Chapter 125 Jinjiang's Unique Perspective
The news that Su Ruyi and Lu Ting were getting married spread quickly. Everyone was pleasantly surprised but not unexpected. On the contrary, they felt that the two had been dragging it out for a while.
It's relatively rare for couples to date for four or five years without getting married, like they have. Usually, by then, their children are already running around.
The two of them do not have financial difficulties. Some people do not get married because they do not have enough money, or they do not have a place to live after marriage.
Although Su Ruyi and Lu Ting's careers are still on the rise, they both have family wealth.
However, it is precisely because both of them have wealthy families, and very wealthy ones at that, that their union is more difficult for everyone to understand, so no one will press them to get married for no reason.
If Su Ruyi and Lu Ting's families don't care, outsiders have even less right to interfere.
However, since the wedding room still needs to be renovated, even if the construction starts in full swing, it will take at least a year to air out the house.
Therefore, the two decided to get engaged first, and then hold the wedding ceremony after the bridal chamber was renovated.
The engagement ceremony was very simple; it was just a meal with close family and friends.
The two went from making their decision to getting engaged in just half a month, catching everyone off guard.
At first, Su Ruyi didn't say it was an engagement party. It was only when everyone saw that Su Ying had flown over that they realized something was wrong.
Li Mei was pacing anxiously: "Why didn't you tell us beforehand? There are so many things to prepare for an engagement!"
Although Su Ying came, it was Su Ying, the biological mother, who took charge of everything; her stepmother had nothing to do with it.
But Li Mei felt that she was the landlord, and Su Ruyi had taken such good care of her, so she had to handle everything from the inside out.
Perhaps because economic conditions have improved, there are now a lot of rules for engagements and weddings in Qing Province. There are regulations about what the bride's family needs to prepare and what the groom's family needs to prepare, but the amount and specific items vary depending on the individual's economic situation.
Su Ruyi remained calm: "Aunt Mei, don't bother. I just didn't want to go through all that trouble, which is why I'm telling you now. I've already booked the hotel; you just need to arrive."
Su Ruyi has always disliked formalities and is not a person who values rituals.
Furthermore, it's just an engagement, not a wedding, and it's already so complicated. Wouldn't a wedding be even more troublesome?
“That won’t do. If we’re too sloppy, the man will look down on us and think we girls are easy to manipulate,” Li Mei disagreed.
Many rules before and during the wedding are a game of power between the couple and their families, each trying to gain the upper hand in the relationship and let the other know that their side is not to be trifled with and must be respected, loved, and protected.
However, this was unnecessary for Su Ruyi.
Lu Ting has no immediate family members, and even if he did, they wouldn't be able to get away with anything from her.
If she couldn't even handle this kind of relationship, Su Ruyi wouldn't consider marrying Lu Ting.
Su Ruyi doesn't need to do anything to make Lu Ting prove anything; these rules can't determine the future.
At least for Su Ruyi, what does it mean to be temporarily in the lead or at a disadvantage? As long as she is independent, there is no such thing as the east wind prevailing over the west wind.
Su Ruyi has the ability to prevent her own interests from being infringed upon in this relationship, so she doesn't value these rituals.
As for what outsiders think, she has no say in that.
Su Ruyi laughed and said, "Aunt Mei, Lu Ting's family is all gone, who can control me now?"
Li Mei immediately fell silent. Although Lu Ting had some relatives, none of them could control him.
Lu Ting grew closer to the brothers who had fought alongside him, and these men all treated Su Ruyi with utmost respect.
“Aunt Mei, I know your concerns, but I’m different. Just think about my mother, and you’ll know what kind of person I am.”
Li Mei was speechless now.
When Li Mei saw Su Ying, she never mentioned the matter again.
When Li Mei faced Su Ying, it wasn't like a concubine in ancient times meeting the principal wife; it was more like a fan meeting her idol.
Even though she now runs a large braised food business and is a boss with many people under her, she still looks at Su Ying with admiration and her eyes sparkle.
Moreover, Li Mei started to dress up, unlike before when she didn't care about her appearance even though she had money.
Li Mei is in charge of technology, and is only responsible for production and product optimization and upgrading. External work is handled by Xu Xiaonan.
Therefore, she usually goes to get off work and leaves on time, just like an ordinary worker. She doesn't need to socialize, so there are no occasions where she has to care about her appearance.
But once Su Ying arrived, Li Mei could buy several sets of clothes a day, dressing up in a flamboyant manner every day, as if she had ushered in a second spring.
At home, Su Ying dressed simply and modestly, prioritizing comfort and convenience, but when she arrived in Qing Province...
Su Ruyi gave her a shopping card with several thousand yuan inside, which she accepted without hesitation. Then she went to the mall and bought and bought all she could. She also took great care in dressing up every day and went to the beauty salon several times.
The two hit it off immediately, always walking hand in hand, their relationship incredibly intimate.
Wang Huiting felt goosebumps all over, and couldn't help but complain to Su Ruyi:
"Sis, if Aunt Su Ying were a man, my mom would definitely marry her right now!"
Su Ruyi couldn't help but laugh out loud, "A good best friend you can talk to is just as rare as a good husband."
After getting married, Li Mei rarely kept in touch with her girlfriends from her youth. Like many women her age, she devoted most of her energy to managing her family after marriage.
Women who are unemployed, in particular, lack social relationships.
Although she has many friends she gets along with, Li Mei's unique experience of losing both of her husbands makes it inconvenient for her to talk about certain things.
In addition, having traveled from the county to Qing Province, he had no one to confide in.
Now that she has money, she is even more cautious about making friends than before, and there are many things she can't tell others.
Trust is the foundation of any relationship. Su Ying can completely trust Li Mei. Su Ying herself is generous and interesting, and they have interacted before and have known each other for a long time. Now that they meet, they can immediately get along.
Although Li Mei has relied on Su Ruyi a lot over the years, Su Ruyi is, after all, a junior. Now that she has someone her own age to play with, she immediately feels much younger.
Su Ying, in particular, is a fun-loving and playful person. Despite her appearance as a retired cadre in the countryside, her clothing and appearance are always geared towards stability, comfort, and convenience.
But she was never one to be bound by rules; she would perform wherever people were.
In Qing Province, where she didn't need to worry about work, she happily went off to have fun. She accepted the shopping card Su Ruyi gave her without hesitation and swiped it all, unlike other parents who, out of concern for their children's hard work, were reluctant to spend any money.
If you dare to give, I dare to spend; I'm a parent who doesn't spoil the fun.
“It’s so nice. I wish Aunt Su Ying could stay here all the time. My mom is great in every way, but she always likes to lecture us. When we brought her some things before, she wasn’t happy at all. Instead, she scolded us and told us to return the things, saying we were wasting money.”
As Wang Huiting spoke, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. They weren't short of money; those things wouldn't cost them much.
Her mother was actually happy, but she had to say those blaming things, making everyone unhappy.
Moreover, they often bring up old grievances and nag about them over and over again.
Just as Su Ruyi said before, her mother had a deep sense of unworthiness.
However, this situation was disrupted after Su Ying arrived. She not only bought herself a lot of beautiful clothes, but also got an expensive beauty card, which even Wang Huiting was reluctant to go to!
"Aunt Mei has worked so hard for so many years, she really deserves to learn how to enjoy life. Don't worry, with my mom around, she'll definitely give you a different kind of mom."
Li Mei initially felt sorry for Su Ying, but then she thought that since Su Ying had come all this way, she should definitely stay with her.
Spending money always makes people feel good, and before long you start to genuinely enjoy it.
Li Mei couldn't help but sigh, "Which woman doesn't love to look beautiful? But usually when I dress up, no one notices. It's only when you come that I have the energy to do this."
"If no one's watching, we'll watch it ourselves. What's the point of making money if not to enjoy it? Being comfortable is more important than anything else. We're this age, if we don't enjoy ourselves now, when will we be seventy or eighty?"
Su Ying lay on a bed in a beauty salon, an expensive face mask on her face.
"That's true, but I still don't like coming if I'm alone. Sister Su Ying, I really want you to come. I don't have many friends in the provincial capital. I've known a few before, but they all just want to ask me for favors, they're not really friends with me."
Su Ying said, "I'll come over once my business is settled and the villagers have a path to development."
"Really?!" Li Mei sat up in surprise. Her face mask had fallen off, and she quickly lay back down.
Su Ying: "I am a Party member, and I have to do something practical before I retire. I can't just watch the people in my hometown still be poor while I enjoy my life. Once I've completed my mission, I will definitely come out and take a look."
In recent years, the orchard business has stabilized, the dried fruit factory has found a sales channel, and Su Ying has trained many people who can take over, so she doesn't have to work as hard as before.
Opportunities should always be reserved for young people. Su Ying did what she was supposed to do and completed her mission without betraying her identity.
Li Mei exclaimed, "Sister Su Ying, you are more magnanimous than any man."
How many men, after achieving some success, can simply leave? They all hold onto power tightly.
"I don't compare myself to anyone; I have my own path."
Through Su Ruyi, Su Ying saw the vastness of the outside world and wanted to make a name for herself.
After retirement, you can unload your responsibilities and do whatever you want.
Su Ying and Su Ruyi had previously discussed their plans after retirement. Su Ying would not stay where she was and would also like to come out and see the world.
Su Ruyi was pleased with this, and as for whether or not to come to Qing Province, she did not insist.
Ms. Su Ying is a very opinionated person and not the kind of person who stays within her own small circle. Even if she wanted to go abroad, Su Ruyi would not be surprised and would not stop her.
If someone reaches retirement age but still has to live for others, then their life is truly miserable.
In her previous life, Su Ruyi also didn't understand her mother, but as she grew older, she came to terms with it and stopped complaining about why her parents weren't around when she was young, leaving her all alone.
Su Ruyi's engagement banquet was very simple. She only booked a few tables at the best hotel in the provincial capital and that was it. She didn't do anything else.
However, before that, Su Ruyi and Lu Ting signed a prenuptial agreement and had their property notarized.
Lu Ting was unhappy about this.
These days, very few people would do this; they're already on guard before they're even married.
However, Su Ruyi's behavior over the past few years had prepared Lu Ting mentally, so although he was unhappy, he did not get angry.
Su Ruyi explained, "It is precisely because we are together because we like each other that we are clear about material things, and our feelings can be more pure. A marriage that can be dissolved at any time will make us cherish each other more. We will not compromise because of interests, nor will we fall out because of unequal distribution of interests."
Lu Ting was not satisfied with this approach; it was far beyond his comprehension.
Although there have been instances of marital betrayal, such as one spouse taking all of the other's assets, it's not uncommon.
But he felt that those people were the problem, and that such a thing would never happen between him and the person he had his eye on.
This practice makes people feel a lack of trust in the marriage.
However, Su Ruyi insisted on this, and Lu Ting, knowing her personality, agreed.
Ultimately, doing this wouldn't actually harm his interests, and he wasn't trying to take advantage of Su Ruyi. Being clear about the accounts actually saved him a lot of trouble.
He just felt something was off because no one else did it.
However, Lu Ting still insisted on transferring all the properties under his name to Su Ruyi, and his reasons were quite valid.
The couple planned to have children after getting married. Women are naturally at a physiological disadvantage, and the husband has the obligation and responsibility to build a nest for the new family.
The two did not disclose these matters to the public, but based on their usual behavior, it can be roughly guessed that their assets were clearly divided.
Su Ying didn't interfere in the young couple's affairs. She had seen Su Ruyi's current state and felt that Su Ruyi was capable of taking responsibility for her actions.
Therefore, she neither made things difficult for Lu Ting nor tried to please her son-in-law so that he would take better care of her daughter in the future.
Lu Ting was initially nervous about meeting Su Ying, but after spending time with her, he found that although Su Ying was completely different from the elders he knew, especially from the women he was familiar with, he could still feel her care for the younger generation, and that heart was the same.
Su Ying also followed Lu Ting to the construction site for a few days to understand the situation there, and even went to experience it herself.
“Many young people from our area also go out to work on construction sites. I also want to come and learn so that I can share some experience with those young people who want to go far away to find work.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Ting stopped trying to stop her and let her go.
The night before her engagement, Su Ruyi received an unexpected phone call from Li Yiyi.
"I have something important to tell you. I'll be waiting for you at the Story Cafe. I'll wait for you forever."
Li Yiyi's words were stubborn, but she wouldn't say why she wanted to see Su Ruyi over the phone.
Su Ruyi was also curious about this person and didn't understand why he would call her, so she went to the appointment.
Li Yiyi sat by the window, looking somewhat haggard. Her small face, barely the size of a palm, appeared even smaller due to her thinness, making her look pitiful, like a painting.
Many people passing by couldn't help but turn around and take a second look.
Li Yiyi is very beautiful, and the kind of beauty that is striking.
"What do you want from me?" Su Ruyi asked directly after sitting down.
Looking at the person in front of her, Li Yiyi felt a mix of emotions.
"You win."
Su Ruyi looked puzzled: "What do you mean?"
"You can cancel the engagement party tomorrow. I give up."
"..."
What is this person talking to himself about?
"What does my engagement have to do with you? And by what right do you ask me to cancel my engagement party?"
The two had no interaction, and Su Ruyi didn't understand why Li Yiyi would have such thoughts.
If we have to draw a connection, it can only be Zhang Qingfeng.
However, Su Ruyi hasn't seen Zhang Qingfeng for a long time now. Ever since it was revealed that Zhang Qingfeng had questionable private conduct and was warned by Old Master Zhang, he has stopped appearing in front of her.
When Su Ruyi went to visit Grandpa Zhang, Grandpa Zhang didn't try to get the younger generation to interact with her as he had before; he let things take their natural course.
Li Yiyi looked aggrieved, biting her lower lip and glaring angrily at Su Ruyi.
"You know what I'm talking about."
"I'm sorry, I really don't know. If you're going to keep spouting these ambiguous statements, then I don't think there's any need for us to continue talking."
As Su Ruyi spoke, she got up to leave.
Li Yiyi quickly stopped her, anxiously saying, "I allow you to be with Brother Qingfeng now, and I will also persuade Brother Qingfeng to treat you sincerely."
"Girl, are you out of your mind? Should I contact a psychiatrist for you?" Su Ruyi couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Li Yiyi was furious: "I've already made such concessions, how can you still be so harsh?"
Su Ruyi felt that her trip was a waste of time, and now she even began to doubt whether Li Yiyi was a time traveler, and why she was so confused.
"Madam, I don't know where you get this misconception that other people will be interested in the person you like. But don't try to disgust me, I don't have as much free time as you do."
Li Yiyi's eyes immediately reddened: "You can't possibly dislike Brother Qingfeng."
Su Ruyi was too lazy to explain and got up to leave.
Li Yiyi tried to stop her, but Su Ruyi's strength was not something she could easily overcome.
"Are you really going to get engaged to that man?! If you get engaged, there'll be no turning back!" Li Yiyi yelled.
Su Ruyi left without looking back.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Li Yiyi saw Su Ruyi get into Lu Ting's car. The two chatted and laughed, their eyes filled with love as they looked at each other.
Li Yiyi tried to deceive herself, believing that they were just putting on an act for her, but she couldn't convince herself otherwise.
Why is this happening?
Didn't Su Ruyi deeply love Zhang Qingfeng and even scheme to marry him? Why is everything completely different now?
When Li Yiyi learned that Su Ruyi and Lu Ting were engaged, she was initially happy, but soon fell into a state of confusion.
If Su Ruyi doesn't marry Zhang Qingfeng, will Zhang Qingfeng still be the Zhang Qingfeng she knows?
Nowadays, Zhang Qingfeng is disliked by Old Master Zhang and has no access to the core of the Zhang Group. His temper is also becoming increasingly volatile, completely unlike the gentle and shrewd man he was in his previous life.
He was just like the incompetent man Li Yiyi knew, always complaining and never looking for problems within himself.
Zhang Qingfeng's infidelity was whitewashed by him as all men are like that, that being a womanizer shows ability, and that men who are not liked by women are all useless.
He truly loved Li Yiyi; everyone else was just a fling, and she was unique to him.
Li Yiyi seemed to have been persuaded, but the thought of this incident still left her feeling uneasy, as it was completely different from the Zhang Qingfeng she knew.
The Zhang Qingfeng she knew was responsible, dependable, and very devoted.
He wouldn't have cheated on his wife even if he was unhappy in his marriage, if he hadn't met someone he couldn't control.
Each time, he would repent for being too greedy, which caused him to hurt two women, and Li Yiyi or Li Jing would always comfort him.
But looking back now, something just doesn't feel right.
Li Yiyi's family strongly opposed her being with Zhang Qingfeng, believing that Zhang Qingfeng was incompetent and a womanizer, and that Li Yiyi could have someone better.
Zhang Qingfeng's attitude towards her was also ambiguous. On the one hand, he said he loved her very much, but on the other hand, he did not cherish her at all and went around having affairs.
He used to try to cover it up, but since he was caught, he has become even more reckless.
All of this left Li Yiyi confused. She came here precisely to be with Zhang Qingfeng openly and honestly.
Why is it that now that there are no obstacles and no social class differences, they still can't stay together wholeheartedly?
Li Yiyi didn't know why she had called Su Ruyi over, but when she saw the calmness in Su Ruyi's eyes, it reminded her of the look Su Ruyi had given her in her previous life.
It was just as calm, without causing the slightest ripple.
Li Yiyi thought that Su Ruyi was unaware of her relationship with Zhang Qingfeng, but now it seems that she was not unaware, but rather completely indifferent.
After Su Ruyi got into the car, Lu Ting sensed her unusual mood and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I just ran into a lunatic."
Su Ruyi did think so, and didn't understand the meaning of Li Yiyi's words.
Maybe she finds it more exciting to have someone competing with her for her man?
But none of this matters to her; if she were to understand everyone, she would be exhausted.
Su Ruyi went to the appointment because she thought the woman had sensed that she was also a time traveler, which was why she wanted to invite her.
After all, many of the things she's doing now are ahead of their time, taking advantage of loopholes in the prophet's knowledge.
As fellow time travelers, they inevitably noticed something amiss and had their own suspicions.
Fortunately, Su Ruyi was still thinking about how to keep it a secret; she didn't intend for anyone to know about it.
She didn't intend to tell either Su Ying or Lu Ting.
To my surprise, they didn't mention that at all, and instead talked about all sorts of random things, which was completely baffling.
Someone like Zhang Qingfeng is still being thought about by others, and Su Ruyi didn't know what to say.
Ever since Zhang Qingfeng was caught red-handed and the matter was brought before Old Master Zhang, he has been despondent.
In reality, this kind of thing was not a big deal for Old Master Zhang, who had experienced many ups and downs. At most, he felt a little sorry for Su Ruyi, but not much.
Zhang Qingfeng couldn't understand it. He always felt that Old Master Zhang was targeting him because of past events and would never give him a chance, so he chose to give up on himself.
He couldn't accept even the slightest setback. No wonder he was already stepping on his grandfather at a young age, just like his parents, in that era.
Su Ruyi shook her head, putting all these things out of her mind.
If you can't understand it, then don't try to understand it; it's none of your business anyway.
The engagement banquet proceeded smoothly the next day. Old Master Zhang also made a special trip to show his respect and gave Su Ruyi a generous gift.
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