"Yes, yes! They're a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman!"
"You're sure to be happy for the rest of your life!"
The guests' blessings warmed Shen Nianxi's heart. Looking at Gu Yanchen beside her, watching him calmly handle the guests' teasing and seeing the unwavering tenderness in his eyes, she felt like the happiest person in the world.
Shen Nian'an, holding a wine glass, walked to Gu Yanchen's side and said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, let me toast you. From now on, my sister is in your care. If you dare to let her suffer any injustice, I, as her older brother, will be the first to not forgive you."
Gu Yanchen raised his glass, clinked it against Shen Nian'an's, and drank it all in one gulp: "Don't worry, I won't."
Su Yue'e, holding Shen Nianzu in her arms, walked to Nianxi's side and said with a smile, "Auntie, congratulations on your marriage to Uncle! Come back to visit us often!"
Chen Nianzu waved his little hands and called out in a childish voice, "Auntie! Happy wedding!"
Looking at her chubby little nephew, Shen Nianxi couldn't help but reach out and pinch his cheek, her eyes full of laughter: "Okay, Auntie will come back to see you often."
The wedding atmosphere was warm and lively. The octagonal table in the courtyard was laden with signature dishes from Wanqiu Food Shop—crispy fried pork, tender and flavorful braised pork, refreshing and light lotus root salad, and fragrant chicken soup. The guests ate with great relish, praising the dishes highly.
As the sun set, its golden rays bathed the blue bricks and gray tiles of the Shen family courtyard, casting a warm golden glow over the entire place. The wedding procession was about to return home, and Gu Yanchen, holding Shen Nianxi's hand, walked step by step towards the carriage outside the courtyard gate.
Lin Wanqiu stood at the courtyard gate, watching her daughter's retreating figure in her wedding dress, her eyes reddening again. She knew that once her daughter left, she would become a member of the Gu family. From now on, even if she could come back often, she would ultimately have her own little family of her own.
Shen Nianxi took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, turned around and bowed deeply to Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou, her voice choked with emotion: "Dad, Mom, I'm leaving. Please take good care of yourselves and don't overwork yourselves."
Lin Wanqiu quickly stepped forward and hugged her daughter tightly, her voice trembling slightly: "Mom knows, Mom knows. You must take good care of yourself and be happy."
Shen Tingzhou stood to the side, watching the mother and daughter embrace and weep, his eyes filled with reluctance. He reached out and gently patted Nianxi's back, his voice low and heavy: "Go on, don't keep your in-laws waiting."
Shen Nianxi nodded, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Looking at the gray hairs at her parents' temples and the wrinkles around their eyes, a pang of sadness welled up in her heart. She knew that her parents had sacrificed so much for her and for this family.
Gu Yanchen stepped forward, gently put his arm around Nianxi's shoulder, and said to Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou, "Uncle and Aunt, we're leaving now. In a few days, I'll take Nianxi back to her parents' home."
Lin Wanqiu nodded, fighting back tears, and smiled, "Okay, we'll wait for you to come back."
Gu Yanchen took Shen Nianxi's hand and turned to step into the carriage. The carriage slowly moved forward, raising a cloud of dust. Shen Nianxi lifted the carriage curtain and waved to her parents standing at the courtyard gate until their figures gradually disappeared from sight.
Lin Wanqiu stood at the courtyard gate, gazing in the direction the carriage had gone, lost in thought for a long time. The evening breeze blew, ruffling the stray hairs at her temples and stirring up the tears in her eyes.
Shen Tingzhou walked to her side, gently put his arm around her shoulder, and said in a tender voice, "It's alright, don't be sad. Nianxi has found a good home, you should be happy."
Lin Wanqiu leaned against him, nodded, and said with a hint of relief, "Yes, we should be happy."
As the sun gradually set, night enveloped the entire village. The guests in the Shen family courtyard slowly dispersed, leaving only scattered red paper scraps and a sweet fragrance in the air. Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou stood side by side at the courtyard gate, gazing at the stars in the sky, and smiled at each other.
"The children have all grown up and have found their own homes," Lin Wanqiu said softly, her eyes filled with satisfaction.
Shen Tingzhou looked down at the smile in her eyes and nodded gently: "Yes. Nian'an has become the chairman of the company, and Nianxi has married into a good family. Our mission can be considered complete."
Lin Wanqiu looked up at Shen Tingzhou's gentle eyes and brows, her smile growing even wider: "Then, can we take a break?"
Shen Tingzhou reached out and held her hand tightly, the warmth of her fingertips reassuring. His gaze drifted into the distance, his eyes filled with longing: "After we finish preparing for Nianxi's homecoming banquet, we'll go see that suburban villa. From now on, we'll move there, plant flowers, raise fish, and enjoy our retirement."
A surge of unprecedented anticipation welled up in Lin Wanqiu's heart. She recalled the days when she had just transmigrated, the difficult years when she didn't know where her next meal would come from, and the days when she had to outwit and outmaneuver Old Lady Shen and Zhang Lan. It all felt like a lifetime ago.
Who would have thought that the poor daughter-in-law who was tormented by her in-laws and nearly drowned in the river would now have such a happy and fulfilling life?
She leaned against Shen Tingzhou's chest, gazing at the dazzling starry sky, a happy smile on her lips.
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