The world is in trouble

Chapter 303 Lin Xiao's Wedding! A Sentimental Autumn!
This was a very traditional wedding.

Moreover, the wedding was organized jointly by the groom's and bride's families, and everything was done according to traditional customs.

On the evening of November 11, the two families had already started holding a banquet, and almost all the cigarettes, alcohol and food from the bride's family were provided by the groom's family.

Nowadays, people in Linshan County hold their wedding banquets in hotels.

However, Xiao Momo chose to build a large tent on an open space near her home and set up dozens of tables inside.

Even in Xiao Wanli's home, there were three or four tables.

The same thing happened at Lin Xiao's house; just like at a wedding with his fellow villagers, they borrowed a neighbor's house to set up tables.

Although some professional chefs were hired, most of the chefs were relatives or friends from the countryside who had relatively high cooking skills.

Compared to Lin Yao and Lucas's previous wedding, this time no celebrities or high-ranking officials were invited.

They are really just relatives, friends, and classmates from both families.

There were no media outlets involved.

Even the banquet wasn't particularly extravagant; it was basically equivalent to the upper-middle level of a town in Linshan County.

In a few years, rural banquets in places like Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Suzhou, and Fujian will become extremely extravagant, featuring Moutai liquor and expensive dishes such as king crab, dried abalone, and Australian lobster.

However, the people of Linshan don't really like this kind of food. Influenced by the nearby Jiangxi cuisine, the taste here is quite different from other cities in Zhijiang. They also like spicy food.

Therefore, the dishes served at the banquet were all things that everyone really, really liked to eat.

Taro and beef, soft-shelled turtle, eel, braised mutton, loach, braised pork, pig's trotters, and so on...

Of course, to cater to the tastes of some out-of-town guests, we also prepare about ten delicate and refreshing dishes.

The meal consisted of about thirty dishes. The wine served was not even Moutai, but only Wuliangye. The red wine was not Penfolds, but domestic Changyu.

Those attending the banquet on Xiao Momo's side were all former colleagues of Xiao Wanli and Li Fangfang, as well as Xiao Momo's former colleagues and her close college classmates.

"Look, look, they make so much money, they're top-tier tycoons, and their banquets are so extravagant. You don't know about Zhang Qu next door, he did some business and made a little money, but he's really something else. His banquets are so fancy, he wants everyone to know he's made some money."

"The Lin family has spent hundreds of millions of yuan on building nursing homes over the years, but this banquet they held was only of an upper-middle standard in our county. It was not extravagant, wasteful, or luxurious."

"Don't underestimate these vegetables. All of them are grown by ourselves, and all the meat is raised by ourselves."

The relative standing nearby exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"

"Of course it's true. The in-laws started preparing for this wedding last year. They planted a lot of vegetables and raised a lot of chickens, ducks, fish, pigs, sheep and cattle. Everything is the freshest."

"These vegetables and meats were delivered in truckloads this morning, and they are all incredibly fresh."

“People are really different. Lin Xiao has done so much for us in Linshan. So many people rely on him for their livelihood and for their future. Yet his wedding was so simple, but we still ate and drank well.”

“Those big stars on TV and in the newspapers should learn from this. Compared to Lin Xiao, you are nothing. Yet you are all extravagant and wasteful.”

Immediately, the relatives at the table exclaimed in praise.

It's nothing that you can buy it with money; what's priceless is the vegetables grown and the livestock raised by the parents and grandparents of these top billionaires.

"No wonder, this pork is completely different from the pork you buy at the market. It's a little more fragrant and sweeter."

"Absolutely, these pigs don't eat any feed at all, they only eat grains and vegetables."

As the bride, Xiao Momo wore a red wedding dress and sat at a table with her college classmates and a group of close friends.

My best classmates in high school, my best classmates in college, but most of them are just ordinary people.

Even those who are very good-looking are mostly just ordinary people.

"My God..."

“You guys are like something out of a fairy tale. I feel so unreal sitting here.”

“Yesterday I was still working at my unit in the county. When I went home to get my salary, I was still arguing with my in-laws, haggling over every penny. It was just about spending 13 yuan a pound on imported apples. My mother-in-law complained that I didn’t know how to manage money. Today I’m sitting here witnessing the wedding of the prince and princess.”

"Bubble is a princess, but your man is more than just a prince?"

"Even TV dramas wouldn't dare to cast such a rich and powerful man as the male lead."

Li Yike, Li's best friend, said, "Let me tell you about my story."

"I work at Lightning Group. Actually, with my abilities, I shouldn't have been able to get into Lightning Group, but I did."

"My boss's boss's boss's boss doesn't even have the right to report to Bubble Husband, and here I am sitting. Do you know what that feels like? It's surreal, like the chair I'm sitting in doesn't even exist."

Congratulations, Bubble!

"You have the love that countless girls dream of, and you are living a dream life."

"Of course, I am even more grateful to you for proving to us that a dreamlike life does exist."

"Thank you even more, Mr. Lin, for showing us this kind of life in such an approachable way."

Almost every word spoken by my best friend and every friend comes from the bottom of my heart.

In the past, Xiao Momo would definitely have been reserved and humble, but now she only wants to quietly enjoy every moment of this happiness.

........................

The following morning, a motorcade drove out of Lin Xiao's hometown and arrived in the county seat of Lin County to pick up the bride.

The wedding car wasn't particularly luxurious; it was just a Mercedes worth a few hundred thousand yuan, followed by a whole bunch of Toyotas and Hondas.

There were even several large trucks with bands playing music on them.

Moreover, these large trucks are also used to transport dowry items.

As we drove into Linshan County, we immediately attracted some onlookers.

"Whose family is getting married? Their financial situation is pretty good, with a Mercedes-Benz E-Class as the lead car."

"Are all these trucks going to be used to transport dowry? It's not common for brides to bring a lot of dowry these days in the city. Is this for a woman marrying into the countryside?"

"Marrying a girl from the county town to the countryside? That won't do! My daughter will absolutely never marry into the countryside."

A woman working at the county committee couldn't help but say, "What do you know? This is Director Xiao Wanli's daughter getting married to Lin Xiao."

"My God..."

Lin Xiao is now the pride of Linshan County.

The entire Lightning Group and Quantum Technology now have the Linshan lineage.

When the principal of Linshan No.1 Middle School gave a pep talk to students preparing for the college entrance examination, he said directly, "As long as you have the ability and talent, you can go anywhere in this world."

Silicon Valley in the US, isn't that awesome?!
Facebook, a top global unicorn company.

YouTube, a top global company.

Dreamworld, a top Hollywood film company.

They all belong to your senior brother Lin Xiao, as do Yahoo! Group, Texas Instruments, Sony, and Columbia—they're all his direct descendants.

If you have the ability, you can go anywhere—Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Tokyo, Hong Kong, or anywhere else.

Why aren't you studying hard? Why aren't you working your butt off to get into a 985 or 211 university?

Or to put it more bluntly, as long as you can get into a 211 university and graduate smoothly, you can easily find a job with an annual salary of hundreds of thousands.

This is something students elsewhere can only dream of.

It's because your senior brother Lin also graduated from our Linshan No.1 Middle School.

"Sister Li, you work in the county party committee office, why aren't you attending the wedding?"

Sister Li from the county party committee office said, "Me? Even our Secretary Zhou didn't go, so what am I?"

However, she had secretly bought firecrackers and a lot of fireworks, and placed them on the roof of her self-built house.

When the bride, Xiao Momo, left the county town and passed by her house, she immediately set off the fireworks.

Because his son is about to graduate from university, majoring in computer science at Southwest Normal University, and has already been reserved to join Lightning Group.

And there are many, many more who think like her.

........................

Li Hu's daughter, Li Wenwen, has already graduated with a master's degree.

A ton of job opportunities were waiting for her, but she said she wanted to go into the entertainment industry, which made Li Hu cry.

Daughter, although you are good-looking and are known as the class beauty, are you really good enough to make it in the entertainment industry?

And you, with a master's degree in management, want to go into the entertainment industry?

At this time, as one of the bridesmaids, she began to work hard to guard every checkpoint.

Soon, the wedding procession arrived.

Several groomsmen and the groom came down.

The crowd cheered. It was the first time that Xiao Momo's relatives, her college classmates, high school classmates, and many teachers from Linshan No. 1 Middle School had seen Lin Xiao Zhenren.

"Wow, so handsome!"

"No way, he's so much more handsome in person than in photos and videos."

"That's outrageous! So rich, so handsome, and so young!"

Lin Xiao, holding a bouquet of flowers, arrived at the first door.

The bridesmaids inside started asking for red envelopes and making all sorts of demands.

After making a fuss for more than ten minutes, the door finally opened.

Next is the second door, which leads to the bride's boudoir.

This door was even more difficult to pass.

The conditions set out inside were increasingly outrageous.

"Groom, please sign your name."

"Groom, do you have abs? Show me your abs..."

Despite meeting all the conditions and stuffing countless red envelopes inside, the door still wouldn't open.

Li Zhongtian and his groomsmen began their efforts to break through the door.

"Sisters, hold on, hold on..."

"Don't let the fact that the other person is a billionaire mean that no matter how handsome, wealthy, or physically fit we are, we can't afford to lose our composure..."

"Sing, sing..."

"Groom, sing a song and we'll let you in. I promise I'll keep my word."

Lin Xiao didn't put on airs at all and sang right outside the door. And he sang really well; Zhu Hongbin even brought over a guitar from the next room and haphazardly accompanied Lin Xiao.

After finally finishing their performance, the girls inside changed their minds again and put forward some other unreasonable conditions.

"Brothers, charge!" Zhu Hongbin and Wang Lei led the charge.

However, I didn't dare to use too much force, since the people blocking the door inside were all girls.

Suddenly, the door was forced open.

Several bridesmaids who were holding the door open fell to the ground and screamed.

"Hey, hey, hey, Xu Zhizhi, you good-for-nothing traitor! You let us down at the crucial moment! You secretly unlocked the door..." Several bridesmaids accused the prettiest bridesmaid, Xiao Momo's college classmate.

Xu Zhizhi said shyly, "But he's too handsome, I'm too embarrassed to make things difficult for him."

"Useless, useless..."

“I’ve known since college that you’re good-looking, but the least promising.”

Xiao Momo, dressed in red, watched this scene with happiness and joy.

After the bridesmaids got up from the ground, they formed a human wall to prevent the groom from taking the bride away.

The groomsmen kept a close watch on her, creating an opportunity for Lin Xiao, who pounced on her from a distance and pinned her to the bed.

Bubble reached out and hugged Lin Xiao's neck, gazing at her intently, and then kissed her.

"Hey Hey hey……"

"Be mindful of the occasion; we're not married yet."

Lin Xiao used a burst of strength to lift Bubble off the bed and walk outside.

The band downstairs started playing their instruments again.

Li Wenwen, as a bridesmaid, searched everywhere for an umbrella.

"Where's my umbrella? Where's my umbrella?"

Xu Zhizhi quickly retrieved the red umbrella from under the bed and handed it to Li Wenwen. During their playful antics, they had accidentally moved the umbrella under the bed.

Lin Xiao carried Bubble downstairs in one go, and then carried her to the wedding car.

Li Wenwen hurriedly came out with an umbrella and held it over the bride's head, even though it wasn't raining.

“Brother…” She didn’t forget to give Lin Xiao a sweet smile.

At this time, with the help of dozens of people, Xiao Wanli and Li Fangfang's carefully prepared dowry was all loaded onto the truck.

Then, firecrackers went off in unison.

Fireworks are set off.

The bride left home, and the wedding car convoy slowly drove away.

then……

Wherever the convoy went, firecrackers went off on both sides, and fireworks were set off on the rooftops of every house.

There was no discussion, no coercion.

And just like that, inexplicably, it turned into a tacit understanding.

Countless people lined both sides of the street.

Lin Xiao and Xiao Momo opened the car window, leaned out slightly, and waved to the people on both sides.

Thank you for your blessings, folks.

He even blinked hard, because his eyes felt slightly warm.

Along the way, countless people waved and watched the perfect couple.

This is the greatest pride of the entire Linshan area.

Especially when passing by Linshan No.1 Middle School, shouts could be heard coming from inside.

"Happy wedding!"

"Brother Lin, Teacher Xiao, congratulations on your marriage!"

..........................................

"My mom and dad are getting married..."

"My dad is getting married..."

Lin Yiyi, with her delicate features, is almost three years old.

She was in her grandmother's arms for a while, then in her maternal grandmother's arms for a while, and then in her aunt's arms for a while.

Basically, it's all about grabbing!
Li Shuang snatched it and hugged the little one tightly, kissing her little face repeatedly.

It felt as if this little baby was her own child. She clearly had a niece, but she didn't love her this much.

"Sweetie, how about you sleep with Mommy Frost tonight?"

In recent years, Li Shuang has spent even more time with her baby than Lin Xiao.

And she'd give her the whole world, any nice clothes or good toys from all over the world.

Li Shuang would buy them as soon as possible and bring them to Lin Yiyi.

“Okay…” Lin Yiyi: “My fourth love is Shuang’s mom.”

The little thing and Li Shuang pressed their cheeks together, counting on their fingers.

First I love my mom, second I love my dad, third I love my grandma, fourth I love my mom, fifth I love my grandpa, sixth I love my grandma, and seventh I love my aunt.

Currently, she is almost 20th in the rankings.

But my little darling, aren't you afraid people will be jealous with such a clear ranking?
Beside her, Li Zhongtian's wife, Ding Yuanzhi, was holding another baby, who was just over a year old. When Lin Yiyi looked at the baby, the little one grinned and drool dripped from the corner of his mouth.

The entire wedding ceremony was still held in the ancestral hall.

Grandpa was in high spirits and showed no signs of having undergone surgery.

Xiao Momo's grandparents are also still alive.

Therefore, there were a total of eight elders sitting at the head of the table.

Therefore, both families are blessed with good fortune and have typical longevity genes.

Xiao Wanli was overwhelmed with emotion, and his whole body was trembling slightly.

Li Fangfang couldn't hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.

Four years ago, when things changed, everything was decided by Xiao Wanli and Li Fangfang. They brought Xiao Momo back to their home and returned the betrothal gifts.

From that time onward, Xiao Momo did not actually express any opinion.

But Li Fangfang knew in her heart that Paopao just wanted to close her eyes, pretend that nothing had happened, and then get married.

But... Xiao Wanli and Li Fangfang couldn't tolerate such a thing happening.

Xiao Momo never showed any coquettishness; she had always been gentle and tender, whether towards her parents, Lin Xiao, or her children.

And now, they're finally married.

These four years have been wasted.

Does it make sense?

Li Fangfang felt that it did exist, but its specific meaning was too complex to explain.

But she also felt heartbroken that her precious daughter had wasted four years of her life.

Fortunately, she had her daughter Lin Yiyi; otherwise, she felt her daughter might have suffered a mental breakdown.

But with these four years of experience, perhaps many emotions will be released, and everyone will be happier in the future.

The person who presided over the ceremony was Zhang Qizhao, Lin Xiao's former principal and now his most steadfast fan among the public.

His hands were trembling slightly.

He has seen a lot of the world; he can easily preside over meetings in the bureau or speak to thousands of teachers and students.

And now, I can't hide my excitement.

He felt he was unworthy of being the host.

He decided to only say what needed to be said, never to embellish his own words, and not to be like some wedding emcees who constantly try to stir up emotions.

"Now, please welcome the first item on the wedding agenda, Mr. Lian Zheng, the officiant, to speak."

His introduction was originally much more complicated, because Lian Zheng was already a vice minister at this time and had a lot of titles.

But in the end, no titles were mentioned; he was simply referred to as Mr. Lien Cheng.

For Lian Zheng, this officiant was rather cruel.

But... he persisted.

Although Shu Wan had forgiven Lin Xiao to some extent, she herself worked at the Quantum Technology Park and often invited Lin Xiao to her home for meals.

But she still didn't attend the wedding. Even Shu Wan didn't know what to do about the future, or what to do about her daughter, Lian Yi.

Instead, Lien Cheng repeatedly asked Lin Huai-li and Hsiao Wan-li to not only attend but also to be the officiant at the wedding.

Lian Zheng came out, took out a piece of paper, and put on his reading glasses.

Without realizing it, he was wearing reading glasses.

He used to be so handsome. When he was in his forties, he looked like he was in his early thirties.

Lian Zheng is really getting a little old now.

Although I was extremely satisfied with these four years, focusing on major tasks, I also devoted myself to every little detail.

The entire room fell silent, because everyone knew his status.

“Grandpa Lian…” Lin Yiyi suddenly called out.

Then, she cleverly covered her mouth, as if she knew she couldn't speak at that moment.

Lian Zheng's body trembled slightly, and he looked at the baby with loving eyes.

"Eh……"

It was that one word, "Grandpa," that brought tears to Lian Zheng's eyes. He had longed for a granddaughter, the daughter of Lin Xiao and Xiao Shuidi.

Having calmed down a bit, Lian Zheng said loudly, "I have repeatedly told Lin Xiao that everyone can become a Yao or Shun."

"But now, I have some regrets. So much has happened in the past four years, and my state of mind has changed accordingly. I don't want you to become a sage like Yao or Shun anymore. I even want you to be like a lone cloud emerging from a mountain, unattached to staying or leaving; like a bright mirror hanging in the sky, undisturbed by tranquility or restlessness."

"I have known Lin Xiao for seven years."

"To this day, it feels just like it did back then."

"This moment is just like that moment."

"Seven years may have passed, and your achievements may have changed, but you as a person have hardly changed?"

I think you're still nine-tenths the same as before.

"You emerge from the mud unsullied, and you are clever but do not use it."

"You both have lofty aspirations, are destined to do great things and build great careers! My heart was once filled with great excitement, but now I worry that because the world is so vast, you may not know your way home."

"Thank you, Brother Xiao Wanli, thank you, Li Fangfang, thank you, Xiao Momo, for giving Lin Xiao a place to return to."

Lian Zheng only scratched the surface, because Lin Xiao was facing immense dangers and turbulent times in the outside world in order to salvage his reputation, accomplish great things, and build a great enterprise.
Even now, it is still surrounded by many giants.
Moreover, he was piloting a large ship, cutting through the waves, and didn't even have the right to disembark.

Because the fate of everyone on board rests in the captain's hands.

Therefore, when the external storm is fierce, inner peace becomes even more important.

"We will have to fight for many more years to come, and perhaps the winds will be stronger and the waves higher."

"Although our business has taken shape, it is still a long and difficult journey."

"But I hope that ten or twenty years from now, when I see Lin Xiao again, it will be just like today, just like yesterday."

"I hope that in the future you will still be nine-tenths like you were before."

Even Zheng's words didn't sound like a wedding speech; they sounded more like heartfelt words to his beloved children and nephews.

A brief pause.

"Finally, I wish Lin Xiao and Xiao Momo a harmonious and joyful marriage, and that their love be deep and that everything goes well for them."

"A match made in heaven, a perfect couple!"

"thank you all!"

........................

Note: This was so hard to write, which is why it's so late again. I'll start writing earlier tomorrow. Can I still ask for monthly votes? Thank you everyone!
(End of this chapter)