Chapter 0986: Blessings

With the reform and opening up, traditional Chinese weddings and trendy Western weddings gradually merged together, forming a unique wedding ceremony with Chinese characteristics.

To put it bluntly, it's a combination of Chinese and Western elements.

For the vast majority of people, a wedding is something that happens only once in a lifetime, so many people, especially girls, care a lot about it.

Fang Minya was no exception. Every maiden harbors romantic dreams. She had imagined countless times that one day in the future, she would don a white wedding dress and marry her beloved prince.

But back then, she knew her dream was a luxury, because she couldn't even afford new clothes for the New Year, and simply being alive was already a blessing.

Fang Minya even clearly remembered that her middle school tuition was earned by her several brothers who went to construction sites to carry bricks and cement.

Holding that dusty tuition money, she understood early on that she didn't actually need those so-called relatives who shared her blood but not her affection. The people sitting in the audience now, either smiling or shouting, were her true family.

And also, the serious and somewhat nervous guy beside her.

"Brother, it's okay, don't be nervous."

Fang Minya whispered to Zhang Qian, but her face was full of smiles. This eldest brother from the welfare home had been the protector of her and her younger siblings since childhood.

To be honest, Fang Minya even had a crush on Zhang Qian when she was little, thinking he was the best to her. Later, she realized he truly saw her only as a sister, so she let go of those thoughts.

And now, Zhang Qian, who usually remained unflappable even if the sky fell, was actually a bit nervous, which made Fang Minya really want to laugh out loud.

Well, if she weren't afraid that laughing too wildly would ruin her makeup, she really wouldn't be able to control herself.

"Don't talk." Zhang Qian squeezed out a rare smile and glared at Fang Minya. "Be quiet."

"Oh."

Just like when she was a child, Fang Minya lowered her head.

As for Zhao Fusheng, he was sitting with his parents.

"You little rascal, you insisted on making such a big show. Tell me, what are you really up to?" Father Zhao asked with a smile, looking at his son.

"Yeah, your dad invited so many people. You, little rascal, better not cause any trouble." Zhao's mother said with some concern.

With a hearty laugh, Zhao Fusheng said, "Are you really that worried about me?"

Shooting Zhao Fusheng a glare, Zhao's mother snorted, "It's precisely because I know you too well that I think you're bound to pull some stunt."

After speaking, she nudged her husband beside her: "Don't you think so?"

Zhao's father chuckled but said nothing. On one side was his son, on the other his wife; siding with either would be wrong. The wisest choice was to play dumb.

"Next, let's invite the bride's brother to the stage to say a few words." The emcee's voice rang out at that moment.

"You little rascal, go on." Zhao's mother said with a smile, waving her hand for Zhao Fusheng to go on stage.

Zhao Fusheng strode onto the stage without a hint of stage fright, dressed in a black suit and tie. Taking the microphone from the emcee, he laughed to himself before even speaking.

"Dear uncles, aunties, brothers, and sisters, thank you all for attending the wedding of Fang Minya and Sun Jun. My name is Zhao Fusheng, the bride's brother, and on behalf of her family, I'd like to say a few words."

The opening was simple. Zhao Fusheng then glanced at Fang Minya and said with a smile, "My name is Zhao Fusheng, director of the Red Star Welfare Institute, and also Xiaoya's brother. To be honest, and I hope you won't laugh, Xiaoya didn't plan to tell me about her wedding at first. She's always been like that, afraid of causing trouble."

"But since we're family, how could it be trouble?"

Zhao Fusheng said with a grin, then pointed at Sun Jun: "Brother-in-law, remember, from now on, don't stand on ceremony with family. If something comes up, you must speak up, got it?"

The whole room burst into laughter. The scene of a brother-in-law lecturing his new brother-in-law was certainly amusing.

Sun Jun's face flushed slightly, but he still nodded.

Zhao Fusheng continued, "Xiaoya has had a tough life. As her brother, there's little I can do for her except give her a grand wedding. So today, I've invited you all here hoping you can bear witness and wish her happiness in the future. So everyone, please eat and drink your fill, and don't hold back on my account."

He paused, then suddenly winked: "Ah, and thanks to my dear father, Mr. Zhao, for his generous sponsorship. Wanda Hotel, dedicated service for you."

The audience was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Those who understood the relationship between Zhao Fusheng and his father couldn't help but chuckle, while those like Sun Jun's relatives, who hadn't known, now caught on.

So that was it—the man on stage was the son of the Wanda boss. No wonder he could throw such a lavish banquet.

"So it's him." Sun Jun's parents murmured to themselves.

Wanda was now a star enterprise in Ninghai. Although it had risen only recently, it excelled in covering a wide range of industries, including shopping malls, supermarkets, and real estate. With the addition of the Wanda Hotel, it had become a well-known emerging large group in the city.

If the welfare home director Fang Minya mentioned was this person, then it was perfectly normal.

Sure enough, Zhao Fusheng on stage had already brought up this issue.

"I took over the responsibility of the welfare home from the old director, so naturally I have to see it through. Although Xiaoya has no family of her own, I am her family."

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Fang Minya's eyes reddened.

Sun Jun, of course, knew the situation. He gently held his wife's hand and whispered comfort to her.

"They say after suffering comes happiness. To be honest, I hope the same for Xiaoya. So, Sun Jun, don't let me down, okay?" Zhao Fusheng said, glancing at Sun Jun.

Sun Jun smiled bitterly. Having such a domineering brother-in-law was indeed a mixed blessing.

The joy was that with Zhao Fusheng's connection, it would certainly benefit his and Fang Minya's future development. The worry was that if he and Xiaoya ever quarreled, he would be the one to suffer.

"Joking aside, Sun Jun, thank you. Thank you for giving Xiaoya a home." As he said this, Zhao Fusheng bowed to Sun Jun.

"Brother, no need, no need." Sun Jun quickly helped Zhao Fusheng up.

Fang Minya also pulled Zhao Fusheng: "Brother..."

"Silly girl, Zhang Qian is tongue-tied, so I have to say this. Live well from now on. If anything happens, you must speak up. The home will always be your home." Zhao Fusheng looked at Fang Minya and said softly.

At that moment, Fang Minya burst into tears.

And in the audience, some people had already lowered their heads to wipe away tears.

Everyone has a soft spot in their heart, but most of the time it remains untouched. Today's scene moved many people deeply.

Even Sun Jun's parents no longer felt displeased about the sudden domineering in-laws. In their view, if they were Fang Minya's brother, they would have said the same.

This girl had really been through too much.

The sentimental part was not the theme of the wedding. The emcee quickly steered the topic back. Sun Jun's parents came on stage to speak, naturally saying all the nice things—thanking the leaders, thanking friends and family.

But this time, Sun Jun's relatives no longer looked down on Fang Minya as they had before.

You see, Fang Minya's brother was at that moment cheerfully exchanging pleasantries with the big shots in the audience—those people were all high-ranking leaders they had to look up to.

"Mayor Zhou, this is my son, he's been developing his career in the capital..."

"Director Gao, this is my son, yes, he's already graduated, now he's the chief planner at Future Advertising..."

Father Zhao took the lead, personally bringing Zhao Fusheng along to mingle in the circles of politics and business, and naturally, the introductions revolved around Zhao Fusheng.

It was at this moment that many who had received Father Zhao's invitation and showed up without knowing why finally understood: perhaps Old Zhao of Wanda was planning to push his son to the forefront?

Otherwise, why would he do this?

After the round of pleasantries, the father and son returned to their seats. As the wedding march played in their ears, Father Zhao asked Zhao Fusheng in a low voice, "Tell me, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Zhao Fusheng revealed an enigmatic smile and replied, "Dad, don't you think Wanda should become the name card of Ninghai?"

"What do you mean?" Father Zhao was taken aback and asked curiously, "Name card?"

Zhao Fusheng nodded and said calmly, "A city needs a large group as its name card. For example, FAW in Changchun City is exactly that. I think our family's Wanda can also become the city name card of Ninghai."

Father Zhao drew in a sharp breath. Before this, although he had the intention to expand the company and had been acting on it, he had never thought of something so crazy.

According to Zhao Fusheng's idea, wouldn't that mean extending Wanda's reach to the entire city?

Admittedly, this idea was somewhat fanciful, but upon careful consideration, Father Zhao suddenly felt that it might have a little bit of feasibility.

If it were in a metropolis like the capital or Shanghai, Zhao Fusheng's proposal would undoubtedly be a pipe dream—in a supercity with tens of millions of people, becoming the city name card for the entire city would be simply impossible.

But Ninghai was different.

If he remembered correctly, Ninghai's current population barely reached 2.4 million. That figure even included the population of the surrounding districts and counties; in reality, the population living in the urban area was only about one million.

In other words, Zhao Fusheng's proposal had ample room for implementation in Ninghai.

A small city has its advantages: once an enterprise becomes the city's largest taxpayer, it is bound to receive support from the higher-ups.

After all, officials also need achievements to gloss over things.

With that thought, Father Zhao took a deep breath. He knew he needed to have a good talk with his son.