Chapter 2280

"Chairman Zhou, hello, hello!" Several middle-aged men stood up one after another to greet Zhou Andong and shake his hand.

"Hello to you all!" Zhou Andong responded with a smile, while simultaneously taking a quiet, measured look at each of them.

The middle-aged man keeping the accounts had a fair complexion, his hair combed neatly without a single strand out of place. Wearing black-rimmed nearsighted glasses and a navy blue Zhongshan suit, he looked every bit the intellectual.

When he shook hands and greeted Zhou Andong, the smile on his face was somewhat stiff, as if he were not very skilled at social interaction. Therefore, Zhou Andong guessed that this man was likely a stubborn and rigid schoolteacher.

As for the other three middle-aged men, the smiles on their faces were much more natural. Not only that, but their control over their own expressions was just right, making people feel they were approachable yet maintained proper boundaries.

One didn't need to think hard to know that anyone with such abilities must be someone who had been climbing the ranks in government agencies for a long time. However, regardless of their specific identities, the fact that they could sit steadily at this account table, responsible for recording accounts and collecting money, was enough to prove that their relationship with the Tang family was definitely extraordinary.

After some polite pleasantries, a middle-aged man wearing a white shirt and tie spoke up: "Chairman Zhou, since you're holding a bank card, how should we record this in the accounts?"

Zhou Andong smiled and responded unhurriedly: "Just write: Zhou Andong, one bank card. As for the password, it's written on the card."

The middle-aged man wearing glasses was slightly stunned upon hearing this, then nodded. Immediately after, he reached out, picked up the fountain pen on the table, and began to write in the ledger.

The middle-aged man wrote in a beautiful small regular script; it was no wonder he was asked to sit here and keep the accounts. This handwriting was so pleasant to look at that it was a delight to the eyes.

At this moment, Gu Bing, who was to the side, fished two thousand yuan out of his pocket and placed it on the table: "Gu Bing, two thousand."

He had originally intended to give a larger gift, as his relationship with Tang Lin was the longest-standing. Zhou Andong and Tang Lin had even met through him when they were buying that courtyard house in Anqiu Hutong.

But when he learned that Zhang Zuo and the others were giving two thousand, he dismissed the idea of giving more. After all, if everyone else was giving two thousand, even if he gave three thousand, it would be very conspicuous, so he chose to follow the trend and gave two thousand as well.

"Let's go!"

Zhou Andong held Su Su and called out to Lao Si, who was still clinging to the door looking inside, and they entered the wedding banquet hall together.

"We don't know anyone here; let's find where Zhang Zuo and Xiao Liuzi are and squeeze into their table."

Li Manbiao, who had not left, said: "The best man and maid of honor are all up at the front."

By this time, the wedding ceremony was more than halfway through. The groom and bride had exchanged rings, drank the nuptial wine, then served tea to both sets of parents, and finally, there was a group photo.

After all, the Tang and Nie families' wedding could be considered quite decent at this level. Naturally, the ceremony wouldn't be like that of ordinary folk, where people would crack jokes or tell lighthearted stories. Everything was orderly, solemn, yet warm.

"Brother Dong, Brother Five!" Xiao Liuzi had sharp eyes; when he turned his head and saw Zhou Andong and Gu Bing, he hurriedly stood up and raised his hand to greet them.

Zhou Andong walked over with a smile, and Xiao Liuzi reached out with both hands to take Su Su. Just then, a wave of fragrance hit them; it was Zheng Xiyan, who pushed Xiao Liuzi aside and took Su Su into her arms.

"Su Su, do you still remember me?"

Su Su's big eyes blinked: "You are Auntie Yanzi."

"Oh my!" Zheng Xiyan said in pleasant surprise: "Your memory is just too good, little one. How much time has passed, and you've only met me once, yet you still remember me."

"What about me, what about me?" Guan Yating bounced in front of Su Su and pointed to her own nose, asking: "Do you remember who I am?"

Su Su tilted her head and thought: "Auntie Ting!"

"Ah!" Guan Yating gave a light cry, her face full of disbelief: "This is too incredible."

Not to mention them, even Zhou Andong, as her father, had only just discovered that Su Su had such a good memory; this truly gave him a pleasant surprise.

Zheng Xiyan kissed Su Su on the cheek affectionately: "How about sitting with Auntie Yanzi to eat?"

Su Su was never shy with strangers, or perhaps she had a good impression of the Auntie Yanzi who was holding her, so she didn't refuse but looked at her father, her eyes full of inquiry.

Zhou Andong smiled and nodded: "You can!"

Su Su grinned, showing her little mouth, and imitating Zhou Andong's manner, she nodded at Zheng Xiyan and said in a milky voice: "You can!"

"Oh my!" Zheng Xiyan couldn't help herself and kissed Su Su on the cheek again: "Why are you such a lovable little thing?"

After saying this, Zheng Xiyan called out to Lao Si: "Ningning, come, follow me to sit at this table with the girls."

"Okay!" As long as there was food, it made no difference to Lao Si where she sat.

"Brother Dong, Brother Five, sit over here." Song Mao moved over two seats.

Zhou Andong and Gu Bing sat down. At this time, on the stage, the groom and bride were serving wine to both sets of parents.

Zhou Andong watched with interest, while whispers arose all around.

"Zhou Andong is here too!"

"You must know, Tang Lin and Zhou Andong have a very good relationship; that 'You Decide' company is invested in by Zhou Andong."

"Who is that child he's holding? It couldn't be his daughter, could it?"

"I heard she was just born. It's only been a few days; how did she grow so big?"

As soon as this guy's voice fell, it immediately drew a few light laughs.

"I heard he and Jian Qiu got their marriage certificate a long time ago, they just didn't have time to hold the ceremony."

"I know about that; it's said the wedding is being held in October."

"..."

Because the scene had been somewhat chaotic, Zhou Andong couldn't hear those discussions and was watching the stage with great interest.

After the tea-serving ceremony ended, the last thing was to invite the photographer for a family portrait, but just then, very suddenly, Lao Zhao took the microphone and said.

"Is Comrade Zhou Andong, Chairman of the Yugong Group, at the wedding scene?"

The venue, which had been somewhat noisy, suddenly quieted down, and many people around turned their heads to look over.

"He's here!" Zhang Zuo shouted loudly, then looked at Zhou Andong with a sinister smile: "They're calling you, hurry up and go up."

Xiao Liuzi pulled Zhou Andong: "Brother Dong, hurry up and go up, it's your turn to speak."

Zhou Andong was bewildered: "Speak? Speak about what?"

"That's right!" Xiao Liuzi nodded: "Dalin is getting married, as brothers, we definitely have to say a few words of blessing, but we don't know what to say, so we let you represent us, go up and say a few words."

"..."

Zhou Andong almost cursed. The reason he came so late was precisely because he was afraid of trouble. But he calculated everything, except that he would be sold out by this bunch of brats.

Lao Zhao also looked over and said with a smile: "We invite the groom's close friend, Mr. Zhou Andong, to the stage to speak."

"Clap... clap clap clap... clap clap clap clap..."

Applause rang out from the table where the maid of honor was sitting. Zhou Andong looked over; it was that woman Jin Qiuyu who had taken the lead.

Then, the applause became more and more intense. Soon, the wedding banquet hall was drowned in applause. The service staff outside the hall didn't know what was going on and all ran in to find out.

"Brother Dong, hurry up and go up, everyone is hungry. If you don't finish speaking, the banquet can't start."

At this time, Tang Lin took the microphone and said: "Brother Dong, a brother is getting married, this only happens once in a lifetime, won't you come up and say a few words of blessing?"

At this point, Zhou Andong was put on the spot, and the applause was becoming more and more enthusiastic. He couldn't refuse to go up, so he could only glare fiercely at Zhang Zuo and Xiao Liuzi and the others, and stepped toward the stage.

Fortunately, he had worked in wedding planning in his previous life and had been a wedding host, so wedding blessing speeches were something he could rattle off easily. Otherwise, his persona as a man of great learning would have collapsed.

"Chairman Zhou!" Lao Zhao extended his hand first: "Very happy to meet you."

"Teacher Zhao, hello." Zhou Andong said very politely: "I really like the programs you host."

Lao Zhao said a few humble words, then handed the microphone in his hand to Zhou Andong.

Zhou Andong took the microphone and first said to Tang Lin's parents and Nie Wen's parents, who were sitting on the stage.

"Uncle Tang, Auntie Chen, Uncle Nie, Auntie Dong, first of all, I wish the four of you good health and smooth work."

The four of them smiled and nodded in unison. They were happy from the bottom of their hearts that Tang Lin could make a friend like Zhou Andong.

After Zhou Andong greeted the four elders, he turned around.

"Respected leaders, dear guests and friends, ladies and gentlemen, hello everyone!"

"Good!"

Zhang Zuo and the others shouted from below to stir things up. If it were normal times, they wouldn't dare; looking at the tables in front, they were all occupied by high-ranking leaders. But today was different; it was a wedding, and weddings were meant to be lively.

When the applause died down, Zhou Andong continued: "Today is a special day. My good friend, my good brother, is completing the most important ceremony of his life here.

Time cannot pull apart the hands of friendship, and the years cannot fill the wine of friendship. My dear good brother, we haven't known each other for long, but we have established a deep friendship.

As your good brother, I am truly very happy and feel glad for you. At this very moment, a thousand words cannot express my feelings; I can only offer my most sincere blessings here.

I wish you both: in the life ahead, may you never tire of each other's company, never find conversation tedious, never be negligent, never be perfunctory, and may you be happy for a lifetime. May all the ordinary moments of your married life be the truest fulfillment in life!

May you have: in the future, not only the daily necessities of life, but also the stars and the sea on your journey, beautiful scenery, poetry, and distant places. May you be like a pair of swallows flying together in love, like intertwined branches of a connected tree, may you soar high for ten thousand miles, and may you always be of one heart and never part!

May you: always be in harmony like the zither and the flute, may your brilliance never fade, may you grow old together and never part, may someone be with you at dusk, and may someone ask you if your porridge is warm. May you: be like the golden wind and jade dew, surpassing countless others in the world, may you be together for a long, long time, and may you love each other morning and night!"

Having said this, Zhou Andong paused, turned his body to the side, and looked at Tang Lin and Nie Wen.

"Finally, I wish you two a future that is as bright as the midday sun, prosperous, and filled with harmonious love."

The applause rang out once again. Zhou Andong handed the microphone to Lao Zhao and then stepped off the stage.

Sitting at the VIP table in the front, a middle-aged man with an extraordinary demeanor smiled and said to the person beside him: "Zhou Andong's literary talent is truly not just empty talk."

The person beside him looked a bit older, estimated to be in his fifties. After hearing the middle-aged man's words, he nodded.

"Before, I always thought that the media's praise for him was truly somewhat exaggerated. Those interview scripts or press releases of his must have been carefully planned and prepared by his team behind the scenes.

But through what just happened, it can be seen that inviting him to speak on stage this time was definitely something he was unaware of beforehand. Since he was unaware, naturally, it was impossible for him to have any preparation.

And in a situation without preparation and very abrupt, his speech just now truly demonstrated a quite profound foundation. Even you or I, in a situation without any preparation and with the event being sudden, would probably find it difficult to achieve such a high-level speech as his."

Just then, Tang Lin took the microphone and said: "I am very grateful to all the leaders and close friends who took their precious time to attend my and Wenwen's wedding. Finally, I want to announce one thing: all the gift money received today, I will donate every single cent to the Yugong Group Charity Foundation, to be used for the construction of Hope Primary Schools."

The wedding banquet scene fell silent for a moment, and then applause rang out like thunder, much more enthusiastic than the applause during Zhou Andong's speech. Even the leaders sitting in the front did not stint on their applause at all.

That middle-aged man said with great satisfaction: "Dalin did a very good job with this matter, it is worthy of praise."

The leader in his fifties beside him said with a smile: "Dalin's awareness is indeed not low. Although he is not short of money now, the gift money today definitely won't be small. If it were me, I would definitely be reluctant to part with it."

The middle-aged leader laughed out loud, turned his head, and looked at the location where Zhou Andong was: "Now, what is lacking are young people like Zhou Andong and Tang Lin who have ideas, a broad vision, and great love."

Another leader took up the conversation and said: "With Zhou Andong as a role model, there will definitely be more and more young people with ideas, a broad vision, and great love in the future."

On the stage, the lights were dazzling. The two families stood closely together with happy smiles on their faces. The photographer pressed the shutter, recording this warm and beautiful moment.

Subsequently, Lao Zhao walked onto the stage with a beaming face and announced loudly to all the guests: "Dear friends and relatives, let us celebrate this joyous day together. Now, I announce, the wedding banquet officially begins!"

As soon as the voice fell, well-trained service staff were seen entering one after another, pushing food carts like flowing clouds and running water. Zhou Andong, who had long been hungry, picked up his chopsticks and said to everyone with a smile.

"Everyone, don't just watch, hurry up and start eating!"

Zhang You, who was sitting to the side, saw this and raised the Yugong wine in his hand: "Just eating, not drinking?"

Zhou Andong, chewing food in his mouth, responded vaguely: "Fill your stomach first, then drink."

After saying this, he quickly picked up a Four-Joy Meatball that had just been served on the table and took a light bite: "Hmm, the taste is not bad!"

The banquet was ordered by Nie Wen. Besides meat, there was seafood. It was truly substantial; just looking at it made people unable to help but swallow their saliva.

As for the wine, the white liquor was the ordinary Yugong, the beer was Brave the World, and the beverages were naturally Very Cola and Iced Black Tea.

Zhou Andong was eating with his head down when Tang Lin's father, Tang Zhenqing, walked over with big strides.

"Andong, why are you sitting at a table with these juniors? Come over here."

Before Zhou Andong could react, Tang Zhenqing pulled him up: "Your Uncle Nie is still waiting for you. Besides, I'll introduce you to a few more people; it will be of no small help to your upcoming reforms at the Woolen Mill!"

Zhou Andong was helpless. How could he refuse Tang Zhenqing's good intentions? He could only let Tang Zhenqing pull him away. As for Zhang You and the others, they were full of astonishment, looking at each other in dismay.

"What did Uncle Tang just say? Did you hear clearly?"

"Heard it clearly." Song Mao blinked his small eyes: "Uncle Tang won't let Brother Dong sit and drink with us juniors."

Xiao Liuzi picked up his wine glass, tilted his head slightly, took a small sip of wine, and then smacked his lips: "Why do I feel like, all of a sudden, I'm a generation younger in front of Brother Dong?"