Chapter 17: The Betrothal Ceremony

Grandpa Sang’s eyes were red as well, but he held back his tears. “You old lady, what do you mean we don’t even have a family? Our Xiao Xi is about to get married now. Once he has a wife, he’ll have a family.”

“This is a happy occasion, so don’t cry.”

“Yes, yes, our Xiao Xi is going to have a wife and a family. I won’t cry, I won’t cry.”

Sheng Zexi took out a handkerchief and gently wiped his grandma’s tears. “From now on, I’ll often bring your granddaughter-in-law home to visit you.”

“Good, good.”

“Oh right, the betrothal ceremony is tomorrow. Have you prepared all the betrothal gifts?”

The two elders began checking over Sheng Zexi’s gifts, worried that something might be missing.

Watching his grandparents busy themselves, Sheng Zexi felt a warm glow spreading in his heart.

Thinking about how tomorrow would be the day he and Gu Jianing got engaged, that warmth was tinged with sweetness.

That night, a gentle rain fell, adding a chill to the winter air. But by dawn, the rain had stopped, and sunlight broke through the clouds, bathing the morning in golden light.

As Yao Chunhua opened the door, a breath of fresh air greeted her.

A magpie, who knows where it came from, perched on the jujube tree in the yard, chirping away.

“Oh my, a magpie singing in the tree—that’s a good omen!” Yang Manman came out of her room with a book in hand.

“Today is Ningning’s engagement day, the day the groom’s family brings the betrothal gifts. It’s bound to be a lucky day,” Yao Chunhua beamed.

During breakfast, Gu Jianing heard about the magpie and felt even happier.

“Little sister-in-law, you stay in your room. When we need you later, I’ll come get you.” After breakfast, Gu Jianing was called back to her room by her sister-in-law.

According to the customs of Hua Hua Village, on the day of the engagement and betrothal ceremony, the bride-to-be must stay in her room. The preparations and arrangements are handled by the bride’s family and invited relatives. Only when everything is nearly finished does the bride come out to meet the groom’s family and their elders.

On the Gu side, Yao Chunhua had invited her sister-in-law Lin Qiaoyun from the old house, her eldest sister-in-law Gu Yue who married into the county town, and her younger sister-in-law Gu Rou who married into the neighboring Xinghua Village.

Gu Yue only found out about the engagement a couple of days ago when her eldest nephew, Gu Yunting, came to invite her to help out. She was surprised to learn that her big brother’s daughter, Ningning, had actually found a match with a Beijing resident—a military officer at battalion commander level—and that things had already been settled.

Now, the groom’s family was coming with the betrothal gifts, so of course the Gu family had to call on their relatives for help.

Gu Yue readily agreed, feeling that Ningning was truly blessed.

Gu Yue worked at a food factory. After marrying, she took over her mother-in-law’s job. She had taken leave from the factory yesterday and arrived today.

To be honest, she used to disapprove of how her big brother’s family spoiled Ningning, worrying that she’d become too willful and bring trouble to the Gu family.

Especially after hearing about what Gu Jianing had done for that educated youth, Wen, her worries only grew.

But no one listened to her—not her brother, sister-in-law, or even her nephews.

She’d thought Ningning would end up marrying that Wen fellow, but who would have thought she’d end up engaged to a military officer instead.

After arriving today and interacting with Ningning, she noticed how much the girl had changed, and felt relieved.

The burden she’d carried for her brother’s family was finally lifted.

“Big sis, now that Ningning is marrying a military officer, do you think there’s a chance she could introduce one to my Minmin too?” Gu Yue’s thoughts were interrupted by her younger sister’s question.

Seeing the envy in her sister’s eyes, Gu Yue said, “Maybe there will be a chance in the future. Minmin is still young, only sixteen. Don’t rush to find her a match. Wait a couple more years. Once Ningning gets married and follows her husband, she’ll get to know people over there, and maybe then there’ll be an opportunity.”

“Okay.” Gu Rou was delighted with the answer.

The four Gu siblings all had their own families, but their relationships were still close. Gu Yue and her younger sister Gu Rou had always been especially close. Gu Yue had two sons, so she didn’t have to worry about finding sons-in-law. Gu Rou had two daughters and a son; her eldest daughter, Minmin, was sixteen and at the age for matchmaking in the village.

But it was hard to find a good match, which worried her.

Gu Rou was never very decisive, not as forthright and capable as her big sister Gu Yue, so she always turned to her for advice.

Now, with her sister’s reassurance, she felt at ease.

Just then, the sound of a car horn came from outside.

The sisters exchanged a glance—the groom’s family had arrived!

The military officer who had been matched with Gu Jianing had brought his family to propose!

A green jeep was parked at the Gu family’s gate, drawing the attention of everyone in the village. A quick inquiry revealed that the officer who had been matched with Gu Jianing was here for the engagement.

Behind the jeep was a truck, and people were unloading items for the Gu family.

Bicycles, a sewing machine, a radio…

“My goodness, there’s even an electric fan! That’s more than just the ‘three rounds and one sound’!”

People working in the fields dropped their tools and hurried to the Gu house, eager to see the excitement.

Yao Chunhua had her hands full dealing with all the chattering neighbors.

“Yes, my son-in-law is from Beijing.”

“That’s right, he’s an officer, stationed in the northwest, a battalion commander, earning 100 yuan a month.”

“When Ningning gets married, she’ll follow him to his post.”

“What do you mean Ningning is just lucky? My Ningning is beautiful and has a good personality, that’s why my future son-in-law likes her so much.”

“Yes, today is the engagement. The wedding banquet will be in twelve days. Everyone’s invited!”

When Zhao Weihong heard the news, she was overjoyed and immediately ran to the educated youth camp.

Li Juan watched Zhao Weihong’s figure from afar, knowing she was going to tell Wen Zhiqing the news.

That suited her just fine.

Still, Gu Jianing’s luck was really something. She lost Wen Zhuqing, but now she’s got a Beijing officer. How could she be so lucky?

Li Juan’s thoughts were echoed by most of the young women in the village, all marveling at Gu Jianing’s good fortune.

In her room, Gu Jianing sat alone, listening to the sounds outside and knowing that Sheng Zexi had arrived. Thinking of her previous life, and how she’d been reborn and bound to a system, given a second chance to choose her life—how could she not consider herself lucky?

Thinking about meeting Sheng Zexi and his grandparents soon, Gu Jianing nervously checked her makeup in a small mirror.

Meanwhile, the whole Gu family was stunned by the betrothal gifts Sheng Zexi had brought.

The “three rounds and one sound” plus an electric fan, and a bride price of 500 yuan.

In the countryside, it was rare to even have all the “three rounds and one sound,” and the bride price was usually just a few dozen yuan at most.

Sheng Zexi’s 500 yuan was truly shocking, not to mention the fruit, biscuits, milk powder, and canned fruit.

Such generous gifts showed just how much the groom’s family valued the Gu family and Ningning."

"**Chapter 18: The Precious Wooden Box**

From then on, the Gu family became even more warm and welcoming toward Sheng Zexi and his grandparents.

Grandpa and Grandma Sang were all smiles too. The Gu family was wonderful—honest and sincere people. They felt this was a family they could truly get along with.

They thought, perhaps when Xiao Xi chose that girl named Ningning, the Gu family had played a part in his decision.

In fact, that was indeed the case.

Maybe it was because, after his mother passed away and his father remarried, the atmosphere at home changed. Sheng Zexi no longer felt cared for or loved in his own family.

But during the time he stayed at the Gu family’s house to recover from his injuries, they treated him very well. Even though he paid for his stay and helped out with chores, Sheng Zexi could still tell whether people were being nice just for money or if they genuinely cared about him.

The Gu family was kind, tolerant, and sincere. They never played games or hid their true feelings.

It was this warmth that made Sheng Zexi feel at home.

Perhaps only a family like the Gu’s could raise someone like Gu Jianing—so pure, a little spoiled, a little dramatic—because she always knew her family would be there to catch her, shield her from the wind and rain, and accept her no matter what.

Sheng Zexi couldn’t help but feel a little envious of that silly girl. He wanted to keep protecting Gu Jianing’s carefree happiness.

“By the way, Auntie, where’s Ningning?” Sheng Zexi looked around, not seeing Gu Jianing.

“She’ll be right out,” Yao Chunhua said, giving her eldest daughter-in-law a meaningful look.

Yang Manman nodded, knocked on Gu Jianing’s door, and brought her out.

Gu Jianing always loved dressing up, and on such an important occasion, she naturally wanted to look her best.

Sure enough, the moment she appeared, everyone’s eyes lit up.

When she was introduced to Grandpa and Grandma Sang, Grandma Sang was so excited she grabbed Gu Jianing’s hand, her eyes misting over. “Good, good, what a lovely child—so pretty, like a fairy. Xiao Xi is lucky to marry you.”

Gu Jianing blushed, lowering her head shyly, not daring to look at Sheng Zexi.

Grandma Sang felt just like her own grandmother.

“Xiao Xi, where’s my little box?” Grandma Sang called out.

Sheng Zexi brought over a simple-looking wooden box, about 20 centimeters in size, and handed it to Gu Jianing.

“Ningning, this is from your grandpa and grandma. Take it, quickly.”

Gu Jianing, suddenly holding a box in her arms, was a bit confused. She instinctively looked at Sheng Zexi—What is this?

Yao Chunhua figured this must be a gift from the two elders to Ningning, a sign of their affection.

“Grandma Sang, isn’t this too valuable for Ningning?”

Grandma Sang waved her hand. “Oh, it’s nothing precious, just a little token from us. Some of it was left by Xiao Xi’s mother, so it’s like a little meeting gift from my daughter to Ningning.”

Since Grandma Sang said so, it probably wasn’t anything too valuable, so Yao Chunhua didn’t stop her daughter from accepting it.

Sheng Zexi nodded at Gu Jianing. “Take it.”

Alright, she’d accept it then.

Gu Jianing carried the wooden box to her room and set it on her bed before coming back out. She had no idea what was inside, but it was a bit heavy—she couldn’t just keep holding it.

She was curious, but now wasn’t the time to open it. She’d wait until later when she had a moment.

By the time Sheng Zexi and his grandparents left, half an hour had passed.

After all, this was the formal engagement gift ceremony. According to the customs of Hua Hua Village, once the gifts were given, the groom’s family shouldn’t linger at the bride’s house.

The jeep started up again, heading toward Qingshan County, and the excitement at the Gu family’s house gradually faded.

Now, Gu Jianing finally had a chance to return to her room. Driven by curiosity, she opened the wooden box.

The moment she opened it, a dazzling array of colors greeted her eyes.

Inside were blue, red, yellow, and green—pieces of jewelry everywhere: jade bangles, gemstone rings, necklaces, and more, filling most of the box. Some were even matching sets. Off to the side were a few pieces of paper, and underneath the jewelry, the bottom was lined with small gold bars—ten of them in total.

Gu Jianing knew that these gold bars were valuable, both now and in the future.

As for the jewelry, while it might not seem worth much at the moment, in the future, their value could skyrocket. It was even possible that a single piece could be traded for a house.

And those papers...

If they were stored together with jewelry and gold, they couldn’t be ordinary documents.

The moment she picked them up and looked, Gu Jianing’s hands trembled.

Just as she suspected—they weren’t just papers, but property deeds. One was for a courtyard house in Beijing, not far from the Forbidden City—either in the first or second ring road. Eight were for a row of connected shops on a street in Beijing. The last was for a small Western-style house in Shanghai.

Gu Jianing’s hands shook and her breathing quickened.

“Brother Sheng’s grandparents are way too generous—how is this not considered valuable?”

To be honest, Gu Jianing wasn’t a perfect person. She loved beautiful things and was a bit greedy. Back when she brought the seriously injured Sheng Zexi home, it was because she’d noticed his military uniform and thought there might be some benefit in it.

The jewelry was gorgeous—every piece suited her taste. She imagined how beautiful she’d look wearing them.

She also knew just how valuable this box’s contents were. For a moment, she thought, since it was given to her, she might as well accept it.

But she quickly came to her senses.

She called out loudly, “Mom, come here!”

At her call, Yao Chunhua hurried over. Gu Jianing immediately showed her the contents of the wooden box.

“Oh my goodness!” Yao Chunhua clutched her chest, overwhelmed by the shock. It took her a while to recover. Finally, she grabbed Gu Jianing’s hand and said seriously, “Daughter, this is too valuable. We didn’t know what was inside before, but now that we do, we can’t just accept it without a second thought.”

Gu Jianing agreed. “Mom, I think so too. So next time I see Brother Sheng, I’ll tell him what’s in the box. It’s best to return these things to his grandparents.”

“Yes, we should ask, and that’s the right thing to do.” Yao Chunhua stroked Gu Jianing’s hair lovingly, full of pride. “Daughter, we should accept what we deserve, but what isn’t ours, we should give back.”

“Alright, close the box and put it away for now. Go to the old house and bring your grandma over for lunch.”

“Okay. Oh, Mom, about the gifts Brother Sheng brought today—make sure you and Dad keep some, and share some with the family and Auntie. And those two cans of milk powder, give them to Second Sister-in-law for Zhuangzhuang to drink.” Gu Jianing, though a bit dramatic and in her previous life always tried to squeeze benefits for Wen Zhuqing, was never greedy with her own family. She was generous and knew right from wrong."