Starting a new chapter in life

The wedding cars following behind kept throwing out candy, and the children on the street ran alongside the cars, squatting down to pick up the candy. It was quite lively. Fortunately, the area was relatively remote and usually had few cars, so the lively atmosphere didn't cause any traffic jams.

After driving two blocks, the car stopped throwing candy out of the windows and increased its speed. Seeing that there was no more candy, the children naturally stopped chasing after the car, but the smiles on their faces didn't fade. They happily went home to their mothers with bags full of candy.

The rest of the wedding ceremony was held at the groom's side. When the two families met before the wedding, Cheng Heng's father and stepmother had already returned. When Jing Yan saw them, she felt that if Cheng Heng hadn't said anything, she wouldn't have been able to tell that this mother wasn't his biological mother.

Because her attitude was very gentle and warm, and she seemed very friendly to Cheng Heng. His father was the kind of person who was rather serious, but he was still quite mild and polite throughout the meeting. On the contrary, his half-sister was really enthusiastic.

They addressed each other as "sister-in-law" so affectionately that even though He Zhijun and Jing Yan didn't go to the husband's side, they weren't worried about the child being mistreated.

Although the wedding is to be held at the Cheng family's old house, Cheng Heng has already bought a house for the couple after the wedding. It's a three-bedroom, two-living room house on the first floor, with a small garden. The young couple will go back to their own home tomorrow.

After Jingyan finished her work, she took the guests who didn't want to travel halfway across the city to the hotel she had booked in the city center. Both sides would come here for a banquet after the wedding.

The hotel's overall decor was predominantly Chinese, which really suited their wedding. When the bride's relatives and friends arrived, the groom's wedding was still going on, so everyone at the hotel was someone Jingyan and her friends knew.

Upon entering, there are people at the main entrance who collect red envelopes and gifts and register them. Guests can choose not to give them or not. Cheng Heng's main idea is to be casual and relaxed, as long as it's lively.

Jingyan looked around and found that none of the guests on her side had refused to give red envelopes, but none had given gifts.

Everyone sat or stood together chatting. Lu Xiaoxiao's family was also among the invitees. Chen Ping greeted Jing Yan with a smile and congratulated her. Jing Yan could tell from her expression that this person was starting to feel anxious again.

She smiled and asked Xiaoxiao, "Have you been busy lately? I don't usually watch those TV dramas these days. I wonder how your career is going and what your plans are for the future?"

Xiao Xiao laughed: "My career is going well. I'm dating now, and I chose someone similar to Zhizhi. He's not in the entertainment industry either. However, he's not as good as Cheng Heng in many ways. Well, he probably has an advantage in looks. But I don't think our relationship is stable right now, so I want to wait until it's stable before bringing him back to meet our elders."

Chen Ping's eyes immediately lit up as she looked at Xiao Xiao, her voice filled with surprise: "What does he do? How old is he?"

Xiao Xiao felt a little helpless. She knew that as long as she let slip a little, her mother would definitely keep pressing her for answers. But now that Zhizhi was married, if she kept it a secret, her mother would worry even if she didn't say anything. So she had no choice but to bring it up first. It was better to be proactive than passive.

"His family is quite well-off; they own a company. He has an older brother who currently manages the family business. Well, he doesn't have much ambition or drive. He has no worries about food or drink and is never short of money. But he's a very nice person. He likes racing and is good at all kinds of sports. He's also very good to me," Lu Xiaoxiao said, trying to keep it simple.

Chen Ping's smile faded slightly: "Oh, a rich second generation. How old is he? I've heard that those rich second generation kids usually have a lot of fun. Could it be that someone like that is just after you because you're pretty, but he might not be a reliable person?"

Lu Xiaoxiao smiled. Her mother, after all, still loved her. She was even worried he wasn't faithful enough. Shaking her head, she took Chen Ping's arm: "He's almost forty this year. He's already done most of the things he wanted to do years ago."

When he first pursued me, I thought it might be because I was pretty. But later I found out that he was never short of young and beautiful girls offering themselves to him. He was indeed quite a womanizer in the past.

Maybe it's because I'm getting older and have had enough fun, but I want to settle down. We dated for over six months. I was busy with work, so he always made the arrangements. He proposed to me three months after I agreed to be his girlfriend, but I felt our relationship wasn't at that stage yet, so I refused.

He proposed to me a few days ago. I asked Jin'an to help me find out more about him from various sources. If Jin'an also thinks there's nothing wrong with him, I think it'll be about time to take him home to meet my parents.

Chen Ping looked at her and said, "If possible, you should meet his parents and family first and see their attitude. If there's a possibility of being mistreated, then we should find someone else. No matter how good a man is, if his family objects, even the strongest feelings will eventually fall apart."

If your family is good, even if the initial feelings are weak, as long as there are no ulterior motives, feelings can be cultivated. Please don't rush into marriage just because I'm anxious about it. This is not a game; it needs to be treated with care.

Lu Xiaoxiao nodded seriously. At this moment, the groom's relatives and friends began to enter the hotel, indicating that the wedding was over. Lu Xiaoxiao pointed to a flashy man in a burgundy suit...

"It's him. Don't let his unreliable appearance fool you, he's actually quite thoughtful. When I was filming, he would prepare refreshing drinks for me in the summer and bring me meals every day, saying they were made by his chef and were nutritious and delicious."

Jingyan looked up. She liked good-looking people, and the man was indeed handsome. He had a pair of charming phoenix eyes, but not effeminate. His clothes were quite flashy, but he was very well-mannered and knew how to treat people. It was clear that he had been well-educated since childhood, which was very different from children who grew up in ordinary families like theirs.

"Why is he with the man's relatives and friends?" Jing Yan asked, puzzled.

Lu Xiaoxiao laughed: "Because his brother knows Cheng Heng, and they seem to have a pretty good relationship."

Jingyan nodded: "Then why don't you ask Zhizhi to inquire with Cheng Heng for you? You two aren't that far apart in age, only four or five years, and you seem well-matched. As long as he doesn't have any major character flaws, it's a good match."

While I may lack ambition, not everyone can be content with their lot. Anyway, you're not short of money, so as long as you're happy together, that's all that matters.

Xiao Xiao nodded and said, "Cheng Heng said that although he likes to play around, he never goes too far and he never uses family matters to pressure people. That's why I dated him. Otherwise, I would even think that dating is a waste of time."

The guests were almost all present. He Zhijun and Jing Yan were invited to the main table, while Lu Xiaoxiao's family sat at a guest table next to them, along with the families of Chu Han and Chen Bin. Lu Xiaoxiao's boyfriend approached her when everyone was seated.

While chatting with Xiaoxiao, he casually greeted Chen Ping and Commander Lu. Chen Ping took a closer look at him and found that he was indeed good-looking. Although he didn't quite fit the righteous look that their generation preferred, no one could say that he wasn't good-looking.

People greeted them politely, and they naturally returned the greeting. The first impression was quite good. But since it was a friend's wedding banquet, they didn't chat much. He just got to know them and went back to his seat.

Chen Ping kept watching until the person was seated before looking away. "He seems like a nice person."

Commander Lu muttered to her, "Wouldn't you say that a mother-in-law is getting more and more satisfied with her son-in-law?"

Chen Ping glared at him. "You're speaking too soon. Let's wait until Xiaoxiao has formally met their family before we talk about it."

The wedding banquet has begun. The wedding ceremony has already been completed. Now the newlyweds are toasting. Cheng Heng and Zhizhi are wearing two-piece dragon and phoenix gowns. The dragon, phoenix and auspicious cloud patterns on them are embroidered with gold thread. Zhizhi's wedding dress has double sleeves and is very slim and beautiful.

The toasting process went quite quickly, from table to table. After the toasts, the newlyweds returned to the main table, and the banquet began. The wedding officially ended only after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and it was already getting dark by the time it concluded.

Curious, Jingyan went to the door to see how many red envelopes she had received that day. Besides the box of red envelopes, there was also a large box of various gift boxes. Jingyan pointed to the gift boxes and asked curiously, "Are these also today's congratulatory gifts? Why are there gift boxes?"

Cheng Heng happened to be nearby and, upon hearing her words, came over and replied with a smile, "Mom, most of the people who give gifts are relatives or business partners. Friends usually give red envelopes."

Jingyan nodded: "Our guests all give red envelopes, and the people who give gifts are from your side. Zhizhi, you need to register these later, because you will have to return the favor when you have the chance. Don't let others think that you are not polite."

Zhizhi agreed from the side, and Cheng Heng smiled: "Mom, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll take care of it. Zhizhi just needs to focus on her work. Marrying me isn't about making her suffer."

Jingyan patted his hand: "I know you love her, but there are some things that, regardless of whether she has to do them or not, she should at least know them, so that she will be aware of them if they are brought up in the future."

The third sister's family and the eldest brother's family also came. They were preparing to check into the hotel, which had been booked in advance. Jingyan originally wanted them to stay a little longer to explore Beijing, but Rongqiang and Ronggang couldn't leave their work, so the third sister wanted to go with the children.

Needless to say, Xiao Li was incredibly busy. The fact that he could squeeze in time to attend the wedding meant he had to rush things for at least two weeks in advance. Since they refused, Jingyan didn't insist.

On the contrary, He Zhicheng and his wife didn't have much to do when they got back. They agreed to pick them up from the hotel before noon the next day, check out of the hotel room, and stay directly at Jingyan's house so that the two brothers could have more time to connect.

After seeing everyone off, He Jin'an drove the elderly couple home. Once they arrived, seeing that it was getting late, he urged the family of three to go home early. He then told An'an to remember to pick up his uncle and aunt the next day before settling in and resting.

When Jingyan lay down, she felt soreness in her lower back and couldn't help but sigh, "I'm getting old, huh? I've only been up all day, and my back can't take it anymore. It's so good to be young. By the way, are Zhizhi and the others going on their honeymoon tomorrow? Where are they going? I don't think it's in China."

He Zhijun was feeling sleepy, but still answered in a daze: "They say it's Hawaii, that the beaches there are beautiful, but we have beaches in Sanya and Xiamen in China, and Qingdao is also nearby. Why go so far?"

The parents just muttered something, and soon the snoring started in sync. Jingyan herself didn't know when she had started snoring too. However, since the two of them slept together, He Zhijun slept even more soundly than she did, so neither of them knew that Jingyan had started snoring.

After He Zhicheng and his wife were brought here, they would go to the film and television base to watch the fun whenever they had free time. Seeing how interested they were, He Zhijun sincerely tried to persuade them to stay. In the end, the two couldn't resist their younger brother's persuasion and decided to go back after the New Year.

The two brothers hadn't spent the Lunar New Year together for quite some time. Now that everyone was finally together, they naturally wanted to have a big celebration. Beijing winters are quite cold, so the four elders started preparations as soon as the eleventh lunar month began.

Today I'm going to buy some meat to make minced meat, then mix it with some radish to make radish balls. Tomorrow I'll buy some peanuts to boil into spiced peanuts... I'll take a walk every day anyway.

The weather was bad and the ground was slippery, so I didn't buy too much at once, afraid of slipping again due to the weight. I bought things little by little, like ants carrying loads, and by the end of winter, my family had all the New Year's goods ready, with plenty to spare.

Call the two children back and send some things to their in-laws' and mothers-in-law's families respectively. Those two families really don't know how to prepare these things; they are used to eating fresh food, and this kind of thing is still quite unfamiliar to them.

However, they wouldn't refuse their in-laws' kindness; having a meal there occasionally is quite a treat.

This year, both Zhizhi and An'an's families came here to celebrate the Spring Festival. After New Year's Eve and the Spring Festival, Jingyan sent the children to visit their in-laws and mothers-in-law to offer New Year's greetings. Everyone agreed that they would spend the New Year here this year and go there next year, with the main principle being to treat everyone equally.

Neither side objected, and everyone celebrated the New Year in a lively atmosphere. It wasn't until after the Lantern Festival and the lantern viewing that He Zhicheng and his wife packed up and went home. They had been away for almost half a year and missed home.

Although He Zhijun did not try to persuade them to stay, he saw his elder brother and sister-in-law off at the airport. His reluctant demeanor made it clear to everyone that he was reluctant to part with them. He Zhicheng was also reluctant to part with his younger brother. However, what comes together must come apart; this is the natural order of things.

Only after the plane took off did He Zhijun lead Jing Yan slowly out of the airport and get into the car sent by He Jin'an. The two went home, but they were silent the whole way. After a long while, He Zhijun sighed:

“Jingyan, why do people have to grow up? When we were little, we thought about growing up and becoming independent, but now… we always wish time could slow down, and that the people around us could leave more slowly. Is it because I’m getting old that I’m afraid of parting?”

Jingyan gently hugged him: "It's not just you who's afraid of separation, I'm the same way, or maybe it's just that when you get to a certain age, everyone's afraid. You still have me with you, right? If one day I go before you, you'll definitely be lonely then. If you're really lonely, you can find a companion so you can take care of each other."

He Zhijun's original sadness was shattered by her words, and he slapped her on the back angrily: "Don't talk nonsense. If I could, I would rather go before you. I don't want to be sad."