Time flies, and it's already the 28th.
The courtyard house is much more lively than ever before, even more so than during the Lunar New Year.
All three courtyards—front, middle, and back—were decorated with festive bright red ribbons, and large red flowers were hung on the gates. The atmosphere in the backyard was even more extraordinary, with the "double happiness" character pasted all over Chen Jun's windows.
These "double happiness" characters were all made spontaneously by the aunties in the courtyard, one scissor at a time. The house was also decorated very festively.
Preparations for the wedding banquet began yesterday afternoon, and some time-consuming ingredients were prepared well in advance.
That's why the courtyard has been filled with a delicious aroma since yesterday. Not only the people in the courtyard, but also the people in the neighboring courtyards are drooling with envy.
Those with a knack for finding out what was going on went to the courtyard at number 95 and learned that Chen Jun was going to hold a wedding banquet. They all asked Uncle San if they could give a gift.
If it were someone else's house, the third uncle would have agreed, since having more people means the host family can receive more gifts.
But Chen Jun's wedding banquet couldn't be held like that.
There were just too many people. Almost all the residents of the compound came to the banquet, along with some leaders and colleagues from the steel mill, and the bride's family members who were there to accompany her. There really wasn't any room for more people.
Around 8 a.m., Chen Jun rode his bicycle to pick up his bride.
These days, the wedding procession is very simple. There are no best men or maids of honor. The groom can bring the bride back on a bicycle.
So around nine o'clock, Chen Jun brought Chen Xueru back, but a long procession followed behind them, including ten tricycles, all loaded with Chen Xueru's dowry.
"The bride is here! Xu Damao, hurry up and light the firecrackers!"
"Damn it, you stupid Zhu, you're always bullying me. If it weren't for Chen Jun's sake, I would have stuffed the firecracker into my pants!" Xu Damao cursed, but his body betrayed him as he lit the firecracker.
The task of setting off firecrackers was originally assigned to Sha Zhu, but Sha Zhu wanted to go to the front and watch the excitement, so he punched Xu Damao twice and passed the task on.
"Crackling, crackling, bang bang bang!"
The firecrackers went off for more than ten minutes, attracting people from other alleys to come and watch the spectacle.
This looks like a wedding, but if you didn't know better, you'd think it was New Year's Eve with firecrackers going off. They're making quite a fuss.
A firecracker can last for more than ten minutes, and the cost of buying the firecrackers alone is not a small amount.
Let alone the No. 95 courtyard house, it would be hard to find a more lively wedding procession in Nanluoguxiang than today.
After the crackling of firecrackers ended, Chen Jun picked up Chen Xueru from the back seat and strode into the yard.
The groom was incredibly handsome, and the bride was stunningly beautiful. The two of them together made a perfect couple, a match made in heaven.
Lin Yao then carried a basket of peanuts, melon seeds, and candy and scattered them from the front yard to the back yard, creating quite a lively scene.
After the wedding ceremony was held in the courtyard, Chen Xueru was settled in the house by Chen Jun.
Although many people came to help today, he, as the groom, was still extremely busy.
Not only do we have to keep an eye on today's wedding banquet, but we also have to take time to greet the guests at the gate.
First, there were the leaders from the steel rolling mill, including Director Yang, who made up three tables of people, each of whom was at least a director.
Also arriving were Director Wang from the subdistrict office, Uncle Liu, and others.
Although Old Liu didn't come, he sent someone with a gift.
Chen Xueru's family members also came, and Chen Jun arranged for them to sit inside, filling three tables.
Factory Director Yang and Director Wang were in the backyard, chatting and eating sunflower seeds.
Many people in the courtyard were secretly glancing at Director Yang's table. The director, whom they rarely saw more than a few times a year, had actually come to the courtyard for a banquet today.
Some steel mill workers who had taken leave felt suffocated being in the same courtyard as Director Yang, so they went to the central courtyard to find a place to sit.
Today's wedding banquet had tables set up in all three courtyards—front, middle, and back. It was fortunate that some people vacated their homes to put tables there, otherwise the tables would have stretched into the alley.
Of course, where the banquet is held is not important; being able to attend the banquet is the most important thing.
According to Uncle Yan Bugui, today's wedding banquet has more than 20 dishes, including everything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, and swims in the river. There was even some seafood sent by Director Song from the logistics department of the steel rolling mill.
The people in the courtyard had been waiting for this meal for many days.
Although Chen Jun wasn't in charge of cooking, he oversaw the quality of every dish, so the taste was naturally excellent.
Xu Damao secretly rummaged through the wedding candies Liu Guangqi had placed on the table and put them into his pocket. Then he glanced at them and muttered, "Huh, I don't see Jia Dongxu. Is this guy not planning to attend the banquet?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Guangqi also scanned the courtyard and indeed did not find any trace of the Jia family.
"That shouldn't be the case!"
Liu Guangqi scratched his head in confusion. Logically speaking, given the lavishness of the wedding banquet, anyone with a sound mind would definitely give a gift and attend.
It was such a lavish feast that even people from other departments wanted to come but didn't have the chance, and anyone from our department who didn't come would be crazy.
"Hey, do you think it's because Chen Jun didn't let them come?" Liu Guangqi thought of a possibility and nudged Xu Damao with his elbow.
Xu Damao shook his head: "Chen Juncai doesn't take Jia Dongxu seriously. Today is his big day. Jia Dongxu is just obediently giving gifts and eating at the banquet. Chen Jun definitely won't bother with him."
"I reckon it's because Jia Dongxu doesn't dare to come out."
"Huh? What's there to be afraid of?" Liu Guangqi didn't understand what he meant.
"Think about it, wasn't it Jia Dongxu who started that messing around with women last time? It's good that nothing happened at this wedding banquet, but if anything did happen, who do you think was behind it?" Xu Damao asked rhetorically.
“Jia Dongxu, he’s mentally ill,” Liu Guangqi blurted out.
Of all the people in the courtyard, apart from Jia Zhangshi, who had already been sent to a labor camp, Jia Dongxu was the one who was mentally unstable.
Moreover, Qin Huairu herself said that Jia Dongxu had a mental illness.
Who could imagine what this mentally ill person would do?
Therefore, Xu Damao felt that Qin Huairu was afraid that something unexpected might happen at the wedding banquet and Chen Jun would suspect the Jia family, so she simply decided not to attend the banquet.
And you know what? Xu Damao actually guessed pretty much everything.
Qin Huairu did have these concerns, which is why she advised Jia Dongxu not to attend the banquet.
Because she wasn't sure if Jia Dongxu would cause any trouble on Chen Jun's big day.
Normally, Chen Jun might not bother with them.
But today is different. Today is Chen Jun's big day of hosting a banquet. If Jia Dongxu dares to cause trouble, Qin Huairu can't even imagine how Chen Jun will deal with their family.
Director of the canteen at the steel rolling mill, a second-level cook.
They can't afford to offend either of them.
Jia Dongxu was initially reluctant, but Qin Huairu kept nagging him until he got annoyed and was persuaded.
However, Qin Huairu only convinced Jia Dongxu, ignoring the little boy at home who was a bit of a handful.
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