Chapter 421 Chen Tangtang is Getting Married
Qi Xuan stood at the door, extending her hand but never knocking. She knew Shang Shaoyan was inside, but she didn't know what to say if she met him, especially since she remembered his words before she lost consciousness, words that were truly hurtful.
In Qi Xuan's heart, even if she saved a stranger on the road, that person would at least feel grateful, not speak to her with such harshness. But Shang Shaoyan looked at her as if she were something disgusting.
Qi Xuan endured it, then finally gave up, a self-deprecating smile on her face as she turned to leave.
Outside the door, Qi Xuan saw Ye Shenge reading in the neighboring yard and walked in hesitantly.
"Aunt, my grandfather says he wants to move out."
Ye Shenge put down her book and looked at Qi Xuan, whose expression was not good.
"I know. In fact, I suggest you return to Mí Province."
Qi Xuan looked at Ye Shenge in disbelief.
"Why? What did I do wrong? Just because I ran away?"
Ye Shenge lost her patience. This person was disturbing her peaceful life.
"You need to think about your problems yourself. If you can't figure them out, it's better to be obedient."
"I thought, I thought we were very, very good friends."
"We are indeed friends, but this friend of yours can bring danger to me and my family. I just want to avoid danger early."
Ye Shenge saw a multitude of emotions in Qi Xuan's eyes: betrayal, abandonment, shame, and perhaps even hatred.
Zi Yisheng came out with a plate of washed fruit and patted Ye Shenge, who was lost in thought.
"You're doing the right thing. Qi Xuan is a landmine; touching her will cause an explosion, hurting yourself and others."
Ye Shenge didn't want to mention Qi Xuan anymore. Even if she had given up on her willingly, it was normal for the other person to be angry or hate her.
"From now on, send people to keep an eye on her. Not sending them back to Mí Province was the biggest mistake. I hope Uncle Qi can manage her well."
"It's okay. As long as Shang Shaoyan is in the Bai Rong team, Qi Xuan won't be able to fly out of here. After all, her eyes are only on Shang Shaoyan."
Ye Shenge smiled helplessly. Shang Shaoyan was going to have a lot to deal with in the future.
The Ouyang family began to get busy. The wedding date for Ouyang Li and Chen Tangtang had been set for March 12th, which was only twenty days away.
Xia Hong, the soon-to-be mother-in-law, was dragging Chen Tangtang to buy things in the county and city every day, from furniture to small items like pillowcases, leaving no stone unturned.
Chen Tangtang, the soon-to-be bride, happily filled their future love nest. Every time she came to share with Ye Shenge, it made one's teeth ache.
The Chen family in Shi Chen also started to get busy. Mother Chen prepared all the dowry items that a daughter marrying out of the north should have, saving some cotton as thick quilts wouldn't be needed in Chuncheng.
Since Chen Tangtang was getting married, Chen Tonghua would soon have a house of his own, and many young girls in the village had their eyes on him.
Mother Chen also announced that her eldest son was not young anymore. If she found a suitable match, she could marry her. This way, he could live a stable life in the countryside. Mother Chen indeed wanted to hold her grandson.
Every day before going to work, Chen Tonghua would be nagged by his little sister about finding someone he liked and quietly inquiring about her, or avoiding those he didn't like from afar. If all else failed, he could come back to his sister, and she would handle any beatings.
Every day, Ye Shenge only listened to this gossip and became familiar with many eligible girls in the village. Some people even approached her mother, asking her to act as a matchmaker.
The three-person team that used to go up the mountain to plant grain daily suddenly "disintegrated." Ye Shenge now teamed up with her mother and Aunt Zhen to go up the mountain, weed, and water. The work was not much, and they could return home to rest after just one morning.
Ye Shenge sometimes went to the West Mountain to check on the mining progress. Zi Yisheng collected a box of gold and sent it to Ye Shenge's home.
Shang Shaoyan, being a sensitive person, soon learned about the West Mountain. However, this small mountain was not much to the financially well-off Shang family, especially since they had used five mines when they sought Ye Shenge's treatment in the past.
The Shang and Qi families' houses were also under construction, hiring many strong laborers from the village. When selecting building sites, both families deliberately chose locations far apart.
Meanwhile, Qi Xuan stayed in her room every day and didn't come out. Even meals were delivered to her by Aunt Zhen. Qi Luquan seemed determined to win back his granddaughter; he didn't try to persuade her but just watched over her. If Qi Xuan went out, he would follow, just not allowing her to seek out Shang Shaoyan.
After Uncle Shang recovered well, they moved into the house where Shang Shaoyan had been staying. Shang Shaoyan had already arranged for him to work in the fields through the village chief, fully intending to settle in the countryside.
Shang Shaoyan and the others had changed their names. Zi Yisheng didn't even ask for their opinions and directly named Shang Shaoyan "Li Yan," while the others were named Li Dalong, Li Erhu, and Li Sanbao, very down-to-earth names.
Soon, it was the day before Chen Tangtang's wedding. Ouyang rode his bicycle early in the morning to take Chen Tangtang to get their marriage certificate, a day Zi Yisheng envied the most, even watching the couple leave happily.
Ye Shenge couldn't bear to watch. With less than ten months left, what was there to envy?
"I really didn't expect Ouyang to be the first to get married among us. I'll give him a few extra days off."
"Good leader, it seems everyone has to work now. Can you still make the decision?"
This was blatant sabotage. Since the flood, there had been no such thing as not working in the village; everyone had to do some work, more or less.
Zi Yisheng felt for the first time that he was truly retired as a leader, with no real power.
Ouyang and Chen Tangtang returned soon. Xia Hong, with her gossiping squad, began distributing the first batch of candies in the village. The Ouyang family hadn't had any happy occasions in over ten years, so she was happy to spend a little more money, prioritizing celebration.
Ye Shenge also joined in distributing candies. Not many, just two or three pieces per person, which was considered a very generous gesture in the village.
When Chen Tangtang saw Ye Shenge, she first showed her marriage certificate, allowing Ye Shenge to see what a marriage certificate looked like in that era.
It was a simple, slightly thicker piece of paper, with only the birth dates of the couple and the issuing address. But Chen Tangtang's marriage certificate had a photo because she had brought one beforehand. Not only did she paste the photo herself, but she insisted that the person issuing the certificate stamp over the photo, saying it would prove who was married.
"Congratulations, Tangtang. I hope you'll be happy from now on."
"Hahaha, with you here, I'll scare Ouyang so much he won't dare to bully me."
Chen Tangtang was very confident, given that her best friend was Shengsong.
Ouyang also waved his marriage certificate, provoking his brothers. Guys like Asen had never considered marriage, at least not while following young Master Zi.
But looking at the smile on Ouyang's face now, they felt both jealous and envious. After all, they were men too, and who wouldn't want a family? They hadn't thought about it before, but now that Ouyang had set an example, they had some thoughts.
"Brothers, if you're envious, hurry up and find someone. When we have real work to do in the future, we'll have wives and children, and it won't interfere with our work, right?"
As Ouyang spoke, he glanced at Zi Yisheng, which made Zi Yisheng laugh heartily.
"Am I that autocratic? How come I haven't been autocratic to you?"
"Hehe, everyone heard that? The boss has spoken, so everyone should hurry up and get a wife."
The liveliness outside made Qi Xuan, who was inside, even more silent. Qi Luquan returned to his room after joining the excitement and saw his granddaughter lying on the bed like a wilted, smelly fish.
"Do you want to leave here? I'll take you back to Mí Province, and we'll start everything anew."
Qi Xuan seemed not to hear, or rather, it was a silent form of protest.
"What exactly do you want? Shang Shaoyan doesn't want you. Have all the men in the world died? I'm telling you, Qi Xuan, don't force me to find someone to marry you off and then have a child. I'd rather raise another child from scratch than deal with you."
What Qi Luquan didn't see was Qi Xuan's eyes brightening when she heard the word "child."
"As long as you stop watching me and give me freedom, I promise I won't go looking for Shang Shaoyan anymore."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Qi Luquan truly couldn't stand seeing his granddaughter like this every day.
"Okay, then we'll keep our word. If you mess up again, I'll immediately find someone to marry you off."
"Okay, I promise."
Qi Xuan finally walked out of the room freely, witnessing Chen Tangtang's happiness firsthand. She wanted it too, very much.
"Tangtang, congratulations."
Chen Tangtang was simple-minded and didn't remember Qi Xuan's past actions. Besides, those things didn't really warrant a complete falling out between her and Qi Xuan.
"Qi Xuan, here's some wedding candy. You must come to see me off tomorrow."
"Okay, I will."
Qi Xuan looked at Ye Shengsong beside her and a slightly awkward smile appeared on her face.
"Aunt, can I still call you that in the future?"
Ye Shengsong sighed. No substantial harm had been done, and with Qi Luquan present, it was hard to completely cut ties.
"You can call me whatever you want, as long as you can figure things out."
"Yes, I've figured it out. I'll work hard to get you to accept me again."
Ye Shengsong didn't say anything more, as she genuinely didn't want to.
The next day, Ye Shengsong arrived at the Chen family's house early with gifts. The Chen parents couldn't get long leaves of absence, so only Ye Shengsong and Qi Xuan came to see the bride off.
Grandma Bai, as a fully blessed elder they knew, came to comb Chen Tangtang's hair. Ye Shengsong had previously found a brand-new red long dress in her space. It was a dress designed by Mother Ye for herself. It was very suitable as a wedding dress for Chen Tangtang.
"Wow~~ This is too beautiful! And the material is something I've never seen before. I'm almost reluctant to wear it."
"I didn't take it out beforehand because I wanted to give you a surprise. I guarantee no one else will have the same dress as you."
Qi Xuan also reached out to touch it, her eyes full of admiration.
"I want to try it on. It looks like it will fit."
Of course, it would fit. Ye Shengsong used to be too thin, so the clothes Mother Ye had a designer make were loose-fitting, so they wouldn't reveal too much of the figure when worn.
Chen Tangtang didn't have any maidenly shyness. She took off her clothes in front of the two of them and changed into the red dress, instantly transforming her entire demeanor.