Huo Tingzhou led her aside, gently squeezing her hand and soothing her with soft words.
"Don’t cry anymore. You have interviews with three newspapers tomorrow—what if your eyes get puffy?"
Jiang Si sniffled. She didn’t want to cry, but she just couldn’t help it.
She was about to say, "Even if my eyes are swollen, I’ll still be the prettiest one there."
But then she glanced down and noticed Huo Tingzhou was holding a small package.
"What’s in there?"
Huo Tingzhou motioned for her to open it. "It’s for you. Take a look and see if you like it."
Jiang Si opened it and found a hairdryer inside—much more compact and lightweight than the ones she’d seen at the department store.
She had bought one before, but it was bulky and loud, like a wind machine.
It was so heavy, and the noise was unbearable.
Every time she used it, she felt like her ears were about to go deaf.
After just two uses, she gave up on it.
A few days ago, she had casually complained about how troublesome it was to wash her hair in winter, especially since her thick hair took forever to dry. She never expected him to remember.
As if reading her mind, Huo Tingzhou said, "I tested this one already. It’s much quieter."
"Good," she replied.
Jiang Si examined the hairdryer and noticed there was no obvious branding, which she liked.
"This must’ve been hard to find. How much did it cost?"
Wait a minute—
Huo Tingzhou’s money was all with her. Where did he get the funds?
"Did you borrow money from Brother Xiao and the others again?"
She had only recently found out from her mother-in-law that, during a mission a while back, Huo Tingzhou had borrowed every last penny from his fellow soldiers.
"Brother Xiao worked hard to save his private stash. Stop taking advantage of him."
Jiang Si sighed. "Next month, keep half of your salary for yourself. You don’t need to give it all to me."
Their combined savings were more than enough. There was no need to live so frugally.
Huo Tingzhou shook his head. "No need."
He then explained that the money came from a mission bonus he had received last week after reporting to headquarters.
But after buying the hairdryer and the betrothal gifts, there wasn’t much left.
"Take this for now. I kept twenty for myself. If I need more, I’ll ask you."
As he spoke, he pulled an envelope from his pocket—but accidentally dropped a few small packets along with it.
They hit the ground with a soft thud.
Jiang Si reflexively stomped her foot over them.
She shot him a glare. "We’ll talk about this later."
Luckily, everyone else was busy discussing the wedding banquet and didn’t notice. If the whole room had seen, she would’ve died of embarrassment.
Seeing her fiery demeanor return, Huo Tingzhou let out a quiet sigh of relief.
As long as she wasn’t crying, he’d gladly take her scolding every day.
The two families continued discussing the wedding arrangements until noon.
Traditionally, if the bride’s family accepted the proposal, they would host a meal.
So, Uncle Zhong had gone to a nearby state-run restaurant earlier to order a feast, paying extra to have it delivered.
The meal was lively and full of warmth.
In high spirits, Old Master and Third Uncle even shared a few drinks.
Before leaving, Third Uncle presented the Huo Family with a carefully prepared return gift—a red cloth bundle containing peanuts, red dates, longan, and lotus seeds—symbolizing fertility and prosperity.
They also didn’t forget to give Granny Ye a generous red envelope.
In return, the Huo Family followed tradition and gave Granny Ye a thick red envelope as well.
Since it was a joyous occasion, Granny Ye accepted it graciously, offering a long string of blessings before the proposal ceremony concluded perfectly.
The family had left early in the morning, so apart from the guards at the gate who witnessed the Huo Family’s three generations proudly wearing their military medals, no one else in the compound knew about it.
But now, just after lunchtime, the compound entrance was bustling with people.
As Huo Tingzhou helped Old Master Huo out of the car, a few onlookers froze in surprise.
What was going on? Old Master Huo looked radiant—had he attended some important event?
"What’s the occasion today?" someone immediately asked.
The others looked just as confused. "…Just an ordinary day?"
New Year’s was still two days away.
The first woman clicked her tongue. "Has anyone heard about a celebration or awards ceremony happening before New Year’s?"
Everyone shook their heads. "No."
Events like award ceremonies were usually announced a month in advance.
Though the Huo Family’s influence had grown significantly in recent years—with many speculating that Huo’s father might become the next military leader—there were plenty of high-ranking officials in the compound. It was unlikely only the Huo Family would be notified.
Yet, there they were, dressed formally, all wearing their medals.
The crowd exchanged glances, their thoughts unreadable.
Those on good terms with the Huo Family were pleased—after all, the Huo Family’s rise benefited them too.
But others, particularly those like the Yu Family, who had a strained relationship with the Huo Family, looked far from happy.
Feeling the weight of the stares, Zhang Yaqin’s expression darkened.
"I just remembered I have something to take care of at home. You all enjoy yourselves."
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and strode back into the compound.
Zhang Yaqin had always been blunt, so no one was surprised.
Just then, a few more elderly men emerged from the compound.
At their age, they didn’t bother with subtlety.
Seeing Old Master Huo dressed like a peacock, Old Wang and Old Li didn’t hold back.
"Where’ve you been all morning? We looked everywhere for you."
Old Wang smirked. "Look at you, all smug. Did the big boss invite you for tea?"
"Half right. I did have tea."
Old Wang and Old Li exchanged startled glances.
"Why would the big boss invite your whole family for tea out of the blue?"
Before they could speculate further, Grandma Huo shot Old Master Huo a look.
"Enough. Do you want the whole world to hear you?"
Chastened, Old Master Huo dropped the teasing tone—but his next words were just as cheeky.
"Fine, fine. I won’t mess with you two. I went to drink my future granddaughter-in-law’s tea today."
He pulled out a handful of wedding candies and an invitation. "Here, take these. The banquet’s at the compound hall the day after tomorrow. Don’t be stingy with the red envelopes."
With a sly grin, he added, "Alright, enough chatting with you two. I had a few too many drinks today in my excitement, and my head’s still foggy."
Old Wang and Old Li exchanged a glance, both wearing exasperated expressions.
As he took the wedding invitation and candies, Old Wang snorted.
"You know, talking like that could easily get you punched outside, right?"
Old Li tilted his chin slightly, gesturing toward the military families gathered not far away.
"Dressed like that, you’d better brace yourself."
"Mark my words—by this afternoon, the whole compound will probably be buzzing with some earth-shattering gossip about you—"
