Regarding the matter of the two of them getting their marriage certificate, if there was anyone more delighted than the couple themselves, it was the elder of the Chang family, Chang Sheng.
Chang Ying took Tan Junzi to the compound on the outskirts of the city to visit his grandfather, and the topic of the wedding inevitably came up.
The wedding was already on the agenda. Tan Junzi’s preference was for something simple and warm—nothing too troublesome. They would invite family and friends, but none of the usual peripheral acquaintances. Chang Ying respected her wishes, knowing her family situation was unique; for Junzi, the only people she could truly invite were friends, as she had no family left. Thus, he only mentioned the news to his closest friends and relatives, telling them that invitations would be sent out once the time and venue were finalized.
Chang Sheng had no objections. The Chang family’s background had always been sensitive, so keeping a low profile was a good thing. However, he was always worried about slighting Old Tan’s granddaughter.
Tan Junzi felt perfectly at ease in the Chang household. Having visited many times as a child, she stood with her hands behind her back in front of the large aquarium once the wedding talk concluded, watching the fish.
Inside was a Golden Arowana, a gift from Chang Ying a few years ago. It was said to have a prestigious pedigree and had cost a significant amount of money.
Chang Sheng walked over and stood beside her, also with his hands behind his back.
“Grandpa, this fish is really beautiful. It’s my first time seeing a live Golden Arowana; before this, I only saw them on the labels of cooking oil,” Tan Junzi said, tapping the glass. “What’s its name?”
Chang Sheng was stunned. He truly had never given the fish a name; whenever he spoke of it, he just called it “that fish.” So, he said, “Why don’t you give it one?”
Tan Junzi thought for a moment. “How about Submarine?”
Chang Sheng laughed. “A fine name.” He was beyond satisfied with this granddaughter-in-law.
Standing to the side, Chang Ying felt a secret surge of worry. In the future, the task of naming their children must absolutely not be left to these two.
***
The villa halfway up the mountain was a place Chang Ying had bought on a whim when he moved back to Tongcheng a few years ago; at the time, he just wanted somewhere quiet to live. After they moved in together, he had asked Junzi if she wanted to change to a new house for their marriage.
Tan Junzi had actually thought about moving to the same residential complex as Yuan Guo, but because work was so busy, they never got around to it. Her greatest dream since childhood was to live in the same building as her best friends—working their own jobs during the week and visiting each other on the weekends.
Living here wasn't bad, but Tan Junzi felt it was inconvenient that Chang Ying had to drive her to work every day. She had a driver's license, and she had passed the exam with high marks back in the day. However, she admitted herself that she was a giant of theory but a dwarf of practice. When Chang Ying took her to practice in the open space of the complex, she would often activate the windshield wipers whenever she tried to use the turn signal.
Later, when she had practiced enough, Chang Ying pointed to the several cars in the garage and told her to pick whichever one she wanted. Tan Junzi first chose the one that looked the most crash-resistant, then added a follow-up question: “Wait, is the brake on the right or the left? I forgot again.”
Because of that sentence, Chang Ying decided then and there that he should continue to drop her off and pick her up. He had always felt there was some sort of cosmic law at play—for instance, that Tan Junzi was naturally cursed when it came to vehicles with an even number of tires.
Think about it: Tan Junzi couldn't ride a bicycle, and she was clumsy at driving cars. But she was an expert at riding a tricycle. After all, the thing she had done most since childhood was pedaling a tricycle to rush Chang Ying to the hospital.
Later, Tan Junzi even forced Chang Ying to transport the old tricycle from their childhood home up the mountain, saying that if he was ever too busy to drive her, she could ride the tricycle to work. Chang Ying had no objection; after all, Tan Junzi knew exactly how to pull the brake on a tricycle.
***
A little over a month before the wedding, Tan Junzi was at home trying on the wedding dress that had been delivered. Yuan Guo, sporting a large pregnant belly, sat on the sofa, constantly envying Junzi’s figure. She had the height, the legs, and the curves—that "Old Dog" Chang Ying had really lucked out. She had made similar lamentations back during their military training.
“But I gain weight so easily on my stomach. If it weren't for how exhausting work is, I bet I could pinch a handful of fat here,” Tan Junzi said, patting her midsection. She had an apple-shaped figure; if she gained weight, it went to her belly first. Her stomach had been round throughout her school years, but after her time in the army and now as a criminal investigator, she had finally developed abdominal muscles.
“Stop being fake. When I praise you, just say thank you; there's no need to be humble,” Yuan Guo said, standing up to help her pull the laces tight at the back.
“You can pull harder, I feel like it’s still loose,” Tan Junzi said, holding her breath.
“You got it.” Yuan Guo exerted her strength, tightening the laces further.
Then, Yuan Guo felt a sudden tightening in her own abdomen. The strength in her hands vanished instantly as she clutched her stomach, a wave of wetness spreading beneath her.
Tan Junzi turned around and saw water dripping from beneath Yuan Guo, amniotic fluid streaming down her pant legs. It was clear just how much effort she had put into that pull.
“Can you drive? Hurry, get me to the hospital!” Yuan Guo gasped, leaning against the sofa for support.
Tan Junzi thought for a split second, then rushed into the backyard and pedaled the tricycle over. She half-carried Yuan Guo onto the back seat, leaped onto the bike, and gripped the handlebar with one hand while calling Chang Ying with the other: “Yuan Guo is going into labor!! Call Liu Kan, everyone meet at the hospital!!”
A tricycle went flying down the mountain road.
Tan Junzi sang at the top of her lungs, belt out the theme song to *Hulu Brothers*.
Yuan Guo screamed, “Tan Junzi, shut the hell up! If you keep singing that, I’m going to think I’m giving birth to septuplets!!!”
***
Mother and son were safe. It wasn't septuplets.
The name hadn't been decided yet; Liu Kan suggested waiting for the *Zhuazhou* ceremony on the baby's first birthday to decide. Back then, Liu Kan had grabbed a toy gun, so his family gave him the name "Kan," meaning to suppress or settle. No one knew what this little baby would grab.
***
The venue for the wedding was found by Qin Ke. Qin Ke’s business interests were vast; just as he had worked every kind of part-time job in the past, he had been to almost every shop in Tongcheng. Now it was much the same—wherever he went, he would say: “Oh, I think I’ve invested in this place.”
When Qin Ke asked Chang Ying to confirm the menu before the wedding, Chang Ying pondered for a moment, pointed to a dish of "Geoduck Sashimi," and said, “Replace this one, the rest are fine.”
Qin Ruanshu stepped off the plane the day before the wedding, then took a connecting flight from North City to Tongcheng overnight.
No matter how busy she was, Tan Junzi was definitely going to pick up Qin Ruanshu in person.
Qin Ruanshu had lost some weight, but her face was still round. Behind her followed an elegant, tall man with an Asian face, though his temperament didn't seem quite Chinese.
“Let me introduce you. This is my senior from the research institute, and now my boyfriend. His Chinese is just so-so—he’s still in the learning phase. His Chinese name is Chen Huoyi.” Qin Ruanshu then introduced Tan Junzi and Chang Ying to him. “This is my best friend, Tan Junzi, and this is Chang Ying. They’re childhood sweethearts.”
Chang Ying shook hands with Chen Huoyi, while Chen Huoyi simply nodded to Tan Junzi. “Happy wedding. My best wishes to you both.”
Tan Junzi and Qin Ruanshu walked ahead, chattering away, unable to hide their excitement.
Tan Junzi whispered, “I thought you’d never fall in love.”
Qin Ruanshu hummed. “I thought so too, but the moment I saw him, I knew I would definitely like him.”
“Why?” Tan Junzi asked curiously.
Qin Ruanshu said mysteriously, “His English name is Hoey Chan... say it out loud.”
*Hoey Chan...* Tan Junzi suddenly understood. In a way, Qin Ruanshu had ended up with her childhood idol—at least phonetically.
***
The wedding was not extravagant. But the most important thing was the people attending, not the ceremony itself.
In the year since her return, Tan Junzi had attended several other people's weddings, and she slowly realized that the greatest meaning of a wedding for her was that it provided an opportunity for everyone to gather as adults and see old friends from all corners of the world.
The colleagues from the criminal investigation team also came. Chen Huan pulled Chang Ying aside and said, “You’ve married the 'flower' of our team. When Junzi first reported for duty, the young guys in the squad were excited for ages. Who would have thought that within a week of joining, she’d be getting her marriage certificate!”
Chang Ying smiled. “I’ll be toasting everyone later. I don't have many virtues, but my alcohol tolerance is decent. I’ll definitely make it up to everyone.” He looked the picture of success, like someone who had gotten a bargain and was being smug about it.
Tan Junzi stepped in front of him. “Deputy Captain Chen, how come I didn't know about this? We don't have any 'young guys' in our squad. You’re just trying to trick my Chang Ying; he’s an honest man.”
Tan Junzi pulled Chang Ying to the side. “Are you stupid? Why would you tell them you have a high tolerance? They’ll try their hardest to drown you later. They’re all 'old fritters'!”
Chang Ying just smiled and said nothing.
The banquet hadn't started yet, and the hall was bustling.
The best men, Zhang Da and Qin Ke, were helping each other straighten their boutonnieres. Back in school, Zhang Da had intentionally shaved a gap in his eyebrow; after his last surgery, a section of his eyebrow was permanently hairless, which ironically made him feel quite distressed.
Qin Ruanshu and Qianniu, wearing pale blue bridesmaid dresses, were checking the schedule with the female emcee.
The male emcee tapped the microphone. “Testing, testing? Alright, everyone please be quiet, our wedding is about to begin...”
In the waiting area, Chang Ying looked down at Tan Junzi. She was so beautiful today. He couldn't say exactly why—she was just beautiful everywhere.
Then he remembered when they were planning the ceremony, the two emcees had asked the bride and groom to each perform a talent. Tan Junzi had said she wanted to perform somersaults for everyone, and it had taken the emcees a month to talk her out of it. Actually, Chang Ying didn't think it would have been a problem.
He had once thought that if there were truly a world of martial arts, Tan Junzi would be a heroine with red robes and black hair, riding a great horse across the desert; or perhaps a dashing young gallant on the ancient roads of Chang'an. Whichever it was, the rhythmic clip-clop of those hooves trod upon his heartstrings.
This girl would always be vivid and passionate, always charging forward, always that elusive wisp of an easterly wind or a handful of sea spray that couldn't be held. Even so, he was willing to be the poplar tree behind the wind, or the beach that stayed in place forever to embrace the waves.
He felt grateful yet apprehensive. One moment, it all felt like a dream and he was floating in the clouds; the next, he marveled at how hard-won it all was. The bitterness of the past was the witness to today, and today’s joy was the beginning of the future. He was willing to love her forever with the sincerity of a child. He believed she felt the same.
Tan Junzi looked at Chang Ying and, thinking he was nervous, reached over to squeeze his hand. “Don't be afraid. It’ll be over in the blink of an eye; just hang in there. When they try to force you to drink later, don't say a word. Just give the glass to me, and they won't dare.” She winked at him, as if to say, *'Your wife is here.'*
Chang Ying tightened his grip on her hand and said nothing.
He truly loved this girl to death.
(The End)
***
