Chapter 5: Newlyweds (I)

Tu Ran nodded: "When I had a slight cold during pregnancy, I didn't dare to take any medication indiscriminately, of course I had to see a doctor."

After Tu Ran finished speaking, Zhou Xiaoqian shivered slightly, and she couldn't help but shiver along with her

Lei Yuan asked him: "How is it? Is it beautiful?"

Tu Ran pushed her hand away, gritting her teeth: "Zhou Xiaoqian, can't you be a little more foolish? If you can't be foolish, then why pretend to be? You insist on making everything crystal clear, just to show off how smart you are. It's really annoying"

Lu Chengyu's hand rested on the doorknob, the door slightly ajar. He had once considered whether to knock before entering. Lei Yuan stood at the doorway, glancing inside the room, then looking at the groom beside him, his expression somewhat awkward. Just as he was about to say something, the groom turned and walked to the staircase, where he lit a cigarette.

It is acceptable

Lei Yuan quickly followed behind. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then spoke a sentence, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could slap himself. He said: "Brother, the feeling of being schemed against is not very pleasant, is it"

Tu Ran snatched a lipstick from her hand and said, "It's too late for that; the certificate has already been obtained"

Lei Yuan knew that he was always picky, so he said with a smile: "If you say she is okay, then she must be a beauty. You may not be as good as me in other aspects, but I do admire your taste in women a bit. So, how did you manage to hook up with her? Did you get on the bus first and buy the ticket later?"

Tu Ran stood there, passionately gesturing with her words as she pointed out the landscape: "Look, look at these people, I have no reason to feel shy in front of the Renminbi"

Wang Weili immediately scolded: "You are meddling too much; first take care of your own mess and stop trying to sow discord. In your heart, you only care about your two sons, having given them several properties, while I haven't gained any benefits at all. I truly deserve this..."

Zhou Xiaoqian curiously asked, "How did you know? Lu Chengyu is such a low-key good child; I estimate he wouldn't say it himself."

Tu Ran looked at her and smiled, saying: "Indeed, we are certainly different. If I also had parents to buy me a car and a house, I wouldn't need to worry about repaying a mortgage, wouldn't have to fret over soaring prices, bear the living expenses of the whole family, or worry about where to scrape together the medical expenses if the elderly at home fall ill. I would find a stable place to stay, write a little, read a little, and perhaps even have a small romance. How wonderful that would be! To be honest, Zhou Xiaoqian, I really envy you. Unfortunately, I am not like you. Given my situation, I must find someone with better financial conditions; everything else is just fleeting."

At this moment, Lu Chengyu felt as busy as a donkey.

Although it is the warm spring month of March, Tu Ran, adorned with heavy makeup and dressed in cumbersome white gauze, stands among the crowd, sweating profusely. Her mood, initially irritable, instantly brightens upon encountering so many individuals who make medical corruption a possibility. She is filled with thoughts of how to forge deep friendships with them.

The elderly lady fell silent, continuously wiping her tears. After a while, she seized an opportunity to hold her granddaughter's hand and said: "Be mindful and save some money. I think that young Lu is a very good person; he has a nice appearance, is tall, and most importantly, he has good character. You should focus on living your own life well. Once you are married, contribute more and be less calculative. If you are humble and accommodating, life will be much better."

As she was speaking, she saw Old Master Lu waving at her to come over. When she approached, the steward stuffed a pile of red envelopes into her hands: "You have someone take care of this. After the gathering, just make a record of the names and amounts on the envelopes, and write me a note."

Tu Ran appeared calm on the surface, but her heart was in turmoil. As soon as Old Master Lu turned around, she said to Zhou Xiaoquan: "It's quite hot, come, come, accompany me to the lounge to touch up my makeup."

Tu Ranle said: "You cannot blame him; his parents are divorced, and his sister is with their father while he is with their mother. His mother's family is indeed not well-off. My mother-in-law sacrificed herself when he was still in college, and at that time, he had to rely on himself for everything, which makes him quite a poor child. I was shocked to learn later that his father is wealthy."

Zhou Xiaoqian felt that this matter was certainly not that simple, and insisted on asking her: "And then? And then? Didn't you go up to greet his father?"

Zhou Xiaoqian scratched his arm and said: "Don't ruin the image of the white-clad angels here; I refuse to believe they speak in such a tone."

Zhou Xiaoqian set down the paintbrush in her hand, gazed at her thoughtfully, and said slowly: "Two weeks ago, what illness did you have? Wasn't it just a pregnancy?"

Tu Ran carefully took a sip of tea and announced: "I have finished speaking"

Lu Chengyu finally found the opportunity to visit the girl's parents, and it was from that day that he learned that Tu's father had been diagnosed with a terminal illness during Tu Ran's senior year in college. The Tu family had no choice but to sell their property to fund his treatment, but it was ultimately futile.

Lu Chengyu opened the box and took a look: "It's too big, how can the women's ring be the same size as the men's ring"

Wang Weili is quite satisfied with the personal qualities of her future son-in-law. She has also learned that his mother passed away many years ago, and his father has remarried. Lu Chengyu owns a house and has inherited some assets from his mother, so his family is at least not burdened. She is well aware that given her family's current situation, her daughter finding someone like him is somewhat of a stretch, which is why she treats Lu Chengyu with great warmth and attentiveness. Meanwhile, she has already spread the word among friends and relatives about how remarkable her daughter's choice of a talented young man is.

Tu Ran held the banknotes in her hand, making a rustling sound as she waved them: "There is still a pile that hasn't been counted, quickly help me estimate, do you think I can use this money to settle the remaining payment for my family's dilapidated house?"

Zhou Xiaquan sighed, stood up, and began to tidy up the makeup box: "I really can't believe you. If Lu Chengyu finds out about this, just wait and see how you will handle it"

On the woman's side, there were not many guests; Tu Ran was feeling unwell and did not want to make a fuss, so only family and a few close friends attended. On Lu Chengyu's side, however, it was somewhat overwhelming. Since a ceremony was to be held, it was necessary to inform the mentors. Although the elder did not attend due to his age, the leaders of the institute, colleagues, and classmates were all aware of it. Apart from those currently in service and the retired, a large crowd showed up, and with the acquaintances of Lu Chengyu's father, they barely managed to squeeze in fifty tables. On Lu Chengyu's side, it was somewhat overwhelming. Since a ceremony was to be held, it was necessary to inform the mentors. Although the elder did not attend due to his age, the leaders of the institute, colleagues, and classmates were all aware of it. Apart from those currently in service and the retired, a large crowd showed up, and with the acquaintances of Lu Chengyu's father, they barely managed to squeeze in fifty tables.

Zhou Xiaoqian exclaimed, "Going home? Aren't you supposed to see a doctor?"

Zhou Xiaquan looked at the pile of US dollars, euros, and renminbi, and sighed: "Rich people only know other rich people. I didn't expect Old Master Lu to be such a figure, nor did I realize that Lu Chengyu was a second-generation rich. How did I not see this?"

The next day was the day of the wedding banquet. Originally, there were no plans for a wedding, but Lu Chengyu's father spoke up: "I only have you as a son; how can such a significant event as marriage be done in secret? You say it's too troublesome to plan in a short time, so let's keep it simple and just invite some close friends and relatives with whom we usually interact."

At that time, Zhou Xiaquan was the bridesmaid, responsible for holding onto the long train of the wedding dress, and thus was dragged around the venue by her. Zhou Xiaquan complained to her: "I have never seen such a high-energy bride as you, Tu Ran, can't you be a little more shy and reserved?"

Zhou Xiaquan was helping Tu Ran apply powder. She suddenly threw the powder case onto the table with a "bang," then reached out to pinch Tu Ran's chin and said, "Stop smiling, your face is twitching from laughing so much; how can the powder stay on like that?"

Zhou Xiaquan looked at her for a while, then sighed: "Tu Ran, I really don't know what to say to you. I just want to ask you one thing: between you two, at least you still love each other, right? There must be some feelings left, right?"

Tu Ran smiled and glanced at her: "Silly, I wouldn't demean myself like that, running over just to say hello. He doesn't know me, and I don't know him. Of course, I went home."

Tu Ran could not suppress her laughter and quickly hid to the side, then said: "At that time, it was noon, and there were two little nurses at the adjacent table munching on shao mai, which were quite good from that place. One of them said to the other, 'Look, look, isn't that the handsome Lu from outside the heart department? His rich father has come to the hospital to look for him again.'"

Lei Yuan took off his suit, removed his tie, and stood there with his hands on his hips, panting: "I just got off the plane and you sent me to run errands, stop showing off here. Fortunately, I am clever and specifically chose a large one. I haven't even seen a photo of your wife, who knows if she is fat or thin? You don't even know what size she wears, so a larger size is better than a smaller one. We wouldn't want to be in front of hundreds of people and not be able to put it on." He then grabbed Lu Chengyu, "Come on, let's go take a look, whether it's a mule or a horse, we have to take it out for a walk, right?"

Lu Chengyu irritably loosened his tie. All the way, this guy kept chattering in his ear like a fly. If it weren't for the fact that he helped buy the ring, he would have really wanted to kick him out.

It was only after inquiring that I learned the bride was retouching her makeup in the lounge

Why is it called a donkey? Because when a donkey is grinding, it is blindfolded, and a large carrot is hung above its head as a lure. Lu Chengyu indeed feels that he has been blinded by something, causing him to hastily crash into the busiest phase of his life, yet the carrot that sways at the corner of his mouth does not seem particularly enticing.

Wang Weili's elderly mother, however, thought of something else. The old lady said: "Our family's conditions are not good, and the times have changed. Men and women are the same; we cannot treat other people's children unfairly. We must prepare some dowry for Ranran, so that when she gets married, she can hold her head high and not be afraid of hearing unpleasant words behind her back."

Zhou Xiaoqian felt that she should be angry, yet she chuckled with a "puff": "Do you think I am foolish? Your condition must be far more serious than this." She gently patted the bride's face, "Any woman who does not want the child in her womb would consider it merely a sickness." She continued relentlessly, "You originally planned to have an abortion, didn't you?"

Wang Weili scoffed and retorted, "You really have high standards. When I got married, I only had two blankets. Besides, nowadays, who gets married without the man preparing a new house? Who would dare to get married without a house? Aren't they afraid of being laughed at? Strictly speaking, Lu Chengyu is still a student; he won't officially start working for another year. Our family is at a disadvantage. Fortunately, Ranran can earn money herself. Her younger brother is currently studying abroad, and life is quite tough for him. He went to the United States right after graduating from high school. After their father passed away, he never asked me for a single cent; how sensible he is. People say that once he finishes his studies, he will definitely come back to support me in my old age, and I still have to prepare a wedding house for him.

Tu Ran applied some lipstick in front of the mirror and said: "How silly, at this age, still going around in circles with love, stop making everything about romance, it's so boring"

Tu Ran immediately said: "Yes, first see a doctor, then go home"

No matter what, I cannot restrain myself; I have gone to count the money

Zhou Xiaquan could not help but shout, "What are you being coy about? Just say it quickly." After that, he reached out to scratch her.

Tu Ran was quite pleased: "I only found out not long ago, just about two weeks. Speaking of fate, this is fate. That day, I originally planned to go to the hospital... um, to see a doctor. Of course, before seeing a doctor, I had to eat well first, so I sat at a small stall at the entrance and had wontons. The wontons from that place were really good. I was enjoying my meal when a dazzling black Mercedes-Benz pulled up at the entrance, and from the car stepped out a dignified old man, tall and well-dressed. He was indeed somewhat handsome, but he was still an old man, so I couldn't do much about it. I was enjoying my meal when a dazzling black Mercedes-Benz pulled up at the entrance, and from the car stepped out a dignified old man, tall and well-dressed. He was indeed somewhat handsome, but he was still an old man, so I couldn't do much about it. However, at that moment, a young man walked out of the hospital, and you wouldn't believe it, but the two of them really looked alike, both tall and broad-shouldered, but I still needed to confirm it first. Just then, at that moment..." She suddenly stopped.

Zhou Xiaoqian shook his head: "I do not think so. I am not like you. If I were to find a man to marry, love would definitely be a necessary condition, and perhaps even a sufficient necessary condition."

At this moment, he was waiting at the hotel entrance, having been so busy that he forgot to buy the wedding rings. It was only upon hearing the officiant announce that the bride and groom would soon exchange rings that he hurriedly sent a friend to buy them.

The old lady said: "You only have your son in your heart"

Seeing Lei Yuan jump down from the car, he shouted at him: "They are here, they are here," and then stuffed two large red boxes into his hands, saying, "Here, the rings, the invoices"