Chapter 53: Marriage Discussion
Geng Yunye was pushing a bicycle, with a fertilizer bag tied to the back seat, which was filled to the brim. Two strings of pork were hung on the left handlebar, and two packs of Daqianmen cigarettes and two bottles of rice wine were hung on the other.
Also travelling with them were two highly respected elders from the same family. They were wearing Zhongshan suits that they only wore during festivals and their cloth shoes were spotless. They were holding square cake boxes tied with hemp rope. The surface of the box was printed with festive dragon and phoenix designs, and inside were dragon and phoenix wedding cakes that they had specially bought from a time-honoured store in the county.
The eight-immortals table in the main hall of the Cheng family was wiped clean and spotless. The dark brown wood grain shone with a warm luster in the sun, and the table top was so clean that one could almost reflect a person's shadow.
Cheng Cunzhi and Xu Fengxia sat on the bench awkwardly. Xu Fengxia repeatedly smoothed the wrinkles on her skirt and nervously adjusted her hair at the temples; Cheng Cunzhi sat upright, his knuckles unconsciously rubbing the raised mortise and tenon patterns on the edge of the table.
The crisp sound of bicycle bells came from outside the yard. Cheng Xin leaned out of the kitchen, and the corners of her light blue floral shirt were stained with soy sauce. Seeing Geng Yunye pushing a bicycle full of gifts in, she hurriedly hid back in the kitchen, leaving only half of the wooden door ajar, and the crackling sound of firewood could be heard faintly.
Geng Yunye stepped into the doorway, his back straightened under his dark blue shirt, and he bowed respectfully: "Uncle and aunt, I picked out gifts for each of you at the Autumn Fair."
Xu Fengxia smiled, but said angrily, "I'm sorry to have cost you money. This child is always so honest." She stood up to pour tea, but was stopped by Geng Yunye.
He took out a piece of oil paper with the words "Friendship Store" printed on it from the rough cloth bag and carefully opened it. Inside were several bottles of canned lychees: "These are canned lychees that can only be bought in Dian City. I bought them specially for everyone to taste."
Cheng Cunzhi took a breath and said, "You need foreign exchange certificates to buy this, right?"
"Price is not the main issue. You will know how worthwhile it is if you try it." Geng Yunye smiled and continued to unpack the foreign-printed packaging box, and took out two black stainless steel thermos cups wrapped with red ribbons. "The thermos cups can keep boiled water warm. You can always drink hot water when you work in the fields in winter."
Xu Fengxia used her sleeve to pad the cup and rubbed it gently: "This thing is good. You don't have to drink cold well water when you go to work in the fields in the future."
Then, Geng Yunye brought out a delicate gift box, which contained a lake blue silk scarf with lotus embroidered on it that was faintly visible in the light and shadow: "The material is soft and the color complements the person. It will definitely look good on Auntie."
"No, no!" Xu Fengxia hurriedly refused, but Geng Yunye insisted on stuffing it into her hands.
Geng Yunye looked at Cheng Lei and took out a small square box from the rough cloth bag. The blue light of the electronic watch lit up, and Cheng Lei's eyes widened instantly. The boy couldn't wait to take the box, and his hands were shaking with excitement. He glanced at his father's face, and when he saw his father nod slightly, he quickly put the watch on his wrist and fiddled with it lovingly.
Cheng Lei pressed the buttons on the side back and forth, and the electronic watch made a beeping sound. He kept exclaiming: "This is amazing! It can do addition, subtraction, multiplication and division!"
Father Cheng coughed and said, "Don't just be happy. Thank you, Brother Yunye."
"Thank you, brother!" Cheng Lei thanked him loudly, shaking his wrist, wishing that everyone could see this novel electronic watch.
There were subtle footsteps coming from the inner room. Geng Yunye looked up and saw Cheng Xin peeking from behind the door. She was wearing a light blue floral shirt. The moment their eyes met, she turned around and left in a panic like a frightened deer, leaving behind a flustered and cute back.
Geng Yunye smiled as he held out a red woolen coat. The fabric had a warm sheen and was thick and soft. He fell in love with the red woolen coat at first sight at the Autumn Fair and bought it without hesitation.
"Red suits her very well. If she doesn't like it, I will try to change it..."
There were footsteps coming from the inner room again. Without looking, I knew that Cheng Xin couldn't help but peek in again.
After Geng Yunye placed all the gifts on the table, the two elders took out the gift money wrapped in red paper. The edges of the paper had been carefully pressed to make it flat.
"Xiao Ye has shown promise since he was young." Geng Rengui said sincerely, his eyes full of pride.
Another elder also said: "His parents passed away early, but in the family tree of Gengjiawan, every household is his supporter. From now on, the affairs of the Cheng family will be the affairs of our Gengjiawan Brigade."
Xu Fengxia took the gift money with trembling hands and turned to look at her husband.
Cheng Cunzhi was silent for a long time before speaking: "As long as you two treat each other sincerely and share the joys and sorrows in the future, your aunt and I will accept this marriage!"
Geng Yunye's eyes were hot, but he remained calm as usual. He straightened his back and said firmly, "Thank you, uncle and aunt. I will never let you down. From now on, the affairs of the Cheng family will be my affairs. As long as I am still here, I will not let Cheng Xin suffer with me." Every word he said was a promise and a commitment.
Cheng Xin felt like she was soaked in honey, and her heart was filled with sweetness. She quietly returned to the kitchen and began to prepare food for this important banquet.
The firewood jumped happily in the stove, and the iron pot sizzled as Cheng Xin poured the stir-fried pork belly into the pot. The soy sauce and rock sugar quickly blended under the high temperature, and the rich aroma of soy sauce instantly spread. She gently flipped the meat with a wooden spatula, watching the meat gradually coated with bright red sugar, and added a spoonful of homemade rice wine to the pot, and white mist-like steam suddenly rose up.
She stared at the bubbles in the pot, and the aroma drifted into the main room through the crack of the door. When the braised pork was done, Cheng Xin tucked her hair behind her ears, revealing her smooth forehead. She stood on tiptoe to take down the star anise hanging from the beam. Her neck was as slender as a bamboo. The steaming heat blurred her eyebrows, her eyelashes cast fine shadows on her flushed cheeks, and the sweat beads on the tip of her nose shone in the sun.
Soon, Cheng Xin served the dishes to the table. The braised pork in the porcelain bowl was neatly stacked, each piece was shiny and firm, and the skin was wrapped in thick sauce, giving off an attractive luster. Then came the braised eggplant, stir-fried cowpea, and stir-fried pork slices with bamboo shoots. Lastly, the winter melon and pork ribs soup was served. The milky white soup was topped with tender green chopped green onions and wolfberries, which made one's mouth water just by looking at it.
Geng Rengui picked up a piece of braised pork, which trembled on the chopsticks. He took a bite and found the skin was soft and the meat was tender. The rich taste of the sauce spread in his mouth. He couldn't help but brighten his eyes: "This braised pork is absolutely delicious! It has just the right amount of sweet and salty, and it's fat but not greasy. I have never eaten such authentic braised pork in my life!"
Geng Guohua scooped a spoonful of winter melon and pork ribs soup. The soup tasted sweet and refreshing, and the winter melon was stewed to be crystal clear. He nodded repeatedly: "The cooking skills of the Cheng family girl are beyond reproach. She is good at both housework and cooking! Xiaoye, if you marry such a virtuous wife, you will be blessed in the future!"
Xu Fengxia smiled from ear to ear, her eyes full of pride: "She has loved cooking since she was a child, and has spent a lot of time at the stove over the years."
Cheng Xin's cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head and said softly, "These are just home-cooked dishes. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you uncles."
Geng Yunye looked at Cheng Xin's busy figure, his eyes full of tenderness and pride, and handed her a handkerchief: "Wipe the sweat quickly."
Geng Rengui took another bite of the braised eggplant with chopsticks. The soft eggplant was soaked up with sauce. He ate and praised: "This girl is very creative in cooking. She can even cook ordinary eggplants to perfection! Gengjiawan is lucky to have such a virtuous daughter-in-law!"
Geng Guohua also laughed and said, "That's right! From now on, the fire from the Xiaoye family's stove will probably fill the entire Gengjia Bay with fragrance!"
Cheng Cunzhi's face was filled with a proud smile.
After dinner, Geng Yunye cleaned up the mess on the table neatly and followed Cheng Xin into the kitchen.
The fire in the stove was gradually dying down, and Cheng Xin piled the porcelain bowls into the wooden basin.
"I'll wash it." Geng Yunye reached out to take the wooden basin and squatted beside the water tank to scoop water. He glanced at Cheng Xin wiping the iron pot with loofah.
"That red woolen coat," he suddenly said, "if you don't like it, I'll ask someone to go to the city to exchange it..."
"I like it!" Cheng Xin looked up suddenly, realizing that she answered too quickly. She hurriedly lowered her head to stir the water in the pot, "Really... I like the color."
Geng Yunye raised his lips slightly and took out a neatly folded handkerchief from his trouser pocket. The blue and white checkered fabric still had a faint scent of jasmine. He reached out and gently wiped the sweat off Cheng Xin's temples, and his fingertips touched her hot earlobe: "Next time we go to the market, I'll take you to buy a few feet of red cloth and make you a dress."
Cheng Xin froze and dared not move. It was not until Geng Yunye's hand left her that she realized her breathing had become rapid. She hurriedly grabbed the rag and tried to wipe her hands, but he held her wrist instead. The rough palm was wrapped in a warm touch, and her heartbeat accelerated sharply.
Suddenly, the laughter of the elders was heard in the yard. The men moved their position from the main room to the yard and opened the rice wine brought by Geng Yunye.
"Old Cheng! The rice wine tastes good only when it is paired with the pickled radish your girl pickled!"
"Fengxia, take out the fried peanuts our daughter made."
Cheng Xin pulled her hand back as if waking up from a dream, her ears red as if bleeding: "Go out and accompany your uncles and aunts, don't let people gossip about you."
"What gossip are you talking about?" Geng Yunye deliberately leaned in close, his warm breath brushing across her flushed cheeks, "Are you saying that I helped my future wife wash the dishes, or are you saying..."
"Geng Yunye!" Cheng Xin grabbed a handful of water from the basin and threw it over, but Geng Yunye dodged it with a smile. The water drops fell on the embers on the stove, and a wisp of white smoke rose. She turned her back and continued to wash the dishes, but the corners of her mouth could not help but rise.
Geng Rengui picked up a pair of fried peanuts with chopsticks and put his arm around Cheng Cunzhi's shoulders. "Brother Cheng, let's not beat around the bush. In the city, marrying a wife requires three things: a bicycle, a sewing machine, a watch, and a radio. Xiaoye said he didn't want to let his family down, so Cheng Xin should have everything that others have."
Cheng Cunzhi paused holding the wine glass, and cast his eyes on the brand new bicycle in the corner of the yard: "This is too expensive, our family will just go with the normal price."
Xu Fengxia washed her hands, turned back to the house and brought out a red cloth bag: "My daughter is not that precious, so the dowry is according to the old rules, two sets of bedding, two enamel basins, two thermos bottles, and forty-eight legs beaten by her father."
Cheng Xin paused when she heard the conversation in the courtyard. She remembered what Geng Yunye said casually when she was mending his shirt: "Buy a sewing machine in the future, and you won't have to sew by hand anymore." Her nose suddenly felt sore.
Geng Rengui smiled and said to Cheng Cunzhi: "Forty-eight legs are precious objects. Your skills are more than enough to buy a sewing machine."
Cheng Cunzhi smiled modestly: "I didn't master the craftsmanship passed down by her grandfather, I only learned the basics."
Xu Fengxia stuffed two sets of pillowcases embroidered with lotus flowers into a red cloth bag. Although the stitches were not fine, they were the token of love from her daughter who worked late into the night.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Geng Yunye patted the corners of his clothes, took out the neatly folded tickets from his inner pocket, and strode towards the elders in the courtyard: "This is the sewing ticket. The bicycle ticket requires 50 industrial coupons. I have collected them all, and there are also industrial coupons for radios."
Geng Guohua picked up the rice wine bowl, his face flushed, "That's settled! On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, it will be carried into the house with three turns and a bang, and the 48 legs will be placed in the hall!"
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