Please Marry Me (GL) - Chapter 22

The next day, Jiang Yi went to work as usual. Her team leader had found out that Zuo Jinrong was leaving for a vacation in Nanming City today, likely for about a week.

Rich people don’t think about business while on vacation. Consequently, Jiayu was waiting—waiting for Zuo Jinrong to return before discussing the deal.

Lin Fei, however, believed that if the enemy isn’t moving, they must. If they followed behind Jiayu and waited for Zuo Jinrong’s return, they’d be too late. She decided to finish the proposal within two days and send it to Zuo Jinrong’s secretary to book a meeting a week later. She wanted to stay one step ahead of Jiayu in timing.

The team leader was certainly forward-thinking.

As for the other sub-team investigating Pengting, they hadn’t found much yet and were feeling the pressure. Lin Fei told them to stop and focus all efforts on competing with Jiayu. Though Jiayu and Pengting were equal in strength, if they could intercept the major coating supplier Jiayu was targeting, they would gain the leverage needed to face Pengting.

The logic held up—a “desperate times call for desperate measures” approach. Lin Fei assigned Wang Yiwen, Li Huanran, and Ye Sixin to write the proposal.

Jiang Yi went to Manager Bai Zhen to ask for leave. Two days later, she and Song Rao set off in the car toward her Great-Grandaunt’s home.

Her Great-Grandaunt’s husband had originally bought a house in the city, but the groom’s relatives insisted they hold the wedding in their hometown. The village was quite remote, and the road was so rugged and uneven that the drive was agonizing.

“Did we miss any gifts?” Song Rao was driving, casting a glance at Jiang Yi, who looked nauseous from the bumpy ride.

Jiang Yi shook her head, unable to say a word. Eventually, unable to take it anymore, she had Song Rao pull over in a small town. Jiang Yi hopped out and threw up immediately, nearly retching up bile.

“Are you okay? Have some water.” Song Rao patted her back and peeled a half-green, half-yellow tangerine, handing it to her. “Try a sour tangerine to clear the taste?”

Since she was a child, Jiang Yi needed something sour to recover from motion sickness, otherwise, she’d feel miserable all day.

“I haven’t been this motion-sick since I was fifteen.” It took a long time for Jiang Yi to recover. Eating the sour tangerine, she sat back in the car and let out a heavy sigh.

“It’ll be over once the wedding days pass,” Song Rao comforted her.

Jiang Yi wasn’t comforted at all. “We have to suffer through the trip back, too… forget it, just let me die.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Song Rao checked the GPS. “80 kilometers left. We’re almost there.”

It seemed to be market day in the small town, and it was very bustling. Song Rao parked in front of a small shop and bought more fruit, drinks, snacks, and biscuits to put in the trunk.

Jiang Yi reminded her: “We almost forgot to buy red envelopes. My mom said the groom has a huge family with lots of kids; handing out red envelopes is going to be a struggle.”

Song Rao simply bought four or five bundles of envelopes, ten to a bundle. “The groom’s family can’t possibly have forty or fifty children, right?”

Jiang Yi: “Probably not, but we have to give them to some adults, too.”

After all, they were there in their parents’ names. Their parents’ seniority was likely quite high there, which meant more juniors, and more juniors meant more red envelopes to hand out. This trip might cost them 40,000 to 50,000 yuan.

“Luckily my parents chipped in for half the gift money.” Jiang Yi ate a tangerine and told her to buy a few more bundles. Song Rao’s family relations were simple; she hadn’t dealt with such complex family trees and might buy the wrong ones.

“Buy the ones with ‘Great Ambitions’ or ‘Good Luck’ for the adults, and ‘Academic Success’ for the kids. The amounts will be different, so we need to be specific. My mom told me—listening to her is never wrong.”

Adults got several hundred, while kids usually got 50 to 100. For high school or college students, they could add another hundred or two. Giving red envelopes was a technical skill.

“I thought we could just transfer the money via WeChat. My relatives are all simple and crude like that.”

Jiang Yi: “…”

Seeing her choked-up expression, Song Rao playfully rubbed her head. “I get it. In that case, do we need a lot of cash? Did we bring enough?”

Jiang Yi covered her face in pain. “No, I forgot again.”

Before leaving, she had been so focused on memorizing the list of family titles her mother sent so she wouldn’t stand there like a mute. She wasn’t afraid of greeting people—she could chat with anyone from one end of the village to the other—after all, she’d been attending banquets with her mom since she was little. Her only fear was calling someone by the wrong title. That would be a true social death. If she got a title wrong, she’d basically never step foot in this village again.

“Don’t worry, I saw a bank in this town. I have my card; I’ll go withdraw some.” Song Rao comforted her and got out to go to the bank.

Jiang Yi rolled down the window for some air. The market atmosphere was thick. Someone was selling candied haws (bingtang hulu). Jiang Yi’s eyes lit up; she hopped out and ran to the stall. “Boss, how much for the candied haws?”

The boss looked at her. “Pretty lady (liang nü), 8 yuan for the big ones, 5 yuan for the small.”

“Two big ones, please.” Hearing the term “pretty lady” made Jiang Yi feel great; the local customs here were quite charming. She took out her phone to scan the code.

“Pretty lady, you can pick whichever two you like,” the boss added.

How personalized, Jiang Yi thought. She reached out to pick two sticks she had been eyeing.

However, as she reached for them, a slender, white hand beat her to it. “Boss, I want this one.”

A delicate, pretty voice came from beside her. Jiang Yi turned to look. It was a young, beautiful girl who smiled at her, revealing a small canine tooth. Her smile was very sweet.

“Coming up! 8 yuan. You can pay via Alipay or WeChat.”

After paying, the girl turned and left. Jiang Yi looked at the empty spot on the stand and silently picked a different one. She suddenly wasn’t feeling the “pretty lady” compliment as much anymore.

Back in the car, Song Rao returned from the bank. Jiang Yi handed her the other stick of candied haws. “Bought this for you.”

Song Rao took it and had a small taste. She hadn’t had snacks like this in a long time. “It’s good. There are a lot of snacks here.”

Jiang Yi took the cash and started stuffing it into red envelopes one by one. “Yeah, and a lot of ‘pretty ladies’ too.”

Song Rao sensed something off in her tone. Swallowing the hawthorn, she said deeply, “I didn’t see any. Since we entered this town, I haven’t seen anyone more beautiful than you.”

“Just eat your candied haws.” Jiang Yi shot her a look, but a small smile quirked her lips.

“They’re all packed; don’t get them mixed up.” Jiang Yi put the stacks of envelopes into a bag. “You have a good memory. Help me keep an eye out for any kids who take an envelope and then loop back to try for another. I’ll flatten them.”

Song Rao laughed. “You’re quite the fair distributor.”

“Of course, money doesn’t grow on trees.”

Close to 6:00 PM, they arrived at the groom’s side of the family. The village was called Longju Village. As they entered, the asphalt road was lined with small western-style houses, lush greenery, and chic decorations. Both were impressed; the rural development was incredibly fast. Almost every household had a small villa with a courtyard. If she could retire in a place like this, she’d probably wake up laughing.

“It’s not impossible,” Song Rao mused. “We could have our parents come live with us.”

“Song Rao! Look at that person… doesn’t that look like someone we know?” Jiang Yi didn’t hear what she said; her eyes were full of disbelief and confusion.

“Where?” Song Rao turned but couldn’t see who she was pointing at. She turned off the engine and leaned across the seat, getting close to Jiang Yi to look out the window.

“It looks like Shen Siyun,” Song Rao said calmly, sounding puzzled. “What is she doing here?”

Jiang Yi couldn’t figure it out either. As she pulled back her gaze, her lips accidentally brushed against Song Rao’s cheek. Both froze.

“Song Rao, look at your cheek—it’s covered in my lipstick. That’s hilarious.” Jiang Yi grabbed a tissue and reached up to wipe it off. “I can’t… the more I look, the funnier it is. It doesn’t fit your professor image at all.”

Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed. Jiang Yi looked up at Song Rao, confused. “What’s wrong?”

“Jiang Yi,” Song Rao looked gently into her startled eyes. “Do you think there would still be a reaction if acid was added to potassium permanganate a second time?”

Jiang Yi blinked, then actually thought about it. “Doesn’t that depend on whether you’re adding dilute hydrochloric acid or concentrated acid?”

“Mhm.” Song Rao leaned down and placed a kiss on her left cheek.

From an outsider’s perspective, they were kissing in the car.

“Shen Siyun, why don’t we go for a walk by Tuli Yun Lake?” Xin Wenyue squinted at the scenery, taking her sunglasses off her V-neck and putting them on.

“Go by yourself.” Shen Siyun shot her a chilly look. Her gaze moved past Xin Wenyue’s shoulder, focusing on that car. Her red lips were vivid under the hot sun. Suddenly, she let out a cold laugh and began walking toward them with long, powerful strides.

Inside the car, Jiang Yi was frozen, not understanding why Song Rao—who wasn’t the type for such jokes—had done that.

“Song Rao, you…”

Song Rao reached up and wiped the corner of Jiang Yi’s mouth. “Alright, let’s get out of the car.”

Then, as if just noticing the approaching woman, she nodded in greeting. “Miss Shen, what a coincidence.”

“It’s no coincidence. How does Professor Song feel about the person I ‘trained’?”

Shen Siyun stood outside the car window, arms crossed, looking down with a lazy, haughty expression. Her fingers rested on her sea-green handmade knit sweater. A bronze-gold necklace hung over her chest—a chain of wave-like links with a small coin-shaped piece at the end. As she spoke, the little coin seemed to quiver with provocation.

Hearing that voice, Jiang Yi whipped around. Outside, Shen Siyun looked tall and slender. Her cocoa-brown trousers traced her long legs, and her 10cm heels showed off white, elegant arches.

But that mouth of hers was just like a dog’s—it couldn’t produce ivory.

“Shen Siyun, did you leave your brain in a mud pit on the way here?”

Jiang Yi’s temper flared with protective instinct. Why should her best friend endure such blatant humiliation?

“Is what I said not the truth?” Shen Siyun’s long curls were tied back, emphasizing her straight shoulders and elegant posture. Her emerald earrings shimmered with a deep green luster under the sun. A breeze blew past, and Jiang Yi feared it would only fuel Shen Siyun’s arrogance.

“Is that not all in the past? Do I need to remind you? Since when has President Shen’s memory been so poor?” No, Jiang Yi thought, now I’m remembering the flirtatious messages she sent a few days ago.

She regretted letting her change that tampon even more now.

“I wonder if Miss Shen has heard this saying before,” Song Rao said, glancing at the fuming Jiang Yi and then at the “acidified potassium permanganate” lady.

“What?” The lady frowned, her cold, arrogant expression unchanged.

“The predecessors plant the trees, and the successors enjoy the shade.”

The air went still for two seconds before Jiang Yi burst out laughing. Song Rao gave a shallow smile.

The “Potassium Permanganate” lady’s face turned a shade of dark, mossy green.

“Shen Siyun, do you know them?” Xin Wenyue arrived, walking in heels of the same height. Seeing the scene, she studied them closely.

“I don’t.” Shen Siyun’s face darkened, and she marched toward the house.

“Oh.” Xin Wenyue withdrew her gaze, having already found her answer. She followed her inside without a word.

Jiang Yi and Song Rao got out of the car, and relatives soon recognized them.

“You’re Zhong Zhilan’s daughter, right? Jiang… something Yi?” A woman dressed in her late fifties or sixties approached.

“Auntie, I’m Jiang Yi.”

“You’ve grown so much!” The aunt was Jiang Yi’s mother’s sister; she hadn’t seen her in over ten years since moving abroad. She hadn’t attended their wedding, only knowing Jiang Yi had married a woman. She patted Jiang Yi’s shoulder. “A girl changes so much by eighteen. You’re beautiful, looking just like your mother. Why didn’t she come today?”

Jiang Yi: “She couldn’t handle the long trip, so she sent us instead.”

“And this must be the one you married?” The aunt looked at Song Rao.

“Yes, her name is Song Rao.” Jiang Yi hooked Song Rao’s arm, bringing her forward.

“Hello, Auntie.” Song Rao was clearly a bit shy as she handed over the gifts. “These are for you.”

The aunt performed the traditional “gift-giving tug-of-war” common among relatives before finally accepting the gifts under Jiang Yi’s persuasion. She smiled. “You’re very thoughtful.”

“The wedding is by the lake tomorrow. Many guests will arrive tonight. Remember to greet everyone; don’t embarrass your mother.”

As they nodded, an elderly woman with a hunched back but spirited eyes approached, walking as if she had wings on her feet. “A-Lian, is this your niece?”

“Yes, my sister’s daughter, Jiang Yi.” The aunt began introducing them. “This is your mother’s younger aunt, and also the matchmaker for your Great-Grandaunt. You should call her Great-Aunt.”

“Hello, Great-Aunt.”

“Hello, Great-Aunt.”

The aunt introduced them to several other relatives from the groom’s side—direct siblings and such. Then she moved on to cousins and more distant relations.

Song Rao was getting into the swing of things, skillfully handling the greetings, gifts, and small talk.

Jiang Yi caught sight of a figure coming from the corner. She gripped Song Rao’s arm and whispered in her ear, “Song Rao… Shen Siyun couldn’t possibly be the groom’s cousin, could she?”

“What should we call her?” Song Rao adjusted her glasses, only concerned with the etiquette.

Jiang Yi’s expression was grim. “If I remember correctly, we have to call her… Auntie.”