Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 603 Something Big is About to Happen: The Night Before the Wedding

At 2:06, all the people scattered outside the house were invited into the house and sat down. Everyone opened the wine bottles or poured wine with smiles on their faces, chatted about old times or praised the delicious food.

There are 12 tables in the five main rooms of Old Xu's house. Although Xu Ning did not count them one by one, he roughly estimated that there were as many as 130 relatives and friends gathered at home.

Even though everyone intentionally lowered their voices when chatting, it still sounded noisy, but this kind of noise was something that others envied. In this lively atmosphere, they were all a little excited, always with smiles on their faces, and they were also very enthusiastic when chatting with others.

Family members headed by Wang Shujuan, such as Wang Biao, Liu Tianen, Xu Feng, Li Jinyu, Li Mantang, and relatives from the village who came to help, such as Chang Juan, Chang Lihong, Sun Cuiping, Aunt Bai and Aunt Zhao, brought the dishes to the table and placed six basins of rice on the edge of the kang or on the stove.

Perhaps you should ask why Meng Ziyan, Sun Lianfang and Guan Hua did not move? The reason is naturally that they are considered guests of honor. After all, none of them married here, and they have to accompany Su Yawen, Zhang Aini and Xu He.

There is a brazier and a copper pot on every table. There is red-hot charcoal in the brazier and bubbling sauerkraut in the copper pot, with a layer of blood sausage, pork belly and boneless meat on top. This dish is the pig-killing dish in Qing'an area.

Why do some places not include blood sausage or boneless meat in the pig-killing dishes? Xu Ning is not sure, maybe the customs in each place are different, just like the later pot-wrapped pork, Liao Province mainly uses tomato sauce, and Heilongjiang Province mainly uses white vinegar. It must be that the strong and pungent sour smell can be smelled as soon as the dish is put down, which is also called old-style pot-wrapped pork.

What is boneless meat? It is the meat on the pig shoulder blade (fan-shaped bone). Because pigs often move around, this piece of meat is also called live meat. It has a tender and smooth taste and is delicious when dipped in garlic sauce.

When the boneless meat was just boiled out, Han Fengjiao called Wang Biao, Xu Feng, Chang Xiaobao and a group of other children to each try a piece. It was not that Han Fengjiao was stingy, but there were not many of them. If these more than 10 children were full, even if they were given all the boneless meat, it would not be enough.

Old Xu's family members sat separately, but there was no way to accommodate 12 tables, so in the end Wang Erli and Liu Daming had to go to accompany Old Zhang and others from the forest farm. The table held by Xu Laonian was occupied by the heads of each household, including Chai Liangyu, Sun Jishan, Sun Jiwei, Sun Jiye, Ma Liu, Yang Yusheng, Du Shoucai, Chang Danian, Xu Pao, Wu Zhouliang, Wu Zhouquan, and Wang Minfu.

It can be said that they are all Xu Ning's uncles. Although he calls Yang Yusheng "third uncle", this is from Li Fuqiang's side. Logically speaking, Yang Yusheng is older than Xu Laonian, so he should be called uncle.

At Xu Ning's table were Chen Hedong, Su Beichuan, Sun Liansheng, Lian Jun, Zhibin, Yong, Lao Qian and others, all of whom were his friends.

The remaining tables were occupied by middle-aged and elderly women, young women, and children...

After everyone's glasses were filled with wine, Yang Yusheng and others gathered around Xu Laonian to talk to him. Xu Laonian was not nervous and stood up with his glass and walked to the middle of the reception room.

"It is said that when friends and family gather together, something big must be happening!"

"Hahaha... my son Xu Ning, Xu Er from the old Xu family, and little Xu Pao with golden claws are getting married, and the partner is my brother's daughter Meng Ziyan!"

"Just by hearing the name, I know at a glance that this girl is good. They met at a small reservoir. Due to various coincidences, they formed a fate and gradually came to this point. As a father, I am very happy! Very happy!"

"Everyone knows what my little brat was like before. He suddenly changed a little last year, and then slowly became what he is today! To be honest, as a father, I am quite satisfied!"

"His mother and I are very satisfied! The fact that our family was able to build this house is at least half due to the efforts of my little bastard. As a father, I should stop worrying too much..."

Xu Laonian was a little excited, his eyes were slightly red, but the people sitting at the table did not laugh when they heard it, because these were Xu Laonian's true feelings, there was nothing funny about them. After all, laughing should be done according to the occasion.

"So many relatives and friends came from far away, most of them came for my son. I, Xu Chunlin, never dreamed that my most disappointing son would have this day."

"Thank you, thank you all for coming to support us, so we will kill the pig today and have a wedding banquet tomorrow!"

"I can't say any more. I spent two nights thinking about these words before I came up with them..."

Before he finished speaking, laughter and applause rang out from the reception room and the east and west rooms at the same time. Everyone grinned and let out all the laughter that had been suppressed in their hearts.

"Hahaha……"

Xu Laonian raised his glass with a smile and said, "Come on, let's raise our glasses together and take a sip, then quickly start eating."

Then everyone raised their glasses and took a sip before Xu Laonian turned around and went back to his seat. The room was quiet for only two or three seconds before the noisy sound rang out again.

Although we slaughtered a pig today, we couldn't just eat the butchering dishes. We also had braised pork intestines. Of course, there weren't enough intestines from this pig, so most of them were the ones Xu Long bought. There were also stir-fried beans with three shreds, stir-fried pork with beans, braised pork slices, pot-fried pork, fried shrimp chips, stir-fried chicken, red sausage, and a platter of pork belly with pine nuts...

While chatting with Liu Xuemin, Xu Ning picked up sauerkraut and pork belly. These two dishes are delicious when dipped in garlic sauce and spread on rice. The taste is a little irritating to the taste buds, but it is really delicious!
After he hurriedly ate half a bowl of rice, he picked up the wine glass and started drinking. He had been busy since morning until now, and he was not much more relaxed than others. It was very tiring for him to greet and chat with people.

At this time, he heard Xu Long at the back table ask: "How is Jun and his girlfriend?"

"Very good. Didn't I take my parents to the city yesterday? I met her parents and had lunch together."

"Are you talking about when you're getting married?"

"We're getting married next year, and we haven't discussed the betrothal gifts and dowry yet. Her parents are quite satisfied with me, but my work is a bit troublesome."

Yan He said, "What's the problem? Aren't you working in the grain bureau warehouse? Have you been working there for a full year?"

"No, I was only gone for a short time."

"Then wait until you have worked for a full year, and then I will transfer you to another position. After two transfers, your salary will go up. I tell you, your partner, don't be anxious."

Xu Long said with a smile: "Have you heard what your brother He means? Don't worry, he will help you with the work. Hurry up and take the cup and go with your brother He."

"Okay, Brother He, there's nothing to say. It's all in the wine." There was half a glass of wine left in Wang Yuanjun's glass, and he tilted his head back and drank it all down.

"Hahaha, don't be polite. Your brother-in-law and I are buddies, and we are both in the city. If you have anything to say, just talk to me."

"..."

Xu Ning did not say anything, but just chatted with Chen Hedong, Hu Zhibin and others. After time passed slowly and everyone drank two taels of wine, Xu Ning got up to look for Meng Ziyan.

He walked behind Meng Ziyan with a cup in hand, bent over and said, "Get two bottles of wine, and let's go and toast."

"Ah, okay."

Meng Ziyan put down her chopsticks and stood up. Xu Ning chatted with Su Yawen, who was sitting at the same table, but did not toast because they had to toast their elders first before they could toast their peers.

She took out Wuliangye and Fengcheng Laojiao and followed Xu Ning out of the west room and came to the east room. There were two tables in the room. The floor table was for her eldest uncle and second uncle, her oldest uncle and her brother, Meng Quezi, Zhang Jinbao, Meng Yinhe and Xu Laonian, and the kang table was for Liu Lizhen and her grandmother, Li Fengxia, her three uncles and her two sisters-in-law, and the children.

We are inviting relatives and friends to dinner in advance today, and we must invite Meng Ziyan’s family, otherwise what kind of guests would it be?

Although the room was not full, the kang table was small and could only accommodate seven or eight people. Xu Laonian, Chai Liangyu and others came over after drinking some wine, while Liu Lizhen and Xu Feng had been in this room the whole time.

When Xu Ning and Meng Ziyan entered the room, the second uncle shouted at the top of his voice: "Hey! Er Ning! You look even more handsome today."

"Hahaha, Second Uncle, stop praising me so much. I get carried away easily."

"You look so good, why don't you let people praise you?" Grandma said with a kind face.

"Okay, grandma, as your grandson-in-law, I have to offer you a glass of wine. You raised such a good daughter of my aunt, and then my aunt educated such a good...wife. It's all thanks to you."

"Hahaha..." The whole room burst into laughter. The second uncle clapped his hands and said to the eldest and second uncles, "Look at this little Erning, he's so smart!"

"Not so good, Erning is still good at chatting, look how he made you stunned..."

"Oh, I'm happy to! I'm happy with Erning."

After Xu Ning toasted grandma, he turned around and said, "Uncle, second uncle, and old uncle, I'll toast to you one by one."

"Forget it! You two have a big day tomorrow, don't waste time drinking today."

Xu Ning smiled and said, "How can that delay things? There's no smell of alcohol in my cup."

The uncle glared and asked, "Boiled water?"

"OK."

"Hahaha, you are the most thoughtful! Okay, then what are you afraid of? Drink it."

After drinking, Xu Ning and Meng Ziyan were about to walk out when Xu Laonian spoke.

"Don't you see your father is here? Why don't you respect me?"

Hearing this, Liu Lizhen pointed at him and scolded, "Don't be so picky."

Meng Ziyan quickly turned around, bent down and filled Xu Laonian's glass with wine, and said, "Uncle, I toast you..."

"Cigarette, please don't drop it, your uncle is joking, you have to drink this wine tomorrow."

Meng Quezi smiled and said, "Okay, you two should go out and walk around quickly. No one is in charge of this room."

Xu Ning said: "No one will choose me except my dad."

"What? I'm not a human..."

"Hahaha!"

After the two of them left the house, they stopped at Chai Liangyu and Ma Liu's table. However, these uncles had no intention of bullying Xu Ning. They only asked Meng Ziyan to fill the wine glasses and then let the two of them leave. They acted like elders. What did this mean? They all treated Xu Ning as their own nephew.

Then came the table of Second Mother, Third Aunt and others, the table of foresters, Xu Long's friends of the same generation, and then Xu Ning's friends...

They walked around the room and sat back down again after more than half an hour had passed, because they had to chat with each table they visited, and if there was someone Meng Ziyan didn't know, they would introduce them to her.

Don't think that doing this is troublesome, it is a way of understanding human nature and worldly ways. Although Xu Ning knows that it is embarrassing to say compliments and witty remarks, only embarrassing words can win other people's smiles and leave a good impression.

After three rounds of wine and five kinds of dishes, the men and women were all happy. They went around the table and laughed heartily from time to time.

Seeing that it was getting dark outside, Meng Ziyan's family went back to Meng Quezi's place first. After they got there, they had to paste window decorations and couplets, as well as prepare things for tomorrow's wedding.

After Xu Laonian, Liu Lizhen, Xu Ning, Xu Long, and Xu Feng sent him away, they turned around and walked into the house. Yang Shuhua came towards them and asked, "Auntie, Qiangzi asked if we need anything?"

"It's just window decorations and couplets. We can do it tomorrow morning."

Wang Shujuan asked, "Mom, can you come with me tomorrow morning? Then I have to get up at around three o'clock."

"Then let's do it today. Biao, go to the lower room and get the two baskets of windows and ribbons from the shelf. If you have nothing to do, blow up some balloons and then go to the courtyard to paste couplets."

Wang Biao nodded: "Okay! We just happen to be free and have nothing to do."

After Wang Biao and Tian En left, Xu Ning asked, "Mom, who will hold my bed tonight?"

"A house full of gold and jade!" Liu Lizhen covered her mouth and whispered, "Your sister-in-law said that it's possible that she could give birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Oh my god, if she really could give birth to twins, wouldn't your father and I be so happy? Haha..."

She thinks she is beautiful now. Xu Ning is helpless. He has no expectations for twins. He had no sons or daughters in his previous life. If he has a son or a daughter in this life, he doesn't know how to educate them. Don't think that it's good to think about it in your heart. In reality, they may be worse than Xu Laonian.

Chai Liangyu, Ma Liu and others had put down their wine glasses and started drinking tea instead. They didn't drink much today, only 8 taels each.

At this moment, they were discussing how to sleep tonight. No matter how they discussed it, these people would definitely be able to stay because the people from the forest farm and the village would have to go home soon. The only ones left would be the Wu, Sun, and Chai families and the friends of Xu Ning and Xu Long.

The old lady was clearing the table, Lian Jun and Chai Hongyan were moving the stools. There weren't many scenes of them today, mainly because there were too many guests. Also, they were not the competitive type and lived a stable life.

After they swept the floor and cleaned up the north kitchen, they decorated the bridal chamber under the leadership of Liu Lizhen. The room was in the second west room. They first spread bedding on the bed, and then put dates, peanuts, hazelnuts, candies, melon seeds, etc. on the red silk quilt. Jin Yumantang would sleep on the bed in this room tonight, which meant the early birth of a son and the auspiciousness of dragon and phoenix.

There are ribbons, balloons and red paper-cuts hung on the head of the bed, window grilles on the windows, couplets on both sides of the door, and the ground is covered with red bricks wrapped in red paper.

Any sharp objects outside the yard, such as clothes drying poles, will also need to be hung with ribbons, and tomorrow morning they will also need to be hung with balloons...

This is the only way to decorate a wedding room these days, because there are too few things and it can’t be made too grand.

By 8 o'clock, the bridal room had been decorated and everyone was sitting in the reception room chatting.

Du Shoucai asked, "Would you like to drive around the village tomorrow?"

Liu Lizhen said, "Don't walk around, big brother. Our house is already very conspicuous. Why are you still walking around? I am very satisfied to have so many relatives and friends come."

Yang Yusheng said: "It's right that my sister-in-law thinks so. Marriage is their business, as long as they are satisfied."

"What are the procedures for tomorrow? Xiao Du will be the witness... Oh my god, when my third child got married, I was so busy that I didn't remember anything at all."

After Chai Liangyu finished speaking, Sun Jishan said, "I do have some impression that we had to go out to pick up the bride in the morning, and we had to go alone and come back twice."

Er Niang said with a smile: "Well, forget about pointing fingers at you old gentlemen, old sister, let's study it ourselves, it's almost the same anyway!"

"Well, let's go to the east room and stop studying with them."

"Hahaha……"

After the old women entered the east room, the old men changed the subject.

(End of this chapter)