The fairy immediately raised her glass to toast Jia Ran, and Jia Ran smiled and clinked glasses with the fairy.
Concubine: "Honey, where's the gift? You, as my husband, hurry up and show it to everyone!"
Yi Jing: "Brother, hurry up and show us the gift for Sister Wen."
Daqi: "Let's all help Wen'er light her birthday candles, and I'll bring out her present."
Jia Ran laughed and said, "Then the atmosphere will be better if the lights are turned off!"
concubine: "Yes, turn off the lights. Let's all light the birthday candles for Sister Wen."
Today is Fairy's twentieth birthday. Everyone lit twenty birthday candles on the cake, and of course, the lights in the private room were already off. The atmosphere was truly romantic and warm. Fairy seemed very moved; her eyes were filled with tears. She gazed lovingly at Daqi.
Daqi took out the packaged diamond ring labeled "I will love you forever" from his pocket. He opened the package in front of everyone.
Daqi gazed at the fairy with deep affection and said, "Wen'er, this is my birthday gift to you. I'm a rather dull person and don't know anything about romance. I heard from the jewelry store that this is the perfect gift for a girlfriend to propose to. So, I bought this diamond ring called 'I Will Love You Forever.' I'm giving it to you in the hope that you will understand that I will love you for a lifetime!" He then whispered in the fairy's ear, "Wen'er, marry me. My greatest wish in this life is to marry you!"
The fairy didn't speak; a tear rolled down her cheek, glistening exceptionally in the flickering candlelight. Daqi whispered again, "Let me put the ring on your finger." He gently took the fairy's right hand and placed the diamond ring, which read "I will love you for all eternity," on her ring finger.
The concubine laughed and said, "So beautiful! I'm so envious!"
Yi Jing smiled and said, "Sister Wen looks even more beautiful with the ring on!"
Jia Ran smiled and said, "Qi Wen, make a wish, and we'll all blow out the candles for you."
Everyone shouted, "Make a wish!"
The fairy smiled slightly, and Daqi gently wiped away the tears on her face. She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and made a wish.
Jia Ran softly called out, "Blow out the candles!" Everyone blew out the candles for the fairy. Suddenly, the little wife started clapping, and the whole family, including the mother, applauded enthusiastically. ... Da Qi and the fairy didn't blow out the candles, because until the moment Jia Ran said to turn on the lights, the fairy and Da Qi were still tightly kissing, and the applause never stopped...
The fairy kissed the man first, and tears streamed down her face again. After the lights were turned on, the man had no choice but to wipe away her tears once more. The fairy smiled slightly and said, "I'm sorry, everyone. Please eat more!" Daqi also urged everyone to eat more.
Jia Ran laughed and said, "Little brother, hurry up and cut a piece of cake for Qi Wen! Look at you, a man!"
"Excuse me, excuse me!" Daqi smiled and quickly cut the cake into several pieces. The man handed the largest piece to Qiwen and said, "Wen'er, eat up!" The fairy smiled and nodded, then began to eat the cake.
Just then, her mother spoke. She smiled and said, "Wen'er, come here. Your aunt has something for you too!"
Qiwen replied, "Yes, Auntie, I'm coming!" The fairy slowly walked to her mother's side.
What? Mother has something to give to the fairy? Daqi was quite surprised. What could Mother possibly give the fairy?
The mother took out a red cloth-wrapped object from her pocket. She slowly unwrapped the cloth, revealing a jade thumb ring inside.
Daqi understood. This thumb ring was given to his mother by his grandmother before she died when he was a child. He was still young then, but he still remembered the scene of his grandmother giving the thumb ring to his mother before she died.
Dear reader, please don't mind, let's switch the scene back to a summer night more than ten years ago.
One summer night in 1985, at the Tong family mansion in Binhai Changqing, Daqi was already six years old. He could still vaguely remember what happened that night.
The entire family stood outside Grandmother's room. Grandmother was an 88-year-old woman who had been bedridden for a long time. In the past, many younger generations would visit her in her room, and she would interact with them. On ordinary days, whenever younger generations came to visit Grandmother at the Tong family mansion, the atmosphere at home was very relaxed. Daqi loved it when people visited Grandmother. Because whenever someone came to visit her, Grandmother would always bring lots of delicious food. As soon as the guests left, Grandmother would distribute these treats to her grandchildren, and Daqi always got the most. Grandmother loved Daqi very much, and Daqi was especially close to her. This was because Grandmother's favorite daughter-in-law was Daqi's mother, not his aunt or uncle.
Six-year-old Daqi was puzzled. Why were so many people visiting his grandmother today? And why were they all standing so respectfully outside the door? The atmosphere in the entire Tong family mansion was exceptionally solemn and dignified. His grandmother had three sons: Daqi's uncle, Daqi's father, and his youngest uncle. Today, the entire Tong family was present, except for Daqi's father. Uncles, aunts, cousins, and so on—all the relatives had come to the Tong family mansion. They had all moved out of the mansion long ago, as they all had their own new homes elsewhere.
Grandmother, lying in her sickbed, suddenly called out, "Xiugu... Xiugu... Xiugu, come in, bring Qi'er with you." (Author's note: Daqi's mother is Xiugu, and Daqi is Qi'er.) Daqi's mother led Daqi to Grandmother's bedside. Grandmother then said to her mother, "Xiugu, call all the other parents over as well." Understanding her grandmother's meaning, her mother called her uncle, aunt, and other relatives into the room.
Grandmother glanced at her sons and daughters-in-law and said, "Kneel down, all of you. I have something to tell you!" Everyone knelt before Grandmother's sickbed. Grandmother took out something wrapped in red cloth from under her pillow, and with trembling hands, she unwrapped the cloth and took out a thumb ring.
Grandmother addressed everyone, saying, "You all know the meaning of this thumb ring, right?" Everyone nodded in agreement. Grandmother continued, "This is a family heirloom passed down through the Tong family, given to me by my mother-in-law. Now, as your mother, I'm making this clear in front of you all. The Tong family has declined, so my words don't carry the same weight as my mother-in-law's. But if you still consider this dying old woman your mother, then listen carefully." Grandmother coughed a few times. Mother tried to help her up, but Grandmother gestured for her to stop, saying, "Xiugu, don't move. I haven't finished speaking!" Mother dared not move and could only kneel there, looking at Grandmother. Everyone stared at Grandmother, and Daqi, seemingly understanding but not quite, looked at her like everyone else. He seemed to sense something was about to happen; could this be what children meant by someone dying? Grandmother said, "Now, in front of everyone, I will pass this family heirloom of the Tong family to Xiugu." At this moment, Uncle, Aunt, and other relatives began to clamor. They shouted, "Mom, why? Why can't we pass it on?" Only the mother remained kneeling motionless, while Daqi stared at the shouting adults.
"Shut up, all of you!" Grandmother snapped. "Do you want me to die in unease? Kneel down, all of you!" Only then did everyone finally quiet down. Grandmother continued, "I have only two wishes before I die, and you must fulfill them!" Everyone replied, "Mom, just say it, and we'll do our best!"
Grandmother scolded, “If you can’t keep this promise, I’ll haunt you as a ghost! Listen to me carefully. From this day forward, no matter how much the Tong family declines and falls, this Tong family mansion is never to be sold. Anyone who sells this old house is a disgrace to the Tong family! My second wish is that I pass this jade thumb ring to Xiugu. From now on, Xiugu will be the one in charge of this Tong family mansion. Outside of this mansion, you can ignore each other. But within this mansion, only Xiugu’s words count. Without her permission, no one is allowed to sell even a single blade of grass or tree in this mansion…”
With tears in her eyes, Grandmother said to Mother, "Xiugu, hold onto this house, never sell it. As long as the house stands, our Tong family will rise again! You must hold onto it..." Mother nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down her face, and solemnly told Grandmother, "Grandma, don't worry! I'd rather starve than sell the house!"
Daqi still remembers that in the years after his grandmother's death, his eldest uncle and youngest uncle often came to the house to persuade his mother to sell the Tong family mansion. They said that someone was willing to pay a high price for the house, and everyone could get a large sum of money. Whenever they said this, his mother would always tell them, "Go and talk to Grandma. If she agrees, I will sell it; if she doesn't agree, you can forget about selling it. You can move back in, but if you're even thinking about selling the house, you're dreaming!" On one occasion, his uncle, aunt, youngest uncle, and aunt all came to the house, making a scene and demanding the sale of the Tong family mansion. His mother got angry, took out her jade thumb ring and put it on, and grabbed a kitchen knife from the kitchen as well, rushing out. With the thumb ring on her left thumb and the kitchen knife tightly gripped in her right hand, she shouted at them, "According to the Tong family rules, I'm the one who calls the shots in this mansion, not you! Whoever dares to forcibly sell this mansion, I dare to chop them up with this kitchen knife!" Daqi remembers clearly that his mother's eyes were bloodshot at that time. My uncle, aunt, and other relatives were so frightened by my mother that they ran out of the Tong family mansion. From then on, no one in the Tong family mansion dared to mention selling the house again.
At this moment, the jade thumb ring in his mother's hand held extraordinary significance for the Tong family! Daqi understood this better than anyone else.
The mother took the fairy's hand and put the jade thumb ring on her left thumb, saying, "Wen'er, this is our Tong family's heirloom, a family treasure. It has a history of several hundred years, dating back to the early Qing Dynasty. I am now entrusting it to you for safekeeping. From now on, you will be my Tong family's daughter-in-law."
The fairy hugged her mother tightly, saying excitedly, "Auntie, thank you! But this gift is too precious, I dare not accept it..."
The mother said solemnly, "My child, accept it, and be a good boy!"
The fairy looked at her mother, then at Daqi, who nodded to her. Only then did the fairy say to her mother, "Thank you, Auntie!"
"Call me Mom!" the mother said to the fairy with a smile.
The fairy, blushing but also very affectionate, called out to her mother, "Mom!" She hugged her mother tightly, and her mother patted her shoulder and smiled, "My dear daughter-in-law, come and sit back down! Come on, everyone, have some more." Only then did the fairy return to her seat.
Unexpectedly, the young wife ran to her mother and said in a coquettish tone, "Auntie, everyone in the family calls you Mom, but I'm the only one who still calls you 'Auntie.' How am I supposed to get along with everyone in the future?"
Daqi and Fairy both laughed, and Jing'er and Jiaran smiled too. Jiaran laughed and said, "That's easy, you can just call her Auntie." The mother chuckled and said, "Ping'er, in my heart you've long been my own daughter. You can call me Mom too!" The young wife then happily called out to her mother, "Mom, you're so kind!" After saying that, she glanced at Daqi and Fairy, made a face, and then returned to her seat.
Daqi was overjoyed because the fairy had agreed to marry him. His mother's high regard for the fairy made him even more pleased! He knew that the fairy would undoubtedly be his "Empress" from now on. His mother had even "crowned" her! — That jade thumb ring was the symbol of the "Empress"! No matter how many women he had in the future, the fairy's position would always be the highest and irreplaceable!
Everyone enjoyed the banquet happily. The atmosphere remained harmonious until the meal was over. After the banquet, Daqi's family prepared to go home. When they and Jia Ran left the private room and arrived at the hotel lobby, the man asked Xianzi to lead everyone to wait in the lobby. Because when he was about to pay for the banquet, Jia Ran said to him, "Little brother, come to my office for a moment."
Daqi then went to Jiaran's office. Jiaran smiled and said to him, "I'm treating your whole family tonight's banquet, so don't worry about paying." Daqi laughed and said, "Cousin Jiaran, that won't do."
Chapter 119 Wedding Night
Jia Ran laughed and said, "No way my foot! In this hotel, I'm the one who calls the shots! Don't mention money again, or I'll get angry!"
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Section Reading 97
"It's just your family, no one else around, why are you bringing up money? If it were a work dinner, your cousin would definitely charge you. Okay, it's settled then!"
Daqi hugged Jiaran tightly and said, "You're so good to me, and so good to Qiwen too! Thank you so much!"
Jia Ran wrapped her arms around the man's neck and laughed, "At least you have a conscience, knowing that I'm good to your whole family. I just don't know if you're good to your sister?"
Daqi laughed and said, "That goes without saying!" After saying that, he kissed Jiaran's cheek.
Jia Ran said, "You damn bastard, you haven't come to see me for a whole week. I've been thinking about you every single day. You've made me lose sleep for a whole week." As she spoke, Jia Ran reached her hand down to the man's crotch and began to caress his manhood through his trousers.
Daqi quickly said, "Sister, my wife and your cousin are waiting for me in the lobby. I promise you I'll come to see you in a couple of days!" As he spoke, he began to caress the woman's large breasts through her cheongsam.
Jia Ran said, "You mean what you say?" Da Qi kissed her red lips and nodded solemnly.
Jia Ran suddenly whispered, "Ever since you ravaged me with your big thing last time, I think about him every night before I go to sleep!" As she spoke, she continued to gently stroke the man's manhood through his trousers. The woman then said, "Let me see him!" Da Qi quickly replied, "Sister, come in a couple of days, my wife is waiting for me."
Jia Ran pleaded, "Five minutes, just let me see him. Just five minutes!" With that, she immediately knelt before Da Qi. Before the man could speak, she skillfully loosened his belt. The man was helpless; he'd already said five minutes, so he'd give her five. After all, he liked her, and she was undeniably attractive to him. The tall, voluptuous woman in the bright red cheongsam was indeed incredibly sexy and alluring!
The woman pulled the man's underwear down to his thighs. She lifted the head of his penis with one hand and, without a word, opened her mouth and swallowed it whole. Daqi let out an "Oh!" and the penis seemed to lose consciousness. Looking down, the man realized that his penis was completely inside the woman's red, luscious mouth, with only the two round "little neighbors" remaining outside her lips. The woman smiled seductively, making the man feel an overwhelming allure.
Daqi laughed and said, "Sister, are you trying to kill me?"
The woman smiled slightly and blinked, as if to say, "I'm going to take your life!" She then tightly wrapped her red lips around his manhood and began to vigorously devour his "vital spot." Her head swayed dramatically, and the man watched as his manhood moved in and out of her red lips. His manhood was wet and covered in her saliva; moreover, a few bubbles appeared at the corners of her mouth—it was incredibly sexy.
Helpless, the man could only gently press down on the woman's swaying head to lessen her thrusting. But the woman wouldn't have it; instead, she used her two soft, white hands, which had been lightly caressing the man's buttocks, to press firmly on his genitals and pull them towards her red lips. The man groaned in pleasure, his erection pressing against the woman's throat. At this moment, the woman's eyes widened, muffled groans emanating from her nose, her hot breath spraying directly onto the man's abdomen. Daqi knew she was probably going crazy with desire for him, so he had no choice but to let her do as she pleased. He had to take out his phone and count the time; they had agreed on five minutes, and he couldn't keep his whole family waiting in the living room.
The woman didn't care; she wanted to make the most of these few minutes to ease her longing. Besides devouring the man's manhood, she used both hands to pull his buttocks towards her red lips. Her incredibly nimble tongue danced incessantly over the head of his penis. Especially when the woman lightly teased his eyes with the tip of her tongue, Daqi trembled with pleasure, as if electrocuted.
The man enjoyed himself while counting down the time. Finally, he shouted, "Time's up! Time's up!" But the woman smiled seductively at him and refused to stop what she was doing. The man had no choice but to use both hands to hold her swaying head and forcefully pull his manhood out of her red lips.
The woman began to shake her head and plead, "Little brother, let me help you get it out, let me help you get it out!" Daqi found it very funny. At this moment, the woman was just like a six-year-old girl begging for candy in front of her uncle, not at all like a woman in her thirties.
The man lowered his head and gently kissed the woman's red lips for a while before releasing her, saying, "My dear sister, I'll give it to you in a couple of days. Let me off this time; my whole family is waiting in the hall. Be good, listen to me!" The woman then pouted and stood up from the ground, gently laughing and scolding, "You only have Qiwen in your heart. I think my cousin Muping and I combined don't even amount to half of her importance in your eyes. When you gave her the diamond ring just now, I was so envious. I'm not actually greedy for money; it's just that my dead husband only gave me one gold ring when we got married. It's really infuriating to compare people like that!" Daqi laughed and said, "She is, after all, my wife, and my mother even passed down the family heirloom—the jade thumb ring—to her, as you saw. Do you know the origin of that thumb ring?"
Jia Ran shook her head, indicating she didn't know. Da Qi said softly, "It was given to our Tong family ancestor by Li Guangdi, the tutor of Emperor Kangxi. For hundreds of years, whoever wears that thumb ring can issue orders in our Tong family mansion. The whole family has to listen to him."
Jia Ran said, "Then your mom gave this to Qi Wen. If I live with you in the future, won't I have to listen to her?"
Daqi laughed and said, "What's wrong? You don't want to?"
Jia Ran smiled and said, "It's alright, I don't plan to be with you for the time being. After all, I have a husband and a daughter. Fifteen years ago, I would have left with you without saying a word."
Daqi hugged her tightly and said, "If you've thought it through, just tell me. I'll definitely treat you like my wife, just like I treated Muping!"
Jia Ran laughed and said, "It's still because you can't be a big shot, you can't be a small one!"
Daqi laughed and said, "Actually, they're pretty much the same. Qiwen is sensible; she just needs some time to mature. She won't bully anyone."
Jia Ran said, "Maybe I'll be with you in the future, but from now on, you have to come see me often. Don't worry, your cousin won't mistreat you. If you're really good to me, I'm willing to be your mistress. But if I really want to be with you, I still need to think about it!"
Daqi didn't want to waste any more words with her, after all, his mother and Fairy were waiting in the lobby. He quickly came out of the woman's office and into the lobby. Jia Ran, of course, wanted to see them to their car, so she followed them out.
As soon as they entered the lobby, Jia Ran smiled and said to the fairy, "I'm sorry, something came up and I was held up for a bit. Here, let me see you to your car!"
The fairy smiled and said, "Cousin, don't say that. It's only been ten minutes or so, it's nothing. Thank you so much for today! You prepared the banquet for our whole family and spent the whole evening having dinner with us. I've taken up your time."
Jia Ran smiled and said, "From now on, treat this place as your home and don't be shy! Come over for a meal whenever you want. My chef here can cook both northern and southern styles. Qi Wen, you must come often, you and Mu Ping are both my sisters."
The concubine smiled and said, "Sister, I've always considered you my own sister since I was little!"
Jia Ran smiled and said, "I know, I know. Come on, it's getting late, you should take a ride back."
Jia Ran saw everyone off into a taxi, and only turned back to the hotel after the car started moving. And so, Da Qi's whole family took a taxi back to Hua Jing residential area. He and Xian Zi shared one car, while his mother, concubine, and maid Yi Jing rode in another.
Throughout the journey, the fairy always rested her head on Daqi's shoulder. She kept looking at the diamond ring on her ring finger, the very one Daqi had just given her.
The fairy whispered, "Husband, you're so good to me!"
Daqi laughed and said, "You're only realizing how good I am to you today?"
The fairy smiled and said, "I'm not joking with you. I feel like a bride today, and the birthday banquet just now felt like our wedding banquet."
Daqi: "You really think so?"
The fairy nodded and lightly kissed the man's cheek. She then took out the jade thumb ring and examined it closely before asking Daqi, "I know the meaning of this thumb ring!"
Daqi smiled and said, "From now on, I'll be the one to support the family outside, but you'll have to take care of things at home. You have to take good care of Mom, Ping'er, and Jing'er!"
The fairy smiled and said, "Don't worry, my husband. I will definitely live up to my mother's expectations, and I will not let down the ancestors of the Tong family! Can you tell me the specific origin of this thumb ring?"
Daqi then told the fairy in the carriage about the origin of the jade thumb ring and the story behind it, including how his mother used the ring to defend the Tong family mansion. The fairy listened with great interest. She asked, "Is our old house still there?"
Daqi: "Yes, it is. Although it has weathered a century of storms, it is still in good condition. It's just a bit old. I'll go back and repair it when I have time, since I grew up there."
Fairy: "When will you take me back to visit? Wouldn't that be nice?"
Daqi gently kissed the fairy's cheek and smiled, "The house is now under your management. The jade thumb ring on your hand is the symbol of the house's owner. My mother passed it down to you, so you are now the lady of the house. Don't even mention going back to visit; even if you go back to live there, no one will dare to utter a single fart!"
The fairy laughed and said, "No swearing!"