On August 12, 1977, Xie Yuyao and Zhao Honghui went to Hongqi Commune to take their wedding photos. By paying extra for expedited service, they quickly obtained the photos.
The two then immediately went to register their marriage.
Xie Yuyao didn't know if there was a Civil Affairs Bureau now, or if they worked on weekends; she just wanted to follow Zhao Honghui.
When Xie Yuyao arrived at the place to register their marriage, she learned that Zhao Honghui had already made an appointment.
There was only one clerk in the lobby, eagerly waiting for the two of them.
It turned out that when Zhao Honghui was handing over the items he needed to buy to his father last night, he suddenly realized that tomorrow was Sunday and the civil affairs office might not be open.
He didn't even have time for the handover. He quickly borrowed the key from the brigade leader next door, then ran to the brigade headquarters to call Hui Zi. After Hui Zi explained that he was indeed not working tomorrow, he told him to use a few kilograms of rice to make an appointment with the clerk for special processing.
They almost had to postpone their marriage registration.
At that time, marriage certificates were all handwritten and stamped, with the date written as "tomorrow." But when they finally got their marriage certificates, they were both incredibly excited.
After finally calming down, the two went to the transportation brigade to invite Zhao Honghui's colleagues to the wedding, and also met up with his father to help carry things.
By the time we returned to Qingshan Village, it was already afternoon.
Yang Shumei acted as a makeup artist, styling Xie Yuyao's hair into a bun, adding red hair accessories, and applying a thin layer of red lipstick, making the already stunning Xie Yuyao even more charming and beautiful.
A red wedding dress accentuated her graceful figure and extraordinary temperament. Her eyes sparkled with dazzling light, and her smile was so captivating that it could topple cities and kingdoms. She was simply irresistibly beautiful.
"You are the most beautiful bride in the world. Zhao Honghui is so lucky." Yang Shumei looked her up and down and nodded in satisfaction.
As Zhao Honghui and Xie Yuyao entered the cafeteria hall hand in hand, they instantly attracted everyone's attention.
The beautiful bride's face radiated happiness, and the handsome groom was beaming with joy, his eyes filled with love.
With a dazzling array of candies and pastries, fragrant tea and beverages, and a variety of rare fruits, the wedding was simple yet lively, and all the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves.
As for the betrothal gifts and dowry, Zhao Honghui and Xie Yuyao didn't pay any attention to them.
In this era, apart from a few major cities like Beijing and Shanghai where the "three turns, one sound, and thirty-six legs" (referring to the use of bicycles, radios, and handheld devices) became popular, other places were truly quite simple.
As long as the dress is clean and tidy, that's fine. If there's nothing to offer, a bowl of water will do; no one will think it's stingy. Most people won't compare themselves to others or care. Of course, if they see someone with better conditions, they might feel envious, but not jealous.
Of the "three turns and one sound" (a set of four essential items for a person to have a sewing machine, a watch, a bicycle, and a radio), she already had everything except the sewing machine, so there was no need to buy an extra one just to save face.
The so-called "thirty-six legs" consist of four benches and a table, totaling 20 legs; a large cabinet, totaling 4 legs; a flat cabinet, totaling 4 legs; a writing desk, totaling 4 legs; and a coffee table, totaling 4 legs.
These are all large pieces of furniture. Xie Yuyao's house in the Qingshantun educated youth compound already has everything she needs, and there's no room for anything else.
I'll wait until I get to Beijing to properly furnish my new home there.
The wedding lasted less than two hours from start to finish.
Back at Zhao Honghui's home, guests came one after another with gifts: enamel basins, kettles, pillowcases, gloves, socks, and so on. Those families that were struggling financially or had distant ties would bring a few eggs or homespun cloth.
The Zhao family was bustling with activity, welcoming and seeing off guests.
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