Chapter 68

The wedding banquet was held in the main hall and the side halls of the Zhongjin Courtyard. After Wang Xiaojun left his seat, he walked out of the main hall and followed the corridors to the back courtyard. The back courtyard had five main rooms, with side rooms and wing rooms on both sides. The middle room of the main rooms was used as a small meeting room for committee meetings. The two rooms on the left were Wang Xiaojun's living quarters, and the two rooms on the right were Li Junwu's living quarters.

After resolving his stomach issues in the toilet of the back courtyard, Wang Xiaojun did not immediately return to the banquet. Instead, he went to his room and drank a few sips of tea to sober up.

After resting for a while, Wang Xiaojun felt better. He thought that as the host of the bridegroom's family, he should not be away from his seat for too long. He tidied his clothes, left the room, and prepared to return to the banquet. At this moment, a woman walked out from the eastern side courtyard. It was Han Qingwen, whom he had just talked about with Zhang Weixin.

Han Qingwen clearly did not expect to encounter anyone here. When she suddenly saw Wang Xiaojun, she was startled. Upon recognizing him as the bridegroom's cousin, she hurriedly bowed and said, somewhat embarrassed, "It's the leader Wang. This humble woman greets you."

Wang Xiaojun, recovering from his brief daze, returned the bow and said, "Miss Han, there's no need for such formalities. I'm just a former Taoist and a commoner. I dare not be called a leader. Miss Han can call me by my name."

Han Qingwen replied, "Leader Wang is too modest. I heard from my uncle that you and your companions are all people of great talent. As the leader of these overseas returnees, it is fitting to call you a leader."

Wang Xiaojun continued to be humble, "Miss Han flatters me. We overseas returnees are just ordinary people. The praise of great talent is just a compliment from Mr. Zhong. We truly do not deserve it. Moreover, we all call each other brothers, with no distinction of rank. The title of leader is just a misunderstanding. Miss Han can call me by my name."

Han Qingwen shook her head, "That won't do. Leader Wang is over a decade older than me, almost like an elder. Besides, even considering Ziqi, Leader Wang is my senior. How can I call you by your name?"

Seeing that Han Qingwen was still being polite, Wang Xiaojun, without much thought, said bluntly, "If that's the case, then call me Brother Wang, or Big Brother Wang, or Brother Xiaojun. Please don't mention the title of leader anymore."

After he spoke, he realized his words might be inappropriate. In this era, talking about brothers and sisters with an unmarried young woman seemed unsuitable. However, the words were already out, and it was too late to take them back. Seeing Han Qingwen's face turn red, he quickly changed the subject, "Ah, Miss Han, why aren't you at the banquet? Is the food not to your liking?"

Han Qingwen, feeling a bit embarrassed by Wang Xiaojun's thoughtless words, was relieved when he changed the topic. She waved her hand, "No, no. The food is very delicious. It's just that the banquet is quite noisy, and I prefer a quiet environment. I feel a bit restless. I heard from Ziqi that there's a small garden in the back courtyard of this residence, so I came here to get some fresh air and calm down."

Wang Xiaojun was relieved that she had not left the banquet due to poor hospitality. The "Quiet Garden" in the eastern side courtyard of the back courtyard did not have any living quarters but was transformed into a small garden. It had some trees and flowers, a small pavilion, and a small pond. In warm weather, it was lush and green, and in summer, it was cool and refreshing. However, it was winter now, and most of the trees and flowers had withered, and the pond was frozen. There was not much to see. It seemed that Han Qingwen found it uninteresting and had come out of the garden.

Wang Xiaojun said, "I see. But it's mid-winter now, and there's not much to enjoy in the small garden. I imagine it must have been a bit boring for Miss Han."

Han Qingwen said, somewhat embarrassed, "Not really. Although the small garden is not large, the scenery is well-designed, probably by a master architect. Even in winter, it has a unique charm. I intended to stay longer, but... but I left the banquet in a hurry and didn't wear a thick coat. Now, I feel a bit cold and want to go back to the banquet to get a coat."

Wang Xiaojun finally understood the situation. He saw that Han Qingwen was indeed not wearing much. Her slim figure was slightly trembling in the cold wind, and her nose was red from the cold, looking quite pitiful. Wang Xiaojun, who always had a soft spot for women, immediately felt sympathetic. Without much thought, he said, "It's mid-winter now. Even with a coat, it won't be warm in that open garden. Since Miss Han doesn't like the noise at the banquet, why not come to our meeting room? It's warm, and there are many small games to play."

Han Qingwen was both interested and hesitant. Being alone with a man was not appropriate. However, as a relative of the Zhong family and a close friend of Zhong Ziqi, Han Qingwen had heard many stories about these extraordinary people who had returned from overseas. Zhong Ziqi had told her many legendary stories about their experiences abroad, which she had heard from Wang Feng. Although Han Qingwen came from an official family and was well-mannered and quiet, she was still a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, naturally curious about these unique outsiders and eager to interact with them and learn about their experiences and talents. Moreover, Wang Xiaojun, though not very handsome, had a kind and harmless appearance, not at all like a bad guy who would seduce virtuous young women.

After a moment of hesitation, she asked, somewhat worried, "Leader Wang's suggestion is good, but as the host of the bridegroom's family, won't the guests say you are not being hospitable if you are away for too long?"

Wang Xiaojun shook his head with a bitter smile, "Miss Han, there's no need to worry. Since I have been living overseas, I am not familiar with the etiquette of the Central Plains. Many of the etiquette matters are handled by Mr. Zhong and a brother who is more familiar with Central Plains customs. Even if I were there, I wouldn't be much help and might even make mistakes. If I return to the banquet, I will just be pulled aside and forced to drink. You don't know, my brothers have definitely planned to get me drunk today. They won't stop until I'm lying on the ground. For my health, it's better not to go back."

Wang Xiaojun's words, accompanied by his exaggerated expression, made Han Qingwen burst out laughing, then quickly covered her mouth, realizing it was inappropriate. Her charming and obedient appearance made Wang Xiaojun, for the first time since his穿越, feel a flutter in his heart.

Previously, due to various reasons, the穿越ers had few opportunities to interact with women. Apart from the four women who had also穿越ed, there were only Zhong Ziqi and the Yang sisters. Due to the scarcity and his thoughts of his wife, Wang Xiaojun had no special feelings for these women and had no intention of pursuing them. Even Yang Xiaoyun, who was described as "sinking fish, closing the moon, and blushing the flowers," only gave him a brief feeling of admiration when they first met. However, this feeling quickly faded and disappeared. He thought more about how these women would affect the team and the pros and cons of team members interacting with them. Wang Xiaojun's mind was focused on work, and he cared more about the emotional issues of other team members than his own.

However, today was different. After the unexpected encounter and conversation with Han Qingwen, he felt a sense of comfort. He then said some thoughtless things, and her smile touched his heart, stirring feelings that had been almost dormant. This feeling was both unfamiliar and familiar, and a bit hesitant. It was unfamiliar because it had not appeared since his穿越. It was familiar because in his previous life, from dating to marriage, and even in the years after, he often felt this way when facing his beloved. It was hesitant because it came suddenly, making him unsure if it was true affection or just a primal impulse.

Han Qingwen did not notice Wang Xiaojun's abnormality. She was looking down, waiting for him to lead the way. This gave Wang Xiaojun a chance to compose himself. He quickly regained his composure, calmed his emotions, and decided to follow his feelings. He extended his hand and said, "Miss Han, please follow me."

Han Qingwen followed Wang Xiaojun into the meeting room and saw that the spacious room was very simply furnished. In the center was a long rectangular table with some paper and pens, and five chairs around it, which was where the meetings took place. The simple and intimate setup suggested that what Wang Xiaojun had said about them being like brothers and equals was not just talk.

On the wall opposite the long table hung a large character "Tiger," written in a powerful and vigorous style, giving a sense of vitality, probably by a famous calligrapher. On both sides of the room were two square tables, with Go, Chinese chess, and other unfamiliar items, which were likely the small games Wang Xiaojun had mentioned. Each table had two chairs for players. These tables were usually placed in the side halls of the Zhongjin Courtyard for the穿越ers' entertainment, but were temporarily moved to the meeting room for the wedding. Additionally, several large charcoal braziers were burning around the room, making it very warm.

The servant who was looking after the room greeted the master and was instructed to bring in a pot of tea and then attend to other matters. The servant left, and Wang Xiaojun led Han Qingwen to the side tables, introducing her to the various games and chess sets.

Han Qingwen recognized Go and Chinese chess and was quite skilled at Go. She was curious about the unfamiliar games that Wang Xiaojun called "checkers," "mahjong," and "poker." After Wang Xiaojun explained the rules of the games, she felt the urge to try. She chose a two-player checkers game and asked Wang Xiaojun to guide her.

This was a bit challenging for Wang Xiaojun. He was proficient in mahjong and poker, but checkers was not his strong suit. The checkers set was made by a city carpenter for Wang Feng to please Zhong Ziqi after their marriage. It was usually played by the four women among the穿越ers, and the men never joined in. Wang Xiaojun had last played checkers in elementary school.

However, since the young lady had requested it, he could not refuse. He invited Han Qingwen to sit down and said humbly, "Since Miss Han likes this game, I will play a few rounds with you. However, I am not very skilled at this game, so please bear with me."

Han Qingwen thought he was being modest and did not take it seriously. She thought, "Even if you play poorly, you must be better than a beginner like me. There's no need to worry about losing face." She also said politely, "Leader Wang is too modest. I am just a beginner, so please guide me. Also, you keep calling me 'Miss,' which sounds very formal."

Wang Xiaojun, seeing that Han Qingwen was not拘泥于礼节, relaxed and said, "Miss Han is right. Since that's the case, I will call you 'Little Sister' and you can call me 'Big Brother.'"

Han Qingwen nodded, "That's perfect, just as I wished."

They then started playing checkers. Although Han Qingwen was a beginner, she was very intelligent and quickly grasped the game. The first few rounds were a bit awkward, but she soon became more fluent. After a few rounds, Han Qingwen realized that Wang Xiaojun was not being modest; he was indeed a poor player, as he later admitted. She had only been playing for less than an hour, but she could already beat him easily. By the end, she felt a bit embarrassed about winning so many times and suggested learning other games to give Wang Xiaojun a chance to save face.

Wang Xiaojun was more than happy to comply. He led Han Qingwen to the poker table and taught her how to play. From "Run Fast" to "Landlord," from "Upgrade" to "Bridge," he explained almost all the poker games he knew. Seeing Han Qingwen listen attentively, he felt a bit of the dignity of a teacher in front of a student.

Unfortunately, there were many poker games, but few suitable for two players. Wang Xiaojun only knew the common poker games from movies, like "Texas Hold'em" and "Three-Card Poker," which were gambling games and not appropriate to teach a pure young lady. After teaching for a while, he found it difficult to implement his "saving face" plan due to the lack of suitable games.

Just as Wang Xiaojun was about to teach Han Qingwen the "national treasure" of Chinese mahjong, the door to the meeting room was pushed open, and his good friend and brother, Zhang Weixin, walked in with a flushed face. He shouted, "Old Wang, I finally found you. You're really not being fair. You're hiding here while I'm stuck at the banquet, defending you from the drinks. Those guys couldn't find you, so they forced me to drink. If it weren't for Brother Yuxizi helping me, I would have been under the table by now. Come with me quickly, I can't hold on any longer."

He tried to pull Wang Xiaojun, but then he saw his brother staring at him with a conflicted expression, as if he wanted to eat him alive. On the side, the Han family's little sister, whom he had praised to his brother, was standing awkwardly by the table, her face and neck red with embarrassment.

After a moment of awkward silence, Zhang Weixin sobered up and quickly assessed the situation, realizing he had interrupted his brother's attempt to court the young lady. He cursed the servant who had not explained the situation clearly and pretended to be drunk, "Oh, I must be drunk. I'm seeing things. Old Wang isn't in this room. I'll look elsewhere."

He turned to leave, but Han Qingwen, seeing the situation, hurriedly said to Wang Xiaojun, "I'll come back another day to learn more. I'll return to the banquet now," and rushed out of the room, fleeing like a rabbit.

Watching the slim and beautiful figure of the Han family's little sister disappear down the corridor leading to the main courtyard, Zhang Weixin turned back, looking at Wang Xiaojun with a black face, "haha" laughed a couple of times, and then ran away. Wang Xiaojun, feeling depressed, sat there and played with the mahjong tiles for a while. Eventually, he had no choice but to return to the banquet, whispering to Zhang Weixin, "We need to have a good talk after the banquet," before being dragged into more drinking by his companions. Zhang Weixin, of course, would not give Wang Xiaojun the chance to "have a good talk." He used a small trick to get himself drunk, forcing Wang Xiaojun to abandon his plan to have a heart-to-heart talk.

After the banquet, the guests bid farewell to the hosts. Wang Xiaojun and Wang Feng thanked them and saw them off to the gate. When seeing off the Han family, Wang Xiaojun, seeing Han Qingwen shyly hiding behind her mother, wanted to talk to her more but was constrained by etiquette. He managed to smile at her when no one was looking. This small gesture still made the little sister very nervous, looking around to see if her parents had noticed and blinking her beautiful big eyes to signal Wang Xiaojun to be careful.

Seeing the Han family's little sister's adorable expression, Wang Xiaojun felt his heart flutter again. Fortunately, he concealed his feelings well, and the Han couple did not notice anything unusual. After exchanging some congratulatory words, they left. Watching Han Qingwen's beautiful and delicate back, Wang Xiaojun felt a mix of emotions, as if he had lost something and found something.

After all the guests had left, Wang Feng naturally went to enjoy his wedding night. Considering Zhong Ziqi's feelings, the committee had announced a rule prohibiting anyone from disturbing the newlyweds. Although this deprived them of some fun, the team members strictly followed the rule. The reason was simple: they wanted to consider their own future weddings. If they disturbed others now, others would do the same to them. Therefore, Wang Feng had a very comfortable night, and the next day, he did not get up until late morning, bringing Zhong Ziqi to meet everyone, officially making her a part of the team.