Chapter 35
At the resort, Chen Huanong didn't take Tang Chengting's talk of rescheduling the wedding seriously. Firstly, she thought it was too much trouble, and secondly, she knew Tang Chengting's intentions. This format really didn't matter. She had four consecutive days of court sessions, and Tang Chengting had used those days to come up with seven wedding plans, selecting six hotels, five bridal shops, twelve wedding dress styles, and three honeymoon itineraries. When Chen Huanong returned home, she saw a row of documents on the coffee table. She marveled at her husband's ability, but also felt a surge of anxiety. It was too much trouble!
"You don't have to rush to choose. You can discuss it with Mo Yiyan and the others. I also need to discuss it with my parents. Of course, your opinion will be the main one."
"Do you want to discuss this with my parents? Or should I go? They're probably still mad at me!"
"Qingqing, you have to trust me. I will handle these things. I thought about the consequences when I confessed to them, so this is expected. I also have my own countermeasures."
Chen Huanong looked at him suspiciously. "What's the plan? Don't act on your own like you did last time. I'll really get angry!"
"Alas, women's words are deceitful. She used to swear she wouldn't let me get spoiled, and now she's angry with me after just a few days." What can I do? If he had a daughter, he certainly wouldn't agree to her marrying a dying man. My only strategy is to hope they'll find some compassion for me because of my honesty. All my strategies rely entirely on the things I love. I love you, and they love you too. You love me, and you love them too.
Before Tang Chengting fell ill, Mom and Dad trusted him far more than Chen Huanong in many matters. Mom had first met Tang Chengting when they were in high school. He was a bright young man, standing at the podium, speaking for the entire class. He was calm and collected, his words clear and his logic coherent. Then she turned to look out the window at her daughter, who was messing around with other students. Hmm, the good kids are always from other families.
They went to Chen Huanong's parents' house on Friday night. After dinner, Chen's father and Tang Chengting went straight to the study on the second floor. Chen Huanong was left in the kitchen by Chen's mother to help. Chen Huanong threw the dishes into the dishwasher neatly and said casually, "I'm done. I'm going upstairs."
"Stop, you're doing things halfway. Who taught you that?"
Chen Huanong stopped and looked back at her mother, her face falling. "Can't I just listen outside the door? You know my dad is stubborn. What if we can't reach an agreement?"
"What if you go? Are you going to force your father to compromise by not coming home? Chen Huanong, aren't you afraid of hurting your father's feelings? After your grandmother passed away last year, you are the only blood relative your father has. No matter what kind of person he is, at least to you, he is a responsible father."
"I didn't say my dad was irresponsible, nor did I intend to threaten him."
Chen Huanong said the latter part with a guilty conscience. Chen's mother didn't believe it at all. She knew her own children's fate. The two father and daughter were nothing alike, except for their stubbornness, which was exactly the same as Chen Huanong's grandfather, who had passed away more than ten years ago. In Chen Huanong's case, this stubbornness was inexplicably amplified. Chen's mother wondered what she had done wrong, as she hadn't raised her like that.
"When you were in high school, you had a fight with your dad and ignored him for a month. Your dad was so anxious, but he didn't know how to comfort you, so he finally asked your brother to persuade you. After that, he never dared to say a word to you again, for fear of offending you. So no matter how you argue with him, you can't ignore him." Mother Chen sighed, feeling tired and exhausted. "I know that in your heart, Tang Chengting is the weaker party, and you are his only one, but in our hearts, you are also our only one."
Chen Huanong is eloquent and has been a master of rhetoric since she was young. Her grandfather even gave her a nickname, saying that when she grows up, even Chen's mother may not be able to suppress her. Chen Huanong always suspected that her grandfather's mouth was blessed. After entering college, she hung out with the seniors in the law school all day long, and her view of problems became more and more tricky, so that for a long time, Chen's mother was unwilling to answer her calls. She was not very proud of it. It was the law of nature. How could the aging Chen's mother be her opponent? Now sitting in their family's dining room, Chen Huanong deeply realized that your mother will always be your mother. These words left Chen Huanong helpless. What could she say? What could she do? She could only sit at the dining table and drink water one glass after another. She didn't know how many glasses she had drunk when Chen's father and Tang Chengting finally came downstairs.
Chen's father still had a cold face. Looking at Chen Huanong's inquiring expression, he was really like spilled water. He said to Chen's mother in a bad mood, "They want to hold a wedding. You should discuss it with your in-laws."
Agreed so quickly? Her stubborn father was convinced so quickly? Chen Huanong knew that Tang Chengting was a master brainwasher, so it was a bit surprising that he had won over her father so easily. Still, she breathed a sigh of relief. She walked over to Tang Chengting, tugged at his shirt, and motioned him to go upstairs. Tang Chengting glanced at Chen's parents, and seeing they had no objection, he went upstairs with Chen Huanong.
"How did you persuade my dad? Although our relatives all say that my dad has a good temper and spoils me, that's all fake. My mom is the softest one. She looks strong, so I just need to act coquettishly."
"So you're more like mom?"
"My mom said I was like my dad, and in a bad way. Luckily, she was with me growing up, and she gradually straightened me out, making it easier for me to get along with others."
"Is Daddy difficult to get along with?"
"Don't you think so? It's true. You all present a gentlemanly image to the outside world, and outsiders all say you're good, but it's different within your family. My grandparents don't know how to educate children, and my dad hasn't been able to express his emotions since he was a child. He's also stubborn about many things and refuses to communicate with my mom. It's a blessing for my mom to be open-minded."
"What about his influence on you? Was there no positive influence?"
Chen Huanong thought for a while. It was her mother who educated her more, either by giving her advice or sharing experiences. From childhood to adulthood, it was her mother who kept nagging in her ear. As for the influence of her father on her, it may be traced back to a long time ago. It seemed that when she was in the first grade of junior high school, her father had to go out to work and would only come back once every few months. She remembered that it was the first time her father had been away from home for so long, and the first time he spoke to her seriously before leaving. Father Chen said that you are slowly becoming a big kid. I am different from your mother. I don’t have too many restrictions on you. Studying depends on your interest and I won’t force you. But you have to understand that in this life, there are some things you can do and some things you absolutely cannot do. As a person, you must stick to the bottom line and cannot be without principles. How old was Chen Huanong at that time? She knew what the bottom line principles were, but Father Chen’s tone was too serious, so it left a deep impression on her.
"My initial understanding of the words 'bottom line' and 'principles' came from my father. My mother taught me to be flexible, and my father taught me to be firm. I walk the fine line between these two, so as not to become a bad person. This is probably the influence my father has on me."
Tang Chengting sat beside her, hugged her, and gently tapped his chin on the top of her head. "Dad didn't make things difficult for me. From him, I felt a vague impression of fatherly love. I feel very lucky."
They were silent in the study for a long time. The study was originally Chen Huanong's cloakroom. Later, when Chen Huanong got married, most of his clothes were in the new house, so he converted the cloakroom into a study to make it convenient for Tang Chengting to work from home. The decoration style was also in accordance with Tang Chengting's preferences. Dad Chen didn't ask anything else, but only asked some questions about his illness and current physical condition. Finally, he said helplessly, "We only have this one daughter in our family. This is the first time we are parents. We don't have any educational philosophy, nor are we as ambitious as other parents. We hope she grows up happily when she was young, and we hope she will be safe and healthy when she grows up. She can get to where she is today because of her own choices and understanding. Since she chose you, she must have her reasons. Since we did not interfere with her in the first half of her life, we still decided to respect her in the second half of her life. You two should live well in the future, and don't worry about us."
Holding a wedding is a real headache, from choosing a wedding dress to the final ceremony. Chen Huanong looked at the long list of things to do listed by his father and decisively decided not to let them interfere.
"Weren't you looking forward to this kind of ritual before? Now you don't want it anymore?"
"Let's put aside my youthful and ignorant words. I think Director Tang is truly a master of calculation. What he said was absolutely right. I woke up at three in the morning and spent four hours putting on makeup. Not only was I exhausted, but I also had to endure the greetings of all sorts of unfamiliar aunts and uncles. Director Tang and I worked ourselves to death all day, and in the end, we were on stage like actors, while the audience just waited for the feast to begin. What did I gain by paying for this?"
"So you simplified it like this? Would your dad agree? You finally agreed to have the wedding!"
"If you don't agree, let Director Tang talk to you. With his eloquence, he can definitely get it done."
Mo Yiyan talked to her for a long time, but he always felt something was wrong. It took him a long time to react. He kept talking about Tang Chengting. He really wanted to throw melon seed shells in her face. "Don't you think that you are a man in your thirties who keeps calling him Director Tang? You seem to be in love. Can you please forget your status?"
Chen Huanong took a deep breath and signaled the clerk to continue tightening the straps. "No matter how many identities I have outside... in the end, being Tang Chengting's wife is what makes me happiest. Isn't that okay?"
"Jiang Yousi and I aren't as clingy as you guys right now. Your old Tang has been really good at flirting lately. Zhang Xingyan is getting really irritated every day. He even went to all 36 blind dates my mom arranged for him. My mom was also shocked at home. She suspects Zhang Xingyan has some incurable disease. They say people behave strangely when they're about to die."
Behind the curtain, invisible to Mo Yiyan, Chen Huanong's face darkened for a long moment. Only after the clerk had spoken to her did she stiffly respond. The curtain was drawn aside, revealing three mirrors surrounding her. Chen Huanong stood at the fitting table, her black veil draped naturally across the round table. The off-the-shoulder, hollowed-out design perfectly concealed her broad shoulders. She was wearing bright red lipstick, and with this outfit, she looked like a rose in the dark night. Mo Yiyan had no idea Chen Huanong had chosen a black wedding dress.
"You look better in black than white! Did Tang Chengting know that? You chose black?"
"I don't know, that's why I didn't let him come over today."
"Why black? It's a bit unconventional. Your mother might not accept it."
"As long as it looks good, that's all! I won't tell them and I'll just wear it on the day. Will my mom still be able to take it off me? Besides, there won't be too many people waiting on the wedding day."
Chen Huanong's plans were simple. She didn't want to get up at 3 a.m. to put on makeup, nor did she want to engage in any bride-stealing drama. At her age, she had to accept defeat and couldn't withstand the rigors of the wedding. Her parents arranged for her family's relatives to stay at a pre-booked hotel. They ate and drank as they pleased, paid their dues, and most importantly, paid the late dues. Her wedding was held outdoors, with the daytime temperature just right in late October. She slept until 7 or 8 a.m., got up to put on makeup and change clothes, and when she was almost ready, the luncheon began. Invitations were made to both sets of parents and close friends and relatives. After the ceremony, the parents and relatives were sent back to the resort to rest or have fun, leaving the younger generation to continue the fun. When they were tired, the party ended, relaxing.
Even though the wedding was simplified, Chen Huanong was still exhausted on the day of the wedding. At 7 o'clock in the morning, Zhang Xiang banged on the door frantically. Chen Huanong saw that the person next to her was gone, rubbing her sleepy eyes and asking them where Director Tang was. Zhang Xiang's eyes widened. Listen, is this a question that people ask? Sister, you are really careless to ask us about your husband! But Mo Yiyan really knew that she was dragged away by Zhang Xingyan before 6 o'clock.
The makeup artist had never seen such a carefree bride. 'Do you want waterproof makeup? No, why am I crying at my wedding! Do you want false eyelashes? No, they'll be too glaring! Do you want darker eye makeup? No, it's too much trouble to remove!' Zhang Xiang slammed the table. 'You don't want anything, why did you hire a makeup artist? You usually put on more effort than this!' The makeup artist ignored her and did her makeup like a bride. 'Chen Huanong, shut up from now on.
Over there, Zhang Xingyan and his groomsmen similarly surrounded Tang Chengting. The makeup artist looked at Tang Chengting and Zhang Xingyan awkwardly, unsure who to listen to. Zhang Xingyan waved his hand. "Today might be the most beautiful day of your life. You can't let Chen Huanong outdo you. You represent the male authority in our class. If you lose here today, you'll never be able to suppress Chen Huanong again. We must make sure Chen Huanong knows that elites like us are not only beautiful at 41, but even more so at 30." The usually serious Ke Yuzheng, rarely agreeing with the frivolous Zhang Xingyan, nodded at him.
The Tang couple always felt that something was not right, and in the end they could only let the bridesmaids and groomsmen do whatever they wanted.
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