Chapter 57 p2: Getting the Certificate. “It’s still not too late for you to regret it.”
Just as they got in the car, Cheng Yang saw the owner of the homestay in a local festive costume, holding a string of firecrackers in her hand.
“Don’t go yet. I’ll set off some firecrackers for good luck.”
Following the local customs, Cheng Yang smiled and told the driver not to drive yet.
She watched the owner light the firecrackers. Accompanied by a series of sparks and a crackling sound, Cheng Yang held Xu Xun’s hand tightly.
Xu Xun said in a small voice, “Have you thought it through? After you get the certificate, there’s really no room for regret.”
Cheng Yang gently pinched the back of her hand.
“If you say that again, I’ll ignore you.”
The car slowly started to move. Xu Xun bit her lower lip, not daring to say a word.
She was so nervous now that her whole body was trembling.
Cheng Yang had already felt her nervousness. She didn’t know how to comfort her.
Things had already come this far, and there was no medicine for regret.
Cheng Yang’s lips curled into a smile. She found Xu Xun’s attitude very interesting.
It was clearly she who had lied first, and it was also she who had coaxed her into marking her. Now, with just one last step, the two of them could be bound together forever.
And now, in this transparent and open society, they had left traces of their being together on various social platforms, and everyone knew about their relationship.
Even if they really got a divorce in the future, a single photo or a video could prove that they had once loved each other.
Cheng Yang turned her head, looked at Xu Xun’s slightly trembling fingers, and held them even tighter.
Cheng Yang wanted to let Xu Xun know that what she had done and the mistakes she had made could never be changed, and she had to compensate her for the rest of her life.
The Civil Affairs Bureau was not far, and it only took twenty minutes by car.
When she got out of the car, Xu Xun’s legs were weak, and she almost fell to the ground.
Fortunately, Cheng Yang was quick-witted and timely supported her waist, pulling her towards her.
“Are you okay?”
Xu Xun shook her head. “I’m… I’m fine.”
Cheng Yang quietly observed Xu Xun’s abnormal reaction and knew that she was scared.
She was not scared when they were kissing, she was not scared when they were making love, and she was not scared when she was seducing her to mark her.
Now that they were about to get the certificate and get married, this person was so scared that she couldn’t even walk properly.
Cheng Yang couldn’t help but laugh and took her hand and went straight in.
Cheng Yang was calm and unhurried, but Xu Xun was so nervous that her palms were sweating.
There was a long queue outside the Civil Affairs Bureau. Cheng Yang had thought that today was some auspicious day and that everyone was rushing to get married.
But when she took a closer look, this group of people was queuing for the divorce registration office, and several divorce windows were all overcrowded.
Cheng Yang turned her head to look. The marriage registration office was deserted, and not a single person could be seen.
“…”
She took Xu Xun’s hand and walked to the marriage registration office. Unsurprisingly, she received strange looks from the people who were getting a divorce certificate.
Cheng Yang looked up and saw a banner rolling on the ceiling, on which was written, “Register for marriage and get free eggs and soybean oil.”
“…”
In this day and age, even the Civil Affairs Bureau is so competitive?
The gazes of the many divorced people were still on the two of them, as if they were looking at some rare and protected animal.
Cheng Yang felt a little creeped out by the stares. She took Xu Xun’s hand and quickly went into the registration office.
“Why are so many people getting a divorce? The queue goes from the entrance to the main road, and it’s a weekday.”
Xu Xun sighed. “It’s like this in society now. They’re one way before marriage, and another after. The pressure comes after they get married.”
This was indeed quite discouraging.
Xu Xun said jokingly, “Yangyang, now you regret…”
Before she could finish, Cheng Yang held up her hand to signal her to be quiet.
“Stop. We’re here to get married today. If you say that again, I’ll force a kiss on you in front of all these people. Let’s see if you’ll still hesitate.”
Xu Xun lowered her eyes and smiled. “Then I’d be delighted.”
Cheng Yang pinched her fingers. “You still say that. Then I’m not getting married.”
Xu Xun was pushed to the limit. “Oh, I won’t say it, I won’t say it. You’re not allowed to go back on your word!”
Cheng Yang’s lips curled into a smile. “That’s more like it.”
Now, the number of people getting married was greater than or equal to zero. Only Cheng Yang and Xu Xun were there, so there was no need to queue. They could just go to the window to register and sign.
In about ten minutes, the two of them got the certificate.
Cheng Yang had never thought that getting the certificate would be so fast. It was like a dream.
She glanced at the name of the registrar. The other’s name was “Zhu Yuan.”
Cheng Yang smiled, feeling that this name was well-chosen, and the position was also very suitable.
She held the red marriage certificate in both hands, feeling as if she were in a dream. Even when she walked, she felt light, as if she were stepping on cotton.
The same was true for Xu Xun.
She felt that she had gotten the certificate in a muddle. It was simple and fast, and it felt like playing house.
Cheng Yang turned to look at Xu Xun’s profile. Seeing her secretly smiling, she couldn’t help but say, “If you’re happy, then just smile. Why are you being so secretive?”
Xu Xun pressed her lips together and looked at Cheng Yang with some embarrassment. “I’m still nervous. It feels like a dream. I didn’t expect us to actually get married.”
Cheng Yang took her arm and followed the person in charge to the oath-taking platform.
“Now that we’ve gotten the certificate, you don’t have to let your imagination run wild anymore. After this season is over, we’ll have a big wedding. What do you think?”
Xu Xun shook her head. “Not too big. Just invite our own friends. I don’t really like those very big weddings.”
Cheng Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Why? We’re getting married. We have to let the whole world know.”
Xu Xun said in a small voice, “Marriage is a matter between the two of us. I just want it to be simple.”
Cheng Yang’s lips curled into a smile. “Alright then. We’ll do it your way. You can have whatever kind of wedding you want.”
Xu Xun nodded.
In fact, she had once secretly gone to Cheng Yang’s engagement banquet as a volunteer.
No one had noticed her presence.
For this, she had even turned down an interview on CCTV, just to see Cheng Yang up close again.
Xu Xun had never seen such a grand and magnificent engagement banquet, and it was completely confidential, so there were no media or reporters. All the people present were celebrities from all over the world.
It was also from that time that Xu Xun had completely given up.
She clearly understood that the class divide between the two of them was a chasm that could never be crossed.
Cheng Yang was at the top, and she was at the foot of the mountain, with a sea in between.
Xu Xun looked at the Cheng Yang on the stage who was intimately holding Su Ran’s arm. Seeing her smiling so happily, she silently retreated to the back and disappeared.
She thought that it didn’t matter if she couldn’t have Cheng Yang. As long as she could see her happy, she would also be happy.
But this was just self-comfort. Xu Xun could deceive others, but she couldn’t deceive herself.
After the two of them had taken their oaths, the process of getting the certificate was completely over.
When Cheng Yang was reciting the oath, her voice was trembling slightly.
Before leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, the person in charge also gave them a barrel of soybean oil and two dozen eggs.
The person in charge was so moved that tears streamed down his face. “You two are the only couple to get married this week. The festival is coming up soon. I’ll give you a box of exquisite zongzi as well.”
Cheng Yang was overwhelmed by the favor and accepted the zongzi from the person in charge. “Thank you.”
After getting in the car, Cheng Yang glanced at the expiration date, put the zongzi to the side, and rolled her eyes helplessly.
“Last year’s.”
Xu Xun could no longer hold it in. She held her calves and let out a low chuckle.
Cheng Yang leaned over with a smile and questioned, “What are you laughing at? Are you laughing at how easy we are to fool? How could she give us last year’s zongzi? It’s going to expire in two months! That’s too unscrupulous!”
Xu Xun laughed for a while, holding her sore lower abdomen and leaning against the window.
“It’s not… not expired. It’s edible. It’s fine to eat it hahaha…”
Cheng Yang looked frustrated. “There are exactly six. We’ll each have one for dinner when we get back. Don’t you try to run away.”
Xu Xun was laughing so hard she was out of breath. “I’ll eat it, I’ll eat it! This kind of vacuum-packed food, you can eat it even if it’s expired. I used to eat it often.”
After saying this, Xu Xun found that the expression on Cheng Yang’s face had gradually become solemn.
Cheng Yang looked at her, her eyes bright, her lips moving slightly, but she didn’t speak.
Xu Xun comforted her, “It’s all in the past. Actually, there are many kinds of experiences in life. I’ve tasted all the sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty.”
Cheng Yang bit her lower lip, still silent.
Xu Xun gently held Cheng Yang’s wrist, her fingertips drawing a heart on the back of her hand.
“What’s done is done. You have no room for regret now.”
Cheng Yang nodded. “I know.”
She just felt sorry for the little Xu Xun from a long time ago.
The two of them both had unspeakable secrets that they couldn’t tell, and they also had little secrets that the other didn’t know about in their hearts.
Cheng Yang sighed silently in her heart, feeling that she couldn’t be stuck in the past. She had to look forward.
Suddenly, her phone rang twice. Xu Xun took Cheng Yang’s phone and saw a message from someone named “Ai Mian.”
[Ai Mian]: I’ve made you some stir-fried mushrooms. When are you coming back?
Xu Xun frowned slightly. “Who is this person?”
Cheng Yang leaned over to take a look and said with a smile, “This is Sister Qingzhuo. Her nickname is this.”
Seeing that the corners of Xu Xun’s lips had slowly curled up, Cheng Yang said, “Then I’ll change my nickname too, to Ai Xun.”
Xu Xun couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s too tacky. I don’t want it.”
After returning to the homestay, Cheng Yang took Xu Xun’s hand and got out of the car.
The four of them had finished eating and were waiting at the door. When they saw the two of them come down, they happily rushed up to them.
“You’ve already gotten the certificate? Why so fast?”
Lu Qingzhuo took the barrel of soybean oil from Cheng Yang’s hand and couldn’t help but ask, “Did you go to the Civil Affairs Bureau or the hospital? Where did you get the soybean oil?”
Lin Zhizi said in surprise, “And there are eggs too.”
Cheng Yang said with a smile, “I got them from the Civil Affairs Bureau. You get them for free when you register for marriage, and they even gave me a box of zongzi.”
Lu Qingzhuo took the zongzi. “I love to eat zongzi. There are exactly six in here. We’ll each have one tonight.”
Cheng Yang didn’t have much of an appetite for the near-expired food. “I don’t like to eat it. You can have two, Sister Qingzhuo. You’ve worked hard.”
Xu Xun couldn’t hold it in for a moment and laughed out loud again.
Lu Qingzhuo was in a daze. “What are you laughing at?”
Cheng Yang quickly said, “We got the certificate today, so we’re happy. We can laugh if we want to.”
Lunch was made by Ye Qiongan and the others. Lu Qingzhuo was in the courtyard, having a long phone call with Fu Yumian.
At first, Lu Qingzhuo was a little worried that the mushrooms would not be cooked through and would be poisonous, but when she saw the way the other three were cooking, she was relieved.
They were so serious, and the steps of stir-frying the mushrooms were strictly controlled according to the video, analyzing the cooking ideas frame by frame.
After it was made, Lu Qingzhuo had a taste. The taste was indeed very good, and she even had two more small bowls of rice.
The food that was left for the two of them was placed in an insulated container. Lu Qingzhuo brought it out and placed it on the stone table in the courtyard, and then greeted the two of them to come and eat.
“Hurry up and have a taste. This was made by Old Qin and Teacher Ye. Zhizi helped to wash the mushrooms. The taste is very good, exactly the same as what a restaurant chef would make.”
Cheng Yang smiled, picked up her bowl and chopsticks, ready to take some food.
But Xu Xun had a feeling that the color of the stir-fried mushrooms was not right.
Before she had even picked up her chopsticks, Lu Qingzhuo looked at the sky and suddenly let out a “hey.”
“How come I see a cow flying in the sky?”
Lin Zhizi looked up. “Where did the cow come from?”
Xu Xun breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she heard Lin Zhizi say, “It’s clearly a pig, and it even has wings.”
Xu Xun quickly knocked the chopsticks from Cheng Yang’s hand.
“Oh no! Call an ambulance!”
