After finishing the spring planting, the Guangming Brigade enjoyed a relatively leisurely period, as An Jin's wedding was approaching. In those days, there was no real wedding ceremony; it was just a simple ritual to let everyone know that the two were husband and wife, without even a marriage certificate.
Only people in some big cities are starting to get married; it hasn't become widespread in remote rural areas.
Although it was just a formality, it was An Jin's first wedding, and Wu You didn't want to leave him with any regrets. During this time, he occasionally sold things on the black market, and his savings grew rapidly, more than enough to hold a decent wedding.
Nowadays, most weddings involve wearing clean, festive clothes with a big red flower pinned to them. Only when Sun Xiaoying got married did Zhou Jiajun grit his teeth and buy her a red shirt, which made all the young women and wives in the village envious for a long time.
When An Jin walked out, everyone couldn't help but gasp in surprise. He was already handsome, but with his carefully made-up appearance, he was even more stunning.
He wore a bright red shirt and long skirt, with delicate embroidery on the collar and cuffs, understated yet luxurious. Sun Xiaoying's proud red shirt paled in comparison to him.
The women's eyes burned with desire. Their fervor seemed to burn away An Jin's clothes, a mixture of jealousy and longing. Most women love beauty, and who wouldn't be captivated by such a wedding gown?
More than anything, they regretted not recognizing Yan Zhiqing's good qualities back then. He was handsome, cultured, and wealthy, doting on his wife and willing to spend money on her—the perfect husband in every woman's eyes. They had missed their chance, and they felt like they were going to vomit blood.
Faced with such intense gazes, An Jin nervously tugged at the hem of her skirt, a hint of excitement and pride playing on her lips that she herself didn't realize. Although it was a sham marriage for the sake of the current situation, a woman's vanity is ingrained in her bones. It wasn't just about being vain; it was about enjoying the envious and jealous looks of others—it was her nature.
"An Jin, I've come to pick you up." Dressed in military green, looking more robust and masculine, Wu You stood at the door pushing a bicycle, looked at An Jin, smiled slightly, and extended his hand to him.
Amidst the teasing of others, the two sat together on the bicycle and joined the crowd as they made their way to a newly built hut at the east end of the village. Since it wasn't convenient to live in the educated youth compound after getting married, with so many people, the production brigade allocated Wu You an empty room.
"Brother Yan, thank you." An Jin, sitting on the bicycle, had a happy smile on his lips, feeling that this was the happiest moment of his life.
His greatest fortune in this life was meeting Brother Yan, who helped him a great deal and even helped him break free from the control of the An family. He could never repay the kindness he owed him in his entire life.
When Brother Yan proposed a fake marriage, he disagreed. He knew she meant well and would take care of everything for him, ensuring she wouldn't suffer any losses.
But he didn't want to tie her down and make her miss out on her own happiness. He never expected things to turn out this way.
"If you find happiness, Brother Yan, you must tell me." Because I don't want to stand in your way of pursuing happiness.
Upon hearing this, Wuyou simply gave a soft "hmm." He was naturally aloof and rarely met someone he liked. Now, being a man, he probably wouldn't get married at all. Such worries were completely unnecessary.
The wedding was absolutely perfect. Although it couldn't compare to modern luxury, in such a remote mountain village, it was enough to amaze and envious everyone. Wuyou's meticulous attention to detail was evident in every detail.
Most of the villagers wore kind smiles, full of blessings. Occasionally, they would gather around Aunt An and her husband to make a joke. Their sincere praise and flattery were nothing short of sarcasm to the couple.
They discarded it like trash, treating it like a weed that could be beaten and scolded at will, yet it was being held in someone else's hands like a treasure. This glamorous wedding was like a bucket of cold water from a lake in the dead of winter, drenching everyone to the bone.
"What's there to be proud of? He's just wasting money. In the end, he'll still be a penniless pauper." Aunt An muttered to herself, her head down. In her mind, she never thought Wuyou was a rich person; she only thought he was a poor pauper pretending to be rich.
The bride price they gave back then was only eight yuan, incredibly stingy. If they really liked that brat An Jin, they would have given her a lot more money, not just this little bit. Don't be fooled by how lavish the wedding is; they'll have plenty of time to cry later.
"Shut your mouth." Uncle An's head ached from listening, and he coldly rebuked her. He wasn't like Aunt An, who was all talk and no action. He had thought a lot these days, and he was certain that An Jin couldn't be kept. Moreover, she had developed a hatred for them, and they would never have anything to do with her again.
Judging from the scene of today's wedding, Yan Wuyou is definitely not the type to put on a show; the other party is probably even richer than he imagined. Uncle An was filled with regret. If he had known that An Jin would have such a good match, he would never have treated her like this. If he had treated her better, he could have gotten a lot of benefits from this niece's husband in the future.
As a result, they lost all affection for their niece because of their momentary anger. How could they possibly ask for any benefits in the future? Thinking of this, Uncle An glared fiercely at his spendthrift wife, believing it was entirely her fault.
A feast had already been set up in the courtyard, with the table laden with food. Although it wasn't a complete feast of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, it still contained some meat, all of which Wuyou had specially hunted in the mountains. When the villagers saw the meat on the table, their eyes couldn't help but gleam with a hint of greed.
Nowadays, people can barely afford to eat their fill, and meat is only available during festivals. They never expected that attending a wedding banquet would bring them such a treat, which is like a windfall for them.
Of course, most villagers are simple and honest, and they won't take advantage of this for nothing; they will inevitably try to increase the amount of money or gifts they receive.
Sitting at the table, listening to the lively discussion around them, Uncle An and Aunt An felt even more complicated, and the meat in their mouths tasted bitter.
Meanwhile, Sun Xiaoying was also filled with mixed feelings. She never expected that Yan Wuyou, that good-for-nothing scumbag who only knew how to live off women, would be able to put on such a lavish wedding. When she married him, their wedding was only slightly better than the village's, and it couldn't compare to this at all.
This made him feel even worse. Was I really that unworthy of you? It wasn't that he still had feelings for Wuyou, but rather that his vanity and competitive nature as a woman were at play.
At the same time, there was even more jealousy and resentment towards An Jin. Why are all the men around me always revolving around you? In their hearts, you will always be better than me. I must destroy you and let everyone know that you, An Jin, are no match for me.
It was a result he had planned from the beginning, but he wasn't as happy as he had imagined after it came to pass.
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