Chapter 196: The Wedding (Part 3)

"Jiang Guangtou, I’m getting married. The banquet is on August 27th in Wuhai County. You must come back."

Jiang Dali was currently in Lingxi Province. Although he had made a splash in Guangdong, his business expansion back in Lingxi, while smooth, fell far short of his expectations. Hearing Hou Weidong’s call, he replied, "My business has been sluggish lately. It’s the perfect excuse to soak up some of your wedding luck."

Yang Qian was wearing a bathrobe, her bare legs goosebumping in the cold air of the air conditioner. Hearing the word "wedding," she asked, "Whose wedding?" When she learned that Hou Weidong and Zhang Xiaojia were tying the knot, she jumped up as if her tail had been stepped on. "Xiaojia is getting married? How dare she not tell me? I’m going to scold her."

Xiaojia received Yang Qian’s call shortly after. Without arguing, she laughed, "This time the banquet is in Wuhai County, so my husband is inviting Jiang Dali. Next time, when we hold the banquet in Shazhou, I’ll invite you personally."

"Tch. Getting married is such a hassle. Splitting it into two weddings? Jiang Dali and I are better off—free and easy, without any constraints." Yang Qian sat her bottom on Jiang Dali’s thigh, twisting around while talking on the phone. Fortunately, Jiang Dali was in his refractory period, so he didn’t react much.

Xiaojia laughed into the phone, "After the Shazhou banquet, we’ll hold another one in Yiyang. This time, we’ll invite you both as a couple."

"Damn it. You’ve become cunning since you got with Winter Melon. Splitting the wedding into three parts just to make us pay for gifts three times."

August 27th arrived quickly. A grand wedding was held at the best restaurant in Wuhai—the former county government guesthouse, now the Wuhai Grand Hotel. Liu Guangfen and Hou Yonggui were both locals of Wuhai County, with many relatives, friends, comrades-in-arms, and classmates. It took three full days of notifying everyone to clear the guest list.

All fifty large round tables at the Wuhai Grand Hotel were packed, and people kept arriving, forcing them to add three extra tables on the spot.

Zhang Yuanzheng and Chen Qingrong arrived in Wuhai County with the confidence of Shazhou residents. As they entered the county town, looking at the chaotic suburban buildings and the plainly dressed farmers, they exchanged a few low murmurs. But upon entering the Wuhai Grand Hotel, they were taken aback. Although they were from Shazhou, they were of working-class origin and rarely dined at hotels. The Wuhai Grand Hotel was a symbol of the county’s reform and opening up, and its interior decoration was truly impressive, meeting at least a star-rated standard.

Among the guests, many were dressed in police uniforms. By noon, more officers in uniform entered the hall. Hou Weiguo, a well-known figure among the younger generation of the Wuhai County Public Security Bureau, had recently been transferred to the Shazhou Criminal Investigation Detachment. He was in charge of hosting the younger police officers, while the veteran officers sat beside Hou Yonggui.

A tall, thin police officer arrived in the hall, surrounded by several people. Hou Yonggui and Hou Weiguo hurried to greet him.

"Director Yin, please come inside and sit."

Director Yin scanned the hall and joked, "Old friend, half the police force from the bureau is here today. If anything happens, you’re responsible." Hou Yonggui laughed, "I’ve made arrangements. Anyone in uniform is strictly forbidden from drinking alcohol. They are limited to one bottle of beer."

Besides the police, there were many people who looked like teachers sitting together. While the teaching profession isn’t unique, long-term teachers develop a distinct aura. Among them were many young women, some quite pretty. They attracted the attention of many young police officers, and soon, the bolder ones began to strike up conversations.

As music played, Hou Weidong in a suit and Xiaojia in a wedding dress walked out slowly, hand in hand.

The hotel host, speaking in somewhat unpolished Mandarin, passionately guided the atmosphere. Although his hosting skills were not sophisticated, the guests were very cooperative, clapping vigorously and pushing the atmosphere to new heights again and again.

Zhang Yuanzheng, being part of the inner circle, watched his radiant daughter and smiled broadly, though a shadow lingered in his heart. When the newlyweds offered him a toast, tears welled up in his eyes. Finally, when Chen Qingrong spoke as the bride’s parent, recalling the点点滴滴 of raising their daughter, his tears finally fell.

The entire wedding ceremony ended at two o’clock. Most guests left gradually. Hou Weidong had arranged a room on the upper floor of the hotel for Zhang Yuanzheng and Chen Qingrong. After the ceremony and lunch, the couple went to the room to rest.

Light rain drifted in the air, washing the county town’s atmosphere exceptionally clean. Outside the town lay a range of small hills. From the hotel window, one could clearly see several large trees on the hilltop.

"Qingrong, it’s been ten years since we last came to Wuhai, hasn’t it?"

Chen Qingrong leaned on the windowsill, looking at the streets in the drizzle. "Ten years is a long time. Wuhai has changed quite a bit." She added, "There were many guests today. I estimate the lowest gift was one hundred yuan, and many were over two hundred. This wedding alone should bring in fifty or sixty thousand yuan. How much do you think we’ll get from the Shazhou banquet?"

Zhang Yuanzheng calculated. "Most of our relatives and friends are workers. The factories have been struggling these years, and many friends have been laid off. It feels bad to invite them to eat and drink." Chen Qingrong comforted him, "Don’t worry about others. We’ve received a stack of red penalty slips [wedding gifts]. If we don’t recoup the costs now, we’ll only suffer losses."

This was reality. Social exchanges and gift-giving are reciprocal. For a couple with modest income, this was a significant sum. Zhang Yuanzheng deeply understood the feeling of "poverty shortens ambition, just as a thin horse has long hair." He remarked with emotion, "Hou Weidong is truly a good kid. He’s much more capable than we were at his age, and he considers things thoroughly."

"It’s too early to say that. I just worry that Hou Weidong is too capable, and Xiaojia won’t be able to control him in the future. From that perspective, I’d prefer him to be a bit more mild-mannered."

Zhang Yuanzheng rarely wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist. This intimate gesture had been forgotten for many years. Feeling her husband’s warmth, Chen Qingrong silently rested her head on his shoulder.

"Young couples are lovers, old couples are companions, Yuanzheng."

At Hou Weidong’s home, seven or eight close relatives crowded into the small house. With Hou Weiguo, Hou Xiaoying, Chu Ying, and He Yong present, the room was packed.

He Yong had signed a three-year repayment agreement to leave the study class. After a month in the class, with less drinking and staying up late, his complexion looked good. He patted his empty pocket and said, "Little Third, your brother-in-law emptied his pockets to get out of the study class. I’ll owe you the gift for now, but I’ll definitely pay it back another day." Hou Weidong had changed out of his formal suit into a more casual blazer, while Xiaojia had changed out of her wedding dress into a white long skirt. Her clothes were like snow, her person like jade, exceptionally pretty.

After sitting in the living room for a while, Liu Guangfen asked the newlyweds to come to the inner room.

"We collected a total of 66,850 yuan. This is your money. Count it. The hotel dining bill is 19,000 yuan, and the evening bill hasn’t been settled yet."

Xiaojia hurriedly pushed the money back. "Mom, we agreed. No matter where we get married, we don’t want this money. Consider it our respect for you." Liu Guangfen was happy inside but said, "The money is yours, so you must take it. As for respecting us, there will be many opportunities in the future. One is one, two is two. I’m clear on this."

Liu Guangfen and Xiaojia pushed the money back and forth. Hou Weidong laughed from the side, "The money isn’t hot. What are you doing? Mom, you invited so many people for us. We’ll have to return the favor later. Consider this money as temporarily stored with you, to help me return favors slowly in the future."

Liu Guangfen tried to refuse again, but Hou Weidong said impatiently, "Mom, are you annoying? This was agreed upon by both families. Don’t create extra branches."

Liu Guangfen understood the implication: "If the Hou family doesn’t take the money, the Zhang family can’t either." She finally accepted the money and said, "Get pregnant soon. I need money to buy toys for my grandson."

In the evening, the two sets of parents and close relatives had a private dinner. Since there were no financial entanglements and the two families lived far apart with little chance of future contact, the dinner atmosphere was pleasant and harmonious, completing the ritual joyfully.

When all the noise ended, the couple returned to their room. Their new bedroom was set up in Hou Weidong’s former residence. To welcome the newlyweds, it had been freshly whitewashed, decorated with many "Double Happiness" characters, and hung with red ribbons, creating a festive atmosphere.

Hou Weidong was exhausted. He closed the door, wearing only his underwear, and lay face up on the bed. Xiaojia was in better spirits. She went to take a shower first. When she returned, Hou Weidong was already snoring lightly.

Xiaojia nudged Hou Weidong. "Husband, how can you just fall asleep? This is our wedding night." Hou Weidong had drunk several glasses of wine that evening and was truly tired from a day of socializing. He rolled over, drooled slightly in his sleep, and continued sleeping.

Looking at her sleeping husband, Xiaojia felt heartache. But this was their wedding night. What did it mean to sleep so long without waking?

When Hou Weidong was finally pushed awake, he saw Xiaojia sitting by the bed, looking unhappy. Looking up at the room filled with red light, he realized it was their wedding night. He sat up and said, "How did I fall asleep?"

Xiaojia suddenly felt aggrieved. "Now that we’re married, you don’t care about me anymore." Hou Weidong hurriedly said, "Where did that come from? I’m just exhausted today." Thinking about the upcoming procedure in Shazhou, Hou Weidong secretly groaned.