Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 183 The Big Wedding
As for his own home, He Yuzhu didn't bring back rice, but he brought back a lot of dried seafood. It's perfectly normal for him to bring back some things after being away for several days.

The salty, fishy smell wasn't unnoticed in the front yard, but no one dared to mess with He Yuzhu anymore; that kid was too wicked.

Xiaoman is the one who is most used to eating seafood; the others can barely tolerate it.

He Daqing felt it was a pity that such good ingredients were wasted on broth, otherwise he could have made a few Tan family dishes.

He Yuzhu rolled his eyes at his father after hearing this, and said, "Soup, what are you thinking?"

He Yuzhu handled the important matter of grain, which made him even more popular in his unit. Everyone greeted him with a smile, and the leaders in the bureau said that this was exactly what a logistics director should be doing!
In December, He Yuzhu went to Tianjin again, this time alone, and brought back thirty tons of grain, which was once again completely distributed.

In addition, He Yuzhu's wedding date was set for New Year's Day in 1960, and the venue for the banquet was also chosen: the canteen at He Yuzhu's workplace.

He Daqing originally wanted to hold the banquet at the steel mill, but He Yuzhu rejected it outright.

He Yuzhu, the logistics manager at the Industry and Commerce Bureau, has the final say. It's a holiday anyway. The steel mill has to contact the security department and the logistics department. And after contacting them, are you going to hire anyone?

At this time, the idea is to keep things as simple as possible, and there's no need to make things complicated.

Since Xiaoman lives right across the street, the wedding procession is so close that it can be done in just a few steps.

Wang Hongxia took Xiaoman and the others directly to her home, and Wang Cuiping and Wang Siyu also went.

Then Wang Hongxia sent the two Zhao family boys to No. 95 courtyard to be groomsmen.

The He family's house was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the front yard couldn't possibly miss it. But they didn't mention holding a banquet, and some people in the front yard couldn't stand it anymore.

On the evening of December 31, 1959, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui, with everyone's recommendation, found He Daqing.

"Great Qing, what are your plans for this banquet?"

"A banquet? What banquet?" He Daqing feigned ignorance.

"You, your house is being cleaned and decorated with double happiness characters, isn't Zhu Zi getting married?"

"Yes, we're getting married tomorrow."

"No, don't you have a wedding banquet?"

"What are we going to hold? What are we going to use to hold this? We can't even afford to eat properly. Just give out some wedding candy!"

"Really not going to do it?" Yan Bugui asked, unwilling to give up.

"No, we can't afford it." He Daqing shook his head.

"So, what about the gift we should give?" Yan Bugui, unable to eat anything, began to agonize over the amount of money he needed to give.

"It's up to you, no pressure."

"That's good, that's good." Yan Bugui's expression became more natural.

"Hmph." Liu Haizhong flicked his sleeves and turned to leave. He didn't really care about the meal; he cared about his reputation. It would be a huge loss of face if he didn't invite everyone from his own courtyard to his wedding, especially him, the so-called "elder" from the front courtyard.

He Yuzhu hasn't had any close classmates or colleagues over the years, so there were only four people picking up the bride on the morning of the 1st: He Yuzhu, Xu Damao, Zhao Xingbang, and Zhao Zhenhua. However, it wasn't stingy that each of them had a bicycle.

The car was also decorated, with red cloth wrapped around it and big red flowers on the front.

The young men were all dressed smartly, but He Yuzhu was the most smart, wearing a brand-new Zhongshan suit, a pair of shiny new leather shoes, and his hair was neatly combed.

The Zhao brothers were also groomed by Xu Damao. This kid is very particular about his image, and he couldn't afford to lose face today.

Upon arriving at the Wang family's residence, Xu Damao stepped forward and knocked on the door. Before the door opened, the two young maids inside spoke first.

“Brother Zhu, my mother said that it’s not so easy to get through this door,” Wang Siyu said.

“Yes, my mother said so too,” Zhao Shenglin added.

"Understood." Before He Yuzhu could speak, Xu Damao slipped two red envelopes through the crack in the door.

Then I heard two little girls inside whispering to each other for a while, and they said in unison, "Not enough, there's still candy."

"You should at least open the door a crack, otherwise how are we going to give you candy?" shouted the second son of the Zhao family.

"No, we're too weak to stop you."

He Yuzhu nodded and pointed to the top of the wall. Xu Damao threw two red paper packets over the wall, containing money and candy.

"Can we open the door now?" said the Zhao family patriarch.

“No, Dad said he doesn’t want any poems,” Zhao Shenglin said.

“Yes, yes, compose a poem!” Wang Siyu chimed in.

He Yuzhu was speechless. Was Old Zhao deliberately messing with him? This wasn't ancient times, why was he composing a poem to urge him to get married?

After struggling for a long time, He Yuzhu finally managed to come up with a song.

Without painted eyebrows or rouge, her natural beauty surpasses any cosmetics.

Striving to be role models in factories, mines, and fields, husbands and wives join hands to raise the red flag.

"Great!" As soon as the poem was recited, cheers actually came from inside, and it was none other than Wang Hongxia and Wang Cuiping.

The poem is so realistic; isn't that exactly how they are now?
Wang Hongxia shouted, "One more song!"

"Brother Zhu, when did you learn to write poetry?" Xu Damao asked from the side.

"One more song," said the two little girls.

"One more song!" The two Zhao boys chimed in.

He Yuzhu racked his brains and managed to come up with another poem.

After combing her black hair and putting on a red flower, her heart follows the drums and gongs to her new home.

Spring planting and autumn harvest go hand in hand, building a better future for our motherland.

"Alright, open the door," Wang Hongxia called from inside.

"Time to pick up the bride!" the two maids shouted from inside.

"We're picking up the bride!" several young men outside shouted.

He Yuzhu entered the courtyard and found that the Wang family's courtyard had also been decorated and cleaned, with the character "囍" (double happiness) pasted on the west wing.

"Go on, what are you standing there for?" Wang Hongxia pushed He Yuzhu, who was standing there in a daze.

“Treat Xiaoman well from now on, or I won’t forgive you.” This was Wang Cuiping.

“Okay,” He Yuzhu replied loudly.

The two maids, Zhao Shengli and Wang Siyi, had already run into the west wing.

He Yuzhu entered the west wing, looked at Xiaoman, who was wearing a red jacket and no makeup, and said softly, "Xiaoman, I've come to pick you up."

"Um"

"Carry the bride, carry the bride!" the two maids shouted in unison, something they had been taught before.

He Yuzhu walked to the bedside, half-squatted down and said, "Come on up."

"Okay." Xiaoman nestled against He Yuzhu's back, burying her head in his shoulder, her face flushed and her cheeks rosy.

The two girls shouted, "Sister Xiaoman is so pretty!"

Xiaoman lowered her head even further, and He Yuzhu, knowing she was shy, shouted, "Let's go, let's go home."

As she strode out, Xiaoman called out as she passed Wang Cuiping, "Mom."

Wang Cuiping, tears streaming down her face, choked out, "Go, go, don't look back!"

"Mmm," Xiaoman replied.

As He Yuzhu approached the door, a series of crackling sounds rang out as Xu Damao and the other two simultaneously lit firecrackers.

Then Xu Damao helped He Yuzhu straighten the car and let He Yuzhu put Xiaoman down.

Zhao Shenglin and Wang Siyu, who had followed them out, also got into the Zhao brothers' car.

Then Lao Zhao came out and got into Xu Damao's car.

"Let's go!" He Yuzhu shouted and rode towards Nanluoguxiang.

As He Yuzhu and the others left, Wang Hongxia said to Wang Cuiping, "Cuiping, it's a good thing that Xiaoman is marrying Zhuzi. Zhuzi is a rare find, and we should be happy."

"I know, I know." Wang Cuiping wiped away her tears and smiled.

Grandpa Wang and Grandma Wang, Wang Hongxia and Wang Cuiping will set off a little later. They will go in the car arranged by Lao Zhao, and will not take the same route as He Yuzhu and the others. They should arrive before them.

Along the way, Xu Damao and the two little girls joked and laughed, and Xiaoman also recovered a little, with a smile returning to her face. She kept smiling the whole way.

As they rode to Nanluoguxiang, He Yuxin and He Yuyao, who were waiting at the entrance of the courtyard, shouted, "We're here! We're here!"

Then they lit the firecrackers in their hands. These two boys were quite daring, mainly because they had set off a lot of firecrackers during the Chinese New Year.

Before the running signal was even finished, the two boys took off running inside.

He ran and shouted, "Dad, Mom, my brother has brought his bride back! My brother has brought his bride back!"

The front yard was full of onlookers, all of them with a sour look on their faces. The happy events of the past few years had all belonged to the He family, but the problem was that they had been completely excluded from this biggest celebration. Each family only received some peanuts, melon seeds and candy.

It wasn't the head of the He family who sent the money; He Yushui brought her little one along.

When He Yuzhu carried Xiaoman into the courtyard, all eyes were on him and Xiaoman.

He Yuzhu walked in with a smile on his face. This time, Xiaoman did not bury her head, but tried to raise her head as much as possible. She also wanted others to see that she had married a good man.

The old lady and Chen Lanxiang, who were sitting in the main room to greet guests, saw the young couple return and quietly wiped away tears of joy from the corners of their eyes before standing up.

He Daqing's smile never stopped, while He Yushui, now acting as a waitress, constantly refilled the guests' tea and water.

Today, it wasn't just Old Zhao's family who came; Old Fang came too, along with He Yuzhu's subordinates, though only the section chiefs were present.

As for the other leaders in the bureau, they brought their gifts but didn't show up, which was a bit too ostentatious.

The wedding ceremony is no longer the ancient way; kneeling is no longer acceptable, and bowing is the new custom.

Old Zhao served as the emcee, and it was clear that this wasn't his first time doing this; he was very familiar with the process.

Bowing to Heaven and Earth (portrait), one bow.
Bowing to the elders (He Daqing, Chen Lanxiang, Wang Cuiping), two bows.

The couple bowed to each other; He Yuzhu and Qiao Lingyi bowed to each other.
In this segment, Xu Damao and He Yushui played a trick, causing He Yuzhu and Qiao Lingyi to bump heads together.

After the ceremony, He Yuzhu pulled Xiaoman to bow to the old lady as well, and called out, "Grandma!"

The old lady was laughing and crying at the same time, repeatedly saying, "Good, good, good grandson, good granddaughter-in-law."

Then, instead of going to the bridal chamber, the whole family and all the guests went outside, some by car, some by bicycle.

He Yuzhu also got into the car. This was something he had instructed the car crew to do; all the cars had come, and of course, he had also applied to the bureau for permission.

Then, his jeep was crammed full. Xiaoman and He Yushui squeezed into the passenger seat, the old lady, Chen Lanxiang (holding He Yuyan), and Wang Cuiping were in the back, and a few little ones were squeezed into the trunk.

As for He Daqing and the others, they could only leave on bicycles. The driver of the car was also quite frustrated, as he had no choice but to ride He Yuzhu's bicycle.

Today's banquet was still hosted by He Yuzhu's master, with the helpers being the staff from He Yuzhu's workplace cafeteria. He Yuzhu had arranged this with his master, firstly to broaden their horizons, secondly to let his master teach them a few tricks, and thirdly because his master isn't having an easy time at the restaurant these days; without ingredients, even a great chef can't cook good dishes, so they're looking for an opportunity to change venues.

He Yuzhu didn't go overboard with the ingredients. He first contacted the purchasing department to see if he could buy chicken, fish, cured meat, and pork, and the result was, of course, not unsatisfactory.

Then he had to do it himself. When he got the supplies to the canteen, the purchasing staff and the canteen staff were dumbfounded. This new director was too resourceful! He managed to get a whole truckload of grain. Others couldn't get ingredients for a wedding, but this guy at least had chicken and fish on every table. He Yuzhu didn't get much pork, just enough to make a few small meat dishes, and one braised pork dish would be fine.

Old Zhao and Old Fang helped him solve a large part of the problem, with Fenjiu and Xifeng liquor.

Especially for Lao Fang, his company doesn't allow drinking, so he either saves up his coupons or exchanges them for alcohol.

Upon hearing that He Yuzhu was getting married, many people were still willing to contribute tickets, even though they couldn't come. They knew very well what He Yuzhu had done on his two trips back from Russia.

There's a lot of commotion in the north right now. They all want to go and fight, and they're also a little envious of those who fight alongside He Yuzhu.

When He Yuzhu was toasting at each table, Lao Fang wanted to stop him, but Lao Zhao held him back.

"Don't worry about them, they're still lacking. Have you forgotten what Zhu Zi did in Russia?"

"Yeah, hahaha, how could I forget that? He took down a dozen or so drunkards by himself. It's been so long since we two old buddies sat down for a drink together."

"There won't be another chance after 1940."

"Yes, twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, we've all gotten old."

"You're the one who's old, I'm in my prime, okay?"

"Yes, yes, in your prime, hahaha, Lao Zhao, you've changed a lot over the years."

"That's right, working with young people is so inspiring!" Old Zhao said meaningfully.

"Hmph, I don't know why that kid looks down on me." "I wouldn't go either."

"Hey, never mind, let's drink."

"Try to take advantage of him less in the future," Old Zhao said in a low voice.

“I wish I could too. With great power comes great responsibility. I would feel aggrieved if he were to be a post-production section chief with all his skills.”

"What's with all the frustration? Isn't it better to be safe and sound?"

"it is good."

The two old men bumped into several people while they were talking.

When He Yuzhu returned from his circling, the two of them were already somewhat drunk.

"Zhu Zi, shouldn't you offer us another toast?" Old Fang said.

"What?"

"We've both been your superiors, isn't that enough?"

"Enough, tell me, how do you want to drink?"

Seeing that Lao Fang had his eye on the teacup on the table, Lao Zhao quickly said, "Lao Fang."

"Oh, I forgot, let's use wine glasses instead," Old Fang said somewhat awkwardly.

After drinking, Lao Fang said to He Yuzhu, "The gift for you is in my car. I'll give it to you when I leave. It's too conspicuous."

"What did you send?" Old Zhao asked curiously.

"It's nothing. How can you get married without having three gifts and one radio? This kid already has a watch and a bicycle, so I'll just give him a sewing machine and a radio."

"Wow, you're bleeding money, Lao Fang."

"Alright, you know me too well. I have the tickets, they don't cost me anything, and I don't need them myself."

"I almost forgot you had this special treatment."

"Why are you envious?"

"I'm not envious. What's there to envy about an old bachelor like you?"

"Are you good at chatting?"

"Hahahaha!"

The drinking didn't end until the afternoon. Lao Fang had driven himself there, but He Yuzhu ended up driving him back; He Yuzhu had temporarily requisitioned his car.

Because his car was better than He Yuzhu's, he went with the company driver to take his family back home and also picked up the things Lao Fang had given him.

He Yuzhu drove the car back to his workplace and rode his bicycle home. The car was too conspicuous at the entrance of the compound.

Back in the east wing, Xiaoman quickly came over to pour him tea.

"It's okay, I'm not drunk."

"Then drink some water too. You drank even more today than last time."

"Okay, are you tired today?"

"I'm not tired. I was on the bus the whole way, what's there to be tired about?"

"That's good."

"But I feel like I'm dreaming."

"Dream? What dream?"

"I will marry you."

"Hey, this isn't a dream, feel it." He Yuzhu grabbed Xiaoman's hand and placed it on his face.

Her small hands were icy cold, but He Yuzhu's face was a little hot from drinking alcohol.

“It’s really warm.”

"Did you do this on purpose, girl?"

"No, you were the one who grabbed my hand and let go, and you're blaming me."

"Then I'll try it too." He Yuzhu's big hand touched Xiaoman's face. Xiaoman's face was quite normal at first, but when his hand touched it, it became hotter and hotter.

"Brother Pillar"

"Do you believe it's true now?"

"Ah."

"I'm going to take a nap, do you want to come with me?" Although He Yuzhu wasn't drunk, he was still a little tipsy.

"No, it's still daytime."

"Okay, call me for dinner."

"it is good."

He Yuzhu had just lain down for a short while when He Yushui led several children in a flurry of activity and burst in.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law."

Shh, your brother is asleep.

"Oh, sister-in-law, where's the radio? Could we listen to it?"

"It's right there, it hasn't been demolished yet!"

"Can it be dismantled?"

"It should be fine, your brother's already been brought back!"

"Can we listen from my room?" He Yushui asked again.

"So that's what you were planning. You'll have to ask your brother about that."

"When will he wake up?" He Yushui said, trying to walk into the inner room, but Xiaoman grabbed her and started pushing her out.

"Go, go, go play with your younger siblings. Your brother is exhausted after a long day."

"sister in law."

"No, it just won't work."

"Ok."

During the meal, Xiaoman still couldn't bear to call He Yuzhu, while Chen Lanxiang asked Xiaoman to prepare a separate portion and send it back to the room to be heated.

When He Yuzhu got up, it was already past seven o'clock. Xiaoman quickly told him to wash his face and eat.

Seeing He Yuzhu fetching water to wash his face, He Yushui came over again and started pestering He Yuzhu.

Annoyed by her constant nagging, He Yuzhu, under He Yushui's resentful gaze, simply moved the radio to the main room. If it were placed in her side room, this girl wouldn't get any sleep.

Of course, He Yuzhu was the one who disassembled and reconnected the socket. The He family also had sockets; He Yuzhu had installed them when he bought the radio, but he forgot to take the radio out before heading south.

After the call was connected, not only the children but also the adults were attracted. He Yuzhu taught He Yushui how to do it, and then he went back to eat.

"Aren't you going to listen to the radio?" He Yuzhu said, glancing at Xiaoman who was watching him eat.

"Don't go."

"It's quite lively."

"Tonight is our wedding night, we can listen to it later."

"Oh."

After finishing their meal and washing the dishes, Xiaoman and the other person sat down at the table. Xiaoman, holding a small notebook and a pen, said, "Brother Zhu, can you recite today's poem for me again?"

"What, you want to help me submit an article?"

"No, that's my poem."

"Alright, it belongs to you."

"Then read it to me."

"Row."

He Yuzhu read it again, and Xiaoman was taking notes with a serious expression. After reading the two poems, Xiaoman suddenly asked, "Brother Zhu, is there one about the wedding night?"

Where did you hear all this from?

“In the book.”

"What book?" He Yuzhu asked curiously.

"Dream of the Red Chamber!"

"Dream of the Red Chamber? Where did you read it?"

"University Library!"

"So our talented woman also reads novels."

"Can't I just read a novel?" Xiaoman rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes."

"Then will you write a poem or not?"

"You're putting me in a difficult position. I'm an engineering student."

"I do not care."

"Let me think!"

"I am waiting."

He Yuzhu racked his brains again.

[Red lanterns shine brightly, filling the house with new life; two young people share one heart. Don't say the wedding room is worthless; gleaming medals are more valuable than gold.]

"This is great, it's very fitting for the occasion, do you have any more?"

"No, no, please spare me."

"Okay." Xiaoman quickly copied it into her notebook, even writing down the date and noting the day and scene, which left He Yuzhu stunned.

The two chatted for a while longer, but He Yuzhu couldn't sit still any longer and said, "We should rest!"

"Hmm," Xiaoman was deliberately stalling for time.

After washing up, He Yuzhu even ran to the door to check, and thankfully no one was foolish enough to eavesdrop.

Now, the only one who can come and make a ruckus in the bridal chamber and eavesdrop is Xu Damao. They haven't said much about what was going on in the front yard, and they don't dare to.

Of course, Xu Damao wouldn't dare; that would be asking for a beating.

After locking the door, He Yuzhu went into the inner room.

"Turn off the lights."

"Row."

"Brother Zhu, please have pity on me, I'm a little scared!"

"I will."

"hiss"

As the saying goes: the spring night is too short.

Of course, He Yuzhu didn't do anything too outrageous, after all, they had just gotten married and there was plenty of time ahead.

The next morning, Xiaoman took He Yuzhu to serve tea to He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang.

He Yuzhu had no idea where Xiaoman learned all this from. Could it be from reading too much Dream of the Red Chamber?
However, this made He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang very happy, because they had performed this ceremony before.

(End of this chapter)