Night fell, and the city lights began to twinkle!
The Li household was bustling with activity tonight. Not only were all four of their children present, but their future daughter-in-law, Tang Xue, was there as well, along with their eldest nephew—a rare family reunion indeed!
In high spirits, Li Yi took to the kitchen himself, stewing a small pot of meat and stir-frying a few dishes, with fragrant white rice as the main staple.
Knowing that his second sister’s husband liked to drink, Li Yi opened a bottle of Moutai just for him.
It was a gift from Old Man Wang. Since he didn’t drink much himself, he figured his brother-in-law might as well enjoy it.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Li Yi saw that everyone had put down their chopsticks, then suddenly said, “Dad, Mom, there’s something I want to talk to you about!”
“What is it?”
Li Shankui asked as he packed tobacco into his pipe.
“Our new house is finished, and the renovations are almost done. Don’t you think it’s time we started discussing the wedding?” Li Yi said.
Hearing Li Yi’s words, Tang Xue’s face flushed instantly.
Li Shankui lit his pipe and said, “It’s time to tie the knot!”
Their mother, Zhang Yuehong, glanced at Tang Xue and said, “Xiao Xue, tell your aunt—what do you think?”
Tang Xue lowered her head and said, “I… I have no objections!”
Li Na burst out laughing, “No objections means you agree!”
“Since Xiao Xue has no objections, let’s go see ‘Xishen’ and have him pick a good date for us!” her mother said.
Li Yi knew that the “God of Happiness” his mother was referring to was the village’s master of divination. He was the one who chose the dates for all the village’s weddings and funerals to avoid offending the gods.
A few years ago, when times were tough, most people didn’t dare to openly seek his services, but now that things had eased up, his family had resumed their old trade.
Although Li Yi didn’t place much importance on this, he knew the villagers still took it seriously—including his own parents.
So he immediately replied, “Then let’s go see him and pick a date soon!”
His mother nodded and said, “Then I’ll go set the date tomorrow!”
“Mm-hmm!”
Li Yi continued, “I went into town today to ask around. There’s a place that specializes in catering banquets. It’s 18 yuan per table, and they provide all the pots, pans, bowls, and utensils, plus tables and chairs—just 50 cents a day per table. I think that’s a pretty good deal!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Shankui frowned and said, “Eighteen yuan per table? That’s too expensive!”
His mother added, “Xiao Yi, you’re a big shot in the village now. When you get married, nearly every household in the village will want to come to the banquet—three or four hundred people. That’s going to take a lot of tables!”
Li Yi immediately replied, “I’ve already done the math on my way back. If we go with 10 people per table, that’s about thirty or forty tables. At 18.50 yuan per table, that comes to over 700 yuan!”
Li Shankui looked at his son and said, “You know the village’s standard for wedding gifts. Most families give just one or two yuan, and even close relatives like siblings, parents, and uncles rarely give more than five yuan!”
“If you spend 700 yuan all at once on food and drinks, you’re definitely going to lose money!”
His older sister, Li Mei, added, “Xiao Yi, Mom and Dad are right—18 yuan per table is simply too expensive!”
“Plus, we usually celebrate weddings over two days. Even if the first day is simpler, with so many people coming to eat, it’ll still cost a lot. If you keep this up, a thousand yuan might not even be enough!”
At that moment, Tang Xue added, “We should keep it simple. Spending a thousand yuan on a wedding is just too extravagant!”
However, Li Yi just smiled and said, “I don’t plan on having it for two days. Xiao Xue doesn’t have any relatives here, so I’m planning on just one day.”
“Even if it’s just one day, I still want to make it a grand affair. I want everyone in the village to envy Xiao Xue!”
Hearing Li Yi’s words, Li Shankui and his wife fell silent.
Suddenly, Third Sister Li Na spoke up: “I support Xiao Yi’s idea!”
Instantly, everyone’s gaze turned to her.
“Don’t look at me like that. Don’t forget why Xiao Xue is marrying this good-for-nothing. Our family has already shortchanged her in this matter. The wedding must be a grand affair—that’s the only way the villagers won’t look down on Xiao Xue!” Li Na declared.
Although Second Sister Li Lan didn’t know exactly what had happened between her brother and Tang Xue, she understood her brother’s temperament and knew he was a man of his word.
Once a decision was made, it wasn’t easily changed.
She immediately turned to Li Yi and said, “Yi, tell your older sister—do you have enough money to cover this wedding?”
Li Yi didn’t say a word; instead, he pulled a thick stack of 100-yuan bills straight out of his inner pocket.
Instantly, everyone present was stunned.
Such a thick stack—at least a thousand yuan, if not more.
Immediately afterward, Li Yi turned and walked into his room, emerging with a tin can of malted milk powder.
He opened the can and began pulling out bundles of cash one by one!
When he had laid all the money out on the kang, everyone—from Li Shankui and his wife to his sisters and their husbands, and even Tang Xue—was stunned.
That much money—it must be at least several thousand yuan!
At that moment, Li Na also pulled a large wad of cash out of her bag and placed it on the kang.
Although her amount was a bit smaller, it still totaled several hundred yuan—all money she had earned over the past few days.
“Mom and Dad, this is the money I’ve earned from my business this past month. After deducting the over a thousand yuan spent on building the house and wedding supplies, there’s still nearly six thousand yuan left.”
Li Yi continued, “I can earn money, and I’ll make even more in the future, but a wedding only happens once in a lifetime—I don’t want to have any regrets!”
Li Shankui and his wife were still stunned by the large pile of money before them, but upon hearing their son’s words, they composed themselves.
“Since you’re capable of this, let’s do it your way!” Li Shankui said.
“Thank you, Dad!”
“Put the money away. From now on, whatever money you two have, just keep it to yourselves—don’t tell us about it!” Li Shankui said.
However, Li Yi took out a bundle of cash tied with a hair ribbon and handed it to his mother, saying, “Mom, this thousand yuan is a token of my filial piety to you both!”
Zhang Yuehong, somewhat flustered, said, “We’re still able-bodied—what do we need your filial gift for?”
“Take it! I’ve been a reckless son all these years and caused the family nothing but trouble. Just take this money—it’ll come in handy for whatever you need in the future!”
Seeing that his mother was about to say something else, Li Shankui suddenly interjected, “If your son tells you to take it, just take it. It’ll all be his eventually anyway!”
Zhang Yuehong thought about it and realized he was right, so she immediately put the money away!
Then Li Yi counted out another five hundred yuan and handed it to his second sister, saying, “I’ve arranged two jobs for my eldest sister as her dowry. This is your dowry, Second Sister!”
“I don’t want it. My husband and I have money!” Li Lan said.
Zhang Xuefeng added, “We’ve saved a few hundred yuan over the past few years—we’re not short on money!”
“What you have is yours. But since you’ve had to clean up after me—neither my eldest nor second sister was picky about their husbands when they got married—I feel terribly guilty. So you must accept this dowry!”
Li Yi then turned his gaze to his third sister!
When Li Na saw her brother looking at her, she immediately waved her hand and said, “I’m not married yet—I don’t need a dowry!”
Li Yi smiled and said, “What are you thinking? From now on, you’ll work with me in the business. I’ll cover the costs, and you’ll get half the profits. Save up your own dowry!”
“Sounds good!” Li Na said happily.
Finally, Li Yi fixed his gaze on Tang Xue!