QTIMP -Chapter 125  Character Persona – Money Loving (Part 35)

After discussing things for a bit, the two of them quickly realized there was a mountain of tasks to handle. They hurriedly said goodbye to Si Qiu and went back to prepare for the upcoming wedding.

Si Qiu wasn’t idle either. She made calls to inform Qiao Yalan and the sisters at the club.

Both groups became busy at the same time, yet each couldn’t shake the feeling that they had forgotten something. Still, with the wedding preparations being the top priority, anything else forgotten could stay forgotten.

And so, Pei Jingzhou—still feeling down at the company after being refused a meeting—was about to get married without knowing a thing.

The wedding date had been set by the old master and Si Qiu on September 22. Pei Jingzhou only found out on September 24, mainly because he had been dealing with matters overseas.

He had planned to inform the old master and Si Qiu before heading abroad, but was unexpectedly stopped by the old master.

“You’re getting married on the 1st—what are you going abroad for? Push your work back. In the next couple of days, hurry up and contact your partners and send out invitations.”

The old master had been bustling around these past few days preparing for the wedding, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to do. Who would have thought the groom would try to cause trouble at such a critical moment?

Though, he seemed to have forgotten one thing—no one had actually told the groom about the wedding.

Pei Jingzhou stood there stunned for a long moment, his expression dark as he pressed his lips together. “Getting married? Who’s getting married? To whom? Why don’t I know anything about it?”

His string of questions made both the old master and Uncle Lin freeze mid-motion as they were selecting window decorations. They exchanged a glance.

Uncle Lin quickly took the catalog and left, while the old master coughed lightly and took a sip of tea.

“Well… you didn’t know? It was just the day before yesterday. I went to see that girl Si Qiu, remember?”

The old master stammered as he recounted the events of that day. Pei Jingzhou rubbed the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling that his future life was bound to be… extraordinarily lively.

He immediately contacted Shen Xuan and the others to return to the courtyard to help, and then reached out to Jian Anxu and his group to assist with hotel arrangements and writing invitations.

When Jian Anxu got the call, he said, “I say, Old Pei, I thought you’d forgotten about me as your brother. You only tell me about something as big as your wedding now? People from our circle have even been laughing at me—saying I’m supposedly your closest friend, yet the last to hear the news.”

Pei Jingzhou replied helplessly, “If I told you I only found out today that I’m getting married, would you believe me?”

Jian Anxu let out a cold laugh on the other end. “Yeah right, like I’d believe that.”

Pei Jingzhou loosened his tie and sat down in his chair. “It was all arranged by the old master and Si Qiu. They handled everything—only missing notifying me, the groom.”

“Wait, you’re serious? You’re not messing with me?” Jian Anxu was taken aback, then burst into laughter. “Man, your role as the groom really came out of nowhere.”

“Enough, process it later. Just help me out first—the schedule’s too tight, I can’t handle it all.”

Pei Jingzhou laughed along with him, his eyes sparkling as if filled with stars. His features became lively, his sharp brows and bright eyes making him seem completely revitalized.

Seeing this, the old master beside him finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Si Qiu had been making money in Japan like printing cash, bringing back a massive fortune. Naturally, this had caught the attention of people on the government side, and Si Qiu was well aware of her situation.

The old master used the excuse of those two prodigal sons to extend an olive branch to Si Qiu. After all, for a woman, getting married, becoming pregnant, and having children—none of those were considered less important than work.

No one would force you to give up your family life just because of work—that simply wouldn’t stand on moral grounds.

Besides, with the conditions he offered, Si Qiu wasn’t at any disadvantage.

Of course, if she had wanted to enter a government department, that would have been a different matter altogether.

But clearly, she had no such intention. So she readily accepted his terms and, with remarkable speed, set a wedding date in the near future.

Everyone understood the underlying reasons without saying them aloud, yet the outcome left no one at a loss. After all, the Pei family had sacrificed seven members for the country’s liberation.

They had invested immense wealth in support, and even in the later stages after liberation, they had helped the nation establish its position on the international stage. So protecting a future mistress of the family was hardly difficult.

Moreover, he believed that with the country’s support, the future generations of the Pei family would continue to thrive.

Si Qiu’s courtyard was hastily repaired. Red silk decorations adorned the space, window cuttings added festive charm, and red carpets were laid out. A group of sisters, classmates, and teachers helped maintain order for the wedding procession.

The entire ceremony strictly followed ancient traditions—bathing, skincare, dressing, makeup, and hair styling in the morning, and the bridal procession arriving at dusk.

Pei Jingzhou wore a bright red embroidered official robe, riding a tall horse. Behind him followed an eight-carrier sedan chair, supported by his close brothers. Gongs and suona horns blared, and firecrackers exploded in celebration.

Si Qiu wore a wide-sleeved red wedding robe, a kingfisher-feather phoenix crown with gold weaving and glazed pendants, pearl and tourmaline ornaments, and a golden embroidered mandarin-duck veil over her head. In her hands, she held a golden apple.

Under the guidance of the matchmaker, she completed the rituals, entered the sedan chair, and was followed by her dowry procession. The men carrying the chests were all over 1.75 meters tall, sturdy, handsome, and sported neat crew cuts.

Their synchronized steps and imposing presence made onlookers feel an inexplicable sense of awe.

The grand procession moved forward in full splendor, heading toward the five-courtyard siheyuan under the evening glow. The sedan stopped at the entrance, and after a series of rituals, Pei Jingzhou led her inside the main hall, holding a red silk flower tied between them.

Old Master Pei, dressed in a Tang suit, sat in the seat of honor, watching the couple complete their marriage rites. He then personally lifted the bridal veil—revealing a face as radiant as peach blossoms, as beautiful as the morning hew, perfectly complementing her wedding attire.

Next came the tea ceremony and the formal address change, all done on the same day. Old Master Pei cheerfully drank the tea, set down the cup, and took a document from Uncle Lin before handing it to Si Qiu.

The master of ceremonies announced: the “change-of-address gift” from Old Master Pei was 5% of the Pei Group’s shares.

The crowd erupted in astonishment, and at the same time, it was officially announced that Pei Jingzhou would take over the Lin Group.

Pei Jingzhou kept nudging her with his elbow and muttered through clenched teeth, “There are so many people here—wipe that drool off your face.”

Si Qiu really couldn’t help herself—after all, the gift was just too generous.

She was then escorted to the bridal chamber, where, under Qiao Yalan’s lead, her friends helped her change into another outfit: a red mamian skirt with a front-opening red jacket.

All her headpieces were replaced with gold hairpins and a phoenix crown. Her arms were adorned with strings of gold bangles, and even her embroidered shoes were decorated with tiny golden bells.

If the first outfit emphasized elegance, this one emphasized wealth. Excluding the clothing itself, the gold ornaments alone weighed over thirty jin, not to mention the gemstones and pearls.

While helping her dress, Qiao Yanan remarked, “This is so heavy—you’ll be exhausted after the toasting.”

But Si Qiu was extremely satisfied. She loved this overwhelmingly opulent look and didn’t care if others thought it was tacky.

She then took a car to the hotel, where she went around toasting guests and greeting them for a full three hours. Her steps never paused, her smile never faded, and glass after glass of alcohol was consumed.

At the same time, she had to stay sharp while dealing with everyone, making sure not to let anything slip.

Si Qiu felt that if she let her guard down for even a moment, she would collapse onto the bed entirely.

Oh, and as for the Pei family father and son—weren’t they mentioned before? One with a broken leg, the other with a broken arm—they were still hospitalized. Old Master Pei had even stationed bodyguards there to prevent any further “injuries.”