Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 847 Can’t Cry
Chen Fan was wearing a new outfit that Jiang Lili had specially made for him today.

His navy blue, modified stand-up collar Zhongshan suit made his figure look exceptionally tall and straight. He wore black crocodile leather shoes, and his hair, coated with hair oil, lay obediently on his scalp, remaining unmoved even in the gusts of cold wind.

If it weren't for the large red flower on the chest, a symbol of the era, this outfit would still be fashionable 50 years from now.

As soon as he got out of the car, his outfit immediately caught everyone's eye.

The photographers from the publicity departments of the cotton mill, the automobile factory, the machinery factory, and the electrical appliance factory all moved in unison, snapping a five-shot series.

Even when the company holds a general meeting of employees, these workers have never been this extravagant.

When the photos are developed and posted online decades later, they will definitely attract countless exclamations of amazement.

Chen Fan took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, looked at his father-in-law and mother-in-law, and prepared to go over.

Suddenly a crowd surged over.

Just as Yan Liyuan, the director of the health department, was about to step forward, he was pushed to the back by Zhou Jie, the head of the political work section, and Zuo Qiuping, the deputy director of the education department. The next second, several more female comrades rushed up. By the time he came to his senses, there were already five or six walls of people between him and Chen Fan. He could only stare in disbelief and then smile bitterly.

Chen Fan was still in a daze when several hands patted and pulled at him.

Sister Zhou said, "The young man is so handsome. This outfit is absolutely amazing. I've seen at least 80 or 100 couples get married, but none of the grooms can compare to you."

Zuo Qiuping's eyes lit up. "Where did you buy this dress? Was it in Shanghai? It's definitely a big city. It's much prettier than Yunhu's dress. Hey, Xiao Fan, congratulations! When I saw the bride just now, she was like a fairy. She's a fairy, and you're like a celestial prince. You two are a perfect match, a match made in heaven."

She wouldn't have dared to say such things before, like "fairy" or "celestial child," because that would have caused trouble. But now that demons and monsters are appearing on the radio, what's wrong with praising someone as a fairy or celestial child?

Sister Qin and Sister Yu from the health department, as well as Lin Liwen and Xia Yuping who went to university in the provincial capital, were also there.

They also offered their blessings.

When it was Xia Yuping's turn, she didn't hold back at all and said to Chen Fan, "I used to dream of marrying a swan, but you didn't take a liking to us. I was a little unconvinced at first, but after seeing the bride today, I'm convinced."

He then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said with a smile, "Wishing you a long and happy marriage, and that you will be forever united in heart and soul."

Chen Fan quickly returned the greeting with a cupped hand, saying, "Thank you, thank you."

Behind her, Zhou Yali took her mother's arm, her eyes shining, and whispered, "My brother has a lot of issues."

Zhao Wanru glared at her, annoyed. "Don't cause trouble on such a joyous occasion."

Zhou Yali pouted, "I'm just here to watch the fun."

Having finally escaped from a group of women, Chen Fan greeted and thanked other acquaintances.

Yan Liyuan finally managed to speak to him.

Looking at the spirited Chen Fan, Director Yan couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Back when they first met, he was a high-ranking section chief, while Chen Fan was a folk doctor from the village.

Unexpectedly, just over two years later, he had become a nationally renowned writer and a deputy director-level official. Although I had also made some progress, compared with him, I was simply incomparable.

Chen Fan, with his keen eyes, easily saw through Yan Liyuan's sigh, but he had no time to pay attention to it at the moment, as he was busy greeting his friends who had come to offer their congratulations.

Like in Lujiawan, some of the guests who came today were old friends he had dealt with before and were fairly familiar with.

The largest number of people came from Yunqi Factory and Machinery Factory. They were basically the original leadership team and technical backbone of Machinery Factory, including Chairman Zhao of the Trade Union, Secretary Zhang of the Youth League Committee, Director Qian of the Women's Federation, and Section Chief Sun of Finance.

However, they have all been promoted and are no longer in their original positions. He doesn't know exactly what they are doing now.

In addition, Director Lin of the affiliated hospital of the machinery factory was also among them.

However, he is not the main point.

Chen Fan looked at the two elderly comrades behind him and grinned, "How are you two doing now, masters?"

These two men were Lu Shouquan and Dong Qingzheng, who used to work at Nanhu Health Center and had guided Chen Fan in his medical skills for a period of time. They can be considered Chen Fan's mentors in medicine.

Later, Chen Fan was invited to guide the health work at the affiliated hospital of the machinery factory. At that time, Secretary Li, who was then the deputy director of the factory, asked him to visit the hospital occasionally for treatment, but he declined. However, he recommended two senior doctors, Lu Shouquan and Dong Qingzheng.

One of them was an expert in traditional Chinese medicine internal medicine, and the other was an expert in orthopedics. They could handle most of the illnesses of the machine factory workers. The deputy factory director at the time did not hesitate and immediately went to invite them over. He even gave them several job openings to help several of their younger relatives find employment.

Chen Fan invited both of them to his wedding.

Seeing that Chen Fan's attitude was still the same as before, Lu Shouquan and Dong Qingzheng were greatly relieved and offered their blessings together.

Later, Guo Daorong, deputy director of the zoo and also a member of the provincial writers' association, and Pan Yunshen, director of the cultural department, were also present.

By the time Chen Fan reached the steps, ten minutes had already passed.

He straightened his clothes slightly, bowed deeply to Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi, straightened up, and grinned as he called out, "Dad, Mom."

At the same time, the last of the three letters, the "welcome letter," was also presented.

Jiang Heng accepted it with both hands, and he and Shen Xueyi smiled broadly, nodding and applauding repeatedly.

They had been waiting for this day for two or three years, fearing that something unexpected might happen and the marriage would fall through. It would be truly tragic if their youngest daughter ended up like her older sister.

Thankfully, nothing unexpected happened in the end, and we finally made it to today.

The two of them helped Chen Fan up and then welcomed him inside.

Yunhu has no tradition of wedding pranks or bridal chamber games, and no young person would dare to be presumptuous in front of Vice Chairman Chen, not even Lin Liwen and Xia Yuping who felt uneasy about it.

Besides, those who make a ruckus in the bridal chamber are usually the bride's relatives and friends. They are not familiar with Jiang Lili and are not even ordinary friends, so they have no right to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber.

So the groom easily went up to the second floor, pushed open a door, and saw the bride wearing a red jacket, sitting on the edge of the bed, her face full of shyness.

Beside her was Jiang Tiantian, also dressed in red, but without some headdresses and the signature big red flower on her chest.

Chen Fan coughed lightly, ignoring the jeers from the young lady behind him, and walked up to Jiang Lili, extending his right hand and smiling, "I've come to pick you up."

Seeing the dense crowd behind him, Jiang Lili lowered her head shyly, her blushing ears even redder than the rouge on her face.

Despite bowing her head, she still reached out her hand and, with her sister's help, slowly stood up.

Chen Fan took her hand, looked at her first, and then turned to look at Jiang Tiantian.

Because his back was to everyone, he did not hide the apology in his eyes.

On the contrary, Jiang Tiantian, holding her sister's arm, looked at him with eyes full of smiles, without the slightest other emotion.

Seeing Chen Fan's gaze, she couldn't help but purse her lips, her smile deepening.

Now that Chen Fan has achieved great success in his Taoist practice, he has become much more sensitive to other people's emotions. Unless someone is a highly skilled Taoist or Zen practitioner, he can see through most people's emotional changes.

At this moment, in his eyes, Jiang Tiantian's emotions were completely genuine, except for a hint of disappointment deep in her eyes that she couldn't hide no matter what.

Chen Fan smiled at her without saying anything, then took Jiang Lili's hand and left the room, heading downstairs.

As soon as the bride came downstairs, the guests burst into cheers and surrounded her, offering auspicious words.

This caused the scene to become somewhat chaotic.

Fortunately, there were two matchmakers, Director Yang and Secretary Li, who were also in charge of today's wedding. Since the city leaders did not appear, their rank was the highest.

Moreover, given the importance of Yunqi Factory and Electrical Factory, even if city leaders really came, they wouldn't have the confidence to put on airs in front of them.

So the two of them stepped forward together and quickly brought the situation under control. Without wasting too much time, surrounded by the crowd, Chen Fan led Jiang Lili towards the wedding banquet venue. Jiang Tiantian, who had been supporting her younger sister, let go of her arm when she saw them walking hand in hand and followed behind a step behind.

But as soon as she let go, Jiang Lili grabbed her hand back.

No one found it strange.

Everyone knows the two sisters have a close relationship. Now that the younger sister is getting married, it's normal for them to hold hands because they're reluctant to part with their older sister. ...As long as they don't hold hands during the wedding ceremony.

Only the three of them understood the meaning behind it.

The wedding banquet was held in a small auditorium inside the cadre dormitory area.

The small auditorium was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers today. All the original long tables had been removed and replaced with eight large round tables.

Even Chen Fan himself felt a little dizzy looking at it. Were there really that many guests?
Jiang Heng said he would only invite a few old friends, and Chen Fan invited only a few people, enough for two tables.

However, when he thought about his father-in-law and mother-in-law's identities, he immediately felt relieved.

If the factory manager doesn't send an invitation to his daughter's wedding, are you not going?
A cotton mill is a large factory; it's quite easy to gather five or six tables of cadres.

Chen Fan didn't have time to think too much. Under Director Yang's guidance, Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi first gave their remarks, and then Jiang Lili placed her hand in his palm.

Jiang Heng said with emotion, "Xiao Fan, I am at ease entrusting Lili to you. I won't say any more, just one thing: I wish you both a harmonious and happy life in the future."

Chen Fan also stated earnestly, "Don't worry, we definitely will."

He then looked at Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian behind her, his eyes full of smiles.

After a brief ceremony, the wedding banquet officially began.

Chen Fan and Jiang Lili, holding wine glasses, toasted the guests at each table, led by Director Yang.

If there are any close friends around at this time, there will definitely be plenty of fun to watch.

For example, when Zhang Wenliang got married, Chen Fan led the way in making things difficult for him, getting him drunk until he was completely disoriented and confused. He didn't even know if it affected his wedding night.
Chen Fan only has two close friends. One is safe in Shanghai and doesn't know that he's coming back this year to get married. Otherwise, he would definitely come over to "make trouble".

This is also the main reason why Chen Fan didn't tell him in advance.

The other Zhang Wenliang was in Guangzhou. He did receive a telegram from Yang Xingxiu, but he had to lead his team in training and couldn't even get a full night's sleep.

Please ask me to take leave to come back for the banquet?

Don't even think about it!

So today, the groom strolled around quite leisurely, toasting the guests at all eight tables, and there was still half a mouthful of wine left in his small wine cup.

Back at the main table, under Director Yang's direction, Jiang Heng and Shen Xueyi served the young couple some food. The two ate heartily, and the formalities were considered complete.

Only then did Chen Fan let out a long breath.

The process may not be long, but the mental pressure is immense. If something goes wrong, it won't look good.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Zhou Yali asked curiously, "Brother, I heard that brides cry when they get married, so why didn't Lili cry?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lili blinked blankly, somewhat at a loss for words.

She had heard that brides cry when they get married, but right now she only wants to laugh and can't cry at all. What should she do?
Jiang Tiantian was also at a loss, her mind racing as she tried to figure out how to smooth things over.

Chen Fan shook Jiang Lili's hand, glared at Zhou Yali, and said irritably, "What you're talking about is crying before marriage. Crying before marriage is a folk custom in some places in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan a long time ago. It originated from blind marriages and silent marriages. Parents couldn't bear to part with their daughters, daughters couldn't bear to part with their relatives, and there was also fear of the future, so they would cry when they got married."

Moreover, the wedding lament is not just simple crying; it involves cursing and singing, with dozens of lament songs. It can be said that everyone cries, curses, and sings.

This kind of weeping at the wedding has a certain performative nature and is used to create atmosphere, highlighting the joy with sorrow.

Yunhu doesn't have the custom of brides crying before marriage. Although occasionally some brides may cry because they can't bear to part from their parents, it's just a genuine expression of emotion and not considered a necessary wedding ceremony.

At this point, he turned to look at Jiang Lili, squeezed her hand again, and smiled.

“It’s different when Lili gets married. We had agreed before that we wouldn’t separate our families after she got married. Instead, I would have more parents and my parents would have more sons. The two families would become one family, and we wouldn’t even separate our families. Of course, there would be no need for her to cry when she gets married.”

There was no "agreement" whatsoever.

However, many people heard Zhou Yali's words just now. If she can't smooth things over, some petty people will inevitably gossip about her, saying that she is heartless and such, which will naturally have a bad impact on Jiang Lili's reputation.

Although they rarely live in Yunhu now, they can't ignore their reputation.

Now that Chen Fan has explained it this way, others will only think that both families are kind and righteous, and they won't find fault with the wedding ceremony.

Jiang Heng and his wife, of course, wouldn't expose his words; on the contrary, they were even more moved after hearing them.

He immediately nodded and laughed, "That's right, that's right. Getting married isn't about separating the two families; it's about the two families becoming one. We're all one family, all one family, hahaha..."

Seeing her cousin's expression, Zhou Yali realized she had said something wrong. After they finished speaking, she secretly stuck out her tongue and quickly took Jiang Lili's arm, saying, "Yes, yes, sister-in-law, from now on we are family, one big family!"

Seeing that the minor crisis had been successfully resolved, Zhou Zhengdong, Zhao Wanru, and Jiang Tiantian all breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Zhengdong and Zhao Wanru glared at their daughter secretly, planning to settle the score with her when they got back.

Jiang Tiantian looked at Zhou Yali's simple smile and felt a little helpless. This really couldn't be blamed on her. She only had a superficial understanding of domestic customs and traditions, and her mistake was completely unintentional, so there was no need to blame her.

After the minor incident, and with time running out, the wedding procession, under the direction of Director Yang, was about to set off to return home.

From this moment until entering the bridal chamber, the bride's feet must not touch the ground.

This is when Master Chen's profound skills become apparent.

He easily lifted the bride horizontally and placed her in the passenger seat of the jeep. After Jiang Tiantian got into the back seat, the groom drove himself to the pier.

Behind them were many people helping to stuff the dowry into the three vans.

They weren't anything precious; they were all quilts and bedding. For ordinary families, these would be rare finds, since cloth coupons were required to buy them. But for the Jiang family, they weren't worth much.

When the guests saw this, apart from admiring Director Jiang's frugality, no one thought they were stingy.

Jiang Heng and his wife earn a combined monthly salary of two to three hundred yuan. Moreover, the cotton mill is a key unit in the entire Jiangnan Province. As the factory director, how could Jiang Heng possibly be short of industrial invoices?

For their family, the "three turns and one sound" (referring to a set of three turns, a watch, a radio, and a sewing machine) were just ordinary furniture and objects.

Chen Fan is even more remarkable. Everyone knows that his family has big appliances like a TV, refrigerator, and air conditioner. What are three turns and one sound compared to that?
The absence of large dowries clearly indicates that both families agreed to be frugal, and it's definitely not due to stinginess or inability to afford them.

The wedding procession soon arrived at the cargo terminal, where the large cargo ship Luwan No. 2 and the small yacht Luwan No. 5 were already moored.

Chen Fan got out of the car first, picked up Jiang Lili, and then boarded the yacht.

Jiang Tiantian followed closely behind and entered the cabin.

Yang Junyi was sitting in the driver's seat at the moment. When he saw them come in, he immediately greeted them with a smile, "Teacher Chen, Teacher's wife."

Chen Fan took out a bag of wedding candy from his pocket and handed it to him, then waved his hand, "Go to the back and walk with them."

Yang Junyi's face froze instantly, but he dared not disobey Teacher Chen's words. He could only hold the wedding candy and leave the cabin dejectedly, heading towards the Luwan No. 2 at the back.

After everyone had loaded their dowries onto the boats and driven the cars onto the cargo deck, the two boats, one after the other, signaled their departure and then crossed the Yangtze River, heading towards Lujiawan along the Liuhua River.

(End of this chapter)