Chapter 465: He Yuzhu's Grand Wedding

In the days that followed, He Yuzhu was so busy he barely touched the ground.

During the day, he kept his eyes on equipment production at the Rolling Mill, and at night, he had to finalize the list of personnel heading to Guangdong for aid construction, often working until late at night.

Chen Xueru was not a moment idle on her end either; the trivial matters of the wedding came one after another. She personally inspected the patterns for the wedding attire and the fabric for the quilt covers. Though her eyes and brows carried fatigue, the corners of her mouth always held a smile.

That evening, He Yuzhu dragged his weary steps back to the Number 95 Courtyard.

He had just stepped into his house when his mother Shen Guizhi's complaining voice rang out: "You little brat, the wedding date is already set, why didn't you let me help? You have to make the quilts yourself to be at ease; can others do it well?"

He Yuzhu grinned and said, "You know what Chen Xueru does for a living, don't you? She is a Manager at a clothing store. The wedding attire and quilts are all being made together at their factory, so there's no need for your 'kind mother's needle and thread'."

"If you don't manage anything, wouldn't that be like marrying into her family?" Shen Guizhi's brows knitted even tighter.

He Yuzhu heard the subtext in Shen Guizhi's words and hurriedly asked, "Mom, did someone chew the fat? I paid for everything. Chen Xueru is just helping to make them. Besides, her shop was cheated a while ago and lost billions; they could barely pay wages. How could she have money to subsidize me? I'm just placing a small order with Xueru Clothing to help her out."

"Billions?" Shen Guizhi gasped, "How, how could she lose that much? Doesn't that mean she's bankrupt?"

"It was all because a manager cheated her!" He Yuzhu spread his hands, his tone deepening, "From now on, she's just an ordinary manager; she won't be making big money anymore!"

Shen Guizhi said with slight anxiety, "Then how will you two live in the future?"

"Mom, do you really think I spend her money every day?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Yang Ruihua spreads rumors outside every day, saying you're a kept man, and that our whole family spends the Chen family's money... I feel so stifled; even when I go out to buy groceries, I feel like someone is watching me!" Shen Guizhi said sheepishly.

He Yuzhu sighed softly and asked, "Mom, are you feeling uneasy because you think I really use the Chen family's money every day?"

Shen Guizhi nodded.

He Yuzhu smiled: "Mom, let me give you the bottom line: In Hong Kong, I partnered with Liu Rusi, Zhao Ying, and other shareholders to establish the Eastern Shipping Company, a Bicycle Factory, and an entertainment company. The annual dividends are at least several hundred thousand US dollars. One US dollar is worth thirty thousand of our currency here; you calculate how much that is?"

Shen Guizhi was stunned there, silent for a long while. She suddenly grabbed her son's hand and asked, "Zhuzi, is what you said true? This money... is the source legitimate?"

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "The starting capital did indeed rely on Liu Rusi's influence to get it from those corrupt officials. If I hadn't taken it then, others would have... but the business now is clean and clear, so don't worry."

Only then did Shen Guizhi let out a long sigh of relief, as if a stone had fallen from her heart.

"Mom, you know this, I know this, and even Dad can't be told!" He Yuzhu instructed.

"You don't need to think of your father as so unbearable. Your father... sigh, he has a wandering eye, but he's older now, and as a leader, he doesn't really have feelings for Bai Xiaoting. It's just that back then he was a nobody, and Bai Xiaoting was from a wealthy family... now, he just wants to experience the feeling of a hero saving a beauty!"

He Yuzhu didn't pick up on that topic; he took five stacks of banknotes from his backpack and gently tucked them into his mother's hand: "Mom, this is fifty million, keep it safe. Next time you hear those idle rumors, just think of this."

Shen Guizhi held the money and smiled, saying, "Zhuzi, you're right, it's a good thing everyone thinks we have no money. By the way, why didn't you invite Lao Yang and the others to your wedding? Your father cursed the streets for a long time over this."

"Mom, Xue-ru and I haven't registered the marriage." He Yuzhu's tone dimmed, "Many people don't want me to marry her and are trying every way to stop it. Since that's the case, I won't add to their troubles."

"Who are they?" Shen Guizhi asked.

He Yuzhu shook his head: "Many people."

"Why don't they want you to marry Xueru?" Shen Guizhi asked.

"They think her class background is bad and are afraid it will delay my future. If I marry Chen Xueru, I might only reach the level of Chief Engineer—Bureau-level Official in this life. If I don't marry her, maybe I could reach a higher position!" He Yuzhu tugged at the corners of his mouth, his smile tinged with self-mockery.

Shen Guizhi was startled, then nodded and said, "Mom understands. I don't understand these things, you handle it yourself. But, your eldest uncle is also a civil servant, we can't not invite him, right?"

"He doesn't count, we are close relatives!" He Yuzhu said.

Just as they were talking, the door was pushed open with a "clatter," and He Yushui trotted in, her little face flushed. "Brother! Can my classmates from the choir come to the wedding feast? They even want to perform a program at the wedding! I heard this is popular for weddings now!"

He Yuzhu was happy: "Let them all come! I'll provide the food, give out red envelopes, and have wedding candies. I can even give you a few songs; you all need to rehearse well!"

"That's great! That's great! When will you give them to me?" He Yushui asked.

"Tomorrow!"

"Okay, I'm going to tell them!" He Yushui jumped and darted back out.

On January 25th, the wedding was held at He Ji Restaurant by Shichahai.

A few red lanterns hung in the hall, and "Double Happiness" characters were pasted everywhere on the walls.

Almost all the neighbors from Number 95 Nanluoguxiang came, as well as the Cai Quanwu family, the Shen Wenqing family, the Chen Qingshan family, He Daqing's friends, and even more of Chen Xueru's relatives and friends.

The He Family set a rule this time that the gift money could not exceed two thousand, so everyone tacitly pooled that amount.

The ceremony was very modern. There were no speeches from leaders, no marriage witness reading certificates, and even the bowing to heaven and earth was skipped.

He Yuzhu took Chen Xueru's hand and walked onto the stage, they put wedding rings on each other, and then toasted three cups of wine to the guests filling the hall. The wedding was considered over, and everyone began to sit in their seats to watch the program.

Today, He Yushui was the guest host; because she had several years of performance experience, she was not stage-frightened after going up.

"Thank you all for attending my brother's wedding... This wedding is in response to the country's call for new ways to handle new things. Next, everyone can eat while enjoying the program. The first program is the Jingyun Drum song 'Peach Blossom Village', performed by Zhao Ting."

An eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl with a round face and delicate features walked onto the small stage, bowed to everyone, and began to sing to the accompaniment of several musicians: "Singing of the Flower Monk who escaped into the empty gate at Wutai, his innate nature never changed; just because he beat the bully of Zhenguanxi and caused a disaster, he had no choice but to avoid trouble and stay in the Buddhist gate..."

After listening to the clear and resonant Jingyun Drum song, everyone applauded enthusiastically.

He Yushui went back on stage and said: "The next program is 'Red Dust Inn' performed by the Children's Palace Choir. Performers: He Yushui, Wang Xiaomi... Martial arts performance: Ma Yan, Ding Li, Lou Xiaoe..."

Following that, He Yushui led twelve little girls wearing Hanfu onto the stage.

When Yan Jiefang saw one of the little girls, the chopsticks in his hand suddenly fell to the ground. He had stolen money from this little girl back then, and seeing her again, he felt his face burning.