Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 396 How did I end up taking a liking to you?

Geng Hui nodded and said, "Yes, he said to consider it as a bride price. You raised me all these years, it wasn't easy for you, so consider it our way of showing our respect. Besides, it's not much money, only about 40,000 yuan in total, is it really that big of a deal?"

Geng's mother said, "Forty thousand yuan is a small amount? How many years would it take your father and me to earn forty thousand yuan if we didn't eat or drink?"

Geng Hui hugged her mother's neck and said, "Yes, you've suffered so much raising me. Xia and I will take care of you in the future. You can just wait to enjoy your life. Eat what you want and use what you want. Your son-in-law is good at making money."

Geng's mother was overcome with emotion by Geng Hui's hug, and tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped her face, slapped Geng Hui, and said, "You're such a grown-up, and you still don't know how to behave properly. Xia's earnings are yours, but you can't let Xia keep spending money on our family and let others gossip. Your father and I are both able-bodied and can still do our jobs."

Geng's father chimed in, "That makes sense. Once you're married, you belong to the family. It's fine if you come home to visit from time to time. You and Xia should take the money back with you. I've looked around, and I estimate this meal, including the food and drinks, will cost quite a bit. The food is too heavy, and the wine is all 'Century One' brand. I don't know what you were thinking when you booked such an expensive banquet. I've never seen those cigarettes before, so I guess they couldn't have been cheap either."

Geng Hui said, "Is that cigarette good? If you like it, I'll bring you a whole case to keep at home. They don't sell it outside; it costs twenty or thirty yuan a pack."

Mr. Geng glanced at his watch and said, "Where did you get these if they weren't sold out? I can't afford such expensive cigarettes, that would be burning money."

Geng Hui said, "It was ordered directly from the cigarette factory. Xia has quite a lot; I'll get it for you when we get back. Xia said she'd give you the gift money, so just take it. Don't keep refusing. We're all family now; isn't it right for us to show our respect to you?"

Aunt Geng said, "Alright, old man, don't be stubborn. Just settle the restaurant bill in a bit and don't let them spend any more money."

Geng Hui asked, "What bill?"

Aunt Geng wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "The meal money? There are so many tables, aren't you going to pay for it? Just give us the gift money instead. Your parents don't care about the money. As long as you're doing well, that's enough."

Geng Hui said, "There's no need to pay the bill at the hotel. All the business in this area belongs to your son-in-law. Why would you pay the bill?" This marriage was a bit sudden. The two families hadn't gotten to know each other. Apart from knowing that Xia Maosheng's aunt was the secretary, Geng's parents didn't know anything else.

Aunt Geng exclaimed "Ah!" and looked at Uncle Geng, saying, "Xia opened this place? Are all these shops in this area?"

Geng Hui nodded and said, "Yes, that's right. I told you the three of them are partners in business. They have these shops and a pig farm over at the bridge. We won't need to buy pork for the family anymore; we can just get it from here. It's better than what's sold in the market."

Huang Laowu and Lao Hou came in at the gift table. Huang Laowu glanced at the gift ledger and said, "Damn, Xiao Wei, you guys are too ruthless! How are Lao Hou and I supposed to write this?"

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "Just write whatever you want, is there really a competition? Why are you here today?" Huang Laowu and Lao Hou are from Xia Maosheng's side, and they should have come to give gifts tomorrow.

Huang Laowu said, "Lao Hou and I have another gift to give tomorrow, and we're afraid we won't be able to make it. Since you're all here anyway, let's just do it all in one day." He took out a wad of cash from his pocket and said to the person writing the gift, "Huang Laowu, two thousand; Lao Hou, two thousand." He handed the money to the person collecting the money and said to Xia Maosheng, "Lao Xia, don't think it's too little. We can't compare to Xiao Wei and Chen Hui."

Xia Maosheng said, "It's alright, I'll remember. You can make it up to me when you have the money later." The group laughed, and the person collecting the money counted it and shouted, "Huang Laowu, two thousand yuan for the gift, two thousand. Lao Hou, two thousand yuan for the gift, two thousand yuan." When writing the gift account, it's not necessary to write the real name. As long as the family can recognize who it is, that's fine. If Huang Laowu and Lao Hou had written their real names, Xia Maosheng might not have been able to remember who they were.

Geng's mother said from the side, "These must be Xia's friends again, right? They're all rich people." At this point, she no longer cared about whose family she was writing about.

Geng Hui turned her head and looked at it, saying, "Really? I don't know him."

Master Li led several students in, carrying large and small bags. Xiao Wei pointed inside and saw a small table set up separately next to the stage. Master Li and his group went over to take a look and started working. This was a multi-tiered cake that Xiao Wei had asked Master Li to prepare last night, which Master Li had finished making early this morning.

This cake still has four layers, but each layer uses a double-layer base, making it look much grander than a single-layer cake. It is covered with colorful flowers from top to bottom, and the top layer has a pair of plastic bride and groom figures in the middle.

Looking from afar, Aunt Geng said, "Why did you buy a cake?"

Geng Hui said, "Anyway, Xia owns the cake shop, so it doesn't cost him anything. He said foreigners eat cake at their weddings. You guys should try some later; it's really sweet."

Aunt Geng said, "Isn't this a partnership involving several people? How will things end up if we do it this way? Do you think people will be happy about it?"

Geng Hui said, "You, all you do is think about this and that all day long. Do you think any of them would really care about tens of thousands of yuan? They're just looking for some excitement and celebration."

Geng's mother said, "My goodness, tens of thousands of yuan is nothing to me, how did I end up falling for you?"

The person in charge of the arrangements from the Geng family came in, looked around, saw Mr. and Mrs. Geng, and strode over, saying, "Has the feast started yet? Are most of the guests here?"

Mr. Geng checked the time and said, "Let's go, it's about time."

The person in charge of making arrangements hurriedly went out again to inform the restaurant to serve the food and begin the banquet. Actually, the bride's family's arrangements are much simpler than the groom's family's; as long as the food and drinks are good, that's all that matters, without so many procedures and etiquette.

At a command, the exquisitely arranged dishes were brought over on wooden trays, and the students who were setting out the dishes quickly entered the room to serve them. A total of more than twenty students were brought over to help, and soon the dishes were on the table. The wine was placed on the table, and everyone poured their own drinks. The auditorium was immediately filled with the tempting aroma of meat.

Xiao Wei and his friends walked to the table at the very back, near the stage, and sat down. Twenty-five tables had been prepared, but they weren't all full; a few were missing people, but it didn't matter. Geng's parents, Xia Maosheng, and Geng Hui couldn't sit down to eat yet; they had to go around to each table, greeting people and offering them cigarettes.

The dishes were served quickly, eliciting frequent exclamations of surprise from those who had brought gifts. The food was so hearty, no doubt about it, they ate it. Back in 91, most ordinary families could barely afford to eat their fill; eating well was still a dream.

Halfway through the meal, Geng's parents started leading Xia Maosheng and Geng Hui from table to table to light cigarettes. It was the bride's family's turn today, so the groom was lighting the cigarettes. Xiao Wei and his group had only six people at their table; none of them drank alcohol, and they ate slowly, watching Xia Maosheng and the others. Only the tables where cigarettes had been offered would they start eating and drinking; the tables that hadn't received cigarettes ate and drank slowly, waiting for the newlyweds to arrive.

(End of this chapter)