Around noon, Zhao Jingyu’s older brothers, their wives, and his sister and brother-in-law finally arrived. The three families, along with their children, filed into the house in a bustling crowd to meet their new sister-in-law.
Zhao Jingyu’s marriage had been too sudden, and none of them were mentally prepared for it. But since it was their younger brother’s big event, they couldn’t very well not come.
Xu Qingning had just finished tidying up the room and was sitting on the edge of the bed, taking a sip of water, when she was startled by the sight before her. More than a dozen pairs of eyes were fixed on her in unison, and even someone as composed as her couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed under their gaze.
It was Yang Yuelan who walked in with a smile and introduced them to Xu Qingning one by one:
“This is your eldest brother and his wife, this is your second brother and his wife, this is your sister and brother-in-law, these are your two nephews, and this little one is your sister’s child, your little nephew.”
“Eldest brother, eldest sister-in-law, second brother, second sister-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, hello.” Xu Qingning couldn’t quite keep track of all the family members at once. She knew Zhao Jingyu had many siblings, but she hadn’t expected there to be so many.
With such a large crowd entering, the entire room felt cramped.
And they carried with them a sense of having traveled in haste.
“Sister-in-law, we came in a hurry and didn’t prepare much,” said Zhao Jingyu’s eldest sister-in-law, Wu Xiufang, as she pulled two yuan tied with a red string from her pocket and handed it to Xu Qingning. “This is a small token of our goodwill.”
“Yes, yes, this is our sister-in-law’s gesture,” said the second sister-in-law, Zhou Chunyan, also handing her two yuan.
Zhou Chunyan was short, with a round, cheerful face, which made Wu Xiufang appear particularly tall in contrast. Wu Xiufang didn’t smile much and spoke in a measured, deliberate manner.
“Here, this is from your sister and brother-in-law,” said Zhao Jingyu’s sister, Zhao Lei, also giving Xu Qingning two yuan.
“Thank you all,” Xu Qingning smiled gently, glancing up at Zhao Jingyu’s siblings. The three men wore slightly worn black Zhongshan suits, while the women were dressed in patterned coarse-cloth jackets with patches on the sleeves—typical attire of the 1970s.
“Third Aunt is so pretty,” a seven- or eight-year-old boy in the crowd said in a childish voice.
Everyone laughed.
Wu Xiufang and Zhou Chunyan were also quietly sizing up Xu Qingning. The new sister-in-law was quite good-looking, with long flowing hair, delicate skin, and wearing a stylish red cardigan—clearly a city girl.
“Here, have some candy,” Xu Qingning grabbed a handful of candies and distributed them to the two little boys. She knew they were Zhao Jingyu’s two young nephews, around seven or eight years old, dark and thin, dressed in navy blue coarse-cloth jackets, but they looked quite clever.
“There are a lot of people and things to do today. Let’s go out for the meal first, and we can chat more later,” Yang Yuelan, knowing Xu Qingning wasn’t feeling well, ushered them out, patting her two little grandsons on the head. “Come with Grandma, Grandma has something tasty for you.”
Zhao Jingyu’s sister, Zhao Lei, lingered for a moment. After her brothers and sisters-in-law had left, she turned back and asked Xu Qingning, “Sister-in-law, how long have you known Jing Yu?”
When Zhao Jingyu was out at sea, it was always her who came to help tidy up the house.
The siblings had a fairly good relationship.
But as his sister, she had never heard about her younger brother having a girlfriend.
“About two or three years,” Xu Qingning replied with a slight smile.
Zhao Lei was, at best, a supporting character among supporting characters, because she was Zhao Jingyu’s sister and had been sent away with him when they were young.
The author had mentioned her, saying that her relationship with Yang Yuelan as mother and daughter wasn’t close, and she resented her parents for sending her away.
Compared to Zhao Jingyu, who lived with his grandparents in the countryside, her days at her aunt’s house were even more difficult.
“It’s been so long, and Jing Yu never once mentioned you to me.” Zhao Lei was quite surprised. She scrutinized Xu Qingning carefully and had to admit that the wife Zhao Jingyu had found was quite good-looking.
But perhaps too good-looking, giving the impression of being not very reliable.
Moreover, the red cardigan she was wearing was from the department store and cost at least ten yuan—quite expensive.
“Maybe he was too shy to say anything.” Xu Qingning simply smiled. Zhao Lei’s appearance somewhat resembled Zhao Jingyu’s, both having those narrow, phoenix-like eyes. However, her tone was not as gentle as Yang Yuelan’s; instead, it carried a somewhat aggressive edge.
But Xu Qingning didn’t mind.
As for sisters-in-law and the like, if they got along, fine; if not, that was fine too.
After all, they weren’t likely to come take care of her anyway.
“That sweater of yours is quite nice.” Zhao Lei couldn’t help but ask, “Did you buy it at the department store?”
“Jing Yu bought it for me.” Xu Qingning glanced down at the red cardigan she was wearing. The weather was warm today, so she had changed into it as soon as Zhao Jingyu brought it home.
The child’s father had good taste. It was just right for this season.
As the two were talking, they heard Yang Yuelan say cheerfully, “The in-laws are here, please come in and sit.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Yumei and Tang Wenya walked in. Zhao Lei then stood up and said, “Auntie is here.”
Jiang Yumei smiled and sat down by the bed, asking Xu Qingning, “Qingning, has your appetite been good these past few days?”
“I can eat and sleep well, everything’s fine.” Xu Qingning knew Jiang Yumei was asking on purpose, so she turned to Tang Wenya and asked, “How about you, sister? Do you feel especially nauseous in the mornings?”
After all, they were both pregnant!
It wouldn’t hurt to exchange some experiences.
“I don’t feel that way at all!” Tang Wenya was furious. She was angry that Jiang Yumei had provoked Xu Qingning and equally annoyed that Xu Qingning showed no mercy.
Zhao Lei listened, feeling puzzled.
What were they talking about?
“Leilei, go out and help greet the guests.” Yang Yuelan quickly sent Zhao Lei away. “Jing Yu was just asking about you!”
Only the elderly couple in the family knew about Xu Qingning’s pregnancy.
After all, such matters weren’t exactly honorable, and the fewer who knew, the better.
“Oh, I’ll go out now.” Only then did Zhao Lei leave, thinking to herself, “Did Zhao Jingyu get married in such a hurry because the bride was pregnant?”
That couldn’t be, right?
That would be too absurd…
“Qingning, now that you’re married, you should rein in your temper and live a good life.” Jiang Yumei forced a smile and quickly changed the subject. “When you have time, come home and visit.”
“Thank you for your advice, Auntie.” Xu Qingning had no intention of engaging with Jiang Yumei, let alone Tang Wenya.
With such character, how could she be considered the Female Lead!
Not only did she dare not take responsibility for her actions, but she also constantly sought to belittle and mock her, the Female Supporting Character.
Tang Wenya didn’t even consider her own situation. She wasn’t much better off than Xu Qingning, yet she always acted as if she were superior.
Xu Qingning remembered that Tang Wenya also had a System. She didn’t know what prompts the System gave her, but in any case, this Female Lead was quite detestable.
“In-laws, the banquet is about to start. Let’s go out and eat!” Sensing the tension in the conversation, Yang Yuelan quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “It’s a joyous occasion—let’s all be happy.”
As soon as the mother and daughter left, Liang Yufeng came in. Seeing the room decorated like a bridal chamber, she felt relieved. She tucked ten yuan as a wedding gift into Xu Qingning’s hand and even shed a few tears. “You’re the only niece I have, and I don’t have much money to give you. You must live a good life from now on.”
“Auntie, don’t worry about me. I’m doing just fine,” Xu Qingning accepted the gift with a smile. “Go out and eat now. We can chat more when you have time.”
Zhao Jingyu had originally planned for six tables, but it was clearly not enough, as neighbors kept arriving one after another to offer their congratulations.
They had no choice but to add four more tables at the last minute.
Fortunately, the brothers were very helpful. They went out to borrow tables and chairs, and even borrowed plates and utensils from the canteen.
Zhao Futang was quite experienced in these matters. Knowing that Zhao Jingyu had planned for six tables, he had prepared for eight in advance and even prepared the meat dishes for the evening as well.
Generally, the host would hold a separate dinner in the evening for the neighbors and relatives who had come to help, usually setting up two more tables. Zhao Futang had taken all of this into account.
Since ten tables were needed for lunch, they prioritized the midday meal and planned to prepare fresh dishes for the evening.
The night before, Yang Yuelan had asked Zhao Jingyu to take the remaining pork and mutton to the canteen in exchange for meat coupons.
If it wasn’t enough, they could simply order a few dishes from the canteen in the evening. Living frugally was the way to go.
With this arrangement, the ten tables of food were quickly served, and the banquet started on time without any delay due to the last-minute additions.
Each table had ten dishes, including meat and fish, with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables—plentiful and delicious.
Everyone ate happily, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
After a few rounds of drinks, the young men began to clamor, urging the bride to come out and toast the guests.