Marry a female star at a bargain price

The Rice Paddy Music Festival was a great success.

Jiang Feng's appearance elevated this little-known music festival in a third-tier city to a level and scale that was not originally its own.

The screams of tens of thousands of people in the audience never stopped, with everyone saying it was all worth it for their lives.

The subsequent appearances of Han Xixi and Lin Xiao further propelled the performance to unprecedented frenzy and excitement.

It's not that this couple has more prestige than the King of Rock and Roll.

That's obviously nonsense.

As singers, especially those performing at music festivals, they are incomparable to Jiang Feng.

It's not just about their star power, age, or stage presence; it's also because their songs are purely pop, neither rock nor unique, making them completely unsuitable for music festivals.

The scene was even more exciting than Jiang Feng's.

Nothing more than his fiery temper.

Of course, the higher popularity is only one reason. The main reason is that this performance was just a hastily put together concert under the guise of a "music festival".

The audience wasn't the kind of trendy young people chasing after music festivals, but rather a diverse group of tourists.

Among them, the majority brought children.

After all, during the National Day holiday, there are always crowds of people traveling. Who would want to go out if they have children? Of course, it's unavoidable if you have kids.

These children may not know Jiang Feng, but they definitely know Lin Xiao and Han Xixi, who have been trending on social media countless times in the past two years. So when the two of them came on stage, before the adults in the square could even scream, the children all started yelling in unison.

The scene was absolutely hilarious.

The performance was a great success.

Of course, this applies to the singers on stage.

For the Yizhou Municipal Government, the organizer, the real success was not on stage, but off stage—the entire performance did not cause any safety incidents, and although there were several traffic accidents in Yizhou, there were no casualties.

That would be a real success.

After all, the current influx of tourists has far exceeded the reception and carrying capacity of Yizhou, a small third-tier city.

For those in power, what they see is not just an opportunity, but an unprecedented crisis.

If any stampede or injury occurs at the performance venue, or if there is a traffic fatality or any other accident that may threaten the personal safety of tourists... then this "Yizhou fever" could very well turn from a good thing into a bad thing, and a positive development case into a typical example of negative public opinion.

These past few days, everyone in the municipal government has been on tenterhooks.

I don't expect this popularity to bring Yizhou a lot of cultural and tourism revenue; I just hope everything goes smoothly and peacefully.

Even the energetic mayor Han Haijun couldn't help but think this way.

Upon further reflection, I realized that this heat and test were personally brought upon me by my own son-in-law.

He couldn't help but exclaim: "You really are your father's best son!"

Now that the performance has successfully concluded, the tourists have left satisfied and headed to various scenic spots in Yizhou City and Nanzhou Province, continuing to contribute to the province's service industry GDP.

The South Korean Navy, who had been on edge for days, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

A celebratory banquet was held that evening at the hotel where the celebrities were staying.

Lin Xiao couldn't refuse his father-in-law's request, and the other celebrities also gave Lin Xiao face, so they all attended.

Han Xixi was dragged there by her own husband.

At six o'clock sharp, Gao Peng filled the large private room.

Mayor Han Haijun sat in the main seat, with a row of his subordinates, the heads of various departments, all wearing white shirts, on his left. On his right were the guests of the day's performance, all dressed in colorful and exquisite outfits.

The contrast between the two is extremely striking, like two completely different worlds.

Jiang Feng sat first among the guests of honor, followed by Lin Xiao, and then Han Xixi.

The South Korean naval officer came up and said some polite words of thanks, raised a glass, and then told everyone to make themselves at home and not to be too formal.

Although it was said to be casual, none of the young people dared to be casual. After all, the people above were high-ranking officials and even superstars, and they still strictly followed the etiquette of drinking parties. No matter how clueless the young people were, they wouldn't dare to treat this place like a bar.

Therefore, the dinner was generally quiet.

Jiang Feng then toasted Han Haijun, put down his glass, and said with a smile, "Mayor Han, since you've asked everyone to make themselves at home, then I certainly will. I have a personal matter I'd like to ask you, and I wonder if it would be convenient for you to answer?"

These words startled Lin Xiao and Han Xixi.

After all, it involves the South Korean Navy's private affairs, and the first thing that comes to mind is his sudden divorce in middle age.

Lin Xiao never expected that the rock king would be so gossipy. He wanted to quickly pull him away, but the two were sitting quite far apart, and reaching out would be too conspicuous.

He could only give up.

Han Haijun calmly smiled and said, "Professor Jiang, please don't be so polite. Ask away, and I will answer truthfully."

Jiang Feng laughed and said, "Mayor Han, you're so straightforward. My question is very simple... Your son-in-law is so talented in songwriting, yet you're forcing him to stay in the system so he can inherit your mantle and not become a professional musician. This is a huge loss to the entire music industry. Don't you think it's inappropriate to do this?"

Jiang Feng asked the question jokingly.

Lin Xiao breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, the question wasn't about his parents-in-law's divorce.

But...

"Why are you coming at me?"

Lin Xiao frowned and kept giving Jiang Feng meaningful glances, but Jiang Feng pretended not to notice.

Han Haijun burst out laughing: "Teacher Jiang, if you keep talking like that, I'm going to find fault with you!"

Jiang Feng asked in surprise, "Oh? Mayor Han, please go ahead."

Han Haijun laughed and said, "First of all, when we organize and train cadres, we look at their ideology and morality first, and their work ability second. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, there has never been such a thing as 'political transmission' or 'inheritance of mantle.' With just one sentence, you directly labeled me and Mayor Lin as abusing our power for personal gain and forming cliques. Tell me, isn't that your fault?"

Jiang Feng was stunned for a moment, truly intimidated by Han Haijun.

His expression clearly said: Is that what I meant?!

Han Haijun continued, "Secondly, everyone is independent and free, and everyone has the equal right to pursue their careers and dreams. Mayor Lin's current position and responsibilities are both a result of the organization's cultivation and trust in him, as well as his own ability and good fortune. As his father-in-law, I am proud of his choice, but to say that I have interfered with or guided his political career..."

Han Haijun shook his head, smiling with a mix of emotion and helplessness: "Everyone has seen the grandeur of today's music festival. Yizhou City's ability to host such a large-scale event and enjoy this unprecedented development opportunity is not due to my political actions as the head of the city, but entirely thanks to the righteous deeds of everyone present and Mayor Lin's immense influence in the music industry. So, it's entirely my father-in-law's doing that's benefiting from his success. How could I possibly have the audacity to say that I have any political capital for him to inherit?"

His words were eloquent and seemingly expressed the helplessness of a hero in his twilight years, but they were actually the pride and self-satisfaction of an elder over his son-in-law's achievements.

The group of people at the table immediately burst into laughter.

Han Haijun continued, "Thirdly, Lin Xiao's main job is as town mayor, and his deputy job is songwriting. This doesn't prevent him from showcasing his talents and achieving brilliance in both fields simultaneously. Moreover, to be honest, if he really quit his job to focus on being a singer, it might not be a good thing for you and me!"

"Oh? How so?" Jiang Feng asked curiously.

"It's very clear to me that without his influence in the entertainment industry, this Rice Paddy Music Festival would not have been able to be held today, let alone be such a great success."

Han Haijun, with a smug look on his face and a hint of mischievousness in his eyes, chuckled, “As for you, Teacher Jiang… if Lin Xiao were truly focused on the music industry, the original singer of that song that sparked the first climax of the music festival today, ‘All the Way South,’ wouldn’t be you, Teacher Jiang, but Lin Xiao himself. Don’t you think so?”

A rhetorical question left Jiang Feng stunned, then he burst into laughter.

Jiang Feng thought to himself: This mayor is really cunning, he won't suffer any loss, just like Lin Xiao. They really are birds of a feather!
Although he felt resentful, Jiang Tianwang had no choice but to swallow his anger and back down, since he was the one who had provoked the whole thing.

The celebratory banquet was a smooth and enjoyable experience from then on.

After a few rounds of drinks, the South Korean navy started playing in circles.

First, a toast was offered to the guest of honor, and Jiang Feng obediently drank it.

When toasting the second guest, Lin Xiao was even more obedient to his father-in-law, smiling like a grandson. Han Haijun, unusually, was quite attentive, patting his son-in-law on the shoulder without saying much, his gratitude evident in his words.

The third toast was offered to his daughter.

This situation became a bit awkward.

Outsiders were unaware of the conflict between Han Haijun and Han Xixi, and simply assumed that the father and daughter couldn't be too intimate with outsiders present, so they hadn't exchanged a single word since the start of the dinner.

At this moment, everyone's attention was drawn to it.

Han Xixi stood up, holding the juice, her gaze shifting downwards, refusing to look directly at her father.

Knowing his daughter's resentment, Han Haijun calmly said, "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. It's kind of you to leave your child behind and come to participate in this performance... Dad respects you!"

After saying this, he drank it all in one gulp.

Han Xixi then looked at her father and noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and his lower eyelids were swollen with obvious bags, indicating that he had been staying up for several nights in a row.

Seeing his haggard appearance, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

When Han Haijun saw his daughter looking dazed, he assumed she wasn't going to give him face, so he picked up the wine pot and cups and headed to the next guest.

At this moment, Han Xixi spoke up: "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival... Dad!"

Han Haijun had already walked halfway out when he heard this whispered remark, and his whole body froze.

Turning to the side, Han Xixi felt a little embarrassed and tilted her head back to drink the juice in one gulp.

Han Haijun then belatedly realized what was happening and chuckled sheepishly.

Just moments ago, he was a frail and weary hero, but now he seems to have been rejuvenated, his eyes gleaming with a sharp and energetic light, and he commands the entire scene with great passion.

Han Xixi sat down, regretting that she shouldn't have said that, feeling embarrassed and rash.

It felt as if I had betrayed my mother who had worked so hard for me for so many years but was suddenly abandoned.

However, as she sat there, she could feel that the heavy burden that had been weighing on her heart had been lifted, and she felt a sense of ease she had never felt before.

She was somewhat dazed, unsure whether she was right or wrong.

Just as he was completely bewildered, his hand was gently grasped under the table. He turned his head and was met with Lin Xiao's distorted, funny face.

"Pfft—" Han Xixi burst out laughing.

You try to shake his hand off, but you can't. You can only let him secretly hold your hand and swing under the table.

My mood suddenly became very good.

……

The dinner ended at 7:30 pm, which was considered quite early.

Lin Xiao drove with his wife in the passenger seat and the two annoying guys from Jingzhou in the back, heading straight for Mashan County.

The music festival ended at 1 p.m.

By this time, the congestion on the highway has completely subsided, and we can now drive at an average speed of 80 km/h.

Around 10 o'clock, the four of them finally got home.

Liang Tian and Lin Yu lived in this house for two months during the summer vacation, so they felt completely at home. As soon as they got out of the car, they rushed into the house like crazy rabbits returning to their cages.

"Auntie, have you missed me?"

As soon as Liang Tian entered the room, she rushed into Liu Liyun's arms, her pretty smile making the middle-aged divorced career woman laugh heartily.

Liu Liyun looked her up and down, suppressing a laugh: "Who are you, you black mudfish?"

Liang Tian's face immediately darkened.

"Tsk tsk tsk, how can someone as young as thirty-seven utter such cold words? Is my skin tone unattractive?"

"You have to be visible to be considered good-looking. I can barely see you anymore!" Liu Liyun continued her sarcastic remarks.

"..."

Liang Tian was speechless.

After half a month of military training, my delicate fair skin was tanned into a uniform dark tan, which was already disheartening, but I never expected to be ridiculed by my loved ones.

This is unbearable.

"Me, me, me, even if I'm darker, I'm still much better than this classmate, right? He's so dark you can barely see him!"

Liang Tian tried to put others down in order to gain a sense of presence.

Liu Liyun said directly, "It's better for boys to be a little darker-skinned; it makes them look more rugged. I think Xiaoyu is great now; he's much more mature than before!"

Zhou Xiuping chuckled to herself; as a mother, she always felt proud to hear others praise her child.

She unilaterally declared that at this very moment, she could shake hands and make peace with her in-laws.

Liang Tian was completely heartbroken. She stomped her feet and went to her room without even eating the mooncakes and fruit.

The others sat on the balcony, enjoying snacks and admiring the moon, savoring the rare moment of family reunion.

Lin Yu sat on the outermost edge, eating mooncakes while feeling depressed, his eyes constantly glancing towards Liang Tian's room.

Han Xixi noticed his worries, picked up an empty plate, gathered some mooncakes and snacks, and handed them to him, saying with a smile, "Xiaoyu, go and take these to Tiantian. She didn't eat much for dinner, don't let her starve herself!"

Lin Yu was a little stunned: "I'll go?"

Lin Xiao slapped him on the back of the head: "You're the youngest at this table, if you don't go, who will?"

Lin Yu then took the plate, looking bewildered, and said, "Oh."

A table full of adults watched the spectacle; this thing was much more beautiful than the big, round moon in the sky.

Lin Yu sullenly knocked on the door and went to do so.

They chatted for a while longer, but it got too late, so they all went to sleep.

Han Xixi came out of the shower and found her husband sticking his butt out, looking out the door. His butt was big, round, and wiggling back and forth.

Xi Xi suddenly had an urge to go up and kick him.

She resisted the urge, stepped forward and gently patted it; it felt amazing.

"What are you looking at?"

"A teen idol drama, want to watch it?" Lin Xiao asked with a look of surprise.

"what?"

Xi Xi was completely confused.

After Lin Xiao moved aside, he peered out from the doorway and saw Liang Tian on the balcony where they had been chatting. She was eating heartily with a table in hand, her pretty short hair swaying from side to side as her cheeks puffed out, making her look very playful and cute.

Lin Yu sat quietly to one side, peeling oranges and melon seeds for her, busy but orderly.

Bright moonlight streamed in through the window.

It fell on the two of them, spreading their parallel shadows throughout the room.

The moonlight is cold, yet youth is all the more captivating at this moment. (End of Chapter)