RYEY -Chapter 289 Li Le Gets Married

Li Huan took out the blueprint—drawn by Cheng Qiao herself. The front two rows of houses would be connected, becoming a general store and a warehouse. The surrounding wasteland would have a wall built around it, enclosing the entire two acres.

The back houses were to be renovated too, each designated for Mother Li, Li Le, Grandma, Xu Hui, a few other children, and themselves. Of course, a few guest rooms were necessary, otherwise there would be nowhere for visitors to stay.

Seeing how Cheng Qiao had thought of everything, Mother Li silently thanked the ancestors of the Li family. If it weren’t for their blessings, how could the Li family have married such a wonderful daughter-in-law?

This was no small project. Li Huan didn’t naïvely think that the dozen or so people he brought could finish it all. Fortunately, he was now familiar with Spring City and immediately went out to recruit more workers.

Within a week, not only was the high wall erected, but the houses were also repaired, and the kang stoves were already lit.

Mother Li felt a pang in her heart seeing the warehouse piled high with coal. In Xiangyang Village, people burned firewood for the kang, which was free.

But in the city, where could you get free firewood? Everything cost money, including labor, food, and other expenses.

Li Huan spent money without a blink. Over the years, he and Cheng Qiao had earned countless tens of thousands; a few hundred or thousand yuan was nothing to him.

Besides, these houses and plots of land belonged to him and Cheng Qiao. He had already checked—land this large was no longer available, and even if it were, it wouldn’t come at this price.

Li Le’s new house was almost ready. Qin Guoqing stood at the front door, looking at the bright red double happiness symbol on the gate, his face lighting up with a smile.

“Mother, we really don’t need furniture. My father already had it prepared and said he’d deliver it. And all the daily necessities—I’ve basically got everything covered.”

Mother Li was at a loss for words. The bride’s side only provided an empty house—owned by her son and daughter-in-law—and Li Le didn’t need to bring any dowry. How could this be?

“Mother, trust me. This is only our temporary home. Once Le Le graduates from university, I hope she can go to Hexi. They are in dire need of teachers there.”

Mother Li understood. This son-in-law hoped that Li Le would take her dowry to Hexi to establish a new home in the future, so there was no need to display her dowry now.

Still, Mother Li prepared to bring out Li Le’s dowry. A daughter shouldn’t truly leave home empty-handed, and they had been ready.

When Qin Guoqing and the others arrived and saw the houses in Spring City, their eyes widened. So many houses—indeed, the Li family was wealthy.

Counting the trips and money spent on materials by his son, he admired Li Huan—it was clear he was a man of hidden talents.

Cheng Liguo also smiled, knowing this was an early investment by his daughter. Indeed, Zhao Min’s daughter had the mind for investment at such a young age.

“Father, you finally came. This is the room I saved for you. Do you like it?”

Cheng Liguo followed Cheng Qiao into a room. Upon entering, his eyes grew moist. Besides a kang stove, the furnishings were almost identical to their old home in Huizhou.

Even the sewing machine in the corner was exactly like the one at home. He seemed to see Zhao Min sitting at it, making a coat for him while he held little Cheng Qiao, a look of pure happiness on his face.

“Father, what’s wrong?”

Seeing Cheng Liguo staring at the sewing machine, Cheng Qiao knew he missed his mother. Thinking about her occasionally was fine, but too much could make one ill, so she nudged him gently.

“Daughter, it’s just a few days’ stay, yet you’ve gone to such lengths… sigh…”

Cheng Qiao smiled slightly. Early the next morning, she took Xiao Dan with her and Li Le back to their hometown. Li Le had to leave her home for the wedding.

Most villagers had never ridden in a truck before, but they climbed aboard eagerly, sitting cross-legged in the cargo hold, counting money.

“Working with Huan is truly worthwhile—food, drinks, and money, too. Wonderful!”

“Next year, when Huan graduates from university, he won’t be our village chief. I wonder if Xiangyang can manage.”

“I think so. Xiangyang has always been with Huan, so he’s sure to learn some real skills.”

“If I’d known, I would’ve followed Huan too. Ah, it’s too late now.”

At this, the cargo hold fell completely silent—until Qin Daqiang and Cheng Liguo’s laughter broke it. He bragged that his daughter-in-law was a university student, a huge face-lifting for the Qin family.

Cheng Qiao sat in the front, talking to Xiao Dan. Seeing only the two of them in the cabin, he told her about the conversation between Meili and Yuan Qin, giving her an idea of what to expect.

Looking at this child, slightly younger than Qin Guoqing, Cheng Qiao handed him a big bag of candy, thanking him for his thoughtfulness. Embarrassed, Xiao Dan’s ears flushed pink.

After choosing an auspicious day, Li Le got married. The bridesmaids were Wang Xianghua and Chen Xiaoniu, and Qin Guoqing’s best man was Xiao Dan. Upon seeing Chen Xiaoniu for the first time, he instantly fell for her.

The wedding was simple yet grand. After bowing to the statue of the great leader, the ceremony concluded. Li Huan had already booked the nearby state-run restaurant, reserving large tables.

Yuan Qin frowned at Li Huan’s spending, unsure whether it was his money or Mother Li’s.

Little did she know, this money came from Qin Daqiang. How could the Qin family allow Li Huan to pay for their daughter-in-law’s wedding? That would be an insult.

“Cheng Qiao, how much gift money did you give for your little sister-in-law’s wedding?”

Seeing Cheng Qiao approach, she hastily grabbed her hand, pretending to be friendly and chatting. Cheng Qiao, having already sized her up, simply smiled and said she hadn’t given any gifts.

Yuan Qin was stunned. How could a sister-in-law skip giving gifts? Cheng Qiao used being busy as an excuse and walked away. There was no need for her to give gifts—most of Li Le’s wedding provisions came from Cheng Qiao herself.

Don’t ask why Cheng Qiao was so good to Li Le—she was repaying a lifetime of gratitude Li Le had shown her and little Cheng Li. Such kindness must be remembered forever.

After the wedding, Qin Daqiang told everyone, except those heading to Beijing, to get ready. They would leave early the next morning. Qin Guoqing had a wedding leave, so he could go with Li Le to explore Beijing.

Hearing this, Yuan Qin grew annoyed. Had she known earlier, she could have taken a few extra days off—they’d never been to Beijing before.

“In-law, why didn’t you say earlier that you were going to Beijing? If I had known, I would’ve asked for a few more days off to see the famous city towers.”

Mother Li was embarrassed, stammering as she explained that Cheng Qiao had been admitted to Beijing University. Huan was worried, so he wanted to check it out. Also, Ye Jun was in Beijing and had invited them for the New Year.

Hearing this, Yuan Qin felt even worse. Her daughter had been the standout at the Li family, the pride of the military district’s arts troupe…