Relax, this is no big deal

The next morning, Eddie was awakened by a call from CK. He checked the time—6:30 a.m.—and hurried to get up.

When Eddie was in Gaobie Town, he kept a strict routine: no matter how late he went to bed, he always woke up at six for jogging and exercise. Now that he's home, he's started sleeping in. It's no wonder—he'd boarded at school in high school and lived off-campus in college, so mornings at home during breaks mean cozy laziness.

CK had arranged a Buick GL8 MPV. Eddie patted the hood and said, "This is a good car."

The Buick GL8 is a classic MPV from SH-GM, equipped with a 3.0L V6 engine producing 178 hp—known for its "prestigious, luxurious, and comfortable" qualities, popular with government agencies and mid- to high-tier corporate use.

CK laughed, "Of course. It cost almost 200,000 RMB. It belongs to my dad's boss—he lent it to me since there's so much wedding stuff. Nothing's more convenient than having a car."

CK's father works at a local quarry. Though it's tough, his boss treats him well, so he's stuck with it.

Eddie smiled at the familiarity—it echoed the words Gao Xueqiang had used about the Grand Cherokee in Beijing. He decided CK deserved a thoughtful wedding gift. They were childhood friends, and CK helped his parents a lot when Eddie was away.

He recalled a lesson from elementary school, "Gou fugui wu xiang wang"—"When one becomes rich, never forget your old friends." They used to promise that to each other as kids.

Promises between kids are always fragile—cute but eventually forgotten by time. Eddie could forget those promises now—he could skip the Grand Cherokee gift, give just 1,000 RMB for the wedding, offer sister ten thousand instead of two million—and no one would judge him. But he chose not to.

He didn't want to become the kind of person he hated as a child—someone who forgot old friends after becoming wealthy.

CK started driving toward the county town. The bride-to-be had already taken the bus ahead.

Their hometown's county, called Pingcheng, is a traditional agricultural county. It's not economically developed, but its large population supports a variety of local businesses. As they passed the urban-rural fringe, new mid-rise buildings emerged—quite a surprise to Eddie.

"A lot of buildings have gone up suddenly," he marveled.

CK scoffed, "Everyone with money's building these days. Prices are skyrocketing. How's this small county supposed to absorb all that?"

"Are you planning to buy?" asked Eddie.

CK shook his head, "Buy here? I can't afford it—4,000–5,000 RMB per square meter here. Plus, Lili's family doesn't care about cars or houses, so I'm not thinking about buying right now."

As they chatted, they reached a provincial junction on the edge of town. Cars sped past like a steel tide. Eddie noticed a few newly built buildings nearby and said, "You were right—some building's gone up here too."

CK rolled down the window and gazed at the buildings, "Smart move, Xiao Ou—good location, lots of people and traffic. If you bought a storefront and opened a repair shop, you'd make a killing."

Eddie followed CK's gaze and asked, "How much is it?"

"2,000 RMB/sqm," CK replied immediately.

"That's cheap!" Eddie was surprised, "Why don't you just buy it and open the shop?"

CK laughed, "You've got money, huh? But that's still on the fringe. And a repair shop needs space—50–60 k RMB at least to get started."

Eddie patted his shoulder and stayed silent.

They soon reached the county city center plaza, parked, and several girls approached. CK grabbed Eddie's arm and introduced him excitedly: "This is my pal, Eddie…"

One girl—long black hair and a pencil-skirt—tried pronouncing his name: "Eddie… qín shòu?" then giggled.

Eddie scratched his nose, "Actually, my friends call me Xiao Ou."

The gentle girl was Lili (Yan Lili), about twenty-four or twenty-five—delicate, soft-featured, with a modest smile that hinted at her future role as a good wife and mother.

She stepped forward, shook Eddie's hand, and introduced herself and her four friends: Zhou Ling, Lou Muqing, Cao Hailu, and Wu Yi.

After introductions, she quietly smiled by CK's side.

Eddie nodded appreciatively, "Wow, Dapeng, you really found yourself a great bride! No wonder you rushed to get married—better to lock her down!"

Lou Muqing, in the pencil skirt, giggled, "Actually, they rushed because Lili…"

Zhou Ling grabbed her mouth, teasing, "Qingqing, stop spilling it."

Muqing blushed and stopped talking.

Lili's four friends were lovely—but Lou Muqing especially stood out: black hair, crisp white blouse, pencil skirt, stockings, and high heels—an office goddess type.

Eddie greeted them with restrained politeness and scanned the plaza silently.

CK nudged Eddie as the group got into the car: "So? Which one are you interested in? I'll play matchmaker with Lili!"

Eddie didn't answer, and CK continued: "It's Muqing, right? Long legs, glasses—she fits your taste."

"Shut up," Eddie laughed, "How do you know I like Muqing?"

CK smirked, "You're staring at the plaza with your peripheral seeing her."

Eddie looked, surprised, "Dang, you observant, man."

CK winked, "Just wait—your sister-in-law's on matchmaking duty."

They joked as CK drove them to the wedding service company.

Pingcheng has a dozen wedding companies. CK and Lili chose a mid-tier one.

Lili, frugal, wanted a small firm, but CK insisted on doing it once and right. They were there to confirm the wedding car lineup: a white Mercedes for the lead, followed by six red Mazda 3s.

At the shop, the owner (Mr. Zhu) paused. CK said: "The cars need to arrive at my house at 8:30 a.m. on the 10th."

Mr. Zhu hesitated, "The 8th at 8:30? Isn't your wedding on the 10th?"

CK froze, "Wait—8th? Didn't you say the 10th?"

Mr. Zhu rifled through his notes. "Oh, shoot—April 10th got recorded as May 10th."

Lili worried, "Is that okay?"

Mr. Zhu admitted the mistake and said another couple reserved that day. "Let me arrange another fleet for you, but the cars won't match exactly."

CK exploded: "That's not enough! I want the white Mercedes, six red Mazda 3s—exactly that fleet!"

For weddings in Eddie's hometown, the lead car must be white for "White-head-forever," and the following cars red for "Blazing prosperity." Mazda 3 is favored—stylish, affordable, easy to rent.

Lili sighed, "Then we'll have to switch companies."

But it was too late—two days before the wedding, everything was nearly set.

Mr. Zhu cautioned: "There are at least twenty weddings in the county on that day. Try other shops—they might also be fully booked."

The situation became critical.

CK walked out, stunned, watching traffic. He was about to marry, and this happened—a thunderbolt.

Eddie was worried too. He scanned around, then cracked a smile. He patted CK's shoulder and said, "Dapeng, this is nothing. Watch me—your wedding convoy is guaranteed sorted."