In the evening, Yuan Doudou made hand-pulled noodles. She heated up a wok, poured in lard, fried scallion segments, and poured it over the cooked noodles, making them fragrant and tempting.

Anji ate with great relish, it was so delicious, even more fragrant than the meat scraps from before.

"Eat slowly, there's more in the pot."

"He's only a little kid, he'll starve his father to death. He's so young, yet he can eat so much." Yuan Doudou felt a surge of pressure.

Angie nodded: "Yes, I want to have another bowl."

After dinner, Aunt Chen from the same village came to deliver celebratory fruit.

"Dou Dou, tomorrow is my Jia'er's big day. Bring Anji to the wedding banquet!" Aunt Chen said with a smile, revealing a set of bright white teeth.

"Okay, I'll be there on time."

Aunt Chen, carrying a bamboo basket, twisted her waist and was about to leave when she was called back.

"Aunt Chen, please speak to me in private." Yuan Doudou's expression was solemn.

Aunt Chen became nervous and went into the house with Yuan Doudou.

Angie was talking to the rabbits alone in the yard.

As Yuan Doudou recounted her story, Aunt Chen's expression changed repeatedly, as drastically as the weather in June.

After finishing her business, she got up to see Aunt Chen off.

"DouDou, are you really going to do this?" Aunt Chen asked with concern.

Yuan Doudou's gaze was firm; for the sake of peace and tranquility, taking this risk was worthwhile.

The next day, as dawn broke, Yuan Doudou boarded the first bus.

Upon arriving in town, she first went to the government office, where the yamen runners told her it was not yet time for her to be on duty.

She immediately returned to her stall, having prepared even more pancake wrappers today, along with freshly fried French fries and yesterday's leftover oil residue. There was too much oil residue to eat, so she used it to make egg pancakes.

"Today's side dish has been changed from cured pork to pork cracklings." It tastes even more satisfying than cured pork.

"It smells amazing, give me one, with egg and chili." The customers were skilled at taking orders, each one polite and orderly.

Yuan Doudou really wanted to shout out that her customers were the most cultured customers.

"Okay, almost done." Yuan Doudou's movements were even more efficient than yesterday.

In fact, she practiced at home to ensure that she was very familiar with every movement when she set up her stall.

Practice makes perfect; whether you can make money selling snacks depends on your speed.

Some are regular customers who buy three or four portions at a time, enough for the whole family to enjoy.

Before noon, the egg pancakes were sold out, with only a few eggs left unused.

Having gained experience in setting up a stall, I know how much pancakes and eggs I need to bring each day.

After cleaning up her stall, she hurried to the government office.

Zhao Anling rode a horse and was led out of the yamen by someone, while Fang Deming followed behind without riding a horse.

"DouDou, you came to see me?" Zhao Anling asked with an air of superiority and interest.

"Yes and no," she smiled slightly and looked at Fang Deming, "I'm looking for him."

Zhao Anling's face stiffened. A woman, unable to distinguish between the two kings.

Seeing the adult's face darken, Fang Deming stepped forward shakily: "Miss Yuan, what brings you here?"

He had a premonition that it was related to the flower thief incident, and he took it seriously.

Yuan Doudou led him aside to prevent the news from leaking out.

Sitting on his horse, Zhao Anling watched the two whispering figures not far away, feeling extremely uneasy.

Why do you have to keep things from him?

Finally, just as he was about to lose his curiosity, Fang Deming strode over and bowed to him: "Sir, we can set off now."

Zhao Anling glanced at Yuan Doudou indifferently, hummed in agreement, and left.

After finishing her business, Yuan Doudou suddenly remembered the banquet tomorrow and realized she didn't have any decent clothes at home, so she needed to go and buy some.

Upon arriving at the clothing store, Yuan Doudou was immediately dazzled by the dazzling array of dresses on display.

Li Tianlang mentioned it was a family dinner, so there was no need to be too formal. I really don't know why she was invited, since she's neither family nor a close friend.

"Sir, are you here for a regular day or out?" The innkeeper, perceptive as ever, greeted him warmly.

"Attending a family dinner." Yuan Doudou glanced around; the dishes were varied and suitable for different occasions. She had come to the right place.

The shopkeeper immediately picked out three outfits: a royal blue floor-length dress, a moon-white cloud-patterned skirt, and a peach-pink pleated skirt.

Yuan Doudou immediately took a liking to the moon white one; its color was simple and its design elegant.

"How much for this set?" I hope it won't be too expensive.

"This usually costs two taels of silver, but seeing your outstanding figure, it's clearly tailor-made for you. I'll give you a discount, one tael and fifty cents," the shopkeeper rattled off.

Yuan Doudou was taken aback: "Shopkeeper, this fabric is worth at most one tael."

“Miss, this is silk supplied by Suzhou, and the style is the most fashionable in the capital. One and a half taels is already the lowest price.” The shopkeeper was in a difficult position.

These are all just superficial things. Yuan Doudou knows perfectly well that what she really means is that she doesn't want to get a bargain.

"Okay, I'll go check out other stores." It's not like you're the only clothing store.

Just as she was about to leave, the shopkeeper stepped forward to stop her: "Alright, alright, one tael is fine, consider it a loss to gain publicity, please come back after you've put it on."

Yuan Doudou's lips curled up; the best of the thirty-six stratagems is to flee.

"Girl, you're such a good negotiator, I have to admire you."

Yuan Doudou smiled without saying a word, and took the clothes towards the post station.

The Chen family's wedding was in the evening, and Yuan Doudou was in a hurry to get back.

"Miss Yuan."

Yuan Doudou was startled and turned around to see Fang Deming.

"Come on, get in the car."

His colleague dressed as a coachman and drove the car, while he and two other colleagues, dressed in casual clothes and carrying congratulatory gifts, pretended to be guests.

The carriage wasn't large, and with three men and her in it, it felt a bit cramped.

The three men very consciously sat on one side of the carriage, huddled together.

Yuan Doudou sat opposite her, her eyes darting around, clearly unsure where to look.

The air seemed to freeze, and Fang Deming, unable to bear it any longer, broke the awkward silence first.

He went over the evening's plans from beginning to end, including any precautions to take.

"DouDou, remember, your safety comes first," Fang Deming reminded him before getting out of the car, still worried.

Yuan Doudou nodded seriously; she would not put herself in danger.

As dusk fell, the wedding ceremony officially began.

Anji came with Zhang Aiju's family. His mother said she had arrived first, but he looked around for a long time and didn't see anyone.

"Grandma, where's my mother?" he asked softly.

Zhang Aiju was also curious, and Dou Dou said that she was busy in the greenhouse and might not be finished yet.

"No rush, your mother will arrive when the banquet begins."

The ceremony ended quickly, and the newlyweds entered the bridal chamber surrounded by everyone. Their cousins ​​and other relatives played pranks on them, and afterwards, the groom was pulled away to toast the newlyweds.

In the bridal chamber, Yuan Doudou sat on the edge of the bed, her head covered with a red veil.

The bride, now properly dressed, was being protected in the west wing, with Fang Deming sending people to guard the door.

Fang Deming was behind her, hiding behind the screen.

The noise outside gradually subsided as most of the guests had left.

After Zhang Aiju and Anji had eaten and drunk their fill, they went home first.

"The groom is drunk. Go to the west wing to sober up first," the matchmaker shouted loudly, as if afraid no one would hear her.

The bride was sitting in the west wing waiting for him.

The night was dark and windy, and the Chen family courtyard was silent with the lights off.