"Pfft..."
Lu Fangfang glanced at the table where the gifts were displayed and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Most of the gifts on the table were canned goods, and there were all sorts of them.
Canned oranges, canned hawthorns, canned yellow peaches, mixed canned fruits, canned grapes...
Some of the canned goods were new to Lu Fangfang, and she didn't know what to say.
Wang Shufen, standing nearby, was also quite surprised. Was it customary to give canned goods as gifts here?
She shook her head and put down the two enamel basins she was holding.
"Sister-in-law Shufen, Sister Fangfang, come quick, the wedding is about to begin."
At the door, Sun Manling waved to the two of them.
Lu Fangfang and Wang Shufen walked over quickly.
...
"Comrades, we come from all corners of the country, but we are here for the same goal..."
"Today is the day that Comrade Li Dajun, an outstanding soldier of our regiment, and Comrade Zhu Haiming from Shanghai become revolutionary partners. On behalf of the leadership, I sincerely wish this newlywed couple mutual respect, love, help, and understanding, and that they learn and progress together..."
"Slap, slap, slap..."
The applause from the women in the house rang out.
Lu Fangfang glanced at the man officiating at Zhu Haiming's wedding; he was a man in his thirties whom she had never seen before.
She nudged Sun Manling beside her and asked softly, "Sister-in-law Manling, who is that?"
"Oh, Hao Mei's husband, Comrade Zhao Daqiang, the deputy commander of the regiment."
While clapping, Sun Manling tilted her head and asked, "Hey, Xiao Lu, did you bring your clay back yesterday?"
"It was Uncle Guo and Lao Xu who helped me bring them back; they are both very kind people."
...
In the center of the room, Zhao Daqiang pressed his hand down.
After the room quieted down, he continued loudly, "We owe our happy life today entirely to our great leader."
"Please, the two newlyweds, bow to our great leader!"
Li Dajun was wearing a military uniform with a large red flower pinned to his left chest.
Zhu Haimei looked quite beautiful in her red outfit.
The two men turned around and bowed three times to the portrait of the leader on the wall.
After the ceremony, enthusiastic applause filled the room, "Clap, clap, clap..."
Lu Fangfang clapped her hands and took the opportunity to look back.
There were two large tables in the courtyard, and the aroma of meat wafted from a large pot next to them. She sniffed, feeling a little hungry.
Getting married in this era was quite simple. The officiant would say a few words, bow to the Great Leader, and the ceremony would be complete.
Next, it was time to start the meal.
Lu Fangfang, Wang Shufen, and Sister-in-law Manling sat down at a table.
After all the dishes were served, she took a closer look: a pot of braised pork, a bowl of chicken, a plate of fish, a dish of stir-fried cabbage with meat, a dish of stir-fried potato slices with meat, and two bottles of white wine on the side.
The women sitting at the table were all astonished.
The table was full of meat dishes; it was so extravagant.
Lu Fangfang didn't stand on ceremony and reached for the braised pork with her chopsticks.
She's quite thin; she needs to eat well today.
...
"Sister-in-law Shufen, Dajun and I would like to toast you."
"Haimei, I wish you and Comrade Dajun a happy and fulfilling life together, and that you have a baby soon."
Wang Shufen was a heavy drinker; she downed it in one gulp.
Zhu Haiming and Li Dajun, each holding a wine glass, walked up to Lu Fangfang.
Lu Fangfang swallowed the meat in her mouth and stood up nimbly.
"Comrade Zhu Haiming, Comrade Li Dajun, I wish you a long and happy marriage, never to be separated, to be together forever, and to have many children."
Zhu Haiming: "..."
Although Lu Fangfang was all smiles, her words just sounded so awkward.
"Thank you, Comrade Lu. You and Lao Zhuang are the same."
In the end, it was Li Dajun who replied.
He frowned, clearly in a bad mood. He glanced at the yard, and his mood worsened.
He had originally prepared an even better meal in his room to entertain the leaders of the delegation.
Apart from the deputy regimental commander and a few comrades who were close to him, no one else came.
After the deputy regimental commander finished officiating the wedding, he returned to the regiment without even having a meal. The others did the same. Now, only the military wives and children remain in the courtyard.
He felt his face burning with embarrassment at his wedding turning out like this.
Everyone in the group is probably laughing at me.
Seeing Zhu Haiming still standing there dumbfounded, Li Dajun reached out and pulled her along, "Let's go, let's go toast the others."
...
"Tiedan, come on, eat more."
"Da Ya, eat more meat. Meat helps you grow. Don't pick at the vegetables. In a few days, the vegetables your mother and I planted will grow, and you'll have plenty to eat."
"Girl, that's enough, let them pick it up themselves."
Wang Shufen glanced at Lu Fangfang. If you didn't know better, you'd think Daya and Gou Dan were her children.
"Sister Shufen, you should eat more meat too. We're working so hard clearing this land."
"Alright, I'm not a child anymore. You should eat more. Look how thin you are."
Lu Fangfang smiled, picked up a large piece of fatty meat, and forced herself to put it into her mouth.
She didn't eat any vegetables today, she ate only meat.
This stuff is incredibly tempting when you're hungry, but if you eat too much of it, it can get a bit cloying.
She had to eat it even if it was greasy, and she estimated that she would gain at least two ounces after digesting it.
"belch……"
Finally, when she couldn't eat anymore, Lu Fangfang put down her chopsticks.
"Fangfang, are you full?"
Zhu Haiming, dressed in a red dress, walked over alone.
"I'm full, I'm full."
"Is the food alright?"
"Yes, yes, it's very plentiful."
Lu Fangfang nodded quickly, "Comrade Hai Mei, I wish you and Comrade Da Jun a long and happy marriage."
She ate her fill, getting her money's worth for the two cans of food, and maybe even making a profit. She didn't hold back her auspicious words, sincerely offering her blessings.
Regardless, today is their big day.
Zhu Haiming smiled and said, "Fangfang, it's the same for you and Comrade Mingcheng. I will definitely attend your wedding."
She glanced at Yang Yufeng at the opposite table, and her eyebrows twitched.
Yang Yufeng swallowed a piece of fatty meat, wiped her mouth, and then stood up.
"Hehe, Little Lu, when you and Mingcheng get married, I'll be there too. I want to see which of your dishes is better, yours or Hai Mei's."
The courtyard fell silent; the women hadn't expected Yang Yufeng to be so blunt.
Lu Fangfang laughed after hearing this. She quickly shook her head and said, "Sister-in-law Yufeng, Mingcheng and I are not well-off. We can't compare with Comrade Haimei's family. I admit defeat."
"Well, it's quite a coincidence. In our residential compound, three couples have gotten married in the last two months. It's really a joyous occasion."
"Sister-in-law Manling, which three couples? Besides Comrade Haiming and Comrade Xiao Lu, who else is there?"
"Xiao Ting, I heard that she and Xu Jinbu have finalized their relationship."
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