Although the proposal was successful, when it came to setting a wedding date, after calculating the dates, they decided to hold the wedding a year later.
Luo Bei knew that even though the Gu family tried to keep a low profile, they wanted to make the wedding of Gu Qianyan more grand. Actually, this was also good for her. During this time, she had to prepare for the MBA exam. If she immediately got married after the proposal, plus she needed to look after the shop, she would really be stretched too thin.
Friends were not surprised that Luo Bei was going to marry Gu Qianyan. After all, in the world of adults, both parties had already met each other’s parents, their relationship was stable, and they had been dating for over a year. They were not against marriage, so the next step was to talk about getting married, right?
Grandma Luo also wanted to save some money from the rent during this year and prepare a dowry for her beloved granddaughter. Although because the Gu family was wealthy, no matter how she prepared, she couldn’t match their wealth, but she still wanted to try her best to give her granddaughter the best dowry.
The proposal was romantic, but the details of the wedding were tedious.
This is the difference between dating and getting married.
Uncle Cheng insisted on transferring two stores under his name to Luo Bei before she and Gu Qianyan got their marriage certificate, saying that this was pre-marital property that nobody could take away. Luo Bei refused many times, but in the end, she had to accept. If she didn’t, Uncle Cheng would be visibly hurt. Although she accepted, she also made a decision in her heart. Uncle Cheng treated her like a daughter, and she would also treat him like a father. She would definitely repay with filial piety in her own way in the future.
In the end, Uncle Cheng and Grandma Luo scraped together 500,000 yuan and put it in a bank account, which they gave to Luo Bei.
Although she’s not short of money now, it’s still a gesture of goodwill from the elders.
If Luo Bei had married an ordinary person, her dowry would have been considered very generous. A rental property in an urban village would be enough to cover a family’s expenses, in addition to two thriving stores and so much savings. However, she married Gu Qianyan. Just the gift money given by the Gu family stunned both Grandma Luo and Uncle Cheng.
Originally, Luo Bei and Gu Qianyan had agreed that her family wouldn’t give a dowry and his family wouldn’t give a betrothal gift to save the trouble of all the formalities. However, Grandpa Gu didn’t agree and talked to Luo Bei privately for a long time… In the end, Luo Bei joked with Gu Qianyan that by marrying him once, she went straight from a little rich girl to a wealthy woman.
Everything went smoothly, except for one problem that Luo Bei struggled with.
The Gu family had already prepared a wedding house not far from their old house, in the same district. It’s a three-story small villa with a small garden and a swimming pool. This meant that Luo Bei didn’t need to live with Grandpa Gu, Father Gu, and Mother Gu after marriage, but could move out and start her own small family with Gu Qianyan.
Luo Bei didn’t object to living with the elders, as she was already familiar with them.
Now what troubled her was what to do with her Grandma after she got married?
She couldn’t bear to leave Grandma alone in the urban village, as she wouldn’t be at ease. Her Grandma was getting older, and if anything happened to Grandma at home alone, what would they do? Besides, living alone was too lonely for an elderly person.
Even though Grandma Luo had comforted Luo Bei more than once, saying that it was alright for her to stay in the urban village as she had been living there for many years and was already accustomed to it, and her neighbors were close by, and it was convenient to call if anything happened.
While Luo Bei was worrying about this, during a dinner, Gu Qianyan ate a dumpling and said to Grandma Luo, “Grandma, now that I’m marrying Beibei, I want to eat dumplings three times a week. Don’t be annoyed with me when the time comes. It’s mainly because these dumplings are so delicious!”
Grandma Luo was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, “Whenever you want to eat them, just come over.”
Gu Qianyan looked surprised and said, “After we get married, you will definitely live with us. Your room is on the first floor, and our bedroom is on the second floor. I have arranged everything so that you don’t have to climb the stairs.”
Not just Grandma Luo, even Luo Bei was surprised because Gu Qianyan hadn’t told her about these arrangements.
Grandma Luo quickly said, “No need, no need. I have been living here for many years, and I am used to it. If you make me move, I won’t be comfortable. I won’t live with you.”
Gu Qianyan put down his chopsticks, his face serious. “It’s either Beibei and I move back to live with you, or you come with us to the new house. Not only Beibei care about you, but I also care about you. We’ll hire a housekeeper. If you want to cook, you can cook. If you don’t want to, let them do it. Grandma, I’m not a stranger. You really don’t have to make yourself uncomfortable for me and Beibei.”
Grandma Luo didn’t say anything, but her expression was moved. “Well, I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t think about it. It’s decided. You can’t do without Beibei, and Beibei can’t do without you. And I can’t do without the dumplings and hand-pulled noodles you make.”
That night, Luo Bei and Gu Qianyan went for a walk in the nearby park. She held his hand and whispered, “How did you come up with the idea of having my Grandma live with us?”
No matter how close they were, she didn’t know how to express this worry because she knew that Gu Qianyan wanted to have a two-person world with her, which was why he said they would not live in the old house. She had been hesitating about how to discuss it with him.
Gu Qianyan sighed. “I know you’ve been worried about this lately, Beibei. Although I want to have a two-person world with you, I know that you and your Grandma have a deep relationship. You’ve been dependent on each other for so many years, and she’s getting older. You can’t let her live alone here. And I’ve also prepared my Grandpa’s room in the villa. They’re getting older, and even though they don’t say it, they want to live with us. My parents are often not at home, and there are only some butlers and housekeeper aunts in the old house. Sometimes he feels lonely.
“But I know that if we live in the old house after we get married, no matter what you say, your Grandma won’t move over. In her heart, that’s the Gu family’s home. So I bought a new house, considering this point. This is the home of her granddaughter and grandson-in-law, and she won’t have any psychological burden if she moves there. Beibei, if you think about it carefully, how many more years can we accompany them at their age? We still have many, many years of our two-person world, but the days we spend with them are really not that many.”
Speaking of this, he paused for a moment and said, “I hope they can enjoy their old age. The most regrettable thing in the world is that parents pass away before their children can take care of them. I don’t want us to regret not spending enough time with them after they’re gone. We can certainly be with them now, so let’s not make excuses for ourselves. Don’t you agree?”
Luo Bei didn’t say anything, she hugged his waist and buried her head in his chest, saying, “…I almost cried when you said that.”
Gu Qianyan patted her back like he was comforting a child and said, “We are husband and wife now, the closest people to each other in this world. There’s nothing we can’t talk about. If I don’t understand your thoughts and can’t fulfill your wishes, I wouldn’t have proposed to you.”
Meanwhile, Grandpa Gu was grinning when he found out that Gu Qianyan and Luo Bei had prepared a room for him in their new house.
The butler had been with him for many years and knew his character well. He said, “Qianyan and Beibei are still very filial to you. They may not live in the old house, but they prepared a room for you and said you can move in anytime. You don’t have to worry that Qianyan doesn’t care about you. He’s more filial to you than anyone else.”
Grandpa Gu spoke his mind for once, “I know. When he said he wouldn’t live in the old house at first, I was really upset. But now I understand that he probably took Beibei’s Grandma into consideration and prepared a new house outside. His thoughts are much more delicate than mine.”
In short, who doesn’t want to be with their grandchildren and enjoy family happiness in their old age? But times have changed. Young people don’t like to live with the elderly, which is understandable since they have different lifestyles and conflicts are easy to arise.
A year is not long at all, for Luo Bei, it passed by in a flash. She went from someone’s fiancée to someone’s wife. Looking at the marriage certificate, the two husband and wife laughed like a fool in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau.
A relationship, from beginning to marriage, is really not easy. They dated for more than two years, and there were conflicts and arguments along the way. Like all couples, they would argue over trivial matters, but they also had a rule that any argument they had that day had to be resolved that day and not carried over to the next day. This was to avoid affecting their relationship and work too much. After all, no one can fully focus on their work without being disturbed after having a fight with their boyfriend or girlfriend.
Gu Qianyan asked Jiang Sihan to be his best man. Jiang Sihan felt that this person had a face thicker than a city wall. He held a glass and looked at Gu Qianyan, asking, “Do you have no shame?”
If Jiang Sihan didn’t understand Gu Qianyan’s character, he would have had every reason to suspect that he was showing off and demonstrating.
Gu Qianyan sincerely said, “I don’t have many friends. Zhan Qi got married earlier this year and can’t be my best man. You are the most suitable person around me, Xiao Jiang. May you have a peaceful life.”
Jiang Sihan sighed.
He suddenly felt very miserable.
Although he is now famous and rich, he has no interest in dating. His feelings for Luo Bei have been deeply buried in his heart. Since knowing that she is with Gu Qianyan, he has only regarded her as a friend. This is the dignity of a man, and the loyalty between friends. If, as a person, he coveted a friend who has a boyfriend, coveted a good friend’s girlfriend, he would really be…
He put aside his thoughts and buried his feelings, but he still hasn’t met another girl he likes.
Even a journalist he knows said, “Brother Jiang, date someone. I promise not to take pictures of you.”
Jiang Sihan thought for a moment and said to Gu Qianyan, “Okay.”
After all, it’s Beibei’s wedding, and he won’t be absent. Being Gu Qianyan’s bestman is also great. After all, his relationship with Gu Qianyan is really good.
“But I have a condition,” Jiang Sihan said.
Gu Qianyan immediately said, “Let’s not talk about money. I know how expensive your endorsement fees are.”
Jiang Sihan chuckled in exasperation, “Do you think I would charge a fee for attending a friend’s wedding?”
“Then, what’s your condition?”
“Don’t come to me to chat for no reason in the future. Now, Brother Liu is suspecting me…” Jiang Sihan couldn’t bring himself to say the rest.
It was because Gu Qianyan was the top contact in his WeChat chat list, and Brother Liu had been hinting at something. Jiang Sihan was well aware of Brother Liu’s suspicion.
Gu Qianyan glanced at Jiang Sihan and said, “….So, nowadays, even men need to keep their distance from each other?”
Jiang Sihan nodded reluctantly, “It seems so.”
The two straight men immediately began to discuss the unfairness of society towards men.
The best man and bridesmaid have been decided, and the ring bearer has also been chosen. Naturally, it was none other than Fang Jingzhou. Gu Qianyan’s cousin has a chubby little girl who can also serve as a ring bearer.
On the day of the wedding, Fang Jingzhou wore a small suit and leather shoes. He even had a hairstylist style his hair with a lot of hair wax, making him look very handsome.
Fang Jingzhou had grown much taller, and with excellent grades, he had helped Luo Bei with many things. When he saw Luo Bei in a wedding dress, he felt especially excited.
Of course, it wasn’t just him who was excited. Many people at the scene were very excited, with Gu Qianyan being the most excited.
Even though he had woken up before five o’clock this morning and even had a makeup artist ask him to put on a face mask, he wasn’t angry.
Although when the makeup artist applied foundation to his face, he tried his best to endure it, and he managed to restrain himself from asking the makeup artist to stop.
He swore he would only get married once, really.
Mother Gu was particularly confident today. She had always insisted on exercising, and in the past six months, she had intensified her efforts. So now, she was wearing a qipao and standing in front of the mirror. Even she felt that she was truly charming.
She didn’t have any excess fat on her body, and her figure remained the same as when she was in her twenties or thirties. Wearing high heels and exquisite makeup, she strolled among the familiar crowd and really enjoyed the surprised looks the guests gave her.
Yes, you are not mistaken.
I’m in my early fifties this year. My son is already married, but I’m still young and pretty.
That’s what drives her to work hard to maintain her figure and beauty.
With a slender figure and good complexion, Mother Gu smiled even more happily.
Today, many old classmates came, and she greeted them with a smile, satisfied to hear them exclaim, “Jiayu, you haven’t changed at all! You look just like you did in college!”
Mother Gu entertained these old classmates and friends. Soon, she saw Father Lei and Mother Lei.
In fact, she was not very familiar with these two people, but due to past cooperation and some intersections, she invited them today. Strictly speaking, Father Lei was also her former classmate.
Mother Gu held Father Gu’s hand and came to Father Lei and Mother Lei, smiling and greeting them, “Mr. Lei, Mrs. Lei, thank you for coming to the wedding today.”
Father Lei also had some contact with Father Gu when they were young, so he spoke more casually, “You are really lucky. I heard that your daughter-in-law is very capable.”
Father Gu nodded proudly, “My son is capable, and my daughter-in-law is capable too. We will all enjoy a good life with them when we get old.”
After entertaining Father Lei and Mother Lei, Father Gu took Mother Gu to another place to greet guests.
Father Gu leaned in to whisper in the ear of his wife, “Mrs. Lei used to be quite famous for her beauty when she was young. But now…she’s really old.”
“Was she really famous? I had no idea,” replied his wife, rolling her eyes. “And what do you mean by ‘old’? I’m around the same age as her, aren’t I?”
Father Gu immediately tried to flatter her, “But you’re not like other people. Our son even said that you’re a model for women.”
That’s true. A woman who can be so tough on herself these days is not an ordinary person, and Gu’s mother is one of them.
In fact, Mother Lei doesn’t like Mother Gu very much. On the one hand, it’s because Mother Gu refused to ally with her in the past. On the other hand, she feels that Mother Gu is already in her fifties and may have grandchildren soon, but still dresses up as if she were a young girl. Mother Lei finds this behavior very distasteful.
In her heart, Mother Lei disapproved of everything Mother. Gu did. But then she heard her husband, who had nothing to say to her for a long time, talk to someone else: “I went to Mr. Gu’s wedding years ago, and he and his wife haven’t changed a bit all these years. They still look like they’re in their thirties. It’s really admirable. We’ve all grown old.”
Mother Lei was startled. She turned her head to look at her husband and couldn’t help but ask, “But don’t you think that Mrs. Gu isn’t very dignified?”
Father Lei glanced at her, and that look made her freeze. It was the same expression he had over twenty years ago when he had asked for a divorce, when he had thought it was a waste of time even to look at her.
“I think they’re great,” Father Lei withdrew his gaze. “Mr. and Mrs. Gu both look very happy. And that happiness isn’t just for show.”
“Have you been unhappy these years?” Mother Lei suddenly felt heartbroken.
She has sacrificed so much for this family, but her husband doesn’t love her and her son doesn’t understand her.
“Are you happy these years?” Father Lei asked in response.
She was suddenly stunned, not knowing how to answer.
Happy? It seems that she can’t tell whether she is happy or not.
“Treating each other with respect like guests1” is a beautiful story, but in the end, it turned into “respect each other like ice2“.
Zhao Pianpian was also busy. Lei Yuhao took baby Chen to play while she accompanied Luo Bei to do makeup.
Luo Bei looked really beautiful today. Maybe every girl who is going to marry her loved one is like this. No wonder there is such a saying that the bride is the most beautiful.
Zhao Pianpian stood behind Luo Bei and smiled slightly, “Beibei, I wish you happiness.”
Luo Bei pursed her lips and nodded with a smile, “Yeah, thank you.”
Zhao Pianpian looked at Luo Bei’s happiness and felt happy for Luo Bei from the bottom of her heart. In her most difficult days, it was Beibei who had been with her all the time. She also learned a lot from Beibei, things that she couldn’t comprehend before.
She has now come to terms with it. In one’s lifetime, there are many things that cannot be forced, but one’s own destiny is something that can be controlled.
Beibei is right. Living in this world, we should cherish every opportunity to experience so many things, and love should not be the most important thing in life.
Zhao Pianpian is now very fulfilled and grounded every day.
The past where she once lost her dignity, she now can face it calmly.
At the wedding, as they exchanged rings, Luo Bei looked at Gu Qianyan with love in her eyes.
Fang Jingzhou stood next to Grandma Luo and watched as she wiped her tears with a handkerchief. He awkwardly comforted her, “Grandma Luo, Beibei and Uncle Xiao Zhou are getting married, shouldn’t we be happy?”
Grandma Luo choked up, “I am happy, but also distressed.”
“Distressed?” Fang Jingzhou didn’t quite understand.
Adults really use strange words.
Beibei clearly likes Uncle Xiao Zhou, and Uncle Xiao Zhou likes Beibei. They are getting married and becoming a family, isn’t that something to be happy about?
Why did Grandma Luo cry, and Pianpian cried too? Even Uncle Cheng was quietly wiping tears?
It’s so strange.
Then I’ll cry too, otherwise I won’t fit in.
Fang Jingzhou wanted to squeeze out a few tears and even pinched himself, but he couldn’t cry. In the end, he decided not to force himself and just laughed stupidly at the stage.
The wedding speaker was Grandpa Gu.
He’s almost eighty years old this year, but still very spirited and healthy. He wore a suit, stood straight, walked with the wind, and outshone many young people.
Grandpa Gu bowed to the guests present and looked at his grandson and granddaughter-in-law standing aside.
“Today is my grandson Gu Qianyan’s wedding. First of all, I thank you all for coming to witness their happiness in your busy schedules,” he bowed again. “Many years ago, when Qianyan was born, he had wrinkled skin and cried very loudly. I wondered what kind of person he would become in the future. People often say that adults tend to project their unfinished wishes onto their children, hoping to achieve a kind of fulfillment. I don’t deny that. Qianyan has always been excellent, and I believe that everyone here knows it. I’ve had more than one headache for his marriage. I wondered who the girl who will accompany him for life and grow old with him would be and what kind of person she would be.”
“Perhaps it’s just that elders like to worry about these things. Today, he’s getting married to a lovely girl, he’s about to be a husband and is about to take on the responsibility of a family. Suddenly, I feel like I’m back to that night many years ago. Now I think I have the answer. I hope he will become a responsible person, responsible to society, to the family, to his parents and elders, and later to his wife and children.” Grandpa Gu paused. “I hope they can support each other, as husband and wife are like birds in the same forest. When storms come, they will never leave each other.”
Luo Bei and Gu Qianyan held hands, looked at each other, and saw determination in each other’s eyes.
From now on, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, I will accompany you, love you, and respect you for the rest of my life.
- “相敬如宾” (xiāng jìng rú bīn), which is an idiom in Chinese that describes a harmonious and respectful relationship between husband and wife. ↩︎
- “相敬如冰” (xiāng jìng rú bīng), which means that the couple is respectful to each other, but the relationship lacks warmth and affection. ↩︎
This wedding just felt so wholesome. 💕
Lord knows how happy I am to see this extra and seeing Pian Pian being a great mother who’s not in an ugly relationship and just co-parenting with Lei guy! 😭💗
🥰🥰🥰🥰 the author was so nice to give us these extras!!