Chapter 1066: Engagement Banquet (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Zhong Bingyuan picked up the bowl and took a mouthful. It was delicious!
“It’s great!”
He watched Zhong Bingyuan’s little face flush as she ate. Her cheeks were bulging. He also smiled.
Chen Qingqing watched them. She felt that there was something odd going on between these two.
They gave her a strangely familiar sensation.
She remembered when she was young, she had this feeling too when she watched Mo Beihan and Gu Qingyao…
Chen Qingqing shook herself out of it. She looked at Mu Mu and Zhong Bingyuan in surprise. Surely not?
These two brats were so young.
…
It was almost the end of the year and finally, the date of Ji Mingyue and Gu Jinhang’s engagement dinner had arrived!
After Gu Qingyao married into the Mo family, the situation in the capital changed completely. The Gu family, Mo family, Qiao family, Qin family, and even the Ji family were now connected. The connection would be even closer now that Ji Mingyue was marrying into the Gu family!
It was not a very grand engagement banquet. Ever since Mo Beihan and Gu Qingyao’s wedding, everyone had been keeping a low profile. Instead, it was the other families who flocked to copy them, and there had been many large-scale events in the capital lately.
A family like the Gus was in no hurry to raise their profile. Times were changing. It was almost always the nouveau riche that were jumping up and down to gain recognition.
It was just an engagement banquet, so they kept it simple, but observed all the customs.
As the groom’s family, the Gu family had to give the bride’s family gifts of cash and jewelry. All these had been prepared earlier. Gu Qingyao and Mo Beihan’s wedding had attracted too many imitators, and competition was rife within the capital. Many people were waiting to see Ji Mingyue and Gu Jinhang’s wedding.
Everyone wanted to see how grand this engagement banquet would be. After all, the Qiao family was so rich, and Qiao Yuying was the Gu family’s daughter-in-law. Many people were even waiting to see what nice things the Gu family would prepare, to use as a reference for their own daughters’ weddings!
The Gu family was well-aware of the situation. It was important to hold this engagement banquet in such a way as to ward off unwanted attention.
If they did not hold a grand one, it would imply that they did not think highly of Ji Mingyue. Then Ji Mingyue would certainly be mocked in private. That would never do!
If they made it too grand, it would immediately attract comparison. The last wedding held by the Mos and this wedding held by the Gus would create waves in the capital. If anything went wrong, it would be the Mo and Gu families that would be affected the most. It would be a severe blow to their reputation!
In the end, they decided on secrecy!
The cash gift was six thousand and six hundred yuan and a pair of golden dragon and phoenix bracelets. Besides that, there were new clothes for the bride.
It was so simple that everyone was incredulous!
The engagement itself was kept simple, but all the Gu family’s relatives and friends were there, including the Qiao family and the Qin family.
The food for the banquet was also excellent. All of it was prepared by the Jin Jiang Restaurant’s head chef. A banquet like that was very respectable.
Because the wedding gifts appeared to be so simple, everyone refused to believe them. Would a family like the Gus give such a small amount?
But when they saw Ji Mingyue wreathed in smiles and how pleased the Ji family was with the Gu family, as well as how Gu Jinhang meticulously took care of Ji Mingyue during the banquet, they felt that the Gu family did think highly of Ji Mingyue!
Which could only mean one thing. The Gu family was deliberately keeping themselves out of the public eye. Who knows what else they had given in private?
Then the speculations began. More and more people could not contain their curiosity and went to question Ji Mingyue.
“Mingyue, is that all to your dowry? Surely not?”