Chen Wei and the others didn't go to the groom's house to join the festivities; instead, they went straight to the hotel.
The wedding hall in the hotel was beautifully decorated with lights and decorations, almost ready for the ceremony. Several relatives and friends from the groom's side were busy there, along with staff from the wedding agency and hotel.
Upon their arrival, Chen Wei and his friends didn't just sit around watching; they pitched in to help for a while.
At one point, some of the groom's family members set up a table near the entrance of the hall with a gift money box and a few sign-in books.
Chen Wei and his friends took a moment to walk over and contribute their gift money.
"I hope you guys aren't actually giving eight hundred," Dong Yuhua asked as they handed over the money.
At this point, aside from Wang Li and her bridesmaids, there were about fifteen classmates from their school attending the wedding.
"Gift money is a matter of reciprocity; whether it's a little more or less doesn't matter. I think eight hundred from you guys is quite generous; we girls are only giving six hundred," Jiang Chen commented.
"Yeah, eight hundred is enough; no need to follow those vulgar trends," Wei Guanglong added.
"That's not quite the point! We're classmates, and showing blessings is appropriate, isn't it? And these blessings should be sincere, right? It's understandable for you students to give eight hundred, but for those of us who are working, giving eight hundred just doesn't seem right, does it?" Dong Yuhua remarked.
"Yeah, it doesn't seem right; so... how about we give two thousand?" Liu Jun suggested.
"I think two thousand is the minimum. Moreover, there's another factor here; we are Liu Jia's classmates, also considered part of her family now. Think about it; when the couple looks at the gift list, they'll see that while Lin Xuan's friends and relatives are giving thousands or even tens of thousands, what about us? Six hundred, eight hundred? It doesn't look good, does it? So here's my proposal: for those of you still in school, six hundred will do, but for those of us who are working, let's give two thousand. Two thousand isn't too much, right? After all, we've been working for a year; there shouldn't be much pressure, right? If you really can't come up with it, I'll lend it to you first!" Dong Yuhua theatrically suggested.
As he was speaking, several people came over and each took out thick red envelopes from their pockets, stuffing them into the gift money box.
One middle-aged man even took out a check, quickly wrote a hundred thousand on it, stuffed it into the envelope, then signed it with a flourish before strutting inside.
"Did you all see that? Look at how generous they are!" Dong Yuhua exclaimed, looking at everyone.
"Yeah, we saw it. So, Dong Yuhua, are you also giving a hundred thousand?" Wei Guanglong asked.
Dong Yuhua was momentarily speechless, glaring at Wei Guanglong with irritation. "What do you mean? You think I can't come up with a hundred thousand?"
"Alright, alright, stop pretending to be rich. Even if you could come up with a hundred thousand, are you willing to give it as a gift?" Yue Jiawen patted Dong Yuhua's shoulder and said.
Dong Yuhua didn't say anything.
Although he could earn over a hundred thousand a year, he couldn't bear to give away a hundred thousand in gifts!
Moreover, if he really gave that much, Lin Xuan would probably suspect he had ulterior motives.
"Dong Yuhua, let me give you a word of advice as a classmate: don't be so worldly-wise, especially among classmates. Feelings shouldn't be measured by money! Eight hundred is enough!" Wei Guanglong said meaningfully, then ignored Dong Yuhua and stuffed his envelope into the gift money box.
After the gift-giving, there was nothing much else to do. Everyone sat in the lounge area outside, chatting and waiting for the bride and groom to arrive.
While Chen Wei was chatting with Yue Jiawen and the others, he heard someone call out, "Chen Wei?"
Chen Wei turned around and saw someone he hadn't expected to see. "Ying Ying? You're here too?"
"I'm here with my dad to discuss some business with a few friends. I didn't expect to run into you. What are you doing here?" Ying Ying smiled pleasantly.
"Oh, it's a classmate's wedding, and I'm here to attend."
"That's your classmate's wedding? Then... can I come down later for a glass of wedding wine?" Ying Ying asked with a smile.
"Sure, we'll be in the main hall," Chen Wei said, pointing to the wedding hall.
Ying Ying looked over, remembered it, and then said to Chen Wei, "Okay, it's a deal. I'll see you later! Oh, by the way, later... do you want to... forget it, forget it. Maybe next time."
With a sudden blush on her face as she spoke, Ying Ying turned and ran off.
Chen Wei was puzzled by her sudden change in demeanor.
But meeting Ying Ying here was genuinely a pleasant surprise for him.
"Oh, Chen, who's that beauty?" Yue Jiawen asked after Ying Ying left.
"Just a friend," Chen Wei replied with a smile.
"What kind of friend?" Yue Jiawen pressed on.
"Just a friend; what else could it be?" Chen Wei knew what Yue Jiawen meant, smiled wryly, and replied.
"Not a girlfriend, huh?" Yue Jiawen said meaningfully.
"You're thinking too much."
Chen Wei shook his head and said.
"Oh, I remember Xu Lili is also in Yunzhou, right? How are you two now? Why didn't she come?" Yue Jiawen asked again.