"Trouble?"
Chen Jiuyang immediately stopped his practice and took the phone from Yao Zixuan. "Hello, Lengyue, what trouble have you run into?"
Ji Lengyue's voice on the other end was somewhat suppressed. "Jiuyang, my grandmother has still arranged a marriage for me. The groom's family is coming to visit today to get engaged. Early this morning, they sent people to block me and my mother at home, preventing us from leaving."
Chen Jiuyang was amused and angry. "Alright, I'll be right there to see what's going on."
After hanging up, Chen Jiuyang's eyes were filled with coldness. "A fine Ji family, do they really not take me seriously?"
With that, Chen Jiuyang skipped breakfast and rushed to Fengcheng.
...
Fengcheng Six Doors Family Residential Area.
A crowd of old men and women were watching the spectacle.
Two bodyguards with martial arts cultivation stood at Ji Lengyue's doorstep, and a "qianjin" was placed at the entrance.
Placing a "qianjin" at the door was a gesture of a thousand-gold proposal, a way to bring honor to the bride's family.
A promise is worth a thousand gold; your daughter is worthy of our family's dowry of a thousand gold.
Not only that, but people in the stairwell and at the entrance of the residential area were carrying large boxes of red envelopes filled with money, distributing them to people in the area. This was called "ten miles of red dowry," a custom where ancient officials and nobles would scatter gold and silver coins along the roadside during weddings.
This custom was most lively during the Song Dynasty, when the emperor's wedding involved scattering silver and gold leaves to the citizens of Bianliang City.
"Oh my, this red envelope contains eighteen hundred and eighty-eight! What a generous gesture! Excuse me, may I ask which family you are from, and which young lady in our residential area you are here to marry?"
The person in the suit replied, "Our young master is here today to propose marriage and engagement to Miss Ji."
"Ah? Just for an engagement, and everyone receives a red envelope of eighteen hundred and eighty-eight? They're too rich!"
Those who received the red envelopes immediately spoke up:
"We wish your young master success in his proposal and engagement, and a hundred years of happiness!"
Having received eighteen hundred and eighty-eight for no reason, the residents of the Six Doors family residential area were all beaming. Even the old security guard at the entrance had a pack of special military-issue cigarettes on his table, a rare item that money couldn't buy.
It was said that even a regimental commander only received two packs a year.
For an old security guard to receive a whole pack of such good cigarettes, plus a red envelope of eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight, made the old guard overjoyed. "Lengyue has really found a good match. Lengyue and her mother have lived a hard life, and now they finally have a good life."
The old security guard mistakenly believed that the people proposing this time were the young man Ji Lengyue had brought back last time. The young man's servants had generously distributed such gifts upon arrival, so the old security guard opened the gate for them, allowing them to drive in with their entourage.
People entering and exiting the residential area all received red envelopes.
The entire Six Doors residential area was suddenly filled with a festive atmosphere.
Before long, Chen Jiuyang arrived by car. The old security guard stopped him. "Kid, you're quite something, putting on such a grand show just to get engaged to Lengyue. I misjudged you last time. Here, let me offer you a cigarette."
Chen Jiuyang's face was cold. "Sir, you're mistaken. This engagement display wasn't arranged by me."
"What?" The old security guard was stunned. Before he could react, Chen Jiuyang had already walked away.
At Ji Lengyue's home.
Ji Lengyue and her mother, Ji Shangxiu, sat in the room, both with grim expressions.
Ji Lengyue had only recently begun practicing martial arts and was no match for the two bodyguards at the door. Moreover, her mother was an ordinary person. If they tried to force their way out, they might accidentally injure her mother.
Ji Shangxiu said, "Lengyue, when you get a chance, escape. If you're not here, your grandmother's little plan will naturally be thwarted, and the other party will have nothing to gain..."
"Bang! Bang!"
Two thuds were heard from the door, followed by the sound of the door being pushed open. Chen Jiuyang walked in, with two people lying on the ground behind him.
Chen Jiuyang showed a smile and said, "Lengyue, Auntie, I'm not late, am I?"
Ji Shangxiu's face darkened. "Lengyue, how could you tell Jiuyang about this?!"
Ji Lengyue replied, "Mom, if I didn't tell Jiuyang to handle it, would we follow your plan?"
"If I just leave, it might be fine for me, but it would ruin Grandma's reputation. If you're left here alone, she will definitely find ways to make things difficult for you."
Chen Jiuyang smiled. "Lengyue, Auntie, you don't need to argue. Since I'm here, I will resolve this matter and give you a perfect explanation."
"If a tiger doesn't show its might, people will think it's a sick cat. This time, they've gone too far."
Putting on such a grand proposal display was truly disgusting. If the other party arrived and Ji Lengyue truly couldn't clear her name, then the other party would escalate, forcing Ji Lengyue into a fait accompli.
Ji Lengyue said, "Mom, since Jiuyang said so, let Jiuyang handle this."
Ji Shangxiu glared at Ji Lengyue. After a moment of silence, she said, "Alright."
Before long, a young man in a top-tier custom suit, with an extraordinary demeanor, arrived with nine hundred and ninety-nine roses. However, upon seeing that the people he had arranged were knocked unconscious and lying on the ground, and walking into the room to see Ji Lengyue holding hands with a strange man and chatting, his face instantly turned cold, and he blurted out:
"Who are you?"
"You've come to propose to my woman, and you don't even know who I am? You've been made a fool of and don't even realize it? Idiot!" The strange man said coldly, "Kneel!"
"Rumble!"
The young man felt stars burst before his eyes, as if he were carrying an invisible mountain. His knees buckled, and he knelt down on the spot, his face turning red and then pale.
To make such a grand proposal and then be forced to kneel at the doorstep was an immense humiliation for someone of his noble background.
Before long, a middle-aged couple with an extraordinary demeanor also arrived. Upon seeing their son kneeling at the door, their faces changed dramatically. "Bufan, what's going on? Who told you to kneel?"
The young man struggled to speak. "A... a master..."
Immediately, the middle-aged couple angrily confronted Ji Lengyue's parents. "What kind of people are you Ji family? Our Tang family sincerely came to propose, and you resorted to such despicable tactics. We, the Tang family, have no need for such a daughter-in-law!"
"You scoundrels, how dare you make my son kneel? Do you know the status of our Tang family in Fengcheng?"
"Don't think you can act with impunity just because you've hired people from the martial world. Ji Shangxiu! Ji Lengyue! I'm telling you, you're in big trouble!"
"Are you done with your nonsense?" Inside the room, Chen Jiuyang played with Ji Lengyue's small hand, then his gaze fell on the middle-aged couple, and his voice deepened.
"If you're done, then kneel!"
"Thump—"
The middle-aged couple, just like their son, knelt on the spot.