210 Wedding Banquet
On the Gregorian New Year, all workplaces gave employees a day off, and my third senior brother held his wedding at Shouchunlou Restaurant.
Because of Grandpa Cheng, Li Wei's family arrived early, almost at the same time as Luo Sanjiu's family.
Li Wei stared blankly at the names of the bride and groom written on the red paper in front of the restaurant. She knew Ji Xiaoqian by herself; her name was only one character different from Nie Xiaoqian's and was easy to remember. As for the third senior brother... Li Wei asked Luo Da uncertainly, "Is this your third senior brother's name?"
Luo Da glanced at it and nodded seriously.
Li Wei burst out laughing, O()O Haha
Who would have thought? The third senior brother, who looks quite fashionable, even has a name that matches Shouchun Restaurant perfectly! Haha...
The red paper read: Groom: Lou Dachun, Bride: ...
Very rustic and catchy...very good and very powerful.
The couplet "Da Chun" and "Xiao Qian" is quite well-matched.
If Li Wei hadn't seen the red paper today, she would have thought his name was Third Senior Brother—a surname and a given name, Third Senior Brother—
Ji Xiaoqian's family lives in the suburbs, and she has been waiting at home for her wedding since yesterday.
Da Chun led the motorcade and the decorated car out to pick up the bride at the appointed time in the morning.
Accompanying them in the car were several colleagues from the Public Security Bureau, including Xiao Meng, Li Hai, and Luo Sanjiu. The female relatives included Luo Sanjiu's aunt, Cheng Min, and a group of close female friends. Old Master Cheng, Li Zhaoxing, and one of Luo Sanjiu's current superiors helped receive the guests.
Although the third senior brother hadn't been here long, he had already made quite a few friends, and with his old acquaintances and relatives and friends from Ji Xiaoqian's side, there were quite a few people in total.
Shouchun Restaurant, both upstairs and downstairs, had over thirty tables set up.
Li Wei, Luo Da, and Li Lin were also busy, going from table to table serving guests melon seeds, candy, fruit, and drinks. They also had to help look after some of the children they brought so they wouldn't get lost, creating quite a commotion.
Soon, the bride arrived amidst everyone's eager anticipation.
The third senior brother personally drove the decorated car donated by Uncle Luo. As soon as the car arrived at the restaurant entrance, a deafening barrage of firecrackers startled Li Wei, who hurriedly hid behind Luo Da, covered her ears, and turned her head to look outside.
Ji Xiaoqian was already beautiful, but now, in a red velvet cheongsam adorned with sequins and rhinestones, her stunning figure was on full display. Her hair was styled in a bun, with a few roses tucked behind her ear. Her evening makeup made her as striking and captivating as those roses.
With a smile on his face, the third senior brother and Ji Xiaoqian entered the hotel hand in hand, surrounded by a group of people who came to pick up and send off the bride.
Li Wei wasn't particularly curious about the group of male guests, but she did notice two women accompanying the bride. They were both very beautiful young women who seemed to have a close relationship with Ji Xiaoqian. One of them even bore a resemblance to Ji Xiaoqian in their features, suggesting a possible familial connection.
Li Wei just looked at the pretty girls and that was it; she didn't think too much about it.
The ground floor had already been decorated to prepare a venue for the ceremony. About an hour later, the third senior brother's fellow disciples arrived together. The third senior brother hurriedly led the bride and several close relatives and friends out to greet them. Of course, Luo Dazao, who had been waiting outside, went to meet them.
In fact, Master Luo Da only had seven true disciples, with Luo Da being the youngest. The other six, including the sixth senior brother, were nearly thirty years old, and the eldest senior brother was over forty.
Actually, that master hadn't accepted any disciples for many years. His disciples were all taught by his own disciples. He just gave them pointers when he had time.
If it weren't for the relationship between Old Master Cheng and his master, Luo Da probably wouldn't have had a chance. So sometimes, you can't ignore luck.
Although Master Luo's background wasn't particularly impressive—he only had a few friends in the military—he had a personality somewhat like Huang Yaoshi (a notorious figure in Chinese folklore known for his strict discipline and uncompromising nature) when it came to being a teacher. As a result, he had few disciples, but those who survived were all extraordinary.
This led to a situation where, even though the disciples later went their separate ways and did quite well, none of them dared to utter a single word of criticism against their master. They always valued matters of the sect more than their own families.
This also fostered a strong bond among the fellow apprentices, making them as close as brothers.
The eldest and second eldest brothers went out to work in their early years. Although they are now people of some status and position, they do not dare to treat Luo Da, who is even younger than their own children, as an elder. They treat him as an equal.
The fourth and fifth senior brothers were just as successful as the eldest senior brother and the others, but they didn't seem as serious. They were all quite gentle, and the fifth senior brother even wore glasses, making him look like a student at first glance.
Although Luo Da was young, he was deeply favored by the old man, who was also his master, so the others naturally dared not underestimate him. The old man had a very sharp eye and was also arrogant; ordinary people really couldn't catch his eye.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the third senior brother introduced Ji Xiaoqian to everyone. Ji Xiaoqian greeted the senior brothers shyly. If Ji Xiaoqian hadn't taken the third senior brother too seriously at first, ever since he arranged a good job for her—at least for someone from her family background—marrying him was like a meteoric rise. Many relatives and friends envied and were jealous, and their attitude towards her parents changed from cold sarcasm to flattery and fawning.
Looking at the diverse people my third senior brother is associating with, and now with these fellow disciples whose status is clearly extraordinary helping him, his future prospects are...
At this moment, Ji Xiaoqian suddenly felt full of confidence and ambition for the future, and her smile became exceptionally gentle and charming.
Ji Xiaoqian knew she had always been vain, but she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. What girl doesn't like pretty clothes and accessories? She hadn't stolen or robbed anyone, and her relationship with Guo Yong was consensual. She didn't care what others said because Guo Yong genuinely liked her, and she felt the same way. Most importantly, Guo Yong was very rich, and that was enough.
Ji Xiaoqian was initially hesitant to end her half-dead relationship with her lover, Guo Yong, which had lost its novelty. After all, he was quite generous with money. But she wasn't stupid; she knew that this kind of relationship would eventually end, and then there might not be a Lou Dachun waiting for her.
Looking back now, Ji Xiaoqian felt that her choice couldn't have been more correct. Lou Dachun might not be very rich, but his status and position were certainly not bad, so he wouldn't lack money. She could finally rely on him for the rest of her life.
Leaving aside Ji Xiaoqian's change of mood, the eldest brother took the lead. The group first paid their respects to Old Master Cheng. This old man was a comrade-in-arms of their master back then, as they all knew. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had a junior brother named Xiao Qi, which was equivalent to finding them half a son.
Li Wei stood behind her grandparents, carefully observing Luo Da's senior brothers. Although they all appeared unremarkable, they possessed a generous and composed demeanor, and their every gesture and word exuded an air of complete control.
The old man called over his three grandsons and granddaughters, pointing them out to several people one by one, naturally showing them great courtesy.
But when they looked at Li Wei, there was something more to it in their eyes, especially with the bespectacled fifth senior brother, who was relatively more active among them. He would look at Li Wei and then at Luo Da, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.
Luo Da pretended not to see it, and Li Wei even pretended to be nearsighted. But they also knew that with Luo Da making such a fuss, and with the sixth and third senior brothers relaying the message back and forth, their little affair had probably spread far and wide.
Uncle Luo arranged a private room for Luo Da's fellow apprentices so they could talk more easily.
Now, Uncle Luo is quite the big shot. Even though his eldest brother, Luo Da, is actually older than him, he still has to call him "Uncle" according to etiquette. Uncle Luo is so happy that he keeps saying, "No, no, I dare not!"
Whether you dare to do it or not is one thing. Whether you call out to someone or not is another. Etiquette cannot be disregarded, and martial arts practitioners especially value the seniority of their masters.
The ceremony lasted for about half an hour before the banquet, consisting mainly of speeches by representatives from both sides. Since it wasn't organized by a professional wedding planning company, it was just the usual practice for a restaurant, so the procedure wasn't very complicated or elaborate.
During the meal, Luo Da and his five senior brothers stayed in the private room. The third senior brother, being the main guest, was responsible for greeting the guests and toasting them at each table.
However, to Li Wei's surprise, Ding Hong also came.
It wasn't surprising that Ding Anping came, given his connections with his father-in-law and the fact that he was in the same system as his third senior brother. However, Li Wei could only assume that Ding Hong's reason was the same as Ding Anping's.
My father, Li Zhaoxing, along with my third uncle Luo, Ding Hong, and a few other older, seemingly respectable men, sat at a table.
Li Wei was a little late coming out because her fifth senior brother had called her over for a few words. She found a seat at a table next to the private room and sat down. Anyway, she wasn't hungry. Luo Da had secretly prepared some snacks for her from the kitchen, and she was already half full.
As soon as Li Wei sat down, a girl handed her a set of tableware. Li Wei thanked her, tore open the outer packaging of the tableware, and glanced at the girl. It turned out to be one of the two bridesmaids who came with her, the one who didn't look like Ji Xiaoqian.
Li Wei nodded and smiled at her, and the girl smiled back gently: "I've seen you before, I work at Feifei's company."
Li Wei smiled and said, "Really? I've been there a few times, but I only know a few people. I don't think I've seen you before. Which department are you in?"
The girl said, "I work in finance, as a cashier. I've only been there for less than three months, so I guess I'm a newbie. But I often hear Sister Rosa mention you."
It seems that her relationship with Rosa is not simple, otherwise Rosa would not talk about herself to outsiders so casually. Li Wei was not interested in talking about it in depth, so she nodded and did not say anything, and began to pick out something edible to eat.
The girl was also sensible and knew when to advance and retreat. Seeing that Li Wei didn't intend to chat any further, she quietly ate her food and stopped talking.
However, a girl next to her felt indignant seeing Li Wei's attitude and said to the girl, "Who is she? So arrogant? We are her family, and she doesn't even bother to treat us properly. She just eats all by herself."
The girl quickly pulled her companion, who had spoken later, aside and gestured for her to shut up, which only made the girl more displeased.
Li Wei took a sip of water, looked up at the girl who had come later, and if she wasn't mistaken, it was the girl who looked quite like Ji Xiaoqian. Li Wei put down her chopsticks and said with a half-smile, "Oh, family from your mother's side. My apologies for not being respectful. I'm more like family from your husband's side. What would you like to eat? I'll get it for you. Don't say that our family from your husband's side hasn't been hospitable."
The girl who was getting the cutlery for Li Wei quickly pulled her companion aside and said politely to Li Wei, "It's okay, she's just like that, she's just a child. You don't need to mind her, I'm sorry."
Li Wei glanced at the shouting girl a few times, noticing that she was also fuming and quite indignant, but she didn't say anything more.
Li Wei turned to the person next to her and smiled: "It's alright, isn't it our duty to entertain our family? You don't need to be polite, just tell us what you like."
Before long, when the third senior brother and Ji Xiaoqian came to toast this table, Li Wei learned that the girl was Ji Xiaoqian's younger sister, named Ji Xiaoqing, who worked as a waitress in a star-rated hotel. The other girl, who worked as a cashier in the company, was their cousin, named Chen Ying.
Ji Xiaoqian's intention was naturally to encourage girls of similar age to become closer. She never expected her own sister to act like a member of her family right from the start.
Li Wei sneered inwardly, "Difficult, isn't it!"
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