When Ye Chen arrived at Fatty's house, he saw Fatty's car parked at the door. Fatty's house faced east, directly toward the country road.
The main gate was open, though even if it were closed, Ye Chen could easily push it open without knocking.
"Ye Chen," called Guo Dad, who was sitting in the yard having tea, apparently just after lunch. Seeing Ye Chen come in, he quickly greeted him.
"Guo Dad, enjoying some tea!"
"Haha, yes, come and sit. I heard from Yishou that you bought a car?"
"Yes, a cheap one."
"Hey! Don't say that. What's expensive and what's cheap? What suits you is the best."
"I understand." Ye Chen nodded. "Where's Guo Mom?"
"You're just in time to miss her. She just rode her electric scooter to Yishou's uncle's house."
"Oh, I see."
"Are you here to see Yishou? That boy is sleeping inside. I'll wake him up."
"No need. I'm not looking for him. I came to see you and Guo Mom."
"That's thoughtful." Guo Dad patted Ye Chen's shoulder.
Guo Dad truly liked Ye Chen. No matter when he came home, he always thought of them, even if he didn't have much to bring.
"It's nothing." Ye Chen smiled and refilled Guo Dad's tea.
"By the way, does Yishou's wedding rescheduling affect your work?"
"No, we have an eight-day break, so it's fine. I just don't understand why it was rescheduled."
Hearing this, Guo Dad smiled wryly. "The bride's side requested it. We had no choice and had to sweet-talk many people."
"Yes, I understand."
Ye Chen knew that wedding preparations typically involved booking the emcee, wedding company, and venue well in advance. Changing the date suddenly was indeed troublesome.
Fortunately, they were in a rural area, so weddings typically weren't held in hotels, and the emcee and wedding company were from the nearby town, making it easier to negotiate.
"Xiao Chenzi is here?" Fatty emerged from the house.
"Weren't you taking a nap? Why are you up?" Ye Chen asked.
"I hadn't fallen asleep yet. I heard your voice and got up."
Ye Chen glanced at Fatty's barrel-like waist and said, "You're already fat enough. Don't sleep right after eating."
Fatty shrugged. "It doesn't matter at this point. What did your mom make for lunch?"
"We didn't eat at home. We went to Xianghe and had A Hua's shrimp."
"Oh!" Guo Dad was surprised. "Old Ye actually agreed to eat out?"
"Maybe he was happy." Ye Chen chuckled.
"That makes sense." Guo Dad nodded. "But for your parents to spend that much money on a meal is rare."
Ye Chen awkwardly smiled. "Guo Dad, please don't mention this to my parents when you see them."
"Uh, why?"
Ye Chen had no choice but to explain how he tricked his parents into going to the restaurant and collaborated with the restaurant to deceive them.
His parents didn't know the real price, but Guo Dad did. If it came up in conversation, the truth might slip out. Better to inform Guo Dad in advance.
"You sly fox... but that's thoughtful." Despite his words, Guo Dad was pleased. If his own son could deceive him with a well-meaning lie, he'd be delighted, even if he didn't get to eat.
Unfortunately, Fatty would never do this. Not that he hadn't taken them out before, but he would never orchestrate such a plan.
Days passed quickly, and soon it was the day before the wedding. Everything was prepared, and the banquet would be held at home, with cooks from the neighboring village specializing in wedding feasts.
Ye Chen was busy helping out, mostly because he had a car, so the task of buying groceries fell to him.
As for Fatty, he was even busier than Ye Chen. By the time the wedding was over, he might actually lose a few pounds.
The bride's family lived far away, in a village near Xihongmen in Daxing.
One was in the south of the capital, the other in the far east, a considerable distance. Even without traffic, it would take at least two hours to drive there.
That was without traffic. If there was any, it would take much longer. Fortunately, most of the journey was on the Sixth Ring Road and the Jingha Expressway.
This would save a lot of time; otherwise, it would be very troublesome.
That night, after a busy day, Ye Chen didn't sleep well. He was excited for his brother's wedding and also had to leave early the next day.
With the distance, they had to set out early. At 3 a.m., the wedding procession departed, led by an Audi A6, followed by five Mazda 6s. This convoy might not be impressive in the city, but it was quite notable in Ye Chen's area.
There were few cars on the road at night, and starting at 3 a.m. meant they arrived at the bride's house by around 5 a.m.
It was summer, so it was already light at 5 a.m., perfect timing. As the best man, Ye Chen accompanied them throughout.
Ye Chen expected fireworks upon arrival, or at least some festive decorations, but there was nothing.
Frowning, Ye Chen quickly retrieved a string of firecrackers from the car and set them off at the bride's door.