There’s also a distinction in Imperial Planet marriage law between “being married” and “to marry.” When a man and a woman get married, the woman becomes the man’s wife. It’s the same thing when a man marries a “new female.” Additional applications could be submitted, but they would likely be denied unless there were exceptional circumstances.
The goal when this law was first changed was to lessen the power of native families.
After all, it didn’t matter how lowly or poorly off the native families were, as long as they bore their surname, they were guaranteed a permanent home on this planet and access to the finest in welfare services. The Imperial Planet was extremely well-off. If a person obtains permanent residency, he or she can essentially live without working.
However, such a large population would place a significant burden on the government. As a result, the legal law stated that if a native woman married a foreigner who was not an official or a member of a native family, the permanent residence privilege would be revoked, and the ability to live permanently on this planet would be measured by money or ability.
Women from native families typically marry within their families or marry into other native families to obtain permanent residency. Take Yan Qi’s mom and aunt as an example. One married a male family member, and the other married into the native Rigel family.
There were, however, exceptions.
Lu Tao’s grandmother, for example, married outside the family. Her real surname was “YouSi.” Although she was a branch of the family, she was also YouSi Kui’s cousin.
The old madame had an outlandish personality. She hadn’t had much contact with her mother’s family since marrying out; even Cheng Jin had forgotten about her relationship with the YouSi family. He had not expected to meet her at this time.
The words “I’m done for” were displayed on his face. The icy stare of Cheng Jin’s grandmother was a thousand times more humiliating than being the subject of widespread rumor.
Cheng Jin was completely red-faced and speechless. He couldn’t bear looking at her. When his eyes fell on her knees, he saw that her legs were covered with a blanket that he had given her, which made him feel a little more conflicted.
Maybe their relationship could be eased a little if he wasn’t humiliated right now?
YouSi Kui laughed and said gently, “It’s really Xiao Cheng Jin! You look adorable in this outfit.”
Lu Tao’s grandmother frowned at him, while YouSi Kui smiled and said, “Oh, this child has changed so much. Ah Jie, don’t be angry, it’s no big deal. Earlier today, my granddaughter lost to her older sister. She’ll be a maid for the entire day. I think it looks pretty good.”
The corner of the old madame’s mouth twitched, and Lian Wu, who was standing on the side, realized what was going on. He was both shocked and nervous. He quickly replied, “It’s actually just a joke. If Young Master Cheng wants to change it, then-“
“I’m not going to change!” Cheng Jin finally mustered the courage to raise his head. His voice, while not loud, was very powerful. “This is a trade-off. I can’t back out now that I’ve already agreed!”
He had never taken the initiative to take any responsibility in his life. A force was applied to his back, propelling him forward, even though he had never needed it before. The grievance he had imagined was insignificant in comparison to the true humiliation.
For a brief moment, the small hall was deafeningly quiet. Lian Wu’s expression was also tinged with embarrassment. Lu Tao’s grandmother appeared surprised. When she looked at Cheng Jin, her demeanor was less icy.
In the end, Si Kui was the one who smoothed things over. “Okay, okay, let’s not get involved in what the kids are doing. Lian Wu, if you have the time, please give me Madam Ruilla’s contact information. I also want to ask her to sew me a beautiful dress. You guys go out first to play; there are many games today, and if you win, you will receive prizes.”
Lian Wu couldn’t say he didn’t have Madam Ruilla’s contact information, but the atmosphere around them was stiff, so he couldn’t stay any longer and had to leave with a dry smile. Cheng Jin, on the other hand, was more composed. He bowed at them, and followed.
When they arrived at a less crowded location, Lian Wu began to hop around. “Yoyoyoyour partner is Lu Tao? General Lu Tao?! Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Cheng Jin remained silent, but asked respectfully, “Do you have any orders, Young Master Lian?”
“Stop stop stop! Our agreement ends here. I won’t let you be a servant. You should get away from me quickly.”
Cheng Jin refused. “But our agreement is one day, and I have to keep my word. If you need anything, please tell me, and I will serve you.”
Lian Wu was covered in goosebumps and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Have you gone insane? Weren’t you reluctant to get out of the car?”
“I’ll go get you champagne,” Cheng Jin replied. He turned and walked into the crowd, no longer burying his head, but with a calm demeanor and a normal pace. He naturally received a lot of surprised and mocking looks along the way. He didn’t mind entirely, but he no longer felt the shame and resentment he had before.
He had already learned to accept and bear responsibility.
The drinks were all self-service at the banquet. But, of course, waiters were present to serve all of the guests. Cheng Jin discovered that he was not the only one dressed in this manner. Other men and women dressed as servants or maids were present, the most amusing of whom was a man who appeared to be from the Rigel family.
He was a burly man, standing at over 1.9 meters, and he had a beard, but he was dressed like a maid. He could tell the outfit was too small for him because it squeezed his entire body. It looked like the fabric was about to tear at any moment. But, contrary to popular belief, he was completely unaffected by the stares of others. Only when the other party’s gaze became too intense would he stretch out a cattail-leaf fan and slap it in his hands, then say, “Are you enamored, dude? Yes? Do you wanna get knocked out?”
The Rigel family was notorious for being warlike and possessing a formidable military force. The majority of those who attended the banquet were spoiled young ladies or young masters who didn’t dare to antagonize him, so they all fled. He moved slowly to Cheng Jin’s side, as if deciding which dessert to eat. After noticing Cheng Jin’s outfit, he couldn’t help laughing. “Wow, this outfit looks great on you.”
To talk to anyone else would make Cheng Jin feel awkward, but when the big man dressed similarly approached him, he immediately felt at ease. But he wasn’t very good at conversing. He had intended to compliment the other party’s attire as appropriate, but after looking at it, he couldn’t, so he made a vague “oh.” The big man didn’t mind, and asked again, “Who did you come with?”
“Lian Wu, Young Master Lian Wu.”
“Oh, I recognize him. He’s Kosma’s daughter-in-law.”
“Mhm…” After picking out the wine and getting ready to bring it to Lian Wu, Cheng Jin looked around but couldn’t find Lian Wu anywhere. He eventually had to return to the buffet table. The big man had already started eating the cake. He enthusiastically handed over the plate. “Would you like to try some?”
Cheng Jin smiled and shook his head. “No need, thank you.”
“This cake is delish.” The big man chewed, then suddenly remembered something. He exclaimed loudly, “Oh, yes! My name is Eureka, Eureka Rigel.”
“My name is Cheng Jin,” Cheng Jin replied quickly.
Eureka obviously didn’t know him, but he was also obviously a talkative person, so he didn’t seem unfamiliar at all, and continued, “There will be a game session later. What activities do you want to take part in? I’ve heard that today’s prizes are quite lavish. I’d like to receive the Sonne’s Bakery one-year dessert supply voucher. The contest is wool knitting. I’ve been practicing at home for a week, so I think I have a chance of winning.”
Cheng Jin was at a loss for words. He had no idea about the banquet’s game content or prizes. He did, however, have a strange feeling. “Why is it wool knitting? I recall it used to be all about literature, painting abilities, poetry, and musical instruments.”
Cheng Jin wasn’t particularly skilled in any of these areas, but he still eagerly joined in on the first round. But after he got absolutely no place in the rankings, he was too ashamed to try again.
“Who knows.” Eureka shrugged. “All of a sudden, fashion became a thing. I heard them all talking about a Madam Ruilla as I came along. Speaking of, Miss Qi’s dress is so beautiful that it makes her bad temper less annoying to delve at.”
Cheng Jin was now almost certain that he was the “Madam Ruilla” they were referring to. All of the finished products that he had created were well received.
Wasn’t this an opportunity to make more money?
Eureka patted Cheng Jin on the shoulder before he could think any further. “Would you like to join us? You look like you’ll be good at knitting with wool.”
“I-I still need to serve Young Master Lian…”
“Didn’t he run off? Come on, let’s sign up together. If you win the prize, you can give me the supply voucher. I’ll buy it for 100,000.”
As he grabbed him and pushed them both through the crowd, the big man said. Cheng Jin had intended to refuse, but after hearing the figure “100,000,” he was unable to do so.
Eureka obviously knew where the woolen competition was held. The competition preparations had been completed by the time they arrived, and the registration stage had begun. The people swarming around her were mostly women or “new females.”
Of course there were many men watching, because Eureka and Cheng Jin, who just arrived, were extremely eye-catching. Eureka didn’t seem to mind their stares. He tapped the table with his large hand, and his voice was as clear as a bell. “Cheng Jin and I will also participate.”
His words elicited a burst of laughter, and more people naturally gathered to witness the spectacle. Cheng Jin noticed that reporters were taking photographs. He quickly covered his face with his hands. After a while, the person in charge gave each participant almost every kind of knitting needle and yarn ball that could be bought on the market. “A knitted piece must be completed within two hours. You can do a variety of styles. It may include scarves, gloves, or other accessories. I will judge the final product when the time comes, and the winner will receive a Sonne’s Bakery gift certificate for a year’s worth of desserts. The game has now begun.”