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墨書 Inktalez
On the eighth day of the first month, most companies had resumed work. Jiang Chen's Shengda Group was no exception. As the boss, he made a brief appearance at the office in the morning, mainly to distribute red envelopes and boost morale. After that, he returned to his Huafei Villa. His mind was no longer on the company, so he entrusted a few people to manage things.
Lying alone on the sofa in the living room, feeling bored, Jiang Chen took out his phone. He rarely checked his phone, but when he opened WeChat, he found himself added to a group chat for Class Seven of Qingcheng Middle School. The chat was lively; someone had sent a red envelope, causing a frenzy among the members. Jiang Chen scrolled through the chat history, quietly observing.
To be honest, with over fifty people in that junior high class, Jiang Chen could hardly remember many of them now. Half of those chatting were unfamiliar faces to him. However, as he read through the messages, he realized they were discussing this year's class reunion. Most of his junior high classmates had graduated from high school; some had entered university while others who hadn’t passed were either planning to retake their exams or looking for jobs.
Jiang Chen wasn't particularly interested in attending the reunion. After all, there would be too many people he barely knew. He thought it would be better to catch up with just a few close friends from back then.
Just as he was about to exit the group chat, he noticed a girl named Lin Xiaohui had sent a message. He remembered Lin Xiaohui as his deskmate in their third year of middle school—a quiet girl who wasn’t particularly striking but did well academically. After the high school entrance exam, Jiang Chen transferred to Nangang High School while Lin Xiaohui continued her studies at Qingcheng High School.
In the group chat, she announced that she would be getting married on New Year's Day and hoped everyone could attend her wedding.
Jiang Chen was taken aback; it had only been half a year since graduation—how could she be getting married already? She was still so young! He speculated that perhaps it was due to her family's financial struggles. Lin Xiaohui's father had been sentenced to life imprisonment for a crime when she was very young, and her mother remarried, leaving her to live with her grandparents. It must have been tough for her growing up. Perhaps she hadn’t been accepted into university or hadn’t finished high school and felt compelled to marry early to improve her family’s situation.
After Lin Xiaohui's message, the once lively chat fell silent; no one responded. Jiang Chen frowned slightly but quickly understood why—because of her father's imprisonment, many classmates distanced themselves from her, labeling him as a criminal. Lin Xiaohui had always been shy and reserved at school, focusing solely on her studies and making very few friends. During their three years in junior high, she had hardly interacted with anyone except for when they discussed problems together.
Seeing no one reply, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but respond: “Sure, send me the location and I’ll come.”
Once Jiang Chen spoke up, several classmates who had been close to him in high school also chimed in, promising they would attend to support Lin Xiaohui.
Lin Xiaohui replied with a grateful emoji and explained further: “I’ve always lived with my grandparents. My grandfather passed away due to illness during my university years, and now my grandmother is also sick. Her only wish is to see me get married, which is why I’m marrying so early. Although I’ve been shy and rarely talked with everyone at school because of my insecurities, I cherish our friendships; you are like family to me. I want my wedding to be lively and bring joy to my grandmother. I hope everyone can help me by just coming; gifts aren’t necessary.”
Reading Lin Xiaohui’s heartfelt message moved Jiang Chen deeply. Life had been unfair to her; however, if he remembered correctly from his previous life, Lin Xiaohui ended up quite happy despite her difficult circumstances back then.
Though her family situation was among the worst in their class, she managed to build a good life through hard work—something Jiang Chen couldn’t help but admire.
Perhaps touched by Lin Xiaohui’s words, other classmates who had been lurking in the chat began expressing their intent to attend her wedding.
Sometimes, friendships among classmates can be quite pure; as long as you are sincere, you can earn genuine responses in return.
With New Year's Day just over ten days away and knowing he needed to return to Qingcheng for his grandmother's seventieth birthday celebration—having attended his grandfather's seventieth birthday last year—Jiang Chen decided he would definitely help Lin Xiaohui.
He privately messaged Lin Xiaohui asking if there was anything else she needed help with. She replied with a smile emoji saying that just having him there would be enough.
Jiang Chen inquired once more about Lin Xiaohui's grandmother. Lin Xiaohui explained that her grandmother was in the late stages of liver cancer, with doctors estimating she had less than three months to live. This urgency was why she wanted to get married as soon as possible. Her boyfriend was very considerate and agreed to hold the wedding in Qingcheng County.
However, her relatives were few, and many were unwilling to maintain contact with her. Her boyfriend, whom she met while working, was from Yue Province, and it was unlikely that all of his relatives would attend. In fact, most of his family opposed their relationship. Despite this, her boyfriend remained steadfast in his commitment to her. Lin Xiaohui realized that their wedding might not receive much support or blessing from others, which is why she mustered the courage to invite classmates in their group chat. She didn't want the wedding to be sparsely attended; she hoped to make it lively and bring joy to her grandmother.
Lin Xiaohui considered Jiang Chen a true friend, which is why she confided in him. After reading her message, Jiang Chen replied, "Trust me, you will be happy." Lin Xiaohui felt touched and responded, "Thank you, Jiang Chen."
After finishing the conversation with Lin Xiaohui, Jiang Chen pondered how to surprise her and make her wedding unforgettable. He wanted her boyfriend's family to genuinely accept her and not look down on her due to her family's circumstances. While Jiang Chen typically dismissed superficial gestures at his level, he recognized that his classmates were ordinary people. If he could bring them joy and satisfaction, it would be worth it.
Jiang Chen searched online for ways to make the bride feel special at her wedding. There were many suggestions, but the most impactful way to elevate a bride's status was undoubtedly by inviting celebrities to attend. Many wealthy individuals hired stars for performances or recorded congratulatory videos for their weddings.
However, arranging such appearances posed a challenge for Jiang Chen; he would need to enlist the help of some influential figures to secure those celebrities. Yet, if too many celebrities showed up, it might overshadow the couple's special day. On the other hand, if he only requested video messages from them, there could be skepticism about their authenticity.
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