

The newlyweds began to toast, and everyone enthusiastically discussed the bride's hairstyle, clothes, and the small leather shoes on her feet that were about as high as her fingers.

Over the past decade or so, gray, white, and black fabrics have been so monotonous, so monotonous that people have unanimously adopted a tolerant, positive, and affirmative attitude towards the bride's unusual makeup at this special wedding.

Tan Yuemei said, "Xiao Lanqin looks so beautiful in this cheongsam, just like the photo I saw at Teacher He's house when she was young."

Cai Weihong touched her hair that was cut short to the ears and said hesitantly, "This hair is permed very well. Should I try growing it longer?" She heard that the Silian Barber Shop was not so closed now. She got a letter of introduction to open it under the pretext of participating in the New Year's Day rehearsal of her former unit, and they would perm her hair.

Tan Yuemei was young and she knew more about the latest fashions in Beijing. "Go to Silian! You can get a perm for short hair too! There are a lot of people who get their hair permed through backdoor channels there. They're the only ones who have electric curlers, because other places use hot hooks that can easily burn your hair." The underage girl said in a low voice with a hint of regret, "But the hair salon still doesn't do the big wavy curls that blondes in the movies wear. You can only make some flower patterns and tie it up." Or put it up like Xiao Lanqin did.

Lin Xinghuo also felt that Xiao Lanqin looked particularly beautiful today, especially after she changed into the cheongsam, which reminded her even more of the charming little face in the gold pocket watch.

An older man at the table, who had been quiet the entire time, curled his lips and suddenly whispered to the richly dressed aunt, "Is Deputy Minister Lin getting married, or taking a concubine?"

The aunt picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and gave it to him. "Even meat can't stop you from eating? What are you talking about? You finally got transferred back, so don't fall into your old habits again... Old Xing, let me tell you, you're just a small-time section chief about to retire, not the big minister you were ten years ago! If you offend someone again and get kicked out, I wonder who those two unemployed bastards in front of you will rely on!"

The old man had very deep wrinkles on his forehead and at the corners of his mouth, and his face showed that he was not easy to get along with. Lin Xinghuo had not realized that he and his aunt were a couple before, but it was obvious that there were many stories between the couple.

But the old man's harsh words were not wrong. From Lin Xinghuo's perspective, she felt as if she was watching a TV drama set in the Republic of China: a tall, somewhat old "master" in a black woolen coat, was held on the arm by a young and charming "aunt" in a nearly bright red cheongsam, and they walked among the guests at a new-style wedding, talking and laughing, holding wine glasses... The only thing that made people feel distracted was that most of the guests at the table were wearing black work clothes and green military uniforms. The dull and monotonous colors contrasted sharply with the newlyweds, making the young and beautiful bride even more distinctive.

When Xiao Lanqin approached, Lin Xinghuo couldn't help but frown. The short cloak around Xiao Lanqin's shoulders was made of red fox fur.

Glancing at Lin Beiguo worriedly, Wu Nian simply put down his chopsticks and turned the chubby girl in his arms over so that she could sit sideways. Lin Xinghuo cooperated seamlessly, pulling out a tube of Wu Nian's preserved fruit from her bag and stuffing it into the big girl's arms, letting her hold it and eat it herself.

The fox sniffed with its delicate little nose, and quickly held the green bamboo tube in its arms. Its chubby fingers gently pinched out a piece of peach fruit leather and stuffed it into its mouth. It chewed it with its little teeth, nodded in ecstasy, and grinned.

Half the people at the table were so happy with their laughter that their hearts melted.

Lin Qiyun, who was holding a wine glass in his elegant hand, felt his heart beating violently. He looked at the little girl sitting in the adult's arms and couldn't help wanting to get closer to take a closer look at her face.

Xiao Lanqin's hand in her arms shook him vigorously. Lin Qiyun paused for a moment before walking towards the elder as if nothing had happened.

Except for his relatives and leaders, Lin Qiyun did not need to toast everyone one by one. He only needed to give a glass of wine to everyone at the table, or just give a glass to the oldest person who represented the whole table.

Except for the table arranged in the small western-style building, Lin Qiyun only raised his hand to drink one cup of wine from the tables in the courtyard, even at the first table. But when it was the second seat's turn, after he toasted with a glass, he actually turned around and came to the young people including Lin Xinghuo, and raised his glass politely, to thank them for taking care of Xiao Lanqin?

Lin Qiyun smiled and said, "...Qinqin has a bit of a temper. Thank goodness you didn't bother with her. You must drink this glass of wine."

"Qinqin, pour some wine for your classmate."

Xiao Lanqin's face flushed in response to the situation. She pulled her hand away and personally took the white porcelain wine jug with a thin spout from the tray held by the host and poured wine for her roommate: "This is the red wine we girls drink. It's sweet, not spicy."

The three of them had to stand up. Cai Weihong and Tan Yuemei exchanged a glance. Were they close to Xiao Lanqin? To be honest, Xiao Lanqin had barely lived in the dorm, so they weren't familiar with each other. Cai Weihong was attending her wedding out of courtesy, having initially gotten along, while Tan Yuemei was only there to attend because of her dormmate and counselor, Xiao Xijin.

Otherwise, considering Xiao Lanqin's rude behavior towards her, Tan Yuemei would definitely not have spent the one yuan gift money! Tan Yuemei wrinkled her nose. She didn't really want to drink the wine Xiao Lanqin offered her. The color of the wine in the white porcelain wine cup was very beautiful, and the red was much more authentic than Xiao Lanqin's clothes.

"Don't!" Cai Weihong held Xiao Lanqin's hand and whispered, "There are so many guests in the back. How many cups can you pour from this pot of wine? Don't be polite with us. We don't drink." She winked at Xiao Lanqin to look at herself and Tan Yuemei: "We have to ride our bikes later."

Xiao Lanqin readily poured the bottom of each cup for both of them and poured a full cup for Lin Xinghuo: "I know you can drink, and you are not afraid of getting drunk. Aren't you bringing your family with you?" The pine wine in Buxiantun was made by Lin Xinghuo, and now it is sold in department stores in Beijing.

Wu Nian held the fat baby Sailin Xinghuo, who was eating preserved fruit obediently, in his arms, took the wine glass, and said with a smile: "Family members are used to drink on behalf of others. Congratulations!"

Without waiting for the two men to say anything, Wu Nian tilted his head back and poured the entire cup of red wine into his mouth.

Looking at the school badge on Wu Nian's chest, Xiao Lanqin's face froze for a moment. Not knowing what the taste was, she raised her glass and drank from it. The sweet taste of the wine inexplicably tasted a bit fishy in her mouth, which made the pregnant Xiao Lanqin almost look "nauseous". Fortunately, her arms, which were blue with cold, were not very obedient, and she came to her senses without covering her chest.

It happened so quickly that everyone at the table thought they were going to have a few more rounds of polite conversation, but it was over in the blink of an eye. Cai Weihong and Tan Yuemei didn't have time to follow Wu Nian's movements. In the end, Wu Nian sat down again, and the two silly girls were still holding their glasses.

After hastily raising their glasses as a formality, the two sat down. Fortunately, not much wine was poured, so the small wine glass that had not even touched their lips did not look out of place on the table.

Lin Qiyun was quite natural. He casually placed his wine glass on the tray behind him, rubbed his hands, clapped them together, and teased Lin Beiguo in Lin Xinghuo's arms: "Such a beautiful and lovely little baby, can you hold it for uncle?"

The box inlaid with the tracing talisman in the shoulder bag pressed against Lin Xinghuo's thigh was so hot that Lin Xinghuo felt as if she could smell the smell of burning flesh again. She hugged Lin Beiguo and hid herself, hiding the shoulder bag without making a sound.

The mother and daughter's refusal was obvious, and no one took it seriously. The drunken scoundrels at other tables even started to cheer loudly, asking Lin Qiyun to hold a boy so that he could "have a baby soon" or something like that.

Xiao Lanqin, already feeling a bit irritated by Lin Qiyun's delay, nearly lost her temper upon hearing this: "Didn't they invite only prominent and respectable guests? What's wrong with these people? If they can't talk, don't talk! "Have a son soon?" It's true that Lin Qiyun already has a son...

Looking at the little girl clinging to Lin Qiyun's feet, Xiao Lanqin felt even more choked up. She had always assumed the child was Wu Nian's ex-wife's, but it was Cai Weihong's unintentional compliments last semester that finally woke her up. "She really has the best features of both parents. Her eyebrows and eyes resemble Lin Xinghuo's, but her nose is Wu Nian's, straight and plump. She looks blessed..." And that dimple on one side of her face made her smile incredibly sweet.

Xiao Lanqin was completely stunned. She had always thought that Lin Xinghuo's good luck was just a flaw; stepmothers who raised other people's children rarely had good things to offer. This alone made her far superior to Lin Xinghuo. She experienced hardship first and then happiness, while Lin Xinghuo was likely to experience happiness first and then hardship...

As soon as the veil covering the truth was lifted, Xiao Lanqin, for some reason, felt her heart break. She couldn't describe the feeling, but even when Niu Wangshan betrayed her and married another woman, it hadn't been as painful as it was. It felt as if the very foundation of her identity had been ripped away, and her self-esteem, the very foundation on which she depended, was filled with a fury of being deceived and betrayed.

But Lin Xinghuo herself didn't care at all and even became friends with Tan Yuemei, whom she hated.

Xiao Lanqin had invited them to her wedding banquet to show them that she was no longer on the same level as them. But now, Lin Qiyun's humble toasts and the happy expressions of Lin Xinghuo and his family of three made Xiao Lanqin feel suffocated.

The food in front of Lin Xinghuo's family was barely touched, and there was wedding candy to the side, as if they didn't even care about the table full of food. The little kid nestled obediently in Lin Xinghuo's arms, enjoying the preserved fruit he had brought with him. Xiao Lanqin seemed to have forgotten how good Wu Nian's cooking was, and how she had previously been so condescending as to ask her second brother to invite someone else to be the chef for the wedding. Lin Beiguo, who had no shortage of meat, naturally had no interest in food that was far inferior to her father's cooking.

Finally, the unmatched newlyweds walked to another table. Lin Xinghuo sent a message to Wu Nian: "Did you really drink that wine?"

Wu Nian shook his head and considerately took the heavy fat girl. While Lin Xinghuo was tidying up his clothes, he quietly put the talisman box into the storage bag.

"There's something wrong with your classmate." Wu Nian transmitted the message. He smelled the same scent of blood ginseng from Xiao Lanqin that he had smelled in the Yasheng Coffin.