As the old saying goes, it’s hard to be tough on someone after accepting their gifts.

Having received red envelopes from the groom for the first time, the women felt too embarrassed to give Yue Yihan any more trouble. They had no choice but to open the door. "Come on in!"

Seeing the crack in the door, Yue Yihan’s eyes instantly lit up.

He hurriedly brought the bouquet he’d prepared for Xie Changning from behind his back. Surrounded by the crowd, he made his way to Xie Changning’s room on the first floor.

At that moment, Xie Changning was sitting on a kang bed covered with a red quilt, a gentle smile on her face as she looked at him.

"My bride, marry me!"

The moment he saw Xie Changning, nothing else existed in Yue Yihan’s eyes. It was as if the entire world had vanished; in his world, there was only Xie Changning.

It was as if she were his entire world.

He immediately dropped to one knee. Amidst the crowd’s playful jeers, he knelt and spoke in a clear, loud voice.

His voice was so resonant it silenced everyone for a moment, before they burst into teasing laughter. They all joked that he was going to be completely whipped.

"What’s wrong with being whipped? If your wives were as beautiful as mine, you’d be whipped too!" Yue Yihan shot back, completely unfazed by their jokes.

He grinned, seemingly tireless.

Xie Changning held out her hand, gesturing for Yue Yihan to give her the bouquet.

Yue Yihan hurried forward and handed the bouquet to Xie Changning. He was about to sweep her up and carry her away but was pulled back by the older women nearby.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold your horses!"

"We know you’re in a hurry, but not so fast!"

"You haven’t found the bride’s shoes yet! You have to look carefully. We’ll only let you take the bride away once you’ve found her shoes!"

Only then did Yue Yihan start searching for the shoes.

As he searched, he kept glancing at Xie Changning, hoping she would give him a hint.

But before Xie Changning could react, the older women surrounded her, giving Yue Yihan no opportunity to get a clue.

Yue Yihan could only resign himself to searching on his own.

When he couldn’t find them, he eventually pulled out a five-fen red envelope and traded it with the little girl who had hidden the shoes.

Yue Yihan put the shoes on Xie Changning’s feet, then swept her up into his arms. "Finally, I can announce to the whole world that you are my wife."

Yue Yihan’s tone was so deeply affectionate that it made Xie Changning blush.

"Let’s go!" she urged.

With neither set of parents present, their wedding was a simple affair.

Yue Yihan rode his bicycle with Xie Changning through the nearby streets. She sat on the back rack, holding a bag of wedding candy and tossing it out as they went.

As if infected by the spirit of the people of this era, Xie Changning’s smile grew radiant.

"They’re getting married! They’re getting married! Wedding candy!" A group of children ran after the couple’s bicycle, picking up the candy as they ran and clapping their hands with joy.

Yue Yihan rode the bicycle with great spirit and pride. ’He wanted everyone to see how beautiful his wife was!’

More and more children started following, and the candy in Xie Changning’s bag dwindled until there was none left.

The two returned to their apartment in the screw factory’s family housing building. The Brigade Commander and Director Zhao were already there, seated in the living room. The couple served tea to each of them in turn. Then, Director Zhao and the Brigade Commander exchanged a glance before each pulling out a red envelope for the couple.

"We wish you a happy marriage!" 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

They said in unison.

The couple did not refuse the wedding red envelopes. Xie Changning and Yue Yihan thanked them, and Yue Yihan immediately handed the envelopes to Xie Changning.

This dutiful act drew a round of boisterous laughter from the crowd.

Yue Yihan turned and jokingly berated them, "What’s all the noise? I have a wife to give my money to. Do any of you bachelors have one?"

The wedding was very lively, with everyone there helping out.

At this point, the soldiers under Yue Yihan’s command also started coming forward to present their gifts. Some brought food, others brought drinks, some offered decorative trinkets, and others gave various ration tickets.

But one couple’s gift was unusual: a watch.

A man’s watch, at that.

"Commander, Sister-in-law, congratulations on your wedding!" The man stepped forward and opened the gift box in his hand, revealing what was inside.

Seeing the gift, Yue Yihan’s brow furrowed, and he pushed it back.

"I appreciate the thought, but this gift is too extravagant. I can’t accept it." ’If he remembered correctly, the Brigade Commander himself had wanted a watch like this but had decided against it because it cost a hundred yuan.’

The offer of a hundred-yuan watch silenced the boisterous crowd.

Seeing that Yue Yihan wouldn’t accept it, the man turned to Xie Changning. "Sister-in-law, please just accept..." Before he could finish, his eyes met Xie Changning’s, and the rest of his words caught in his throat.

Xie Changning smiled gently at the two people in front of her.

’What are you doing here!?’ ’There it was again, the same phrase, the same tone. Oh, wait, this time it was even more shrill.’

This couple was none other than Xie Changyu and her husband.

When Xie Changyu saw Xie Changning in her red suit, her face twisted. She stared at Xie Changning in disbelief, as if she thought Xie Changning had no right to be here.

"This is our wedding. If she isn’t here, where else would she be?"

Sensing the animosity between this woman and his wife, Yue Yihan was quick to defend Xie Changning. He glared at the man before him. "Chen Weisheng, what is the meaning of this?!"

Chen Weisheng was Xie Changyu’s husband and also a battalion commander serving under Yue Yihan.

Confronted by Yue Yihan, Chen Weisheng hurriedly explained, "Commander, my apologies. My wife and your wife are cousins. She’s just overjoyed to see her again."

As he spoke, Chen Weisheng shot Xie Changyu a look.

He was silently warning her to watch her words and not make a scene.

But jealousy had already clouded Xie Changyu’s judgment. She turned to Yue Yihan. "Commander Yue, do you even know what kind of person she is?"

Her words made Yue Yihan’s eyes narrow.

"Oh? Go on, then. Tell me what kind of person she is."

Seeing his wife was about to ruin everything, Chen Weisheng quickly grabbed her hand, trying to stop her from spouting nonsense. But it was too late—

"Let her speak," Yue Yihan commanded. "I want to hear just what kind of person she thinks Xie Changning is." ’There were people all around. If rumors were allowed to spread, lies could easily turn into "truth."’

’He had to settle this, right here and now!’

Understanding Yue Yihan’s intention, Chen Weisheng’s eyes darkened. "Commander, my wife..."

"She sleeps around! She’s pregnant, did you know that!" Xie Changyu’s words caused an unnatural silence to fall over the crowd.

Everyone stared at Xie Changyu in disbelief before turning their gazes to her husband, their eyes all asking the same question: ’Is your wife out of her mind?’

’Everyone already knew the Commander’s wife was pregnant.’

’So what was the big deal?’

"Oh? Do you have any proof?" Yue Yihan’s expression was grim as he looked at her. "You should think very carefully before you answer."

Hearing this, Chen Weisheng quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, stopping her from continuing her tirade.

"Commander, don’t listen to her nonsense." As Xie Changyu struggled, Chen Weisheng held his hand firmly over her mouth. Even when she started biting him, he didn’t let go.