Chapter 10, Marriage

A temporary stage has been set up by the pond in the center of the garden, where a small theater troupe has been invited to perform for entertainment during the banquet, along with a few minor celebrities who will sing. Although the formal banquet will not commence until noon, relatives and neighbors have been arriving to offer their congratulations since early morning. The three courtyards, each with three entrances, contain dozens of rooms, some of which are designated for receiving guests

Liang Yuchen replied: "It is close to the factory here. I just called the factory and asked them to send someone over to help me drive. They just called me and are almost here"

If you do not wish to stay, you can leave with me; I will take you home first. Liang Yuchen once again perceived her thoughts

If it is suitable or unsuitable, if you do not want to stay, then leave. You go pack your things, I will wait for you here

If you are afraid that I will become dependent on you, then we should not divorce when the time comes. We can enter into a contract with a fixed term, either three years or five years. When the term expires, it will be up to you to decide whether to continue or to divorce. I can use my assets as collateral; if I violate any clause of the contract, you can demand compensation from my assets, so you need not worry about my breach of contract.

Xiao Yiyi hesitated a bit: "I don't really want to stay, but I don't know if it's appropriate to leave like this..."

The situation is quite dramatic. Liang Yuchen's ex-girlfriend, who is also the sister of Zuo Xinyan, found Liang Yuchen and threw a small child at him, claiming that it is his daughter

Liu Xinlan said: "You should not leave, all the relatives are here, it is inappropriate for the bride and groom to leave."

Is there something you need from my brother?

As Xiao Yiyi followed Liang Yuchen out of her home, she ran into Liu Xin

Xiao Guoze Cheng is a local born and raised in the area, coming from a long line of impoverished farmers. He has one older brother and one younger brother, as well as two younger sisters who married early. Xiao Guocheng and his older brother did not receive much education; he served in the military for two years and later became wealthy through lending and construction. His younger brother is the only one among their generation to have attended college and has pursued a career in government. After the three brothers became prosperous, they purchased several plots of land from nearby families and built three traditional courtyard houses, with each brother having one.

The marriage between the two individuals has not officially begun, yet she has already started to unconsciously depend on him

Then you shouldn't leave either, I came here for your sake. If you leave and your father wakes up, he will surely be unhappy

All of the above were told to Xiao Yiyi by her father

"I want her to go back with me." At this moment of difficulty for Xiao Yiyi, Liang Yuchen interjected, "It gets chilly in the village at night, and I am afraid she might catch a cold."

Liu Xin smiled and said, "Not at all, it hasn't even entered autumn yet, how could it be cool?"

Liang Yuchen returned to the country this time because his father fell ill, and he came back to take over the family business. It is likely that this situation also led to a breakup with his girlfriend. Liang's father hopes that Liang Yuchen will quickly get married and settle down, preferably have children soon so that he can see his grandchildren. Therefore, he arranged a blind date for the two of them in agreement with her father. Unexpectedly, Liang Yuchen suddenly revealed that he has an illegitimate daughter. Initially, Liang's father thought his son had been deceived and even went to get a DNA test done, which confirmed that Liang Yuchen is indeed the biological father of the little girl. Liang's father became so enraged that his condition worsened, and he was hospitalized. To make matters worse, it seems that the Liang family's business is also encountering some troubles.

Liang Yuchen replied: "No, the driver is already waiting outside"

When Xiao Yiyi asked this question, she realized that she hoped Liang Yuchen would not leave and could stay here tonight. Although distant relatives and neighbors had all left, many close relatives had stayed over. There would inevitably be some activities in the evening, and as the bride of the host family, it would not be appropriate for her to hide alone in the room. She did not want to socialize with those relatives by herself and selfishly hoped that Liang Yuchen could stay to accompany her

The banquet lasted from noon until deep into the night. In the garden, apart from one and a half tables of guests who were still engaged in lively discussions over drinks, the other neighbors and relatives either returned home after a satisfying meal or gathered in groups of three to five in some room to play cards or chat

"Um," Xiao Yiyi replied, "I wanted to say something to my dad, but he is asleep. When he wakes up, please let him know. I took Yu Chen's car home."

That day, Liang Yuchen did not give her a definite answer, neither agreeing nor refusing. She felt this was a good sign, indicating that he had begun to consider her proposal, and that there must be something in her suggestions that had moved him

Liu Xin smiled and turned to Xiao Yiyi, saying, "Alright, alright, you now have a husband who cares for you, so go back. Send me a message when you get home."

Liu Xin turned to Xiao Yiyi, who was holding a bag, and asked, "Are you going back as well?"

After a day of toasting, Xiao Yiyi finally found some leisure, sitting alone in the empty back corridor of her home, leaning against the pillar in a daze. In her moment of distraction, footsteps approached from the corridor of the ear room. She wanted to turn and enter the house, but it was too late, so she hurriedly put on a welcoming smile.

In the end, she still could not utter a single thank you. In fact, she owed him more than just this one thank you. It seemed that from the moment they met, he had always played the role of a savior, rescuing her from various troubles. He solved the various problems she encountered in a foreign land; he picked her up from the rainy streets and brought her home; he provided her with a contractual marriage that allowed her to escape reality.

If you wish to be a true couple, I am open to that as well. I hope to have a normal married life, and that is not a problem. I will not use this to try to bind you; if one day you meet someone you like, I can divorce you immediately without causing you any trouble. To put it simply, in this marriage, you are completely free, without any financial obligations, and not bound by any emotional or moral constraints. However, I will still fulfill the role of a wife and will never betray you. Words alone are not enough; we can both sign a contract.

I understand," Xiao Yiyi said sincerely, "If we get married, regardless of the form, I will do my utmost to treat her well, not with the intention of making her my mother, nor will I force her to see me as her mother...

Her father likely shares this mindset, as he did not provide any affirmative response, such as "Fortunately, it hasn't been settled yet," but merely sighed. Even though Liang Yuchen suddenly had an illegitimate daughter, her father and Liu Xin still hoped to facilitate this marriage, albeit without making it too obvious, so as not to appear as if they were neglecting their daughter and pushing her to become a stepmother.

From the gate of the Xiao family courtyard to the main road of the village where parking is available, there is a distance of about one hundred meters. As Xiao Yiyi and Liang Yuchen walked out together, she wanted to express her gratitude for his recent intervention, but felt too shy to speak up. It was merely a small matter of going home, yet she needed Liang Yuchen to speak on her behalf to resolve it, which made her feel somewhat ridiculous in her own timidity

I have no ambition, and I will not scheme for your possessions. If we were to marry, we can proceed with notarization in advance. The premarital property and post-marital income will be managed by each party, except for the rental income from the properties that come with my dowry; I do not want a single penny from you. In the event of a divorce in the future, I will only take what I originally had, whether through a contract or notarization.

Xiao Guocheng's elder brother, Xiao Guodong, usually lives with his family in their courtyard house. Xiao Guocheng, due to his son attending high school in the city, finds it inconvenient to live in the suburbs and plans to move back once his son goes to university. The elder Xiao Guomin, being a civil servant, prefers to keep a low profile and publicly claims that the family home belongs entirely to his two elder brothers, having no connection to himself. He does not live here regularly, only occasionally coming over for two or three days on weekends or holidays.

As for our married life, if you wish for me to merely act as a partner in a sham marriage, then we can live separately. I will not disturb your life, whether you are with Sister Xinyan or dating someone else, I will not interfere. However, I can guarantee that during the duration of our marriage, I will absolutely not seek romantic relationships with others, and it will not affect your reputation. I believe this is something that men care about, right? I can fully commit to this! You also need not feel burdened by any sense of unfairness towards me, as even if we do not marry, I do not intend to pursue a romantic relationship.

Liu Xin said: "If we are to speak of Yu Chen's conditions, they are truly impeccable. However, suddenly there is such a daughter, and she is so young. Who would be willing to accept a girl of similar age, from a family of equal standing..."

Oh, be careful on the road

Xiao Guocheng and Liang Jianye are both self-made wealthy individuals. The Liang couple hails from a small county in another region and only settled locally when their son, Liang Yuchen, was two or three years old. Liang Jianye opened a restaurant in this city, employing many of his own people brought from his hometown. After achieving success in his career, he has significantly enriched many of his fellow villagers, thus earning considerable respect in the local community. This time, returning to host his son's wedding banquet, he carries a sense of returning in glory.

Liang Yuchen walked over and said: "It's nothing, the marriage of children is a significant event, the elderly are all like this, it's quite lively, isn't my family the same?"

When he needs her, she stands by his side without hesitation; when he does not need her, she behaves herself and does not add to his troubles; if one day he needs her to leave, she will pack her bags at the first opportunity and return his freedom

Liang Yuchen said: "Aren't you afraid that I might betray you?"

"It's nothing much, just dropping off a few friends," Liang Yuchen said. "I just sat in the old man's yard for a while, chatting with your dad, the old man, and your third uncle. Your dad drank a bit too much and ended up sleeping right there in the old man's yard"

Liang Yuchen's words gave Xiao Yiyi the confidence, and she replied, "Then wait for me for two minutes, I'll be right there." She turned around and went back into the room to pack her things

Regarding how to persuade Liang Yuchan, Xiao Yiyi had already prepared her arguments in advance, even considering how to frame the marriage as a mutually beneficial transaction, and how to progressively negotiate the terms. However, when faced with Liang Yuchan, she became flustered, not only speaking in a somewhat chaotic manner but also revealing her trump card all at once, leaving herself no room for negotiation.

A few days later, Liang Yuchen called her and agreed to her proposal, but mentioned that there were many details that needed to be communicated and clarified in advance by both parties. At that moment, she let out a long sigh of relief and repeatedly nodded, saying: "No problem, I can do it all."

"Are you going back?" Liu Xinying approached Liang Yuchen and said, "It's so late, you should stay over."

Xiao Yiyi said, "It is already so late, the relatives should be asleep by now"

Next to the three residences, a private garden has been built, connecting with the three houses. The garden features a pond, rockery, pavilions, flower beds, and a vegetable garden, along with beautiful birds kept within it, and naturally, fierce dogs are present to guard the premises. When the garden was newly constructed, it even housed two peacocks, but due to a lack of proper care, their feathers were sparse and unattractive, leading to their eventual removal.

Xiao Yiyi's second marriage proposal to Liang Yuchen took place more than two months later. The reason for pursuing a second attempt after facing setbacks was due to some circumstances on Liang Yuchen's side

Her father's meaning is very clear; his daughter will not inherit any family assets in the future. No matter who marries Liang Yuchen, as long as she gives birth to a son, that will suffice

Xiao Yiyi and Liang Yuchen were accompanied by their elders, spending the entire day moving between the garden and various rooms, being introduced to all the neighbors and distant relatives attending the wedding banquet. Xiao Yiyi wanted to apologize to Liang Yuchen, but they were surrounded by people, leaving no opportunity for the two to speak privately.

The marriage between Xiao Yiyi and Liang Yuchen is welcomed by both the Xiao and Liang families, and the wedding was extravagantly grand, with a total of five banquets held. In addition to the formal wedding banquet and the family dinner the night before, there was also a more intimate gathering for a select group of guests, which included government officials who were unable to attend the wedding banquet. The other two banquets were held in the hometowns of both families as traditional open-seating meals.

She felt that she should say more, but also thought that saying too much could lead to mistakes. How could she convince him that someone who would go so far as to betray her own marriage in order to escape from her family would genuinely care for a girl with no connection to her

Seeing that the person who arrived was Liang Yuchen, who had been called away by her cousin more than an hour ago, Xiao Yiyi finally removed the disguise from her face, stood up, and offered him an apologetic smile: "I’m sorry for the trouble you’ve gone through today; I didn’t expect my dad and the others to make such a big deal out of it"

If it were Xiao Yiyi in her thirties, she certainly would not disturb others when they were overwhelmed with troubles. However, at that time, Xiao Yiyi was only concerned about herself, eagerly wanting to seize this opportunity

Firecrackers and fireworks, the clinking of cups and plates, drunken laughter and revelry, combined with the poor-quality sound system and microphones on stage, all the sounds seemed to be violently torn apart and then kneaded into a chaotic mass, filling Huo Liang's spacious courtyard to the brim.

Liang Yuchen insisted: "Be more careful, there are still more than ten days until the wedding, and it would be bad if you really fell ill by then"

Oh... are you going back? How will you get back? You've had quite a bit to drink too, haven't you?

She and Liang Yuchan signed a prenuptial agreement, which pertains entirely to the assets of both parties. Additionally, there is a verbal agreement, the content of which is more private, involving their married life after the wedding. Liang Yuchan's stance is that since there is no emotional foundation between them, he will not make demands regarding their marital life. However, since they are preparing for a formal marriage through legal procedures and wish to deceive both sets of parents, it is not feasible for them to live completely separate lives. They will still live together, and in certain necessary matters, both parties must make an effort to attend or provide cooperation and assistance in their capacity as spouses. The marriage is limited to five years, during which neither party may file for divorce. If after five years either party feels that there is a need to continue the marriage, they may negotiate an extension.

The three brothers of Xiao Guocheng only need to bring their wives to welcome guests, while all other matters concerning the banquet are handled by the younger generation. Xiao Yiyi's cousins, brothers-in-law, and sisters-in-law each have their own responsibilities, such as hosting relatives and friends, managing firecrackers and fireworks, overseeing the banquet, coordinating performances, and even specifically taking care of their own young children and those brought by friends and relatives with the help of nannies.

As she spoke these words, she continuously observed Liang Yuchen's reactions, hoping to catch any slight change in his expression. However, Liang Yuchen remained impassive throughout, merely saying enigmatically, "I have a daughter"

Yet he is her only and also the best choice at present

In fact, whether it is a written agreement on paper or a verbal commitment, there are many areas that are not very rigorous and are not clearly defined, yet both parties choose to overlook them. She believes that this is a manifestation of mutual trust in each other's character, and for the two individuals about to enter into marriage, having an extra measure of trust is a positive thing

"My purpose is quite simple; I just want to live independently away from home," she said to Liang Yuchan. "My father said that if I get married, he will give me several properties as a dowry. If the person I marry is you, then he will definitely give me even more. I am not as outstanding as you and Sister Xinyan; I have no special abilities and no grand ambitions. I just want to manage a little rent and live my small life steadily."

Her words ended with a questioning tone, yet she was neither asking her father nor herself. It seemed as though she was merely standing from a "mother's" perspective, believing that her "daughter" was not lacking in conditions and should not become a stepmother in her early twenties. However, in reality, she also felt that such opportunities were rare, and once this village was passed, there would be no such shop left.

The banquet for Xiao Yiyi and Liang Yuchen's wedding is set up right here in this garden

When her father said this, Liu Xin was also nearby. After listening, she let out a long sigh: "What a pity, it was originally a good thing... However, it is also timely. If Yi were to get involved with him and another illegitimate daughter were to emerge, what would people do..."

Her father said, "Well, it's hard to say; after all, she's just a daughter, which is certainly better than having a son"

On her second invitation to Liang Yuchan, she did not beat around the bush but rather straightforwardly laid out her thoughts.

Her father never shies away from expressing his preference for sons over daughters in front of her, and because of this, she feels superfluous in this family. As a " dispensable daughter," she is eager to escape from this home.

He has helped her too many times, yet she has never done anything for him. The only thing she should be able to do is to be a competent partner in their contractual marriage and to play the role of a good wife.

Perhaps it was Liang Yuchen's scrutinizing gaze that made her feel he could see into people's hearts, or perhaps she was simply too eager. Just as her father and Liu Xin had said, even if Liang Yuchen had an illegitimate daughter, given his circumstances, she was not his only option, nor necessarily the best one.

She said, "I believe you won't, you are a good person"

She cannot persuade anyone, not even herself. Although what she says is sincere, she does not truly believe she can do well. She struggles with handling intimate relationships, feels that others do not love her, and she also finds it difficult to love others.