Chapter Thirty-Two: The Wedding (Part Two)

At this moment, Chen Liang stepped forward, glancing at Teacher Xiaoyu, whose tears had flowed like rivers. "Don't cry, sweetheart," he soothed, "Our homes aren’t far apart. If you miss your mother, you can always come back to visit her!"

"Alright," Teacher Xiaoyu replied, comforted by Chen Liang’s words. She finally managed to stop her tears and nodded gently to Mother Zhao. "Mother, take care of yourself. I’ll come home often to see you!"

Father Zhao and the siblings took bites of their meal as well. Men, after all, are not as sentimental as women; though their eyes reddened, none of them shed tears.

"Brother-in-law, Xiaoyu is in your hands now," Zhao’s eldest brother urged, unable to let go. "Please treat her well. If she makes mistakes, be patient with her!"

"Don’t worry, big brother," Chen Liang assured, pounding his chest. "Xiaoyu is my wife—I’ll cherish her. I wouldn’t dream of letting her suffer!"

"Alright, son-in-law, sorry you had to witness our emotions. It’s getting late, you should head home soon," Father Zhao said before turning away into the house.

Mother Zhao understood his reluctance—he feared he’d break down if he stayed. She composed herself and called for Cao Da Wu and the others who had come with Chen Liang to begin moving the dowry.

Those who haven’t experienced it can hardly grasp the feeling. When my own sister married, I ate the family parting meal and burst into tears. I can’t describe it—just a deep urge to cry, and being young at the time, I couldn’t hold it back! If it happened now, I’d probably laugh and celebrate her finally being able to wreak havoc somewhere else.

The dowry Zhao’s family prepared for Teacher Xiaoyu was substantial for these times—a large bundle of clothes, two new cotton quilts, a new mattress, and a heavy wooden chest whose contents were unknown.

Luckily, Chen Liang had brought enough people, otherwise it would have been difficult to carry everything away.

As he led Teacher Xiaoyu out, Chen Liang’s friends were stunned by her beauty, their eyes glued to her.

"Wow! Is she a fairy from heaven? She’s stunning!"

"This sister-in-law is gorgeous! Brother Liang, Brother Liang, does she have any sisters?"

"Big brother and sister-in-law are perfect together—like a golden boy and jade girl!"

Just moments ago, the house was packed, but aside from Da Wu, the others had waited outside in the courtyard.

Pulling Teacher Xiaoyu into his arms, Chen Liang boasted proudly, "Take a good look! If you’re craving a wife like mine, have your mothers find one for you soon!"

His words were met with a chorus of playful boos. In the end, Chen Liang hoisted his wife onto his back and shouted, "Let’s go home for the feast!" before darting off.

In this era, there were no strict customs—you could carry your wife, hold her, or even let her walk on her own.

Finally, with Zhao family’s reluctant gazes, Chen Liang spiritedly brought his wife home.

As they neared their house, a sharp-eyed child spotted them and excitedly shouted, "Hey! The bride is here! The bride is here!"

Hearing the commotion, Chen Jian, the eldest brother, waited for Chen Liang to stop the car, then lit the firecrackers hung at the gate long in advance.

This time, Chen Liang didn’t carry his wife on his back; instead, he lifted her in his arms. Before they had taken a few steps, a group of children surrounded them, chanting auspicious sayings.

Big brother was well-prepared, raising a handful of candies and calling them over. Once lined up, each child received six candies—a symbol of good fortune.

With Teacher Xiaoyu blushing in his arms, Chen Liang entered the courtyard, where the entire Chen family, neighbors, and friends waited expectantly.

As soon as the couple entered, joyful cries filled the air, and everyone surrounded them as they were ushered through the Chen family’s doors.

Inside, Chen Liang carefully set his wife down, straightened their clothes, and, at the matchmaker’s call, bowed to the elders. Then the couple bowed to each other, and under the arrangement of the neighborhood staff, sang "The East Is Red," the revolutionary anthem.

"The East is red, the sun rises, China has given birth to…"

Once the song was finished, the staff read aloud the couple’s marriage certificate, bowed before the portrait of the great leader, and declared the two officially united as revolutionary spouses.

It was a ceremony brimming with the spirit of the times.

With the wedding concluded, the crowd dispersed, leaving only those who stayed for the banquet.

The Chen family had many relatives and friends—eight tables in all. One table was reserved for elders, two for extended family, and the remaining five for close friends who had brought gifts.

There wasn’t enough space indoors, so some tables were set in the courtyard.

In these times of scarcity, each table had four dishes: the main dish was pork stewed with vermicelli, followed by scrambled eggs with scallions, braised assorted fish, and stir-fried cabbage.

Though the dishes were simple, the portions were generous, and all were prepared by Sha Zhu, the heir of the Tan family’s imperial kitchen—so the taste was superb!

There was no rice, only steamed buns made of mixed flour, two per person—no more.

The wine was cheap, two taels per person—once finished, that was it.

Nothing could be done—everyone lived like this. Though Chen Liang had access to supermarket supplies, he dared not use them for the wedding banquet. If he threw a lavish feast, how could others keep up?

It’s not the lack of wealth, but the lack of equality that breeds resentment. The ancients were right about that—it’s wise to heed their words!

Once Sha Zhu had finished serving the dishes, he had no interest in sitting at the table. He and his apprentice Ma Hua each took some food and squatted in the kitchen to eat.

Chen Liang, meanwhile, led his wife in making rounds to toast each table, starting with the elders. "Thank you, elders. This is my wife, Xiaoyu. Let’s toast you all!" After the toast, he quickly retreated—drinking with old men held no appeal!

Next were the two tables of relatives, and Chen Liang introduced them one by one to Xiaoyu: the seventh aunt, the eighth aunt, the third maternal uncle, and so on. There were so many that even Chen Liang himself got dizzy listing them, let alone expecting Xiaoyu to remember.

The five tables of friends were easier: first, Chen Dashan’s friends, then big brother’s friends, and finally those who had accompanied Chen Liang to fetch the bride.

"Brother Liang, congratulations! May you have a son soon!"

"Brother Liang, congratulations! Wishing you a lifetime together, a house full of children and grandchildren..."

"Brother Liang, congratulations! Wishing you a hundred years of harmony!"

Everyone cheerfully raised their glasses, shouting in unison, "Cheers!" thus ending the toasting.

The lively celebration continued until one o’clock in the afternoon, when this uniquely era-themed wedding feast was finally declared over.