Chapter 155 Dong Chunling's Wedding "What? A wedding feast..."
"What? Attending a wedding banquet?"
Upon hearing what Dong's mother said, Zhao Sulan and Aunt He exchanged a glance, both feeling that something was amiss.
Dong Chunling announced her marriage to Hu Mingyi to the whole factory. There was probably no one in the area who didn't know about it. But judging from Dong's mother's words, it seems that she didn't know that Dong Chunling was going to marry Hu Mingyi.
How is that possible?
Aunt He chuckled twice and said, "Old Dong's family, don't joke with us. Your Chunling went to the factory today to tell everyone that she's getting married next week and everyone is welcome to the wedding banquet."
She laughed and nudged Dong's mother with her elbow: "Your Chunling has already told us, are you still trying to hide it from us?"
Aunt He's words seemed to be a complaint against Dong's mother, but in reality, they were saving face for her and reminding her: Dong Chunling has already informed everyone about the upcoming wedding banquet. If there's anything you don't know, you should go and ask her!
Mrs. Dong reacted quickly, chuckled twice, and continued along with Aunt He's words: "We didn't mean to keep it from everyone. It was just that my husband said he was going to find a suitable time to tell everyone about it. I didn't expect Chunling to let it slip so quickly."
She waved her hand and said, "Well, I just remembered I have some things to take care of at home, so I'll head back now. Let's chat again next time."
After saying this, Madam Dong turned and left, but her hurried steps carried a hint of fleeing in panic.
As Dong's mother left, Aunt He leaned close to Zhao Sulan's ear and whispered, "What's going on? Judging from the way the Dong family is acting, she doesn't know that Dong Chunling is getting married?"
Zhao Sulan: "I think so."
Aunt He pursed her lips and muttered, "How could such a thing be?"
"What's going on? Mom, Aunt He, what are you talking about?" A voice suddenly interrupted Zhao Sulan and Aunt He's conversation. The two of them turned around sharply and saw Mingxi standing behind them with a grin.
Aunt He: "Hey, you little rascal, you scared me!"
She grumbled, her eyes falling on what Mingxi was holding, and curiously peered over: "Does your company give out things at their party?"
Mentioning this, Mingxi perked up. She raised her chin and said proudly, "This is a reward for outstanding staff members!"
"Ridiculous!"
Aunt He was a master at praising others. She widened her eyes and said, "Wow, you're amazing! You've only been working for less than a year, and you've already become an outstanding employee. That's impressive!"
Zhao Sulan had already heard Mingxi mention it and knew that she wanted to win the Outstanding Staff Member award, but she couldn't help but pat Mingxi on the shoulder and say proudly, "Not bad, well done."
Mingxi chuckled.
She tugged at Zhao Sulan's sleeve: "Come on, Mom, let's go home. When we get home, I'll show you the award certificate my boss gave me!"
Zhao Sulan: "Okay, let's go home!"
Zhao Sulan and Mingxi turned to walk home. Aunt He, who always runs to where there is excitement, certainly couldn't miss it. She immediately followed Mingxi and went home with the mother and daughter.
When they got home, Mingxi put down everything she was carrying and took it out one by one to show off to Zhao Sulan.
"Mom, this is an award certificate from my company. The leader presented it to me personally on stage. Only three people in our company received this certificate this time."
Don't be fooled by the fact that the certificate is just a thin piece of paper; it's the least valuable thing here.
But this certificate represents the organization's and leaders' recognition of her, and that is the greatest honor.
"Is this the certificate of merit awarded by the leader?" Zhao Sulan rubbed her hands on her clothes before reaching out to take the certificate. She fondly rubbed the four words "Outstanding Cadre" on the certificate with her fingers before carefully placing it aside, saying, "I'll buy a frame for it tomorrow, and hang it on this wall."
She pointed to the wall directly opposite the door: "Hang it right here, right in front of the door, so that anyone who comes will see it at first glance."
Mingxi chuckled: "Okay!"
She wasn't embarrassed at all. This certificate was a reward for her hard work, and she was proud of it. She wanted to show it off so everyone could see it!
Seeing the pride on the mother and daughter's faces, Aunt He urged anxiously, "Isn't there a reward? Let's see what's inside!"
Compared to certificates, she definitely felt that physical rewards were more useful. Certificates are just a piece of paper; they can't be eaten or drunk. It's more reassuring to receive something tangible in your hands.
Mingxi didn't argue with Aunt He about it. Urged by Aunt He, she opened the box, and the first thing she saw was a white enamel mug. On the front of the enamel mug was a large award written in red paint, with the words "Outstanding Cadre of 1980" written in the same red paint. Below the word "Award," her unit's name was written in red paint.
Aunt He: "This big vat looks really nice."
This isn't unusual; it seems like every company gives it as a reward.
However, the enamel mug was quite practical; it was rather large and unusually sturdy. Its main selling point was its durability; a single enamel mug could easily last for over a decade. Mingxi casually tossed it aside.
Next was a wall calendar, a 1981 calendar, quite large, with beautiful landscape paintings on it. Then came a packet of tea.
Calendars are nothing special, but tea is a rare commodity. These days, you need coupons to buy tea, and tea coupons are hard to come by. Mingxi's family only has a small tin of proper tea, which was bought several years ago. Usually, when the family drinks tea, they use high-quality tea dust, which doesn't require coupons.
"Tea leaves, this is good stuff! This package looks like it weighs about two pounds, right?" Aunt He exclaimed in surprise.
Zhao Sulan reached out and weighed it in her hand: "About the same."
Aunt He came over and said with a smile, "Hey, Lao Zhao, let's talk this over. Can you share some of your tea with me? I don't need too much, just an ounce or two will be enough. Consider it money I paid for it. You name your price, whatever you say, I promise you won't lose out."
It wasn't that Aunt He was unwilling to spend money on tea; it was just that tea coupons were hard to come by, and even exchanging them with others was difficult.
But with the Lunar New Year just around the corner, it's inevitable that many people will come to pay their respects. It's fine to drink some tea leaves at home, but you can't exactly offer tea leaves to people who come to visit.
So when she saw that Mingxi's workplace had distributed tea, she couldn't help but have her eye on it.
Zhao Sulan didn't speak, but looked at Mingxi, implying that Mingxi should decide which things belonged to her.
When Aunt He saw Zhao Sulan's actions, she understood what she meant and immediately turned her head to look at Mingxi with pleading eyes.
To be honest, Mingxi had no objection to this matter.
The company provided a lot of tea, and she and Zhao Sulan couldn't finish it all, so it wouldn't hurt to give some to Aunt He.
She readily nodded, and Aunt He immediately grabbed Mingxi's hand to express her gratitude.
She knew that Xiaoming was not a stingy person!
The tea exchange was settled, and the contents of the reward box were almost emptied. Only one envelope remained unopened. Mingxi reached out and touched it, guessing that it probably contained receipts.
I just don't know what kind of ticket it is.
It's probably something like food coupons, meat coupons, or cloth coupons?
That's what Mingxi was thinking. She casually tore open the envelope, and the tickets fell out. When Mingxi picked them up and took a look, she was really surprised.
This is actually a TV ticket!
Aunt He came over and saw it, her eyes widening immediately, and she shouted in a high-pitched voice: "TV plane ticket?!"
Zhao Sulan was taken aback, but then smiled and said, "Great, your company is quite generous!"
Isn't that generous? A TV plane ticket can sell for over a hundred yuan on the market these days.
Aunt He looked at him with a hint of envy and said sourly, "Xiao Ming, your company's benefits are really good."
This is much better than the benefits at the steel rolling mill. In previous years, the steel rolling mill's outstanding employees would only receive an enamel mug, a towel, or a washbasin, and everyone would be overjoyed. I never expected the Women's Federation to be so generous, directly giving out TV tickets.
Mingxi was also surprised. She blinked in astonishment, then her eyelashes curved and she smiled, saying, "Then our family can buy a color TV!"
Mingxi had wanted to buy a color TV for a long time, and had discussed it with Zhao Sulan back in the summer.
However, at that time, the family didn't have enough money, and there were no TVs or plane tickets available, so they had to give up in the end.
She has TV tickets available now, and she's not short of money.
It's a lie to say she's not short of money. Ever since Mingxi invested her money in Guan Lixin's business, her family's savings have almost multiplied. The dividends Guan Lixin gave her at the beginning of the year alone were enough to buy several television sets.
In addition to Mingxi and Zhao Sulan's salaries, and the extra money she earned from matchmaking, she certainly didn't lack money to buy a color TV.
Zhao Sulan originally wanted to say it wasn't necessary, but seeing how happy Mingxi was, she pursed her lips and let it go.
Let her daughter buy it if she wants; the family isn't short of money anyway.
I've been nagging her for half a year to stop her from buying it, and I'll probably keep nagging her about it.
Aunt He clicked her tongue twice, feeling envious.
We all live in the same courtyard. Look at them, they buy TVs as easily as buying groceries.
Even when buying meat at home, you might not be as generous as someone else.
Ultimately, it all comes down to money.
Aunt He decided that when spring comes next year and it's not so cold, she will continue to set up her stall and work hard to earn money. She doesn't want to compare herself to the Ming family, but at least she wants to have the freedom to eat meat!
Mingxi had no idea that simply saying she wanted to buy a TV had given Aunt He a shot of adrenaline.
She carefully put away the rewards and, remembering what she had overheard Aunt He and Zhao Sulan talking in the alley, asked curiously, "Oh, right, Mom, what were you and Aunt He talking about in the alley? What did you mean, 'How could such a thing happen?' What was it?"
Zhao Sulan pouted: "Don't even mention it, it's just upsetting. Dong Chunling and Hu Mingyi are getting married."
Mingxi's eyes widened: "What?!"
Mingxi was taken aback for a moment. How long had Dong Chunling and Hu Mingyi known each other? They had only known each other for two months at most.
Moreover, their relationship wasn't always smooth sailing; Mingxi witnessed them having two major conflicts.
But to be honest, two months is enough time for two people to get to know each other. These days, there are quite a few couples who get married after knowing each other for only two months.
When this matter is brought up to Dong Chunling, it just seems a bit suspicious.
Mingxi stroked her chin: "I hadn't heard anything about Dong Chunling getting married before? And I didn't see the Hu family come to visit either?"
Aunt He: "That's right!"
She was also shocked: "If Dong Chunling hadn't dragged Hu Mingyi to the factory today and told everyone herself, I wouldn't have believed it! And you don't know, just now when your mother and I came back, we ran into Dong Chunling's mother in the alley and talked about the wedding banquet, and she seemed to have no idea what we were talking about."
Mingxi: "Really?"
Would Dong Chunling really let the news of her upcoming marriage spread without informing her family? Would she really do something so reckless?
However, Mingxi reconsidered.
That's Dong Chunling!
How many unreliable things has Dong Chunling done? Nothing she does is surprising, right?
Mingxi sighed with emotion, "Looks like there's going to be some excitement."
Unsurprisingly, Dong Chunling's upcoming marriage sparked another round of discussion in the alley.
Everyone was shocked that Dong Chunling was getting married so soon, and also shocked that Hu Mingyi, who was such a good catch, could actually be interested in Dong Chunling.
Some well-informed people knew that the Hu family hadn't come to propose marriage, and they whispered in the alley, wondering how Dong Chunling had managed to get together with Hu Mingyi. They wondered if the Hu family didn't even approve of the relationship between Hu Mingyi and Dong Chunling.
Amidst the discussions, Dong Chunling's wedding day finally arrived.
Early that morning, the Dong family started preparing in a lively atmosphere. Neighbors from the surrounding area came to help, some lending tables and chairs, and others helping to prepare the banquet.
Mingxi came to help along with Zhao Sulan, but she didn't really do anything.
She used helping out as an excuse to gossip.
There are quite a few like Mingxi; standing next to her is Aunt He, who is doing the same thing.
Aunt He, cracking open a handful of melon seeds she'd grabbed from the fruit platter the Dong family had served to their guests, looked at the listless Mingxi, and warmly invited, "Want a handful?"
Mingxi didn't stand on ceremony and directly reached out her hand: "Give me a handful."
Aunt He took out a handful of things from her pocket and gave them to Mingxi. She glanced at Dong's mother, who was spinning around like a top, and whispered to Mingxi, "Dong Chunling's marriage is quite unusual. Isn't it usually the groom's family that hosts the wedding banquet? I've never seen a wedding where the bride's family hosts the banquet."
In the northern part of the city, it is traditional for the groom's family to pay for the banquet at his home.
Unless the woman marries far away and her family and husband's family are not on the same side, then a separate ceremony will be held at her family's and husband's families.
But Dong Chunling didn't marry far away.
Hu Mingyi's family is local, and I haven't heard that Hu Mingyi's side is going to hold a second event.
Ironically, Dong Chunling's banquet wasn't held at the Hu family's house, but rather at the Dong family's house, which seemed rather awkward no matter how you looked at it.
At this moment, Wang Chuncao, who lived in the same courtyard as Dong Chunling, came over. She and Dong Chunling didn't get along. Not long ago, they even got into a fight at the entrance of the alley. Everyone knew that she and Dong Chunling didn't get along. Seeing her excited look as she came over, everyone guessed that she had some juicy gossip to share.
Sure enough, as soon as Wang Chuncao arrived, she dropped a bombshell: "Today's wedding was paid for by the Dong family."
"ah???"
Everyone stared in astonishment, their mouths agape.
It's one thing to hold the banquet at the woman's house, but to have the woman's family pay for it is really inappropriate.
The groom's family got a wife without spending a single penny.
There's no such thing as getting a free lunch!
Aunt He: "Is it really that bad? Didn't they say Hu Mingyi's family is quite well-off and wealthy? He's even a leader in the housing management bureau. Surely he can afford to host a banquet?"
"Hey, don't you understand? It's not about whether they can afford it or not. It's that the Hu family doesn't even like Dong Chunling and doesn't approve of her relationship with Hu Mingyi, so they're unwilling to pay."
"You really didn't like it? I heard others say that before, and I thought it was fake..."
"The Hu family definitely didn't like Dong Chunling, otherwise, why would the Hu family have shown up at all during all these days since Dong Chunling's wedding?"
"Hey, I know someone who works at the same company as Hu Mingyi. They live in the same staff quarters, just one floor above the other. She knows what's going on!"
Upon hearing this, Mingxi's eyes lit up, and she pricked up her ears with curiosity.
Seeing that everyone was looking at him curiously, the man put on a storyteller's posture and began to speak.
"The Hu family did not agree to Dong Chunling marrying Hu Mingyi. It was Hu Mingyi who insisted on marrying Dong Chunling. In fact, the Hu family did not inform their relatives and friends. None of the Hu family's relatives knew that Hu Mingyi was getting married today."
"No way, why are the Hu family like this?"
"Exactly! Although Dong Chunling isn't a great person, since Hu Mingyi is dating and getting married to her, they can't just do this. They didn't even inform their relatives. What, do they want to pretend that Hu Mingyi isn't married?"
"The Hu family did something really underhanded..."
Everyone felt that the Hu family had acted inappropriately, but Mingxi couldn't help but ask, "Did Dong Chunling and her family know about this? And Dong Chunling still agreed to marry into the family?"
Wang Chuncao looked up at Mingxi and thought to herself, "As expected of Mingxi, she really knows how to grasp the key points."
She nodded: "Dong Chunling and her family all know about this. Dong Chunling's parents are unhappy, saying that the Hu family is going too far and trampling on their family's dignity. They don't agree to Dong Chunling marrying into the family. But Dong Chunling insists on marrying Hu Mingyi. She also said that the Hu family has an unusual status, and Hu Mingyi is a leader, so his style should be low-key. The wedding can't be a big affair, especially since Hu Mingyi is getting married for the second time, so it's not a big deal if there's no wedding. Uncle Dong and Dong's eldest son are arguing with her at home. They've been making a huge fuss for several nights, keeping me up at night."
Wang Chuncao shrugged, indicating that she didn't intentionally want to eavesdrop on the Dong family's conversation, but the Dong family was making such a racket that she couldn't help but hear it.
Upon hearing Wang Chuncao's words, everyone fell silent.
They were indignant on Dong Chunling's behalf, feeling that the Hu family's actions were excessive. Who would have thought that Dong Chunling didn't think there was anything wrong with the Hu family's actions at all?
Dong Chunling was willing, and even her family couldn't change her mind, let alone outsiders.
Everyone pursed their lips. After all, they were still at the Dong family's house, so no one said anything harsh. However, no one knew what each of them was really thinking.
Mingxi, for example, rolled her eyes dramatically.
Dong Chunling is such a brainless idiot. She's not even married yet, and her in-laws have already completely controlled her. Who knows what they'll do after the wedding?
Someone in the crowd asked curiously, "Wait, why does the Hu family look down on Dong Chunling so much?"
Although Dong Chunling's character is not very good, her qualifications are still quite good.
She was a high school graduate and a regular worker. Although she was remarried, she had never had children. She was also quite good-looking, and her family didn't hold her back. She received a dowry for her second marriage.
A match for someone like Hu Mingyi is acceptable.
Even if the Hu family looks down on Dong Chunling for being a divorcee, they shouldn't be trampling on her like this.
Mingxi was also somewhat puzzled by this matter.
The initial claim that the Hu family didn't approve of Dong Chunling has now been explained to everyone.
"It's all because Dong Chunling is too fierce. When she went home with Hu Mingyi to meet his parents, she got into a fight with Hu's family."
Mingxi: "What the heck?"
Everyone stared at her in disbelief and shock.
"Hey, you guys don't know, I only heard it from my friend. It happened before the Lunar New Year. Apparently, Hu Mingyi took Dong Chunling home to meet his parents. Coincidentally, one of Hu Mingyi's friends, Jiang Wenhua, was also at Hu's house at the time. You don't know Jiang Wenhua, but she lived next door to Hu Mingyi. She and Hu Mingyi grew up together, you could say they were childhood sweethearts. When they were little, they always liked to play together. Back then, everyone in the residential compound thought they would definitely be together when they grew up. They did date after they grew up, but later, for some reason, they broke up. After that, they both dated new people and got married, but they still get along very well as friends, always sticking together."
"hiss--"
The older women couldn't help but feel that something was off about Hu Mingyi and Jiang Wenhua.
The man continued, "Hu Mingyi divorced Qian Qi because of Jiang Wenhua. Hu Mingyi himself said that his ex-wife was petty and always suspected that he and Jiang Wenhua were having an affair, but we don't know what really happened..."
Mingxi raised an eyebrow, glanced at the person who spoke, and thought to herself that what she said was quite interesting.
The women at the scene had various guesses.
"If you ask me, this guy surnamed Hu must be having an affair with this guy surnamed Jiang. If they weren't, why would Hu's ex-wife have divorced him?"
"Of course, those two used to be a couple, and they're still inseparable. Maybe they didn't break things off cleanly back then."
"I've never seen a couple maintain such a good relationship after breaking up..."
Mingxi felt that it was hard to say whether the two of them were having an affair or not, but they definitely lacked a sense of propriety.
After all, she saw with her own eyes that Jiang Wenhua was holding Hu Mingyi's arm that day.
It was very inappropriate for Jiang Wenhua, a married woman, to be clinging to the arm of Hu Mingyi, a man who already had a partner.
Aunt He: "Let's not talk about the Hu family and the Jiang family for now. Let's get down to business. What happened when Dong Chunling got into a fight at the Hu family's house?"
"Yes, let's get down to business. That day, Jiang Wenhua happened to be at the Hu family's house. I don't know what happened, but Jiang Wenhua and Dong Chunling didn't seem to get along. As soon as they met, they started arguing. Jiang Wenhua said Dong Chunling was savage, had a bad temper, and was ill-tempered. Dong Chunling called Jiang Wenhua shameless, a slut, and accused her of seducing other people's men. The two started arguing and then started fighting. Hu Mingyi's mother went to break them up, but Dong Chunling wasn't paying attention and ended up hitting Hu Mingyi's mother too. It was quite a fight, and the neighbors all around were alarmed and went to break them up. They finally managed to separate them, and Hu Mingyi's mother's face was scratched. After being separated, Hu Mingyi's mother immediately cursed Dong Chunling for being ill-mannered and saying she would never agree to Dong Chunling marrying into the Hu family. Dong Chunling said she didn't care either, and then she dragged Hu Mingyi away."
After hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
No wonder the Hu family disapproved of Dong Chunling's relationship with Hu Mingyi.
If it were them, and they were beaten up by their future daughter-in-law the moment they met her, they wouldn't agree to their son marrying someone like that.
After a long silence, Aunt He finally managed to say, "Hu Mingyi's mother has had a really tough time."
That's right.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The future daughter-in-law hasn't even entered the family yet, and she dared to hit her future mother-in-law on their first meeting. What will happen after they get married? Won't she bully her future mother-in-law three times a day?
Hu Mingyi's mother was already very kind; she only disagreed with Hu Mingyi's relationship with Dong Chunling.
Just moments ago, Hu's mother was being pointed at and criticized by everyone, but suddenly she became a representative of hardship, and the focus of criticism quickly shifted from her to Hu Mingyi.
"So, that guy surnamed Hu really isn't a good person!"
"That's right. He still has an ambiguous relationship with his ex-girlfriend and hasn't completely broken things off. He even said that his ex-wife is petty. If his ex-wife were really petty, why would Dong Chunling have gotten into a fight with Jiang Wenhua? It's because he didn't handle things well."
"When Dong Chunling and Jiang Wenhua got into a fight, he hid to the side and asked his mother to come out and break it up."
"He just watched his mother get beaten, and after that, he ran away with Dong Chunling. He's such a coward."
“If my son were like him, I would rather strangle him at birth…”
Everyone here has children. Just thinking about how their sons would hit them for another woman, beat up their wives, and break up with them, yet still insist on marrying her, makes it impossible for anyone to keep a pleasant expression.
As everyone was whispering and talking badly about Hu Mingyi, Dong's mother came over. Everyone quickly shut up, pretended to be helping seriously, and lowered their heads to work.
Although they looked down on Hu Mingyi, no matter what, he was still the son-in-law of the Dong family, so it was really inappropriate to speak ill of him in front of the Dong family.
Mrs. Dong didn't notice what everyone was saying; she walked over with a sullen face.
Actually, she didn't agree with Dong Chunling's relationship with Hu Mingyi.
Dong Chunling's marriage to Hu Mingyi was not announced to her or her husband beforehand. She only found out when Aunt He mentioned it to her in the alley.
She's lived to be this old, she's not stupid, of course she knows that Dong Chunling acted first and then informed the family because the Hu family disagreed.
When Dong Chunling returned, she grabbed Dong Chunling and asked her questions. Dong Chunling didn't tell the truth, and she didn't know what had happened when Dong Chunling and Hu Mingyi went to the Hu family to meet their parents.
All that is known is that the Hu family does not approve of her daughter's marriage to Hu Mingyi. In fact, the Hu family is unwilling to contribute a single penny to the marriage between Dong Chunling and Hu Mingyi, nor do they want any relatives or friends to know about it.
Naturally, Dong's mother was unwilling. Although Dong Chunling was unreliable, she was still her own flesh and blood, her biological daughter, and she still loved her dearly. She was afraid that Dong Chunling would be bullied after marrying into the Hu family, so she disagreed.
But there was nothing she could do. Dong Chunling was so desperate, just like when she insisted on marrying Yan Zhiwen, she insisted on marrying Hu Mingyi.
There was no other way but for Dong's mother to compromise. Fearing that Dong Chunling would be bullied after marriage, she could only try her best to add layer after layer of dowry to Dong Chunling's dowry at the wedding.
This was to show the Hu family how much her family cherished their daughter, and to make them understand that Dong Chunling was not someone without a family, and not someone who could be bullied at will.
Although so much had been prepared before the wedding, Dong Chunling was still filled with anxiety and unease on the day she was to leave home.
Before the Hu family arrived, Dong's mother hurriedly pushed open Dong Chunling's door.
"Daughter, are you ready?"
Dong Chunling was sitting in front of her dressing table getting ready when she heard the door open. She instinctively turned her head and saw that it was her mother who came in. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mom, it's you. I thought it was Mingyi."
She gave Dong's mother a look, then quickly turned back to continue applying her makeup.
When Dong's mother came over and saw Dong Chunling dressed in red and looking beautiful, a wave of sadness washed over her, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Her daughter is good in every way, except that her marriage is too bumpy; she always meets the wrong person.
I first met Yan Zhiwen, who was full of tricks, then I ran into a conman, and now I've finally met Hu Mingyi, who's a bit more reliable, but his family isn't easy to deal with.
Why is her daughter's life so miserable?
Tears streamed down Dong's mother's face. Dong Chunling noticed something was wrong in the mirror, turned around, and said in a sharp voice, "Mom, what are you doing? Today is my wedding, a wonderful day, why are you crying?"
Mother Dong wiped away her tears: "Daughter, I just... I just feel sorry for you, I'm afraid you'll be bullied by your in-laws after you get married..."
Dong Chunling didn't take it seriously: "What are you afraid of? With Hu Mingyi around, he will definitely protect me."
Mother Dong: "Yes, Mingyi is a good man."
Dong Chunling cupped her face in her hands: "Of course! Mingyi is a good man. He's so willing to spend money on me. Look at this dress I'm wearing, Mingyi bought it for me with two months' salary."
At this point, she became angry: "It's that damned old woman who has a bad heart. She doesn't agree to my marriage with Mingyi. When she heard that I was going to marry Mingyi, she took all the money from Mingyi. Otherwise, you and Dad wouldn't have had to pay for my marriage with Mingyi today."
Mrs. Dong shook her head: "It's alright, your father and I have money. We can afford half of the wedding expenses."
Dong Chunling snuggled up to her mother with a big smile and said, "Mom, you're so good to me."
Mrs. Dong: "Who told me to only have you as my daughter?"
Inside the house, the mother and daughter were chatting intimately. Outside, the courtyard had been almost fully decorated, and Mingxi and Zhao Sulan had already found seats and sat down.
The Dong family set up more than ten tables today, filling the courtyard both inside and out.
Among those who came to the banquet were neighbors from the alley, relatives of the Dong family, Dong's father's colleagues from the steel rolling mill, and Dong Chunling's colleagues from her workplace.
Although Hu Mingyi's side didn't come to the wedding banquet, quite a few people did attend, filling all ten-plus tables. It looked like the event was quite well-organized.
The table where Mingxi and Zhao Sulan sat was filled with neighbors from the alley. They were all acquaintances, and they started gossiping as soon as they sat down.
"Hey, it's already past ten o'clock, shouldn't the guy be here soon?"
"That's about right. The auspicious time is eleven o'clock, right? The bride leaves home at eleven."
"Hey, wait, the groom's family isn't holding a banquet today, so where are the newlyweds going to exchange vows and pay respects to heaven and earth?"
"The groom's side doesn't hold a banquet, but there must be some decorations, right? They should still do the wedding ceremony there, right?"
None of us had ever attended a wedding banquet held at the bride's family home before, so we weren't really sure about the process.
Not to mention the guests who came to the banquet were not clear about the procedures, even the Dong family members were a bit confused at this moment.
As the auspicious time approached, Dong Chunling became anxious and started directing her family members around in circles.
"Brother, it's almost time, hurry up and get the firecrackers ready. As soon as Hu Mingyi walks in, light them right away."
“Dad, you should tell the staff not to serve the food until we’ve finished the ceremony. I don’t want the audience to be in a chaotic mess when Mingyi and I are making our vows, with everyone just eating their food. I invited them here so they could see how happy I am at my wedding, not so they could actually eat at the banquet.”
"Mom, hurry up and run to the alley entrance to see if Hu Mingyi and the others have arrived yet. It's almost time, why haven't they come yet?"
Dong Chunling doesn't hold back when ordering around her own family members.
Although Brother Dong and Father Dong were unhappy with Dong Chunling ordering them around, today was, after all, Dong Chunling's wedding day.
So neither of them said anything.
The entire Dong family turned out, eagerly awaiting Hu Mingyi's arrival.
But no matter how long they waited, Hu Mingyi never showed up.
As the hour hand on her watch passed eleven, Mingxi muttered to herself, "What's going on? Why hasn't Hu Mingyi arrived yet? Is the wedding going to fall through today?"
Aunt He: "That can't be that bad, can it?"
The guests in the courtyard were whispering amongst themselves, while Dong Chunling inside the house was also feeling uneasy and anxious.
She believed that Hu Mingyi wouldn't suddenly run away from the wedding, but the Hu family might try to sabotage it for her.
What if that old hag from the Hu family deliberately keeps Hu Mingyi locked up and prevents him from marrying her?
Dong Chunling grew increasingly anxious. She bit her lip, stared at the clock on the wall, and finally gritted her teeth: "No, if Mingyi doesn't come, then I'll go find him!"
Dong Chunling stood up, pushed open the door, and ran out.
Before Dong's mother could react, she saw Dong Chunling run out and quickly chased after her, crying, "No, Chunling, don't..."
It's embarrassing enough to have a wedding at the bride's parents' home, but when the groom doesn't come to pick her up and the bride goes there on her own, it's even more embarrassing for them.
Even if Dong Chunling marries Hu Mingyi, she will still be inferior to the Hu family after marriage.
Dong's mother chased after Dong Chunling, trying to pull her back.
And so, without knowing anything, the guests in the courtyard watched as Dong Chunling, dressed in red, suddenly pushed open the door and ran out, followed by Dong's mother chasing after her.
The two of them ran and chased each other, and that's how they ran far away.
Mingxi: "W-what's going on?"
The bride has run away, can the wedding still go ahead today?
None of them had ever seen anything like this before, and they all stared at Mr. Dong in stunned silence.
Mr. Dong was also completely bewildered; he had no idea what was going on.
Mr. Dong was stunned for a moment, then quickly chased after them. Everyone was confused as they watched the three members of the Dong family run away, when they heard firecrackers popping outside and Mr. Dong's voice calling out, "The groom is here!"
The bride ran away, but the groom came back?
Everyone flocked out to see the spectacle, and Mingxi was no exception.
Squeezing through the crowd to the courtyard gate, Mingxi found the alleyway incredibly lively. Firecrackers were popping and crackling, the ground was covered with red firecracker casings, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder. Logically, it should have been a festive scene, but in fact, not a single person had a smile on their face.
Mrs. Dong, her face grim, grabbed Dong Chunling and stood to one side with Mr. Dong, whose face was ashen. On the other side was Hu Mingyi, who was being held by a middle-aged woman with a grim face.
Oh, and Jiang Wenhua is following behind Hu Mingyi.
Mingxi blinked, unable to understand what this combination meant.
In the ensuing silence, the middle-aged woman who was grabbing Hu Mingyi spoke first: "He has no manners at all."
Although she didn't name names, everyone could tell that she was referring to Dong Chunling.
Dong Chunling wasn't one to take insults lying down, and immediately yelled back, "You old hag, who are you calling names!"
"I'm talking about you!" The middle-aged woman raised her eyebrows and pointed at Dong Chunling, saying, "I don't know what got into my Mingyi, insisting on marrying a woman like you who has no manners or upbringing. What kind of woman doesn't have any manners on her wedding day, just running off like that? Aren't you ashamed!"
Upon hearing this, Mingxi immediately understood that this person must be Hu Mingyi's mother, who is also Dong Chunling's future mother-in-law.
It has to be said that Dong Chunling really doesn't tolerate any grievances, and she doesn't show any sign of yielding even to her future mother-in-law.
Dong Chunling was quite assertive. Upon hearing Hu's mother's words, she immediately jumped up, ready to fight back.
However, Dong Chunling was eventually restrained by her father.
Mr. Dong felt that Dong Chunling's wedding today was already embarrassing enough. If Dong Chunling were to quarrel with her future mother-in-law in front of so many guests, it would be a complete disgrace, and she would be lost forever.
He pressed Dong Chunling down, and said with a smile, "In-law, what you said is too biased. Although it was not appropriate for our Chunling to run away on her wedding day, she was just anxious. You hadn't shown up for a long time, and the auspicious time had already passed. Chunling thought something had happened to you, so she ran away to see what was going on."
Mr. Dong was quite eloquent; he immediately shifted the blame to the Hu family, pointing out that it was because the Hu family arrived late that Dong Chunling was in such a hurry.
Not only did they help Dong Chunling save face, saying that the reason she ran out was entirely because she was worried about Hu Mingyi, but they also subtly implied that the Hu family members were incompetent in their conduct.
Hu's mother still had the nerve to say that Dong Chunling had no manners.
She was late for her wedding and missed the auspicious time. If we're talking about being unruly, the Hu family is probably the unruly one.
Mingxi glanced at Old Man Dong and thought to himself that Old Man Dong was indeed a cunning old fox.
Mrs. Hu wasn't stupid; she naturally understood the hidden meaning in Old Man Dong's words. Her face darkened, but she valued her reputation, and in front of everyone, she couldn't very well argue with Old Man Dong.
He could only say coldly to Dong Chunling, "Since you're already out, let's go!"
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Author's Note: I overestimated myself; I said I'd write 10,000 words a day, but I only managed to finish it this afternoon. I'll resume my normal update schedule tomorrow.
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