Chapter 204 Yaozu in the Mountain Village (19) Beep! Strive to be a good person...
Song Ce and Qin Chuxia's wedding went very smoothly.
The wedding venue was a luxurious lakeside hotel in Beijing. Among the guests were many familiar faces among the business community, as well as numerous prominent figures in the antique and collectibles world. Most surprisingly, the couple's officiant was none other than Mr. Bai Jingyuan, a titan of the art and antiques world.
Bai Jingyuan is renowned for his research on traditional folk art and collectibles. He is not only a famous Chinese writer and collector, but also a leading authority in the global field of antique appraisal, known as "China's foremost expert in antique appraisal." He has transformed his hobbies into literary creation and a unique system of cultural relic appreciation. His original "Five-Pulse Appraisal Method" has become an industry benchmark, achieving remarkable success.
You should know that Zhenye Manufacturing is at most a medium-sized enterprise in Beijing, and it only has a certain reputation in the electronic components industry. But electronic components have absolutely nothing to do with the antique industry! How did Qin Zhenguo manage to invite Mr. Bai Jingyuan to be his daughter's officiant at her wedding?
The entrepreneurs who understood the key to the matter exchanged glances, becoming increasingly certain that Qin Zhenguo, his son-in-law, was definitely not the ordinary college graduate from an ordinary family that he claimed to be.
After all the guests were seated, the host began to read aloud the bride's dowry and the groom's betrothal gifts.
The business owners listened intently, their ears pricking up. The bride's dowry was truly lavish, putting pressure on these entrepreneurs whose businesses were roughly equal. They secretly thought to themselves, "Qin Zhenguo must be blinded by joy. Even if it's his only daughter getting married, does he really need to empty his coffers?"
The host spent a full fifteen minutes reading the entire dowry list.
Finally, it was the groom's turn to present his dowry. Everyone waited with great curiosity, wondering if the son-in-law whom Qin Zhenguo valued so highly would be able to produce a betrothal gift that matched the bride's dowry.
"The betrothal gifts include a courtyard house in Beijing, two duplex river-view apartments in Shanghai, a Rolls-Royce, a Maybach, two sets of glass-type jadeite jewelry, two sets of purple jade jewelry, and two sets of pink diamond jewelry..."
The list of betrothal gifts stunned all the guests present. They never expected that this seemingly shy and gentle young man was not only incredibly wealthy, but also that the betrothal gifts he presented were so astonishing.
The host was so tired by the end that he had never even heard of the things that came up later. Things like the Flowing Clouds and Hundred Blessings White Jade Pendant, the Dragon and Phoenix Auspiciousness White Jade Pendant, the Red Gold Filigree Bracelet, the Green Jade Phoenix Hairpin, and so on, were all things he had only seen in museums.
After the list of betrothal gifts was read aloud, the guests below the stage finally recovered from their shock. Gradually, the guests began to whisper among themselves.
"Old Qin is so lucky! He found such a capable son-in-law!"
“I knew this young man was extraordinary. Look at his eyes and brows, he exudes composure and is someone who can accomplish great things.”
"A true master doesn't reveal their abilities!"
"You know what, just this courtyard house and luxury cars together must be worth at least a hundred million, right?"
"Isn't that superficial? Didn't you hear about all the jewelry in the back? Just one set of glass-type jadeite jewelry alone would cost at least this much!"
...
On stage, Qin Chuxia looked at her handsome and tall husband beside her and couldn't help but secretly tug at his sleeve, asking with a smile, "Song Ce, you... you've brought all your savings here?"
Upon hearing this, Song Ce turned his head, his eyes filled with a gentle smile. He said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "What I give you will naturally be the best within my means."
Qin Chuxia blushed and gently took Song Ce's slightly cool fingertips in her hand. The warmth of his palm seeped through her skin, gradually calming her flustered heart.
On the wedding stage, Mr. Bai Jingyuan looked at the sweet newlyweds, a slight smile appearing in his eyes. He cleared his throat, and his aged yet powerful voice resonated throughout the hall: "As the ancients said, 'Holding hands, we grow old together.' May you cherish this deep affection in the years to come, protecting each other with a lifetime of love. May your love remain as it was at first sight, year after year! Blessings to you!"
As soon as Mr. Bai Jingyuan finished his wedding speech, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Qin Zhenguo and He Meifeng sat in the main seats, looking at the well-matched newlyweds on the stage. They couldn't help but exchange a glance, their eyes and brows filled with smiles.
After the wedding banquet, the couple moved into the two-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) that had been renovated in advance. Being able to buy such a unique and well-maintained private residence in Beijing, where land is extremely valuable, demonstrates that Song Ce's strength is far more than it appears on the surface.
Soon, this lavish and grand wedding went viral online. Even in third- and fourth-tier cities where the internet is not as developed as it is now, some tabloid news about it appeared.
Meanwhile, Xing City.
Zhou Chengyu, who was playing on his computer at home, noticed a news pop-up in the lower right corner and clicked on it out of habit. What he saw made him almost unable to believe it; the refined, fair-skinned young man on stage looked more and more like his cousin from his hometown.
The older generation of the Song family had four children. The eldest married and moved to Xing City, the second son, who was Song's father, stayed in the village, the third son was adopted by Song's second uncle, and the youngest married and moved to the county town.
"Mom! Mom! Come quick! Hurry!" Zhou Chengyu shouted into the living room.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Song wiped her hands on her apron and scolded, "You child, didn't I tell you not to play for too long? Staring at the computer screen all day long, you'll end up making your eyes nearsighted!"
"Mom, forget about nearsightedness for now. Isn't this my uncle's older brother?" Zhou Chengyu asked, pointing at the young man on the computer screen.
Aunt Song leaned closer to the computer screen, squinting as she examined it closely for a long time. The young man on the screen was wearing a well-tailored suit, and her features vaguely resembled those of a familiar person. However, his demeanor and the surrounding environment were completely different from the quiet, school-uniformed nephew she remembered.
“You’re talking nonsense, kid. How could your uncle’s son go to a place like this?” Aunt Song patted Zhou Chengyu’s crown and laughed. “Doesn’t it say here that the bride is the daughter of a big company? She’s obviously a person of status and position. Your brother is just a college student from the countryside. How could he possibly be associated with a family like this? In my opinion, at most, they just look a bit alike.”
Zhou Chengyu was unwilling to give up and grabbed his mother's hand to stop her from leaving. "Mom, look, the groom's name in the news is also Song Ce. It's barely acceptable if they look alike, but it's hard to believe they have the same name, right? What a coincidence! It's impossible for two people to have the same name, look alike, and be about the same age, isn't it?"
Aunt Song was taken aback upon hearing this, and muttered, "Xiao Yu, you mean, this young man is also named Song Ce?"
"you do not say!"
Aunt Song stared intently at the handsome young couple on the screen, her brows furrowing slightly. She hadn't been back to the village for a while; a few years ago, she'd heard her brother complain that Song Ce and Song Xi were ungrateful, having abandoned him to attend university in Beijing, and apparently graduating this year.
Could it be that...
Thinking of this, Aunt Song couldn't help but look at the list of betrothal gifts, including a courtyard house in Beijing, luxury cars, jewelry, and various ornaments. Any one of these items would be enough for them to earn for a lifetime.
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. She said in a low voice, "When your dad gets back, I'll talk to him about it. If it really doesn't work, we'll go back to our hometown and ask about the situation. I think I should call your aunt first."
"Well, my aunt lives close to our hometown, so maybe she knows something."
Just after seven o'clock, Aunt Song's husband, Zhou Aijun, came home from get off work.
Before Aunt Song's dumpling soup was even served, Zhou Chengyu started telling Zhou Aijun everything about it.
After hearing this, Zhou Jianjun frowned and stubbed out his cigarette. "Hiss, if this is true, then it's really strange."
“Who says otherwise?” Aunt Song came out of the kitchen with bowls and chopsticks, her face displeased. “I just called Xiaoqin, but she doesn’t know anything about the situation either. She’s never heard the family mention it.”
"Xiaoyu's mom, what do you think?" Zhou Jianjun asked.
“I was thinking, why don’t we go home? It’s been quite a while since we’ve been back.”
Zhou Jianjun coughed, glanced subconsciously at the furnishings of his home, and said quietly, "Let's not even talk about the transportation costs for our whole family from the city to our hometown. We can't just come empty-handed, can we? That would cost us money again."
"That's right!"
"Oh, Dad! Mom!" Zhou Chengyu's eyes darted around, and he said with a grin, "Why can't you two get it? If this is true, we relatives can't just pretend we don't know, can we? Now that my brother is successful, won't it be more convenient for us to go to Beijing for business or to buy things? As relatives, he should at least treat us well, right?"
"It has to be my youngest son; his mind works so fast," Aunt Song said with a squinting smile.
“Yes, Xiaoyu hit the nail on the head.” Zhou Jianjun was awakened by his son’s words and couldn’t help but wonder if this visit was worthwhile. If his nephew really became a prominent figure, it would be reasonable for them, as his aunt and uncle, to take the initiative to visit him.
“Okay, then our family will go back this week. I’ll borrow a car tomorrow and drive back.” Zhou Jianjun made the decision immediately.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Song immediately beamed with joy. After all, this was a relative from her maternal family, and if it were true... it would make her look incredibly proud.
Meanwhile, Song Xiaogu's family was also preparing to go back home with some belongings. After talking on the phone, the two sisters decided to meet at the county bus station on Saturday so they could travel back together.
Before we knew it, it was Saturday morning.
As dawn broke, Aunt Song and Zhou Jianjun loaded the prepared items into the trunk, and soon the family of three set off in a presentable manner. After about an hour's drive, they successfully picked up Aunt Song and her husband, Feng Chaogui.
As soon as Song Xiaogu got on the bus, she showered the couple with compliments about this older sister who lived in the city. Zhou Jianjun just smiled and responded, his expression extremely comfortable.
Flattery is something everyone loves to hear. After all, as the old saying goes, you can get away with anything, but flattery will get you through!
After driving for another half hour, Zhou Jianjun finally saw the crooked old willow tree at the entrance of the village.
Song Xiaogu beckoned Song Dagu to lean against the car window and look out, feigning emotion as she said, "Oh dear, it's been several years since we sisters have been back. I see that the village hasn't changed much! Only a few new houses have been built outside. Look, this broken road hasn't been repaired at all."
"What changes can there be in the village? The whole family's income comes from farming. It would be good enough if they could build a new house."
"That's true."
As they were talking, the car had already arrived at the door of Song's father's house.
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Author's Note: Only one more chapter left until the end! [Facepalm peeking][Facepalm peeking]
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