Receiving the red envelope, Su Xiaoxin was overjoyed and repeatedly expressed her gratitude, momentarily forgetting to lead the way.
Ye Tian, however, wasn't in a hurry. After all, this wasn't his first visit to the staff dormitory.
Familiar with the place, he strode inside and entered the dormitory corridor.
The entire corridor had already been meticulously cleaned by Chen Jian, looking completely refreshed.
Both sides were adorned with red silk, and at the far end, a room was decorated with an abundance of flowers. That must be the room where Nana, the bride, awaited.
At this moment, Chen Jian stepped out from the group, cleared his throat, and announced:
"The groom has arrived!"
"The groom is not allowed to enter!"
A group of young women suddenly rushed out from various dormitory rooms, catching the bridal escort team off guard.
Ye Tian was momentarily stunned at the sight of these women but soon found their faces familiar.
After a brief moment of thought, he remembered—they were the wives of the farm staff.
Realizing this, Ye Tian quickly pieced it together: these must be Hu Liena's "friends and family group."
Chen Jian chuckled beside him and said, "This is a little surprise for you, Young Master."
In his view, a lively wedding was only fitting.
"I get it, hand out the red envelopes," Ye Tian said casually to Thirteen.
Thirteen, without hesitation, retrieved large handfuls of red envelopes from his storage space and scattered them generously.
"So, it was premeditated after all," Ye Tian muttered, smirking. When they left to escort the bride, Thirteen hadn't let him see that he had prepared so many red envelopes.
"Thank you, groom!"
The women's faces lit up with joy as they eagerly picked up the red envelopes.
For Ye Tian's wedding, Chen Jian had already issued them an extra month's salary to celebrate.
Unexpectedly, aside from the extra salary, they also had the chance to grab red envelopes on the wedding day.
This double bonus was exceptionally festive for them.
Ye Tian's reputation among the commoners was indeed well-earned; he truly treated them kindly.
Three years ago, such good fortune would have been unthinkable for them.
Most of the women sincerely wished Ye Tian well, but a few at the front of the group remained unmoving, still blocking the path.
Leading them was Qin Xuan, a healer from Purple Bamboo Village, someone Ye Tian was acquainted with.
Qin Xuan smiled and raised three fingers, saying:
"Young Master, according to the customs of East Sea City, if you want to marry the gentle and lovely Nana, you must pass three challenges."
"Challenges?" Ye Tian rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
This was indeed a East Sea City custom.
However, Chen Jian hadn't mentioned anything about it!
Ye Tian turned to Chen Jian with a look of surprise.
They had discussed the wedding process multiple times, yet this was completely unexpected.
Chen Jian clapped his hands and laughed heartily:
"If I had told you in advance, where would the fun be?"
He stepped back slightly and announced loudly, "I officially declare that today, I am acting as the officiant for the bride's side!"
"Well, that's betrayal for you," Thirteen muttered, clicking his tongue. Facing Ye Tian's skeptical gaze, he patted his chest and vowed:
"Young Master, you know me. I'd never side with Old Chen."
He spoke firmly:
"Though I wasn't born in East Sea City, I've lived here for over a decade. I must responsibly inform you that these three challenges can only be completed by you alone. As your subordinate, I cannot help."
With that, Thirteen quietly moved to stand beside Chen Jian.
"What a loyal group of subordinates," Ye Tian said sarcastically, glancing disdainfully at Thirteen. His actions made it clear that this was all pre-arranged.
"Three challenges? That's nothing for me," Ye Tian said confidently, rubbing his hands together.
Then, he raised his head and calmly addressed Qin Xuan:
"Let's hear the first challenge."
Qin Xuan's smile was gentle as she said:
"Young Master, the first challenge tests the groom's sincerity. As they say, true love is as solid as gold. Only with genuine affection can the newlyweds live a blissful and fulfilling life."
True love? For Nana, my feelings are mostly… lustful attraction, Ye Tian silently mocked to himself.
"The first challenge is a question: If Nana and you were both to fall into a river, and the nearby raft could only hold one person, whom would you save?"
"That's quite the pointed question," Ye Tian remarked with a light laugh.
"Please answer," Su Xiaoxin suddenly appeared beside him, her big eyes gleaming as she looked up at him.
"Young Master, I trust your choice," Thirteen said, snickering and cheering Ye Tian on.
Chen Jian commented to Thirteen, "Qin Xuan sure dares to ask. If someone had asked me this when I was younger, I'd have been torn for a while."
"Nana…"
Before Ye Tian could finish his response, Qin Xuan interjected:
"I've already asked Nana—she can't swim. And Young Master, it's clear you can't swim either."
Hearing this, Ye Tian broke into a wide grin.
This sort of question might stump people in the Douluo Continent.
But who was he?
If one had to choose between saving oneself or another, it meant someone would inevitably be left behind.
And for love, a relationship lacking one partner could never be perfect.
So, there was no ideal answer.
Effortlessly avoiding the mental trap, Ye Tian responded, "I love Nana so much. Knowing she can't swim, how could I ever let her be in danger in the first place?"
"Correct… answer!"
Qin Xuan was astonished.
This was a question she had carefully prepared after poring over numerous references.
Yet Ye Tian answered without even taking ten seconds to think.
Young Master truly lived up to his reputation; his brilliance was unparalleled!
Even Chen Jian was taken aback. He had expected this question to stump Ye Tian for a while.
He had intended for Ye Tian to understand that marriage wasn't something to take lightly.
After all, if something was too easily obtained, it might not be cherished.
Especially with Nana, who had practically thrown herself at Ye Tian.
This had left Chen Jian deeply concerned.
However, as a subordinate, he couldn't interfere too much in Ye Tian's personal affairs.
Thus, he had devised this plan.
Yet Ye Tian's cleverness made the challenge seem far too easy, going against his original intent.
"Don't worry, Old Chen. There are still two challenges left," Thirteen whispered.
Chen Jian had already filled him in on the details, and he fully supported the idea.
Although he didn't want Ye Tian to lose his autonomy after marriage and be completely swayed by Spirit Hall, Nana was a wonderful woman, deserving of Ye Tian's care.
Hence, he couldn't just watch this girl fail to find happiness after marriage.
Qin Xuan said earnestly, "Congratulations, Young Master, on passing the first challenge."
"Keep moving forward; the second challenge awaits you."
Hearing this, Ye Tian felt a bit puzzled.
He had thought Qin Xuan would ask three questions.
With a mix of curiosity and anticipation, Ye Tian walked through the lively crowd and moved forward.
"Ye Tian."
At that moment, a clear voice called out from ahead—it was Li Jiuchuan.
(End of Chapter)
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