Over the next few days, Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin became perfectly obedient children.
If Zhao Xiuqin pointed east, neither of them would go west. How many candies went on the display table, how many balloons were stuck to the doorframe-Empress Dowager Zhao had the final say on everything. Wei Zijin was wonderfully well-behaved, nodding again and again. Even when she occasionally chimed in, she went along with the older woman's wishes.
Wang Xiaoliang kept it simple, too: he was entirely at her command. Whatever she said, he did.
Zhao Xiuqin wanted a family portrait taken. It had to go up in the newlyweds' home, which had to have both a picture of the couple and a family portrait.
"Let's wear Tang suits! Chinese-style ones like Qingyu's. We'll wear them at the wedding, too." Wei Zijin had always envied Yang Qingyu's wedding, simple yet dignified.
Within days, the enormous, rush-printed photographs were hanging on the walls of their new home. Chinese aunties were astonishingly efficient.
Wei Zijin called her close friends one by one to coordinate their schedules.
Li Lanxiang was ecstatic over the phone, saying Zan's annual leave would finally come in handy again.
Zeng Haiyan and Wang Fen both had fairly flexible schedules now. Once Zeng Haiyan finished a livestream before the New Year, she would be free until things picked up again afterward. Wang Fen could record her videos anywhere and could leave at any time.
Xie Hui had originally promised to come, but then she suddenly picked up a lead for an undercover investigation. She sent a message saying, "We'll get together separately later. I'll owe you a wedding present for now," and that was the last they heard.
Chen Zhifei said the group was swamped at year-end, especially with financial matters, but she would do