Chapter 74 She was just a passerby! Bai Shuzhen…
Bai Shuzhen is getting married.
Bai Shuzhen is going to marry Cao Guangping.
The marriage between Bai Shuzhen and Cao Guangping was arranged by Wei Yafei.
No, it should be said that Wei Yafei leaped up and made it.
Ever since Wei Yafei learned that Cao Guangping was a rich man, he couldn't wait for Bai Shuzhen to marry Cao Guangping so that he could benefit from Cao Guangping's wealth as his stepson.
Unfortunately, Cao Guangping showed no intention of mentioning marriage to Bai Shuzhen. Bai Shuzhen was a smart woman and understood men's psychology perfectly. If a man doesn't take the initiative to bring up marriage, it means he doesn't have that idea. In such cases, the more you urge him, the more resistant he becomes.
On the contrary, if you don't urge them at this time, the other person will feel guilty and want to make it up to you.
Bai Shuzhen knew Cao Guangping's thoughts well, so she deliberately avoided talking about marriage. Instead, she acted pitiful and aggrieved in front of him, putting on a submissive posture. She said that they were all so old and different from young people, they didn't have so many thoughts, and it was enough for them to be by Cao Guangping's side.
As expected, Cao Guangping felt indebted to Bai Shuzhen upon hearing this, and the very next night, he spent a large sum of money to give Bai Shuzhen a set of gold jewelry.
Although Bai Shuzhen knew that this thing was insignificant to Cao Guangping, she could still receive tangible benefits.
At her age, she still acts foolishly in front of Cao Guangping, putting on a show of petty romance. It's not about feelings, and worrying about how much Cao Guangping has or how much he's willing to give her is useless. As long as she can actually get benefits, that's enough.
Bai Shuzhen was very clear-headed. Even when her old friends of many years tried to persuade her to settle down with Cao Guangping as soon as possible, saying how many benefits she would gain from marrying him, she calmly refused.
Marrying Cao Guangping would indeed have many benefits, but only if Cao Guangping himself is willing.
Bai Shuzhen understood, but Wei Yafei didn't. Every time he saw Cao Guangping, he would eagerly approach him and ask him without any sense of propriety when he was going to marry Bai Shuzhen.
Cao Guangping's face darkened from the questioning, but he remained oblivious and continued babbling on.
Wei Yafei urged them several times, but Cao Guangping and Bai Shuzhen showed no intention of mentioning marriage, so he became anxious.
In addition, his cronies would constantly gossip about how rich Cao Guangping was, how big his business was in Hong Kong, how good life was there, and how great it would be to live a carefree life in Hong Kong...
He wanted Bai Shuzhen to marry Cao Guangping as soon as possible so that he could benefit from the marriage and go to Hong Kong to enjoy a better life together.
In his desperation, Wei Yafei came up with a foolish idea—to force Cao Guangping and Bai Shuzhen to have sex.
The two of them have made it a fait accompli, and Cao Guangping has no choice but to admit it!
Wei Yafei's plan was to use Bai Shuzhen's name to invite Cao Guangping to his home for dinner, then replace Cao Guangping and Bai Shuzhen's water with high-proof liquor at the dinner table, get them both drunk, and then put them both on the bed.
Even though the two didn't have sex, the fact that a man and a woman were alone in bed together makes them seem like they weren't innocent in other people's eyes, no matter how you explain it.
That's why people say, it's not the clever people who rack their brains that are scary, it's the fools who suddenly come up with a brilliant idea.
Wei Yafei had a sudden inspiration and came up with such a flawed idea, which actually succeeded in the end!
Neither Bai Shuzhen nor Cao Guangping were on guard against Wei Yafei. They drank the water that Wei Yafei brought them without thinking.
Although they realized the moment they took a sip that Wei Yafei had handed them liquor instead of water, they didn't think much of it. They figured they were in a good mood and it wouldn't hurt to drink a little.
Little did they know that Wei Yafei had prepared high-proof liquor this time, over 50 degrees, almost 60 degrees, Erguotou. After Bai Shuzhen and Cao Guangping drank a small cup of liquor, they became dizzy and disoriented.
Even more fortunately, both Cao Guangping and Bai Shuzhen were good drinkers. After getting drunk, they didn't go crazy, talk, or vomit. They would just close their eyes and fall asleep on the table.
While the two were asleep, Wei Yafei got to work. He moved the two sleeping people to the bedroom bed, put them down, and hesitated for a moment looking at the two who were fast asleep and unaware of anything.
Should we take their clothes off?
Taking off his clothes would certainly be more convincing, but Bai Shuzhen is, after all, his own mother. Asking him to strip his own mother and another man of their clothes and then put them on the same bed would still be a bit of a test for Wei Yafei.
Wei Yafei hesitated for a long time, but still couldn't bring himself to do it, so he just perfunctorily covered the two of them with the same quilt.
Bai Shuzhen: ...
Shouldn't she be grateful that Wei Yafei still treated her like his own mother and still maintained a little bit of her bottom line?
That said, Bai Shuzhen, being Wei Yafei's biological mother, truly understands him. The moment she woke up and saw the situation before her, she immediately realized what was going on.
A surge of anger welled up in her chest. She tried so hard to pretend to be stupid and coax Cao Guangping, but who was she doing this for?
Isn't it all for Wei Yafei?
But Wei Yafei, in order to live a better life, actually had the heart to scheme against her!
Don't think she doesn't understand. Wei Yafei is doing this so that she can marry Cao Guangping as soon as possible and benefit from Cao Guangping's status as his stepson.
Bai Shuzhen was truly angry this time, extremely angry.
Everything she did was for Wei Yafei, but in Wei Yafei's heart, she was someone he could easily scheme against. Wei Yafei didn't even inform her in advance; he schemed against her along with everyone else.
Just then, Cao Guangping woke up. He rubbed his temples, still feeling the effects of the alcohol he had just drunk. He had a terrible headache as soon as he woke up, and when he saw Bai Shuzhen sitting next to him, his headache instantly worsened.
"What... what's going on?"
Cao Guangping squinted at Bai Shuzhen, wondering to himself, "Wei Yafei poured the wine on me earlier. Wei Yafei is Bai Shuzhen's son. Could this whole thing be a setup orchestrated by Wei Yafei and Bai Shuzhen?"
Cao Guangping's paranoia kicked in. Although Bai Shuzhen outwardly told him that not getting married was fine, who knew what Bai Shuzhen was really thinking? He was so rich, it was impossible for Bai Shuzhen not to have designs on him.
Sensing that Cao Guangping's gaze was becoming increasingly hostile, Bai Shuzhen's expression changed, and she quickly feigned confusion.
"Guangping, what's wrong? Weren't we eating in the living room? How did we end up in the bedroom? Ugh, what's going on? My head hurts so much, and I'm so dizzy. Where's Yafei? Where did he go? When I see that little brat, I'm going to ask him what kind of lousy wine he prepared today. How come I got so drunk after just one small sip?"
Bai Shuzhen said this partly intentionally for Cao Guangping to hear, and partly sincerely.
She really wanted to curse Wei Yafei for what kind of wine he had prepared. It gave her a headache. Could it be some cheap, fake wine he bought?!
Cao Guangping could see clearly that the anger in Bai Shuzhen's eyes was genuine.
Could it be that this matter has nothing to do with Bai Shuzhen?
Hmph, even if Bai Shuzhen doesn't know that it was Wei Yafei who did it all by himself.
Wei Yafei is also Bai Shuzhen's son, so Bai Shuzhen is still involved in this matter!
Cao Guangping was angry and spoke in a bad tone: "Who knows what your son is up to?"
His words were loaded with meaning; he was referring to the alcohol, but also implying that Wei Yafei was using underhanded tactics.
Bai Shuzhen's face stiffened, and she cursed Wei Yafei to death in her heart.
Cao Guangping didn't care what Bai Shuzhen was thinking at the moment. He sat up, rubbed his forehead, and prepared to get out of bed.
Just then, the door was pushed open, and Wei Yafei barged in.
He stared wide-eyed at the scene in the room, as if he didn't know what was going on, and then shouted, "Mom, Uncle Cao, what are you two doing on my bed?"
He spoke very loudly, making Bai Shuzhen's ears hurt; he was clearly shouting on purpose so that people outside could hear.
Cao Guangping's face darkened: "What are you yelling about!"
Instead of shouting nonsense, you should at least explain yourself clearly. It's broad daylight, and he and Bai Shuzhen are both fully clothed. Even if they were lying in bed, there's no way they could be doing anything!
Bai Shuzhen's expression was also not good, but with Cao Guangping there, she still tried her best to defend Wei Yafei.
"Yafei, don't shout nonsense. Didn't you kindly help your Uncle Cao and me to bed to rest because you saw us drunk and asleep?"
She emphasized that he was drunk and asleep, and that he was being kind.
But Wei Yafei won't follow her script; he has his own.
"What?! Mom, what did you say? What? I helped you to bed to rest? I didn't know anything about this! I saw that the wine was almost gone, so I told you and went out to buy some more. I don't know how you two got to bed!"
He raised his voice to make sure the people in the yard outside could hear him.
Everyone in the courtyard heard it, and not only did they hear it, they heard it very clearly.
"What? Bai Shuzhen slept with her boyfriend in broad daylight?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, how shameless! Wei Yafei is still at home in broad daylight!"
"Hey, you know what, Bai Shuzhen and her boyfriend are quite passionate. They've got a combined income of over a hundred, and they still have the mind to do that."
"What kind of passion is this? This is shamelessness! How old are you? You're so shameless! She's corrupting the atmosphere of our hospital!"
"Hey, old woman Wang, are you jealous of Bai Shuzhen? She doesn't usually live in our courtyard, she lives at Wei Yong'an's house. It has nothing to do with the atmosphere in our courtyard!"
"I'm not jealous at all..."
The people in the courtyard were all talking about it. The window couldn't block out the noise from outside. Bai Shuzhen listened to the gossip outside, and her face turned very ugly.
Who does that in broad daylight!
She was so angry that she was trembling, and her expression towards Wei Yafei was extremely hostile.
It's all Wei Yafei's fault! If he hadn't messed things up, things wouldn't have turned out this way!
Bai Shuzhen was in a bad mood, and Cao Guangping was even more so. He quickly tidied himself up, didn't say a word to Bai Shuzhen and Wei Yong'an, and walked out with a dark face.
The moment the door opened, the discussion in the courtyard paused for a moment, but everyone's eyes were on Cao Guangping. In an instant, he felt like the gazes from all directions were like needles, pricking him all over.
He suppressed the urge to cover his face and strode away.
After Cao Guangping left, the discussion in the courtyard became heated again.
"Tsk tsk tsk, so this is Bai Shuzhen's boyfriend? I didn't get a good look at his face when he came in, and now that I see him, he's just average-looking?"
"So what if he's not good-looking? He's rich! Haven't you heard? He's from Hong Kong, a famous Hong Kong businessman!"
"So what if they're Hong Kong businessmen? Aren't they just stinking capitalists?"
"You're so outdated! The market is open, and the country is encouraging Hong Kong businesses to invest. What you're talking about is all in the past!"
"And they are really rich; they own dozens of chain restaurants in Hong Kong!"
"So rich? No wonder Bai Shuzhen was willing to be with him. If someone that rich came to pursue me, I'd be willing too!"
"You're just dreaming..."
The courtyard was buzzing with discussion, but Wei Yafei's home remained cold and aloof. Bai Shuzhen looked at Wei Yafei with a reproachful expression: "Did you orchestrate this whole thing? What are you trying to do?"
Wei Yafei tried his best to appear innocent: "Mom, what are you saying? I didn't understand."
Bai Shuzhen: "Get lost, don't play dumb with me. I'm your own mother, I know what you're going to do the moment you bend over. I'm just asking you, what are you trying to do with this?"
Seeing that he couldn't fool her, Wei Yafei had no choice but to tell the truth: "Mom, I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to think about you. Look at you, you've been dating that bastard Cao Guangping for so long, and that bastard still doesn't seem to want to get married at all. What does that mean? It means he never wanted to marry you, he just wanted to play around with you!"
He stubbornly retorted, "How can this be? Just because he has money doesn't mean he can be irresponsible. Does having money mean he can date whomever he wants without any accountability? I want him to know that he can play around with other people, but not with you. With me here, I will absolutely not allow this to happen!"
Bai Shuzhen covered her forehead with her hand, not wanting to say a word.
How could she have given birth to such an idiot son?
Cao Guangping doesn't want to get married. Even if you force him to marry her, will he be happy? It's better not to get married at all. In this way, what Cao Guangping can actually give is much better than what he would get from marriage!
Wei Yafei: "Mom, I did a good thing, why aren't you happy? Let me tell you, I've asked around, and as long as you get a marriage certificate with Cao Guangping, you'll get a share of all his assets after he dies!"
His face flushed red as he excitedly said, "Not only you, but Sijia and I will get a share too! Mom, just think about it, how much money is that!"
Bai Shuzhen's expression shifted: "Oh? Is that so?"
Wei Yafei: "It's true, Mom, listen to me..."
Wei Yafei rattled off a story about a new friend he'd met recently. Apparently, this friend had returned from Hong Kong and was very knowledgeable about the laws there. He'd learned a lot from his friend, and now he was sharing what he'd just learned with Bai Shuzhen.
Bai Shuzhen was persuaded by Wei Yafei and couldn't help but be tempted.
The main reason is that now that Wei Yafei has made such a fuss, her reputation is ruined if she doesn't get married, and she'll be talked about everywhere she goes, leaving her with no face to show.
However, she was still more shrewd than Wei Yafei. She knew that according to Wei Yafei's original plan, threatening Cao Guangping with the police would not work and would anger him.
Bai Shuzhen ignored Cao Guangping for two days, then wiped away her tears and went to say goodbye to Cao Guangping with a pitiful look on her face.
She didn't mention anything about what had happened before, but her words implied that her reputation was being affected. She couldn't stay in Beicheng anymore and was forced to wander in a foreign land at her age. She felt wronged, but she didn't say anything because it was all Cao Guangping's fault, so she was willing to bear it.
Despite Bai Shuzhen's shortcomings in other areas, she is quite adept at understanding men's psychology, and Cao Guangping is particularly susceptible to her charm.
My heart, which had grown cold, softened again.
Bai Shuzhen was Cao Guangping's first love. The two shared a beautiful childhood. They separated because Cao Guangping had to go to Hong Kong to make a living.
The lingering sense of injustice, coupled with the "white moonlight" filter and Bai Shuzhen's deliberate creation of a beautiful woman shedding tears, immediately confused Cao Guangping.
He said, dazed, "No, don't go, let's get married! Since you don't want to stay in Beicheng, then marry me and come to Hong Kong with me!"
Bai Shuzhen feigned reluctance: "Wouldn't that be inappropriate? We're both so old, practically half-buried in the ground. Getting married at this time would just make us a laughingstock, wouldn't it?"
Cao Guangping domineeringly put his arm around Bai Shuzhen's shoulder: "Who dares to laugh at us? We're not only getting married, we're going to have a big celebration. I'm going to invite all your relatives and friends to witness our wedding. I want to see if they dare to laugh at me!"
Cao Guangping was a bit carried away at this moment. What was originally a one-point impulse was magnified tenfold under Bai Shuzhen's provocation.
Why did he like Bai Shuzhen? Besides the fact that Bai Shuzhen was his childhood sweetheart, it was also because he could find a long-lost sense of masculine power in front of her. He had been a live-in son-in-law in the Chen family for nearly thirty years, appearing glamorous on the surface, with everyone calling him Master Cao.
But he was just a son-in-law, and he had no say in the Chen family. Even the servants didn't treat him as their master behind his back.
After enduring so many years, he finally managed to outlive Old Master Chen and Chen Meilin, and now he can finally stand up for himself and be in charge.
This is also why he supported his two sons, because he enjoyed the feeling of using his power to stir up trouble and having absolute authority at home and in the company.
Bai Shuzhen keenly observed Cao Guangping's arrogance stemming from an underlying inferiority complex, and deliberately humbled herself to win his favor.
She looked at Cao Guangping with sparkling eyes and said, "Guangping, I'm so touched. No man has ever been so good to me before."
Cao Guangping was becoming increasingly dizzy, having forgotten his previous thought that marrying Bai Shuzhen, an older woman, was not worthwhile. At this moment, he wasn't marrying Bai Shuzhen; he was fulfilling a dream of his younger self. He also wanted to prove to others that he, Cao Guangping, was a capable and powerful boss.
He can marry whomever he wants, and he can make as much of a spectacle as he wants; no one can control him!
In his excitement, Cao Guangping blurted out, "This is nothing! Just you wait, I'll definitely give you the most perfect, unforgettable, and wonderful wedding!"
Bai Shuzhen clutched her heart with emotion: "Guangping..."
-
Cao Guangping was determined to give Bai Shuzhen the most perfect and unforgettable wedding, and his proposal was anything but ordinary.
He specially sought out Mingxi, one of the most famous matchmakers in Beicheng recently.
Although Mingxi didn't know how she had become one of the most famous matchmakers in Beicheng recently, she couldn't refuse since Cao Guangping had approached her.
Of course, the main reason is that Cao Guangping is too generous, and she couldn't bear to refuse him.
Cao Guangping gave her a 100-yuan red envelope just for inviting her to his home to propose marriage.
When it came time to propose marriage, Cao Guangping made a grand spectacle of it.
He somehow got hold of two cars; his assistant and the gifts he brought were in one car, while he and Mingxi sat in the other.
Two cars drove into the alley where Wei Yong'an lived, beeping loudly.
These days, few people own cars. When a car drives into the alley, everyone in the alley cranes their necks to look out and see what's going on. Ma Meixia is no exception. She cranes her neck to look and sees the back door of the car open, and Mingxi gets out.
Then Cao Guangping stepped out of the other side of the car.
Ma Meixia subconsciously looked at Bai Shuzhen.
Ha! Such a grand display was all for Bai Shuzhen.
Many people in the alley had seen Cao Guangping before, and when they saw him getting out of the car, they knew that such a large entourage had come for Bai Shuzhen.
Everyone's eyes unconsciously drifted towards Bai Shuzhen.
I never would have guessed that Bai Shuzhen was so charming, she's captivated this old man like this.
Did they make an old man drive a car to pick someone up?
They exchanged quick glances.
At this moment, Bai Shuzhen stepped forward with an embarrassed expression: "Guangping, why did you come so suddenly? You didn't even say anything before you came. If you had told me..."
Before Bai Shuzhen could finish speaking, Cao Guangping pulled out a bouquet of flowers from behind him: "Ta-da, Shuzhen, this is a surprise for you."
Bai Shuzhen's eyes widened instantly. She covered her mouth, her eyes shining with surprise: "Ah!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, look at her! She's so old, yet she still knows how to surprise her partner like this!"
For a time, the alley was filled with young wives complaining that their husbands didn't know how to surprise or be romantic.
The men in the alley: Tsk, that annoying Cao Guangping!
If Cao Guangping hadn't been so good at showing off and making a scene, they wouldn't have been disliked by their own wives.
Cao Guangping didn't care what the other men in the alley thought. He looked at Bai Shuzhen and smiled, saying, "I specially picked these red roses for you, to represent our unwavering love. What do you think? Do you like them?"
He spoke quite loudly, as if he wanted to show off to others.
Bai Shuzhen couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard this.
That old geezer is quite the talker, huh? Unwavering love, indeed. Everyone knows you married someone else not long after arriving in Hong Kong. Who are you trying to disgust by saying this now?
No matter how much she complained in her heart, Bai Shuzhen always maintained a surprised smile on her face.
Bai Shuzhen: "I like it, Guangping. I like anything you give me."
"Hahaha! Great!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Guangping was so happy that he burst out laughing.
At this moment, Mingxi stepped forward and reminded Cao Guangping, "Mr. Cao, let's get down to business first."
Cao Guangping: "Oh, right, there's more important business to attend to!"
"Shuzhen, I've come here today to propose marriage to you. Shuzhen, will you marry me?"
"Wait, don't agree to me yet. I haven't shown you what I've prepared." Before Bai Shuzhen could speak, Cao Guangping turned to his assistant in the other car and shouted, "Ah Feng, bring all the gifts down from the car!"
Assistant A-Feng responded and quickly came down with several shopping bags. Cao Guangping clearly wanted to show off in public, so he started introducing each item one by one in front of so many people in the alley.
"Shuzhen, look, this is a designer handbag I specially asked someone to bring back from Hong Kong yesterday, this is skincare products I specially asked someone to buy from France, these two are for you. This is a gift for Yafei, a designer watch I bought from Belgium, and as for this, it's for..."
Cao Guangping introduced each item one by one, without giving Mingxi a chance to speak.
Everyone present was fortunate to have seen such a thing thanks to Bai Shuzhen.
Wow, I never imagined that foreign countries could turn everything into luxury goods and brand-name products. It's really different from here.
They don't care so much about such things, just a handbag and face cream.
Cao Guangping went on and on outside, showing off all the luxury items he had brought out. Although they were all quite expensive, in everyone's eyes, these things were valued for their practicality. Without practical value, no matter how fancy the descriptions, they were useless.
However, the set of gold jewelry he brought out last was dazzling.
Ma Meixia swallowed hard: "What a big and heavy gold bracelet."
Not to mention Ma Meixia, even Mingxi's eyes were dazzled by the gold bracelet that Cao Guangping took out.
A solid gold bracelet, estimated to weigh about a pound, was placed on Bai Shuzhen's arm, causing her wrist to droop slightly.
This is just one bracelet from a set of jewelry.
Not to mention the earrings adorned with gemstones that shimmer with iridescent colors, the gold-inlaid jade necklace, and the jade beaded bracelet...
As each item was laid out before them, the big guys in the alley exclaimed in amazement.
Everyone used to say that Cao Guangping was rich, but no one really had a concept of it. But after seeing this today, it's clear that he is indeed rich, incredibly rich!
Some people watched Cao Guangping flaunt these things in various ways and were dissatisfied: "Tch, so what if he has a little money? Why show it off? Can't he take it home to look at himself? Why does he have to show it off in the alley? He's sick!"
"Exactly! If you love to show off so much, you'll regret it when someone targets you and steals your things!"
"Hmph, just wait and see, he'll get targeted sooner or later for showing off like this."
Surprisingly, quite a few people think this way.
It's not surprising that everyone thinks this way. We're all from the north of the city, we have jobs in the city, we're proud members of the working class, and by today's standards, we're considered to be doing quite well. But even so, our average monthly salary is only thirty or forty yuan.
Thirty or forty yuan wasn't even enough to buy a tiny lipstick, about the thickness of a finger, from the cosmetic gift set Cao Guangping gave him.
The gap between the rich and the poor is too big; it's too enviable.
If Cao Guangping knew to restrain himself, that would be fine, but today he came with the intention of showing off, returning home in glory, and making others envious, without knowing how to restrain himself at all.
Seeing that many of the comrades present were looking at each other strangely, Mingxi quickly reminded Cao Guangping to go inside and talk.
Bai Shuzhen and Wei Yafei quickly echoed this sentiment.
They also felt that Cao Guangping's actions were too high-profile and inappropriate.
Cao Guangping was somewhat reluctant, but he eventually agreed. The group entered the house, and Mingxi, being quite responsible, immediately began discussing the marriage proposal after everyone sat down. Bai Shuzhen covered her mouth, feigning shyness, while Wei Yafei hurriedly stepped forward and nodded in agreement, making the scene rather strange.
Aside from that, the marriage proposal went very smoothly.
Wei Yafei and Wei Sijia couldn't wait for Cao Guangping to marry Bai Shuzhen as soon as possible. Ma Meixia and Wei Yong'an also wanted to marry Bai Shuzhen off quickly, so naturally they wouldn't say anything in this situation. Bai Shuzhen and Cao Guangping had already reached an agreement on the marriage, and today's proposal was just a formality.
After going through the formalities and formally discussing wedding arrangements, the first thing they talked about was the bride price. Cao Guangping generously offered, "I'll give you 10,000 yuan as a bride price. Shuzhen, do you think that's acceptable?"
When Cao Guangping said this, everyone present was stunned. Ten thousand yuan! In those days, ten thousand yuan could buy a large courtyard house!
Upon hearing this, Bai Shuzhen's eyes lit up with joy, but she quickly put on a look of concern for Cao Guangping and said, "Guangping, this is not appropriate. There are too many of them. I am not worthy of them."
She looked at Cao Guangping with gentle eyes, her gaze tender and affectionate, adopting a hesitant yet welcoming posture.
This side of Bai Shuzhen was what really ignited Cao Guangping's chauvinistic side. He sternly disagreed, saying, "What kind of talk is that? Who am I? I have money now, I can spend it however I want, and give it to whomever I want. I'm willing to give you so much, so just accept it. What's with all this talk about whether you're worthy or not? I say you are worthy!"
His words were full of domineering confidence. Wei Yafei was afraid that Bai Shuzhen's continued refusal would displease Cao Guangping, so he quickly nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, Uncle Cao is right. Mom, don't think too much about it. If Uncle Cao is willing to give it to you, just accept it. Who is Uncle Cao? This amount of money is nothing to him!"
Cao Guangping laughed heartily and patted Wei Yafei on the shoulder: "Yes, this kid is right."
Bai Shuzhen: "Well, okay then."
Bai Shuzhen nodded in agreement only after making a proper gesture.
After discussing the bride price, we moved on to the wedding.
Cao Guangping said, "Shuzhen, we're not young anymore, and we don't have much time to waste. In my opinion, the sooner we set the wedding date, the better."
Wei Yafei smiled broadly: "Uncle Cao, what you said makes perfect sense. What day do you think would be suitable?"
Cao Guangping: "Ahem, I think this Sunday is auspicious. I had someone check it out, and it's a good day for weddings. Shuzhen, what do you think?"
Bai Shuzhen raised her eyes, glanced at Cao Guangping gently, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and said softly, "Guangping, it's up to you to decide. I'll listen to you."
"Great!" Cao Guangping smiled, his face full of satisfaction. "Then let's set it for this Sunday!"
He raised his hand and waved to his assistant standing by the sofa, saying, "Ah Feng, did you hear that? I'm getting married this Sunday. Hurry up and contact the hotel to make sure they have Sunday free so I can hold the banquet!"
Ah Feng: "Yes, sir."
Mingxi pursed her lips and didn't say anything. This Sunday?
Today is Wednesday, less than four days before Sunday. Cao Guangping still wants to hold a big wedding. Is there really enough time?
However, Cao Guangping is rich, and he can use his money when absolutely necessary, so he should be able to make it in time...?
Money makes the world go round, and Cao Guangping was indeed rich. With the help of his money, all the wedding arrangements were made in just four days. To show off, Cao Guangping sent wedding invitations to all of Wei's relatives and friends.
He felt a little regretful that most of his and Bai Shuzhen's relatives and friends from back then were no longer alive, and it was a pity that they could not see his current glory.
Especially Bai Shuzhen's family. Back when he was dating Bai Shuzhen, his family disapproved, looking down on him because he was a poor young man from a poor family, believing he couldn't provide Bai Shuzhen with a good life. His decision to go to Hong Kong with his employer was also influenced by Bai's family.
He was determined to make a name for himself and achieve success so that he could return and show the Bai family that they were blind and hadn't recognized the value of this rough gem.
Who would have thought that he would indeed return in triumph? Unfortunately, it was so many years later, and Bai Shuzhen's parents had long since passed away. If he wanted to find someone to humiliate him, he could only do so at their graves.
What a pity, what a real pity.
Although it was a bit of a pity, there were still many living relatives and friends present, so Cao Guangping still wanted to make the wedding as perfect as possible. He went to great lengths to choose the clothes. He went to the department store with Bai Shuzhen to look at ready-made clothes but was not satisfied. He wanted to find someone to bring over designer clothes from Hong Kong, but unfortunately there was no time. In the end, he asked Mingxi to help him find a tailor who could make clothes by hand.
Because of his financial resources, Mingxi agreed to help him find someone.
Money makes things easier, and he eventually found a suitable craftsman who was willing to help him finish the job.
And so, on the night before the wedding, Mingxi accompanied Cao Guangping and Bai Shuzhen to try on their wedding dresses one last time to see if they fit.
Bai Shuzhen was alright, but Cao Guangping was the main problem. He was always complaining about the sleeves or the hem of the clothes, and he kept giving suggestions for revisions until after 9 p.m.
After retrieving her dress, it was already pitch black outside. Mingxi was quite sleepy after all that fuss, and she covered her mouth as she yawned.
Cao Guangping knew how to handle people. Seeing her like this, he smiled and said, "Comrade Ming, you've worked hard. Go back and get some rest."
As he spoke, he gave his assistant a meaningful look. The assistant understood and immediately stepped forward with a red envelope. Cao Guangping said, "This is just a small red envelope, nothing more."
Mingxi stroked the thickness of the red envelope and instantly beamed with joy. This was no small red envelope at all; Cao Guangping was such a modest person.
She smiled and accepted the red envelope, saying, "Not at all, not at all, not at all."
Cao Guangping smiled.
He said, "It's getting late, Comrade Ming. How are you going to get home? Should I have someone drive you?"
Mingxi: "Isn't that inconvenient? Maybe I should just walk there myself, it's not far anyway..."
Cao Guangping: "Hey, what's inconvenient about it? It's on the way, Comrade Xiaoming, please get on the bus without worry."
"Oh well."
Mingxi couldn't refuse, so she nodded in agreement.
Parking was difficult in the alley, so Cao Guangping's assistant parked his car in another location. The assistant then led Cao Guangping, Bai Shuzhen, and Mingxi to where the car was parked.
As Mingxi walked, she talked to Bai Shuzhen and Cao Guangping about tomorrow's wedding, unaware that anything was amiss. It wasn't until they passed through two alleys and made three turns that they still hadn't arrived at their destination, and then she frowned, realizing something was wrong.
She frowned. Was Cao Guangping's car parked this far away?
Cao Guangping realized something was wrong at this moment, and he called out to the assistant who was leading the way, "Ah Feng, what's going on? I don't remember coming this far?"
The assistant in front of him did not answer the question directly, but only kept saying, "Don't worry, sir, we'll be there soon, we'll be there soon."
Cao Guangxi felt something was off, but subconsciously continued walking forward. Mingxi, however, was more perceptive. She stopped and said with a stern face, "There's a dead end ahead. Where are you taking us?"
At this moment, the assistant in front turned around, smiled sinisterly, and said, "Heh, you're quite perceptive, aren't you? Too bad it's too late."
As he spoke, a group of burly men suddenly sprang out of the dead end ahead. The leader of the group said in broken Mandarin, "Don't move! This is a robbery! Hand over all your valuables, or you'll lose your lives!"
As he spoke, he brandished a small knife and walked towards Cao Guangping.
The group spoke Mandarin, but you could tell from their accents that they were from Hong Kong.
More importantly, although they talked about robbing him, they didn't care about Cao Guangping's valuables at all; they were clearly after Cao Guangping himself.
Bai Shuzhen was so frightened that she was completely unaware of what was happening. As she watched the person walk towards her, she hurriedly said, "Here, here, here. It's just money. Take it, take it all. As long as you don't hurt us, everything is fine."
As she spoke, she took off her gold jewelry, preparing to give it to these people.
Cao Guangping looked unwell. Bai Shuzhen didn't know why, but she could tell that these people weren't after the money.
They came for his life.
Thinking about the strange behavior of his assistant, Cao Guangping's face tightened. The only people who could bribe his assistant and want him dead were his family members.
His focus soon shifted to his two sons.
He knew for certain that it wasn't his two daughters who did it, because he had always been wary of them and they wouldn't have had the opportunity to bribe his assistant.
Thinking of this, Cao Guangping couldn't help but sneer. He never expected that after playing with eagles all his life, he would be pecked in the eye by an eagle today.
His life was ultimately about to end because of his unsuspecting son.
Is this karma?
Cao Guangxi was filled with immense grief, while Mingxi remained silent on the other side.
Damn it, if you want to get rid of Cao Guangping, can't you spare the innocent people first?
She's just a passerby!
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