Chapter 354: Engagement Troubles
On May 1st, Lu Chun'e and Zhou Mingli got engaged.
The previous afternoon, Lu Dongping rode his 28-bar bicycle to the Medical University to pick up Lu Chun'e and bring her back to Tonghua Lane.
On May Day, the whole family got up early.
Lu Dongping was cooking in the kitchen while Wen Wan was busy dressing up Lu Chun'e.
Lu Chun'e put on the bright red dress that Li Laiyu and Wen Wan had jointly sewn for her.
The skirt was a dress that Wenwan designed herself based on the fashion magazine that Lu Dongping brought back to her for the first time.
The sleeves were mid-length and cinched at the waist, reaching just below the knees, revealing her calves. Li Laiyu had embroidered large lotus flowers on the hem of her skirt in gold and silver silk thread, along with the same pattern above and below the waistband. The embroidery gave the skirt a more three-dimensional feel, wrapping from under the waistband all the way to her chest.
Her chest is bulging and her waist is so thin that it can be held in one hand.
Lu Chun'e was a little uncomfortable and asked Wen Wan, "Sister-in-law, isn't it too formal?" It was just an engagement, but she felt that what she wore was more formal than what others wore at their weddings.
She still clearly remembered that when her sister-in-law married her brother, she also wore a bright red dress. That dress, which had amazed her at the time, was far less gorgeous than the one she was wearing now. This dress was made by her sister-in-law herself, and when she wore it, she felt its weight was so heavy, pressing on her heart, making her feel sad.
Wen Wan smiled and said, "Engagement is a big deal, so of course it should be solemn. But it's just a piece of clothing, so this is fine."
"Okay, shut up and let me put some light makeup on you. Then we'll put your hair up a little bit."
After Lu Chun'e went to college, she grew a little taller and then lost a lot of weight, becoming slim and tall.
Her face was also very white, and she didn't need any makeup at all. Wen Wan helped her trim her thick eyebrows, then applied lipstick, braided her hair into a bun, and finally tied a red flower on top.
The whole person suddenly became different, like a rose that is about to bloom, so beautiful and tempting.
Wen Wan said: "It's really beautiful!"
Lu Chun'e said, "Clothes make the man. My sister-in-law and Lai Yu have good craftsmanship, and the clothes they make are beautiful."
“Good clothes only look good when they are worn by people.”
The aunt and sister-in-law praised each other in the room, and Lu Chun'e was not so nervous anymore.
Xu Qingming came just after we finished our meal.
He went back to the compound to get a car, brought Dandan with him, and came to pick up Wen Wan and the others.
Li Lai Yu also joined him, holding Dandan's hand. The atmosphere between the big and the small was extremely harmonious.
Wen Wan called out to Dandan, and Dandan let go and ran towards her.
Wen Wan squatted down and picked him up, then called Li Laiyu into the house: "Have you had breakfast?"
"I've eaten." Li Laiyu looked at Lu Chun'e, the corners of his lips slightly raised, and he rarely spoke in praise: "Chun'e looks really beautiful today."
Dandan also echoed: "Auntie is beautiful!"
Xu Qingming reached out and poked his chubby face: "Do you know what good-looking is?"
Dandan turned around and patted his hand: "I know, Auntie is pretty." After saying that, he glanced at Wen Wan and said: "Mom is pretty too."
Xu Qingming teased him and pointed at Li Laiyu: "Auntie, do you have a nice walk?"
Dandan nodded without hesitation: "Beautiful!"
"What about my uncle?"
“It’s not pretty!”
Xu Qingming hissed, "Hey, brat, I'll take you away and give you away later!"
After chatting and laughing for a while, Xu Qingming checked the time and asked, "Should we go over there?"
Wen Wan glanced at her watch and said, "Go, go, it's time to go. We need to go early and get ready so that we can greet people when they come." She couldn't let the Zhou family find fault with her etiquette. Although Zhou Mingli would live alone with Chun'e in the future, she didn't need to care about the other members of the Zhou family, but she still had to save Zhou Mingli's face.
The banquet was arranged at a state-owned hotel not far from Hua University.
This is the largest hotel in this area.
Wen Wan generously booked the entire hotel.
The engagement preparations were even more grand than the wedding in Lujiazui.
There were cigarettes, alcohol, tea, melon seeds, wedding candies, everything on the table.
Wen Wan personally asked the chef for the menu.
Fortunately, they arrived early because the Zhou family also arrived early.
Zhou Mingli's five brothers and sisters-in-law, as well as Old Man Zhou, formed a huge team that looked quite impressive at first glance.
Zhou Mingli was with Old Man Zhou, wearing an olive-colored military uniform.
Lu Dongping and Wen Wan stood at the door to greet them.
This was the first time Lu Dongping had seen these people. Wen Wan introduced them to him one by one and welcomed them in gracefully.
Inside, Xu Qingming and Lu Donglin were there, and Li Laiyu brought Dandan to accompany Lu Chun'e.
As soon as he entered, Zhou Mingli saw Lu Chun'e in a red dress. His eyes were full of amazement and he found it difficult to look away.
He didn't look away until Lu Chun'e came over to greet them. He felt a pang of regret. If only today wasn't an engagement but a wedding. Chun'e looked just like his bride.
This was Lu Donglin's first time attending such an event, and he was a little intimidated by the presence of such prominent figures. However, when he remembered that this was his sister's big day, he mustered up the courage to follow Xu Qingming and politely greet everyone. He didn't seek to stand out, but he absolutely couldn't be timid and embarrass his sister.
The scene was very lively.
Not long after the Zhou family arrived, Wen Shihua also arrived. The Wen family really gave the Lu family enough face.
While Wen Shihua was chatting with Old Man Zhou, Wen Wan focused on dealing with Zhou Mingli and his sisters-in-law.
Xu Qingming and Lu Dongping accompanied Zhou Mingli and his brothers in speaking polite words.
Zhou Mingli called out to Lu Chun'e, "My leaders and comrades in the army will be here soon." The two of them would greet them at the door.
When he reached the door, he whispered to Lu Chun'e, "You look so beautiful today."
Lu Chun'e's face flushed. She glanced back guiltily. No one was paying attention to them. She breathed a sigh of relief: "Am I not beautiful normally?"
"It's usually beautiful, but with the touch of fireworks, it's otherworldly beautiful today."
"Stop using sweet words to deceive people."
Zhou Mingli said: "When did I ever coax you? Everything I said to you was true."
Lu Chun'e: -- I don't want to pay much attention to him for now. In this kind of situation, shouldn't we be a little more serious?
Zhou Mingli's brothers looked down on their relative Lu from the bottom of their hearts.
No matter how college-educated they are, they are from the southwestern mountainous areas, and their social status is not that good a match for them.
But it's better this way, they don't have anything to worry about.
That bastard Zhou Mingli has risen so fast in recent years. Add to that the old man's partiality, and what will happen if the Yue family gains power?
Therefore, even though he looked down on the Lu family, he was still friendly at this moment, hoping that this was not an engagement party. It would be even better if they could just get married directly.
With their active cooperation, everything went very smoothly and the atmosphere at the table was indescribably pleasant.
Zhou Mingli invited his leader to preside over the engagement ceremony. After a brief speech, the gifts were presented.
In addition to the gift money of 1,200 yuan, there were two more boxes on the table, which were placed there by Mr. Zhou.
When Zhou Mingli's brothers and sisters-in-law saw the two boxes, their faces suddenly changed.
Boss Zhou, even ignoring the presence of the military leaders, shouted, "Grandpa, what do you mean by this?" As soon as he shouted this, everyone present knew that the latter part was added by the old man on a whim, unknown to others. Didn't they see Zhou Mingli also standing there in a daze?
Mr. Zhou raised his eyelids and said, "I'm so old now, do I have to explain to you what I mean when I want to do something?"
"I am your grandson too!" And the eldest grandson.
The old man snorted: "You also know that you are the grandson, but you don't know that you think you are the grandfather and I am the grandson!"
"I'm not old and confused yet, are you the ones who are confused first? When your father was alive, it was not his turn to tell me what to do. Now that he's gone, it's your turn?"
Wu Liu interrupted, "Grandpa, we are all descendants of the Zhou family, and we are all your grandchildren. I don't ask you to treat us all equally, but you can't go too far, right?"
Wen Wan and Lu Dongping looked at each other, wondering what was in the box that made the Zhou brothers lose their composure and even disregard their face.
Lu Dongping coughed lightly and said, "Today is the auspicious day for Chun'e and Zhou Mingli's engagement. Can we discuss the Zhou family's affairs at another time and place?"
"If you're not ready yet, we don't mind. We can reschedule the wedding when you're ready."
The old man said: "The younger generation is ignorant, there is no need to argue with them."
"Today is a great day. I, an old man, can still breathe, so I still have the final say on how to arrange the marriages of the younger generation."
"Mingli grew up without parents and lived with the old man, suffering a lot of grievances. He has paid far more than others to achieve everything he has today. It is fate that has blessed him to meet the person he loves. Chun'e is a good girl. The fact that my Zhou family and the Lu family can be united is a fate that can only be cultivated in several lifetimes."
"As long as they are well, everything else is secondary."
Zhou Mingli lost his mother at birth and his biological father disliked him. Although he followed his father, he suffered countless cold stares and grievances when he was a child. Other children had parents, but he didn't. Other children had a happy childhood, but he didn't. Other children had parents to rely on and a safe haven, but he didn't.
The old man sighed in his heart. He was old and didn't know how long he could live. This was all he could give.
He would be able to close his eyes in peace even if he died if he could see his youngest grandson get married, start a family, have someone he loves, and have his own home.
.
After that, Wen Shihua and Zhou Mingli's leaders also came out to smooth things over, and the previously tense atmosphere instantly became lively again.
Not looking at the expressions of the Zhou brothers can be considered harmonious.
After the gift was laid out, the restaurant began to serve the dishes. However, only Mr. Zhou and Mr. Wen Shihua at the main table seemed to be able to satisfy the guests. The others barely touched the food. They looked like they had no appetite and had a gloomy face the whole time, as if the sky had fallen.
Wen Wan didn't care and picked up some food for Wen Shihua: "Dad, try this meatball. I found it in the cookbook. The chef here is quite good. It tastes very good."
Wen Shihua said, "You don't have to take care of me all the time. You eat too. You're busy all day long. Every time I see you, you're thinner than before."
Wen Wan said, "No way! I've even gained weight! I was just a little busy in the first few months, but now that Dongping is back and the new store is open, we're not so busy anymore."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
