I got married, and at the wedding, there were two brides.

　　I was not joking.

　　My mother-in-law and I wore the same traditional costume, completely unconcerned with the gazes of others.

　　I tried to persuade her gently, but my husband sided with his mother.

　　The master of ceremonies was on stage, trying to hype up the atmosphere.

　　"Next, let's invite the bride to say a few words! Let's give her a warm welcome."

　　So, I pushed the microphone toward my mother-in-law and took on the role of the master of ceremonies.

　　"New bride, please say a few words."

　　The audience erupted into excitement.

　　After the formalities at the wedding banquet, I changed into a different traditional costume.

　　With the blessings of friends and family, I felt incredibly happy.

　　When it came time for the speeches, my mother-in-law caused quite a stir as soon as she came up.

　　She was wearing the exact same traditional costume as I was.

　　I managed a forced smile and asked my husband, "Why is Mom dressed like this? Can you ask her to change? It's inappropriate for the occasion."

　　My husband, however, was indifferent. He advised me to let it go.

　　"It's no big deal. She's my mom. Just give in a little."

　　I grew increasingly displeased and said, "I bought her so many clothes, but she insisted on wearing this one. One would think she is the bride!"

　　My husband patted my hand to indicate that it was not a big deal.

　　My mother-in-law, standing next to him on stage, naturally linked arms with him.

　　For the sake of the wedding, I had to keep smiling.

　　When the master of ceremonies prompted my husband.

　　He said, "The groom must feel incredibly happy to marry such a beautiful bride! Do you have anything you'd like to say to the bride?"

　　Holding the microphone in his left hand and holding hands with his mother with his right, their fingers intertwined.

　　"I'm very happy to marry my wife. I'm grateful she chose me in the end. I'll take good care of her and make her happy! Cathy, I love you."

　　He turned to look at me with a smile.

　　I wiped away a tear with my hand in response, though I couldn't smile genuinely.

　　"Of course, I also want to thank my mom. Without her, there wouldn't be me today. Her support and love have helped me reach where I am now. Mom, I love you, forever."

　　Facing his mother, they held each other tightly, tears streaming down their faces.

　　My mother-in-law had already burst into tears. She wiped her tears and nodded. Under the applause of the audience, they hugged each other tightly.

　　No one noticed my tightly knitted brows. They were all moved by their touching words.

　　Seeing them embrace for a long time, I approached and gently tugged on his sleeve as a reminder.

　　I went around my husband and spoke softly to my mother-in-law.

　　"Mom, it's not appropriate for you to dress like this. I bought many other clothes for you last time. Please change into one of those later."

　　My mother-in-law ignored me, still immersed in her son's emotional moment.

　　She even glared at me before burying her head in my husband's chest, crying.

　　The master was stirring up the atmosphere in the wedding venue. It was time for me to speak next.

　　"Next, let's welcome the bride to give a wedding speech!"

　　The next second, I handed the microphone to my mother-in-law and turned into the master.

　　"Bride, say something."

　　The audience burst into an uproar.

　　My husband and mother-in-law were stunned.

　　My husband spoke first.

　　"Cathy, don't mess around!"

　　I smiled and said, "you asked her to change her clothes and keep a distance from you, so I won't say anything more."

　　At this time, my mother-in-law spoke.

　　"Cathy, I'm your mother-in-law. From now on, we're a family. It doesn't matter if we wear the same clothes."

　　I refused to relent. Seeing that we were in a deadlock, the master began to mediate.

　　"Well, the bride is joking. I didn't expect her to be so humorous. Let's liven up the atmosphere. Next, it's time for both sides to exchange rings."

　　This was another part of the ceremony I didn't understand. My husband said it was a family tradition to exchange rings at an auspicious time.

　　I thought it was just a formality and didn't argue with him about it.

　　However, what followed was even more bizarre.

　　The flower boy, my aunt's youngest son, waddled up to the stage with the ring box.

　　As he walked, he turned and handed the rings to my mother-in-law, holding them with both hands and mumbling a blessing.

　　"Wishing, uncle and auntie, a hundred years of harmony, and soon, a precious child."

　　I was speechless again, struggling to contain my anger.

　　"He's just a child, don't be too hard on him." I told myself.

　　I forced a smile and extended my hand. "Sweetheart, Auntie is here."

　　However, my mother-in-law took the rings happily and handed them to my husband.

　　"It doesn't matter who takes them. Son, I'm really reluctant to part with you. You must take good care of yourself in the future." She held my husband's hand with lingering affection.

　　My husband reassured her, "Mom, don't worry. I'll have you come live with us. Xiaoxiao and I will take good care of you!"

　　I was displeased. We had clearly agreed to live separately before marriage, so why was she now moving in with us just because of a few tears?

　　Didn't they ask for my opinion?

　　I pulled the ring box from their hands and stood between them.

　　"Oh, dear. Since Mom is so understanding, she definitely wouldn't want to interfere with us. Just forget it."

　　To my surprise, my mother-in-law smiled and said, "I know my son can't bear to part with me, so I've already moved my luggage to your new home with your father. From now on, we'll all live together as one family."

　　"What?! We agreed that we would live separately after the wedding and not interfere with each other. Did you respect my wishes at all?"

　　My sudden outburst caught them off guard. My husband glanced at the guests, feeling embarrassed, and quickly grabbed me.

　　"Cathy! Let's talk about this at home. Don't forget, today is our wedding."

　　I tried to calm myself. Today was my wedding, and I didn't want to ruin it.

　　But it was really hard not to be furious.

　　"Zane, you know this is our wedding, right? If you don't say anything, I'd think it's your and your mother's wedding!"

　　"Don't say that! She's my mother, and we're all family. Living together is not a bad thing. We can look after each other. If you mind she didn't inform you earlier, I apologize on her behalf. Please forgive her."

　　Seeing his sincere apology, I was initially inclined to forgive my mother-in-law.

　　Little did I expect, my mother-in-law was displeased and shielded her son behind her.

　　"Cathy, don't go too far. Today is my son's wedding and you can't say such unlucky things. The guests are watching, and you need to consider the Harrington family's reputation."

　　Looking around, I saw relatives and friends whispering and watching us.

　　My sister-in-law stepped in to defuse the situation. "Cathy, what's wrong with the bride living with her mother-in-law? When you have kids, my mom can help you with them. It's a good thing, isn't it?"

　　Humph. I bought the house myself, and I will kick them out when the time comes. For now, I decided not to argue.

　　I whispered in Zane's ear, "You need to promise me that after the wedding, you'll book a five-star hotel for your parents and send them home in a few days."

　　His face darkened, and he looked stern.

　　"Cathy, they are my parents. You're pushing them out right after the wedding. What will others think of me?"

　　I didn't care what others think of you. If you were not willing to book them a good hotel, who had their in-laws living with them right after the wedding?

　　"Just promise me that the wedding will continue as planned, and I won't mention the matching outfits again. Is that too difficult?"

　　My sister-in-law couldn't hold back anymore and came forward to oppose. "Houses are meant to be lived in. The house also has my brother's name on it. Why can't my mom live here? They came from far away, and as a daughter-in-law, making them stay in a hotel is simply unfilial!"

　　I was also fed up and retorted directly.

　　"Then why don't you take them to your home? You're the most filial."

　　My sister-in-law was immediately at a loss for words, unable to respond.

　　"This is my wedding with Zane. I can overlook the fact that my mother-in-law wore the same traditional costume as I did, but moving into our new home without consulting me? Who wouldn't be uncomfortable with that?"

　　Seeing the situation, the master of ceremonies was also sweating and hurriedly reminded us that we were still in the process and should discuss these matters later.

　　Then, Zane, using a mix of coaxing and persuasion, said he would respect me and would handle it after the wedding. I agreed and no one wants their wedding to turn unpleasant.

　　After the ring exchange, it was time for toasts.

　　When it was Zane's relatives' turn, I noticed a girl who looked like she had been crying. Her eyes were red, and she didn't stand up, only burying her head in her food.

　　When I went to toast her, she looked up with a hint of hostility. I thought I had offended her with my earlier behavior.

　　But her reaction seemed odd.

　　She didn't clink glasses with me, and my mother-in-law went over to whisper in her ear, making her instantly smile.

　　My mother-in-law explained, "Anna, isn't feeling well. I'll drink her glass of wine for her."

　　It was strange. What kind of relative was she?

　　Why should my mother-in-law drink on behalf of a younger relative?

　　She looked only a few years younger than me, probably a college student, and had a somewhat prosperous look.

　　"Honey, who is she?"

　　Zane glanced at her with a fleeting expression. She looked directly at him with a bold stare.

　　"She's a distant cousin of mine who came with my mom."

　　I said, "Oh," and didn't think much of it.

　　But when his cousin stood up, I noticed her protruding belly. It was clear it wasn't from overeating.

　　My woman's intuition told me something was off about this cousin.

　　I approached her again to offer a toast.

　　"Are you my husband's cousin? Let me toast you."

　　My mother-in-law hurried over. "Can't you understand what I said? She can't drink!"

　　I looked at her belly and asked, "You look young, probably still in college. Are you dating anyone?"

　　My mother-in-law interrupted and said, "That's a private matter. Why do you need to know?"

　　"No particular reason. I just thought she might be a good match for a friend of mine who's looking for a girlfriend. The one who's a wealthy man, you know him. What do you think?"

　　I held Zane's arm intimately, and he lowered his head with a wry smile.

　　"Well, it's good."

　　Seeing the cousin's glaring eyes, my sister-in-law quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

　　"We should move on to the next table. Everyone is waiting. Cathy, let's not discuss unrelated topics."

　　The family was covering for each other, proving the old saying, "There's no silver here, only a lot of gold."

　　I didn't ask any more questions and memorized what she looked like.

　　After starving for a whole day, they could finally sit down and have a meal.

　　My mother-in-law was having a cross-cupped drink with my husband.

　　The food in my stomach almost made me puke.

　　"Zane, can you have a little sense? Am I your wife or is your mother your wife? Drinking a toast in front of so many people? Isn't that embarrassing?"

　　Zane was aware of the situation and quietly told me not to speak so loudly.

　　I glared at him. "You care about face? How do you think others see me? We're all adults and mind your manners! Come sit on my right."

　　My mother-in-law immediately held him down, not letting him move.

　　"Cathy, now that you're the Harrington family's daughter-in-law, there are some rules I need to tell you. Zane was raised by me from a young age. If he's not close to me, who will he be close to? As a daughter-in-law, you should learn to be obedient and not fuss over every little thing. Don't think you're superior just because you're from the city!"

　　I swallowed the last bite of meat and watched as Zane peeled shrimp and fed it to my mother-in-law.

　　I ignored her and pointed at Zane's shrimp. "Put on gloves and peel some for me too."

　　"Since my hands are already dirty, don't bother with gloves. Here—" he said, trying to feed it to me.

　　I turned my head away. "I don't want to eat someone else's saliva."

　　Seeing him put it in his own mouth, I swallowed with disgust.

　　"Ding!"

　　Zane's phone rang. He glanced at it and said he needed to go to the restroom.

　　A girl from a distance followed him.

　　I gave her a meaningful look and sent a message to my best friend.

　　After a moment, he returned to his seat with some unknown red stain on his collar.

　　I silently mocked myself for being foolish enough to fall for him.

　　I gently helped him adjust his clothes and joked, "Honey, how did you get something that looks like poop on your collar just from going to the restroom?"

　　He was somewhat impatient and had to suppress his anger. "Can't you say something nice on such a joyful day?"

　　Seeing my mother-in-law about to explode, I pretended to be coquettish. "I'm just kidding. Did you take it seriously?"

　　Seeing my mother-in-law's clothes made me even angrier. I narrowed my eyes and hugged Zane.

　　Wine spilled onto my mother-in-law's traditional costume, and I secretly smirked, then turned to my mother-in-law with a sympathetic expression.

　　"Mother-in-law, are you alright? Go change into another outfit quickly."

　　My mother-in-law grumbled and went to the changing room.

　　When I came back, I didn't look too good.

　　When she came back, my mood had soured. With my smile fading, Zane started pulling her aside, asking why she was dressed like that.

　　I was waiting for an explanation, but instead, I was met with indirect criticism.

　　My mother-in-law said with a sense of grievance, "I don't know where my new clothes went. I had already discarded my old clothes, so I saw this nice one in the room and put it on. It's a bit tight, but son, you won't blame me, right?"

　　What she was wearing was another set of my wedding attire, a golden one that was delicate but not gaudy. It was also my favorite, and seeing her in it made me very uncomfortable.

　　Zane looked at me with a somewhat meaningful glance.

　　"Cathy, Mom's clothes are missing, and they were all designer brands. Someone might have taken them. I'll call the manager to handle it. Don't mind that Mom has no clothes to wear."

　　I sneered. "No need to call anyone. I sold all the clothes as second-hand. I didn't expect you to wear my clothes. This is really eye-opening."

　　My mother-in-law, misunderstanding, thought I was complimenting her. Zane was unhappy.

　　"She's your mother-in-law. What's wrong with her wearing your clothes? Why the sarcasm? Why did you sell her clothes without consulting us?"

　　"Yes! I'm stingy. I was stingy enough to ask for only 10,000 dollars in bride price and agreed to a promissory note. Stingy enough to buy the car myself, give the down payment for the house, and cover the entire wedding expense. And now I have to endure being blamed for my clothes being worn by someone else?" I raised my voice intentionally.

　　The guests around us noticed the commotion and gathered.

　　Seeing that my mother-in-law wasn't in the right, she started to weep. "What sin have I committed? Just wearing my daughter-in-law's clothes seems like a serious crime. She even sold our clothes, leaving us with nothing to wear. Who's really at fault?"

　　I sneered. "Your clothes were all bought by me, so they are my property. I don't need to report to you about using my own things. You took my clothes without asking and are now turning the tables on me. What kind of mother-in-law wears her daughter-in-law's wedding attire? Do you want to marry your son instead?"

　　The murmurs around us grew like buzzing flies. I no longer cared about tearing the facade and a good woman shouldn't be bullied.

　　Some wise relatives stepped in. "Auntie, it's truly inappropriate for you to dress like this on your son's wedding day."

　　As more people agreed, it became clear that they were losing face.

　　My mother-in-law's face turned red with anger, and she urged Zane to speak up.

　　Zane, unfamiliar with handling large crowds, became nervous and tightly squeezed my arm, begging me.

　　"Stop causing a scene. We can talk about this when we get home. I'll listen to everything you say."

　　I realized he was still deceiving me, and I hated being lied to the most.

　　However, I hated it when people lied to me.

　　I gave you a chance.

　　"I'll consider it if you offer a formal apology."

　　Zane anxiously asked, "How should we apologize?"

　　I calmly said, "Have your mother apologize to me on the spot by pouring coffee, and compensate me for the cost of the dress at the original price. Is that too much to ask?"

　　Everyone instinctively looked at me, and Zane tightly clenched his fingers.