Chapter 54

On the day of the wedding banquet, the Pei family’s staff quarters were very lively.

Jiang Xi arrived at the cafeteria in new clothes, surrounded by people. The men in the cafeteria cheered loudly, creating a festive atmosphere.

Pei Hejun, in his neat military uniform with a big red flower on his chest, walked up to Jiang Xi and saluted. He said loudly, “Comrade Jiang Xi, thank you for marrying me!”

Jiang Xi was surprised by how formal Pei Hejun was. Her cheeks reddened, and she could only smile.

Pei Hejun then vowed, “I promise, from now on…”

He spoke with great seriousness. Jiang Xi was touched and her eyes became slightly red.

When he finished speaking, he looked at her expectantly.

Jiang Xi was silent for a moment before hugging him with tears in her eyes.

Pei Hejun’s face turned red and he hurriedly supported her, saying, “Wife, don’t cry, there are so many people watching.”

The crowd erupted in laughter.

Jiang Xi quickly composed herself, wiping her tears and pushing him away, feeling embarrassed.

The two younger sisters behind them laughed heartily.

Seeing that Jiang Xi was uncomfortable, Pei Hejun decided to shift the focus and said, “Everyone, let’s start eating.”

Soon, the crowd let them go.

Jiang Xi took Pei Hejun aside and scolded him, “What are you doing? Didn’t you say you were just hosting a banquet?”

Pei Hejun winced from her pinch and explained, “I felt bad for not being part of the last wedding, so Zhonghua and others helped me plan this. I know you don’t like this kind of display, so they toned it down a lot.”

Jiang Xi was actually pleased with the gesture.

Now that they had feelings for each other, she appreciated the effort. After all, weddings were simpler back then. They could have a grander celebration later on.

Jiang Xi smiled, “Actually, I’m quite happy.”

Pei Hejun’s eyes softened, “I’m very happy too.”

The two shared a moment, then Shi Zhonghua’s voice interrupted: “Hey, young couple, I know it’s your wedding, but you don’t have to be so indulgent.”

Jiang Xi snapped back to reality and pushed Pei Hejun toward the crowd.

Pei Hejun guided her to toast at each table. Jiang Xi, unable to drink, noticed that the wine glasses contained mostly water.

After all the toasts, everyone started eating.

Jiang Xi sat at a corner table. Jiang Yu handed her a dish and said, “Big sister, eat more.”

Jiang Mi also brought a bowl of food and said, “I made sure to get a lot.”

Jiang Xi thanked her sisters and said, “I’ll give you an extra fifty cents in pocket money next week.”

“Wow!”

“Thank you, big sister!”

_

The banquet was lively but brief. Jiang Xi and Pei Hejun saw the guests off.

When Qin Yue’s turn came to leave, Jiang Xi heard her two boys saying, “Mom, I’m still hungry. Can you make us some noodles?”

Qin Yue replied unhappily, “I told you to pick up the food quickly and not talk.”

“I was wrong. Do you want me to starve? I’m going to tell Dad.”

Qin Yue’s tone softened, “I know.”

The boy quickly left with his brother.

Qin Yue, feeling tired, noticed Jiang Xi watching from a distance. Her face reddened and she hurried away.

Jiang Xi thought Qin Yue was embarrassed, so she turned away and continued chatting with others.

After the last guest left, Jiang Xi and Pei Hejun were about to leave when they heard a familiar voice calling them.

Jiang Xi turned around and saw Qin Yue standing by the road.

“You go back first. I have something to do,” Jiang Xi said to Pei Hejun.

Pei Hejun nodded and went back.

Jiang Xi approached Qin Yue and asked with concern, “What’s the matter?”

Qin Yue’s cheeks were slightly red as she said, “I want to find a job. Do you know how to find one, or can you help me?”

She tensed up and looked nervously at Jiang Xi.

Qin Yue hadn’t initially thought of asking Jiang Xi for help, but among her acquaintances, half were familiar with Lu Jianguo’s ex-wife and the other half were housewives unable to find work.

With her high school diploma, Qin Yue believed that Jiang Xi, being the most qualified among her contacts, might be able to help. She thought Jiang Xi could be more capable of assisting her.

Jiang Xi, who felt mostly sympathy and confusion towards Qin Yue, was surprised by the request. She shook her head and said, “I don’t have any job contacts since I just arrived here. With your high school diploma, you might want to check with local schools. If that doesn’t work, you might have to wait until the college entrance examination is resumed and consider taking it.”

Qin Yue’s disappointment was apparent, but she brightened at the mention of college. “Go to college? Can I?”

She asked, feeling uncertain due to her outdated knowledge and high school education.

Jiang Xi replied, “I wouldn’t go to college myself. I prefer earning money, so being a student isn’t for me.”

Qin Yue smiled and said, “Thank you, I understand.”

Jiang Xi smiled back, “I hope you find a job.”

She then turned and left.

Qin Yue lingered, then headed toward town. She decided to prioritize her own needs over cooking for her stepson. She had to focus on finding study materials for middle and high school. Jiang Xi’s suggestion was a path to regain her knowledge and possibly prepare for the college entrance examination.

_

Jiang Xi quickly rejoined Pei Hejun, who had waited for her.

Pei Hejun asked curiously, “Do you know her?”

“Funny coincidence, she was my high school classmate, but we weren’t close,” Jiang Xi explained, “I only remembered her later.”

Pei Hejun agreed, “That does seem unfamiliar.”

Jiang Xi smiled and took his hand.

Pei Hejun froze, nervous and embarrassed. He looked around and said seriously, “This isn’t appropriate; it could have a bad impact.”

Fortunately, there was no one around.

Since it was a day off after the noon banquet, many people had gone back to sleep. Jiang Xi, seeing Pei Hejun’s serious reaction, didn’t pull away. She hugged his arm and laughed, “Why are you so worried? Are you afraid of getting in trouble?”

Pei Hejun nodded, “Yes.”

Jiang Xi quickly withdrew her hand, disappointed. She was not used to initiating such intimate gestures. She had only begun to feel their relationship as more than just a formality after the banquet.

In this era, Pei Hejun’s status made her cautious. The wedding certificate had felt like an award, but the banquet made their marriage feel real.

Pei Hejun held her hand tightly, sensing her discomfort.

Seeing her glance at their hands, he said seriously, “There’s no one here, and we’re just holding hands. It should be fine.”

“Should?” Jiang Xi raised an eyebrow.

Pei Hejun admitted, “I haven’t tried it before.”

Jiang Xi shook her head and smiled.

_

Nightfall

Everyone took showers in sequence. Jiang Yu and Jiang Mi went first, followed by Jiang Xi, and then Pei Hejun. After her shower, Jiang Xi lay in bed, feeling comfortable in the cool temperature, but she had difficulty falling asleep due to nervousness.

Was this really the wedding night?

She wanted to talk to the system but feared being discovered by Pei Hejun. She had ignored the system’s attempts to chat with her, making it upset.

Pei Hejun was also nervous, rushing his shower. When he entered the room, he felt the warmth but was still uneasy.

Suddenly, Jiang Xi sat up and said, “Come and sit down.”

Pei Hejun, feeling puzzled, sat down as instructed and waited for her to speak.

Jiang Xi took a deep breath. This decision had been made a long time ago. She held Pei Hejun’s hand, and their cold hands touched. The merit system interface appeared impatiently.

Her points had increased from over 2,400 to nearly 3,000. This was enough to buy the silver needles Jiang Xi wanted or one of the famous doctor’s notes.

But she didn’t dare to buy it.

Now, as she was finally going to confront her master, Jiang Xi felt quite relaxed despite being nervous. She said, “Pei Hejun, there is something I’ve been wanting to tell you.”

Pei Hejun’s expression was tense: “Go ahead.”

Jiang Xi said: “You have a merit system, did you know that?”

Pei Hejun: “?”

Jiang Xi quickly explained the whole story. After she finished, she looked at Pei Hejun, who had his eyes wide open, unable to believe it.

Jiang Xi then asked the system, “System, what exactly are merit points? Is it dangerous to use them?”

The system quickly replied: [Merit points are rewards for doing good deeds. We are not gods, so we can’t actually give merits! It just means if you do good deeds and accumulate points, you can exchange them for things. These are all technologies. When you buy something, the main brain uses a wormhole to send it to you. We are technology!]

Jiang Xi read out the system’s words and asked, “Can you tell others about your existence?”

System: [No, we have a rule that we cannot be exposed. If the main brain detects it, it will activate the self-destruct system, and then we will die together.]

Pei Hejun listened to Jiang Xi’s retelling and was silent for a long time. He then asked, “Is there a book on how to make mushroom eggs?”

System: [No! It cannot have a huge impact. This system is not a powerful country system!]

Jiang Xi finished reading and laughed. Pei Hejun sighed with regret and said, “It seems that it is useless. I have no fate with it. You can use it however you want.”

Jiang Xi nodded in surprise: “Okay, then I’ll buy it. System, help me buy the Bian Que Notes!”

System: [OK, sincere discount will cost 2,600 points]

The next moment, Jiang Xi had a thick book in her hand.

As soon as she opened it, she saw words packed densely like a dictionary, filled with symptoms and picture analysis.

Jiang Xi was immediately thrilled and wanted to study it, but it was taken away. Pei Hejun looked serious: “So you secretly held my hand in the middle of the night to check the system?”

Jiang Xi froze, shocked: “You knew?”

Pei Hejun nodded and gritted his teeth: “It’s really for the system!”

Jiang Xi laughed dryly and quickly threw herself into his arms: “No, it’s because of you. I just wanted to secretly hold your hand.”

Pei Hejun tried to look serious, but he still smiled. Even if he knew it was fake, he was still happy. He supported her, turned over, pressed her down, bit her lips, and whispered, “I believe it.”

I believe everything you say.

– The End-

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T/L Notes:
Thank you sooo much for sticking with the series until the end! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed translating it. If you notice anything that seems off, don’t hesitate to reach out or leave a comment. Your feedback is always welcome!

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