Wang Xi was handed a red envelope, and she was a little scared. "Second Sister."
Wang Xin lowered her head and whispered into her good right ear, "It's okay, take it. No one will blame you."
In the mess hall, the arrival of the bride and groom was met with deafening applause and cheers.
Their captain was getting married, and the bride was their team's flower. They were all collectively heartbroken and had to make a fuss.
When Tian Jing understood the content of the screams, she couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle.
Zeng Jingrong must be tired of leading such a bunch of monkey-like subordinates.
Li Zhengguo, from the corner, waved at Tian Jing. Tian Jing squeezed past the table by the wall, "Did you get the dishes for Tian?"
"I've already given them to Wang Huan." Li Zhengguo patted the stool next to him, "Sit down and watch them have fun."
They were indeed making a scene, blowing flour, eating apples, sharing a spicy strip, squeezing balloons…
As they were making a scene, they suddenly quieted down. It turned out the kitchen was serving food.
The team members sniffed and immediately forgot about the bride and groom, rushing to the counter to ask Wang Huan what the dishes were.
Wang Huan placed a large basin on the counter, "Wild pheasant stewed with mushrooms, a dish brought by Captain Tian, stewed by Grandma Li, and for Captain Zeng's congratulations."
"Today, Captain Zeng has booked all the dishes in the mess hall, but our skills are limited, and we can't replicate this flavor. Therefore, each team member is limited to one spoonful of this dish."
As soon as the team members heard this, they immediately got their plates and lined up.
Tian Jing really wanted to laugh. These team members were really like monkeys, easily appeased by food.
Zeng Jingrong came over, holding Ji Shiyi's hand.
Li Weixin, with Little Black, made space for them.
"Thank you!" Zeng Jingrong thanked Tian Jing and gave her a red envelope, "This is a matchmaking gift. You are well-deserved as our matchmaker."
Tian Jing accepted it without hesitation and then took out her prepared red envelope, "Happy wedding."
Zeng Jingrong accepted it too. It was good enough for him to be dating Tian Tian like this.
Li Weixin held Little Black's front paws and bowed with him to Zeng Jingrong, "Wishing Uncle Big Wedding Happiness, wishing Sister Shi Wedding Happiness."
Zeng Jingrong smiled and lightly pointed at him with his finger, "You should call her Auntie."
"No!" Li Weixin shook his head, "Sister Shi said I can call her sister from now on."
Ji Shiyi's eyes darted between Tian Jing and Zeng Jingrong, "I don't understand what you're saying?"
Zeng Jingrong quietly squeezed her hand, "Tian Jing is my sister. Didn't I tell you I was looking for my long-lost sister? I've actually found her."
Ji Shiyi looked more closely, "You don't look alike. No wonder Jing Chu used Tian Jing to trick me."
Zeng Jingrong explained, "Tian Jing looks like my father, and I look like my mother."
"Oh~" Ji Shiyi didn't ask any further questions and looked at Li Weixin, who was playing with Little Black, "Ranran, call her whatever you want."
"Calling her Sister Shi feels very intimate. When I first arrived here, Li Weihao used to visit me whenever he had time, making me feel cared for by family."
Zeng Jingrong clenched her hand guiltily, "I'm sorry. In the years to come, I will try my best to spend more time with you."
Ji Shiyi nodded vigorously, "It's okay. I'll wait for you in this compound, and I feel very at ease."
Wang Xin served them food.
Ji Shiyi wanted to get up, "I'll go change into a formal dress."
"No!"
Zeng Jingrong and Tian Jing refused in unison.
Tian Jing explained to Ji Shiyi, "Now that you're out, you can't go back to that dormitory until the day after tomorrow at the earliest."
"Eat in this outfit. If it's inconvenient, ask Zeng Jingrong to feed you."
"After the meal, I'll help you pack your things and give them to Captain Zeng."
"Thank you!" Ji Shiyi sincerely thanked Tian Jing. Without Tian Jing's help, she wouldn't have found Jing Rong, and their relationship might not have worked out.
"You're welcome." Tian Jing waved her hand, "Let's start eating."
Zeng Jingrong was about to get the wine, but Li Zhengguo refused, "I don't drink. I don't drink any alcohol. My wife hates the smell of alcohol."
Zeng Jingrong smiled and said, "Then I'll get some drinks."
Li Zhengguo nodded, "That's fine."
As Zeng Jingrong went to get drinks, Ji Shiyi curiously asked, "Mayor Li, don't you need to attend social events?"
Li Zhengguo shook his head, "I avoid them if I can. If it's absolutely necessary, I bring my assistant. I hired an assistant with a good tolerance for alcohol."
Ji Shiyi looked surprised, "Then can my father do that too?"
Li Zhengguo waved his hand, "It's impossible, unless he said from the beginning that he wouldn't drink. However, he could use the excuse of having a stomach condition and needing to quit alcohol."
Ji Shiyi nodded, indicating that she would call her father to tell him.
Zeng Jingrong and Li Zhengguo, using drinks instead of alcohol, were able to chat congenially.
Some team members came over with wine glasses to congratulate Captain Zeng. Seeing that Zeng Jingrong was drinking a beverage, they provocatively remarked that the newlywed captain had become henpecked.
Zeng Jingrong pushed Li Zhengguo forward, "This comrade hasn't touched a drop of alcohol for decades just because his wife dislikes the smell of alcohol. I've decided to learn from him, and you all can supervise."
The team members glanced at Captain Tian and then at Miss Ji, shaking their heads and giving up. Their captain no longer belonged entirely to them.
Tian Jing went to the dormitory to help Ji Shiyi pack her things. Everything except the bedding was packed.
Wang Huan helped carry things out, "Now that Sister Shi is gone, half of my heart feels empty."
Tian Jing sighed, "I'll say it again: if you have the chance, settle down. Your heart will be at peace."
Wang Huan still refused, thinking that getting married would only add more burdens.
Zeng Jingrong took the luggage and carried it into the office next to his in the administrative building, which was the dormitory he had applied for.
Ji Shiyi followed him to the new home, changed into a red dress, and returned to the mess hall to celebrate Li Weixin's birthday.
This way, the staff in the mess hall and the team members who hadn't left knew that it was Li Weixin's birthday today.
Everyone came to congratulate Li Weixin, who beamed and thanked them all.
Li Zhengguo took out a large round box from the basket, "This is a date cake made by your grandmother, with your aunt's mischief, and named the Li Family Birthday Cake."
Li Weixin happily untied the ribbon and opened the lid, then his smile froze.
Tian Jing stifled a laugh, "Ranan, your aunt said that you're not allowed to eat the date cake underneath until you finish the top layer."
Zeng Jingrong and Ji Shiyi leaned in to take a look and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Li Weixin removed the round box, leaving only the base. On the thick, purplish-red date cake on the base, there was a steamed bun of the same size.
On the white steamed bun, the words "Happy Birthday" were written in red.
These four characters were formed by twisting and combining strips of dough, and they were crooked and uneven, making the entire steamed bun full of humor.
Li Weixin went to the kitchen and got a watermelon knife. He placed the steamed bun on the inside of the lid and cut it into more than a dozen pieces, inviting everyone to share.
The employees and team members also saw the birthday cake. They accepted Li Weixin's steamed bun and told him to remember his aunt's good intentions.
Here, they didn't have family members who would specially steam such a steamed bun for them, which, despite being ugly, was touching.
Li Weixin paused for a moment, then a proud smile appeared on his tense face, and he cut the date cake for everyone to eat.
As soon as Ji Shiyi tasted the date cake, she said it had a taste of home that made her miss home.
Zeng Jingrong ate it and only said it was fragrant and sweet, not having the same feeling as Ji Shiyi.
Li Weixin took a big bite, "I didn't feel this before. After coming here, when I eat my grandma's cooking again, it tastes like home, as if Grandma is by my side."
Tian Jing gently patted her younger son's shoulder, "The jars in the basket were all stewed by your grandma. Share them with your teammates. Don't let them spoil; the weather is getting warmer."
Li Weixin looked at the four jars in the basket and nodded, "I'll share them with my teammates at dinner."
As he said this, he asked Wang Huan to bring a basin to scoop out the dishes.
When he saw that one of the jars contained braised pork, he immediately closed the lid. This could be kept for a year without spoiling.
He divided half of the other three stewed dishes and then eagerly carried the jars back to his dormitory.