It was very lively outside early in the morning. The Huo family was having a happy occasion, and many people from the village came to watch the excitement.
Lin Mengmeng pulled Yun Ningyan to see the new bride, who was about to be brought back.
Yun Ningyan was also very curious about what weddings were like in this era. The Huo family courtyard was full of people. There was not much work to do in the village now, so everyone came to watch the excitement.
A large stove was built in the courtyard, and steam was bubbling away in the pot. Several aunties and grandmas were busy working on it.
At this time of year, when families hold celebrations, they usually cook for themselves and just need to hire a few people to help.
There were five or six tables of food and drink. Unlike in later rural areas where the whole village would come to celebrate a wedding, in this era every household was very poor. It was mostly relatives of the same surname who would come to celebrate. At most, close friends would come to join in the fun, but they would still have to give a gift of money.
The sound of firecrackers outside echoed through the sky, and the crowd cheered, "The bride is here! The bride is here! Make way!"
The crowd made way for Huo Jiandang, who slowly walked over carrying his bride. The bride was wearing a red dress and small leather shoes, and her arms were wrapped around Huo Jiandang's neck.
She buried her head in Huo Jiandang's arms, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Huo Jiandang carried the person to the new house, and everyone followed along, cheering. The new house was decorated with bright red "double happiness" characters everywhere.
Huo Jiandang put Zhang Hongying on the kang (a heated brick bed). Zhang Hongying looked at everyone shyly. Yun Ningyan was also in the crowd, but she looked at her makeup and rubbed her forehead.
The bride's eyebrows were drawn very dark and thick, her cheeks were as red as a monkey's bottom, and her lips were also bright red lipstick.
Who invented this makeup? It's absolutely hideous!
She doesn't want to wear such ugly makeup for her wedding.
Several women chattered, "The bride is so beautiful, so beautiful."
Li Xiangyun and Huo Changgen were dragged over, their faces painted with what looked like monkey butts. Yun Ningyan couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Li Xiangyun was a little embarrassed. Why was Lao San's boyfriend here too?
Huo Changgen covered his face with his hands, not daring to look at anyone. Huo Jiandang followed the two of them in, and someone brought over two chairs.
Li Xiangyun and Huo Changgen sat down, and Huo Jiandang and the bride bowed to their parents. The bride then addressed them as "father" and "mother," and Li Xiangyun happily gave the bride a red envelope.
The simple process of changing one's address is now complete.
There was no tea offering, no kneeling or kowtowing, just a simple bow.
Wang Cuihong brought over a bowl of dumplings and handed it to the bride, saying, "Sister-in-law, eat your dumplings! The more dumplings you eat, the more big, healthy boys you'll give birth to!"
Zhang Hongying shyly picked up a dumpling and put it in her mouth. It tasted raw, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Why is it raw?"
"Ha ha......"
Wang Cuihong spoke up at the opportune moment, "Sister-in-law, if you say you'll have children, then you'll have them. How many?"
Zhang Hongying then realized what this meant, and blushed deeply with embarrassment. Wang Cuihong took the dumplings out.
The crowd dispersed, leaving only Huo Jiandang and Zhang Hongying inside.
Huo Jiandang's hands trembled with nervousness. He asked in a low voice, "Hongying, I've finally married you. I...I want to kiss...you."
Zhang Hongying kept her head down, not daring to speak or look up at him.
The two were completely unaware that a group of people were peeping at them from outside the window. Huo Jiandang mustered up his courage and kissed her.
Just as they were about to kiss for the second time, someone outside shouted, "Look how anxious Jian Dang is, he'd love to execute the bride on the spot!"
The young men laughed loudly. Huo Jiandang blushed and let go of Zhang Hongying. He didn't dare to stay in the house any longer. If he stayed any longer, the people in the yard would come to see him make a fool of himself.
The table in the courtyard had already been set up, and Huo Junshan found a comfortable place for Yun Ningyan to sit and wait for her meal.
Because of her relationship with Yun Ningyan and Huo Junshan, Lin Mengmeng and Zhang Qiang came to join in the fun, and each of them gave a gift of three yuan.
There was braised pork, stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, green peppers, and green peppers, tofu and sesame leaf soup, and several other dishes with meat, making a total of eight dishes and one soup.
Everyone ate until their bellies were round and full.
There wasn't a single dish left on the table. Every household was short of oil and fat, so they had to eat until they were stuffed to the brim.
After the day's excitement subsided, Yun Ningyan followed Lin Mengmeng back to the educated youth settlement.
"Ningning, shall we go gather firewood? I'm not hungry at all. It's a good opportunity to digest our food. There should still be hazel mushrooms on the mountain. The hazel mushrooms I picked last time were delicious when stewed with meat."
Yun Ningyan nodded. Huo Junshan was still busy at the Huo family's house and probably wouldn't come over for dinner that night. She hadn't been up the mountain for a few days, so she might as well go for a stroll.
The two women carried baskets on their backs and walked hand in hand up the mountain, not daring to venture deeper into the mountains.
The two walked past the place where they usually gathered firewood. Song Pandi and Aunt Ma were gathering firewood there, and Aunt Ma was cursing and swearing, but it was unclear what she was cursing about.
Song Pandi looked fearless, neither speaking nor resisting. Aunt Ma took off her shoes and beat her.
Aunt Ma asked Song Pandi to carry a large bundle of firewood back. Song Pandi was very thin, and the firewood bent her body under its weight.
She staggered forward, then suddenly looked up and saw Yun Ningyan. Yun Ningyan clearly saw the fleeting malice in her eyes.
Aunt Ma cursed from behind, "You little slut, you haven't eaten and you can't even walk? Do you want to die?!"
Lin Mengmeng whispered, "Song Pandi has really met her match. Look, she doesn't even dare to resist."
Yun Ningyan shook her head, looking at Song Pandi's back. She always felt that Song Pandi was a little strangely quiet. Unless she was dead, she would not let herself suffer a loss.
The fact that she's so quiet right now means she's plotting something big!
Yun Ningyan ignored her; what happened to her had nothing to do with her. The two parted ways and began gathering firewood a short distance away.
When Meng Zhenzhen, a member of the educated youth community, saw the two of them going up the mountain, she was overjoyed. "I didn't get a chance last time, but this one has come along! Huo Junshan is probably very busy at home right now and doesn't have time to take care of her."
Her eyes flashed with murderous intent as she went to Li Dawang's house to find him. "Brother Dawang, come with me to gather firewood. I'm too weak to carry it back."
Without a second thought, Li Dawang followed Meng Zhenzhen.
Meng Zhenzhen wandered around the mountain and finally found Yun Ningyan, who was gathering firewood by herself.
She led Li Dawang to a spot not far from Yun Ningyan and said casually, "My hand hurts so much! Brother Dawang, my hand isn't better yet!"
Li Dawang's eyes were cold and fierce; he had already seen Yun Ningyan.
Looking at Zhenzhen's hands again, his eyes grew even colder!
He turned to Meng Zhenzhen and said, "Zhenzhen, we forgot to bring the rope. Go back and get the rope, and I'll tie up the firewood later."
Meng Zhenzhen is the woman he wants to marry; he can't let her clash with Yun Ningyan.
Meng Zhenzhen descended the mountain with a cold laugh. Li Dawang walked towards Yun Ningyan and sneered, "Yun Zhiqing, are you gathering firewood all by yourself here?"
Yun Ningyan had already noticed Meng Zhenzhen and Li Dawang. She glanced at him but ignored him.
Li Dawang's eyes scanned Yun Ningyan up and down. "I heard you were pretty arrogant at the educated youth settlement? You often bullied Zhenzhen?"
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