258: Why hasn't the banquet started yet?

They tidied up the best and cleanest guest room in the house for Lei Jun, while Lei Ying was arranged to stay in a slightly smaller room next door.

Although the conditions certainly couldn't compare to a star-rated hotel, it was kept very neat; the bedsheets and quilts were brand new and smelled of sunlight.

After settling their luggage, Su Qing and Su Ya couldn't wait to lead Lei Jun and Lei Ying on a tour around the village.

They wanted to share the place where they grew up with their distinguished employer.

Walking along the small paths of the village, Lei Jun observed everything quietly.

Everything here was fresh to her.

Different from the modern prosperity of Shanghai and the icy world of the ski resort, this was an exotic countryside full of the atmosphere of daily life.

She saw women washing clothes by the river, old men cooling off and chatting under trees, men gathered at the entrance of the convenience store to gossip, and monks in orange robes slowly walking through the temple.

The air was a mixture of the scent of river water, the smell of cooking smoke, and the fragrance of unknown flowers.

Occasionally, a motorcycle would chug past, and the villagers would look at their group with curiosity.

Two beautiful local girls, a stunning girl with silver hair like snow and an extraordinary temperament, and a cold-faced, efficient young woman with a powerful aura.

Such a combination was far too eye-catching in the village.

Su Qing and Su Ya introduced everything with great enthusiasm: this was the riverbank where they used to play as children, that was the primary school they attended, the rice noodles made here were particularly delicious, and that old banyan tree was said to be over a hundred years old... Lei Jun listened, occasionally nodding and asking a question or two.

She actually quite liked this peaceful atmosphere; far away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the affairs she needed to handle or face, both her body and mind relaxed.

Lei Ying, however, remained vigilant at all times, silently observing the surrounding environment and the crowd to assess potential security factors, though her demeanor was also a tiny bit more relaxed than it had been in the unfamiliar metropolis.

They also encountered several of Su Qing's relatives and neighbors; Su Qing and Su Ya greeted them warmly, introducing Lei Jun in Thai as their boss and friend from Dragon Country.

The villagers were very friendly, pressing their palms together to salute Lei Jun; although there was a language barrier, the kindness in their smiles was universal.

After walking around, they returned to Su Qing's house, where Su Qing's mother had already prepared a table of sumptuous home-cooked Thai dishes.

Compared to what she made in Shanghai, the ingredients here were fresher, the spices more authentic, and the flavors even richer.

Lei Jun ate very contentedly and praised Su Qing's mother's cooking again, making this simple rural woman happy for quite a while.

For the next two days, Lei Jun and Lei Ying stayed quietly at Su Qing's home.

Lei Jun would sometimes read a book in the courtyard, sometimes listen to Su Qing and Su Ya talk about interesting anecdotes from the village and the wedding preparations, and sometimes she would simply space out, enjoying this rare leisure.

Aside from necessary security duties, Lei Ying also spent most of her time staying quietly or helping with whatever physical labor she could; she was strong and worked efficiently, leaving Su Qing's family in awe.

The wedding preparations were in full swing.

Su Qing's courtyard was decorated even more festively, with colorful tents set up and tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks rented.

Relatives and neighbors all came to help, slaughtering chickens and ducks and preparing various dishes in a scene of great bustle. Lei Jun didn't participate, but she watched everything with great interest, feeling the festive busyness full of the spirit of daily life.

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived.

Su Qing's courtyard was bustling with people early in the morning.

The colorful tents were filled with round tables, on which were placed melon seeds, peanuts, and candies.

Prominent elders from the village, relatives, friends, and neighbors all came; the men gathered to smoke and chat, the women helped serve tea and water and looked after the children, and the children darted through the crowd playing. Laughter, conversation, and the clattering of pots and pans intertwined, filled with vivid excitement.

Su Qing's father, wearing a brand-new shirt with a face full of smile-induced creases, was busy running back and forth, directing the relatives and friends who were helping while loudly greeting the guests: "Everyone sit down, eat well and drink well! Don't be polite!"

Although he was tired, his son getting married was the thing that made him happiest.

Lei Jun and Lei Ying were arranged at a table near the main house, which was considered the VIP section.

Some cold dishes and snacks were already laid out on the table.

Lei Jun hadn't eaten much in the morning; looking at this lively scene and smelling the increasingly rich aroma of food in the air, she gradually began to feel a bit hungry.

She checked the time and then looked at the host, who was still busy and didn't seem to have any intention of starting the feast, feeling a bit puzzled.

According to the ritual schedule mentioned before, it should be about time to start now, shouldn't it?

She waited patiently for a while longer, and her stomach grew even hungrier.

Some of the surrounding guests also began to discuss in low voices, occasionally looking toward the entrance.

Su Qing and Su Ya, as the daughters of the household, were also helping to greet the guests.

They noticed Lei Jun's side and also heard the mutterings of some guests.

Su Qing walked over and whispered to Lei Jun with some embarrassment, "Miss Lei, please wait a little longer. It's possible... possible that something isn't quite ready yet."

Lei Jun nodded and said nothing.

But the wait was a bit too long. Even the originally lively scene gradually became somewhat restless because the feast had yet to start.

The guests' conversations began to be laced with obvious urging and dissatisfaction.

"Why hasn't the feast started yet? We've been waiting for almost an hour!"

"Exactly, my stomach is already flat from hunger."

"Are they waiting for someone?"

Su Qing and Su Ya also felt quite embarrassed; they found their father, who was still busy, and asked in low voices, "Dad, what's going on? The guests are getting impatient, and Miss Lei has been waiting for a long time too."

Su Qing's father wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression a bit awkward as he lowered his voice.

"Wait a bit longer, just a bit longer. The Older Male Cousin from your Second Uncle's family hasn't arrived yet. He said he would come early..."

"Older Male Cousin?" Su Qing frowned. "Why hasn't he come yet? Everyone is waiting."

Su Ya was also a bit unhappy. "Exactly, we can't let so many guests wait just because of one person, can we? And Miss Lei is still here."

Su Qing's father looked troubled, but he seemed to have some reservations about that Older Male Cousin, so he still said, "Let's wait a bit longer, he'll be here soon, soon."

The sisters were helpless and had to come back to reassure the guests and Lei Jun.

Just then, several exceptionally loud car honks came from outside the courtyard, "Beep beep—!" The sound was piercing, carrying a sense of deliberately flaunting one's presence.

The originally noisy courtyard fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked toward the courtyard entrance.

Lei Jun also looked up, guessing that this was probably the Older Male Cousin who had made the entire feast wait for over an hour.

He certainly made quite an entrance.

A middle-aged man sitting at the table next to Lei Jun snorted with a displeased look and said coldly, "Urge, urge, urge, isn't my son here now?"

This was presumably Su Qing's Second Uncle.