Chapter 2012: Marrying From the Zhu Family
“It’s really quite nice.” Zhai Hua nodded in agreement. Zhai Hua wondered whether it was due to her age that she could no longer remember what she had worn on her wedding day. But it was just as well. That had not been a joyous occasion anyway. It was no wonder she no longer remembered it.
“Mom, is it really a good idea for Qiao Nan to be marrying in from the Zhu family’s house?” Looking around at her unfamiliar surroundings, Zhai Hua felt rather uneasy. The Zhai family was not on bad terms with the Zhu family, but neither were they on exceptionally good terms.
After Old Chief Zhu had found out about their family’s situation, he had taken the initiative to contact them, allowing Qiao Nan to leave from the Zhu family’s house. Zhai Hua had been taken aback by this sudden offer and wondered if they had gotten the wrong person.
The Zhai family’s relations.h.i.+p with the Zhu family had always been rather average. There was no way Qiao Nan would have known the Zhu family, much less Old Chief Zhu.
It was only when Qiao Nan was truly about to get married from the Zhu family’s house did Zhai Hua realize that they had not gotten the wrong person. So, was the Zhu family doing this for the Zhai family’s sake?
Zhu Chengqi was someone of his father’s generation, but he looked much older and frailer than his father. It was indeed true that it did not matter how high of a position one held in life if one did not even have any family around him. A life like that was simply too miserable.
When others ended up all alone in their old age, it was usually by their own doing, but not Zhu Chengqi. Zhu Chengqi had never done anything. His wife had died during childbirth while Old Master Zhu had died of old age. The most pitiful death was that of Zhu Chengqi’s son, who had been beaten to death while he had been in junior high school.
If Zhu Chengqi’s son had still been alive, he would not be as lonely now.
Zhai Hua knew that w.a.n.g Yang and his wife had always been by Zhu Chengqi’s side. However, no matter how close his nephew was, there was no way he would be closer than his own son. It was not as though they were close relatives. In fact, they were quite distant relatives.
Miao Jing eyed the Zhu family and sighed. “There’s nothing bad about it. Nan Nan, I hope you don’t mind it.”
To be honest, while she had been looking for somewhere for Nan Nan to get married from, she had never even considered the Zhu family’s house. All along, the Zhai family had only grown in size while Zhu Chengqi had become the only one left in his entire family. Besides, the Zhai family was celebrating getting a daughter-in-law while Zhu Chengqi had already lost his wife and child a long time ago.
If they were to get Zhu Chengqi involved in this occasion, would they not just be mocking and ridiculing him?
Moreover, the entire Zhu family was gone apart from Zhu Chengqi alone. Leaving aside superst.i.tion, Zhu Chengqi was truly unlucky. Miao Jing did not believe in it, but she had to consider Qiao Nan’s and Zhai Sheng’s feelings for fear that they would mind.
She could not possibly ignore the feelings of the two children for the sake of elevating Qiao Nan’s status. Besides, they were not even sure that Zhu Chengqi would agree to it even if they were to ask him.
Since the situation was so complex, Miao Jing had never even considered it. Because Zhu Chengqi had taken the initiative to offer his services, everyone in the Zhai family, including Zhai Hua, had been taken aback. But no one had realized that Qiao Nan, who had nothing to do with the Zhu family, was the calmest person present. It seemed as though she had already expected this to happen and had an indifferent expression.
Compared to Miao Jing’s and Zhai Hua’s unease, how could Qiao Nan not be at ease? This was not her first time getting married to Zhai Sheng, and neither was it her first time getting married and leaving from the Zhu family’s house. The only difference was that she had even stayed in the Zhu family’s house for three days in her previous life. This time, she had only spent two to three hours at the Zhu family’s house on her wedding day.
It had not been so busy in the Zhu family’s house in a long time. Naturally, Qiao Nan could not simply just sit around in the Zhu family’s house before leaving. The Zhu family rarely entertained any guests, but now, there were lanterns hanging around and the windows had been decorated with red double-happiness characters too. It was obvious that the Zhu family had just purchased these decorations.
The Zhu family’s neighbors could not help but make a joke. Ever since Zhu Baoguo pa.s.sed away, the Zhu family had never been as lively as it was today, not even during the new year period. Others might even misunderstand that the bride was the Zhu family’s child and Zhu Chengqi’s daughter. Given this level of liveliness and care they put into this, that could very well have been the case.
w.a.n.g Yang had heard quite a few of such comments. As one of the owners of the Zhu family, w.a.n.g Yang had no power or ability to revoke a decision that Zhu Chengqi had made. No matter how upset w.a.n.g Yang was, he could only follow Zhu Chengqi’s instructions and liven up the atmosphere in the Zhu family, even playing the role of Qiao Nan’s family by welcoming her guests.
w.a.n.g Yang had not even been this busy on his own wedding day. Physical fatigue was nothing. It was the unresolvable doubts in his mind that were the most torturous.
w.a.n.g Yang’s phone rang in his pocket. He did not need to take it out to know whom the message had been from.
After instructing the helpers to get things done, w.a.n.g Yang returned to his room, seeing the person who had sent him the message upon opening the door. “Don’t you know how busy I am today? What’s so important that you have to keep sending me messages? Spill it!”
w.a.n.g Yang’s wife felt aggrieved. “Why are you being so mean? Is it my fault? You were the one who made me stay here in this room. Otherwise, would I be so bored to send you messages?”
At the mention of this, w.a.n.g Yang’s wife was upset. Both she and w.a.n.g Yang had always been taking care of Zhu Chengqi at the Zhu family’s house. To youngsters, there was nothing more important than their phones. When w.a.n.g Yang’s wife went out for high tea, even the cafes had WiFi available, but the Zhu family’s house, where she lived, did not!
With no other choice, w.a.n.g Yang’s wife could only use her mobile data. Usually, apart from playing on her phone, w.a.n.g Yang’s wife could watch the television as well. But because Qiao Nan was getting married from the Zhu family’s house, she could not leave her room and could only play with her mobile phone until it ran out of battery. As she used it while charging it, it became incredibly hot.
Left with no other choice, w.a.n.g Yang’s wife could only get in touch with w.a.n.g Yang. “Are you planning to keep me in here for the whole day? This is the Zhu family’s house, not the Qiao family’s or Zhai family’s. Why should I lend this place to them and have to hide away as an owner? Don’t you think that the Zhai family is crossing the line?”
They had gone far beyond lending Qiao Nan a place to leave for her marriage from. They had gone much further and beyond.