Chapter 102 The Wedding Ceremony: After Hardship Comes Happiness

Chapter 102

Meng Yingying was a little puzzled. She looked at Old Madam Song and felt that she looked somewhat familiar. "You are?"

Before Grandma Song could answer, Ye Yingtao suddenly realized, "I remember now, you're the kind person who donated watermelons to us last time, right?"

Grandma Song never expected that even after so much time had passed, they would still remember her.

Meng Yingying remembered too, so she went to look at Xia Huilan, who nodded at her.

Meng Yingying then agreed, "Then please comb my hair."

When Grandma Song heard this, her eyes welled up with tears, but having experienced many trials and tribulations, she quickly regained her composure.

She held the comb in her hand and placed it on Meng Yingying's hair, carefully combing it down. She murmured to herself, "One comb to the end, two combs to white hair reaching the eyebrows, three combs to a house full of children and grandchildren!"

When she combed the hair for the third time, Old Mrs. Song changed her words again, saying, "Three combs bring peace and good fortune."

"Many children bring suffering to the mother."

"This is too much suffering."

Looking in the mirror, Meng Yingying thought to herself that this perfect old man's ideas were quite modern.

In an era where everyone takes pride in having many children, she can still say that having many children brings suffering to the mother.

That's a truly advanced idea.

Meng Yingying thanked her politely.

This made Old Mrs. Song very sad, but she didn't know where to begin.

After combing her hair, Grandma Song wanted to stay a little longer, but Xia Huilan was worried that if she stayed any longer, she might give herself away.

So she said directly, "Auntie, didn't you say you wanted to come to my house for tea?"

"Come on, let's go to my house for a cup of tea. My husband, Old Chen, said last time that you helped him a lot."

Of course, this is just small talk.

Grandma Song realized that she had lost her composure. She had clearly planned before coming that she must not let Meng Yingying recognize her.

To avoid ending up not even being able to be strangers.

She nodded, "Okay, then I'll be going now."

Grandma Song smiled at Meng Yingying and said in a kind tone, "Child, I wish you a happy marriage and a blissful life together."

Meng Yingying was a little puzzled, but she didn't ask. Even after Old Madam Song left, she was still deep in thought.

Ye Yingtao, who was standing nearby, said shrewdly, "I think this old lady is a bit strange."

There are so many people here, so why do they talk so much to Meng Yingying and have so many emotions about her?

Meng Yingying turned around, her mind clear, "Cherry, do you think I have any ulterior motives?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Yingtao paused for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think so?"

"I think that old lady is no ordinary person."

On the contrary, Yingying is an ordinary person. If anyone is after someone else, it is Meng Yingying who is after the other party.

"That's it."

Looking at herself in the mirror, Meng Yingying noticed her hair was neatly combed. She calmly said, "Since there's no ill intent, let's do Sister Xia a favor."

Xia Huilan had already led Old Mrs. Song away.

Ye Yingtao was somewhat surprised by Meng Yingying's insight. She could tell that Meng Yingying didn't particularly like the old lady, but she didn't dislike her either.

"Then why did you agree?"

Meng Yingying smiled but didn't say anything.

It wouldn't do her any harm, and agreeing would at least give Xia Huilan some face, which was enough.

Seeing that she understood so clearly, Ye Yingtao felt relieved.

"I was worried that the old lady would have lured you away with just a few words."

It's quite baffling.

Meng Yingying touched her hair and said with a smile, "It's not that bad."

Eight o'clock.

Qi Donghan brought his entourage to fetch the bride, and they even came to the Zhou family to pick her up. In a sense, the Zhou family could be considered Meng Yingying's maternal family.

After all, she was married into the Zhou family.

When Qi Donghan and his family came to pick up the bride, the news spread as soon as they entered the family compound.

Qi Donghan, who is usually cold-faced, was unusually smiling today. He handed out wedding candy to everyone he met on the street, including women and children.

They threw out handfuls of wedding candy.

You could tell how good Qi Donghan was; he walked ahead while the children chased after him.

"The groom, the groom is here."

These shouts quickly reached the Zhou family's house.

Meng Yingying sat on the bed when Ye Yingtao rushed to the door and slammed it shut. "Quick, quick, the groom is here!"

"Hide the bride's shoes well, so he can't find them."

Zhao Yueru followed suit and hid. She was quick-witted and glanced around, figuring that with Qi Donghan's sharp eyes, he would definitely be able to find her no matter where she hid.

She looked down at her big belly; it was a perfect place to hide things.

So, in front of several girls in the room, Zhao Yueru cleverly hid her shoes inside her big belly.

"Baby, I can rely on you from now on."

"You absolutely mustn't let your mother down."

When Meng Yingying saw this, her lips twitched. "Yueru, no one would have guessed that you hid your shoes under your big belly."

"And even if I thought of it, I wouldn't dare to come over and touch your belly."

That's the truth.

Zhao Yueru raised an eyebrow. "You're not even married yet, and you're already feeling sorry for him?"

“Yingying, let me tell you, this kind of thinking of yours is unacceptable.”

Before she could finish speaking, a flurry of footsteps came from outside, and someone shouted, "The groom is here!"

As a member of the bride's family, Zhou Jingsong immediately set off firecrackers in the courtyard.

The crackling sound of firecrackers drifted in. Zhao Yueru immediately hid her shoes, then glanced at Meng Yingying's makeup.

After confirming that there are no problems.

Then she called out, "Who is it?"

Who's here?

Qi Donghan didn't answer, but Xu Wenjun, who was next to him, replied, "The groom has arrived."

"Open the door."

Upon hearing that it was Xu Wenjun, Zhao Yueru immediately gave up her seat and let Ye Yingtao take the lead, which made Ye Yingtao feel a little embarrassed.

Zhao Yueru winked at her, "Brine is used to curdle tofu, and everything has its counter. Hurry up and serve it."

Ye Yingtao cleared her throat. "If you want to open the door, you need a red envelope."

"No red envelope, no door open."

When Xu Wenjun heard Ye Yingtao's voice, she almost knelt down on the spot, and all her previous wicked schemes were extinguished.

He looked at Qi Donghan with some difficulty.

Qi Donghan sighed, "Let Shuisheng go."

He knew that it was right to call for help before he arrived, and for two people to come and assist him.

Chen Shuisheng disliked Ye Yingtao, so he didn't hold back and immediately stepped forward to take charge, asking, "How much red envelope is needed to open the door?"

Ye Yingtao didn't know either. She turned to look at Zhao Yueru, after all, she herself had never been married.

Zhao Yueru had a sudden inspiration and stretched out her hand to slap him.

Ye Yingtao took one look and immediately demanded an exorbitant sum, "Fifty."

Zhao Yueru's eyes widened slightly. "I meant five yuan."

She called out anxiously.

Whoever is fifty years old, this person has taken a month's salary from them, that's just too unethical.

Ye Yingtao was also dumbfounded. She had shouted so much in a moment of madness. How could she correct it?

Meng Yingying couldn't stand it any longer. She rubbed her forehead, walked to the door, and called out, "Is Qi Donghan here?"

Qi Donghan, who hadn't said a word before, suddenly spoke up, "I'm here."

"Please—" she counted the people in the room, "Three red envelopes, five cents each."

Ultimately, Meng Yingying and Qi Donghan are a couple and a family. If he were to slip a fifty-yuan red envelope into their home...

Meng Yingying herself felt sorry for him.

With Meng Yingying's words, the people outside busied themselves stuffing red envelopes inside, five cents each, and in no time they had stuffed in seven or eight.

Meng Yingying asked Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu to put everything away before she sat down on the bed and asked Ye Yingtao to open the door.

The door opened.

Qi Donghan led his men in first, and he immediately saw Meng Yingying sitting by the bed. She was wearing a red cotton-padded jacket today. Her skin was very fair, and she looked especially good in red, giving her an radiant and stunning appearance.

Their eyes met.

Meng Yingying also spotted Qi Donghan in the crowd. Despite the cold weather, he was wearing a black overcoat. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. His face was handsome and his features were sharp. He was truly dashing.

As expected of the groom.

For a fleeting moment, both Meng Yingying and Qi Donghan saw admiration in each other's eyes.

"Groom, are you staring in a daze?"

"Quick, find your shoes!"

That one sentence brought Qi Donghan's attention back, and he quickly instructed Xu Wenjun, Chen Shuisheng, and Liu Mang to search for the shoes in the room.

Unfortunately, the two scouts had been in there for so long but still hadn't been able to find the shoes.

That's really strange.

Meng Yingying didn't give any hints; she just smiled. Qi Donghan started to deduce based on her smile, first Ye Yingtao, who generously let him look at her.

Next was Lin Qiu. Lin Qiu was a bit introverted, and although he was scared, he didn't shy away. "Commander Qi, why are you looking at me like that?"

They even asked the question.

It wasn't her.

Finally, Qi Donghan turned his attention to Zhao Yueru. Zhao Yueru was a person who was outwardly fierce but inwardly gentle. "Qi Donghan, look, look, you should go see Yingying instead."

Qi Donghan observed her expression. People who have a guilty conscience will also have a guilty expression on their face, and Zhao Yueru is one of them. She is not good at lying.

He immediately looked away, saying, "Looking at me won't help; I don't know where I am either."

It's like they're trying to hide something obvious.

As soon as she heard this, Ye Yingtao knew things were going to go wrong. Sure enough, Qi Donghan, who had been standing still, quickly walked over to Zhou Jingsong and said, "Old Zhou, come here for a moment."

Zhou Jingsong was still a little confused when Qi Donghan pointed at Zhao Yueru and said, "Use your hand to search your wife's body and see if she has any shoes on her."

As soon as she said that, Zhao Yueru exploded. She glared at Zhou Jingsong and said, "If you dare to search me, I'll beat your child."

Such childish threats are only effective on those who love her.

Zhao Yueru was always good at manipulating Zhou Jingsong, and sure enough, as soon as she said that, Zhou Jingsong's expression changed. "Old Qi, you've seen it too, I'm not in charge."

Those four words perfectly encapsulate the heartache.

Qi Donghan gave Chen Shuisheng a wink, and Chen Shuisheng immediately understood. He pulled Liu Mang to the front, and together they blocked Zhao Yueru's path.

Zhao Yueru also realized that things had gone wrong.

She immediately asked Zhou Jingsong for help, and Zhou Jingsong wanted to go and help, but Xu Wenjun stopped him.

Now that's great, the advantage of having more people is really showing.

Seeing that she was isolated and helpless, Zhao Yueru was so angry that she glared and pulled a shoe out of her stomach. "Here you go, this is no fun at all. You found it so quickly."

When they saw her, a pregnant woman, pull a shoe out of her big belly, everyone present twitched at the corners of their mouths.

Who would have thought that the shoes were hidden inside the pregnant woman's belly? If Qi Donghan hadn't discovered the details, they wouldn't have found the shoes even if they had been there all day.

Meng Yingying was surprised that the shoes hidden in her stomach were found so quickly. She looked at Qi Donghan, who was squatting in front of her and putting the shoes on for her, and asked, "How did you find them?"

Qi Donghan thought for a moment, "Among everyone here, Comrade Zhao's expression was the most guilty."

Reading between the lines was the first lesson he learned from childhood to university.

No one is as ruthless and adept at reading people's expressions as Qi Dong.

Previously, the weak Qi Donghan had to live by the graces of others. Now, the powerful Qi Donghan is the one who has to live by the graces of others.

Ultimately, it's just a difference between those in positions of power and those in positions of power.

Zhao Yueru hadn't expected to be so exposed. She twisted the corner of her clothes until they were almost twisted into a pretzel. "Looks like I didn't do a good enough job."

Zhou Jingsong said, "You've done very well. Old Qi was a reconnaissance soldier back then, and he was an elite soldier in the reconnaissance company."

Meng Yingying was stunned when she heard this. She thought to herself, no wonder Yue Ru said she didn't regret marrying Zhou Jingsong. With Zhou Jingsong's emotional value being rated as perfect, she really didn't regret it.

She looked up at Qi Donghan. She had a pair of very beautiful eyes, large and round, with a slight upward curve at the corners. The black and white of her eyes were clear and clean, like a lake.

"What's wrong?"

Qi Donghan put her shoes on, then turned around and squatted down to carry her on his back.

Meng Yingying climbed onto Qi Donghan's back and hugged his neck tightly, whispering in his ear, "I think Yue Ru and Zhou Jingsong have a very good relationship."

Qi Donghan carried her to her feet, and upon hearing this, he paused for a moment, "We'll be fine too."

Meng Yingying hummed in agreement and lay steadily on his back as Qi Donghan carried her out.

After the groom picked up the bride, Zhou Jingsong, a member of the bride's family, quickly ran out and set off a string of firecrackers.

The crackling sound of firecrackers rang out.

Qi Donghan carried Meng Yingying on his back and walked slowly forward, taking each step steadily until they reached the door.

Zhao Yueru, heavily pregnant, chased after them. As she watched their intertwined backs, she suddenly felt like crying. "Third Uncle, if only Uncle Meng were still here."

If Uncle Meng were still alive, wouldn't he be able to see Yingying get married?

Uncle Meng's eyes were also a little watery. "If my second brother were here, he would definitely be crying today."

And she would hide and cry.

How could a father who once considered his daughter his whole life bear to let her get married?

He would feel reluctant to part with it, cry, and feel relieved at the same time.

He was pleased that his little girl had grown up and was now at the age of marriage and having children.

Unfortunately, he never got to see his daughter get married.

Front.

Meng Yingying lay on Qi Donghan's back. The moment they left the Zhou family's gate, white snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Snowflakes fluttered down on Meng Yingying and Qi Donghan's bodies, faces, and heads.

Meng Yingying reached out to take it, her voice filled with longing, "Qi Donghan, do you think it's my dad coming to see me?"

Some say that it snows on your wedding day because you miss your loved ones so much that you can't see or touch them, so you turn into a pure white snow.

Come and witness the happiness of your loved ones.

Then it will disappear in an instant.

Qi Donghan could not answer, because he knew Meng Yingying's longing for her father.

That thin coffin.

This was the last thing Meng Baichuan could do for Meng Yingying after his death.

That man never thought of himself while he was alive, and he didn't think of himself after he died.

He lived his whole life by the name Meng Yingying.

This is why Meng Yingying couldn't let him go.

Meng Baichuan's love for Meng Yingying was always very evident.

If loved ones turn into snow to see you one last time, then disappear from this world.

Qi Donghan thought that if it were Meng Baichuan, he would not hesitate at all. Even if his soul were to be scattered in an instant, he would still come to see Meng Yingying one last time.

Because Meng Baichuan will always love Meng Yingying.

He loved her unconditionally.

Qi Donghan looked up at the snow falling all around him. The snowflakes were cold as they landed on his face. He murmured, "Yingying, it's Dad who's here to see you."

"He's here to see you off at your wedding."

These words instantly brought Meng Yingying to tears.

Those longings that were deliberately ignored when I was busy are now pouring out like a dam being opened.

Meng Yingying murmured, "Dad, I miss you so much."

If only her father could watch her get married.

Even though a long time has passed since the day she lost her loved one, the thought of it still brings tears to Meng Yingying's eyes.

Qi Donghan was silent for a moment, then, with his back to Meng Yingying, he whispered, "After the wedding, we'll go back to see Dad."

He had only bowed to Meng Baichuan once.

Looking back now, he still owes the other party a kowtow, a drink, a cigarette, a chat, and a promise.

Meng Yingying nodded silently, tears streaming down her face, "Okay."

She also wanted to go back and see her father.

From Zhao Yueru's house to their marital home, it's only a few steps, but for Meng Yingying, it felt like a lifetime.

Upon arriving at the house, Commander Chen and Liu Qiusheng helped out. As soon as Liu Qiusheng saw the newlyweds enter, he immediately rolled the firecrackers out.

He then took out a match, and with a hiss, the fuse of the firecracker was lit, producing a deafening crackling sound.

It was so lively it made me want to cry.

Liu Qiusheng was walking back while lighting firecrackers. Commander Chen stood watching. As Liu Qiusheng approached, he murmured, "Sir, do you still remember Xiao Han from back then?"

"That high?"

"An eight-year-old looks like a five or six-year-old child, and in the blink of an eye, he's about to get married."

Commander Chen also remarked with some emotion, "Time flies."

"Let's go, Qiusheng. You should receive Xiaohan's kowtow today."

Without Liu Qiusheng, there would be no Qi Donghan today.

Liu Qiusheng's unexpected moment of weakness years ago led to Qi Donghan's marriage and the birth of his children.

Liu Qiusheng waved his hand, but Commander Chen, unusually, pushed him inside, showing that the two had a good relationship in private.

Despite their vastly different backgrounds, the two have maintained frequent contact and discussions over the years because of Qi Donghan.

All for Qi Donghan was nothing more than that.

After Qi Donghan entered the room, he placed Meng Yingying on the wedding bed. The bed was covered with a bright red quilt and sheets. Meng Yingying sat there with her hair piled up at the back of her head. Her face was fair and full, and her eyes were smiling.

Qi Donghan's heart instantly softened completely.

"Yingying".

"Um?"

"Yingying".

"Yingying".

In a short while, he called out more than ten times. Meng Yingying couldn't stand it. She opened her eyes wide to look at Qi Donghan. She had just finished crying, and her eyes were as clear and clean as if the sky had cleared after the rain.

"Qi Donghan, what exactly are you trying to say?"

She asked him softly.

Qi Donghan shook his head, his voice low and gentle, "I don't want to say anything, I just wanted to call out to you."

Just calling her name makes Qi Donghan feel so happy.

People outside are urging us to hurry.

"Xiao Han, come over and pay your respects to your elders."

It was Commander Chen calling out, because after paying respects to the elders, they still had to go to the state-run restaurant to entertain the guests, and they needed to get there early so that the guests wouldn't have to wait there.

Qi Donghan nodded and pulled Meng Yingying up. This was the first time he had held Meng Yingying's hand so openly in front of so many people.

This gave Qi Donghan a sense of belonging.

Yingying finally belongs to him.

Meng Yingying noticed that he was holding her hand very tightly, and it was even a little sweaty. She asked, "Qi Donghan, are you nervous?"

Qi Donghan hummed in agreement and said, "A little."

He admitted it very readily.

Meng Yingying smiled at him, "Alright, alright, we're all family, don't be nervous."

Qi Donghan reached out and tickled her palm. Meng Yingying was tickled and immediately shut up.

When we arrived at the main room, everyone outside was waiting.

Commander Chen and Liu Qiusheng were both standing. "Xiao Han, come over and bow to Comrade Liu."

"Without him, there would be no you all these years."

Liu Qiusheng instinctively wanted to refuse, but Commander Chen and Qi Donghan together forced him to sit down.

Qi Donghan stood opposite him, and instead of just bowing, he kowtowed directly to Liu Qiusheng, saying, "Uncle, thank you for all these years."

If Liu Qiusheng hadn't brought him to Harbin when he was eight years old, he would have been an orphan and frozen to death in some cold winter.

Liu Qiusheng was so shocked by the deep bow he received that he stood up instantly and helped Qi Donghan to his feet. "Xiaohan, don't do this. Your uncle can't accept it."

"To be honest, your uncle is ashamed. All these years you've been with me, I haven't let you enjoy life. Instead, I've made you suffer the most."

That's the truth. Qi Donghan grew up in a state-run restaurant. It's not that Liu Qiusheng wouldn't take Qi Donghan home.

But his own wife and children wouldn't accept it.

There was no other way, so he could only keep Qi Donghan in the kitchen of the state-run restaurant, and even then he had to keep him away from everyone, otherwise he would be kicked out.

To be honest, only the people involved truly know the hardships they endured during their growth.

Qi Donghan stood up and smiled, "Uncle, this is already very good."

Then, he bowed to Commander Chen and said, "Uncle Chen, thank you for all these years."

Without Commander Chen, he wouldn't be where he is today.

At this moment, only those around them realized, oh, so there was this connection between Qi Donghan and Commander Chen.

Commander Chen waved his hand, "You've gotten this far entirely because of your own abilities."

At most, he gave him a meal and a piece of clothing, and offered some guidance when he was making the most difficult choice. That was all.

Qi Donghan shook his head. Seeing that he had already bowed, Meng Yingying also bowed, "Thank you, Uncle, thank you, Uncle Chen, for taking care of Qi Donghan all these years."

"Don't worry," she smiled, poised and confident. "We'll live a good life from now on."

It must be said that this is truly insightful and the most important point.

With Meng Yingying's words, Commander Chen and Liu Qiusheng both looked gratified. "Xiao Han, treat Yingying well from now on."

"Yingying, if Xiaohan bullies you in the future, just come and complain to us. Whether it's me or Commander Chen, don't worry, we promise to deal with him."

Meng Yingying looked at Qi Donghan and then smiled, "Qi Donghan is a very good person, that day will never come."

If it were true, she wouldn't have reported it.

She could handle Qi Donghan herself.

Use it if it works, otherwise just throw it away.

Of course, she dared not let Qi Donghan know this.

"Alright, alright, all these procedures are done. Let's go, let's go to the state-run restaurant for drinks."

*

The Song family.

Song Zhan also returned today. He received a message from his mother saying that his younger sister's daughter was getting married today and the banquet was being held at a state-run restaurant.

He was about fifty-one years old and had an imposing presence, clearly exuding the aura of someone in a high position.

"Has Mom passed away?"

He was asking about Old Master Song.

Grandpa Song was reading the newspaper, but he hadn't turned a single page all morning, and had even turned it upside down.

I have no idea what he's looking at.

He didn't hear clearly, so he asked Song Zhan, "What did you just say?"

Song Zhan sighed, "Never mind, I'll go take a look." As soon as he stood up, his two sons wanted to follow him, but Song Zhan stopped them, "You two stay home and take care of Grandpa."

"I'll go and see for myself."

"Dad, we also want to go see the child at Aunt's house."

Looking at his two children, Song Zhan thought for a moment and said, "You can go, but you can't disturb Meng Yingying."

"Your grandmother hasn't acknowledged her yet, and she—"

Thinking of the documents he had his secretary deliver, Song Zhan tapped the table. "She might not even be willing to acknowledge us."

Song Xiaotang and Song Xiaoshi exchanged a glance. "Why?"

Anyone with eyes can see that the Song family is better off.

Song Zhan said calmly, "Not everyone likes the Song family."

"When you get there later, make sure you keep your skin tight so I don't give you away."

Song Xiaotang and Song Xiaoshi nodded.

Is my little sister coming back today?

Song Zhan asked Grandpa Song, who shook his head, "Your mother and sister called a long time ago, but it's still hard to say whether they can come back."

Knowing what was going on, Song Zhan left the Song family home with the gifts.

No sooner had they left than the He family received the news.

He Lao Er practically ran back through the cold wind, bursting through the door and glancing at the people warming themselves by the fire inside. "Where's Liu Qiufeng?"

As soon as he said that, everyone fell silent.

"It seems to be indoors."

Upon hearing this, He Lao Er strode into the bedroom. The He family's house was an old-fashioned building, and the vermilion furniture gave it a low-key sense of wealth.

The leather shoes made a clattering sound on the wooden floor, which was extremely jarring.

As soon as He Lao Er came in, he saw Liu Qiufeng fiddling with herself in front of the mirror and immediately said, "Qi Donghan, did you know you're getting married today?"

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Author's Note: Hahaha, here I come~