Yu's father and mother made a request for a gift money that they had not mentioned before, but the Zhang family had already prepared it. Although their family was from a large team, they were particularly concerned about their daughter's marriage, which made Yu's father and mother very satisfied.
The couple originally didn't want their daughter to marry someone from the production brigade below. If it weren't for the fact that Zhang Wenmin was an employee, handsome, hardworking and ambitious, and their daughter liked him, they might not have agreed to the marriage.
At this moment, seeing the Zhang family being so thoughtful and considerate, the last bit of worry in Yu's father and mother's hearts disappeared.
"The gift money is just something we talk about, to see if your family values our daughter.
As for the dowry, our family will prepare a thermos, a washbasin, a washboard, a set of bedding, a cabinet, a dressing table, a urine bucket...” As Yu’s mother counted the dowry items, a smug smile spread across her face, and it was obvious that she was quite proud of her family’s preparations.
The gift money wrapped in a red envelope was also pushed back to Zhou Guihua by Yu's mother.
When Zhou Guihua heard about the Yu family's dowry, which would be at least several dozen yuan and seemed to require no gift money or anything like that, she took Yu's mother's hand and said gratefully, "Oh, you are so kind and have made such thorough preparations. We are so grateful. It is a blessing for Wenmin to marry your daughter. We in the Zhang family will definitely treat her well and won't let her suffer any grievances."
The parents of both sides continued to talk in a harmonious atmosphere, laughing from time to time, as if they had already seen a happy future for the two young people.
This discussion about gifts and dowries not only did not become a burden between the two families, but instead deepened their mutual understanding and trust, adding a bit of warmth and anticipation to the upcoming wedding.
"Father-in-law, when will the wedding of this young couple be held?" After the discussion was almost finished, Zhang Ercheng looked at Yu's father expectantly, his eyes flashing with eager anticipation for his son's marriage.
In the past, he was most worried about his little girl, because she was born in old age and they were all old. He was afraid that one day he would close his eyes and never get up again. At that time, the little girl would still be young and there would be no one to take care of her, so he would not be able to send her off to get married.
Now he knew that his daughter was good at studying and that she would have no problem going to high school. After that, with the help of Wenmin and his wife, she would at least be able to work as an employee in a county factory. In the future, he and his wife would be able to rest assured even when they die.
Now that his youngest son's wedding is imminent, he feels relieved.
Father Yu smiled slightly, took a sip of tea, and slowly said, "We have thought about this a bit, and we think we should set the date for January 8th of next year. That day happens to be Laba, so it's a good date, a good time for marriage, and also auspicious."
Zhang Ercheng nodded in agreement upon hearing this, his face beaming with joy. "Okay, okay, let's do it on the 8th of next month. What a great date! There's still a dozen days left, so there's still plenty of time. I'll go back and discuss the preparations with my family. We must get this done in style."
"Mother-in-law, it's still early today, so why don't we go to the city department store now and buy things for the couple's wedding?" After the marriage was discussed and the wedding date was set, Zhou Guihua asked with a smile.
"That's what we'll do." Yu's mother had no objection.
It's less than ten o'clock today, and it takes about an hour to get to the city by bus. Then I can go shopping in the department store and buy what I need for the wedding, so I have plenty of time.
"Mingqi, let's go to the department store in the city." After everything was settled, Zhang Qiurui naturally took the red envelope gift on the table. She called Mingqi and her group and took the bus to the county to the city.
"Qiu Rui, how did you know that the Yu family would ask for a gift, and you even prepared a red envelope for the gift in advance? Where did you get so much money? Did your third brother give it to you?" Zhou Guihua walked behind, holding her little girl's hand, and asked in a low voice in her ear.
"Mom! I didn't expect this to happen. I didn't give Qiurui money to prepare these." Zhang Wenmin also heard what his mother said, so he quickly stopped and turned around to explain.
When Yu's mother asked about the gift money before, they privately discussed that there was no such thing, so their family had not prepared anything. She had not thought about how to respond, and had not prepared any gift money or red envelopes.
"Mom! I prepared this red envelope just in case. There was no money in it. I just folded a few pieces of paper and put it in. At that time, I was afraid that the other party would open it and read it. I was scared to death." Zhang Qiurui pretended to be frightened.
"You are so bold, girl. If they really tear it apart and look at it, where will our family's face be?" Zhou Guihua was so scared when she heard it that she couldn't help but tap her little girl's eyebrows hard.
"Mom, I'm just thinking about the good relationship between my third brother and his wife. We never mentioned the gift money in private before. They suddenly brought it up today. They must be testing our family's intentions and attitude." Zhang Qiurui naturally wouldn't say that there was real money in the red envelope, and she would cover everything.
"That's true! My daughter is smart. She stayed calm in the face of danger and followed me." Zhou Guihua smiled when she heard it and patted the back of Zhang Qiurui's hand.
"Third brother, you stay with your father-in-law and mother-in-law today, and I will take care of my parents, so you can rest assured.
"Whatever they ask for today, we should agree to it for now. Do you have enough money?" Zhang Qiurui ordered.
"I've brought them all." Zhang Wenmin patted his pockets.
"If it's not enough, mom still has some here." Although Zhou Guihua was thrifty, she was not stingy when it came to her son's wedding. She had secretly brought some money up with her as emergency funds in case of emergency.
"That's good. Today we must let Third Sister-in-law and your father-in-law and mother-in-law feel our sincerity and importance." Zhang Qiurui instructed.
Zhang Wenmin nodded, secretly grateful for his sister's attentiveness and thoughtfulness.
He knew that this wedding was not just about him and the bride, but also a connection and integration between two families, and every detail could not be neglected.
They soon arrived at the bus stop leading to the city.
The buses of this era are still old-fashioned white buses with mottled bodies, revealing a sense of vicissitudes of time.
A breeze mixed with the smell of gasoline and crowds blew in my face, with all kinds of smells.
Many passengers even brought chickens and ducks aboard, carrying bamboo baskets or cloth bags filled with produce, making the carriage even more crowded and lively. The occasional crisp calls of chickens and ducks, interwoven with the passengers' chatter, created a scene brimming with the atmosphere of life.
They arrived late and all the seats were full, so they could only hold on to the rings above their heads.
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