Chapter 924

The bride's house wasn't very far. Although it was past the coldest days of winter, the temperature in the early morning was very low, but the bride's courtyard was a scene of heat. The two stoves in the courtyard shot up half a meter high flames, two master chefs were deep-frying things, and there were two stoves for boiling water against the waist wall, and there were quite a few people helping.

When they saw Li Long and the others' car approaching, someone at the gate shouted, and then they heard the deafening sound of firecrackers.

There were quite a lot of firecrackers set off along the way. Fortunately, the car windows were closed, otherwise, Li Long felt that his ears would likely ring for a long time.

The jeep entered the bride's courtyard, and those tables hadn't been set up, just waiting for the car. Li Long backed the car in. After entering the gate, he didn't get out of the car, just waiting for the bride to get on.

The manager of the bride's house came over, knocked on the car window with a smile, and after Li Long got out of the car, said it was hard work, and then handed over something wrapped in a towel. This was etiquette, so Li Long accepted it.

Next was the matter between the groom's family and the bride's family. Li Long, as a spectator, felt it was quite lively.

Anyway, even like yesterday, the groom's family felt the bride was climbing high, at least in the process of picking up the bride, whether it was the groom or those he brought, the etiquette was generally no problem.

The bride's parents' expressions were happy mixed with a little bit of sadness. After all, their daughter was getting married and would be someone else's person in the future, so it was inevitable to have feelings.

However, today was indeed very face-saving. The groom's family brought a jeep to pick up the person, which was really beyond their expectations. The bride's relatives and guests immediately felt the toughness of the groom's family's background. The bride's parents also felt it was quite good. After all, this car really wasn't something anyone could call.

Li Long vaguely heard someone say that when the township head's son got married, they paid to hire a shuttle bus, and there was no such small car. Someone also asked how much money it would take to hire such a small car, and was despised by another person, saying that no amount of money could hire this car, that required face, background, and connections.

Li Long just smiled after hearing it. Thinking that the Wang family called him over to help, at least the purpose was achieved now.

The passenger door was pulled open, and a teenager wearing cotton clothes sat up.

He was a bit restrained, looked at Li Long, then sat upright, looking straight ahead. Li Long could see that this teenager would occasionally look at him from the corner of his eye, and then observe the car.

Clearly, this was his first time sitting in such a car, a bit curious, and afraid of breaking something, so after sitting down, he basically didn't move.

It would be very uncomfortable.

Li Long smiled and asked:

"You are still in middle school, right? What grade? You are the bride's younger brother, right?"

According to the tradition here, the car picking up the bride would have the bride's relatives, preferably a younger brother or younger sister pressing the car. Li Long also knew this point, he just saw that this teenager was a bit lonely and nervous, so he asked a few questions.

Sure enough, the teenager was studying in junior high school and was the bride's younger brother. At this time, he didn't quite understand what his sister getting married meant.

For him, Li Long, who could drive this car, although not a big figure, at least he understood the meaning this car represented.

Soon, the bride bid farewell to her parents and sat in the car. Accompanying her was a young girl from the groom's side; he didn't know what she was to the groom. The groom finally sat in, lowered the car window to wave at the bride's parents, and then said to Li Long: "Master Li, drive."

The bride's face was stiff, and she lowered her head, not knowing what she was thinking. Li Long started the car and drove out of the courtyard, and a burst of firecrackers sounded behind the car.

Just for this moment, the things on the tractor behind were unloaded, and some things were loaded, and then some people sat in the tractor and followed tut-tut-tut.

On the road, the girl accompanying the bride whispered something to the bride. Li Long didn't hear it clearly, but he didn't intend to hear anything either. At this time, the teenager was still a bit restrained. Maybe Li Long's few words earlier had an effect, he dared to turn his head from time to time to see how Li Long drove.

When the car drove to the gate of the Industry Bureau family courtyard, Li Long stopped. The groom got out of the car and then called the bride to get out. But the bride had a stiff face and didn't say a word.

The teenager was a bit terrified, turned his head to look at his sister, felt the air in the car was a bit awkward, wanted to escape, and then went to open the door.

The car door was locked, he didn't know how to do it quickly, so he turned to study it.

Li Long sighed and pulled him. The teenager turned his head to look at Li Long, his eyes a bit confused, not knowing why Li Long pulled him.

The groom saw Li Long's action, his eyes were a bit dissatisfied, but he didn't say anything, and even gently persuaded the bride to get out of the car.

At this moment, someone outside was also pulling the car door, wanting to pull the car door open, let the teenager get down, and then really pulled the door open. The teenager was a bit unsure whether he should get down. And outside the passenger seat, the groom's family was pulling the teenager, wanting to pull the teenager out of the car.

"Xiao Quan, don't get down!" The bride saw the teenager's action at this time and said sternly, "Don't move!"

The teenager was frightened and stayed there without moving.

The bride turned her head to look at the groom, her expression a bit angry: "Wang Qiyuan, are you even losing your face? What was agreed beforehand?"

Wang Qiyuan's face changed, a bit impatient, but still endured it, and then shouted at the people on the passenger side:

"What are you still stunned for? Give the red envelope?"

At this time, the middle-aged woman pulling the teenager finally smiled:

"Hehehe, forgot, forgot! Come, come, come, Xiao Quan, right? Come, take the red envelope, get down quickly!"

The teenager took the red envelope, only then reacted, and his face turned red all of a sudden.

He remembered what his family told him before coming, looked at the smile on that person's face outside, and understood.

Although the teenager didn't experience these things much, he also understood that this was actually a confrontation.

"Xiao Quan, the red envelope is taken, get down quickly, time is running out, your sister and I still have to hold the wedding ceremony." The groom spoke gently to the teenager at this time.

The teenager glared at him stubbornly, and in front of the groom and bride, in front of the groom's relative who stuffed the red envelope, opened the red envelope.

A brand-new RMB, the image of a female tractor driver appeared in front of his eyes.

The teenager was angry and almost roared out:

"Not getting down!"

One yuan, a bit too much.

Li Long shook his head slightly. He was a bit biased toward the teenager just now. Firstly, he didn't consider himself a city person, naturally biased toward rural people. Secondly, he also felt that the woman's side was the weak side, and human nature sympathized with the weak.

This is why many people who originally had problems or even crimes could win the sympathy of many people by pretending to be pitiful.

"Wang Qiyuan, what do you want to do? Sending off a beggar?" The bride was even angrier than the teenager at this time.

The groom couldn't hold it anymore this time, and said to his relative:

"Give a big envelope? Stunned like a fool?"

That relative was also stunned for a moment, then smiled awkwardly, took out another red envelope and stuffed it into the hand of the one named Xiao Quan, and said with a smile: "Xiao Quan, rest assured, this is definitely a big envelope, get down from the car quickly, the guests are all waiting."

Xiao Quan opened the red envelope again this time, looked at the several big tens inside, and then turned his head to look at his sister.

The bride nodded and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Xiao Quan clenched the red envelope and got out of the car.

"Okay, come, get out of the car." Wang Qiyuan's voice was still very gentle, but Li Long could hear that he was enduring it.

Sigh, why bother.

Everyone got out of the car, Li Long drove the car forward a bit, and then was stopped by that Brother Liu. He gave Li Long a towel package and said with a smile:

"Master Li, hard work, face was saved today! Park the car well first, come to eat the banquet in a while."

This manager was very satisfied. Many of the people who came to the groom's house to eat the banquet were leaders or people related to leaders. They knew that at least the two jeeps in the county couldn't be invited with the Wang family's relationship, after all, they had to consider the influence.

But today, a jeep came to pick up the bride, and this face was saved quite a lot.

So this manager was also very happy.

"Okay." Li Long responded with a smile, knowing that his task today was finished.

People entered the family courtyard one after another, some came alone, some brought children. Li Long drove the jeep to the gate of the big courtyard.

Opened the big gate, saw Sister Yang, Gu Xiaoxia, and Han Fang were accompanying Mingming and Haohao playing in the snow.

"Already finished picking up?" Gu Xiaoxia saw Li Long and asked with a smile.

"Finished picking up." Li Long smiled, originally wanted to tell the interesting process, but thought better of it. "Mingming and Haohao want to play in the snow, we will accompany them to play for a while, you rest for a while, we will go together in a while?" Gu Xiaoxia looked at the time, it was only past eleven.

"Okay." Li Long naturally had no opinion, nodded, drove the car in, and then went into the room.

Two towel packages, he first unpacked the one given by the bride's family.

A towel, a box of Ashima cigarettes, a bar of soap, and twenty yuan.

Li Long smiled, more than the gift he and Gu Xiaoxia were going to give in a while.

According to Gu Xiaoxia, they would go over and give a gift of ten yuan, which was agreed upon by colleagues in the Education Bureau.

Unpack the towel package given by the groom's family again, towel, soap, and a box of Daqian Sect cigarettes.

Well, average.

It was just returning the favor Gu Xiaoxia owed to Director Wang, as for the things, just like that.

At twelve o'clock, Li Long drove Gu Xiaoxia and Mingming and Haohao to the Industry Bureau family courtyard. Li Long parked the car, the two of them each holding a child entered the courtyard, and then saw the shed where the banquet was set up.

Soon someone saw Gu Xiaoxia and the others and came over to greet them. Li Long saw a few familiar faces. A woman came over and simply took Mingming from Li Long's hand, feeling very fond of him.

It was Gu Xiaoxia's colleague.

Li Long went over to give the gift.

The "Minister of Rites" asked Li Long for the name for the gift, and just as he was about to write it, Brother Liu over there saw it and hurriedly came over to stop him: "Master Li, how can I let you give a gift? Enter the banquet directly, go, go, go..."

"No." Li Long shook his head with a smile, "The work is already finished, now I am a guest coming to eat the banquet." He pointed to Gu Xiaoxia who was still talking over there and said, "My wife, works in the Education Bureau."

Brother Liu glanced at Gu Xiaoxia, suddenly realized, and said with a smile: "So that's how it is, understand, understand! Good, good, good, then I will arrange it, there are just a few guests from the Education Bureau who have arrived and haven't formed a table, it's just right for you to be together."

This Brother Liu as a manager really had a feeling of being capable and flexible, and the arrangement was extremely good.

After Li Long gave the gift, he walked over. Brother Liu had already greeted Gu Xiaoxia and those colleagues to take their seats.

Mingming and Haohao were held by a few aunts, not timid at all, calling whatever they were told to call, very polite, and the women were very fond of them.

"Little Gu, I heard them say before that your two sons are very obedient and cute, but I haven't seen them. Today it seems it's really like this, bring them to the office to play in the future, can't hide them so deep," a middle-aged woman said with emotion, "When my son was this small, he only knew how to eat, and his face and head were covered in it. Look at these two of yours, they don't even care about candy, this is taught so well..."

Gu Xiaoxia just smiled. She didn't manage the children much, and their good performance was the credit of Li Long and Sister Yang.

Mingming and Haohao really didn't care about the candy on the table. The candy placed on this table, which was exquisite to others, was far less than the candy placed on the coffee table in their own home for these two children.

For children, some things, the more you don't let them eat, the more they want to eat, such as candy, such as various snacks.

But when you put a plate of candy on the coffee table, he might eat two, and then forget about it. Maybe after a long time, he will remember and come over to eat one.

Gu Xiaoxia was very dismissive of this statement of Li Long at first, but after experimenting, she kept saying it was incredible.

After all, Mingming and Haohao had this reaction. There were two plates of milk candy and crisp candy at home, but the two children only occasionally looked at them, and sometimes would pick one to eat, but basically wouldn't eat a lot at once.

Instead, they would occasionally run to the kitchen to find food.

Gu Xiaoxia couldn't say that the candy at home was better than this, so she could only smile.

The banquet started. Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia asked for Mingming and Haohao, held them in their arms, and ate together.

The two children were not very picky, eating whatever their parents gave them, not very good at using chopsticks, but knew how to wipe their hands.

Li Long didn't care about the ceremony or anything, anyway, it should be the old routine. During the eating process, the groom and bride came to toast. The groom looked at Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia sitting together, holding Mingming and Haohao in their arms, a bit surprised, and then poured a big glass.

"I won't drink since I'm driving." Li Long waved his hand, "Xiaoxia, you come."

It was no problem for Gu Xiaoxia to drink two glasses of wine.

The groom and bride poured two glasses of spicy wine and two glasses of sweet wine. Gu Xiaoxia picked up the wine glass and said:

"Wish you a happy marriage, a hundred years of harmony, early birth of a noble son, round and full..."

Saying that, she drank the wine. Four glasses of wine, fortunately, the glasses were not big, and her drinking capacity was good, so she could drink it—there was still one glass left.

Director Wang happened to walk over at this time. As the host family, this table was all her colleagues and subordinates, so she walked over with a smile, just about to speak, when she heard the groom Wang Qiyuan say to Li Long:

"Master Li, anyway you didn't drink, after we finish our business this afternoon, we plan to go to the Shicheng Department Store to stroll, how about using your car again, I'll add money!"

Li Long was stunned for a moment, not expecting this groom to say such words here.

Was this what a normal person would say to a guest? Or did he really treat Li Long as a driver? But obviously Li Long was with Gu Xiaoxia, how could he be really treated as a driver?

Then Li Long understood. His actions in the jeep, this groom should be dissatisfied, this was setting a trap for himself, or demonstrating.

You, no matter how awesome, are just a driver.

He smiled, young man, still too impatient, too shallow, too arrogant, and too unable to hold his breath.

Gu Xiaoxia was a bit angry. She knew Wang Qiyuan, and Wang Qiyuan naturally knew her. Now obviously Li Long was her husband, and Wang Qiyuan still said this, which was already an insult.

She still had a glass of wine in her hand, and hearing this, she was already holding the glass and wanted to splash it on Wang Qiyuan—no matter who you are, today insulting Li Long is not allowed!

Li Long held Gu Xiaoxia's hand tightly. He saw his wife's action and saw his wife was angry. In fact, he felt this was a bit like a child showing off. Originally he was a bit angry, but Gu Xiaoxia did this, and he was not angry anymore.

Just at this moment, with a "slap," Director Wang slapped Wang Qiyuan on the back and said with a smile:

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? So old, are you too excited today? Don't even know how to thank people? Still paying money? Little Li, Little Gu, don't be like him, today is his happy day, don't mind..."

Li Long actually wanted to counterattack, but was blocked by Director Wang's slap.

Wang Qiyuan was still a bit unconvinced, Director Wang slapped him on the back again, this slap was even harder, Wang Qiyuan was directly staggered, and the bride supported him.

"Alright, alright, go toast over there, I am at this table." Director Wang pushed Wang Qiyuan to the side, and said to Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia with a smile: "Still have to thank you two."

Wang Qiyuan was a bit unwilling, but had to walk to the other table. Director Wang took the opportunity to pull a stool and sit beside Gu Xiaoxia, whispering:

"The child is ignorant, don't blame him, today is his happy day, let him apologize to you in two days..."

Wang Qiyuan didn't know Li Long, how could she not know? Although Li Long was only a temporary worker, he had a good relationship with many leaders. If he was really annoyed by Wang Qiyuan at the banquet today and tripped him up, Wang Qiyuan couldn't bear it.

Although Li Long and Wang Qiyuan were about the same age, if it really came to it, Wang Qiyuan was really not Li Long's match.

Originally inviting Li Long to help was to pull the relationship between the two sides, didn't expect Wang Qiyuan to be so immature, and Director Wang was also a bit disappointed and regretful.

Gu Xiaoxia turned her head to look at Li Long. Today's matter depended on her husband's attitude, she wouldn't express her position casually. Wang Qiyuan was disrespectful to her husband, just now she intended to splash wine on this grandson, but was stopped by Li Long.

She also regretted agreeing to Director Wang's request. Obviously, this groom was not worth her family treating him like this.

"It's okay." Li Long smiled and said, "Just a child, it's inevitable to be young and energetic, it's okay."

It's okay if it's okay.

Director Wang saw that Li Long and the others really felt it was okay, so she put it down and urged everyone to eat and drink.

When the banquet was about to disperse, Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia took Mingming and Haohao to leave. When they reached the gate of the family courtyard, the bride ran over hurriedly from behind, stopped them, and said to Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia:

"Thank you today, and I'm sorry, I apologize to you for him!" After finishing, she bowed deeply to the two of them.

Gu Xiaoxia was a bit stunned, Li Long had a headache.

Forget it, have to explain again. (End of chapter)