Chapter 355: The Phoenix Among the Poor Relatives

It wasn’t long before the guests invited by the bride’s family arrived at the scene.

There were all sorts of executives, each looking sharp in suits, generously handing over thick red packets to the bride and groom while making very formal statements.

“Uncle Zhang, please come in, your table is right beside the stage on the right.”

“Uncle Zhao, please come in as well, I’ll come to greet you soon…”

“Uncle Gao, didn’t expect you to come too! You’re our honored guest, make sure you enjoy the food and drinks.”

As the greetings sounded, all the bosses entered the banquet hall, their shiny leather shoes clicking on the floor.

Bride Wang Cuimei, holding a thick wallet, looked proudly at Lin Peng next to her as if to say, see, I told you your side of the family is the poor relatives. The money they gave doesn’t even compare to one of these packets.

Lin Peng pursed his lips without replying, not annoyed, thinking, who would be upset receiving so much cash?

Meanwhile, inside the banquet hall, Lin Lao Wu finally managed to seat all the relatives from Jizhou together after much effort, relieved there were no further disturbances.

Yuan Youqin, squeezed between her husband and son, couldn’t help snorting, “Look at these miserly relatives of yours!”

Jiang Zhenghong: “…”

Jiang Qin, watching from the side, found it funny but dared not laugh, fearing his mother might redirect her anger at him.

However, the next moment, as a group of suit-clad men entered the banquet hall, the twenty-year-old boss Jiang suddenly noticed someone staring at him.

“Boss Jiang, you’re also here at the wedding?”

“Do we know each other?”

“I’m Gao Lingxi, remember? We met at the wine party. I was in the second batch to join our first station’s marketing.”

Jiang Qin thought for a moment, vaguely remembering, “Oh, it’s Boss Gao, what a coincidence to meet you here. Let me introduce you, this is my dad, this is my mom, we’re distant relatives of the groom, not closely related.”

“Boss Jiang, you’re quite humorous. Your uncle and aunt look quite young too,” Gao Lingxi couldn’t help but compliment.

Jiang Zhenghong and Yuan Youqin exchanged glances, then looked at Gao Lingxi’s shiny forehead, thinking, isn’t this wrong? How can this nephew look older than us? He must be in his forties or fifties?

Meanwhile, other suit-wearing individuals started to gather around, greeting them, all saying hi to Boss Jiang and the uncles and aunts, causing confusion for the couple.

It was awkward whether to agree or not. They weren’t old enough to be called uncle and aunt by these people.

“Uncle, do you smoke?”

“Uh… I don’t smoke, brother.”

Shortly after, the bride and groom, along with Niu Xianglan and Lin Lao Wu, having welcomed all guests and tidied up, returned to the banquet hall ready to invite everyone to start the meal. But when they arrived at the front, they were stunned.

The reserved VIP table was full, but not with those bosses—it was occupied by what they saw as the “poor relatives” from Jizhou.

Seeing this, Wang Cuimei’s face changed instantly: “What’s going on? Where are my uncles?”

“I don’t know, I definitely arranged for them to sit at the last table.”

“I told you those uncles are respected guests; did you not arrange it properly?!”

“Don’t worry Cuimei, I’ll go ask.”

Lin Lao Wu hurriedly comforted his daughter-in-law and approached a Jizhou relative, “Second Brother, weren’t you sitting at the back table initially? Did you find it uncomfortable and move here?”

Second Brother, who had previously complained the most, was unfriendly, “Don’t know!”

“This…”

A thin uncle suddenly spoke up, “Lin Lao Wu, don’t blame your Second Brother for giving you the cold shoulder, you really didn’t handle this well. What, are we from Jizhou not relatives anymore? If only you’d said so earlier, we wouldn’t have come!”

Lin Lao Wu forced a laugh, thinking it’d be better if they hadn’t come, saving him a table, but politely responded, “It’s mainly because more people came than expected, not calculated properly. But where did this table of guests go?”

“You mean those in suits? They’re at the back table. They shamelessly swapped with us and even gave me a box of Hua cigarettes.”

“?”

Lin Lao Wu was confused but relayed the situation to his daughter-in-law.

Wang Cuimei listened and was outright incredulous. What? The best spots in the front row not taken, and all these millionaires are squeezing by the pillars?

Just then, Wang Cuilan’s parents, i.e., Lin Peng’s in-laws, came over, looking very serious, pulling them aside.

“What’s going on over there?”

“What happened, Dad?”

Wang Jianxiang lowered his voice: “Boss Gao, Boss Zhao, Boss Liu… with their families, twenty-plus people squeezed at that back table like chicks that can’t spread their wings. What were you thinking?”

Lin Lao Wu couldn’t help but speak up, “Father-in-law, listen to me, we originally arranged the front row for them, but apparently, those bosses voluntarily swapped with our relatives.”

“They swapped voluntarily?”

“Yes.”

Wang Jianxiang scratched his head, muttering, it’s damn weird, these bosses usually compete for the front row, last time they nearly fought over a seat, and now they willingly sit at the back?

But by now, it was too late for changes; the waiters had already started serving.

Wang Jianxiang exhaled deeply, his expressions clearly unhappy, sinking into silence.

Seeing this, Lin Lao Wu and Niu Xianglan felt anxious, wanting to say something but didn’t know what.

Despite appearing powerful with so much dowry, including cars and homes, Niu Xianglan and Lin Lao Wu had been enduring the displeasure of watching others’ faces, feeling increasingly oppressed.

But what can you do when it’s your rich relatives? You just have to bear it.

After a while, the earlier parts of the ceremony were completed routinely, and Wang Cuimei changed out of her wedding dress into a qipao, ready to start the toast.

Who to toast first?

Naturally, to those business bosses.

Initially, they would have started from the first table and moved back, now they had to start from the last table and move forward.

So, the groom with a tray, the bride holding a wine jug, followed by Wang Jianxiang and Lin Lao Wu, impressively approached the last table.

Reaching behind the pillar, Wang Jianxiang was at a loss for words.

Good heavens, Boss Gao was already stout, twenty people at one table left no room to maneuver, he was sitting askew, even trying to pick dishes seemed pitiful.

“Boss Gao…?”

Gao Lingxi didn’t even need to turn around, a tilt of his head and he saw Wang Jianxiang: “Old Wang, you’re really saving money marrying off your daughter, huh? Twenty people at one table, and I must say, scrambling for food does make it taste better—it’s damn impressive!”

Knowing he was being mocked, Wang Jianxiang could only smile apologetically: “Sorry, Boss Gao, that front table was actually arranged for you, not sure how the mix-up happened.”

“Whatever, at least the embarrassment isn’t mine.”

“…”

Seeing her own father being humiliated, Wang Cuimei glared fiercely at Lin Peng, even feeling an urge to curse in front of everyone.

Look at the mess your family made. Do you know how valuable my dad’s connections are? And you poor relatives, squeezing in and scrambling for food with these bosses, don’t you know your own worth?

For the first time, Wang Cuimei felt like crying out of frustration, thinking she had been jinxed marrying into this family.

Just then, Jiang Qin appeared, holding a wine glass, “Boss Gao, why aren’t you drinking? Come on, let’s clink glasses.”

Hearing this, Gao Lingxi immediately set down his chopsticks, picked up his wine glass, and moved to meet him. But before their glasses could clink, he cried out and instead held Jiang Qin’s glass, refusing to let it lower to his own.

Seeing this, Wang Jianxiang and Lin Lao Wu were momentarily stunned, watching Jiang Qin in astonishment.

Wang Cuimei seemed to sense a subtle shift in the atmosphere and stared dumbfounded at the scene, not understanding why Lin Peng’s poor relatives had the highest glass at the toast.

Jiang Qin was mischievous, thinking to punish their stinginess that upset his mother, so he turned and raised his glass in another direction.

“Here’s to you, President Li, let’s have one.”

“Oh, oh, oh, President Jiang, you’re too kind…”

“Here’s to you, President Zhao…”

“Oh, oh, oh…”

“Here’s to you, President Fang…”

“Oh, oh, oh…”

After making the rounds with his glass, Jiang Qin witnessed everyone ‘oh-ing’ but no one allowed their glass to be lower than his, daunting the wedding family from even breathing heavily.

The subsequent events unfolded similarly. After Wang Cuimei finished pouring wine, everyone waited for Jiang Qin to make the first move, while he waited for Jiang Zhenghong.

Jiang Dad was also confused but found today’s wine exceptionally pleasant.

Upon finishing the toasting, they didn’t rush to the next table but found a place to rest and suddenly realized Jizhou’s poor relatives had a phoenix among them.

“I remembered the Linchuan Business Group…”

Wang Cuimei looked at her father: “Dad, what’s the Linchuan Business Group?”

Wang Jianxiang lit a cigarette, “The Linchuan city government issued a document recently about economic transformation, stepping into emerging industries, and established the Linchuan Business Group which all local bosses eagerly joined.”

“Then what?”

“That group seems to be single-handedly promoted by him, and now the whole Linchuan business community is banding together under his lead. Remember your Uncle Qian in the seafood business? He queued up for a week and still couldn’t meet him.”

“…”

Lin Laowu and his son exchanged glances. While unclear on the details about the Linchuan Business Group, they could see that, status and identity-wise, Jiang Qin’s family seemed to be even more golden than their wealthy relatives.

Had they known earlier, they would have opened more tables instead of saving money. Now, the most valuable person was squeezed at the most crowded table.

A somber Lin Peng sighed and watched his cousin sitting in front of the bosses exchanging pleasantries, gradually becoming despondent.

After the banquet, everyone had more or less finished eating – some ate well, some swallowed anger, and some were left hungry, but it was time to wrap up.

As they were about to leave, Jiang Zhenghong suddenly realized something: “The belt Nan Shu gave me might still be at Lin Laowu’s.”

“You came without your belt?” Jiang Qin was astonished.

“No. Lin Peng said it was fake and looked bad, so he replaced it.”

Speaking, Jiang Zhenghong called Lin Peng, “Peng, we’re leaving soon and won’t head your way, so please bring back my belt?”

Lin Peng paused, “Uncle, just use mine. I think it suits you; yours is too youthful.”

“It was a gift from my daughter-in-law; as good as yours is, I can’t swap.”

Jiang Qin: “?”

Lin Peng felt a bit troubled, “But I can’t leave yet, need to see off some relatives. How about I bring it over during New Year?”

Jiang Zhenghong scratched his head, “That works…”

Jiang Qin nearly choked, “Dad, that belt is worth thirty thousand!”

“?????”

Yuan Youqin was shocked, “You said it was three hundred?”

Jiang Qin rubbed his nose, “Wasn’t I worried you’d be afraid to accept it if I said more? But think about it, would anything from Feng Nan Shu be fake?”

Jiang Zhenghong turned to Lin Peng, “Maybe I should go back with you to get it.”

“Uncle, don’t rush. I’ll arrange things and then go back with you. Just wait here a while.”

After speaking, Lin Peng hurried backstage only to bump into Wang Cuimei and her father-in-law, “Why the rush?”

“Uncle Jiang’s belt is at our place, he said it’s worth thirty thousand, is there really such an expensive belt?”

Recalling the poor relatives’ Louis Vuitton, Wang Cuimei’s expression changed instantly, “If it’s real, it could be. Seeing those bosses’ attitudes, it really might be.”

Lin Peng swallowed hard, “Better I go back to get it myself; I don’t trust others with it.”

As Lin Peng departed, Wang Cuimei turned to Wang Jianxiang looking as aggrieved as a two-hundred-pound woman, “Dad, they seem to have an extraordinary relative. Will I be bullied in the future?”

“No worries, it’s not that serious. At most, you’ll just get scolded, keeping mum is key.”

“…”

After leaving the hotel, Lin Peng quickly drove home, rummaging through everything in search of the belt, then a dreadful thing happened – it was gone.

Impossible. He clearly remembered placing it on the nightstand.

Frenzied, Lin Peng searched everywhere, looking as desperate as if he had lost his wife, baffling the Linchuan relatives who had just finished their meal.

“Peng, what are you looking for?”

“The belt.”

“Hey, leave the belt for now, come over and talk with your aunt, we’re leaving soon.”

“Aunt, that’s Uncle Jiang’s belt, worth thirty thousand!”

Hearing this, Linchuan’s relatives exchanged glances, slowly grasping the insanity, “A belt for thirty thousand? Which of us has such means?”

Uncle Jiang? That Jiang Zhenghong’s family?

Lin Peng was almost frantic and, without time to explain, kept searching until he found a child handling the belt, swinging it around.

“…”

Five minutes later, Lin Peng, holding the belt, went downstairs, but it wasn’t just him returning it; all the Linchuan relatives came along.

Before coming, they had already scrutinized the thirty-thousand belt and also wanted to get a good look at what such a belt buckle looked like, only to see a family of three in an Audi and suddenly felt complex emotions.

Wealthy relatives do not wish for their poor kin to thrive too well; over long contacts, a sense of superiority had developed. Simply put, the Linchuan relatives had become accustomed to showing off to the Jizhou kin.

Yet only during Lin Peng’s wedding did they realize their so-called superiority was worth nothing, a stark realization that was suffocating.

“Zhenghong, no rush to leave, right? Come have some tea at my place!”

“Yes, Aunt Youqin, it’s been years since I’ve seen you, we haven’t even had a chance to chat.”

“Cousin, don’t leave today, stay at my place. I remember you loved the chicken stew with mushrooms I used to make when you stayed in the village!”

“Youqin…”

“Zhenghong…”

“Jiang Qin, your aunty held you when you were a child, why don’t you greet her?”

Witnessing the sudden warmth of the Linchuan relatives, Jiang Qin thought, this New Year, home would definitely be bustling like a busy market.

He knew from the way they acted when they first came in, everyone was indifferent, even if his parents initiated greetings, they merely lifted their eyelids.

Now, they almost wanted to crawl under his car.