Chapter 12: No Banquet After All

Wen Ci spoke at length about the hardships she would face after following him to the military base. Father Jiang had just prepared to say something more, but they all shut their mouths in unison.

"I heard you don't intend to hold a banquet in the capital?"

Huo Jingyuan nodded. "My leave isn't long enough this time; I can stay in the capital for at most one more day, so I plan to hold it back in the Northwest."

As his voice fell, Jiang Zhenjun, sitting at the head of the table, frowned and looked at Wen Ci. "No, this wedding must be held. I’ve already spoken to the manager of the state-run restaurant in advance; it must be held tomorrow, no matter what."

Even though he didn't have much affection for Wen Ci, she was still his own biological daughter who had been lost to the outside world.

A daughter of the Jiang family had to have a grand and glorious wedding, especially since his own daughter was marrying the grandson of Elder Chief Huo.

Everyone in the compound knew that Elder Chief Huo’s greatest wish was to see his grandson get married and have children.

Su Guilan tugged on her husband’s sleeve.

"Xiao Huo, the Elder Chief has been looking forward to your marriage for a long time. This banquet must be held. You two don't need to worry about anything; just show up at noon tomorrow."

Jiang Zhenjun’s expression was stern, but his tone softened slightly. In his gestures, he looked very much like an old father speaking with earnest concern.

Listening to her biological father’s words, Wen Ci couldn't help but think that there was some truth to them. The reason Huo Jingyuan had finally agreed to this marriage was for his grandfather’s dying wish.

Since she had become the granddaughter-in-law of the Huo family, they really ought to hold a ceremony.

Wen Ci met Huo Jingyuan’s gaze and nodded. "In any case, we should still hold one in the capital."

"Mm."

_

That night, a phone call disrupted their original plans.

Huo Jingyuan had been planning to have Wen Ci wear the wedding dress his grandfather had ordered long ago. However, after answering the call, his expression turned unusually grave. "Wen Ci, we might not be able to hold the banquet in the capital tomorrow."

"What happened?" Wen Ci looked at his serious expression.

Huo Jingyuan took a deep breath and said, "The Northwest side bought us the latest sleeper train tickets. They want me to return to the military region immediately to handle some matters."

"Then let's leave quickly!"

The eighties were not peaceful in many places.

For them to buy tickets for Huo Jingyuan to return to the Northwest overnight, something major must have happened.

Wen Ci said, "Then let's hurry to the train station."

She didn't have much luggage to carry and could leave the capital with Huo Jingyuan at any moment.

"I'll tell Uncle Jiang."

"Okay."

That same night, Wen Ci and Huo Jingyuan boarded the train and left the capital. The sleeper car was different from the regular seating, and the two of them were in the same compartment.

By the time Jiang Zhenjun received the news, he had already sent out all the invitations. As a ministerial-level cadre, he understood the nature of affairs in the Northwest.

He couldn't blame the young couple.

They ended up holding a wedding banquet without the bride and groom. Almost everyone who attended were cadres from the compound, and they were able to understand that Huo Jingyuan had been recalled by the Northwest Military Region.

When Wen Ci woke up, she felt for her purse. Inside were 1,500 yuan and a gold bracelet. Seeing that the money was still there, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Last night, she had a dream that a thief had snuck into the sleeper car and stolen all her money.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Wen Ci’s flustered appearance, Huo Jingyuan couldn't help but ask.

"It's nothing." Wen Ci slowly exhaled. "I had a dream last night that a thief came into the sleeper car and stole my dowry and gold bracelet."

"I'm here," Huo Jingyuan said.

Wen Ci met the determination in Huo Jingyuan’s eyes; just looking at him gave her a great sense of security. She had almost forgotten that Huo Jingyuan was a soldier.