N-M Chapter 305 Obtaining the Marriage Certificate
Chapter 305 Obtaining the Marriage Certificate
May 18, 1998, 8:30 a.m.
The jolt of the plane landing startled Ling Yun from her light sleep. An announcement came over the intercom, and the flight attendants repeated the arrival information in both Chinese and English.
He stretched his stiff neck and took his backpack from the overhead luggage compartment.
As he stepped out of the cabin, the May air of Jinan rushed in, carrying warmth and a familiar dryness. He took a deep breath and quickened his pace.
There weren't many people in the lobby when he arrived. He spotted An Shiyu from afar—she was standing by the exit railing, wearing a light blue dress, her hair loose, and holding a bottle of water.
Ling Yun walked over. The two stood a meter apart for two seconds.
"Have you been waiting long?" Ling Yun asked.
"Just arrived." An Shiyu handed him the water.
In the parking lot, An Shiyu was driving a red Golf, which Ling Yun had bought for her last year. She opened the driver's side door, and Ling Yun put his backpack on the back seat and got into the passenger seat.
"You've lost weight," An Shiyu said, looking straight ahead.
"fine."
"Is everything arranged in Silicon Valley?"
"It's all arranged."
"My mom cleaned the house yesterday," An Shiyu said. "She said she's going to make dumplings today."
Ling Yun nodded.
The car drove into the city and stopped at the entrance of an old residential area in Lixia District. This was the home of An Shiyu's parents, an ordinary staff housing compound, with red brick buildings and somewhat mottled exterior walls. Roses were planted in the open space downstairs, and the flowers were in full bloom.
An Shiyu took out her keys and opened the door. As soon as the door opened a crack, a voice came from inside: "You're back?"
It was An Shiyu's mother's voice.
In the entryway, An Shiyu's mother stood there wearing an apron and holding a rolling pin. Seeing Ling Yun, her face lit up with a smile: "Little Ling's back! Come in, come in!"
"Hello, Auntie." Lingyun changed her shoes.
"Okay, okay! Shiyu, you too, why didn't you let Lingyun rest first? He's been on the plane for so long." Mother An said as she walked inside, "Old An, Little Ling is here!"
In the living room, An Shiyu's father stood up from the sofa. He was a professor in the Economics Department of Shandong University, wearing glasses and a white shirt, and holding a book in his hand. Seeing Ling Yun, he nodded: "You've arrived."
Hello, Uncle.
"Sit down. Have some tea."
Tea, Longjing, was already brewed on the coffee table, the cups still steaming. Ling Yun sat down on the sofa, with An Shiyu sitting next to him. An's mother went back into the kitchen to busy herself, the sound of chopping vegetables echoing through the air.
Mr. An put down his book, took off his glasses to wipe them, and put them back on. "Is everything settled in America?"
"It's all arranged," Ling Yun said. "I'll be in the country for the next period of time."
"That's good." Mr. An picked up his teacup. "We have no objection to your relationship with Shiyu. You two can discuss it yourselves."
Ling Yun glanced at An Shiyu. She lowered her head, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"Uncle, we will live a good life," Lingyun said.
Mr. An nodded without saying anything more. He picked up the remote, turned on the TV, and switched to the news channel. Something was being broadcast, but no one paid any attention.
An's mother's voice came from the kitchen: "Shiyu, come lend a hand!"
An Shiyu stood up, patted Ling Yun on the shoulder, and went inside.
Only Lingyun, An's father, and the steady voice of the TV host remained in the living room.
"How long will you stay this time?" asked Mr. An.
"About two weeks," Ling Yun said. "Then I'll go visit a few cities."
"What are you looking at?"
"I want to build several research centers. I'll go and take a look at Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Wuhan."
Mr. An was silent for two seconds. "You've set up quite a business."
Take your time.
Mr. An nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He picked up his teacup and took a sip.
At 11:30 a.m., the table was set. The dumplings were filled with chives and eggs, and there were also several plates of cold and hot dishes. Mother An offered Lingyun the seat of honor, but Lingyun declined and ended up sitting to the side.
The whole family sat together, the sounds of chopsticks clinking against bowls, talking, and laughing filling the air. An Shiyu sat next to Ling Yun, occasionally putting food on his plate.
At 2 PM, the Lixia District Civil Affairs Bureau.
A dozen or so couples were lined up at the entrance, some taking photos, others talking. Ling Yun and An Shiyu were at the end of the line, holding their household registration booklets, ID cards, and photos. The sun was blazing, making their foreheads sweat.
"Is it hot?" Lingyun asked.
"It's alright." An Shiyu took a tissue out of her bag and handed it to Ling Yun. "Wipe yourself."
Ling Yun took it and wiped his forehead.
The line moved slowly forward. A couple in front were whispering to each other; the girl was smiling happily. The couple ahead of them, dressed in matching outfits, were recording a selfie with a selfie stick.
When it was their turn, the staff member at the window was a woman in her forties, wearing reading glasses and with a serious expression.
"Household registration booklet".
Lingyun handed it in.
"ID card."
An Shiyu handed it in.
"photo."
Lingyun handed over the prepared photo of the two of them.
The staff affixed the photo to the red-covered marriage certificate and stamped it with an official seal. The seal made a crisp sound as it pressed down.
"Congratulations." The staff member handed out the two red certificates, finally putting on a smile.
Ling Yun took the marriage certificate. The cover was red, with the words "Marriage Certificate" embossed in gold. He opened it and found their photos inside, stamped with an official seal, and the date written on it: May 20, 1998.
An Shiyu also opened her own book and read it for a long time.
"Let's go," Ling Yun said.
The couple walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau. The sun was shining brightly outside, and the sky was a clear blue. There were still couples queuing up at the entrance; some were taking photos, and others were embracing.
An Shiyu carefully put the marriage certificate into her bag and zipped it up.
"Come to my house for dinner tonight," she said. "My mom said she's making braised pork."
"it is good."
At four o'clock in the afternoon, they returned to An Shiyu's house. An's mother had already started preparing dinner, and the aroma of braised pork wafted from the kitchen. An's father was reading in the study. Hearing them return, he came out to take a look, said nothing, and went back inside.
Ling Yun sat on the living room sofa while An Shiyu went to the kitchen to help. The TV was on, playing a drama, but no one was watching. Fruit and melon seeds were laid out on the coffee table.
My phone rang; it was Carly calling from Europe.
"Mr. Ling, we've finished looking at the data center site in Lyon." Carly's voice came through the receiver, the background noise somewhat noticeable. "The location is good, not far from the city center, with a stable power supply and good fiber optic access. I think we can finalize this location recommended by the French side."
"What about the local team?"
"We interviewed four candidates and selected two. One is the operations manager, a Frenchman who previously worked at Orange; the other is the marketing manager, a German with extensive experience. We are still looking in the UK."
"What about the EU's compliance plan?"
"We've made contact with the people in Brussels, and the first draft will be ready next week."
"Thanks for your hard work."
"It's not hard work," Carly paused.
After hanging up the phone, Ling Yun sat for a while longer. An Shiyu poked her head out from the kitchen: "Dinner's ready!"
Dinner was plentiful: braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and tomato and egg soup. An's mother kept piling food onto Lingyun's plate, making it overflowing. An's father, after a couple of drinks, became more talkative, reminiscing about his business trips when he was younger. An Shiyu ate quietly, occasionally glancing up at Lingyun.