Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Betrothal Gifts and Wedding Ceremony

Ever since Zhong Ziyan returned from the Northwest, everyone had been busy and hadn’t had a chance to get together. Today was a rare occasion for everyone to gather, so Yun Runtong and his wife invited both families out for a meal—a belated meeting between the in-laws. Even Grandma Yun came along.

Grandma Yun originally wanted to invite Yun Nianzhou and his wife as well, but Yun Runtong remembered how unpleasant things had gotten last time, so he didn’t agree.

Gu Qinghuan and Yun Jiuzhou, the main characters of the day, were uncharacteristically shy. Although they had been properly married for almost two years, this was actually the first time both sets of parents were formally meeting.

The meal was warm and pleasant. Everyone was already old friends, familiar with each other, and all from highly educated families—well-matched in every way, with no barriers between them.

After dinner, during tea and small talk, Liang Zhiqiu took out two boxes.

“Huanhuan has been a blessing to our Xiao Jiu. They met when he was at his lowest, and now, they’ve finally found happiness together. As parents, we couldn’t be happier for them. Here’s a small betrothal gift from the two of us for Huanhuan. We hope you won’t mind,” Liang Zhiqiu said, opening the boxes and handing them to Zhong Zijun.

“Xiao Jiu” was Yun Jiuzhou’s nickname at home. Since there was already a “Zhouzhou” in the family, Liang Zhiqiu didn’t want to confuse the two children.

According to traditional Chinese values, parents are the main decision-makers in their children’s marriages, especially since daughters are expected to be reserved and modest. So, Liang Zhiqiu naturally offered the betrothal gifts to Zhong Zijun first.

Zhong Zijun didn’t refuse. After all, it was only right for the groom’s family to give betrothal gifts, and she had also prepared a dowry for her daughter.

She lowered her head to check the contents: two properties—one was a traditional three-courtyard house in the old city, and the other was a Western-style house in their own neighborhood. If they chose to live there, it would be close to her own home, making visits easy. Liang Zhiqiu had clearly put a lot of thought into it.

When she saw the deed for an entire building, her expression froze for a moment—this was truly generous. The building turned out to be the largest department store in Beijing. She hadn’t expected the property rights to belong to their family—what a show of wealth!

With this building as a safety net, the two kids could live comfortably for life without ever worrying about money. The annual rent alone would be more than enough for them to live well.

Besides the properties, there was also a bankbook with a deposit of ten thousand yuan.

In a small box was a collection of jewelry, all carefully selected by Liang Zhiqiu to suit young people: jade, gemstones, gold—everything one could want, with plenty of choices.

Just from this box of gifts, it was clear how much thought had gone into it. Since they didn’t know Gu Qinghuan’s preferences, they prepared a bit of everything, considering every detail.

Even Zhong Zijun, who had seen her share of the world, was stunned by the extravagance of the betrothal gifts.

And this was just the betrothal gift.

The Yun family would surely prepare other things for the couple’s daily life.

In this era, the betrothal gift was given to the bride’s family. The parents could choose to let their daughter take it with her or keep it themselves—no one would say a word either way.

No matter what, the other family’s attitude was impeccable, and Zhong Zijun was very satisfied.

There was just one thing—she wondered if the dowry she had prepared for her daughter would seem insufficient compared to such generous gifts. She’d have to add more.

Liang Zhiqiu noticed Zhong Zijun’s thoughtful expression and, thinking she was dissatisfied, quickly added, “Zijun, if you have any requests, just say the word. As long as it’s something our family has, it’s yours. Being able to have Huanhuan as our daughter-in-law, we’re willing to give anything—it’s all worth it.”

Her future mother-in-law’s words warmed Gu Qinghuan’s heart—not because of the gifts, but because of the attitude.

Honestly, even if they hadn’t given any betrothal gifts, she and Yun Jiuzhou were already married—the rice was cooked, so to speak.

But the fact that they were willing to make up for the missed tradition, and to affirm her in front of both families, moved Gu Qinghuan deeply.

“That’s more than enough! I just feel that you’ve given so much, the dowry I prepared for my daughter pales in comparison,” Zhong Zijun replied quickly.

Sincerity for sincerity—no evasions, no hidden agendas. Both families just wanted the best for their children.

Liang Zhiqiu laughed at her words.

“You don’t have to worry about a thing. Just trust Xiao Jiu to take care of your daughter. Once Huanhuan joins our family, Runtong and I will treat her as our own daughter—she’ll never be wronged.”

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but laugh at this, remembering how, in the future, all mothers-in-law would say this before the wedding, only to change their tune afterward. Luckily, there was no internet in this era, or Liang Zhiqiu might have been “canceled” online.

She took the words with a grain of salt. While there was some sincerity, Gu Qinghuan had never planned to rely on anyone—not even her husband, Yun Jiuzhou.

In the end, people are alone in this world. As you go through life, you realize the only person you can fully trust and depend on is yourself. A lover is just the icing on the cake.

Having been hurt by marriage herself, Zhong Zijun didn’t really believe those words either, but the attitude was still comforting.

What she didn’t expect was what Liang Zhiqiu said next, which left Gu Qinghuan and the others stunned.

“In addition to making up for the betrothal gifts, we also wanted to discuss holding a proper wedding ceremony for the two of them. The kids love each other, but they became a family without any ceremony, which is a real regret for us. We’d like to make it up to them.”

Gu Qinghuan instinctively looked at Yun Jiuzhou, who gave her a knowing smile.

Yun Runtong and his wife had already asked for his opinion, and of course he agreed.

He’d attended so many weddings with Gu Qinghuan, and every time he saw the envy in her eyes, it made his heart ache. Yun Jiuzhou had always wanted to give her the best wedding possible, and now the chance had come.

Gu Qinghuan hadn’t expected that, after two years of marriage, she could still have that ceremony—no one would call her pretentious, and she didn’t have to ask for it. When someone loves you, they just know what you need and do it.

In that moment, the love from Yun Jiuzhou and his parents left her at a loss for words. She was smiling, but her eyes brimmed with tears.

Zhong Zijun burst into tears on the spot.

Thankfully, even though she herself had set a poor example as a mother—her marriage had failed and been unhappy—her daughter hadn’t followed in her footsteps.

The rest of the Zhong family looked on with relief and joy.

Gu Qinghuan felt that everything she had gone through along the way had been worth it.

Yun Jiuzhou quietly took her hand.

He felt the same—Gu Qinghuan was like a ray of light that suddenly appeared and illuminated his whole life. Because of her, all the hardships of his earlier years were worth it.

They were each other’s salvation, destined to spend a lifetime together."