Chapter 435: National Day Wedding

Beijing in October 1983, the sky was high and the air was crisp.

The National Day flags were still fluttering in the streets, the air still held the sulfur scent of last night's fireworks, mingling with the aroma of fried youtiao from the breakfast stalls, creating a post‑festival laziness and bustle.

Tan Family Old Flavor at Wangfujing, the main store, was not open to the public today.

Two large red silk "double happiness" characters were hung at the entrance.

On the left it read "Jia family welcomes the bride," on the right "Yan family receives the bride."

The staff coming and going wore brand‑new red vests, smiles on their faces and light steps.

Bang Geng and Yan Jiefang chose to hold the banquet on the same day.

The two families had agreed that National Day was an auspicious day for weddings, so they organized it together.

Both of them liked the National Day date, and both liked Tan Family Old Flavor—children from Siheyuan, trusted Sha Zhu's cooking, and thought holding the banquet here would be respectable.

So they just went ahead and held it together.

The Jia family and the Yan family thought it was fine as well.

Having been neighbors for decades, they knew each other well; holding a lively event together could also save money—some items could be shared, such as Wedding Candy, sunflower seeds, tea.

At ten in the morning, the two couples arrived.

Bang Geng wore a dark gray suit—not rented, but bought—for eighty yuan.

His hair was slicked with hair oil, combed glossy and smooth.

Bride Zhou Xiaomei wore a red woolen coat over a white shirt, her hair up with a red velvet flower, her face dusted with powder, shyly lowering her head.

Yan Jiefang also wore a suit, dark blue, slightly loose, borrowed.

Bride Zhao Xiaoyun did not wear red; she wore an aqua‑lotus colored Diquliang dress, with a beige cardigan over it, giving a college‑girl air, poised and graceful.

The two couples stood at the hotel entrance to greet guests, becoming a sight.

The guests arrived one after another.

Most were old neighbors, originally from No. 95 Siheyuan, now moved into Wanshang Garden, still the same people.

Seeing the two couples, they laughed with mouths unable to close.

"Bang Geng, good! You've taken a wife!"

"Jiefang, not bad either! Your wife is cultured!"

"Jia Dama, Yan Teacher, congratulations!"

Jia Zhangshi and Yan Bu Gui stood at the entrance, one laughing so wide his teeth showed but not his eyes, the other pushing up his glasses, nodding modestly.

Jia Zhangshi today deliberately wore a dark red silk coat, his hair perfectly combed, with a dab of snow‑flake ointment, fragrant.

He would tell anyone, "Our Bang Geng is blessed! His wife is a full‑time worker at the Textile Factory, and her parents are both teachers!"

Yan Bu Gui said little, only, "Congratulations, congratulations."

But the corners of his eyes and eyebrows also hid a smile.

The hotel lobby had twenty tables set up.

Each table seated ten people, packed full.

On the tables were already cold dishes: marinated beef, tossed cucumber, sweet‑sugar tomatoes, fried peanuts.

The liquor was Erguotou, the cigarettes were Daqianmen.

In 1983, that was considered a respectable spread.

Sha Zhu wore a white apron, watching from the back kitchen.

Today he personally handled the stove, while Ma Dongmei took charge up front.

"Zhuzi, the Red Braised Pork should be a bit charred, there are many elderly."

"Got it!"

"The fish must be fresh, just delivered this morning."

"Don't worry!"

At eleven, the ceremony began.

The MC was Director Wang from the street office—eloquent and also having watched these kids grow up.

He walked to the small stage at the front of the hall, holding a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, dear relatives and friends, good afternoon!"

The audience fell silent.

"Today is a good day, double happiness! Our No. 95 courtyard—no, now it should be called Wanshang Garden—two fine young men, Comrade Jia Geng, Comrade Yan Jiefang, today, are simultaneously marrying their brides!"

Applause rang out.

"We're all old neighbors, having watched these kids grow up. Bang Geng was mischievous as a child, climbing onto the roof and pulling tiles; Jiefang is honest, loves reading. Now they've both become grown‑up lads, ready to start families!"

Some laughed, some nodded.

"Next, please have the two couples come up on stage!"

Music played, it was the Wedding March—played from a tape recorder, the sound a bit distorted but suitably grand.

The two couples walked onto the stage, standing on either side of Director Wang.

"First, please have the groom Comrade Jia Geng say a few words to his bride, Comrade Zhou Xiaomei."

Director Wang handed the microphone to Bang Geng.

Bang Geng took it, his hand trembling slightly.

He looked at Zhou Xiaomei, and Zhou Xiaomei looked back, her face even redder.

"I… I'm tongue‑clumsy, I don't know what to say," Bang Geng scratched his head, "Anyway… anyway, from now on I'll definitely treat you well. Let you have a good life, and not make you suffer."

Someone from below heckled, "What kind of good method?"

Bang Geng's face flushed red, "It's just… I'll give you all the money I earn; whatever you want to buy, you can buy!"

The hall burst into laughter.

Zhou Xiaomei pursed her lips and smiled, her eyes shining.

"Good! Really!" Director Wang took the microphone, "Next, please have Comrade Yan Jiefang, the groom, say a few words to Comrade Zhao Xiaoyun, the bride."

Yan Jiefang took the microphone, even more nervous than Bang Geng.

He pushed at his nonexistent glasses—he wasn't wearing any today, just to look sharp.

"Xiaoyun… you're a college student, I'm an individual household."

Yan Jiefang's voice wasn't loud, but clear: "I'm not educated, I just know how to run a little business. But I'll work hard to make our life better and better. You… you can rest assured, I'll never let you regret it."

Zhao Xiaoyun looked at him and nodded firmly.

Someone in the crowd whispered, "This kid Jiefang sure can talk."

"Next, please have Comrade Zhou Xiaomei, the bride, say a few words to Comrade Bang Geng, the groom."

Zhou Xiaomei took the microphone, her voice soft but firm.

"Bang Geng, I don't care if you're rich and powerful, I just want you to be honest and willing to work. From now on we'll live well and manage our home well."

Applause.

"Please have Comrade Zhao Xiaoyun, the bride, say a few words to Comrade Yan Jiefang, the groom."

Zhao Xiaoyun took the microphone, poised and confident.

"Jiefang, what I value in you is your down-to-earth nature and willingness to endure hardship. Let's get our shop running well and our life good. Education level doesn't matter; what matters is that our hearts are together."

Those words were beautifully spoken, and the applause below grew even warmer.

Director Wang took the microphone.

"Good! We've heard the vows of both couples! Here, on behalf of all the old neighbors, I wish you: grow old together, forever united!"

"According to the old custom, bride and groom, three bows!"

"First bow, thank our parents for raising us."

The two couples turned and bowed deeply to Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu, and Mr. and Mrs. Yan Bu Gui seated at the head table.

Jia Zhangshi wiped the corner of her eye.

Yan Bu Gui pushed his glasses up, his eye sockets also a little red.

"Second bow, thank our relatives and friends for their concern."

The newlyweds turned toward the audience and bowed.

"Third bow, husband and wife bow to each other, may their love endure."

The two couples faced each other and bowed.

Bang Geng and Zhou Xiaomei almost bumped heads, prompting another round of laughter from below.

The ceremony ended, and the feast began.

Hot dishes came out one after another: red-braised pork, steamed fish, four-joy meatballs, mushroom pork, kung pao chicken……

Each table had a roast chicken and a braised duck.

Back then, that was top-notch.

Jia Zhangshi held her wine glass and went table to table offering a toast.

"Hey, Aunt Li, eat more! This fish is fresh!"

"Old Mr. Wang, are your teeth still okay? The meat is stewed till falling apart!"

"Hey, Liu brothers, you should also make an effort! Look, Bang Geng and Jiefang are already married!"

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu sat at the corner table, forcing a smile, feeling uneasy inside.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew even livelier.

Someone started a ruckus, asking the newlyweds to sing.

Bang Geng couldn't get out of it and sang a passage from "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy": "Through the forest sea, across the snow plains, spirit soaring to the heavens!"

His pitch went off to his grandma's house, but his spirit was strong, and the crowd cheered.

Yan Jiefang couldn't sing, but Zhao Xiaoyun stood up confidently and sang "Sweet as Honey".

Her voice was clear and polished, winning applause from the whole hall.

Jia Zhangshi had drunk a bit too much, her face flushed, and she became even more talkative.

She pulled a few old sisters over to sit by the window, pointing outside.

"See? That building, the sixth-floor unit, is our Bang Geng's new house! Seventy-eight square meters! Three rooms!"

"All the furniture is newly made—wardrobe, chest of drawers, writing desk, nothing missing!"

"The TV is a Wanshang 17‑inch! The fridge is also Wanshang! The washing machine…… we haven't bought a washing machine yet; Xiaomei said she'll bring it as part of her dowry."

The old sisters listened, envious.

"Your Bang Geng has really made it."

"Yeah, who would've thought that just a few years ago, when he came back from the Northeast……"

"So you see, a person just has to seize a good opportunity!"

Jia Zhangshi shook her head proudly: "That's right! Our Bang Geng follows me—he's got vision!"

The banquet went on until past two in the afternoon before it gradually dispersed.

Both families saw the guests out to the door.

Bang Geng and Yan Jiefang stood together, patting each other on the shoulders.

"Jiefang, congratulations."

"Bang Geng, congratulations too."

The two friends who'd grown up together were now both married, and each felt a touch of emotion.

We'll keep in touch from now on.

Definitely!

In Wanxiang Garden Community, the wedding festivities continued.

Several children ran after Wedding Candy, and the Bride laughed as she handed it out.

The elderly sat downstairs basking in the sun, discussing today's banquet.

"The Jia Family really put up the money this time."

"Teacher Yan isn't having it easy either; I heard they took out all the money they'd saved up for this banquet."

"Both kids are fine, and their wives are not bad either."

"Life will keep getting better."

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu brothers returned home, feeling down.

They also had an apartment in the community, a two-bedroom where the brothers lived together.

The place was a mess, clothes piled on chairs, dishes soaking in a basin.

"Brother, look, Bang Geng and Jie Fang are both married." Liu Guangfu flopped onto the sofa, "We..."

"What's wrong with us?" Liu Guangtian lit a cigarette, "It's just a wife—go find one!"

"Where do we find one?" Liu Guangfu sighed, "We've gone on seven or eight blind dates, none worked out."

"That's because we haven't found the right person!" Liu Guangtian exhaled smoke, "Tomorrow we'll go see Wang Po."

"Still see her? She's already set us up with three, none reliable."

"This time is different." Liu Guangtian stubbed out his cigarette, "We're going to spend big!"

The next day, the brothers brought money and found the matchmaker Wang Po's home.

Wang Po lived deep in the Alley, in a small courtyard with three north-facing rooms.

Seeing the Liu brothers, she didn't even lift her eyelids.

"Aunt Wang, busy?" Liu Guangtian asked with a smile.

"Oh, it's the two Liu brothers." Wang Po cracked melon seeds, "What, you want to go on another blind date?"

"Yes, yes." Liu Guangtian took out an envelope from his pocket and pushed it toward Wang Po, "Aunt Wang, thank you for your trouble."

Wang Po glanced at the envelope and didn't move.

Liu Guangtian gritted his teeth, took out another hundred-yuan bill, and pressed it onto the envelope.

Wang Po's eyes lit up.

She put down the melon seeds, picked up the bill, held it to the light, and rubbed it between her fingers.

"Tell me, what are your requirements?"

"Just one requirement." Liu Guangtian said, "We must get married before the year ends!"

Liu Guangfu added from the side, "The girl should be down-to-earth, capable of managing a household. Looks… just presentable will do."

Wang Po slipped the bill into her pocket and put the envelope away.

"Before the year ends? Today is October 2nd, at most three months left."

"So please, do us a favor!" Liu Guangtian bowed, "If you succeed, there'll be a big thank-you!"

Wang Po thought for a moment.

"Alright, I'll give it a try. But honestly, your situation—being street vendors—doesn't sound great if we say it outright. We need to phrase it differently."

"How should we phrase it?"

"Just say… individual entrepreneurs, monthly income… eight hundred!" Wang Po hammered it home, "Living in an apartment building, with savings, planning to open a shop by year‑end."

Liu Guangtian and his brother stared at each other.

"Isn't… this cheating?"

"What do you mean by cheating?" Wang Po glared, "Aren't you making five or six hundred a month now? Don't you plan to open a shop by year‑end? Don't you really live in an apartment building?"

"Well… yes…"

"Then it's real!" Wang Po waved her hand, "Don't worry, I've got it covered! Go home and wait for word!"

Leaving Wang Po's home, the brothers felt uneasy.

"Brother, will this work?"

"If it doesn't work, we still have to make it work!" Liu Guangtian gritted his teeth, "Look at Bang Geng and Jie Fang—they're married. If we keep delaying, we'll truly become old bachelors!"

"But what if the girl finds out…?"

"So what if she finds out!" Liu Guangtian said, "Once we're married and the rice is cooked, what can she do? Besides, if we treat her well, earn money to support the family, it's not cheating."

That's what he said, but deep down he was still uneasy.

That night, the Liu brothers sat at home, staring blankly at the empty rooms.

From downstairs came children's laughter, couples' chatter, and the TV's noise.

Those sounds were warm and lively, belonging to others.

Here, there was only silence.

"Brother," Liu Guangfu whispered, "why don't we really go look for a proper job?"

"What are you looking for?" Liu Guangtian stood up annoyed, "Isn't this fine? Freedom, good money! Once we open a shop we'll earn even more!"

He walked to the window and looked down at the myriad lights.

"One day we'll have our own home, a wife, and children."

His voice was soft, as if he were talking to himself.

Outside the window, the night grew darker.

The National Day festivities hadn't yet faded, and the air seemed still scented with Wedding Candy.

But this sweetness, when tasted by the Liu brothers, is bitter.

They know that marriage cannot be bought with money.

Besides spending money, what else can they do?

They don't know the answer to this question.

They can only wait.

Wait for Wang Po's news.

Wait for fate's arrangement.

Wait for a spring that belongs to them, which may never come.