Chapter 1447: Fireworks in the Big Courtyard

"Hey, did anyone come from your second uncle's and third uncle's families?"

Hate Yi Zhonghai arrived relatively late, and seeing Li Xuewu standing at the gate, he started chatting.

Li Xuewu saw that he was truly aging fast, at least ten years older than when he moved last year.

"My second uncle didn't come, but my second aunt did; she's in the backyard."

He distributed cigarettes to the men standing at the gate and introduced, "My third uncle's family is too far away, and work is busy."

"Isn't that so? It takes three days by train from Yangcheng to here."

Hate Yi Zhonghai nodded and said, "This matter must be understood; it's not easy."

"Own family, what's there not to understand." Li Xuewu smiled and said softly, "My dad and we discussed it; originally we didn't intend to make a big fuss."

He raised his chin and signaled to the courtyard behind him, "This is to avoid wronging Yuxiu; just relatives and neighbors."

"Then we must hold it; if you have something and don't entertain us, it won't be right."

Liu Haizhong walked in slowly from the alley entrance, heard what they were chatting about, and added a sentence, expressing agreement.

"Second Uncle, how did you come?"

Li Xuewu offered him a cigarette, being polite, but was refused by Liu Haizhong.

"Body is not good; Guangfu took me to the hospital for a checkup, and the doctor said to quit smoking."

Liu Haizhong waved his hand and said with a bitter smile, "Now not only do I have to listen to my son, but I also have to listen to the doctor."

"Hehehe—"

The crowd standing at the gate saw him joking and followed suit with laughter.

Li Xuewu took the cigarette in his hand, looked at him with a smile, and asked, "What's wrong? Your body is great, what did you go to the hospital for?"

"Heart and lungs; sometimes I can't catch my breath, and I get exhausted after doing a little work."

Liu Haizhong gestured to his heart and lungs and introduced, "Finished, old, useless, will be scrapped sooner or later."

"How old are you? It's still early before you're scrapped."

Li Xuewu joked, "Add some oil, and you can work for another thirty years."

"Thirty years? Who dares to think about that."

Liu Haizhong shook his head with a smile and said, "I'll be satisfied with ten years."

"How many years until the First Uncle retires?" Li Xuewu turned to look at Hate Yi Zhonghai and asked, "I see your body is still good?"

"Not good either; taking medicine."

Hate Yi Zhonghai's physical condition had declined too obviously; he also looked extremely weak.

"Your First Aunt and I are both not good; ailments left over from early years."

"It was like that back then; where was the good life like now, with workers being the masters of the house."

Liu Haizhong said with emotion, "That's why I said I'd contribute for another ten years."

He looked at Li Xuewu and said with envy, "You caught up with good times; stronger than we were back then."

"It is said that winning the country is difficult, but guarding the country is even harder." Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Each generation has its own mission; don't forget the original intention, and carry forward the past."

"You still have the level; you must have culture no matter when."

Liu Haizhong nodded in agreement and said, "Without culture, it won't work no matter when; you can't even see the opportunities."

"Even if it's okay, one generation is stronger than the next, so you have to be content."

Hate Yi Zhonghai persuaded him, "You have to cherish blessings; I see Guangfu is okay."

"Sigh—let's put it this way."

Liu Haizhong said helplessly, "People ask me if I have three sons, saying the family is prosperous, but what's the use?"

He pointed to Li Xuewu and said, "If you hadn't taught him how to be a person back then, I wouldn't be able to rely on a single son now."

"Don't scold me at home; what teaching or not teaching, we are all neighbors."

Li Xuewu responded with a smile, "Just like the First Uncle said, cherish blessings more."

"Sigh, why not cherish blessings? I'm already this old; if I still don't know how to behave, am I still a person?" Liu Haizhong said with a bitter smile, "It's time to leave some face for the children."

"I see the young men in our courtyard are okay, like your Guangfu, Yan Jiefang, Yan Jiekuang; these are all okay."

Hate Yi Zhonghai nodded and said, "Where can you find perfection? A prodigal son who returns is worth more than gold; look forward to Guangfu being filial to you in the future."

"How is Liu Guangfu now?"

Li Xuewu asked about their topic, "I haven't seen him for a long time."

"Isn't he with Guodong? Still responsible for the work of the sewing cooperative."

Liu Haizhong said with a bit of contentment and showing off in his tone, "The street doesn't dislike his past and gives him decency."

"Yan Jiefang is also okay; already two cars, one for him and one for his younger brother."

Hate Yi Zhonghai also introduced, "Now the two brothers are doing transportation together, and even said they would buy another house to live separately at the end of the year."

"In a blink of an eye, they looked like children before, but now they are all grown up."

Liu Haizhong looked at the happiness character posted at the gate and said, "We are all old."

"If you don't get old, you'll become monsters."

Sha Zhu walked out of the gate, looked at them, and teased, "You're about to be grandfathers, and you're still not old?"

"Is Guangfu's wife pregnant?"

Li Xuewu had heard the implication in his tone just now; it seemed like he was vaguely showing off, or expressing something.

Liu Haizhong nodded reservedly and said, "She just told me; the two of them don't care at all, so I scolded them."

"Is Guangfu's wife down?"

Hate Yi Zhonghai asked and agreed, "You must be extra careful."

"Isn't that so? After I finished speaking, his mother also spoke to him; only then did she stop the work of the sewing cooperative."

Liu Haizhong said with emotion, "Young people nowadays, if there are no old people watching, who knows how many mistakes they will make."

"How is Second Aunt's body?"

Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "Haven't seen her since moving."

"Just making do—" Liu Haizhong's smile due to the upcoming addition to the family disappeared, replaced by a helpless tone, "Being able to hold on until seeing the grandson is considered a gain; if not, there's no way."

"Is it that serious?"

Li Xuewu asked with concern, "Didn't you go to the hospital to see? It's not far."

"Why didn't I go? Guangfu keeps an eye on going to the hospital for every headache and fever I have; can he not organize it for his mother?"

Liu Haizhong waved his hand helplessly and said, "The time has come; she knows it herself, just holding on for one day at a time."

"Can't even get out of bed." Hate Yi Zhonghai explained on the side, "Your First Aunt went to visit the day before yesterday; she kept talking about past things, saying it was like a movie playing in front of her eyes."

Liu Haizhong didn't want to mention these troublesome things on a happy day, and only after Hate Yi Zhonghai's explanation did he stop talking.

Speaking of which, there was still some awkwardness between Liu Haizhong and Hate Yi Zhonghai in their hearts.

If it hadn't been for his evil intentions back then, Hate Yi Zhonghai's body wouldn't have collapsed so quickly and so severely.

He and Hate Yi Zhonghai were in the same unit, seeing each other every day; it was impossible not to have guilt and self-blame in his heart.

Precisely because of these emotions, and not being able to say them out loud, plus the magnanimity shown by Hate Yi Zhonghai and his wife, he felt like a big rock was blocking his heart.

The old partner's stroke was also because of his unreliability; he regretted it to death now.

But what's the use of regret? The hardest thing to buy in this world is regret medicine.

Hate Yi Zhonghai could naturally feel his awkwardness and estrangement, so although they didn't live far apart, they didn't come together.

He could let his old partner visit after hearing the news that Second Aunt was not going to make it, but it didn't mean he really forgave Liu Haizhong.

Not mentioning some things doesn't mean not caring; no matter how magnanimous a man is, he can't tolerate the hatred of being framed; not mentioning it is already benevolent.

"Who came from the family?"

Hate Yi Zhonghai changed the subject and said, "Or just these people in the capital?"

"My mother-in-law is back, arrived the day before yesterday." Li Xuewu responded, "Then there are the relatives on my eldest sister-in-law's side."

"Hey, didn't anyone come from Yuxiu's family?" Hate Yi Zhonghai asked, "Said they are working in a very far place?"

"Hmm, Yuxiu's mother is back and met with my dad and mom."

Li Xuewu introduced, "They will come to send the bride in a while."

"Director Wang from the street came, and Teacher Han from the Steel Institute is also here."

Sha Zhu reminded him, "Just saw them all in the backyard, in your room."

"Hmm, just these relatives."

Li Xuewu looked at the street entrance; everyone who should have come should have arrived, so he greeted them, "Let's go to the front room; don't stand here all the time; you came to our house and haven't even had a sip of tea."

"Hi, revisiting the old place."

Liu Haizhong said with a smile, "If it weren't for today's event, we wouldn't have found a reason to come back; looking at it, I really miss it."

"Look, I said it!"

Sha Zhu hugged his arms and teased, "When you moved, I said you would regret it sooner or later; now it's really as I said."

"Stop being annoying, go do your work; aren't you going to stir-fry the dishes in the kitchen?"

Liu Haizhong scolded him with a smile and punched him, and then followed the crowd into the courtyard.

A happiness shed had already been set up in the front courtyard; this was unthinkable before, because the neighbors on the left and right absolutely wouldn't allow it.

Now only the Li family is left in the front courtyard, so they can toss as they please.

Hou Qinghua, who came to sit at the banquet with her child, curled her lips and clicked her tongue; if they still lived here, how could she let the Li family occupy her place and be so glorious.

They were all old neighbors; when Li Shun drafted the list of people to notify, he decided on Yan Jiefang; this was the current head of the Yan family, so naturally, he had to give the news.

Yan Jiefang was also doing recycling station work now and had a very good relationship with Shen Guodong.

It wouldn't work if it wasn't good; in this era, two brothers raising two cars, if there wasn't a hard relationship, they would be bullied to death.

He was a cripple; when he was miserable, everyone could sympathize with him, but once he made money, there were ruffians who couldn't live on finding him to ask for money.

I won't mention the pretexts; anyway, it was extortion; if he didn't give it, they would smash the car.

His wife was from the security section of the Red Star Steel Group, and that didn't work either.

Shen Guodong had face on the street, and he was easy to talk to in several surrounding streets like Beixinqiao.

With Ji Yuxiu and Director Wang taking care of him, and him being broad-minded, who would be stupid enough to reject his face.

Those who understood things, or old Jianghu, all knew who was standing behind him; now Li Xuewu didn't return to the street, but everyone knew he was awesome now.

Nonsense, the Red Star Steel Group was a top-tier enterprise in the whole Dongcheng, and group leaders were also decent figures in Dongcheng.

These ruffians still treated him as a Jianghu senior in their hearts, and would brag about it when drinking in private to boost their spirits; where would they smash his signboard.

So whether it was Shen Guodong or the recycling station, they were unimpeded in Dongcheng.

If someone looked for trouble, they didn't even need Shen Guodong to take action; those who didn't have long eyes would have been cleaned up by those who wanted to curry favor.

Don't know who spread it, but Jiaodaokou didn't allow big ruffians to exist, and didn't allow fighting on this street.

Don't ask why; asking means the sunshine here is too bright and can't see a bit of darkness.

"When is the eldest's due date?"

Ding Fengxia held Zhao Yafang's hand and asked, "Looking at it, the child is not small; you must be extra careful when walking, sitting, and lying down."

"Aunt, it's in October; there's still a month left."

Zhao Yafang was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family; she should have helped her mother-in-law receive guests during the wedding, but because her belly was big, even if she wanted to help, the family wouldn't let her.

They were even more afraid that the front courtyard would be noisy, so Liu Yin drove her to the backyard early to accompany the relatives from the mother's side and chat.

Ding Fengxia, who came specially to attend the wedding, arrived in the capital the day before yesterday, stayed at her daughter's house, and came here with Gu Ning early in the morning.

There were no other distant or close relatives in the room, only Wang Lu's mother, Han Yating's mother, and Han Shu who came with Gu Ning.

Han Shu heard that Ding Fengxia was back, so she came with Gu Ning.

The friendship with the Li family was still on Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu, and also on her and Gu Ning, so she couldn't pretend not to see it.

Basically, those sitting in this room had some status, waiting for the relatives from the mother's side to come to this side to rest and wait for the banquet to start.

Li Xuewu's second aunt, Han Xiumei, was not in the backyard; as a daughter-in-law of the Li family, it was her eldest brother's child getting married, and the eldest nephew's wife was pregnant, so she consciously helped her eldest sister-in-law maintain things in the front.

Liu Yin let her go to the backyard several times, but she didn't go; not mentioning the friction and estrangement between sisters-in-law before, just because their Li Juan was so sensible, and the eldest brother and sister-in-law didn't blame them, and specially went to Jicheng to see them, she still kept this friendship in her heart.

Besides, the old lady was still sitting on the kang in the front courtyard, so when guests came to the house, she had to greet them a few words.

Li Xuewu was afraid the old lady would be tired, and persuaded her several times to go to the backyard to rest, but the old lady insisted, saying she couldn't be impolite.

Together with the old lady, every time a guest came, she had to chat a few words.

The room was lively, and the courtyard was equally lively; only the elderly were qualified to chat in the room, and the younger ones could only chat in the happiness shed.

The neighbors' young people gathered together to play cards, and the noisy laughter set off the atmosphere of today even more warmly.

The children were even more joyful, finally having a reason to gather together again.

It's just that Bang Geng was gone, and these children wouldn't play any tricks no matter how noisy they were, nothing more than chasing and fighting.

Yan Fang, Li Tang, He Zhuang, Li Shu, Li Ning, Zhang Xinmin, Wen Yuan, who used to play in the courtyard, and Ji Bufan who came to join the fun with his mother today.

The oldest here was Zhang Xinmin, and then going up were Qin Huairu's two daughters.

It's just that Huaihua was already in elementary school, sitting steadily with her sister Xiaodang on the side, already having the appearance of a big girl.

What made people look twice were the two girls sitting with them. Fourteen or fifteen years old, looking like sisters, pretty and lovely, proper beauties in the making.

"Whose girls are those?"

Wang Lu held her sister-in-law's hand and stood with He Yu Shui watching the fun, and when her eyes swept to the pair of sisters, she asked Yushui, "Are they from your courtyard?"

"From Qin Jie's family." He Yu Shui had seen these two girls, at the wedding banquet of Qin Huairu's second marriage.

That time wasn't a very formal banquet, just neighbors drinking a meal.

This was still insisted on by Liu Guoyou, saying it was justified, fearing to wrong Qin Huairu.

What was there for Qin Huairu to be wronged about? A second marriage with three children, he brought two, and they lived together; who could say anything.

"They are the two girls brought by her lover, similar in age to Bang Geng."

He Yu Shui and Wang Lu were both in the Red Star Steel Group; they were colleagues and had known each other for a long time.

Besides, even if there were many people in the group office, with Li Xuewu there, they would have known each other long ago; Wang Lu had been his secretary.

"They look really good; Qin Jie has luck, picking up two big girls for nothing."

Wang Lu praised with a smile, which made Yushui laugh along.

She laughed because what Wang Lu said was interesting; whether Qin Huairu picking up these two girls for nothing was luck, she didn't know, but she knew that the time Bang Geng made trouble was because of them.

Step-siblings, gathered in one family, five brothers and sisters.

Actually, this situation was not rare; in a reorganized family, who didn't bring children, especially in this era when there were many children.

The matter in the courtyard, how did Liu Guoyou's two children come?

If it depended on Jia Zhangshi's meaning, of course she wouldn't bring them out, and she didn't even look at these two granddaughters.

In her eyes, it was Qin Huairu who was ungrateful, and in order to accommodate Liu Guoyou, she drove away her precious eldest grandson to the Northeast to suffer.

No matter how Qin Huairu explained, she insisted that the Northeast was a bitter and cold place; could Bang Geng still enjoy happiness there?

Eating at restaurants every day, living in a small villa, who are you fooling?

When Qin Huairu was with Li Xuewu before, Bang Geng didn't enjoy this treatment; now that the two had no such relationship, why would Li Xuewu take such care of Bang Geng.

Jia Zhangshi understood clearly; if it were really as Qin Huairu said, Li Xuewu wasn't taking care of Bang Geng, he was raising a son; she would really have to doubt if Bang Geng was her own grandson.

But she wouldn't doubt anyone but Li Xuewu, because when Qin Huairu got married, Li Xuewu was only ten years old.

So Jia Zhangshi didn't believe the things Qin Huairu said when she came back from Steel City.

The more she missed Bang Geng, the more she treated these two girls with cold eyes.

Qin Huairu persuaded several times, and Liu Guoyou also made efforts, but there was no effect.

Liu Guoyou's two girls were also proud and arrogant, naturally they wouldn't get close to her, and they would whisper to each other on weekdays, treating them all as outsiders.

The reason these two sisters came to participate in the big courtyard event today was also Liu Guoyou's idea, and Qin Huairu couldn't disagree after hearing his reasons.

Qin Huairu knew that Liu Guoyou had other plans, but she couldn't point them out; that would lead to quarreling and fighting.

Liu Guoyou said that the two girls were fourteen or fifteen, and they were about to be big girls; they had no hope in their studies, so they had to arrange for a husband's family early.

Young people in the capital had to go to the countryside to work; how could he bear to let his beautiful daughter suffer in the countryside.

Suffering didn't matter; he was just afraid that the two girls would be ignorant and have an accident.

Think about it, what was the situation in the countryside in this era, and what was the situation when young men and women were gathered together; could he be at ease?

He was also doing work and preparations; once the two girls reached the age, he would arrange work for them first, even if it was a temporary worker, they had to work. At the same time, he had to arrange a husband's family for them; with both settled, they wouldn't have to go to the countryside.

In this era, girls and boys were the same; if you didn't bring them out to see the world when they were fourteen or fifteen, by the time they were eighteen or nineteen, people wouldn't even know you had such big daughters and sons; who would think of introducing a partner to your family.

Letting the two girls contact people in the courtyard was to facilitate finding a husband's family later; seeing that the two girls looked good, someone would take the initiative to look at them, and the neighbors also knew the roots and the bottom.

Liu Guoyou's other intentions were on Li Xuewu of the Li family; if he wanted to hold onto this big thigh, he had to enhance personal feelings.

Don't think crookedly; he wasn't a bad person sending his daughter; he was thinking that Li family had a happy event today, and Li Xuewu's circle would also have people coming; what if there were people of similar age.

As long as he climbed onto the in-law relationship, mutual support in the future would be justified.

He had inquired from Qin Huairu that the Li family had two in-laws who were not ordinary.

Even if the eldest daughter-in-law's family was from the countryside, the eldest daughter-in-law was promising; could the parents in the village suffer in the future?

Look at the in-laws of the second and third, the background of that status was a bit scary.

Qin Huairu knew his little thoughts, but she didn't want to poke them; on one hand, she was afraid of affecting the husband-wife relationship, and on the other hand, she didn't want to manage the marriage of these two girls.

As a stepmother, no matter what you do, there are reasons for being wrong; in the future, whether they live well or not, they can blame her.

So she didn't say anything and let Liu Guoyou toss.

Liu Guoyou wanted to climb a high branch, and she didn't stop him; she just wanted to watch the fun.

What kind of people were in Li Xuewu's circle, whether at the group level or the local level; could they look down on their family?

Besides, on the recycling station side, could Liu Guoyou bear it?

Even if Liu Guoyou could bear it, there were no good people in this circle; these two girls would be swallowed alive by others.

In this era, the better they look, the more dangerous they are; even a decent family picking a daughter-in-law picks

Furthermore, regarding the recycling station, could Liu Guoyou be willing to part with it?

Even if Liu Guoyou were willing, where in this circle are there any good people? Wouldn't these two daughters be swallowed alive by others?

In this day and age, the better they look, the more dangerous it is. Even decent families, when looking for a daughter-in-law, pick one who looks blessed; why would they ever choose a vixen to go back and stir up trouble?

Unfortunately, Liu Guoyou's two daughters have exactly those kinds of charming eyes and pretty faces; men like them, while women frown upon seeing them.

They have their own little schemes at only fourteen or fifteen years old; who knows what they'll be like when they grow up.

When the people in the courtyard gather together again, they naturally want to chat about daily life. Besides talking about the Li family's splendor, the Qin Huairu family also contributed a portion of the gossip.

"Hey! The bride is here!"

I don't know who stood at the entrance and roared this out, but the eyes of everyone in the courtyard were drawn to it. The women and children who love a good show all rushed toward the main gate.

Although there are radios in this day and age, and some families have even started watching television, the lack of spiritual entertainment has still not been thoroughly resolved.

Let's put it this way: whenever something happens in any family, a circle of people will stand at the door and windows, craning their necks to look into your house.

Awkward? Stop it. If they don't feel awkward, then you're the one who's awkward.

It's even worse in the countryside than in the city; whenever a family has relatives visiting, there will inevitably be people coming to watch the excitement.

It's the same in the city. The plot point that everyone likes most when newcomers get married is looking at the bride—whether she's beautiful or ugly, tall or short, fat or thin, they all have to comment on her.

Haven't they seen Ji Yuxiu before?

Of course they have, but it's precisely because they've seen her that they want to see what she looks like when she gets married.

Although Ji Yuxiu doesn't act particularly serious on a daily basis, having worked at the branch bureau for a long time, her demeanor has long since changed.

Therefore, whether they had seen her before or not didn't hinder everyone's curiosity about the bride.

"Setting off firecrackers! Stand back!"

Sha Zhu, being unreliable, left his work in the kitchen undone and ran off to set off firecrackers with Shen Guodong and the others.

He had confidence in his heart; not only was Ma Hua there, but he had also found other friends to help.

There were fifteen or sixteen tables in total. The Li family didn't set the standard too high or too low: six dishes and one soup.

It couldn't compare to the time Li Xuewu got married, both in terms of dish variety and quality.

However, Li Xuecai could understand; the timing when he and Ji Yuxiu got married wasn't quite right.

If it could have been a little earlier, the family would never have wronged him.

It's just that while things look normal on the outside now, who knows how many people are watching them.

Li Xuecai isn't a child anymore; many things are clear as soon as they're said.

Besides, his wedding might not be as good as his second brother's, but it's more than enough compared to others.

What kind of family is this, having six dishes and one soup for a wedding? It's too extravagant.

Four meat dishes and two vegetable dishes—if you don't have some family savings, you really wouldn't dare to host like this.

The key is how many gifts they'll receive.

The guests being hosted today are generally neighbors; even if they give three or five mao, that's considered a lot, and the cost of the meal can be earned back in one go.

Li Shun didn't actually think about earning back the cost through gifts; he just wanted to give his son and daughter-in-law a legitimate wedding certificate.

So, don't worry about whether it's eight dishes or four; they just chose the practical six dishes.

Chicken, fish, pork, and mutton—these four meat dishes made today's banquet shine.

It's not that there were lights buried in the dishes, but there were too many eyes looking over while smelling the aroma; the dishes looked like they were glowing.

"Carry her! Carry her!"

Sha Zhu and Liu Guangfu joined in the fun, standing outside the crowd and shouting at Li Xuecai, who had just opened the car door, telling him to carry his wife out.

The Li family wanted to keep a low profile, but they still used the club's Volga M24 sedan for the wedding procession, using two cars in total.

Ji Yuxiu's family side was thin; only her mother and sister-in-law came to see her off.

Those who didn't know might have thought her family had no men left, not even coming to see her off when she got married.

This couldn't be helped; if they were all in the mainland, the Ji family would have come to see their daughter get married no matter what.

It's just that they were helpless; Ji Ruixuan and Fu Caining were both pillars of their respective units, and if they wanted to take leave, only one person could come back.

Ji Ruixuan really wanted to see his daughter get married, but he had to give the opportunity to his beloved wife.

He could understand the bitterness of his daughter getting married, and he believed his wife felt even more bitter than he did.

Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong had originally said he would come back to attend the wedding, and even the gifts were prepared.

It's just that something happened in Hong Kong at the end of August, and he was worried that the situation was unstable and that port and trade work would be affected, so he could only regretfully be unable to make the trip.

"You have to carry her down; if you can't carry her, carrying her on your back works too." Li Xuewu saw his younger brother looking at him and said with a smile: "Carry her."

"Zhu Bajie is carrying his wife!"

Before the embarrassed Li Xuecai could act, Liu Guangfu and the others started jeering.

The crowd watching the excitement laughed out loud; you can't take jokes made at this time to heart.

Just because of that line about Zhu Bajie carrying his wife, Li Xuecai gritted his teeth; no matter what, he had to carry his wife into the courtyard.

Fu Caining and Han Yating got out of the car behind and laughed as they watched the playfulness in front; this is the liveliness of a wedding.

The in-laws had arrived, and Li Shun and Liu Yin, who had been prepared for a long time, went to welcome them.

In fact, Fu Caining had already visited the in-laws' house as soon as she returned.

When Comrade Comrade Ji Weidong got married, wasn't it the Li family who helped arrange everything?

Later, when daughter-in-law Han Yating gave birth, the Li family still helped take care of her.

This bond between the in-laws had been established, and that's how today's fate came to be.

"Look, they really are in-laws; they have endless things to say."

Sha Zhu teased, greeting everyone to make way and inviting the newlyweds to enter the courtyard first.

Li Shun and Liu Yin saw him shouting, so they smiled and explained a sentence to Fu Caining before standing to the side.

Li Xuecai took a breath, reached into the carriage to pick up Ji Yuxiu, and straightened his back after getting out of the car door. He even bounced her, causing Ji Yuxiu to almost gasp out loud.

However, she still gave Li Xuecai a punch, and the two of them sparring again caused waves of laughter from the crowd.

They walked first, the relatives from the bride's side followed behind, and the Li family followed along.

The children didn't mind the crowding; they just wandered around the adults' legs, squeezing into any gap they could find, wanting to look ahead to see what the bride looked like.

Why else would they be called children? They hide when the bride wears a uniform, but is she not the same person when she wears red?

However, Ji Yuxiu looked truly beautiful today. With her second sister-in-law's wedding as a precedent, she had a reference when choosing her wedding attire.

It was still Tailor Li's handiwork; a red dress made Ji Yuxiu the protagonist of the day, attracting everyone's gaze.

Her shy complexion was as beautiful as her wedding dress, setting off Li Xuecai's face until it was red too.

"Xuecai, are you tired? Do you need help?"

"Hahaha—"

Jokes today aren't taken to heart; the young people are trying their best to take advantage.

Ji Yuxiu didn't go easy on them when she was the director in this area.

Now it's time for revenge!

"Can you still hold on?"

Liu Guangfu, Yan Jiefang, and the others followed along, shouting: "If you can't hold on, speak up! We have people to help!"

Li Xuecai had all his strength focused on Ji Yuxiu; where would he have the opportunity to answer their provocation?

It was just that Ji Yuxiu glared at them, both amused and angry, which made those young people run away with snickers.

Fu Caining was sent home by Li Shun and Liu Yin, while Han Yating, together with Gu Ning who had been prepared for a long time, accompanied Han Shu and Second Aunt Han Xiumei to hang the curtains and fold the quilts.

This is almost an essential procedure for a wedding in the north: a curtain rod is hung above the edge of the kang, about the thickness of an adult's wrist, entirely red, and hung up with ropes.

The "all-blessed person" invited by both sides goes up onto the kang to hang the curtains that have been prepared long ago.

During this period, the all-blessed person will say a set of blessings, and the aunts and uncles will scatter peanuts and candies into the curtains, wishing the newlyweds an early birth of a noble son and a sweet life.

The newlyweds' quilts, like the curtains, are the dowry from the bride's family. The all-blessed person opens the packed luggage and folds it neatly again.

In the process of folding the quilts, peanuts and beans are still scattered, implying many children, many blessings, and a long life.

Who is an all-blessed person?

Han Shu and Second Aunt Han Xiumei are not all-blessed people; they can only teach how to do it.

Han Shu's parents are still alive, but her parents-in-law have long since passed away.

Han Xiumei's parents are also still alive, but her father-in-law has passed away.

Strictly speaking, Han Yating doesn't count as an all-blessed person either; her parents and parents-in-law are alive, but she doesn't have both a son and a daughter.

What about Gu Ning?

It depends on how you look at it. Her parents and parents-in-law are alive, and she has both a son and a daughter, but the eldest daughter, Li Shu, wasn't born to her, so this can't be emphasized as perfect.

It's too difficult to find an all-blessed person among relatives, and it's not appropriate to find one among neighbors, so they just made do.

However, one is the eldest sister-in-law from the bride's side, and the other is the second sister-in-law from the groom's side; it sounds good when you talk about it.

Gu Ning and Han Yating hadn't done this kind of thing before, so it was all taught by Second Aunt and Han Shu.

Those watching the excitement didn't mind the crowding; a room full of women and children squeezed in at this moment.

The women watched the excitement, and the children scrambled for peanuts and candies, which can be considered an auspicious omen.

Li Xuecai and Ji Yuxiu stood to one side until the quilts, wrapped with longans, lotus seeds, peanuts, coins, and other lucky items, were folded again; only then did they complete the preparations for the bridal chamber.

According to old customs, Ji Yuxiu should sit on the bed until she rests at night, and she must hold a white radish in her arms.

But old customs aren't allowed to be emphasized at this time; no one said anything about just folding the quilts, but if Ji Yuxiu were to get on the kang now, it would really make people laugh.

Just as the quilt work was finished, the person in charge of the banquet outside shouted that the banquet was starting.

Subsequently, a young voice roared "Oil it!" The atmosphere in the wedding tent immediately became enthusiastic; everyone was waiting to eat the six-dish banquet.

Yu Li and Qin Huairu came out after watching the excitement. Seeing Third Aunt holding a child and squeezing into the wedding tent, she frowned and wanted to leave.

It was Qin Huairu who held her back and simultaneously called Qin Jingru to enter the wedding tent together.

"Why are you leaving when it's time to eat? It's not like you haven't seen it before; don't pay attention to her."

Qin Jingru, hearing her sister say this, couldn't help but glance in Third Aunt's direction before curling her lips.

"Come, let's sit together."

Qin Huairu found a table and called Yu Li and Qin Jingru. Seeing He Yu Shui appear at the entrance, she waved again.

"I was just saying I'd go watch the excitement."

He Yu Shui walked over with a smile and said: "The newlyweds are bowing to their parents; isn't the banquet starting a bit early?"

"Probably on purpose." Qin Huairu looked in the Li family's direction and said softly: "They are four generations under one roof; there might be old customs. They probably don't want people watching."

"Another possibility is that it has to do with the in-laws." She raised her chin and said: "Their status is quite high, right Yushui?"

"I don't know the specifics; they just live in our area, but I don't see them usually."

Yushui naturally knew who Fu Caining was; she was the general manager of the International Hotel. How could she not know who the distinguished guests staying in the hotel were?

Besides, even if she didn't have the group's channels, she had to know who Han Yating's mother-in-law was, right?

However, Yushui couldn't talk about this here, and she reminded Qin Huairu not to talk about it either.

Qin Huairu also understood and didn't continue chatting about this topic.

Before long, Diliya and Ge Shuqin walked in and also gathered at this table.

They were all young wives, so they had things to talk about when they got together.

It's just that when these few women got together, the topics they brought up exceeded the wedding itself.

For the sake of the six dishes, the neighbors stopped watching the Li family and scrambled to occupy seats.

The person in charge of the banquet had already called for the dishes to be served, and cold appetizers and large bowls of meat dishes had already been placed on the tables.

The guests arrived at their tables one after another. The ceremony of bowing and serving tea at the Li family's side had also ended, and the newlyweds were led by both sets of parents into the wedding tent to thank the guests.

Li Xuewu took the opportunity to find Gu Ning and asked her to take the children to eat first, without waiting until the end; the banquet only had this one round.

"What about you? Aren't you eating together?"

Gu Ning was still thinking about him and asked with some surprise: "Aren't you hungry?"

"I'll eat in a while; I'm going to take Xuecai to toast the guests first."

This task should have been done by Li Xuewen, the eldest grandson, who should have led his younger brother to toast and greet the elders.

But since the Li family produced an immortal of wine who never gets drunk after a thousand cups, he was duty-bound to lead Li Xuecai to toast.

Having the second brother, who serves as the secretary-general in the group, lead the toasts showed that the Li family was full of talent and also helped Li Xuecai save face.

With him leading his younger brother and sister-in-law to toast, who would dare to play around and force Li Xuecai to drink?

They started toasting from the first table of the bride's relatives, which was Fu Caining's.

In fact, there weren't many guests from the bride's side, and there were very few real relatives from the groom's side, so everyone gathered at one table, and the conversation was intimate.

Li Xuecai was quite clever; I don't know if it was prepared long ago, but when his second brother signaled him to toast his mother-in-law, he directly changed his address to "Mom."

Fu Caining was satisfied with Li Xuecai as a son-in-law. In this era, there are too many complexities and contradictions; it's not easy for a daughter to find a groom's family that is both pleasing and trustworthy.

Her daughter had been raised by them for almost four years; if there were any problems, they would have appeared long ago. What else did she, as a mother-in-law, have to be picky about? She was a hundred percent satisfied, ten thousand percent satisfied.

Li Xuewu saw tears welling up in Ji Yuxiu's eyes and suggested she toast her mother alone to thank her.

This suggestion finally made Ji Yuxiu's tears fall uncontrollably.

"It's a day of great joy, be good."

Fu Caining had seen the world, but the more knowledgeable she was, the more she hoped her daughter would live an ordinary life.

After all, she was a daughter; she didn't need to bear the hopes and storms of the family, as long as she was healthy and lived a happy life, that was enough.

So, seeing her daughter in such a small-daughter posture, Fu Caining smiled and helped her wipe away her tears.

Come to think of it, her daughter had long since belonged to someone else; she had just traveled thousands of miles to attend a ceremony.

She had already said what she could to her daughter, and the rest were just entrustments between the in-laws.

Li Xuewu called Li Xuecai and Ji Yuxiu to toast the table, and then they walked toward the next table.

Everywhere they went, there were continuous congratulations, and the toasts were polite.

Until they walked to Sha Zhu's table, where this old boy had been waiting for him for a long time.

"Hey, is it you getting married or Xuecai getting married?"

Sha Zhu smiled and pushed him, grabbed Li Xuecai's shoulder, and said: "Starting a family and establishing a career—younger brother Xuecai has achieved both; congratulations, let's have a drink!"

With over a dozen tables, if everyone drank a cup like Sha Zhu, they'd be looking at two jin.

Li Xuecai was quite respectful and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, and the young people at the table applauded and cheered.

"Fill it up, fill it up—"

Sha Zhu held the wine bottle and smiled, wanting to pour wine for Li Xuecai.

"An excited heart, trembling hands; you can't leave without drinking three cups."

Seeing Li Xuecai about to leave, he smiled and held him back to persuade him to drink: "One cup to celebrate the new marriage, two cups for the birth of a noble son, three cups, four cups for a pile of babies, five cups, six cups..."

"Come, nephew, Uncle will toast you; let's not return until we're drunk."

Li Xuewu saw him acting strange, and knowing he was trying to set the atmosphere and wanted the wedding to be lively, he hugged He Zhuang from the next table.

"When your dad was your age, he could already drink two and a half jin."

PS: I'm back home. Starting tomorrow, I'll write twenty thousand words to make up for the missing chapters.

How many chapters do I owe?