Chapter 104 - Extra 9: Marriage
“It’s time, it’s time!”
“Boss, let’s go.”
Dong MingEn, Lou XingGuang, and all the other former delinquents of cla.s.s 8 were dressed in neat suits. They lined up on both sides of the Zheng family home’s front door, waiting for Zheng PingQing to come out.
“PingQing, don’t make Ah Qian wait for so long.” Zheng BuLu nervously pushed Zheng PingQing forward. Someone handed Zheng PingQing a bouquet of flowers, saying: “Don’t forget this.”
Zheng PingQing accepted the bouquet and pulled at the hem of his suit, feeling somewhat dazed. Then, he straightened his back and stepped past the threshold.
Lou XingGuang cheered: “Boss, don’t be nervous. We’ll be right behind you, giving support.”
Zheng PingQing raised his chin. “How could I be nervous.”
Zhou Daota frowned. “Boss, your hands and feet are moving at the same time…”
Zheng PingQing: “…”
Gou XinDou quickly pushed Zhou Daota away. “The Boss always walks like that, ah. It’s not because of nervousness.”
Zheng PingQing: “…”
Zheng PingQing decisively waved his hand and said: “Everybody get on the bus; we’re leaving.”
As Zheng PingQing got on the bus, he found that his legs were slightly shaking.
Sigh, there’s nothing to be done. Zheng PingQing had been waiting for this day for far too long.
As soon as they graduated from university, Zheng PingQing formally proposed to Lin Qian. He just couldn’t wait another day.
Fortunately, Lin Qian had always been able to keep up with his pace. When Zheng PingQing proposed, Lin Qian directly gave him a few promising dates for their wedding. Of course, Zheng PingQing straightforwardly chose the earliest date possible.
In truth, they couldn’t get a marriage certificate in China, so this so-called marriage ceremony was just for their own satisfaction.
But Zheng PingQing really wanted this wedding.
He wanted to give Lin Qian all the best things in the world, including a once-in-a-lifetime romance.
At first, they planned on going abroad to hold the wedding ceremony, but Lin YaZhi and Chen ShiYi couldn’t go abroad due to their work. In the end, they decided to hold a simple ceremony in China and invite some relatives and friends. Afterward, they would go abroad and go on a honeymoon.
However, since they decided to hold the wedding in China, the parents inevitably became involved. After much discussion, it was decided that the wedding would follow a traditional Chinese style, albeit with some simplifications.
However, some customs still stuck.
For example, for the wedding reception, Lin YaZhi insisted that Lin Qian should be the one to pick up Zheng PingQing. After all, Lin Qian is technically the family head. However, Zheng BuLu thought that Zheng PingQing should be the one picking up Lin Qian because the bridegroom needed to physically carry the bride when picking the "bride" up. Comparing their two sons, Zheng BuLu believed that Zheng PingQing had more physical power.
With the issue stuck at a deadlock, Ke MuZi wrote a small rock-paper-scissors program and made the two dads play, with the overall winner getting the right to pick up the bride.
With two wins out of three…Lin YaZhi lost.
So today, the wedding procession formally started at the Zheng family mansion, then traveled to the Lin family home.
Meanwhile, in the Lin family home, Xu Yao securely locked all three mechanisms in the front door and rubbed his hands together. “I won’t let Zheng PingQing take Ah Qian that easily.”
Lin YaZhi sat on the sofa with a gold knife in his hands and forcefully nodded. “Yes. Xu Yao, I’ll be counting on you to make trouble with Zheng PingQing.”
Xu Yao patted his chest. “Don’t worry, uncle. I’m famous for my outstanding ethics. I can’t be corrupted by money and promises of power. No matter the torture, I will never bend!”
Jiang TingJun and Fu YiFei applauded him. “Well said, Ah Yao!”
The doorbell rang, followed by a series of banging knocks. Dong MingEn took the lead by shouting: “Open the door, open the door, we’ve come to pick up the groom.”
Xu Yao and Jiang TingJun glanced at each other. Xu Yao opened the front door a crack, leaving the chain on. Through the crack, he called out: “Give me a red envelope. 99,999, and not a penny less.”
Dong MingEn exclaimed: “d.a.m.n! that’s robbery!”
Xu Yao proudly exclaimed: “Our Ah Qian is worth this much!”
“Nonsense!” Zheng PingQing’s voice sounded out from behind. “How could that amount be Lin Qian’s worth?”
Xu Yao was about to angrily retort back, but then he saw a check being pushed into the small crack of the door. Zheng PingQing told him: “Here’s 500,000. You’re not allowed to return it.”
Xu Yao: “…”
Jiang TingJun: “…”
The others: “…”
Then, Zheng PingQing shoved another surprisingly thick red envelope and said: “Here’s a 10,000 red envelope for my groom’s wonderful friends. Quickly open the door, ah.”
Xu Yao and his friends took the red envelope and immediately opened the door. Bending his waist and making a welcoming gesture, Xu Yao said: “Boss Zheng, please come in.”
Lin YaZhi: “…”
Xu Yao and friends actually prepared several small games to embarra.s.s Zheng PingQing. But as a result, they were instantly defeated by the mountain of money presented to them.
Xu Yao didn’t care and happily said: “Aiya, Ah Qian is really helping his brothers. With this, I can make a downpayment for a house!”
Lin YaZhi couldn’t help but glare at him. “Xu Yao, do you remember the oath you did a few minutes ago?”
Xu Yao touched the red envelope in his pocket and firmly replied: “I don’t remember.”
Lin YaZhi: “…” Money is the source of all evil, ah!
With Zheng PingQing scattering coins everywhere, all the difficult problems when greeting relatives were solved. All that was left was the last step-looking for the shoes.
At first, people thought that ‘hiding the shoes’ could be avoided since it was two men getting married. But now, Lin YaZhi was happy that they decide to keep it in. It’s a good thing he insisted on a more traditional ceremony, ah. Lin YaZhi hid Lin Qian’s leather shoes himself, so he was confident that Zheng PingQing’s money strategy wouldn’t be quite as effective this time.
Zheng PingQing looked at Lin YaZhi and said: “Father-in-law, name a price.”
“I won’t be easily bought.” Lin YaZhi huffed.
Zheng PingQing nodded. He waved his hand, and in tacit agreement, his younger brothers scattered.
“Not in here.”
“Not here either.”
“Boss, I didn’t find it.”
It seems that Lin YaZhi was very good at hiding things. Several people rummaged around the room, but in the end, they couldn’t find Lin Qian’s shoes.
Lin YaZhi looked at Zheng PingQing with pride.
Zheng PingQing silently looked back.
Chen ShiYi, who had been sitting off to the side, spoke up: “YaZhi…”
Zheng PingQing raised his hand to stop Chen ShiYi, then said: “It seems that father-in-law wants me to do it myself.”
Lin YaZhi sneered. “I won’t be intimidated.”
Zheng PingQing straightened his sleeves, turned around, and went straight into the kitchen. Without saying a word, he opened the freezer and took out a leather shoe that had just begun to harden. If one hadn’t looked properly, the shoe could’ve easily been mistaken for a frozen, salted fish.
Everyone: “….”
Lin YaZhi couldn’t believe it. “How did you know?”
Zheng PingQing was silent for a moment, then answered: “…the most dangerous place is also the safest.”
For Lin YaZhi, the most dangerous place was definitely the kitchen.
Lin YaZhi: “…”
Zheng PingQing weighed the leather shoe and was satisfied. “Fortunately, the shoe doesn’t smell like fish.”
No one noticed, but Lin Qian had opened his bedroom door and was currently leaning against the doorframe. Wearing only one leather shoe while his other socked foot was stepping on his instep, he contained his laughter and called out: “My groom, have you found my shoe?”
“Found it!” Zheng PingQing cheerfully raised the shoe and rushed to his lover. “Honey, be careful not to fall. Here, here, I’ll help you put on your shoe…”
Everyone: “…”
Zheng PingQing crouched in front of Lin Qian and was about to give him his shoe, but then paused. “The shoe is a little cold. Wait a moment.”
Zheng PingQing took off his shoes and put them on Lin Qian, then wore Lin Qian’s shoes. Their feet were the same size, so exchanging shoes wasn’t an issue.
Lin Qian laughed. “My husband is so courteous, ah.”
Zheng PingQing wrapped his arms around Lin Qian and picked him up. “Of course.”
Everyone: “…’
The suit Lin Qian was slightly different from Zheng PingQing’s. With his hair cut short, Lin Qian’s delicate facial features became more prominent, and a dazzled Zheng PingQing simply had to take a moment.
“Why do you look so handsome, ah.” Zheng PingQing couldn’t help but press his forehead against Lin Qian’s and rub it a bit.
“It’s so I can match you.” Lin Qian smiled, circling his arms around Zheng PingQing’s neck to reduce his burden.
Everyone: “…”
Although today was supposed to be the couple’s big day, why is it that they still somehow felt p.r.i.c.ked?
……
The wedding ceremony was simple but formal.
An officiate read their wedding vows, and in the presence of all their family and friends, Zheng PingQing and Lin Qian exchanged rings.
Then, it was the wedding reception.
“From now on, we’re truly a family.” Zheng BuLu excitedly patted Lin YaZhi on the shoulder.
Lin YaZhi also nodded. “Not bad. Xiao Zheng is still handsome, despite the years.”
Although it was heartbreaking to have his cabbage stolen, over the years, Lin YaZhi has found that the pig was devoted. At least, he hadn’t seen any pig better than Zheng PingQing.
The pig’s father is also great. Lin YaZhi hadn’t chatted with Zheng BuLu for a long time because of his work, but although Zheng BuLu’s hobbies were relatively dull, it was difficult to find friends at his age. Lin YaZhi felt that he should cooperate with this middle-aged friend of his.
So he turned towards Zheng BuLu, wanting to talk with him. But when he did so, he saw Zheng BuLu chatting with Shao SiJia, who was walking behind them. “SiJia, it’s rare for you to visit us, ah. How about you attend a party with Uncle later. It’ll be fun…”
Shao SiJia planted her a.s.s on the chair next to Lin YaZhi and replied: “Not going.”
Zheng BuLu was about to make further efforts when Lin YaZhi spoke up. “Old Zheng, what party do you want Shao SiJia to attend?”
Zheng BuLu: “…”
He didn’t dare let Lin YaZhi know that he had secretly borrowed his daughter to show off. Feeling sweaty, Zheng BuLu quickly tried to think of an excuse. “It’s nothing. It’s just an ordinary gathering of friends. It’s that those people talk about things I’m not interested in, so I wanted to find someone to accompany me. At least someone to talk to…”
Lin YaZhi listened to him and felt that Zheng BuLu was quite miserable. He was already this old, but he didn’t have a single friend to chat with whenever he attended a party. Lin YaZhi thought back to all the times Zheng BuLu had treated him sincerely and felt like he had to do something. So he said: “Well, I’ll accompany you.”
Zheng BuLu: “…”
At his silence, Lin YaZhi frowned. “What? Not happy?”
Zheng BuLu didn’t dare say so. He quickly pasted on a smile and said: “How can I be unhappy, ah. I just got so delighted that I forgot to speak.”
……
After their wedding, Lin Qian and Zheng PingQing set off for their honeymoon.
They would usher in a new day at their first destination- Fiji.
When they finally got to their seats, Lin Qian leaned on Zheng PingqQing’s shoulder and half-joked: “I hope that this time, we won’t travel back to the past.”
Zheng PingQing was utterly carefree. “I’m not afraid. This time, we’ve finally managed to tie the knot and get married. Besides, even if I get reborn thousands of times, I won’t mind because I’ll still be with you.”
Lin Qian kissed his ear. “I feel the same.”
As the plane took off, Lin Qian watched as it skimmed the clouds and flew towards their future.
Holding Zheng PingQing, Lin Qian soon fell asleep.
Then, he experienced a long, long dream, in which he witnessed the continuation of his last life.
Lin Qian dreamt that he and Zheng PingQing successfully arrived at the other side of the ocean. With the blessing of an officiant, they got their marriage license. Even though it was invalid in China, it still rang true in their hearts.
Lin Qian dreamed of what happened later, when he and Zheng PingQing returned home and finally started a new life. They learned to be frank with each other and learned to face up to their previous childish actions.
And finally, after a few years, they learned to completely reconcile with their past.
They eventually gained the understanding and support of their friends and family.
Lin Qian dreamed that after many years, he was finally able to communicate peacefully with Lin YaZhi. Shao SiJia spent more time at home, and eventually, Lin YaZhi’s health improved.
He dreamt that Zheng PingQing met Chen ShiYi in Little Pea restaurant. At that time, Chen ShiYi had already divorced Lin YaZhi. But she contacted Zheng PingQing, still wanting to give her marriage blessings to Zheng PingQing and Lin Qian. After their conversation, Zheng PingQing finally found out about He YiJun’s lies.
The damage was already irreversible, but Zheng PingQing still decided to be frank with his father. He told Zheng BuLu about He YiJun’s schemes, and in the end, Zheng BuLu kicked her out of the house. He YiJun and Zheng BuLu’s son inherited part of the Zheng property, but He YiJun’s plans of living a life full of glory and wealth were cut short as Zheng BuLu donated all of the a.s.sets she would’ve gotten.
After this, everything fell into place. From then on, their days were sweet and smooth sailing.
Their lives may not have been perfect, but every step they took to get to their happy ending shouldn’t be denied.
After Lin Qian woke up, the plane had already begun to land at Nadi International Airport.
Lin Qian’s memory of the dream was in fragments, but each piece was crystal-clear, as if it happened to him in real life. Lin Qian didn’t doubt its authenticity.
He turned his head and saw that Zheng PingQing had also woken up from his nap. They both looked at each other.
“I dreamt of us.” Lin Qian smiled.
Zheng PingQing smiled back. “Me too.”
“We had a good time.” Lin Qian grinned.
Zheng PingQing nodded. “As long as we’re together, we’ll be just fine.”
Lin Qian asked him: “Did you ever regret our past?”
Zheng PingQing thought for a moment, then answered: “Sometimes I think about it a little. But in the end, every step we walk in life leads us to a path of our own making. We should bear responsibility for each of those steps.”
Lin Qian leaned and kissed his husband, then looked out the window.
It was a beautiful day, and the pearls of the South Pacific were shining.
Just like life.
And that’s officially the end!
This was a sweet, fluffy story with no real drama. I didn’t expect the novel to be as hilarious as it was when I first started translating it, but it definitely was a pleasant surprise
Thanks everyone for the comments, I read every single one of them.
I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did