Chapter 575

After making a joke, Lu Yao seriously said: "Brother, I want to invite Secretary Guo Dajin to my engagement banquet."

Lu Fan nodded and said: "That's right. Think about it again, see if you still need to invite people; just give the list to Brother tomorrow."

Returning to the study, Lu Fan took out pen and paper, considering whom to invite.

The first one is definitely Second Uncle; after making the call, Lu Fan said with a smile: "Second Uncle, I plan to hold Yao Yao's engagement banquet on the third day of the first lunar month; can you come to Swallow City?"

Second Uncle sighed: "That pesky girl finally found a husband's family; I will definitely go!"

Lu Fan replied: "Thank you, Second Uncle; I'll have Ceng Ming contact you, and you don't need to worry about anything else."

Second Uncle asked: "Xiao Fan, what's the situation with Yao Yao's in-laws?"

"Do you still remember Secretary Chen Deming? He's his son."

"Ah?" Second Uncle exclaimed: "My goodness, I'll have to go to the city tomorrow to buy a new outfit; we can't let Yao Yao lose face!"

"Second Uncle, you don't need to prepare anything; I'll arrange everything. It would be best if the whole family comes, and we can have a good time in Swallow City for a few days."

Second Uncle replied: "The female guests won't go; I'll just bring Lin Xuan and Lin Fang."

……

Next, Lu Fan also called Ceng Ming and Du Wenlong, asking them to notify the brothers and then pick up Second Uncle's family to Swallow City.

Upon hearing that Lu Yao was getting engaged, the brothers were very happy; this sister, whom everyone had watched grow up, was treated as a true sister.

Han Xinpu must be invited; he also represents Secretary Tang Bing.

Zhao Lingyun is also invited; our relationship with him is very good, he's the best 'partner', and he can also receive the Chen Deming family, since he once served as Secretary Chen Deming's secretary.

With just these people, Lu Fan doesn't want to make a big fuss.

After notifying everyone, Lu Fan called Hong Tao, smiling: "Secretary, I formally come to ask you to be the matchmaker!"

From the phone came Hong Tao's hearty laugh; he said: "Lu Fan, congratulations! I must be the matchmaker—what day is it set for? I will definitely come!"

"It's set for the third day of the first lunar month, to be held at Grandfather's place. Just the two families meeting, plus my second uncle's family and a few close childhood friends. Secretary, the engagement arrangements are trouble for you; we won't observe any formalities, just go through the motions."

Hong Tao said: "The proper etiquette must not be lacking; it's what the senior leader should prepare. Don't worry about it—I'll take full charge of the engagement; this pig's head is mine to eat!" The custom in Yingjiang is to give the matchmaker a pig's head.

At noon the next day, Lu Fan's family took his sister to the Northern Headquarters hutong to eat New Year's Eve dinner.

Not long after they sat down, Hong Tao brought Si Daiqiang over for a visit; the family hurried to greet them and warmly received them.

Nowadays, no one dares to underestimate Hong Tao; anyone with clear vision knows that the situation is basically settled.

Lu Yao came over to greet him; Hong Tao smiled broadly and said: "Yao Yao, in the blink of an eye over a decade has passed, and now you're getting engaged—time really flies!"

Lu Yao sincerely replied: "Thank you, Secretary, for your years of care and concern for me and my brother; in my heart, you are an elder I deeply respect."

Hong Tao said: "After the engagement, the wedding shouldn't be delayed too long. Yao Yao, consider whether you should transfer back to work in Swallow City."

Lu Yao quickly said: "Secretary, I have many cases on hand; I can't leave for now."

Hong Tao laughed and said: "Just like your brother, you're career-driven; I can't interfere with this—you and your spouse need to discuss it."

After exchanging greetings, Hong Tao, Lu Fan, and Li Lao discussed the engagement arrangements.

Lu Fan said: "Secretary, there's really nothing to discuss; just the two families meeting and having a simple meal."

Hong Tao said: "According to our local customs, we should at least discuss the bride price and the three gold items."

Lu Fan laughed and said: "A token bride price is enough; as for the three gold items, clothes, etc., let Yao Yao and Chen Xu buy them themselves. As for houses, cars, and such, I don't need to worry—Yao Yao has no special demands; just having a place to live is fine. As for etiquette, keep it simple, omit what can be omitted."

Hong Tao laughed: "Being the matchmaker like this is too simple; there's no room to play a role."

After about half an hour, Hong Tao got up to say goodbye and went to Chen Deming's home to discuss the engagement.

This year's New Year's Eve dinner was especially lively; little Yuxuan ran around everywhere, becoming the family's source of joy.

Li Siwei and Li Zihan have often been scolded by Li Lao; to this day they're still unmarried, making the Li Zijun couple anxious to death.

By the morning of the second day of the first lunar month, Lu Fan and his sister went to the airport to meet Second Uncle's family; Li Siwei specially arranged a Coaster bus. Their parents are gone, so they are the closest elders.

Around twelve o'clock, Ceng Ming, Du Wenlong, and they brought Second Uncle's family out of the airport; Lu Yao ran over and affectionately linked arms with Second Uncle.

After arriving home, Lu Fan took the child, while Li Zimeng and Lu Yao took Second Uncle to shop at the mall, giving him a full update from inside to outside, and bought a lot of clothes and cosmetics; on the way back they brought gifts for Second Aunt and the two younger siblings.

Lu Fan hadn't gathered with the brothers for years; upon meeting, they were all very happy. As is customary in the first lunar month, they must drink heartily; the house was unusually lively, and even his son sat properly beside them, raising his cup to toast with everyone.

While drinking, everyone talked about their hometown Yingjiang; what Lu Fan didn't expect was that Si Daiqiang went all out, raising funds by any means, and actually implemented free medical care for all citizens across the entire city!

Regarding this situation, Lu Fan could only feel envy and jealousy; Yingjiang has over two million people, Nanyuan nearly ten million, and if free medical care for all were implemented, the fiscal expenditure would be more than four times that of Yingjiang, which is unaffordable. Moreover, given its special political status, it's easy to secure financial support from all levels.

Si Daiqiang is indeed generous; Ceng Ming, Yang Mingshao, Liu Jin Zhu, and Xia Li now hold important positions, becoming bureau-level leaders; Su Xiao'e's Wanhe Agriculture is thriving. The seven brothers who once walked out of Wolf Cha Village have all become prominent figures.

Early on the third day of the first lunar month, Lu Fan brought Second Uncle's family and six brothers to the Northern Headquarters hutong.

Not long after they arrived, the Secretary of the Huayuan Province Discipline Inspection Committee, Zhao Lingyun, and Guo Dajin came.

Lu Fan specifically chatted with Guo Dajin for a while, expressing regret for his sister's past rashness.

Now that Lu Yao is about to become Chen Deming's daughter-in-law, how could Guo Dajin hold any grudge?

At nine o'clock sharp, two cars stopped at the entrance; Lu Fan and Li Lao went out to greet the guests.

The Chen Deming family dressed especially formally today to show their regard for the engagement; also present were Chen Xu's maternal uncle and paternal uncle, which in Qin Bei are called "room head and maternal uncle"; of course, the matchmaker Hong Tao was indispensable, as was the uninvited Wang Honghai.

After exchanging greetings, Wang Honghai punched Lu Fan hard and complained: "You didn't even notify me about Yao Yao's engagement? Are we still brothers? You heartless wretch—if my brother weren't the matchmaker, I would have missed out!"

Lu Fan embarrassedly said: "You're a busy person; I didn't want to bother you. I'll definitely call you for the wedding. Besides, not notifying you saves you gift money."

Wang Honghai angrily shouted: "You bastard, do you know I make billions in minutes? You care about this little gift money? Later I'll give your sister a huge red envelope, big enough to make you tremble, opening your eyes to what it means to be filthy rich!"

After the two families were seated, the matchmaker Hong Tao took charge, and the table was laid with the "six gifts" brought by the Chen Xu family.

The first item was "discussing the bride price"; Second Uncle, representing the bride's side, expressed that they didn't care about those empty formalities.

The bride's side didn't want it, but Chen Deming couldn't not give it; he produced the prepared large red envelope containing 88888 yuan.

Second Uncle still wanted to decline, but Hong Tao pressed him down and said with a smile: "Don't decline this; we'll observe it—propriety cannot be lacking."

Second Uncle was particularly obstinate, insisting on returning part of the bride price according to their hometown custom, and ultimately received 66666 yuan.

After the bride price discussion, Li Lao had the kitchen serve the dishes, and they reached the rite of changing address and acknowledging kin.

The newlyweds held their wine cups and, in turn, offered a toast to the relatives and friends of both sides.

When toasting Chen Deming and his wife, Lu Yao was very shy, twisting and turning as she called out "Dad, Mom!"

This address made Chen Deming and his wife especially delighted; the son's marriage finally had a prospect, and they each gave a "one in ten thousand" large red envelope as a "title‑changing fee."

After making the rounds of toasts, Lu Yao's hands went soft from collecting red envelopes, all starting at 5000 yuan; the most extravagant were Wang Honghai and Li Siwei, who directly gave bank cards!

Li Siwei represented the Li family's intentions, while Honghai represented Wang Hongtao's intentions; neither of them is short of money!

In less than half an hour, the engagement ceremony was settled; everyone moved to the restaurant and formally began the feast. Second Uncle was strongly pushed to the head seat, while Li Lao and Chen Deming took the two sides. At this occasion, heaven is big, earth is big, but the bride's family is the greatest!

Ceng Ming, Du Wenlong and the others sat at the side table, not daring to utter a breath, after all the people present were of too high a rank to be intimidating!

Chen Deming was unusually happy today, holding his glass and clinking two glasses with everyone; good things come in pairs!

Second Uncle, Lu Fan, Wang Hongtao, and Li Lao also made a round of toasts.

What Ceng Ming and Yang Jinzhu didn't expect was that Secretary Hongtao, while making the rounds of toasts, could actually call out each person's name, making them unusually excited.

After drinking until 1:00 p. m., everyone was feeling the effects of alcohol; under Wang Hongtao's suggestion, the banquet ended, and everyone went to the living room to drink tea and sober up, meanwhile discussing marriage‑related matters, preliminarily set for around May 1, with the exact date to be chosen based on an auspicious day on the yellow road.

After the younger sister's marriage was settled, Lu Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, Lu Fan and Lu Yao took Second Uncle, Lin Xuan, and Lin Fang to play for a day in Yan City, fulfilling filial duty; this was Second Uncle's first visit to a big city.

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, Lu Fan brought his family to send Second Uncle back to Ningyang, to sweep the graves for his parents and personally tell them Lu Yao's good news. Chen Xu, upon learning of this, also wanted to go along; he had not yet changed his form of address to call them "Dad" and "Mom".

Along the way, Lu Fan and his two brothers discussed work; Lin Xuan was already a section chief of the Municipal Organization Department, while Lin Fang was a mid‑level leader at the Oilfield Company, both working hard and eager to improve.