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Chapter 92: This is because both parties A and B agree.
At the second cup of coffee, Huo Niansheng appeared.
A simple prenuptial agreement, stipulating that each party’s pre-marital property belongs to the individual, was quickly signed.
Lawyer Zhu handed an A4 paper to the boss; Huo Niansheng glanced over it casually, picked up a pen, and signed his name without a second thought.
Chen Wengang stood by and watched him sign. The first sentence on the paper: “Because both parties A and B are in love and agree…”
It felt like child’s play.
With the prenuptial agreement signed, everything was set in stone.
The names of the two were together. Chen Wengang’s handwriting was neat, while Huo Niansheng’s was flamboyant, almost flying off the page with each stroke.
Lawyer Zhu asked, “Is there anything else to add?”
Chen Wengang suddenly remembered something – the house that Zheng Bingyi wanted to transfer to his name, whether it was a flat or a villa, was of considerable value, although there was a difference in luxury. He actually didn’t want either of them and had been procrastinating. The formalities were not yet completed.
Huo Niansheng didn’t take it seriously, and before Zhu could intervene, he said there was still something to attend to and dragged Chen Wengang out of the door.
“You go find Lawyer Cao for the transfer first. If he’s willing to give it to you, just accept it. I won’t take anything from you.”
“I really don’t want it,” Chen Wengang looked at him anxiously. “It’s not meaningful to take advantage of others.”
“If there’s a benefit, why not take it?” Huo Niansheng joked, squeezing his waist.
“I have you; that’s all I need,” Chen Wengang replied with affection.
“Your adoptive father definitely doesn’t see it this way. A couple of houses here and there mean nothing to him. On the contrary, if you leave, he has to settle you properly to show others that he hasn’t mistreated his adoptive son, which is to protect his own reputation. Just take it.”
Chen Wengang followed Huo Niansheng to the bottom of the steps. Huo Niansheng kissed Chen Wengang on the cheek, and the driver pulled the car to the curb.
Huo Niansheng opened the car door for him. “I’ll drop you off first. I’ll be back to Yushui Bay tonight.”
Chen Wengang didn’t ask why he was going back to the Huo residence. “Shall we set off next week?”
“Yeah, go back and check your passport again. Did you arrange your leave?”
“I’ve taken four days off, including this weekend, a total of six days.”
“That’s good.” Huo Niansheng shook his hand. “I can show you around there. Have you been to the United States?”
“I’ve been once, during high school, for a summer camp. I visited some well-known schools.”
Chen Wengang got off at the corner of Jiangchao Street. The driver waved to him, and he watched as Huo Niansheng’s car disappeared into the distance.
Standing at the intersection for a moment, he realized there was hardly any food left at home. He needed to buy some groceries to cook.
There were no large supermarkets nearby; residents relied on traditional street markets. As soon as he entered, the smell of poultry, fish, and dried seafood hit him. Vegetables and fruits were neatly arranged on stalls, and elderly men and women, as well as housewives, bent over, picking and choosing with canvas bags slung over their shoulders.
“Chen…” Suddenly, someone hesitantly called from behind, “Chen Wengang?”
“Who’s this?” Chen Wengang turned back from the vegetable stall.
“It’s really you! I almost didn’t recognize you!” The person facing him grinned widely, his voice booming, “I’m Cheng Bo; we were classmates in elementary school. I sat in the last row, you were in the first!” He tapped his head, “You transferred early, you probably don’t remember us, right?”
“Not at all.” Chen Wengang instinctively reached out to shake his hand, as the other person was holding two red envelopes, and finally recognized him from his memory, “Of course, I remember. It’s been a long time.”
“What are you doing now?” Cheng Bo asked.
“Still studying.”
“No wonder, a top student! I remember everyone saying you transferred to some great school, unlike me, who was just drifting along. Now I’m working with my family.” Cheng Bo chatted amiably, “By the way, isn’t it a coincidence? I’m getting married this weekend.”
“Congratulations.”
“You see, we haven’t seen each other for so many years; this is fate, isn’t it? You must come to my wedding, for sure. It’s a deal.” Cheng Bo enthusiastically pulled out his phone and added Chen Wengang as a friend, sending him an electronic invitation.
Chen Wengang wasn’t accustomed to such excessive enthusiasm, but after some persuasion, he agreed. On the way home, he used one hand to open the link and realized that the wedding venue was at the Wanghai Restaurant. At that moment, he coincidentally ran into Lu Chenlong.
When they talked about Cheng Bo’s wedding, Lu Chenlong knew about it and slapped his thigh, “These people who haven’t contacted you for ages suddenly call you to their banquet just to earn some extra gift money! Why agree?”
Chen Wengang was easygoing and joked, “The fat of the land doesn’t flow to outsiders. In the end, you’ll still earn this money.”
Lu Chenlong chuckled helplessly, “Don’t mention it. People are really cunning. When he came to book a table with me, he made it sound like he was specifically taking care of business. Alright, I considered the camaraderie of classmates and gave him all the discounts I could. But the more he calculated, the more outrageous it got. He even wanted me to charge for a two-thousand-yuan banquet at a one-thousand-yuan standard! I said, why don’t you just break my bones directly?”
Chen Wengang couldn’t help but smile, glancing at his sturdy arms, “Did you really say that?”
Lu Chenlong grinned mischievously, “Of course, I’d be more tactful face to face. Anyway, one side had to compromise, either him or me. I won’t lose money doing business. He’s already informed all his relatives and friends, so if he wants to change the venue, let him. I’m not the one in a hurry.”
The two of them chatted and laughed as Chen Wengang carried the groceries and went straight to Lu’s house for a meal.
Since moving back to Jiangchao Street, he has had this added benefit. Close neighbors were better than distant relatives; they could meet anytime, coming or going.
The meal at Lu’s house was simple, just rice porridge and side dishes, along with some fish skin dumplings brought back from a restaurant.
Xiao Bao took a few bites from his enamel bowl and then busied himself watching TV.
Chen Wengang was about to take a spoonful when he glanced away from the TV and noticed Lu Chenlong looking at his hand.
After a moment’s thought, he decided not to hide it. “Actually, there’s something I haven’t told you. I’m getting married too.”
Lu Chenlong was quite startled. “Ah… ah? You? Getting married? How?”
Chen Wengang admitted, “We’re going to the US next week. It’s not recognized domestically, but it’s just for peace of mind.”
It took Lu Chenlong twenty minutes to process this information. He blamed Chen Wengang for not saying so earlier and for not treating him like a friend.
In the end, he nodded and said, “Well… if it’s recognized in the US, then go to the US.”
Xiao Bao turned up the volume of the cartoon, making a deafening noise. Lu Chenlong seemed a bit distracted as he went to turn it down, and Chen Wengang stopped talking.
In ordinary families, marriage was a big event that both the man and woman had to manage together. Like Cheng Bo, they had to handle everything from betrothal gifts to wedding arrangements, inviting relatives and friends to come together, which was the formal procedure.
After washing the dishes in the evening, Chen Wengang was about to return to his own home when Lu Chenlong stopped him.
Lu Chenlong rummaged through the house and found some red paper leftover from the New Year. He wrapped a red envelope and handed it to Chen Wengang, saying, “I don’t know what customs people abroad have for weddings. Take this. If you’re going to the States, I definitely can’t make it. Consider this my token of blessing.”
Chen Wengang took a deep breath, feeling that the stack of money inside the envelope was quite substantial.
He wanted to refuse, but Lu Chenlong scratched his head and showed a smile again. “It’s quite old-fashioned, but it’s the way we do weddings here. Even though I still think you’re quite hasty. How can marriage be such a casual affair? But you’re a reliable person. Just be careful not to get cheated. If you have a ceremony in the country, count me in.”
Xiao Bao ran over and hugged Chen Wengang’s leg.
Chen Wengang patted his prickly hair and said to Lu Chenlong, “Thank you.”
Saturday was the time on the invitation. Chen Wengang attended Cheng Bo’s wedding.
He gave a token gift of two hundred yuan and followed the crowd inside. Although Chen Wengang was familiar with Wanghai Restaurant, the person responsible for welcoming guests was afraid he might wander off, so they hurriedly led the way. The relatives and friends from both sides were unfamiliar to him, and in the end, he was seated inconspicuously in a corner.
The people at this table were all strangers to each other, maintaining a distance as they ate and drank, occasionally glancing at the ceremony on the stage.
Cheng Bo and his wife met through a matchmaking process, and they got together when the conditions were met. The emcee on stage created an atmosphere, asking them to share their love story. Cheng Bo spoke affectionately for a few sentences, and the audience below cheered. The emcee then played a little game: “What’s her favorite food?”
Cheng Bo thought for a moment, then made an exaggerated expression, “Sour cabbage braised pork.”
The audience laughed, and the bride pretended to hit him, “You’re the one who loves braised pork!”
The emcee joked, “It seems the groom doesn’t know that losing weight is every woman’s lifelong career, especially the bride. How can she touch braised pork to wear this pure white wedding dress?”
The friends and relatives below became even more lively, joking around. Chen Wengang smiled and then turned away from the stage.
After a while, the bride went backstage to change her outfit and makeup. The bride and groom then went around the tables to toast.
When they reached Chen Wengang’s table, everyone stood up. The bride’s eyes lit up, and she covered her mouth with a smile, “Oh Chengzi, I didn’t know you had such handsome classmates. Why didn’t you tell us earlier? Our bridesmaids are all single. Let’s introduce them.”
Cheng Bo rolled his eyes and pinched her back, “On our big day, you’re complimenting other men. Do you still have me in your eyes?”
That evening, when Chen Wengang returned home, his suitcase was still lying on the floor. He checked his belongings one last time before closing the suitcase.
These past few days, Huo Niansheng has been staying overnight at the Huo residence. Chen Wengang slept without leaving the light on. In the middle of the night, someone got onto the bed.
He was half asleep when he heard Huo Niansheng ask in his ear: “What did you do today?”
Chen Wengang woke up and yawned, “I attended a classmate’s wedding.”
“How was it? Fun?”
“It was alright… The banquet was good, but it was quite noisy.”
“Anything else?”
“The groom was a bit chauvinistic. He was my elementary school classmate. Back then, he was particularly mischievous in class, pulling girls’ pigtails and stuffing caterpillars into girls’ pencil cases. All the girls in the class stay away him, so seeing him get married felt a bit strange.”
“Forget about him; let’s sleep.” Huo Niansheng raised an eyebrow and patted his back, “We still have our own things to take care of.”
The next day, the driver took the two of them to the airport.
Outside the porthole, day and night alternated. When they landed, the dry desert air enveloped their skin.
With coconut trees and neon signs saying, “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” Las Vegas had arrived.
Accompanying them was also Lawyer Zhu. After all, they needed someone to officiate the wedding, and it was more convenient to have a reliable person rather than just grab someone off the street. Their luggage was sent to the hotel, and Huo Niansheng was in high spirits, generously tipping.
The service staff were delighted, recognizing them as a same-sex couple. “Wish you both a pleasant time in the city.”
Huo Niansheng’s lips curled slightly, “You could also wish us a happy honeymoon.”
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For every Ko-fi received for a perticular novel, I will release a new chapter!
Hmmm, I’m shocked that nobody tried to stop the wedding before they left for the US. Unless somebody shows up in Vegas. Not sure if I’m reading too much into this or maybe it’s CWG who hasn’t realised this yet, but the process leading up to the wedding was very anticlimactic, like it was happening to someone else.