The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 212 - 211: Stunning Everyone

They pushed open the door and entered a grand hall. The lights were bright, and many people were already there, gathered together and talking. The men were all in sharp suits, and there were quite a few women, all in evening gowns.

Ji Cheng scanned the room and led the three of them straight to a man.

When the man saw Ji Cheng, he extended his hand first. "Ji Cheng, long time no see. I didn’t expect to see you here."

’So Ji Cheng is well-acquainted with people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.’

Ji Cheng reached out, shook the man’s hand, and said, "Secretary Wei, these are students from our university. They’re the three who have come to help translate at your ministry’s invitation."

Secretary Wei’s eyes lit up as he looked at Xue Yue and Meng Ye.

"Are all the young women at your university this beautiful?"

After saying this, he looked at Wei Yuyang, who was behind them, and started to laugh.

"You little rascal, if I had known you were one of the translators from your university this time, I would have just brought you over myself."

Wei Yuyang’s expression remained neutral as he quietly said, "Dad."

That one word, "Dad," didn’t just surprise Ji Cheng; even Xue Yue and Meng Ye were stunned for a moment.

They both had the surname Wei—

’So they’re father and son. Wei Yuyang is Secretary Wei of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ son! Heavens, this is huge news. No wonder Wei Yuyang is so good at foreign languages. It runs in the family!’

Secretary Wei smiled and said to Ji Cheng, "Yuyang is my only son. I never thought he’d end up as your student. Years ago, the little rascal was determined to go temper himself in the army, and the family indulged him. Later, he experienced some setbacks in the military. After being discharged, he came back just in time for the restoration of the university system. I never expected he’d end up following my path after all."

Wei Yuyang’s father didn’t go into detail, but it was clear there was more to the story of Wei Yuyang’s return from the army.

Ji Cheng glanced at the silent Wei Yuyang, whose face betrayed no emotion.

He changed the subject, asking, "Which country are the visitors from this time?"

"People from Country M, here to discuss a partnership. There should also be people from the Ministry of Commerce. Attracting foreign investment has always been their responsibility."

When Xue Yue heard "Ministry of Commerce," she immediately thought, ’Isn’t that Uncle Zheng’s department?’

’I wonder if I’ll get to see Uncle Zheng tonight.’

After about half an hour, the delegation finally arrived late. And as expected, the one leading them was Zheng Guofeng.

At this moment, Zheng Guofeng’s face was completely devoid of a smile; he looked very serious.

Following him was a group of foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes.

There were about ten of them.

Secretary Wei went up to greet them, and Ji Cheng gestured for the three students to follow.

Zheng Guofeng first introduced the newcomers to Secretary Wei. "This is Mr. Joel, a director of the Moore Group, and that is his assistant, Carlao."

Xue Yue listened to them introduce each other, observing carefully.

Zheng Guofeng also happened to notice Xue Yue. His gaze paused for a moment when he saw her attire, then he turned to the person calling his name.

"Mr. Zheng, didn’t you say that Hua Country’s cuisine is everywhere, and as time-honored as your culture? I’m very eager to experience it."

Zheng Guofeng nodded and gestured. "Mr. Joel, this way, please. Our chefs have already prepared a variety of snacks for you to try."

The group sat down at a very large dining table.

Dozens of our country’s delicacies were already laid out on it. There were many dishes Xue Yue couldn’t even name, but every single one was a feast for the senses.

Midway through the meal, Joel suddenly brought up the current situation in Hua Country.

"I’ve heard that in the rural areas of your Hua Country, many people still don’t have enough to eat. Is it true they strip bark from trees and forage for wild vegetables to eat?"

As soon as he said this, the room suddenly fell silent.

Secretary Wei spoke up. "Mr. Joel, our Hua Country has now basically solved the problem of hunger."

Joel waved his hand. "NO, NO, NO. You’re in the city; you’ve never been to the countryside. You have no right to speak on this. I’ve seen pictures of your countryside in our newspapers, and it’s probably even more miserable than what I’ve described. So, with your country’s current strength, why should we believe you can successfully complete our partnership? Just look at what I’ve seen and heard on my way here—it’s backward everywhere. It can’t compare to our country at all."

His words were clearly filled with distrust, or perhaps even discrimination.

Faced with Joel’s sudden question, everyone was at a bit of a loss for how to respond.

Suddenly, Xue Yue stood up.

She began to speak in English. "Mr. Joel, I come from the countryside, so I should have the right to speak on this. I can’t deny that the scenes you described did exist once, but that was during the War of Resistance, when our country was being invaded by other nations. Our people lived lives of unspeakable hardship, but that wasn’t our fault. It was the evil committed by those invaders. But things are different now. Our country and our people were victorious. Our farmers are hardworking and kind. They cultivate the land diligently. The countryside is no longer the scene you described. Perhaps you could go see for yourself. The people there eat meat, and they eat white rice and flour. Our homeland is developing at a rapid pace. The future is full of promise."

Zheng Guofeng picked up where she left off. "Mr. Joel, you’re a businessman. You should know that business isn’t just about strength; it’s also about credibility. I believe no one values credibility more than us people of Hua Country. After all, it’s a spirit engraved in our very bones."

Joel began to ponder. After a moment, he smiled.

"It seems I’ve underestimated your strength. As for our partnership, I will go back and give it more consideration. But, who is this beautiful young lady?"

Joel was referring to Xue Yue.

Secretary Wei explained, "She is a translator for our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but she is also currently a university student."

Joel was a little surprised. "A university student is already this impressive? Hmm, now I can believe it. Your country truly does have a promising future."

Xue Yue just smiled and sat down.

In reality, Xue Yue’s palms were already sweating. Speaking so boldly in front of so many leaders... thinking back on it now, she had been a bit too impulsive. But listening to someone slander her country was simply unbearable. Perhaps this was the patriotic spirit that runs in the bones of the people of Hua Country.

On the surface, however, Xue Yue appeared perfectly calm.

Wei Yuyang asked her in a low voice, "Are you okay?"

Xue Yue shook her head.

Under the table, Meng Ye gave her a thumbs-up. Xue Yue pressed her lips together.

After dinner, there was a dance.

As the music started, men and women glided onto the dance floor and began to dance. Xue Yue watched, finding it very interesting.

However, Xue Yue didn’t know how to dance. She just stood off to the side, occasionally translating a few sentences for people, though by now it was mostly small talk.

Suddenly, she saw Zheng Guofeng waving at her.

Xue Yue excused herself to the person next to her and went over. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Mr. Joel would like to ask you for a dance. Do you know how?" Zheng Guofeng asked.

Xue Yue shook her head. "I don’t."

At these kinds of events, people usually did ballroom dancing. This was Xue Yue’s first time attending such a ball; never mind knowing how to dance, it was the first time she had even seen it in person.