Chapter 15: The Bizarre Condom on Our Wedding Night

The fragrant lilies on the table had a rich scent.

After a while, the fragrance fades.

Ye Baoling was adept at understanding people's hearts, and she immediately understood Ye Huaizhang's meaning.

He must have thought she wouldn't really want to marry him, so he wanted to use that to control her, force her to back down, and force her to give up on Ugly King Jue.

Sure enough, his next sentence was: "If you can't accept this condition, why not give up the Ugly King's Jade and exchange it for something truly valuable? A floor apartment, a shop, gold and diamonds, or cash—the choice is yours. You're so beautiful and kind; you deserve something much better."

He carefully observed her expression: "All you need to do is give up on our Ugly King Jue..."

Ye Baoling didn't want him to see how much she cared about the jade. She didn't want to be manipulated, so she just smiled slightly and said, "Today you begged me, your family begged me, and your grandmother said that if I don't save you, you'll die. It's not that I'm demanding some ugly jade pendant, that's why I'm negotiating with you here. I just took pity on your grandmother and took this worthless trinket. Since you don't appreciate it, then forget it. I don't need a grand wedding, but if you want a grand funeral... feel free to do as you please."

What a sharp and unforgiving tongue!

Ye Huaizhang wasn't angry. He stared at her intently and said, "You lied."

"..."

Ye Baoling rolled her eyes at him.

"When I suggested you give up the Ugly King Jade just now, your lips were pressed tightly together and your pupils were slightly dilated, which means you care a lot about it and really want to get this Ugly King Jade in my hand."

Ye Baoling's expression froze slightly when her thoughts were exposed. She tried her best to remain calm and control her expression.

Regardless of whether the other party's speculation was based on any evidence, she could not simply admit it.

Once he realizes his desperate desire for the Ugly King's Jade, the balance of power will be reversed.

Ye Baoling's lips curved slightly: "You think I care because you care, right? I only felt a slight stirring of my shallow mortal heart when I heard you mention gold, diamonds, and cash. But I'm easy to talk to. The more unwilling you are to give me something, the more I want it. Without the Ugly King's Jade, there's no point in discussing our cooperation. Let me emphasize again, you're begging me, not the other way around."

It's clear: she wants the ugly Wang Jue.

Ye Huaizhang didn't refute, but smiled and nodded: "Understood."

He suddenly changed the subject: "You like Lü Tianyou?"

How did this get involved with Lü Tianyou?

His thinking is really quite unpredictable.

"I don't like it," Ye Baoling answered decisively.

Ye Huaizhang's lips curled up almost imperceptibly, and he asked again, "So, you can't get married if you don't like someone?"

"Of course. But you're an exception. I'm marrying you out of kindness." Her words were dripping with sarcasm.

Ye Baoling recalled his earlier statement about becoming a real couple with her and couldn't help but ask, "You can get married even if you don't like it?"

Ye Huaizhang fell silent, as if the question had stumped him.

"You like me?" she asked abruptly.

Ye Huaizhang was about to ask, "Why do I like you?"

But clearly, he couldn't afford to offend her right now, so after a moment's thought, he simply said, "That's interesting."

"Do you think I'm somewhat interesting, or do you think you're interested in me?"

"..."

She looked him over and instantly understood. "You think I'm interesting. I am quite interesting, indeed. It's your good fortune to be able to get married to me."

Yeh Huai-chang explained, "I don't like talking about love with people."

"I don't like it either."

So, they are quite a good match.

Ye Huaizhang: "Being husband and wife doesn't necessarily mean you have to talk about love."

How to do it?

As long as there are hormones, that's fine.

She agreed.

What's more, he's rich, has a great physique, and is handsome...

It's not a bad thing to legally sleep together after marriage.

But she couldn't just give in to his wishes so readily.

Ye Baoling: "What if our relationship sours a year from now?"

"That won't prevent you from filing for divorce. However..."

"But what?"

“If we divorce, the Ugly King Jue needs to be returned to me, and I can compensate you financially. You can decide the terms. We can discuss it in advance.”

This is exactly what Ye Baoling wants; she only needs to keep the Ugly King Jade in her possession for one year until she completes her mission.

What if I don't agree?

Ye Huaizhang smiled confidently and said, "If you weren't interested, you wouldn't have wasted your time talking to me like this."

"It's quite interesting to waste time chatting with you." Her words both refuted him and saved him face.

Then, the flowing water abruptly stopped.

They just gave me a sweet treat, and now they're wielding a heavy stick.

"Without my help to bring good luck in the marriage, can you get through this?" She met his gaze. "Can't? If you want my help, even Ugly King Jue isn't enough now. Unless... you beg me."

He begged her? How did he beg her?

Ye Huaizhang remained silent.

He doesn't like asking others for favors.

When he was kidnapped in South Africa, he never begged his kidnappers.

He used his personal wisdom to outmaneuver and outmaneuver the other party, even becoming friends with them at one point, and finally found an opportunity to escape successfully.

"Unwilling to speak? Fine then. Let's just get a divorce!"

Ye Huaizhang stared at her, seemingly not believing that she would give up so easily.

He was confident in his own judgment.

"If you get a divorce, you won't get the ugly jade pendant from our third wife's family."

"I've said it before, it's you who cares about Ugly King Jue, not me."

Are you sure you want a divorce?

"Sure."

Once words are spoken, actions must follow. He doesn't need to beg her; Old Madam Guan will surely come begging with tears in her eyes. She isn't worried.

Each with their own thoughts, they exchanged glances before Ye Baoling finally picked up her handbag and said, "You wasted half my time. Remember to have your lawyer submit the divorce petition I signed to the court."

After she finished speaking, she turned and left. She had only taken a few steps when the mobile phone in the outer suite suddenly rang.

Then I heard Dong Jian answer the phone.

Ye Huaizhang's heart tightened.

The mobile phone that Dong Jian was holding belonged to him; he changed the number after he returned.

Apart from his family, no one else knows his new phone number.

Why would his family call him at this time?

Is it possible that if someone announces a divorce here, something bad will immediately happen at home? Is it really that uncanny?

"Wait a minute," Ye Huaizhang called out to her, emphasizing again, "I won't get a divorce."

Knock knock knock!

Dong Jian knocked on the door and came in. He quickly walked to Ye Huaizhang's side and whispered to him that just now, his father had accidentally fallen down the stairs.

!!

Fortunately, there was no serious injury.

Grandma Guan called to urge him to reach an agreement with Ye Baoling as soon as possible.

Ye Baoling noticed their whispering and Ye Huaizhang's furrowed brows, indicating that something must have happened.

Once Dong Jian left, Ye Huaizhang's attitude softened considerably.

He gently stroked the remote control with his fingers, then put it aside and said, "Don't talk about divorce so easily in the future... I'll agree to all your conditions."

Ye Baoling raised an eyebrow slightly. "And then?"

"I beg you," he finally said.

At this moment, fireworks were bursting in Ye Baoling's heart.

She won her bet.

But the conditions are definitely not the same now.

She wants to increase the stakes.

As Ye Baoling was pondering how to bring it up, Ye Huaizhang, as if he could read her mind, said, "To show my sincerity, I can unconditionally do three things for you during our marriage contract period. As long as you ask, and as long as it's not an irrational or illegal request, I will definitely do it if I can."

It would have been so good if he had been so sensible earlier.

"Okay, honey." She readily agreed, a pleased smile on her face after her little scheme had succeeded.

That sweet, coquettish "husband" sent chills down Ye Huaizhang's spine.

Women change their minds so quickly.

Ye Huaizhang discussed with her: "Our marriage is a true union, not a fake one. We are husband and wife, a family. You are not an outsider in our family. This is the bottom line for me to give you the Ugly King Jade. The marriage will last at least one year. Everything else will take its natural course. The Ugly King Jade of the second and third wives will be temporarily entrusted to you for safekeeping. If one day our relationship really breaks down and we need to divorce, I will redeem the two Ugly King Jade pieces at a price."

Sure, a year from now, once she's completed her mission and no longer needs Ugly King Jue, she can just sell him off.

That's the best of both worlds.

She waited for him to make an offer.

"Ten million, what do you think?"

Ten million for two worthless pieces of jade? That's a good deal!

With the five million and the villa given by Old Madam Guan, she could really break her legs and enjoy the world.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't excited!

But Ye Baoling still had to act as if she didn't care about money.

"Whatever," she said.

Seeing that she agreed, Ye Huaizhang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's sign an agreement."

He threw back the covers, got out of bed, and walked towards the outer suite.

The outer room of the ward was a rest room that could be used as an office. Ye Huaizhang took out the agreement he had prepared in advance from the drawer.

He didn't ask Dong Jian for help, but instead did it himself, twisting open the pen to add all the additional conditions mentioned earlier.

Write it down and hand it to her.

Ye Baoling checked them one by one.

The first clause stipulated that upon divorce, Ye Huaizhang would exchange 20 million for the two ugly jade pendants belonging to Ye Baoling's second and third wives.

Twenty million?

So what he meant was ten million for each ugly jade pendant!

Oh, God!

Ye Baoling suppressed the smile that was about to spread across her face, glanced at the landlord's foolish son without showing any emotion, and deliberately changed the subject, "Your handwriting is quite good."

His penmanship is indeed excellent; the characters are vigorous, bold, and fluent.

Having received the praise, Ye Huaizhang lowered his slightly raised eyebrows and pretended to look away indifferently.

The second additional clause stipulated that during the marriage, Ye Huaizhang would do three things for Ye Baoling, the specifics of which she would decide.

"If you have no other comments, sign your name."

Ye Baoling asked, "Where is Ugly King Jue?"

She wanted to sign the contract with one hand and deliver the goods with the other.

"It's at home, I'll give it to you tonight."

"Then I'll sign it tonight."

It's clear that both of them are cautious and don't fully trust each other.

Ye Huaizhang: "Should I go and explain the situation to your grandfather and your father in a few days? We can't keep our marriage a secret for long."

After all, the three families lived on the same street, and the servants visited each other, so any news spread very quickly.

Ye Baoling wasn't worried about her grandfather and father opposing the marriage; they couldn't make that decision for her.

Her main concern was that this matter would prevent her from obtaining the ugly royal jade from the eldest son's family.

In a traditional family like the eldest son's branch, once a daughter like her gets married, she's considered an outsider. Furthermore, since she married her cousin without the family's permission, her grandfather might even sever ties with her.

Then it would be absolutely impossible for her to obtain the eldest son's ugly jade pendant.

Let's drag it out for as long as possible.

Ye Baoling countered, "Do you think my grandfather would accept our marriage?"

“We are fifth-generation relatives on the same paternal line, with the same great-great-grandfather but different great-great-grandmothers. Biologically speaking, the genetic overlap between you and me is only 0.39%, which is not much different from that of strangers. There are so many cousins ​​who marry in the port city, and the genetic overlap between cousins ​​is about 12.5%. We are far inferior to those cousins ​​who marry.”

It's clear he's done special research.

Knowing she wasn't well-educated, Ye Huaizhang patiently explained, then asked, "Do you understand?"

Ye Baoling resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, "I don't understand. I'm mentally challenged."

"..."

After criticizing her, he added, "But my grandfather wouldn't think that way. He would definitely believe that we share the same male ancestor, so we are family."

“Indeed, traditional views are hard to change in a short time. But if we don’t proactively explain the situation, we’ll be in an even more passive position if they find out later. Don’t worry, I’ll handle communicating with them about this.” Clearly, he didn’t like being in a passive position for a long time.

He was confident, but she wasn't.

In Ye Huaizhang's view, it was not difficult to force the eldest son's family to make concessions after the deed was done; it was simply a matter of giving up some benefits.

But with Ye Baoling, this would seriously hinder her from completing her mission.

Therefore, she firmly objected: "I'll do as I say on this."

Ye Huaizhang, who was used to being assertive, glanced at her somewhat uncomfortably.

They thought the other was a lamb, but it turned out to be a wolf meeting another wolf.

Ye Baoling's mind raced. "This doesn't count as one of the three things you've done for me. I told you not to do it, not that I was asking you to do it."

Ye Huaizhang paused slightly, then nodded helplessly: "Okay, whatever you say. What about your maternal grandmother's side?"

"You don't need to go to her house, I'll go and explain to her."

Knock, knock, knock, Dong Jian knocked on the door again and came in.

It's time to get a CT scan.

"Hold on."

He turned to her and asked, "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

Ye Baoling had many things to do: job interviews, depositing money at the bank, and explaining the events of the past two days to her grandmother.

“I have something to do this afternoon, so I’ll go to No. 3 Qingtang Street by myself tonight. There’s no need to send a car to pick me up. Your grandmother has told me about the time of the ceremony tonight. From now on, I will only stay at your house at night. I can arrange my own time at other times.”

Although the two have a marriage certificate, they are not familiar with each other, and he has no objection.

*

Ye Baoling returned to the Gu family home, just in time for lunch.

Her family was curious about where she had gone.

Whose car was that to pick you up?

She simply replied, "From the Ye family."

My third cousin exclaimed, "Cousin, why didn't you eat before coming back from the Ye family's house? The food there must have been delicious. If it were me, I would have stayed and eaten my fill first."

“Baoling isn’t as shameless as you.” Aunt Shen Yue’e knew the original owner’s personality well. “There are too many people, too many ghosts, and too many rules over there. It’s not as comfortable as eating at home.”

Ye Baoling washed her hands and sat down to eat. "I have to go to an interview with Man'er this afternoon, so of course I have to rush back."

Shen Yue'e asked softly, "Baoling, does your father know you went to Ye Qingtang for the interview?"

The implication is, could you please use some connections?

Gu Man'er has been unable to find a job, which makes Shen Yue'e very anxious.

“My dad doesn’t know. Aunt, don’t worry, Man’er is so outstanding, she will definitely find a job.”

Gu Man'er was also anxious, but she had a good attitude: "Several of my close classmates have found jobs one after another. If all else fails, I'll go work as a handyman at their law firm."

How much can you earn doing odd jobs?

"It should be over two thousand, and if I could work as a paralegal, it would be at least three thousand."

Actually, having over two thousand is enough to cover the expenses of two Filipino maids in the house, so that's a pretty good start.

But college graduates are never satisfied with such a low salary. Shen Yue'e said, "I'll try to get into Ye Qingtang. The starting salary is 4,500. It's a big company, and it's good to have a big tree to lean on."

Gu Man'er muttered, "Mom, please stop talking. The more you talk, the more pressure I feel."

"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. You'll all think I'm nagging no matter what I say."

My second cousin turned her head and made a face at Ye Baoling. She mouthed her mother's words, and the last sentence, "No matter what I say, you all think I'm nagging," was almost a perfect imitation.

Ye Baoling suppressed her laughter and remained silent, focusing only on eating.

On the table were her favorite dishes: stir-fried Chinese sausage with snow peas and tomato and egg soup. It was simple, but she ate two bowls of rice with great satisfaction.

Since it was still early after the meal, Ye Baoling decided to deposit money first.

He took out a check for five million from under the mattress and went to the China Bank to transfer the money to his own bank account.

Afterwards, they rushed to the Yulong Building, the headquarters of Ye Qingtang, to meet up with Gu Man'er.

Floors 5-10 of Yulong Building house the offices of Ye Qingtang Herbal Tea Beverage Company, floors 11-20 are the offices of Suman Jewelry, floors 21-25 are the investment department and other branches of Ye Qingtang, and floors 26-30 are the headquarters offices.

They were interviewed in the HR department on the 28th floor.

Gu Man'er was interviewing for a position as a legal trainee lawyer, and she had to take a written test in another office first.

They were separated as soon as they came in.

Ye Baoling and five young women waited on the chairs in the corridor from 2:30 to 3:00, but no one went in for an interview, and no one came to greet them.

The girls started chatting quietly.

I learned from our conversation that they were all interviewing for secretariat clerk positions.

An awkward silence fell instantly.

They were all competitors.

Ye Baoling glanced at the crowd. The young woman sitting to her left had red lips and big waves in her hair. She wasn't a great beauty, but she had a charming aura.

The girl in the red dress sitting second to her right was about the same age as her. Judging from her speech, she didn't seem to have any work experience. This woman was the last to come in. When she came in, the receptionist gave her a look, and she walked over here. She seemed to have someone with connections.

Currently, these two are considered the strongest competitors among this group of applicants, aside from their personal abilities.

There was finally some movement at three o'clock.

A young woman came over, put name tags written in colored markers on their chests, and then led them to a large conference room.

There were three people sitting in the conference room. The bald man in the middle was Manager Li, the main interviewer for today.

After a brief introduction, he adjusted his glasses and said to them, "We are hiring two people for this position. Time is tight, so we won't interview them one by one. Let's begin."

Manager Li glanced at them and said, "Those with work experience, please raise your hands."

Ye Baoling wanted to raise her hand, but unfortunately, the original owner's work experience was a blank sheet of paper, with nothing to show for it.

To her surprise, all five other people, including the girl in red, raised their hands.

Manager Li glanced at Ye Baoling, "Miss Gu, is that right? You can go back now."

"?"

So you just let her go?

Full of confidence, Ye Baoling did not expect to suffer a crushing defeat right from the start.

Ye Baoling stood up, suppressing her anger, and said in as calm a tone as possible: "If the job posting requires work experience, then your company should have screened me out from the beginning, instead of calling me here for nothing, just going through the motions and then letting me leave."

So what?

Manager Li smiled rather arrogantly, unwilling to explain further, and simply repeated, "You can leave now."

"I can leave. But before I leave, your company needs to give me a reasonable explanation."

Manager Li, who had just been smiling, suddenly frowned.

Ye Baoling took out her resume from her bag, with newspaper clippings of job postings tucked behind it.

"This is the job advertisement you published in the newspaper. The requirements are that you must be 5 feet 3 inches tall, under 30 years old, and have at least a Form 4 education. In the work experience section, it is specifically stated that there are no special requirements."

Manager Li was surprised that the woman in front of him had even brought a job advertisement.

She's quite good-looking, and her adaptability and eloquence are also good, but unfortunately, he doesn't have a position for her.

Faced with the questions and in front of so many people, Manager Li had no choice but to patiently explain: "We really don't have any special requirements regarding work experience, because not hiring someone with absolutely no work experience isn't really a special requirement. The position we're hiring for is a secretariat clerk, which requires basic skills like typing, photocopying, and faxing. You have no work experience, and you don't even know those basic skills, so why would we hire you?"

Ye Baoling: "I can type, copy, and fax."

She knows all of that?

Manager Li was stunned.

At the same time, Ye Baoling turned to look at the girl in red, "Can you do it?"

The girl in red was watching the show when Ye Baoling's sudden question startled her and made her tremble.

She glanced at Manager Li before stammering, "I...I know how."

Ye Baoling: "You know all of these? In that case, why don't we all demonstrate them on the spot and have a competition? That way, no one will suspect any behind-the-scenes manipulation or..."

"Who's pulling strings behind the scenes?" Manager Li asked anxiously.

"I didn't say who. What if someone reports me?"

Report me? Manager Li realized this was a threat.

Ye Baoling, who had spoken so harshly, smiled slightly and immediately offered the other party a way out, "Manager Li, please give me a chance."

Manager Li was worried that Ye Baoling knew something and would make a big fuss, which would affect him.

He glanced at everyone, and finally could only give an awkward laugh before stepping down the stairs. "Alright, I'll give you a chance then. Let's all have a competition."

"Thank you, Manager Li."

The first activity was a hands-on typing test. In the large office, the staff brought out three typewriters and divided the participants into two groups for the competition.

Ye Baoling is proficient in the Cangjie input method. She came from a world with a highly developed internet, and when it comes to typing, she is like a tentacle monster compared to others.

A document of less than three hundred words was typed out by Ye Baoling in a flash, after everyone else had just finished one line.

When Ye Baoling said she was done, everyone present looked over in surprise.

Good heavens! There isn't a single typo.

Manager Li couldn't find any fault with it, but subconsciously tapped the keyboard that Ye Baoling had just used. It was a regular keyboard, nothing different.

After the typing practice ended, Ye Baoling was the fastest, and the slowest was indeed the woman in red.

Ye Baoling now knows her name; the woman's name is Gao Lizhen.

Manager Li had no choice but to wave his hand and start the English translation competition.

For Ye Baoling, who is highly educated and has been involved in overseas investment for many years, this is a piece of cake.

The two English translations were not only fast, but also used precise wording.

After reading it, Manager Li asked her with a puzzled look, "You only graduated from Form Four?"

"Yes." Ye Baoling didn't explain further.

Where did you learn to type?

Ye Baoling lied, saying, "I worked part-time as a typist at a typing shop."

She graduated from Form Four with such good English grades, but instead of pursuing further education, she started working part-time at a young age, which must be due to her family's financial difficulties.

People are quite intelligent.

Ye Baoling lowered her voice and said, "Manager Li, I was too anxious just now and spoke a little loudly. Please don't mind. I wasn't targeting you. I just want an interview opportunity."

Not only are they smart, but they also know how to adapt to changing circumstances.

Faced with Ye Baoling's apology, Manager Li felt a little better. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "I wasn't targeting you. Everyone has experience; I'm like that too. But you have accumulated part-time experience, which makes a difference. Next time, you should explain the situation clearly in advance."

"I understand. Thank you, Manager Li, for giving me this opportunity." Ye Baoling's face showed a smile that was less impolite and more obsequious.

This kind of person is best dealt with slowly and patiently; she's not in a hurry.

Let her in first.

The entire interview lasted about an hour. When Ye Baoling left, the young lady who brought them in told them to go back and wait for a notification.

Ye Baoling found Man'er waiting for her downstairs.

They had arranged to meet at the entrance of the coffee shop in the square.

Gu Man'er glanced at her watch. Her watch was inaccurate and ran slowly, but it was already four o'clock.

"Cousin, I thought you left me behind and went back first. Why are you all taking so long?"

"I ran into a jerk who almost got me fired during the interview."

"ha?"

After hearing Ye Baoling's story, Gu Man'er couldn't help but say, "That woman in red must be someone with connections. Do you want to tell your grandfather?"

"No. If you complain now, I won't be able to get into Ye Qingtang."

She didn't know if her grandfather would investigate the matter for her sake, but she knew there was no chance she could become a clerk.

Her grandfather wouldn't allow her, a Form Four graduate, to have the opportunity to embarrass the Ye family.

“That’s true. It’s good that things turned out this way today. With your excellent performance, Manager Li won’t dare to openly fire you.” Changing the subject, Gu Man’er asked, “Are you really that fast at typing? Didn’t you just learn at the print shop a few days ago?”

Ye Baoling made up a story: "I found that after I learned Chen Family Kung Fu from Yulan, my mind became more agile, and my hands became more agile. When I type, I can't help but type very fast."

Gu Man'er was skeptical. "Is it really that amazing?"

“Maybe I’m just naturally good at typing,” Ye Baoling quickly brushed it off, then asked, “How did your interview go?”

“I think… I have a good chance. The interviewer is a senior from my department, and he knows my university professor. We had a very good conversation.” As she spoke, Gu Man’er smiled.

"One-on-one interview?"

"yes."

It seems the legal interview went quite normally.

When she got home, her second cousin told Ye Baoling that her father had called and asked her to call back immediately.

Ye Baoling only said she understood, but did not reply.

She went to see Old Mrs. Gu first.

Regardless of what Ye Huaizhang talked to her about in the morning, Ye Baoling was prepared in her heart to divorce him in a year, at least to give her grandmother that expectation.

Grandma Gu was furious: "You agreed without even discussing it with me?"

"Wasn't I discussing this with you?"

“You already agreed, and then you come to tell me this. What kind of discussion is this?”

"I only verbally agreed; we haven't signed an agreement yet."

"If you're just acting for a year, then it's no longer acting. Tell me, is this a real couple or a fake one? How are you going to explain this if you remarry later?"

"Just pretend I really got married. Didn't you say before that instead of getting entangled with a scumbag like Lü Tianyou, it would be better to make the best of a mistake and marry Ye Huaizhang? I'm just following your supreme guiding principle." Ye Baoling said with utmost confidence.

Grandma Gu was speechless. "What kind of thinking is that?"

The old lady, who had never received proletarian revolutionary education, did not understand what the supreme guiding ideology was.

"Think about it again." Ye Baoling picked up the apple that the third branch of the family had sent a few days ago, but she couldn't find a fruit knife after looking around.

Grandma Gu got up, took a Swiss Army knife from the drawer, and handed it to her.

Ye Baoling took the knife, hooked her foot over the trash can, and skillfully began peeling the apple.

Grandma Gu was perfectly clear-headed and didn't need to understand anything further. She said, "If you don't get divorced in the future, I have no objection, but you've only just gotten married and you've already agreed to divorce after a year. I can't accept that."

Ye Baoling: "Mother-in-law, you can't go back on your word. A few days ago you said that throwing the divorce papers in front of Lü Tianyou would scare him. I thought you could accept my divorce, but now you say you can't. With you going back on your word like this, I don't know which of your words you really mean anymore, and I don't know whether I should listen to you or not."

"Don't try to confuse me with this! It makes me uncomfortable. Your mother got divorced, and now you're getting divorced too. If word gets out, people will say I have problems with my upbringing."

"Who cares what others say? A high divorce rate is a sign of a highly civilized society. We civilized people shouldn't bother arguing with those who are uncivilized."

Grandma Gu was speechless for a moment, and then muttered, "I don't know when she learned to be so eloquent!"

"Driven by the necessities of life."

"So your agreement with Ye Huaizhang to divorce later was also out of necessity? What are you after?"

"They're after the money."

These were words spoken so openly by her own child, and Grandma Gu felt a pang of sadness, but she still couldn't help asking, "How much money did they give you?"

"He gave me a villa on the hillside." Ye Baoling didn't mention the five million, then held up two fingers, "He'll give me this amount when we divorce."

"Are you out of your mind?!"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"I..." Old Mrs. Gu was speechless, then said, "I would rather be desperate than sell my granddaughter. Otherwise, I wouldn't have supported your mother in fighting for your custody, even if it meant accepting less alimony."

“Mother-in-law, this is not selling, this is legally fighting for one’s own personal interests. Besides, they asked me for a favor first. I spent a year helping them. During that year, I was working for their family. I only took a tiny bit of their money. I’m practically a compassionate bodhisattva.”

Ye Baoling peeled the apple, making a single cut without breaking the skin in the middle.

She proudly showed it to her grandmother, "Impressive, isn't it?"

Grandma Gu rolled her eyes at her, "Impressive, a living Bodhisattva."

Ye Baoling put the apple on a plate, cut it into four pieces, leaving only the fleshy apple core, and took a big bite.

Grandma Gu asked again, "How do you explain this to the eldest branch of the Ye family?"

"Don't tell them."

"Living on the same street and sharing a large garden, how could we possibly keep it a secret?"

"How will we know if we don't try? What if we manage to keep it from them?"

"What if we can't keep it a secret?"

"We'll deal with whatever comes our way, and the third son's family will be in front of us. Grandma, just pretend you don't know anything." With that, Ye Baoling picked up a piece of apple and held it to her grandmother's lips. "It's so sweet, have a taste."

Grandma Gu avoided the question, saying, "I have no appetite."

"Come on, have a bite. It's really sweet."

Grandma Gu had no choice but to open her mouth and eat.

Is it sweet?

"sweet."

The grandfather and grandson couldn't help but laugh.

"Just tell your uncle and aunt that I received a villa, and don't mention the money."

Grandma Gu nodded: "I won't say anything. I'm not stupid. Besides, money that I haven't received doesn't count, and there's no need to mention it."

Ye Baoling threw the apple core she had finished eating into the trash can and stood up: "I'll go over after I finish dinner. Granny Tong has some kind of ceremony to hold at nine o'clock, so I'll go and tidy up first."

"Don't go yet."

"What's wrong?"

Grandma Gu took out her key and opened the inner drawer. "Didn't you open the safe?"

The old lady took out a small cloth bag. "This is the property deed for this building. Although it's in my name, your mother paid for it, so it should naturally be left to you. This is your mother's bank card, which is in your name. I haven't touched the money. There's 250,000 yuan in it. Now that you're married and grown up, these things should be handed over to you for safekeeping. Take them and put them in the safe."

Ye Baoling took it and glanced at it. The property certificate had her grandmother's name on it, Gu Zhenglanxiang, and the bank card had her name on the back.

"Wasn't Mom's inheritance supposed to help with household expenses?"

"The money I've been using to supplement the family income these past two years is all my own savings. If I don't tell you this, your uncle and aunt will never know how much money they have. You absolutely mustn't tell anyone, and don't let your uncle know that I still have money."

A cunning old lady.

Ye Baoling nodded to indicate that she understood. "Mother-in-law, you can keep this safe. I'll ask you for it again if you need it."

"Take it. I'll feel at ease if you give it to me," the old lady said firmly.

Ye Baoling just went to the bank today. "I don't have time to deposit it in the safe today, so I'll leave it here with you and pick it up in a couple of days."

She had made up her mind. She had a villa, and she could leave this house to Man'er in the future.

Of course, not now.

Let's talk about it when she's saved enough money.

Grandma Gu glanced at the grandfather clock; it was indeed getting late. "Then let's deposit it tomorrow. Once it's given to you, you're an adult."

"We'll talk about it tomorrow." Ye Baoling went out first.

"Take the apple away, I can't eat it." Old Mrs. Gu has bad teeth, so even if the apple is in her room, she can only smell its aroma; the children all secretly take it and eat it.

"I'll give it to Man'er." Ye Baoling carried the apple out.

Grandma Gu called to her, "Wash the knife."

Just then, Ye Baoling saw the Filipino maid bringing in the laundry and instructed, "Mary, please wash the knife for me, thank you."

The Filipino maid understands Cantonese but doesn't speak it very well; she just smiled, nodded, and replied in English.

*

Ye Baoling and Chen Yulan arrived at No. 3 Ye Qingtang, the old third branch's mansion, at 8:30.

Yang Pinxian, who had been waiting anxiously for a while, had made several phone calls in the evening to urge him to send a car to pick her up, but they hadn't been able to. When she heard the doorbell ring, she went out to greet him.

After dismissing the maid, she asked, "Have you had dinner?"

"I've already eaten." Ye Baoling came dressed in a red dress as they requested.

The courtyard and the houses inside were quiet, quite unlike usual. Ye Baoling couldn't help but ask, "Where is everyone else?"

Yang Pinxian explained with a smile, "They've gone to a seaside villa for vacation. We'll go there after the ceremony. It'll just be you and Huaizhang at home these next few nights."

It seems they deliberately sent everyone away to make it easier for Granny Tong to carry out her "feudal superstitious activities".

Sure enough, upon entering Chengheju, one is greeted by a room filled with bright red lights, which sends chills down one's spine; the scene is rather unsettling.

Following the red lights, they went up to the third floor. The corridor lights were also red. Ye Baoling and Chen Yulan glanced at each other but didn't dare to say a word.

Upon entering the new house, it was yet another sea of ​​red.

The room has been rearranged; the bed has bright red pillowcases and a bright red mandarin duck quilt cover, and the sofa opposite the bed is also covered with a red sofa cover.

Red silk and embroidered balls were hung on the wall, and the place where the double happiness character used to be was replaced with a new one.

Even the curtains are red...

It's suffocating.

Yang Pinxian said apologetically, "It was all arranged by Granny Tong. Please bear with us for the first three nights. We'll change to something new after three days, okay?"

"There's no other choice, is there?" Ye Baoling smiled awkwardly. "I understand. I understand."

"You rest first, I'll go and invite Granny Tong, we'll come over at nine o'clock."

"Where's Ye Huaizhang?" After asking, Ye Baoling immediately realized that she had called him by his first name, which was a bit too intimate, and quickly corrected herself: "I need to see Brother Huaizhang about something."

Yang Pinxian pointed to the study: "He's in the study. He originally wanted to come downstairs to pick you up, but Granny Tong said it would be better if you didn't meet before the ceremony."

Ye Baoling smiled slightly, "I understand."

After Yang Pinxian left, Chen Yulan, familiar with the place, carried her suitcase into the dressing room.

Ye Baoling followed her in. Fortunately, the dressing room was decorated normally. She put down her handbag and instructed, "Go knock on the door of the study next door and have Ye Huaizhang call me."

Chen Yulan didn't understand: "How do I make a phone call?"

"Let him call the extension number in our room." Ye Baoling wanted to call Ye Huaizhang directly, but she didn't know the extension numbers for each room, so she couldn't.

Chen Yulan responded and left.

Ye Baoling tidied her clothes herself; they were still in the wardrobe in the corner.

She couldn't help but clasp her hands together in prayer towards the secret chamber, saying, "Guanyin Bodhisattva, I'm back. Please bless me so I can successfully obtain the second Ugly King Jade. I'll bring you delicious food every day from now on, okay?"

"OK."

Who spoke?!

Ye Baoling was so startled she almost jumped up. She certainly wasn't going to imitate the Bodhisattva's self-questioning and answering today.

When she came to her senses, she realized that Chen Yulan was talking to someone outside the bedroom door.

Soon, Chen Yulan came in, carrying a document and a jewelry box.

"Cousin, this was sent over by the eldest young master of the Ye family."

It turned out that as soon as Chen Yulan opened the bedroom door, she found that Ye Huaizhang had sent something over.

Ye Baoling took the jewelry box, opened it, and sure enough, it was the light yellow ugly king's jade pendant she had been longing for.

That document was the agreement she hadn't signed that morning.

Since he was sensible, she readily signed the agreement without hesitation. She then had Chen Yulan send two copies of the agreement, the one for Party A, to the other party.

Since she was new to the place, Ye Baoling didn't have her own desk drawer. She was also worried about leaving the ugly king's jade anywhere else. After thinking it over, she squatted down in the wardrobe where clothes were hung, reached out and pulled open the card slot, and then put the agreement and jewelry box into the four-square space for temporary storage.

May the Bodhisattva protect you.

It was almost nine o'clock when Old Madam Guan knocked on the door and came in.

Ye Baoling looked at the bandage wrapped around the old lady's neck with surprise and asked with concern, "Grandma, what happened to you?"

Grandma Guan smiled and waved her hand, not daring to tell the truth: "It's nothing, I just bumped into something by accident."

The old lady took Ye Baoling's hand and asked her softly, "Did Huaizhang give you the Ugly King's Jade?"

Ye Baoling nodded: "I just gave it to them."

“I told him several times today to deliver it to the Gu family himself. But he wouldn’t listen to me, saying he had arranged to deliver it to you tonight.” Then Old Madam Guan added, “A-Ling, you are our family’s lucky star. If Huai Zhang is ungrateful and dares to speak loudly to you in the future, tell me and I will deal with him.”

They were just being polite, and Ye Baoling didn't take them seriously. She smiled and replied, "Okay."

Grandma Guan chatted with her for a few more minutes before a knock came at the door.

Yang Pinxian and Granny Tong arrived together.

Today, Granny Tong was still dressed in a long black robe. In the red-themed environment, her black clothes actually gave her a sense of sophistication.

Ye Huaizhang arrived on time, wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit as required.

He looks good in a Zhongshan suit; beneath his well-defined features lies a touch of refined scoundrel charm.

I thought he would be resistant or embarrassed in this kind of situation, but to my surprise, he blended in very naturally with a blank expression.

Very calm and very easygoing.

The ceremony for bringing good fortune to the bride officially begins.

They stood on either side of the old woman, the man on the left and the woman on the right, while the old woman held a red thread in her hand and muttered incantations.

"On this auspicious day, good fortune and joy abound. The patriarch of Pu'an has decreed this as the guiding principle. Male and female, yin and yang, unite in harmony. The Immortal Master of Harmony descends upon this room. The Harmony Child casts a net of blessings. The red thread binds them tightly, their hearts and souls resonate together. Disasters flee far away, and joy fills the rafters."

The old woman squeezed the two ends of the red rope onto their wrists.

May this marriage be as enduring as a pine or cypress. May the years pass by and may blessings be abundant. May all calamities be averted in the years to come.

Then the couple bowed to each other and drank the wedding wine together.

"This pot of wine is to be drunk once every seven days, for a total of eight times. Only after forty-nine days will the ritual of bringing good fortune be considered complete." After saying this, Granny Tong handed the wine pot to Yang Pinxian for safekeeping.

Ye Baoling pondered that drinking a glass of wine every seven days wouldn't be too difficult.

Moreover, the wine wasn't bad; it was quite smooth. She had a high alcohol tolerance and didn't flush after drinking it.

After everyone left the bridal chamber, only Ye Baoling and Ye Huaizhang remained, sitting at the foot of the bed.

Ye Baoling looked at the red rope on her wrist and suddenly realized that Granny Tong hadn't said when the rope could be untied.

They won't go to the bathroom together, will they?

Just as she was about to speak, she heard Ye Huaizhang ask her, "Have you taken a shower?"

She glanced at him sideways, then suddenly alarm bells rang. "What do you want?"

He wouldn't want to consummate his marriage with her in this bright red room, would he?

No, this approach is too eerie; she's afraid it will leave her with psychological trauma.

"Then I'll wash first." Ye Huaizhang stood up and walked towards the bathroom.

Ye Baoling then realized that he had removed the red string without her noticing.

Ye Huaizhang tied the red string at one end to a small rag tiger doll the size of a mouse.

He's quite good at shirking his responsibilities.

Ye Baoling glanced around and saw a small red pig plush toy the size of her palm on her bed. It was a pair with the little tiger, so she tied the red string from her wrist to the pig.

The two dolls were placed side by side on the table. The pig and the tiger looked quite harmonious, like a newlywed couple.

Something doesn't make sense. Why is she considered a pig?

Thinking it over, he took the two red ropes off and tied them in opposite directions.

He's the pig!

The sound of running water from the shower came from the bathroom, and Ye Baoling relaxed completely. She decided to remove her makeup first.

Standing up, Ye Baoling suddenly noticed several red square blocks on the table.

Upon closer inspection, it was unclear whether the condoms were prepared by Granny Tong or Yang Pinxian.

Even the condom packaging is red.

My ancestor, this is too outrageous!

-----------------------

Author's note: Ye Huaizhang: I'm ready, may we begin?

Ye Baoling: Take your clothes off first, let me touch them.

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