Chapter 1355

Zhu Yanyi cleared her throat, forcing down her shyness. "Then protect me in front of them. Let them see that your height is not a threat to me."

Taishu Yuanxiang held Zhu Yanyi’s hand. "Okay. Let them watch. In seventy or eighty years, they will know we are happy and loving all our lives."

Not far away, Zhu Yanyi, who was helping greet guests, saw everything at the door. She told Yan Aohan, "Brother-in-law is being made difficult for."

"I want to be made difficult for sooner too," Yan Aohan said with a double meaning.

Zhu Yanyi knew she was acting spoiled. She glanced at her calmly. "According to your agreement with my father, you can only marry me when I am twenty-three. That means you must wait at least five more years. So be good and wait. One day, you will be made difficult for."

Hearing her casual tone, Yan Aohan regretted agreeing to Zhu Shunyao’s condition. He had to wait five more years.

Zhu Yanyi ignored her and smiled at the guests. She mostly greeted relatives, like the Xie Zhong family, the Qi Jizong family, Cheng Baokun and her wife, and a few childhood friends from Ganyin Village. She did not greet strangers.

She worried someone might recognize her. Although she had not released photos in the news, she had held a press conference, and TV had broadcast it. If someone remembered, it would be bad. So, she only interacted with familiar people.

Fortunately, Zhu Shunyao had arranged the tables by area. Relatives sat in one area, friends in another, his good clients in a third, and fellow villagers in the last area.

By noon, all guests had arrived. Banquets usually started late, so starting before 12:30 was not late.

Zhu Yanli sat with the female guests. Taishu Yuanxiang sat with the uncle’s table. This was a custom. The groom must sit with the maternal uncle to let everyone know each other and for the bride’s family to test the groom.

The banquet began. People ate and chatted. After about ten minutes, Xie Xinlian called Taishu Yuanxiang and Zhu Yanli to toast table by table.

They started with the largest group, the fellow villagers and clan members. After toasting just a few tables, small problems arose. The trouble came from the Zhu Guifu family.

The Zhu Guifu family was there to eat, but their faces were ugly. They looked as if someone owed them millions.

Xie Xinlian felt annoyed. She told Zhu Shunyao, "If they didn’t want to come, they shouldn’t have. Why look like we owe them money?"

"It’s fine. Pretend they don’t exist. They are just here for a meal," Zhu Shunyao said. He was also annoyed, but it was his daughter’s good day. He did not want trouble.

But the Zhu Guifu family intended to cause trouble.

Zhu Yanli and Taishu Yuanxiang started toasting. The Zhu Guifu family, being clan members, were in the first twenty tables.

Everyone was there for fun. Even if they teased the bride and groom slightly, it was just for joy.

When they reached Zhu Guifu’s table, Zhu Yanli poured wine for him. Zhu Guifu waved his hand. "Ah Nian, you don’t need to toast. Let your father do it."

Zhu Yanli was not scared. She raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. "Fourth Grandpa, are you mistaken? Today is my wedding, not my parents’ anniversary. If you want them to toast you, the order is wrong. Of course, you are an elder. You can drink my father’s toast, but you must drink mine first. Then I will call my father."

"I won’t drink your wine," Zhu Guifu said directly. She didn’t believe Zhu Yanyi could force her.

"Then why did you come to our house? To cause trouble?" Zhu Zhibin, who followed behind Zhu Yanli, spoke up. His job was to introduce Zhu family members to Taishu Yuanxiang.

"Don’t you know how to respect elders? How can you disrespect elders like this?" Zhu Guifu complained.

The children of the Zhu family’s third branch were all troublemakers. Seeing Zhu Zhibin made him hate them more, especially since his fourth branch had no heirs. Zhu Shunyao had asked him to adopt Zhu Zhibin, but he refused. So today, he would not give his daughter face.

Zhu Zhibin laughed. "If elders are like you, we really don’t want such elders."

Zhu Yanli almost laughed. Her younger brother had grown up. she could protect them now.

But Zhu Yanli still scolded Zhu Zhibin symbolically. "Doumiao, you cannot speak to Fourth Grandpa like that. Although Fourth Grandpa is from a different branch, he is the brother of our dear grandfather who died many years ago. We must give him some face."

What did "brother of our dear grandfather who died many years ago" mean? People nearby didn’t understand. They only heard the surface meaning. But Zhu Yanyi and others who came over understood clearly.

They had confirmed that Zhu Shenfu was not dead. They also confirmed he had remarried, had heirs, and had ties with the Chen family in Xiangjiang and the Bai family of the Baili tribe. Regardless, he was no longer part of the Zhu family’s third branch in Ganyin Village. So, they had agreed to treat him as dead.

Besides, such a person would only appear with a purpose. It was better to define him as dead now. They would tell everyone their grandfather was dead. If Zhu Shenfu really appeared, they could say he looked similar and they mistook him. After all, Zhu Shenfu’s household registration was now in Xiangshui. He was no longer part of the Ganyin Village Zhu family’s third branch.

"You are unfilial! You are cursing your dear grandfather!" Gan Juhua shouted.

Hearing this, Zhu Yanyi and others felt a jump in their hearts. It seemed someone from Zhu Shenfu’s side had contacted Zhu Guifu.

"Fourth Grandma, what are you saying?" Zhu Yanli smiled lightly. "I know you have always looked down on my siblings and me. I remember when we were young, our family had no food. You hid good food and wouldn’t give it to us, even if you had to spend money. Later, we knew we were not your flesh and blood, so we understood your thoughts."