Learning to play games, a 40-year-old woman achieves a remarkable turnaround.

Chapter 356 My Eldest Brother's Happy Event

The days of temporary peace and tranquility are like a stream gently caressed by a warm spring breeze, flowing peacefully and joyfully forward.

Life seemed destined to continue peacefully and steadily. However, an even bigger, more heartwarming piece of good news, like a cheerful pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up even greater waves of joy for the whole family.

"Mom! Little sister!" The eldest brother, Baoguo, unusually didn't call beforehand and rushed into the house. His usually honest face was flushed red, and he was so excited that he was a little flustered. He tightly clutched a small red velvet box in his hand, and his voice trembled slightly, "Qing...Qing'er...she...she agreed! She agreed to marry me! We...we want to get it done as soon as possible!"

"Oh my goodness!" Yuan's mother, who was in the kitchen studying new recipes with Xiao Xiaobai, rushed out upon hearing the noise. She forgot to put down the spatula in her hand, and her face instantly blossomed into a smile brighter than the sun. She took a few steps forward and grabbed Baoguo's arm. "Really? Qing'er really agreed? Quick! Let Mom see!" Her eyes were fixed on the red velvet box in her son's hand.

Yuan Bao also came out of the study upon hearing the sound, her face filled with undisguised surprise and relief: "Brother, congratulations! You've finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel!" She looked at her brother's tense yet blissfully happy expression and was genuinely happy for him.

Lin Qing is a good girl, gentle and virtuous, and she is a perfect match for the honest and simple older brother.

Under the eager gazes of his mother and sister, Baoguo carefully opened the box.

A simple yet lustrous diamond ring lay quietly inside. "I...I went to the park with her this afternoon, and I mustered up the courage...and...and..." Baoguo was so excited he was almost incoherent, but his immense happiness and satisfaction infected everyone in the family.

"Great! Great! That's wonderful!" Yuan Ma's eyes instantly welled up with tears of joy.

She put down the spatula, hugged her son, who was a head taller than her, and patted his back hard. "My son is getting married! My heart is sweeter than honey!" She let go of Baoguo, then turned and grabbed Yuanbao's hand. "Bao'er! Quick! Help me think of something! We need to get the wedding arranged quickly! We can't let Qing'er suffer!"

Yuan Bao smiled and grasped her mother's hand in return. She felt her mother's hand tremble slightly with excitement, but the pure joy made her radiant.

"Mom, don't worry! This is a very happy occasion. We'll take it one step at a time and make sure it's a grand and respectable event for my brother and sister-in-law!"

The Yuan family instantly entered high-speed "wedding preparation mode"!

Yuan Ma, a mother who had toiled in the real world for half her life, seemed to be infused with boundless energy at this moment.

The weariness and sorrow that had accumulated on her face over the years were swept away by this great joy, replaced by a radiant glow.

She rummaged through drawers and cabinets to find her treasured old almanac, put on her reading glasses, and huddled together with Yuan Bao to study auspicious days for marriage.

She dragged Yuan Bao through various shopping malls and wedding supplies markets, energetically selecting festive quilt covers, sheets, and curtains. She was extremely picky about the colors and textures, and her earnestness reminded her of when she was young and preparing her own dowry.

"Baby, what do you think of this dragon and phoenix design? Isn't it grand enough?"

"Mom, this satin feels so nice, my sister-in-law will definitely love it!"

"Wow, this double happiness character paper-cut is so exquisite! I'll buy more and put it up all over the house!"

Yuan Ma's voice was full of long-lost vitality and aspirations that belonged to her age.

For her, the process of preparing for the wedding was not only about helping her son get married, but also a belated and fulfilling experience of participating in and leading a major family event.

Encouraged by Yuan Bao, she even tried using the high-end oven in their new home to enthusiastically learn how to make exquisite wedding cakes and pastries.

Yuan Bao was the "brain" and "best executor" of this wedding preparations. She handled the complicated wedding affairs with ease and amazing efficiency.

Overall planning: She quickly drew up a detailed list and schedule for wedding preparations, from hotel booking, wedding planning company selection, guest list confirmation, invitation design and printing, to wedding process, food and drinks, and selection of wedding favors, leaving no detail unattended and organized.

All Yuan's mother needs to do is state her ideas and requirements, and Yuan Bao can immediately find the best solution.

Resource allocation: She leveraged her network and efficient communication skills to quickly secure a reputable five-star hotel banquet hall in the city as the wedding venue and contacted a top-notch wedding planning team.

There happened to be a high-end floral design studio among the tenants of the shops downstairs. Yuan Bao went directly to the studio, personally communicated with the florist, and finalized a wedding floral design scheme with a fresh and elegant main theme, accented with traditional Chinese red.

Technical Support: She personally designed the electronic invitations and wedding-themed logo, the exquisite design of which impressed even professional designers.

Xiao Jiu (who can manifest in reality to a limited extent after materialization, disguising herself as an ordinary pet) became her "secret weapon," helping her quickly screen wedding photography agencies, compare the cost-effectiveness of wedding banquet menus, and even accurately predict the number of guests attending.

Logistical support: She was responsible for picking up and dropping off Yuan Ma to various places and taking care of Xiao Zhi's daily life. The little guy was also very excited when he learned that his uncle was getting married.

Yuan Bao bought two adjacent large apartments, one in his own name and the other in his older brother's name, while the villa was in his mother's name.

Therefore, nowadays, wedding rooms are decorated directly in large, single-level apartments.

Lin Qing, the bride-to-be, was often warmly invited to Yuan's home by Yuan's mother.

Seeing how much effort Yuan Ma and Yuan Bao put into her wedding, running around doing everything they could, she was deeply moved.

She was a skillful girl and offered to embroider a pair of mandarin duck pillowcases by hand as part of her dowry.

So, in the warm afternoon sunlight, you could often see Lin Qing and Yuan Ma sitting on the sofa on the balcony, one patiently teaching traditional embroidery techniques, the other learning earnestly, a warm and beautiful scene.

Bao Guo watched dumbly from the side, occasionally clumsily trying to pass a string, only to be met with a laughing scolding from Aunt Yuan: "Go away, stop causing trouble, go check the guest list with your sister!"

Xiao Zhi also found his own "important task" - to learn how to cut out big red "囍" characters from his grandma! The little guy held the safety scissors and, under the guidance of Yuan Ma, cut crookedly but very seriously.

He proudly pasted his cut-out "artwork" on his uncle's door. Although it wasn't perfect, it was full of childlike blessings.

Little Nine was responsible for using its nimble little paws (and a tiny bit of insignificant energy) to gather the shredded paper together while he was cutting it up, keeping the floor clean. Yuan Ma praised it highly: "Oh my, this cat is so intelligent!"

The days of preparation were busy but fulfilling, and the house was filled with laughter every day.

The stunning praise when choosing a wedding dress, the careful evaluation when tasting the wedding banquet dishes, the solemnity of writing each stroke of the invitation, the joyous noise when decorating the new house... every detail is imbued with the family's blessings for Baoguo and Linqing, and also carries the deep appreciation that Yuan's mother and Yuan Bao have for this ordinary yet precious family happiness after experiencing many ups and downs.

The moment Yuan Bao accompanied her older brother and Lin Qing to finally sign the wedding contract; the moment Yuan's mother personally handed the embroidered mandarin duck pillowcase to Lin Qing, both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law's eyes slightly red; the moment Xiao Zhi held up the most satisfying "囍" character he had cut out and loudly announced that he would paste it in the center of the wedding stage...

Looking at the lively and genuinely happy scene before him, Yuan Bao felt a surge of warmth and peace in his heart.

On the mother's face was a pure joy, a joy born from the weight of her burden; in the eldest brother's eyes was an infinite longing for the future; and Xiao Zhi's laughter was as clear and crisp as a silver bell.

The tranquility after retiring from her successful career, and the joy of celebrating with her family, intertwine to form the most fulfilling background of her life at this moment.

And she knew that this sense of fulfillment was continuing.

The mother's gaming life has just begun, the eldest brother's marriage is about to bear fruit, and there are endless possibilities for her own future and Xiaozhi's growth.

She leaned gently against her mother, savoring the sweetness amidst the busyness, and looking forward to the grand wedding that would soon be filled with love and blessings.