What seemed to be just an ordinary smile suddenly lit up the dimly lit room for Han Yi. From the moment he entered, he was captivated by Lin Wan again, even though he was well aware of her beauty. On the day they took photos, he had seen her in a wedding dress, but today she took his breath away once more.
A crowd of people made some noise for a while, and then, seeing that it was almost time, Lin Yinghui, acting as the brother, carried Lin Wan onto the wedding car.
Upon arriving at the venue, Han Yi directly carried Lin Wan into the main hall.
Amidst the cheering of the crowd, Han Yi removed Lin Wan’s red veil.
In the courtyard, there was a table set up. Aunt Jin had the couple bow to the heavens and the earth before leading them to the main hall to serve tea to their elders.
Only then did Lin Wan notice that the room was decorated festively, with a picture of Chairman Mao hanging on the wall opposite the door. Besides Grandma, sitting in the place of honor were Han Yi’s mother and her current husband, Hu Bin.
Hu Bin worked as a mid-level official at the Industrial and Commercial Bureau in a district of S City. He used to be classmates with Han Yi’s second uncle, and Han Yi’s mom was introduced to Hu Bin by him.
In her previous life, Lin Wan hadn’t interacted much with Han Yi’s mother. Apart from visiting Grandma during the holidays, Han Yi’s mother seldom visited the home due to Han Yi. It seemed Han Yi wasn’t particularly close to her either.
Every time Han Yi’s mom saw her, she was mild and indifferent, even less affectionate than the other relatives in the family, almost like a stranger.
When offering tea to Grandma, she was very pleased and gave a big red envelope.
Han Yi’s mother’s name was Shen Qing. The eldest uncle was called Shen Haitao, and the second uncle was called Shen Xinghe. Han Yi followed his grandmother’s surname, Han, for reasons unknown to Lin Wan.
When Lin Wan changed her address to call her mother, Shen Qing’s expression remained indifferent. The refined middle-aged man beside Shen Qing was Han Yi’s stepfather, but Han Yi called him Uncle Hu.
Uncle Hu did not wear a cold expression like Shen Qing. Instead, he gave them a smile and also handed over a red envelope.
However, Lin Wan inadvertently noticed Shen Qing’s hand tensed with veins, gripping tightly due to nervousness.
The tea-serving atmosphere was somewhat eerie, the quietest moment of the wedding. It was completely opposite to the atmosphere at their home.
Only then did Lin Wan realize that her mother-in-law was not as indifferent as she had thought in her previous life.
After the tea ceremony, Han Yi led Lin Wan to their wedding room.
The wedding room had undergone a major transformation since her last visit. The room was newly painted, with about seventy to eighty centimeters of blue paint at the bottom, a common decoration style for homes during this era.
The original old wardrobe and tables had been removed and replaced with new ones. The bed was covered with a stack of thick red quilts, and the bedspread was bright red.
Lin Wan sat on the happy bed, with only Zhang Shuhua, the eldest uncle’s daughter Shen Rong, the second uncle’s daughter Shen Jie, and Han Yi’s half-sister, Hu Lijuan, who followed her mother, entering with her.
As soon as Shen Rong from the eldest uncle’s family entered, she stared with envy at the electric fan, sewing machine, and ladies’ bicycle in the room. But when she looked at Lin Wan, there was disdain in her eyes, visible enough even for Zhang Shuhua beside her to sense it. On this joyous day, Lin Wan pretended not to see it.
Before long, Han Yi came in to say it was time to head to the restaurant. Zhang Shuhua, smiling, asked the others to step out first so Lin Wan could change her clothes.
Neighbors had all gathered and were ready to head to the restaurant. There were only two military vehicles, both reserved for Lin Wan’s natal family.
Liang Hongmei, concerned about Han Yi’s grandmother due to her age, helped her into the car first.
As expected, the restaurant Han Yi booked was indeed theirs.
By the time they arrived at the restaurant, six tables were almost fully prepared.
Xiao Gu and Aunt Gui hadn’t expected today’s happy banquet to be for Xiao Wan. Remembering Brother Lin’s instructions from the previous night, Xiao Gu had a rough idea.
So they quickly went to the kitchen and quietly added a whole fortune pig’s elbow to the menu. Seeing it was the boss’s wedding, the staff at the restaurant made some gestures of goodwill.
Xiao Gu took it upon himself to open another table, as they weren’t open for business at noon anyway.