She was refined, whether in her taste or her way of living.
It was nothing like Henry's room, which was simple and rigid, with only furniture and nothing else.
When Henry saw the vanity table in Liz's room with a mirror for makeup, he immediately knew what kind of furniture his home should have.
Liz grew up spoiled and loved by her family, having the best of everything. He didn't want her to suffer after marrying him.
She placed the gift he had given her neatly on the vanity. It was a set of skincare products.
These were imported, the same brand her mother had once bought her.
"Sit down," Liz told him, asking him not to stand there like a guard at the door, which made her feel nervous.
Henry sat down at the desk and noticed psychology books on it, along with her handwritten notes and ideas.
"You want to be a psychologist?"
"Yes, but the situation is unstable now. I can only wait and see."
He nodded. At that time, there weren't many psychologists in the country, only in military hospitals in Beijing and Haishi.
Ordinary people didn't seek psychological help, so the country didn't need many in that profession.
He thought it was a pity for such a talented girl to have her abilities buried.
"In the future, you will have the chance."
"I know. I have confidence in my profession."
Liz was very confident. In her past life, she had won many awards.
Besides, she had been guided and trained by her grandfather since childhood. Her knowledge was solid, so she wasn't afraid of being questioned.
"You… are very outstanding."
He looked at her. Liz smiled, then looked at him seriously and said each word firmly,
"Of course. My grandfather carefully trained me as his successor. I am the flower raised by our country.
The nation will always have a place that needs me, and I am always ready to answer its call."
These words struck Henry deeply. The way he looked at her was full of respect, not as a man toward a woman, but as a patriot honoring another.
He understood clearly now that his future wife, Liz, was a woman with great ambition, strong beliefs, and love for her country.
Looking out the window, she shared her thoughts about the future and the nation's development.
The more she spoke, the more passionate his gaze became.
They talked for a long time, and he understood her more deeply. The invisible barrier between them had quietly begun to fade.
She spoke confidently, while he watched her with a smile in his eyes.
Before they realized it, it was dinnertime. Liz's mother came upstairs to call them, smiling when she saw the two talking so happily.
During dinner, both families chatted warmly. They also discussed when Henry and Liz should register their marriage.
His mother suggested doing it in the next few days in Haishi since she had already brought the household registration book. Later, when they went to Beijing for the wedding banquet, they could also transfer Liz's registration.
But Henry refused. To him, registering the marriage without first holding the wedding banquet was unacceptable. Doing that would be like taking advantage of her.
"Let's register the marriage when we get to Kyoto."
Henry said this. When Mr Xu and Lady Yuna heard that the registration would be after the wedding banquet in Kyoto, they felt relieved.
In their own family's eyes, it didn't matter whether the registration came before or after the banquet, but in outsiders' eyes, people might gossip.
"Henry is right. Registering after the banquet is not too late," Mr Xu agreed. Henry's mother also realized she had spoken wrongly earlier, so she quickly echoed them too.
The Xu family valued etiquette and manners, and they wanted to protect their daughter. If they registered before the banquet, outsiders might really think the Xu family was eager to sell their daughter for status.
"Yes, yes, after the banquet is better."
"Otherwise, people will gossip. I just didn't think of this because I was too happy just now."
"Old Xu, Lady Yuna, let me apologize with tea instead of wine."
Henry's mother was straightforward. Since she said something wrong, she admitted it openly. Everyone here was an adult, and she wasn't embarrassed.
"What's there to apologize for? We're all one family now," Lady Yuna said. "If there's anything, we'll sit together and talk. It's not a big deal."
Henry's mother laughed, waved her hand, and sat down. "Alright, then let's discuss the banquet."
So the four elders began to talk about how many tables to prepare and who to invite. After discussing for an entire evening, they finally decided: in Haishi, the banquet should not be too showy. Just ten tables in the government compound would be enough.
As for Liz's formal wedding, it would be held in Kyoto later. Since the Zhou family was staying in the guesthouse in Haishi, it wasn't suitable to set up a wedding room there. With both families' elders already in Kyoto, it would be more convenient for Liz to marry officially there.
"Then ten tables it is. I'll ask the chef from the state-run restaurant to handle the banquet."
"Good."
Everything was settled. Zhou's and Xu's families each became busy. Lady Yuna focused on preparing her daughter's dowry. Mr Xu, Henry's father, and Henry's mother took care of the banquet arrangements.
Liz stayed home, waiting as a bride-to-be. Lady Yuna personally made her two red dresses in the next few days. One was simple, meant for the banquet in Haishi.
The other was more elaborate. Henry's mother spent several nights making it. It was a Western-style suit dress, with a white lapel collar on the top. The skirt had a fishtail design, and at the waist was a pearl-woven belt. It was elegant and dignified.
This was Henry's mother's gift as a wedding dress. Though it looked simple, every detail carried her love and blessings for Liz.
The wedding shoes were a pair of red high heels, simple in style, matching both dresses perfectly.
Liz tried them on. Both dresses fit well, and the shoes were comfortable.
"So beautiful," Lady Yuna said softly, her eyes turning red as she looked at her daughter standing there in the dress she made herself. Her face was full of reluctance.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Liz asked.
Liz saw her mother's red eyes and quickly sat beside her. Mother Xu pressed the corner of her eye and then smiled.
"It's nothing, my eyes just feel uncomfortable, I just need a little rest."
Liz looked at her carefully. Mother Xu thought she had hidden it well, but the tears in her eyes were clearly seen by her daughter.
She knew it was just an excuse, so she didn't expose it.
"Mom, then you must rest well. You're about to become a mother-in-law."
"If you don't look good by then, people will laugh."
Hearing this, Mother Xu also laughed. She reached out and tapped her daughter's forehead. "You're good at talking."
"I'll wash your dress for you, then I'll rest."
"I'll wash it."
As soon as Liz spoke, Mother Xu firmly refused. Her tone was serious. "No, I must do it."
She carried the two finished dresses to the backyard to wash. Watching her mother's back, Liz felt sour and a little unwilling in her heart.
Mother Xu washed very carefully. When it came to her daughter's wedding clothes, she insisted on doing everything herself, never letting anyone else touch them.
---
Time passed quickly, and all of Liz's dowry was ready. There was a dowry chest, new quilts, new pillows, a new watch, new clothes, a bankbook, two sets of dresses, wedding shoes, and even new clothes for the groom.
Her dowry chest was stuffed full. Quilts and pillows were placed separately and would be taken to the capital later.
The date came to August 16th. This wasn't the day she would officially get married, it was just the day for a banquet.
She didn't have to stay inside her room. She could meet people and attend her own celebration.
She wore a red dress, small leather shoes, and her hair was braided into a fishtail and laid over her right shoulder. She didn't look as gentle and fairy-like as usual but had a more stunning and bright appearance.
When Henry arrived and saw her, his eyes lit up. Father Zhou and Mother Zhou were also amazed. Mother Zhou excitedly tugged at Father Zhou's arm.
My goodness, such a beautiful girl was really her daughter-in-law!
Normally, Liz dressed more in a gentle, ladylike style. But today's bright look was even more striking.
"Do I look good?"
She asked Henry. His Adam's apple moved, and his eyes stared straight at her, full of admiration and amazement, without hiding anything.
His gaze showed appreciation and wonder, mixed with many emotions, but not the raw desire of a man.
He always respected women and respected his wife even more.
He nodded, his eyes serious, and answered honestly. "Beautiful."
Hearing his praise, Liz's face filled with a smile.
The four elders told them they would go out to greet guests and left to host.
Guests arrived one after another. Everyone gave a red envelope, and some of Liz's parents' close friends even added a piece to her dowry.
Although the things her parents' friends gave weren't expensive—like a piece of red cloth or a box of cream—they were all blessings from elders.
Father and Mother Xu didn't accept gifts from everyone, only from trusted friends and colleagues.
Father Zhou and Mother Zhou also warmly welcomed the guests. The food for today's banquet had been bought by them after running around for days.
Every table had ten dishes, meaning "perfect and complete." Five of them were meat dishes, and all were considered grand dishes.
"Welcome, welcome."
"Congratulations!"
"Congratulations on finding a good son-in-law."
The guests who came to the banquet all gave their blessings. Father Xu and Mother Xu greeted them with smiles, happily accepting everyone's kind words.
"Thank you, thank you."
"Please, come inside."
The smiles on Father Xu and Mother Xu's faces never faded. Everyone could tell that the Xu family was very satisfied with this son-in-law.
Soon, guests arrived one after another, and the banquet officially began. Liz and Henry went around to toast at each table.
Most of the guests were from government offices and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They all had sharp eyes and good judgment.
At first, people thought the Xu family let their daughter marry a soldier just to keep her away from troubles. But when Henry appeared in full military uniform, standing tall and dignified, everyone realized they had underestimated him. His aura was not something an ordinary family could raise.
They didn't know Henry's mother since she mostly stayed home to support the family, but Henry's father often appeared in national meetings.
Some senior officials from Haishi and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had even seen Henry's father at meetings in the capital.
At that moment, everyone understood—this marriage was a true match between equal families. Father Xu, who was in a difficult political position, made a very smart move by marrying his daughter into the Zhou family.
The mayor of Haishi narrowed his eyes when he saw this. The smile on his face stiffened a little. He lifted his glass and stood up to offer a toast to Father Xu.
"Congratulations, Vice Mayor Xu, for finding such a fine son-in-law."
Father Xu also stood up with his glass and replied politely, "Not at all, the mayor's son-in-law is also very outstanding."
He couldn't outright embarrass the mayor, so he said it with courtesy. The mayor forced a smile, then drank his glass in one go. Father Xu followed and finished his as well.
Then the mayor toasted Henry's father. Henry's father laughed and finished his drink boldly.
Meanwhile, Liz and Henry were still toasting other tables, not knowing about the hidden tension at the main table.
After several rounds of toasting, Liz started to feel dizzy. Her face turned red, and her steps became unsteady. Henry quickly took the chance to switch her wine with warm water.
"Won't people notice?" Liz asked nervously when she saw him pour warm water into the wine bottle. She looked around, worried someone might see.
"No, they won't."
She was puzzled. It was warm water—wouldn't people notice if they touched the bottle?
She didn't understand why he was so confident until the end, when she realized the bottle never left his hand. With him controlling it, no one had the chance to notice.
Whatever he did, he always seemed calm and sure of himself.
Looking at the tall, steady man beside her, Liz felt a strong sense of security and admiration. She admired his ability to stay in control.
After finishing the toasts, they returned to the main table. Both Mother Xu and Henry's mother put food into her bowl, and Liz, blushing, lowered her head and quietly ate.
Once she was full, the alcohol began to overwhelm her. With half-closed eyes, she felt dizzy and unknowingly leaned toward Henry's side.