As Mai Xingyang turned to speak with a young man, Tian Jing, holding her granddaughter, walked into the hotel:
"Xuanxuan, the team will be starting a school next year. Do you want to enroll?"
"Sure!"
Li Sixuan was very happy. "I don't like being surrounded by classmates, and I especially don't like Yu Fei chasing me for things."
Just as the Li family sat down, music began to play from the stage, and the host walked up to commence the proceedings.
After the newlyweds entered, the witness read the marriage certificate. When the host called out the witness, Li Weili, Li Weili frowned. She was the witness? Who had informed her?
Li Weiyu also froze, looking at Sun Baoyun.
Sun Baoyun shook her head. She didn't know the witness had been changed at the last minute.
Tian Jing told her daughter to go on stage. The witness only had to read the marriage certificate.
When the host invited the officiant, Captain Tian, to the stage next, Tian Jing remained seated, unmoving. The marriage certificate had been read, and the guests knew that Xiao Yu and the other person were legally married. Who cared about the Sun family trying to take advantage?
The host invited her twice more, but Tian Jing still didn't go on stage, causing a murmur among the guests.
The host, experienced in handling such situations, jokingly suggested that Captain Tian might be late and asked the Sun family to find another officiant.
Looking at Tian Jing, who was standing with her arms crossed and a cold smile on her face, the Sun family members were extremely embarrassed.
Seeing her mother causing trouble for the Sun family, Li Weili, who was on stage, walked down. If not for the host's plea, she would have left the stage after reading the certificate.
The host: "..." He had never hosted a wedding where both sides were so uncooperative.
Li Weili's descent from the stage only amplified the guests' whispers.
Li Weiyu waved to the host, "Announce that the banquet has begun."
The host looked at the Sun family.
Li Weiyu frowned, "Master of Ceremonies, I am the groom. I have the final say."
The host announced the wedding banquet officially open, put down his microphone, and left the stage. Such an awkward wedding was unprecedented, even if the bride and groom had fought bitterly before the wedding.
Li Weiyu took Sun Baoyun to the dressing room to change. Sun's mother glanced at her almost-fainting mother-in-law and said, "I'll go check," before following the newlyweds.
Sun's three brothers glared fiercely at their younger brother, then went to comfort their mother.
Old Master Sun looked at the Li family's table and only saw the Li family members happily eating at the banquet.
He sighed softly and said to his daughter, "Go and apologize to the Li family."
"I'm not going."
Sun Xuelan refused, "I told you the Li family isn't someone you can bully, but you didn't believe me."
"They changed the witness and officiant at the last minute. If you had invited them even a few minutes earlier, this wouldn't have happened."
"Now, the Li family probably dislikes me too. You want me to apologize? Why?"
Old Master Sun turned his gaze to his youngest son, "Bangming, you go."
Sun Bangming shook his head, "Me going to apologize will only make the Li family dislike the troublemaker even more. The apology must come from the main culprit to be sincere."
Looking at his wife, who was being fussed over by their three sons, Old Master Sun fell silent.
Sun Xuelan glanced at her mother being doted on by her three brothers, a faint smile appearing on her lips:
"Father, if you don't seize the opportunity now, once the three brothers inherit the Sun family, you'll continue to have no standing. I've always said, I only support the fourth brother."
Old Master Sun's body stiffened, and he said nothing.
Li Weiyu and Sun Baoyun changed into formal attire and prepared to toast the guests.
Sun Bangming started to walk towards his wife and daughter and son-in-law, but suddenly Old Madam Sun stood up, "I'll introduce them."
Sun Xuelan's smile widened. The bride's parents weren't with the newlyweds to introduce guests, but the bride's grandmother was stepping forward. Heh, the Sun family was about to become famous.
Old Master Sun hurried to his wife's side, "It's not appropriate for us to step forward. Let the fourth son and his wife introduce them, and we can assist them from behind."
Old Madam Sun glared fiercely at Sun Bangming and his wife before reluctantly giving up her position.
The first people to be toasted were, of course, the Li family.
The Li family presented a standardized red envelope containing one thousand and one yuan.
Sun Baoyun accepted it and thanked them.
Old Madam Sun eyed her granddaughter and then said to Tian Jing with a smile, "Xiao Yu and Baoyun are filial children. They said you were unwell and insisted on waiting until you recovered to get married."
Tian Jing nodded faintly. "Yes, my Li family children are all good children. Therefore, in the future, Xiao Yu's children should be taught well. Don't let them learn any bad habits from others."
The smile on Old Madam Sun's face faltered.
Old Master Sun quickly tugged at his wife, signaling for them to move to the next table.
After they left, Ouyang Meihua gave her sister-in-law a thumbs-up. Her sister-in-law was skilled at putting people in their place.
Shortly thereafter, guests began to come over to the Li family's table. Most guests praised the newlyweds.
The Li family calmly stated that Baoyun was a good girl.
Understanding the implication, the guests avoided mentioning the Sun family and switched to other pleasantries.
...
Shen Jianfang, accompanied by her son and daughter-in-law, walked out of the hotel with the Li family:
"Tian Jing, my father asked me to convey that it was inconvenient for him to attend the Sun family's wedding."
"It's alright."
Tian Jing shook her head and looked at the woman behind Shen Jianfang. "Is this your daughter-in-law?"
"Yes."
Shen Jianfang introduced with a smile, "This is my daughter-in-law, Ren Yanmei. She's from the Ren family. Yanmei, this is Captain Tian. Call her mother-in-law."
The woman smiled, revealing two dimples at the corners of her mouth, making her appear approachable. "Mother-in-law."
Tian Jing reached into her shoulder bag and took out a red silk envelope. "Here, take this. It's a meeting gift. A few years ago, my health wasn't good, so I couldn't attend your wedding."
Ren Yanmei looked at her mother-in-law. Seeing her nod, she accepted the red envelope with both hands. "Thank you, Mother-in-law."
"You're welcome."
Tian Jing waved her hand and said to Shen Jianfang, "It's good that you can be so open-minded; it eases the children's pressure."
If her two daughters hadn't married into the Li family, how could she have been so open-minded?
But Shen Jianfang couldn't say this. She nodded, "Yes, I've completed my mission. Once they have children, I'll help them raise them, and that will be my retirement life."
Tian Jing smiled slightly. "I'm also entering the childcare phase."
Shen Jianfang asked her son and daughter-in-law to leave first. She walked with the Li family; she hadn't had a chance to talk with her second daughter yet.
The Li family naturally took her to the top floor of Jingyuan Company.
It was her first time visiting. Her two daughters had married into the Li family, and temporary bridal chambers were set up on this top floor, but she had never had the chance to come before.
Li Wanzhen brought her mother into a newlywed room that had been preserved.
Shen Jianfang looked at her second daughter, who had completely changed, and tenderly touched her slightly tanned skin. "Do you blame Mom?"
Li Wanzhen pulled her mother's hand away. "What are you saying? My life has been very fulfilling and satisfying all these years. I willingly helped my younger brother."
Shen Jianfang's eyes reddened. "I was useless. Thank you. Your younger brother's work is going smoothly, and Yanmei isn't short of money. From now on, don't send me any more money."
"You've already given enough. Any more would be detrimental."
Li Wanzhen nodded. "I also plan to tell you during this visit that next year I intend to reduce my breeding volume and no longer trouble my aunt and uncle. For the past few years, we've relied on their help."
"Back then, little brother was young, and it was natural for me to help you. In the future, I'll save money for my own child."
"Okay."
Shen Jianfang nodded. "Have you considered having another child? Si Yu is already 7 years old."
Li Wanzhen smiled. "Mother-in-law is urging me, and she's also urged Weiyan to take a vacation. I plan to have another one. I hope it's a girl."
Her second daughter's smile eased Shen Jianfang's heart considerably. Although both daughters had married into rural families, they were both living good lives, and she was content.
Shen Jianfang chatted with her second daughter for a long time before leaving. She didn't stay for dinner at the Li family's.