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Chapter 188: Chapter 181: A Golden Phoenix Flies Out of the Mountain Hollow
Shen Yingxue secretly resented Shen Yunfang’s repeated rejections, but her good days were nearing, and she still had to put on a shy and timid expression.
Gazing at the chubby and big-eared man beside her, a wave of revulsion rose unbidden in her heart, but thinking of the benefits she would have after marrying him, and of the child in her belly, she adjusted her expression and gently said to the man beside her, "Dahai, let’s go toast the villagers."
Today was Shen Yingxue’s big wedding day, with two tables set up in the courtyard and family and friends eating outside.
Zhao Dahai frowned, impatient with dealing with his future in-laws’ poor relatives, but thinking of the son in Shen Yingxue’s belly, he reluctantly agreed, "Alright, let’s go."
The villagers in the courtyard were busy eating and talking.
"Hey, this feast is not as well prepared as when Yunfang hosted," said a daughter-in-law from the old Zhao family.
"Nonsense, they killed a pig on the spot for that banquet; how can this compare?" complained the old Liu family’s daughter-in-law as she struggled to pick a thin slice of meat from a large dish, shook it twice, and stuffed it into her mouth with disdain.
"By the way, I didn’t see that girl Yunfang today, isn’t she supposed to be close to this one?" remarked the old Wang family’s daughter-in-law, pointing inside the house.
"You’re out of the loop, that was in the past. You know how crafty the daughter of Li Zhaozhi is, and Yunfang is just too honest. When those two girls were together, it was Yunfang who was at a disadvantage. Eventually, that silly girl gave it some thought and broke it off with Yingxue," said a daughter-in-law from the old Shen family with a knowing look.
"Hehe, definitely, Yingxue is cunning, just like her father," added the old Zhao daughter-in-law.
"Exactly, if she wasn’t cunning, how could she have landed such a high-ranking official?" the old Liu daughter-in-law said enviously.
"Hey, don’t even start. Have you seen her son-in-law? I just caught a glimpse of him, and my goodness, I don’t even know how to put it," said the old Wang family’s daughter-in-law with a look of distress.
"Pfft, what does it matter how he looks? Can looks be eaten? Haven’t you heard that after they get married, the groom is supposed to arrange a formal job for Yingxue and there’s even an apartment waiting for them. Those kinds of perks are hard to find, and if I had a daughter, I’d want her to marry a capable high-ranking official too," dismissed the old Shen family’s daughter-in-law.
In today’s society, poverty is scorned, not prostitution; having a well-off groom is worth more than anything else.
"Give it a rest, no matter how good the conditions are, what’s the use if they end up unhappy later on?"
"Oh my, with a job to earn a salary and an apartment to live in, what’s there to be unhappy about?"
"All you’re talking about is what everyone can see. Do any of you actually know what the groom’s family is like?"
"What do you know about it?" several daughters-in-law asked together.
"Actually, I do know something. The little uncle of my eldest aunt’s brother-in-law is from the Revolutionary Committee. I heard that Zhao Dahai is already thirty-two years old this year," the old Wang family’s daughter-in-law started to spill the beans.
"Wow, that old? If it were the old days, he could be Yingxue’s father," someone exclaimed.
"Don’t talk nonsense; it’s better if he’s older, he knows how to cherish his wife."
"But wait, he’s so old and only getting married now? Maybe there’s something wrong with him," suggested the old Zhao family’s daughter-in-law.
"He’s not just getting married. I heard he had a wife before, but she only had a daughter and wasn’t favored by the Zhao family. Later on, nobody knows what happened, but that wife disappeared," the old Wang family’s daughter-in-law continued to gossip.
"Ah, then wouldn’t Yingxue become a stepmother if she marries into that family?"
"Oh dear, that’s not an easy role to take on. It looks like her family won’t have an easy time in the future either."
"Shen Yunfang really went all out for her son." They’re basically selling their daughter.
"Hey, you’re actually wronging Shen Yunfang there. I heard that Zhao Dahai was actually chosen by Yingxue herself. At first, the groom’s family wasn’t interested in her, knowing which village her family was from. But later on, somehow they hit it off," old Wang’s daughter-in-law spoke disdainfully.
How else could it have happened? Men are all the same. Everyone knew exactly how Shen Yingxue hooked up with him.
"Oh my, I really didn’t see that coming from Yingxue."
"What’s there to be surprised about? The girl is quite sly and crafty."
"Shh, stop talking, they’re coming out, they’re coming out."
The middle-aged women looked coyly at the bride and groom walking out together, offering their congratulations as if the gossip they’d just been sharing wasn’t even about them.
Shen Dafu clung to his uncle, thanking him profusely. If it weren’t for his uncle’s eldest daughter, his own couldn’t have found such a good son-in-law.
In the eyes of Shen Dafu’s family, although the son-in-law was a bit old and had a kid already, he could bring benefits to their family in the future, so he was an excellent match.
The son-in-law had already mentioned that in a while, he’d get Shen Dafu’s eldest son a job selling meat in the county. My goodness, that’s not a job just anyone can get—it requires connections.
Shen Uncle felt suffocated being dragged around and flattered by Shen Dafu.
If he weren’t the team leader and had to attend every family’s happy occasion, he wouldn’t have come at all. Now wasn’t Shen Dafu’s family effectively selling their daughter? Yet they still managed to smile so broadly.
He knew quite a bit about Zhao Dahai since he often went to meetings at the commune and had heard about some higher-ups.
He was angry that his niece introduced Zhao to Shen Yingxue. Wasn’t that pushing her straight into a pit of fire? After Shen Yingxue came back, he hinted as much to her family, but Shen Dafu ignored it. Well, if one was willing to strike and the other was willing to be struck, there was nothing he could do.
Looking at the banquet, his niece Shen Yunfeng was fluttering around like a butterfly, entertaining the guests while his sister-in-law did not restrain her and even joined in the hustle. His own careless daughter sat there, eating her heart out without a worry, and his son-in-law, abandoning his refined demeanor, was shamelessly ingratiating himself with Zhao Dahai. He felt even more upset.
Suddenly, he stood up. As everyone at the table turned to look at him, he frowned and said, "We’ve eaten enough, now follow me home. Don’t be so clueless, there are plenty of villagers waiting their turn."
The banquet featured a rotating service with only two tables set. Shen Dafu had lived in Gaijiatun for many years and was acquainted with almost every household. When Shen Yingxue got married, everyone showed face and came for the feast and followed with gifts.
With not enough space, they had to eat in shifts. Once one table finished, the next group could start right away.
This table was mostly made up of relatives from Shen Uncle’s family. After exchanging looks, Shen Yunxiu was the first to protest, "Dad, we’ve just sat down for a few minutes. I haven’t had many bites of food yet. What’s the rush?"
Shen Yunxiu brought her husband to the feast feeling incredibly superior. Her man was handsomer than Zhao Dahai. Even though he was a sent-down youth now, he would be much more capable than Zhao Dahai if they returned to the city. So for her, attending the feast was secondary; she mainly wanted everyone to see that her husband trumped Shen Yingxue’s catch.
"Exactly, big brother, on such a joyous day, let’s eat a bit more and soak in the happiness," the second aunt didn’t want to leave either.
Shen Yunfeng didn’t utter a word either. She hadn’t come home from accounting duties just for the sake of a wedding meal.
Shen Uncle looked at them, his lips trembling with anger, "Fine, continue eating. I’m full," he said, and then left with his hands behind his back.
The others exchanged glances and then went about their business as if nothing happened.
