Rebirth 77: From Beachcombing to Becoming a Tycoon and Spoiling My Wife

Yang Bai ignored him completely and sat down at the main table, crossing his legs.

"Father-in-law, I paid two yuan, and I'm your former son-in-law. Can't Ningning and I sit at the head table? Let the dog sit there!"

Zhang Ning then sat down at the main table.

"You, you called me a dog!"

Zhang Fu pointed at Yang Bai, his face turning almost liver-colored with anger.

People who came from the sidelines were also pointing and whispering.

"Yeah, we only paid a few cents, shouldn't we be sitting on the ground?"

"Two yuan is more than enough as a gift. Old Zhang's actions were not very ethical."

"Yang Bai has a temper. If we let him keep causing trouble, how can we get married?"

"If you ask me, just let it go. It'll all be over after the wedding anyway."

Yang Bai looked at him with a smile, making a teasing sound like he was playing with a dog, "Mwah, father-in-law, don't take it personally. Did I say you were a dog?"

"Yang Bai!" Zhang Fu was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode, clutching his chest as if he was about to die.

A burly woman with a face full of fat and greasy skin saw that Zhang Fu was not right and immediately went to help him.

She is Zhang Ning's mother, Wang Fang.

Wang Fang's eyes practically spit fire as she looked at Yang Bai.

"Yang Bai, you damn gambler, are you trying to cause trouble on my joyous occasion again?"

"And you brat, you're siding with outsiders too."

"I've raised you for nothing all these years, you ungrateful wretch."

"I should have strangled you the moment you were born!"

Zhang Ning gritted her teeth and suppressed the anger in her chest, but her eyes welled up with tears.

She knew perfectly well that her parents had always thought this way about her all these years, but saying it aloud still caused her a piercing pain.

Bai released his grip, his large hand gently stroking Zhang Ning's back, slowly soothing her silently. He had only heard Zhang Ning mention the unfairness and favoritism in her family sporadically before, and had always taken it as only one side of the story.

But witnessing her family's harshness and tyranny today, and their constant mistreatment of her, the anger in her heart surged up instantly, and she couldn't suppress it.

He straightened up slightly, suddenly stood up, grabbed a glass wine bottle from the table, and smashed it hard against the corner of the table.

"Bang--!"

A crisp, ear-piercing cracking sound suddenly echoed through the courtyard. The bottle shattered instantly, sending tiny shards of glass flying everywhere. The remaining wine inside poured out, spilling onto the ground.

Yang Bai held the remaining half of the bottle firmly in his palm, the jagged glass blades at the break point particularly sharp.

He pointed the bottle at Wang Fang.

"You know I'm a gambler. I'm good at gambling, but I'm even better at causing trouble."

It's one thing to insult me, but to call Zhang Ning an ingrate is another.

Why were you willing to sell Ningning to me for twenty yuan back then, but didn't you exchange your son for twenty yuan to marry into the family?

"I think the simple-minded girl at the entrance of your village is quite nice."

Wang Fang looked at the sharp blade and instantly cowered. She helped Zhang Fu back slowly.

"Yang Bai, this is different."

"What's the difference? We're all human. Are you saying the women in your family are animals that can be bought with money? How much is it per pound? I can afford it."

Yang Bai took out twenty yuan from his pocket and continued.

"Is twenty enough? You look quite fat, so it's not thirty. I'll buy you and marry you off to the idiot in our village who lives in the mental hospital. He always wants a wife."

This remark caused the entire room to burst into laughter; it was the first time they had ever seen people sold by weight.

Wang Fang blushed with anger at what was said, mainly because she was bought when she married into the Zhang family, and it only cost ten yuan back then.

"Yang Bai, you've got a silver tongue, but wasn't my daughter bought by you? How dare you say that about me?"

Yang Bai laughed, "Ningning and I are in love. You're the one who wants to sell, and if I don't buy, would you really let Ningning marry me?"

Anyway, the act of buying it was done by the original owner, and it has nothing to do with him.

"You wish! My son's bride price..."

Wang Fang realized she had been tricked into saying something and quickly shut up.

This is Zhang Fu, who has recovered, whispering in Wang Fang's ear.

"Wife, he came tonight. Zhang Ning still can't escape. How long can that gambling addict and good-for-nothing protect us? They won't be arrogant for long before they leave."

Wang Fang smiled slightly as she thought of the people who would be coming that evening.

"Hmph, your smugness won't last long!"

After saying that, she helped Zhang Fu walk into the house.

Zhang Ning knew what kind of people her parents were, and there was some worry in her eyes.

"Yang Bai, they will definitely do something dirty to me again. Why don't we leave now? I'm afraid you'll get involved too."

She should take responsibility for her own affairs.

She didn't want Yang Bai to get involved too.

This village is ultimately not Haiba Village.

There are many acquaintances in Haiba Village, so if anything happens, you can find someone to help you.

Something happened here; it's a miracle they escaped unharmed.

Yang Bai grasped her cold hand.

"No matter what happens, we have to face it together. If we keep running away, they will only get worse. Don't worry, Ningning, I will make sure that we both get out of Houshan Village unharmed."

Upon hearing the commotion, the relatives who remained inside all got up and rushed out to see what was happening.

Yang Bai and Zhang Ning followed the crowd out of the courtyard.

A lively wedding procession slowly made its way along the village road.

At the front of the procession, rows of brand-new 28-inch bicycles were neatly arranged, standing out in the simple mountain village.

Zhang Fujia simply couldn't afford so many bicycles. It's obvious that these bicycles were borrowed from relatives and friends in the village, going from house to house to make a show of it.

At the front of the line stood a man with a hunched back and his face covered with acne scars of varying depths. He wore a slightly worn Zhongshan suit with a large, bright red silk flower pinned to his chest. This was Zhang Ning's older brother, Zhang Yong.

A petite woman sat on the back of the bicycle following closely behind him.

A bright red veil covered her head, completely obscuring her eyebrows, eyes, and figure; this was the bride being married today.

Firecrackers crackled and drums resounded, filling the entire mountain village with joyous sounds.

Amidst the commotion, a whole procession of bicycles carrying the wedding party came to a steady stop in front of Zhang Fu's house.

Zhang Yong led his bride into the house.

Zhang Fu and his wife Wang Fang stood at the door to greet guests, their faces beaming with smiles, their eyes brimming with pride and joy, their mouths practically agape.

The two greeted the guests warmly and were exceptionally hospitable. Their kind and cheerful demeanor was a stark contrast to their harsh and cold attitude towards Zhang Ning and Yang Bai earlier.

After all the wedding procedures were completed—bowing, receiving guests, and exchanging pleasantries—the sky was completely dark, and night enveloped the entire mountain village.

By the time the bride was escorted to the bridal chamber, it was already night.

The noise gradually subsided, and the banquet officially began.

Yang Bai accompanied Zhang Ning to sit down again at the head table, directly opposite Zhang Fu and Wang Fang.

The couple, who had just been smiling and toasting the guests, were now exchanging pleasantries.

The moment his gaze fell on Yang Bai and Zhang Ning, the smile on his face vanished completely.

His brows and eyes were filled with gloom and impatience, and his face was full of awkwardness and displeasure, but he dared not show it because of the guests present.

The kitchen was bustling with activity as dishes were served one after another, filling the entire table with a total of eight dishes.

It is the eight-bowl feast that is standard for local wedding banquets.

Six bowls of savory and flavorful meat dishes are paired with two refreshing and palate-cleansing vegetarian dishes.

Fresh fruit was also placed on the table.

In an era of scarcity, such a feast, with a mix of meat and vegetables and fruit platters, was the highest level of hospitality that an ordinary rural family could afford, enough to support the entire wedding.

Looking at the lavish wedding banquet before him, Yang Bai couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

Recalling the time when his predecessor married Zhang Ning, the scene was pitifully desolate. There was no banquet, no guests, and no one saw him off. The two simply got their marriage certificate and hastily entered the bridal chamber, leaving Zhang Ning feeling wronged for so many years.

His eyes flickered slightly, and he secretly resolved that he would make up for this debt to Ningning and Wanqiu in the future.