Chapter 480: Chapter 480

Xie Zihao’s complexion finally improved a bit.

Regardless of whether Xie Zihao was marrying into the family, no one could speak here anymore. Everyone silently followed the ritual.

Soon it was Jing Shu’s turn. When a pound of black pig cured meat appeared next to her name on the gift list, it drew envious and resentful glances from the surrounding students.

"Boss Jing really is a boss, casually pulling out the hottest trend: cured meat made from black pigs. That must have taken a pound and a half of pork, along with various seasonings and a large amount of salt, to make, right?"

"I heard that even several hundred Virtual Coins can’t buy such well-smoked cured meat on the Black Market, especially this top-quality kind."

"Give me this piece of meat, and I could cut a slice to eat every day for a year."

The plump bride was shocked and swallowed hard, then asked quietly, "Who is this? You haven’t introduced her yet."

Only then did Xie Zihao introduce, "This is Boss Jing Shu, whom I mentioned has strong connections in Stone Garden. She’s also the one who hired the lawyer." The bride’s eyes gleamed.

Xie Zihao then introduced his bride to everyone, "This is my bride today, Chen Zihan. I truly thank everyone for coming. From now on, if anyone needs anything, just call me. I’m at your service."

Su Malie finally managed to arrive before it started. Weddings after the apocalypse were very special; they actually began with the meal.

To be honest, aside from meals at her elder aunt’s home, this was Jing Shu’s first time experiencing a wedding feast in the apocalypse. Food was already scarce, so the spread couldn’t possibly be like the lavish banquets of the pre-apocalypse world. To prevent scuffles, meals were served individually, with female waitresses in somewhat uniform attire helping to dish out the food onto everyone’s plates.

The host, holding a loudspeaker on stage, announced:

"Wishing the couple a fortuitous union, please enjoy the first dish: Honey-Glazed Crispy Lotus Root." As the dish was announced, waitresses distributed a total of ten sugar-sprinkled dried white lotus root slices to everyone present.

"Wishing the couple an abundance of children, please enjoy the Red Date and Lotus Seed Soup." It was a shriveled red date floating in a pale, unappetizing soup. Still, each person received one date—a treat Jing Shu could have savored for an entire day in her previous life.

"Wishing the couple a sweet life, please enjoy the Festive Cake." It was a fist-sized steamed cake cut into ten portions; the piece everyone received was about the size of a fingernail.

Overall, the food was very unappetizing and had a strong smell of mold. It was mostly pre-apocalypse stock, nearly spoiled. Moreover, the portion of each dish was only about a mouthful, scarcely enough to fill the gaps between one’s teeth.

Jing Shu even saw mold spots on the lotus root in Shi Lei’s bowl, but he still ate every last bit. He even seemed to savor it, smacking his lips for a while as if wanting more. The rest of the students were much the same. Waste food? Here at these tables, this was indeed a banquet that would have been worth tens of thousands before the apocalypse.

Moldy, stale, carrying the flavors of other foods, shriveled—as long as it was edible, it was considered an extremely fine delicacy in the apocalypse.

In total, there were ten dishes, symbolizing perfection. Jing Shu also reminisced about the ten years of the apocalypse in her previous life. She hadn’t stopped eating just because the food was unpalatable. In fact, she ate very cleanly, determined not to forget the hardships she had suffered during those ten apocalyptic years. Licking every drop of food clean from her plate, she knew all too well how difficult it was to obtain food during the apocalypse.

So, the Jing Shu of today must work even harder in the future to eat more delicious food!

Unfortunately... the wedding was interrupted before Jing Shu got to the tenth dish.

"The wedding is on hold! Mr. Shi Yuan has come to inspect!"

"Everyone, get ready! Mr. Shi Yuan has arrived unexpectedly!"

Even Xie Zihao and the bride were taken aback.

Hurriedly and chaotically, Stone Garden was startled into action. Floor cleaners and interior organizers got to work, and even the cafeteria began a major clean-up. They even requested the diners here to pick up the trash from the floor, among other things.

"Mr. Shi Yuan is heading this way!"

"Mr. Shi Yuan is coming!"

With each announcement louder than the last, a peculiar sense of excitement swept over everyone. Then, Qian Duoduo appeared with a dozen people, followed by a large crowd of onlookers. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩

Housekeeper Cai, with fingers delicately curled in an orchid gesture, pointed at the easily distinguishable figure of Jing Shu in the crowd. "Director Jing is over there!" he called out, attracting quite a few gazes.

So, Qian Duoduo led his group over, their target clearly Jing Shu.

Jing Shu’s classmates gasped with excitement. "They’re heading toward us!"

"Who is he looking for? Su Malie?"

"Oh my God, my idol!" Many people stood up. It had to be said, Qian Duoduo cut a rather dashing figure. Dressed in a Tang suit and clutching newly acquired walnuts in his hand, he strode over, ultimately leading his entourage to Jing Shu, who reluctantly stood up to greet them.

"So you’re here, attending a wedding? Oh, Mary is here as well; say hello to your father for me," Qian Duoduo laughed heartily, appearing to be in very good spirits, unaware he was walking toward the abyss of death.

"Wow, he’s here for Jing Shu! I can’t believe Jing Shu has enough clout to actually know the boss of Stone Garden."

"Obviously, Mr. Shi Yuan came for Jing Shu. He even casually asked if Su Malie was here too. It seems Boss Jing is even more impressive!"

Jing Shu nodded. "Yes, I’m attending a classmate’s wedding. We had an appointment around one o’clock, didn’t we? It’s only twelve-thirty now. Why have you come so early?" And to arrive so ostentatiously with so many people, what on earth is he thinking?!

"HAHAHA! I just couldn’t wait, you see. I was also thinking of taking you on a work inspection along the way. It looks like I’ve disrupted your classmate’s wedding. Why don’t you all continue?" Qian Duoduo laughed. He was surrounded by a large group of people, with more crowding in behind them, making it impossible for the wedding to proceed.

The Qian Duoduo of the past hadn’t been so approachable; he was always frowning, an air of gloominess about his brow. This time, however, his whole persona as a deeply reserved, Tang-suit-wearing big boss seemed on the verge of collapsing.

"Please, don’t worry. It’s almost over anyway," Jing Shu said. "Let’s go now and not disturb their wedding any further. It’s a pity, though; there was still one dish left of the ten courses."

"Ah, life is always nine-tenths perfect, never wholly so. Right, little miss Mary, you come along too."

Housekeeper Cai eagerly stepped forward to guide Jing Shu, positioning her half a step behind Qian Duoduo. Su Malie, in her capacity as a junior, followed behind Qian Duoduo. Even the chief stewards of Stone Garden had to make way, which showed just how high Jing Shu’s status was in Qian Duoduo’s eyes now.

"You all continue, continue. The young groom and bride are both good. I wish you a happy marriage. Oh, and Old Zhang, as compensation for the disturbance, please add a vegetable platter to each table."

Leaving a trail of astonishment behind them, Jing Shu and Mr. Shi Yuan disappeared from the wedding scene. For a long time, everyone remained in disbelief that Mr. Shi Yuan’s visit had been solely to see Jing Shu.

"Just how incredible is Jing Shu?"

"According to what Su Malie implied, Jing Shu has shares in Stone Garden. I bet she has a lot."

"Heavens, to think I’ve been classmates with someone so wealthy all this time! I could brag about this for a hundred years!"