In these times, the one husband-one wife policy is strictly enforced. Bigamy is considered a heinous crime, and cohabitation without a marriage certificate is uniformly treated as moral corruption and hooliganism.
Whichever the case, the consequences are unbearable for ordinary people.
A self-criticism parade is a mandatory procedure. If the impact is severe and stirs public outrage, one might even end up being shot.
Zhang Yuanlin felt confident that he had the Qin Family under control, but not having the marriage certificate still left him uneasy.
After all, this was an era of “marry first, love later.”
There was no time to spend cultivating feelings or testing each other’s flaws through cohabitation.
You married first and talked about love afterward. If it worked out, you could find happiness; if not, there was no choice but to make do!
Zhang Yuanlin wasn’t worried that Qin Huairu’s feelings for him were insincere. His concern lay with the era’s laws, which brooked no violation. Once the certificate was issued—hey, it’d be legal, and then they could do as they pleased!
However, you’re right, father-in-law, we’re in no hurry. We should give the First Elder some time to recover.
So, Zhang Yuanlin smiled and said:
“Uncle, Aunt, we’ve just arrived at the compound not long ago. No need to rush out again. Since we’re here, why not come to my place for a sit? It’s in the backyard, just a short walk through the corridor!”
Since they hadn’t gotten the certificate yet, Zhang Yuanlin wasn’t in a hurry to change how he addressed them.
There would be plenty of time to call them “Mom and Dad” once she officially became his wife. Zhang Yuanlin wasn’t the kind of son-in-law who needed to desperately curry favor with his future in-laws to get by.
Given how things were developing, it should be them trying to please him!
When the prospective son-in-law extended the invitation, the Qin Family naturally didn’t refuse.
They were curious to see what three rooms in the city would look like—how impressive must they be?
Then, Zhang Yuanlin warmly greeted the neighbors.
“Great Aunts and Uncles, neighbors, brothers and sisters, it’s really not right that this family is about to become mine, and they haven’t even seen the inside of my home yet.”
“I also want to thank everyone for your blessings and support. Once I get the money, I’ll go buy ingredients. I’ll make sure to host a splendid wedding banquet this Sunday, so everyone can eat to their satisfaction and drink to their hearts’ content!”
“Oh, and about the gift money, let’s stick to the usual standard. I’m not looking to profit from anyone—I just hope everyone can come and join the celebration. Anyway, no more chit-chat for now, I’ll be on my way!”
With that, Zhang Yuanlin led the Qin Family toward the backyard.
At the mention of gift money, the crowd’s enthusiasm instantly cooled by more than half.
Noticing the change in their expressions, Zhang Yuanlin couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
Hah! So you all thought you could eat and drink for free?
This money was earned through my own efforts—why should I let you squander it unconditionally?
Oh, so you just show up with your mouth and a bowl, expecting three meals a day, each with chicken, duck, fish, and meat? Dream on!
We’re not relatives—don’t think you can take me for a fool!
Besides, even at the standard rate, the people in the compound would still come out slightly ahead.
With about twenty households in the compound, each giving three to five yuan—three for smaller families, five for larger ones—Zhang Yuanlin would end up receiving over eighty yuan in total.
On the surface, he’d be losing more than ten yuan, but the pots, pans, bowls, utensils, tables, and chairs for the banquet would have to be borrowed from each household.
Otherwise, who could produce so many things all at once?
Originally, Zhang Yuanlin would have had to ask to borrow them, but now, without him even saying a word, the aunts and uncles in the compound would spontaneously pitch in to ensure the banquet could go on smoothly.
And in the end, if there were leftovers, they would definitely be packed up. Zhang Yuanlin’s side only had a young couple, so if they kept all those leftovers without sharing, even if they ate voraciously for several days, they wouldn’t finish them, and it would just go to waste. So, letting everyone take some home was the best solution.
This was called collective benefit—no one needed to urge them; they would take action on their own.
Moreover, borrowing so many pots, pans, bowls, utensils, tables, and chairs at once would require a lot of favors. Zhang Yuanlin didn’t want to owe anyone in the compound any favors, so he thought spending a little over ten dollars for a smooth and hassle-free process was well worth it!
Besides, Zhang Yuanlin wanted to secure his gains. But how could he get that compensation in advance?
Directly asking for it wouldn’t work, so he had to find another way.
That’s why Zhang Yuanlin came up with this plan. Not only would he get the money that afternoon, but he’d also have everyone in the compound scrambling to help him prepare the wedding banquet, and in the end, he’d earn a good reputation.
What a comfortable way to marry this young wife!
…
Arriving at the backyard and entering the house, Zhang Yuanlin invited everyone to sit down while he boiled water to make tea.
It took over ten minutes to boil a kettle of water, and the Qin family couldn’t sit still, so they walked around the spacious room to look around.
“My, this house is really nice, much more spacious than the Jia Family’s.”
“Yes, living here must be so comfortable. Unlike the Jia Family’s place, where you have to be careful when walking, or you’ll bump into something.”
Qin’s father and mother sighed in admiration, very satisfied.
Meanwhile, Qin Huairu had already started tidying up, clearly treating this place as her own home.
Seeing this, Qin’s father and mother couldn’t help but tease their daughter, saying she hadn’t even gotten the marriage certificate yet and was already so eager—it seemed they wouldn’t be able to take her back today!
At this time, Qin Huairu was still quite shy. Even her own parents’ teasing made her blush, her delicate and charming appearance truly enticing, like a ripe honey peach that made one want to take a big bite.
Zhang Yuanlin looked at her with fondness, thinking to himself that he had really picked a good wife. Excellent, very satisfying!
But with Qin Huairu being so diligent, Zhang Yuanlin couldn’t just stand by and watch. He said with an embarrassed expression:
“I usually live alone, so it’s a bit messy. I didn’t expect to have such good luck today and didn’t have time to tidy up. Please excuse the mess.”
Is he talking about me when he says good luck? Brother Zhang speaks so nicely!
Qin Huairu smiled faintly, secretly pleased, and her movements became even more efficient.
Qin’s father, however, waved his hand and said:
“Ah, that’s why you should find a girl to marry at the right age. A man should focus on big matters outside, and leave the household chores to his wife.”
Qin’s mother nodded in agreement:
“That’s right, that’s right. From now on, you don’t have to worry about household matters. Our Huairu is very skilled at housework—she can do everything and do it well.”
Zhang Yuanlin smiled and nodded in response, thinking to himself that if their daughter were lazy, no matter how pretty she was, he wouldn’t dare marry her. Otherwise, would she be taking care of him, or would he be taking care of her?
Just then, the water boiled, and Zhang Yuanlin invited everyone to sit down and drink tea.
As the hot water poured into the cups, a fresh and fragrant aroma spread, making one feel as if they were in a sea of flowers, unable to resist taking a deep breath of the scent.
“What a wonderful fragrance!” Qin Huairu exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
Zhang Yuanlin smiled slightly and said:
“This is flower tea, given to me by a boss. He said it’s a treasured item, produced in small quantities and usually kept for personal consumption.”
Then, setting down the water kettle, Zhang Yuanlin also sat down, ready to chat with the Qin family.
Zhang Yuanlin was quite familiar with the Qin Family.
However, since they were not yet acquainted with him and had come to visit, it was only proper to invite them in for a seat.
This would also be an opportunity to answer their questions and help both sides understand each other better, so that his future parents-in-law could feel more at ease.
After all, Zhang Yuanlin’s only secret was his system—something that must never be revealed. As for anything else, he could chat freely!