Yang Jian called his sister and brother-in-law out of the car. Holding his son, he walked towards the stage, guided by Jing Yongli.
Lu Yao and Chen Lan had no choice but to follow, curious about what was happening.
"Xiao Yang, you're finally back. Let me introduce you to Minister Ma from the District Propaganda Department and Director Wu from the Tourism Bureau."
On the side of the stage, Peng Chaoyang shook Yang Jian's hand and introduced the leaders beside him.
"Hello, Minister Ma."
"Hello, Director Wu."
Yang Jian shook hands with each of the leaders and had a brief exchange with them. He then introduced Lu Yao to them.
Lu Yao was still dazed, unsure what day it was, why so many leaders were present, and why they were all waiting for Yang Jian.
Just as she was about to ask Jing Yongli for an explanation, she saw a beautiful female host walk onto the stage.
"Respected leaders, distinguished guests, and all the fellow villagers who have come to support us, good morning. Today is the grand occasion of Yaochi Garden's official opening. The first item on the agenda is the unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony. We invite all leaders to the stage."
After speaking, the female host gestured for the etiquette ladies to escort the leaders and guests onto the stage.
Yang Jian handed the child to Chen Lan and then led Lu Yao onto the stage, holding her hand.
"Brother Jian, why am I going on stage?" Lu Yao asked softly.
"To cut the ribbon. Don't ask too many questions, just follow the host's instructions." Yang Jian still didn't explain.
Under the host's arrangement, Yang Jian and Lu Yao stood in the center, with Mayor Peng, Minister Ma, Director Wu, and village secretary Yang Huailin standing on either side of them in a line.
"The unveiling ceremony begins."
As soon as the host finished speaking, Yang Shuanglin and Lu Qian, who had been waiting at the garden entrance, simultaneously pulled off the red cloth, revealing the four gilded characters of Yaochi Garden.
Lu Yao finally understood. This was the opening ceremony.
Under the host's direction, Yang Jian and the others completed the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Immediately, hundreds of fireworks and firecrackers erupted in the sky, enveloping the venue in a festive and lively atmosphere.
Ten minutes later, after the fireworks finished, the host returned to the center of the stage.
"Distinguished guests, Yaochi Garden was invested and built by Mr. Yang Jian, an entrepreneur from Yangli Village, with a total investment of over fifty million yuan. There is also a romantic love story behind this garden. The reason for building this garden was because Yang Jian's girlfriend, Lu Yao, is a middle school teacher. When they first started dating, she casually mentioned that if she had money in the future, she wanted to build an agricultural park here, where she could bring her students and colleagues for sightseeing and experiencing rural life during holidays. It was because of this casual remark that Mr. Yang Jian kept it in his heart. After his business began to profit, he started planning this garden, ultimately spending tens of millions and taking two years to complete it. He even used the character 'Yao' from his girlfriend Lu Yao's name in the garden's naming."
Before the host could finish speaking, Lu Yao was already in tears. She realized how much Yang Jian had done for her and that he had always kept her in the most important place in his heart all these years.
"Today, in addition to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, there is also a proposal segment. Mr. Yang Jian and Miss Lu Yao have overcome many hardships and are reunited after being separated for four years. Today, Mr. Yang Jian wants to take this opportunity to formally propose to Miss Lu Yao, with everyone as witness."
As he spoke, an etiquette lady brought a small box on a tray. Yang Jian took a diamond ring from the box, knelt on one knee before Lu Yao, and said, "Yaoyao, marry me."
"Together, together!" The shouts from the audience below the stage were like a tidal wave, pushing the atmosphere to a climax.
Chen Lan, sitting in the audience, was moved to tears. Lu Qian beside her also secretly wiped his eyes. His daughter had not misjudged him; Yang Jian was a man of deep affection and loyalty, and their daughter would not be wronged by following him.
"Grandma, why are you all crying? What are Mommy and Daddy doing up there?" Yang Zhengyuan, looking bewildered, asked the adults curiously.
"Mommy and Daddy are getting married," Lu Qian said, picking him up and explaining softly. He had come directly after receiving a call from Chen Lan the day before.
On the stage, Lu Yao wiped away her tears, calmed herself, and extended her right middle finger to Yang Jian. Yang Jian solemnly placed the ring on her finger, then stood up and embraced her.
A wave of applause erupted from below the stage. The grandeur of this ceremony was unprecedented in Xinqiao and even in the entire Xinhe region.
After the ceremony, Yang Jian and Lu Yao walked off the stage. Director Wu from the Tourism Bureau then gave a speech, announcing that Yaochi Garden had been incorporated into the district-level tourist attractions and would be promoted to the public. Finally, there was a large-scale song and dance performance, which the audience below said they had come for.
"Brother Jian, you're so sneaky. Why didn't you tell me about something so important? You caught me completely off guard." Lu Yao chided Yang Jian a little, but her face was radiant with happiness.
Yang Jian smiled and said, "I just wanted to surprise you. If I had told you in advance, where would be the fun in that?"
Lu Yao pouted at her parents, "Dad, Mom, you knew all along, didn't you? You kept it a secret from me."
"Don't you young people like this kind of romance? It turned out very well," Lu Qian said, genuinely happy for his daughter.
Since there were leaders present, Yang Jian had to accompany them. Yang Shuanglin invited Lu Qian's family back to Yangli Village first.
In the front row of the audience in front of the stage, Yang Jian sat beside Peng Chaoyang to watch the performance.
"Xiao Yang, you're not going out again after coming back this time, are you?" Peng Chaoyang leaned over and spoke to Yang Jian in a low voice.
"I need to prepare for the wedding during this time, so I don't plan on going out anytime soon. Do you need something, Mayor Peng?"
"Well, it's hard to meet you. If you're not going out anytime soon, I'll find you separately to chat."
"If it's something important, please tell me now. I'll be very busy from now on."
Peng Chaoyang thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let me give you a heads-up first. Consider it when you have time."
"Go ahead."
"The rubber dam on Xiao Sha River has started to store water. After investigation, the town government believes the water quality of Xiao Sha River is very good and wants to build a tap water plant next to Yaochi Garden to solve the drinking water problem for Xinqiao Town."
In the entire Xinhe District, only Chengguan and Xingang Town currently had tap water. Other townships relied on wells for groundwater, which not only failed to guarantee water quality but also caused a serious decline in groundwater levels. Providing tap water to the public had always been a problem the town government wanted to solve.
Yang Jian didn't quite understand, "Building a tap water plant is a good thing. It shouldn't affect the operation of Yaochi Garden, should it?"
Peng Chaoyang shook his head, "This has nothing to do with Yaochi Garden. Building a tap water plant requires a large amount of capital, and the town currently doesn't have that much money. My idea is for you to invest in this water plant. It will benefit the public, and it's also a profitable project."
"I invest? How much money is needed?"
"Based on a standard of 200,000 people, the investment will be around six million yuan. Later, there will be pipeline installation, so about ten million yuan should be enough."
"This investment is a bit large. I wonder when the investment will be recovered."
"In Xinqiao, only you have this capability, and you also have the sentiment to do good deeds for the common people."
"No, no, no, I can't accept such high praise. I'll discuss this when I get back and give you an answer after the wedding." Yang Jian had no understanding of the tap water industry, and even with his wealth, he couldn't agree immediately.