After having lunch at Su Li's place, the Han family was busy all afternoon, as tomorrow was the wedding day of Lin Xiaoxiao and Han Qiushi.
It was agreed from the beginning that Lin Xiaoxiao would leave from Su Li's side, and Su Li and Zhang Feng would also need to get ready, dress up simply, and also check what items they would bring to the Han family. They would also need to make sure everything was accounted for today.
In case there are any oversights, we can still make up for them today.
These days, weddings are simple and straightforward, unlike the extravagant celebrations of later generations. However, some local customs are still preserved, albeit in a more subtle way.
After finishing these tasks, Han Qiushi and Han Qiulin sat there for a while before heading back to their work, as the Han family had even more to do.
The white lotus flowers were arranged with great care.
Han Qiushi's room was furnished with a brand new bed and quilts.
The person who makes the bed is someone from the neighborhood or the most fortunate among their relatives. They take this matter very seriously, and in the end, they called over the mother of a leader.
"Auntie, it's our honor to have you come." Bai Hehua smiled and invited her in.
The elderly woman who was invited, though a bit old, was full of energy. She was happy to be called over, especially since she was considered a very fortunate person, so she was all smiles: "I, an old woman, just love to join in on such joyous occasions."
After exchanging a few polite words, they started making the bed.
The room was still simply furnished, except for the addition of two more cabinets, but all the bedding was brand new and bright red.
The pillowcases are red with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in the water, and the quilt is also red with an embroidered dragon and phoenix pattern.
Even the curtains on the side have been changed to a festive pink color, and there is a red mirror on the cabinet with magpie patterns on it.
The whole room was filled with a festive atmosphere.
A group of people gathered at the doorway of the room, watching the old woman change the bedding. Their tone was a mix of envy and sourness.
"Your family really takes good care of your daughter-in-law; everything in the room is brand new."
"Yes, look, even the curtains are pink."
"This outfit is one of a kind even in this residential compound."
“These are good days, have a piece of candy to sweeten your mouth, and all the good things will come out of your mouth.” An aunt couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke up for Bai Hehua.
After tidying up the bed, Bai Hehua handed the peanuts, longans, melon seeds, and red dates that she had prepared beforehand to the lucky old lady.
"Auntie, you've worked hard."
"I'm happy inside, and there's no hardship at all." The old lady smiled kindly, taking the things handed to her by Bai Hehua and scattering them on the big red bed.
While scattering the powder, they said auspicious words.
Once all that was done, the job was done. Bai Hehua invited the old lady out for tea and gave her a red envelope. After chatting for a while, she had Han's father and the old man entertain her while she put up the red double happiness symbol she had cut out yesterday.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Lin Xiaoxiao got up very early and put on a military overcoat. In this day and age, many people are proud to wear military uniforms. Her boyfriend was a soldier, and she had long planned to wear a military uniform to get married.
Su Li and Zhang Feng got up even earlier than Lin Xiaoxiao. Zhang Feng made Lin Xiaoxiao a bowl of noodles to eat to fill her stomach.
The two men watched Lin Xiaoxiao eat, chatting and laughing with her. This child has only just grown up and will soon be of marriageable age. They were afraid she wouldn't understand these things, so they told her everything they could think of in detail.
Hearing the two teachers' concerns, Lin Xiaoxiao finished the food in her bowl and put it down. "Teachers, you don't need to worry. If Han Qiushi bullies me, I'll punch him. I'm really good at hitting people now."
Su Li laughed immediately: "Girls shouldn't talk about fighting. We're going to live together and support each other for life. Fighting is very damaging to our relationship. If there's anything we disagree on, we should talk it out."
Zhang Feng chimed in, "That's right. We shouldn't resort to fists for ordinary things. But if we can't take it anymore, then we should use them, and use them hard. There's no reason why we should be bullied just because we're married."
Zhang Feng and Su Li, being educated people, knew quite a few tricks. They told Lin Xiaoxiao a lot about them, telling her to use them in crucial moments and not to have such thoughts in ordinary times.
The three people were talking in the room. If you didn't know better, you would think they were a very warm and loving family.
After finishing her meal, Lin Xiaoxiao began to slowly tidy herself up in front of the mirror.
She had forgotten how long it had been since she last wore makeup. Although she was a bit rusty, she was still better at using cosmetics than most women of this era. Lin Xiaoxiao gave herself a light, natural makeup look, except for her bright lipstick.
These days, everyone loves bright red.
Lin Xiaoxiao was already beautiful and had a great figure. Today, she even styled her hair in a special updo. After getting herself all done, she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction.
After Lin Xiaoxiao finished, she asked Su Li for her opinion. Lin Xiaoxiao's actions stunned both Su Li and Zhang Feng.
"Xiaoxiao, you look so beautiful today." As she spoke, Su Li handed Lin Xiaoxiao a gold ring: "I don't have anything as nice for you as your teacher. This was given to me by my family when I got married. It's not appropriate for me to wear it now, so you can keep it."
"This is a wedding gift from Teacher Zhang and me to you." Su Li took out a cloth bag, put the ring on Lin Xiaoxiao's finger, said a few words, then took the ring off, put it back in the cloth bag, and stuffed it into Lin Xiaoxiao's palm.
Lin Xiaoxiao was deeply moved when she saw Su Li's eyes gradually redden. She believed that this ring was one of the teacher's few remaining possessions, and Su Li had still taken the risk to give it up.
"Thank you, teacher." Lin Xiaoxiao had a thousand words in her heart but didn't know how to express them. Finally, she reached out and hugged Su Li.
When the auspicious time arrived, Han Qiushi's voice could be heard outside the house.
"Honey, I've come to pick you up."
"Let's take a tour around Beijing."
Lin Xiaoxiao: Okay
Lin Xiaoxiao had never been married, but she had seen other people get married. She smiled and opened the door, and then saw that the room was full of people, including members of the Han family and neighbors from the building who had come to join in the fun.
Han Qiushi, dressed in military uniform, stood tall and handsome at the front of the crowd.
Lin Xiaoxiao was also stunned by Han Qiushi's energetic appearance.
Han Qiushi's situation wasn't much better than Lin Xiaoxiao's. Seeing such a beautiful wife, he couldn't help but stare at Lin Xiaoxiao, unable to move his feet.
The noisy room quieted down, and then one of the women broke the silence: "My goodness, this is the first time I've ever seen such a beautiful bride."
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