Xie Zihao finally looked a little more at ease as the immediate tension at the door dissipated.
Whether or not he was marrying into his wife's family, no one present dared to say another word about the arrangement. Everyone quietly shuffled forward to hand over their wedding gifts in turn.
When it was Jing Shu's turn to step up, the moment her one-kilogram slab of cured black pork appeared on the official list, a wave of envy, awe, and pure disbelief spread through her assembled classmates. The meat was dark and rich, its surface glistening with salt crystals.
"Jing Shu really is a big deal," someone whispered loudly. "That's cured black pork, the hottest thing on the market right now. You need at least one and a half kilograms of raw meat plus tons of seasoning and salt to make something like that!"
"I heard you can't even buy good smoked meat like that on the black market for a few hundred virtual coins," another added, their eyes fixed on the bundle.
"If I had that chunk of meat, I would slice off one thin piece a day and it would last me an entire year."
Even the chubby bride was stunned by the sight of the gift. Chen Zihan swallowed hard and whispered to her new husband, "Who is that? You haven't introduced her to me yet."
Only then did Xie Zihao speak up to clarify. "This is Jing Shu, the big shot I mentioned before, the one with strong connections here in Xingfu Shiyuan. She is also the one who hired our lawyer."
The bride's eyes lit up immediately with a newfound respect.
Then Xie Zihao turned back toward the rest of the group. "This is my bride, Chen Zihan. Thanks so much for coming today, everyone. From now on, if you ever need help with anything, just call me."
Su Mali finally arrived at the canteen just before the festivities officially started.
Weddings in the apocalypse were a little unusual compared to the old days—they began with the meal first to ensure everyone was fed before any potential interruptions.
To be honest, aside from the one Jing Pan had hosted, this was the first apocalypse wedding feast Jing Shu had ever attended. Food was incredibly scarce now, so of course, the spread couldn't compare to the grand, overflowing feasts of the past. To prevent any sudden chaos or desperate fights over the dishes, the venue used a strict portioned system, with uniformed waitresses serving each plate individually.
The emcee stood on the stone stage with a loudspeaker and declared, "May the newlyweds live in perfect harmony. Please enjoy the first dish, Honey Lotus Root."
The waitresses brought out ten thin, dried lotus root slices lightly dusted with coarse sugar and divided them among everyone present at the tables. The slices were tough and lacked moisture.
"May the newlyweds soon have a precious child. Please enjoy the Red Date and Lotus Seed Soup."
Each person at the table got exactly one shriveled red date floating in a bowl of pale, watery broth. It didn't look appetizing in the least, but at least there was a date for everyone—something Jing Shu once could have sucked on for an entire day back in her previous life.
"May the newlyweds live sweet and happy lives. Please enjoy the Celebration Cake."
A steamed sponge cake about the size of a fist was carefully cut into ten pieces, each portion about as big as a fingernail.
Overall, the food didn't taste good at all. The musty, stale smell of the ingredients was strong—it was obviously made from pre-apocalypse stock that was on the verge of spoiling completely. Every portion was only a single bite, barely enough to fill the small gap between a person's teeth.
Jing Shu even noticed that the lotus slice in Shi Lei's bowl was covered with tiny, fuzzy mold spots, but he still ate it clean, savoring every bit of the fiber. Most of their classmates were exactly the same. Waste food? Not a chance in this world. For the apocalypse, this banquet was equivalent to a luxury feast worth tens of thousands before the end of the world.
Moldy, stale, cross-flavored, or dried-up—it didn't matter. If you could chew and swallow it, it was already a delicacy.
There were ten dishes in total, symbolizing "perfection in all things." As she ate, she couldn't help thinking back to the ten years she had lived through in the apocalypse of her previous life. She didn't leave a single bite on her plate. Even though the food tasted terrible, she cleaned it completely. She didn't want to forget the suffering of those ten years. Every drop on that plate represented how hard it was to survive back then.
That was why she had to keep working hard—to ensure she could eat even better food in the future.
Unfortunately, before the tenth and final dish could be served to the guests, the wedding suddenly ground to a halt.
"The ceremony is on hold! Mr. Shiyuan is here for an inspection!"
"Everyone, get ready! Mr. Shiyuan arrived unexpectedly!"
Even Xie Zihao and his bride were stunned by the sudden announcement.
Panic spread through the canteen like wildfire. The whole of Xingfu Shiyuan went into a frenzy of activity. Cleaners rushed to mop the stone floors, people tidied up the tables, and even the cafeteria staff started a frantic deep cleaning of the counters. Guests were told to pick up any trash off the floor and make the place spotless within seconds.
"Mr. Shiyuan is heading this way!"
"He is really here!"
"Oh my god, seriously?"
With each new announcement, the noise in the hall grew louder. Then Qian Duoduo appeared at the entrance, leading more than a dozen staff members, followed by an even larger crowd of subordinates.
Butler Cai, with his orchid fingers raised delicately in the air, pointed toward Jing Shu, who stood out clearly in the group. "There, that's Director Jing!"
At once, countless eyes turned in her direction.
Qian Duoduo led his people straight toward her table.
Her classmates gasped and buzzed with a sudden, nervous excitement.
"They're coming our way!"
"Who are they here for? Is it Su Mali?"
"Oh my god, my idol! It's Qian Duoduo himself!"
People stood up in awe as the group approached. To be fair, Qian Duoduo did look impressive. Dressed in a full, ornate Tang suit and with his hands turning a polished walnut as he strode forward confidently, he stopped right in front of Jing Shu.
She had no choice but to stand and greet him.
"So this is where you were. Attending a wedding, huh? Oh, Mary is here too? Say hi to your father for me when you see him."
Qian Duoduo laughed heartily, clearly in high spirits—he was completely unaware he was walking straight toward his doom.
"Whoa, he is here for Jing Shu? Damn, I didn't expect her to have such connections, actually knowing the boss of Xingfu Shiyuan!"
"It's obvious he came specifically for her. He even mentioned Su Mali as an afterthought. Looks like Jing Shu is the real powerhouse here."
Jing Shu smiled politely at the man. "Yeah, it's a classmate's wedding, and we had an appointment for later. It's only twelve-thirty though. Why are you here so early?"
And why did he have to show up in such grand style, bringing half the compound with him? What was that supposed to mean?
"Hahaha! I just couldn't wait! I thought I would take you along for a quick inspection while we are at it. Guess I interrupted your classmate's wedding, huh? Should I wait, or...?"
Given how many people he had brought, the entire cafeteria was packed to the brim. There was no way the ceremony could continue normally.
In the past, Qian Duoduo was never this cheerful. He always wore a frown, a dark cloud seemingly hanging between his brows. But today, his whole "deep and mysterious Tang-suit boss" persona had completely fallen apart.
"No need, we're almost done anyway. Let's head out now, it's better not to disrupt their wedding any further. What a pity though, the last dish wasn't even served yet."
"Haha, that's life. Never ten out of ten, always nine out of ten. Oh, and Mary, you're coming along too."
Butler Cai hurried over and respectfully guided Jing Shu to walk half a step behind Qian Duoduo, while Su Mali followed behind him in the position of a junior. Even Xingfu Shiyuan's senior managers had to step aside to let her pass, which showed just how high her standing was in the eyes of the boss.
"You all carry on. The young couple looks great—congratulations! Oh right, Lao Zhang, since we caused such a scene, make sure every table gets an extra vegetable platter as compensation for the trouble."
"Yes, sir."
With that, Jing Shu and Mr. Shiyuan left the wedding together, leaving behind a crowd frozen in pure disbelief.
Everyone was stunned. The legendary Mr. Shiyuan had actually come specifically to find Jing Shu.
"How powerful is she, really?"
"From what Su Mali said, she has got shares in Xingfu Shiyuan—probably a lot of them."
"Holy shit, I can't believe I went to school with someone this rich. I'm going to brag about this for the next hundred years."