The dishes were served quickly, covering the entire round table with a feast that was a delight to the senses—colorful, fragrant, and delicious.  

Garlic Pork Slices, Sweet and Sour Fish, Poached Rabbit, Mapo Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken, Braised Beef, Camphor Tea Duck, Spicy Pork Knuckle in Chili Oil…  

Four vegetarian dishes, eight meat dishes, a sour radish and duck soup, and two desserts: brown sugar glutinous rice cakes and sesame balls.  

The Zhang family was utterly stunned.  

Having lived for decades, they had never seen—let alone eaten—such an extravagant spread.  

Jiang Qing was equally astonished.  

Though she had lived two lifetimes, this was her first time dining in such a high-end restaurant and tasting such luxurious dishes.  

But the thought that this indulgence and experience were all thanks to Jiang Moli soured her mood.  

“Moli, don’t just focus on eating. Serve some dishes to Auntie An.”  

Jiang Moli spat out a fish bone with a plop and turned to An Hui. “Take whatever you like. If you can’t reach, just stand up.”  

An Hui, irritated, took a large sip of hawthorn juice.  

She had finally figured it out: this future daughter-in-law couldn’t care less whether her mother-in-law liked her or not.  

Watching this scene, Jiang Qing sneered inwardly.  

Jiang Moli hadn’t changed—she was still as foolish and obnoxious as ever.  

Old Man Lu had already looked down on Jiang Moli and hadn’t even bothered to show up for the marriage proposal. Yet Jiang Moli still refused to rein herself in.  

If she kept this up, she’d likely be dumped before she even made it into the Lu family.  

As the fiancé, Lu Cheng naturally stepped up to defend his future wife.  

“Moli’s right. Everyone should help themselves to whatever they like. Don’t hold back—we’re all family here.”  

Both An Hui and Jiang Moli rolled their eyes at him simultaneously.  

Jiang Molly: Who asked you to butt in?  

An Hui: Look at how eager you are—it’s embarrassing! 

Lu Cheng chuckled.  

Truly mother and daughter-in-law—even their eye-rolling was identical.  

Jiang Dahai had long given up on hoping his daughter would behave and decided to take matters into his own hands. “Everyone, try the sweet and sour fish. It’s tangy and appetizing, with no fishy taste at all. It’s one of Guanghua’s signature dishes.”  

Lu Cheng eagerly agreed, “Uncle Jiang, if you like their food, we can hold our wedding banquet here.”  

Jiang Moli nearly choked.  

Jiang Dahai readily agreed, “Sounds good.”  

“Then it’s settled.”  

Wait a minute—since when did they decide on the wedding venue without consulting the bride-to-be?

And she hadn’t even agreed to marry him!

Just as Jiang Moli was about to slam her chopsticks down in protest, An Hui placed a red envelope in front of her.  

“It’s customary. Take it.”  

Perhaps still annoyed about the serving incident, An Hui’s tone was somewhat cold.  

“Moli, why are you spacing out? Hurry up and thank Auntie An.”  

Seeing Jiang Moli frozen, Jiang Dahai couldn’t help but remind her.  

At the table, Jiang Qing, Li Hongying, and Jin Yulan watched the scene with envy.  

First, there was the 888-yuan betrothal gift, and now a personal red envelope.  

Just how wealthy was the Lu family?  

Why hadn’t they been lucky enough to land such a good match/in-laws?  

Under normal circumstances, Jiang Moli would never turn down money.  

But accepting this would mean agreeing to the marriage.  

Then again, Lu Cheng was handsome and rich—she wasn’t exactly losing out.  

As for his character and family background, the military’s vetting process was thorough. She had nothing to worry about.  

“Thank you, Auntie!”  

Seeing her accept the red envelope, both Jiang Dahai and Lu Cheng sighed in relief.  

Everyone resumed eating, the atmosphere warm and cheerful.  

“Ah, where’s Xiao Peng?”  

Li Hongying’s question from across the table reminded Jiang Moli that Jiang Peng was still guarding the public toilet for her.  

After brushing off the question casually, she borrowed two aluminum lunch boxes from the restaurant—one for dishes, the other filled with three liang of rice—planning to deliver them to Jiang Peng after the meal.

After eating and drinking their fill, they left the restaurant. Jiang Dahai enthusiastically invited everyone to a teahouse to enjoy tea and storytelling.  

Jiang Moli, however, was preoccupied with delivering food to Jiang Peng. “Dad, you all go ahead. I have something to do.”  

Jiang Dahai grabbed her. “You’re not going anywhere.”  

It had already been impolite for Jiang Moli to be absent when the Lu family came to propose in the morning. In the afternoon, she had to stay with her future in-laws to make a good impression.  

“I really have something to do.”  

“Cut the nonsense—what could you possibly have to do?”  

Just as Jiang Moli was about to explain that she’d found a job cleaning toilets, Lu Cheng spoke up, “Uncle Jiang, you all go ahead to the teahouse. I’ll take Moli for a walk around town.”  

Jiang Dahai immediately pushed Jiang Moli toward Lu Cheng, his eyes crinkling into delighted crescents. “Good, good! You two go on and take your time.”  

Jiang Moli: “…”  

Lu Cheng politely bid farewell to An Hui, Li Hongying, and the Zhang family, then naturally took the lunch box from Jiang Moli’s hands.  

“Let’s go.”  

“Fine, let’s go!”  

Jiang Moli strutted ahead, chin held high.  

Lu Cheng followed half a step behind, his dark eyes filled with amusement as they lingered on her petite figure.  

Jiang Dahai grinned from ear to ear, but when he noticed his stepdaughter staring at Jiang Moli’s retreating back, he urged Zhang Jiaming to take Jiang Qing out for a walk as well.  

Once Zhang Jiaming and Jiang Qing had left, Jiang Dahai turned to An Hui and Zhang Tiesheng.  

“Young folks have their own way of having fun. Let’s go enjoy some tea and opera.”  

An Hui politely declined. “Let’s call it a day here. As for the wedding arrangements, let the young ones handle it themselves. Our job as elders is just to provide support—financially and otherwise.”  

“Of course, of course! How are you getting back, future in-law? Should I give you a ride on my bike?”  

An Hui waved him off. “No need. I’ll leave with Xiao Guang and the others—they came in a truck.”  

Jiang Dahai was stunned. “The Liberation truck parked at the residential gate is yours?”  

“We had too many things to carry, so we borrowed a vehicle from the organization for convenience.”  

Jin Yulan and Zhang Tiesheng exchanged glances.  

Not only did they have a guard assigned to them, but they could even borrow military trucks at will. It was clear that Lu Cheng’s father held a high rank in the army.  

Jiang Dahai had hit the jackpot!  

Fortunately, the Zhang family was now connected to the Jiangs by marriage—they could bask in some of that good fortune too.  

…

After walking some distance apart, Lu Cheng quickened his pace to catch up to Jiang Moli. “Who’s this food for?”  

“Your future brother-in-law.”  

Lu Cheng chuckled. “I still owe him a big red envelope.”  

Jiang Moli gave him a once-over. “With your qualifications, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a wife. Why are you so eager?”  

Instead of answering, Lu Cheng countered, “Then why haven’t you gotten married yet?”  

“Because I never met anyone willing to pay a 500-yuan betrothal gift.”  

Mentioning the gift reminded Jiang Moli of something. “Was that ladies’ bicycle in our yard brought by you?”  

“Mn. As per your request—three rounds and one sound, all accounted for, plus an 888-yuan betrothal gift.”  

Jiang Moli’s already round eyes widened further. “You gave my family 888 yuan?”  

“To be precise, it’s for you. Your dad has it—you can ask him for it when you go back. He doesn’t seem like the type to withhold his daughter’s betrothal money.”  

“You don’t get to judge what kind of person he is.”  

Jiang Moli rolled her eyes, but inwardly, she was even more satisfied with this marriage arrangement.  

Or rather, she was satisfied with the man in front of her.  

With his top-tier looks, generous nature, and military background—if this were the modern era, single women would be fighting tooth and nail over him.  

“Have you ever been in a relationship before?” she asked curiously.  

“No. I joined the military at 17, spent four years in Tibet, and was later stationed at the southwestern border. I’ve been in the army all these years—never had the chance to date.”  

Though Jiang Moli didn’t care much about past relationships, having none was naturally better.  

“So, I’m your first love?”  

“Yes. What about you?”  

Jiang Moli blinked. “Guess.”