The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Jiang Yiqiu thought to himself, "My parents have money now, so I'll take it first and let Chen Shi know that while they can't help him with his career, they can help him financially."

Seeing that Jiang Yiqiu did not object, Zhang Qingrong continued, "Your father and I calculated it last night, and we've given away far too many gifts over the years. We plan to hold the banquet at home ourselves, with at least a hundred tables."

Jiang Yiqiu quickly said, "We can't do so many. Chen Shi and I are both leaders, and we have to abide by the Central Eight-Point Regulation. If we set up too many tables, people with ulterior motives will report us, and we will be punished."

Zhang Qingrong looked at Jiang Huazhou, who said, "Xiao Qiu's future is important, so let's have fewer tables. We won't invite people we don't visit often."

"Over the years, we've made so many friends in town. If we don't invite them, they'll have something to say. We need at least fifty tables," Zhang Qingrong said with a worried expression.

"That's too many. We can only accommodate a maximum of twenty tables," Jiang Yiqiu said firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Zhang Qingrong chimed in, "That's too few. Twenty tables is only enough for relatives and friends."

Jiang Huazhou looked at Jiang Yiqiu: "Xiaoqiu, twenty tables is really too few. What will we do when people come? I calculated that if we only invite people we are close to, we will have about forty tables. The town leaders usually have forty or fifty tables when they hold banquets, so it won't have any impact."

"Dad, Mom, to be honest, it would have been normal to have 40 or 50 tables, and it wouldn't have made a difference. But Chen Shi is running for deputy county head after the New Year, and at this crucial moment, his competitors are watching closely. If we have 40 or 50 tables, they will report us, and he will be disqualified from running for deputy county head."

This is something you should keep to yourselves; don't tell anyone else.

Jiang Huazhou chimed in, "Xiao Qiu, this concerns Chen Shi's career. Whether or not a banquet is held is not important."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qingrong became anxious. How could his daughter's wedding be so quiet and lonely?

"Old Jiang, what do you mean? My daughter is getting married, and we're not having a single banquet."

"I didn't say we wouldn't have any tables. We'll do as Xiao Qiu said, have twenty tables, and only invite our own family members. We won't invite any outsiders."

Zhang Qingrong wanted to make it a grand affair, holding a three-day banquet to send his daughter off in style. However, seeing that Chen Shi was running for deputy county head, and that becoming deputy county head would greatly benefit the family business, he reluctantly gave up the opportunity.

"Okay, just invite your own family members, no outsiders."

Jiang Yiqiu said apologetically, "Dad, Mom, thank you for your support of me and Chen Shi."

Jiang Huazhou smiled and said, "Chen Shi's career is more important. We'll have a bigger celebration when Xiaoshan gets married."

After finishing his meal, Jiang Yiqiu picked up his household registration booklet and said, "Dad, Mom, I'm going to the county town."

Zhang Qingrong said, "Today is the 21st of the twelfth lunar month. I'm coming back a few days earlier this year to celebrate the New Year."

"Judging from Chen Shi's work schedule, he's not busy, so we'll come back a few days earlier."

Jiang Yiqiu got into the car, and Jiang Huazhou directed her to reverse, reminding her, "It's foggy today, drive slowly on the road."

Jiang Huazhou and Zhang Qingrong watched Jiang Yiqiu's car disappear into the thick fog. Zhang Qingrong said with a dissatisfied look, "What does Chen Shi mean? He wants to marry my daughter but doesn't even come to the house. Does he really think he's the boss?"

My daughter is getting married, and they won't even let us have a big celebration. It's so frustrating!

Jiang Huazhou looked at Zhang Qingrong: "If Chen Shi becomes the deputy county head, our family will make a fortune. Fushan Town has only produced a few deputy county heads. If it weren't for his campaign for deputy county head, he probably wouldn't have married Xiao Qiu. This is an opportunity."

As for the wedding banquet, you can have a big one if you want, or do whatever you want when Xiaoshan gets married.

You need to understand one thing: it's not that Chen Shi absolutely has to marry Xiao Qiu, it's that Xiao Qiu can only marry Chen Shi. Without marrying Chen Shi, she can't find a better son-in-law than him.

Jiang Huazhou sighed, "You have to give something in return for something you gain. What is our little bit of sacrifice?"

Zhang Qingrong understood the logic, but he still couldn't swallow his anger, as if his daughter would never be able to get married.

"Chen Shi is a leader, while Xiao Qiu is not a leader yet. As for looks, she is beyond reproach. In Fushan Town, I have never seen a girl more beautiful than Xiao Qiu."

"Xiao Qiu was able to become the executive vice principal of No. 1 Middle School. Who did she rely on? It was Chen Shi. Without Chen Shi, she would be nothing. There are many capable people. Xiao Qiu is only twenty-eight years old. She can become the executive vice principal just because she is Chen Shi's girlfriend. Do you understand?"

Chen Shi decided to marry Xiao Qiu because we humbled ourselves enough to put no pressure on him. If we had kept demanding things from him, he wouldn't have married Xiao Qiu.

There are no girls prettier than Xiao Qiu in Fushan Town. Are there any in Chunyang County? And in Mingzhou?

In this world, there are many beautiful girls, but how many can marry a promising man like Chen Shi?

Chen Shi's uncle is the mayor; even if he doesn't do well, he could at least become a county magistrate.

Zhang Qingrong looked at Jiang Huazhou: "Sometimes, I hope Xiao Qiu doesn't marry any leader. Finding a teacher would be good too; she would receive enough respect."

"What's the use of fake respect? It's better to marry the leader and get real benefits."

No matter who a woman marries, the problems she faces are essentially the same. Marrying a capable man like Chen Shi, she can get everything except for insufficient respect. Marrying an ordinary person, she can only receive a false sense of respect; she will get nothing else.

Zhang Qingrong thought about it and agreed. He stopped worrying about it and turned back to clean up the dishes.

Jiang Huazhou drove to the quarry. He knew very well who the quarry's booming business depended on.

Once his daughter marries Chen Shi, if Chen Shi becomes the deputy county head, he plans to expand his business to Chunyang, opening several more quarries. He expects to earn back his daughter's dowry in just two or three months.

Jiang Yiqiu returned to the No. 1 Middle School teachers' apartment at 4:30 pm. The fog was so thick between Fushan Town and Shangying Town that visibility was extremely low, so she drove very slowly.

Back home, he called Chen Shi.

Yi Qiu

"Honey, I'm home. Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?"

"Let's go out for a big meal tonight, and get our marriage certificate tomorrow morning."

"Okay, I'll wait for you at home."

After finishing get off work, Chen Shi went to the No. 1 Middle School teachers' apartment. Jiang Yiqiu was waiting for him at home. When she saw Chen Shi, she rushed into his arms.

Chen Shi asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to hear your heartbeat."

Chen Shi stroked Jiang Yiqiu's hair and asked the question that concerned him most: "Our wedding will be kept simple. Do your parents agree?"

"My parents are very reasonable, why would they disagree? They consulted a fortune teller to choose an auspicious date, which is the sixth day of the first lunar month. They plan to have a small gathering at home with their own family members, and not invite any outsiders."

Chen Shi knew that Jiang Huazhou was a smart man and would agree.

Jiang Yiqiu added, "My parents gave us a four-bedroom, one-living-room, 137-square-meter apartment in Jingtai Garden as our wedding home. They were originally going to give me a car as part of my dowry, but since you have a car and I have one myself, they converted the cost into 300,000 yuan and gave it to me as part of my dowry."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Your dad is quite wealthy."

"To be honest, they don't have much money, maybe a million or two at most. If you need money, you can ask them, and they will support you."

One or two million is not much money to Chen Shi. Although he doesn't even have two hundred thousand on him, he can get several million whenever he wants.