Chapter 56 Preparing for the Wedding
The twelfth lunar month sea breeze carried a salty smell as it swept across Gengjia Bay. Among the many low mud houses, only the five newly built large bungalows with green bricks and red tiles of Geng Yunye's family were particularly conspicuous in the morning mist.
On the stone walls, seashells are embedded in the cracks of mud and sand. This is a unique custom in coastal villages, with the implication of "wealth coming from all over the world."
On the morning of the 16th day of the twelfth lunar month, the sun had just risen halfway up the sky, and Geng Yunye was pushing his shiny bicycle out of the yard. His family lived alone at the back of the brigade, and it took a long time to walk along the gravel path before he saw anyone. It was so quiet that he could only hear the whistling of the cold wind and the whistles of ships in the distant harbor.
Aunt Zhao, who was carrying a hoe, happened to run into him. Seeing him pushing the cart and preparing to go out, she put down the hoe and smiled and greeted him: "Have you not finished buying the things for the wedding?"
"Well, let's go to the city to buy some cloth." Geng Yunye responded and closed the camphorwood door. The new door was thick and solid, with a pleasant wood smell.
"Wow, this gate is really impressive!" Aunt Zhao came closer and glanced into the yard. "I heard you built a toilet inside the house?"
"In the east wing." Geng Yunye stretched out his hand and swept across the bicycle seat. A few yellow leaves fell to the ground. "It has a flush toilet and you can take a shower."
Aunt Zhao clicked her tongue and shook her head: "Our toilets are all built outside the house, but you are the one moving dirty things into the house."
"Just flush it and it will be clean." Geng Yunye smiled. "No need to get up in the dark at night, and repairing it outside will take up space."
Aunt Zhao suddenly lowered her voice and approached mysteriously: "By the way, Yunye, I have something new to tell you. The young educated youth couple who used to live in Old Zhou's house went back to the city a few days ago, and they came back these two days in a shabby state again!"
"What's going on?" Geng Yunye stopped pushing the cart.
Aunt Zhao put the hoe on her shoulder and said, "What else could it be? The girl's parents think the boy's family is poor, and the boy's parents look down on the girl because she has no job. They are both from the city of Shanghai. The two families quarreled so much that there was no place for them to live. It's a problem to get food without a hukou in the city. The police station came to our door!"
She curled her lips and said, "The young couple could only return home with their child in disgrace. The brigade cleared a small room in the warehouse for them out of old friendship. They were high school students before they went to the countryside. They had a very respectable education, but now they don't even have a decent place to live."
Geng Yunye was silent for a moment, looking at the white sky in the distance: "At least I have food to eat in the brigade, and I won't starve to death if I have hands and feet." After that, he pushed his bicycle and said, "Auntie, you are busy, I have to go over there."
"Go quickly, go quickly!" Aunt Zhao waved her hand, "You two must be well!"
Aunt Zhao walked around the house and muttered, "Yes, it's the first cement brick house in the brigade. The toilet outside is really ruined."
Geng Yunye stopped in front of the gate of Cheng’s courtyard.
There was a maroon Forever brand bicycle parked in the yard. The bicycle was one of the betrothal gifts. Geng Yunye insisted on giving a radio and a gong, but Cheng Xin did not want a radio. The bicycle and sewing machine were considered real generous gifts in the commune.
Cheng Xin came out of the house, with a red hairband tied in her braids, her shoulder-length hair had grown to her chest, and she was holding a piece of paper in her hand. When she saw Geng Yunye's turtleneck sweater with pilling at the collar, her heart suddenly tightened and her nose was sour.
These days he took her to the supply and marketing cooperative and department stores, picked out the most expensive materials, and made her several new clothes, but he himself was wearing an old sweater with pilling.
"Everything you want to buy is listed." Cheng Xin stuffed the note into his hand, her eyes swept over his pilling collar, and she frowned in pretended anger: "Your inner collar is full of pills. We will take photos when we get the marriage certificate tomorrow, so remember to change into new clothes." In her heart, she was blaming herself for not making new clothes earlier. Looking at the corners of his chapped lips, she wished she could stay up all night sewing at the sewing machine.
"I was so busy that I forgot." Geng Yunye smiled and touched the back of his neck. He got up and picked up a piece of clothing without noticing that his sweater was pilling.
Cheng Xin turned around and took out a bundle from the house. Inside was a fold of new navy blue fabric. It was the coat he was going to wear on his wedding day.
"Your clothes will be ready in two days. A man should dress decently when he goes out." She didn't dare look into his eyes, for fear that he would see the pain in her eyes. She just lowered her head and repeatedly smoothed out the wrinkles on the fabric.
Geng Yunye looked at her serious expression, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart: "Thank you, you have worked hard."
Cheng Xin looked away as if nothing had happened, pretending to be calm: "The sewing machine makes clothes very quickly, you should thank the sewing machine."
Because there were many things to buy, the two of them rode their bicycles into the city. Geng Yunye had no one at home, so he had to do the shopping himself, and the rest was arranged by the elders of the same clan.
The market is no longer as deserted as before. People buying New Year's goods have crowded the streets. The sounds of shouting and bargaining mixed with the aroma of fried Yuanxiao fill the air.
Geng Yunye first took Cheng Xin to deposit their bicycles at a friend's house.
"Let's go to the department store." He protected Cheng Xin and got into the crowd.
Cheng Xin hesitated as she looked at the vanishing cream in the glass display case.
The saleswoman enthusiastically promoted the product: "This is Pechoin Vanishing Cream produced in Shanghai. It is fragrant and moisturizing when applied on the face. It is most suitable for brides!"
Geng Yunye took out his wallet without saying a word: "Take two boxes of vanishing cream and a lipstick."
Cheng Xin was so anxious that she pulled his sleeve and said, "It's too expensive! No lipstick, just one box of vanishing cream is enough."
"Only once in a lifetime." He said it simply, and then took a handkerchief with a peony print on it and put it into Cheng Xin's hand.
Turning to the ready-to-wear area, Geng Yunye picked out an orange corduroy cotton jacket and compared it to Cheng Xin: "Try this one, it's warm and light."
Cheng Xin blushed and dodged: "I have fabric to make new clothes. I want to wear the red woolen coat you gave me on my wedding day."
"It's one thing to do, one thing to buy, but it's inconvenient to wear a coat while working. This coat is just right." He stuffed the clothes into her arms without saying anything, without even glancing at the men's clothing area.
When passing by a shoe store, Cheng Xin was attracted by a pair of black cloth shoes.
The stall owner hurriedly promoted: "Machine-made soles are stronger than handmade ones!"
"No need." Geng Yunye held down her hand that was about to take out money. "Didn't you make two pairs of shoes for me a long time ago? I guess they were hidden at the bottom of your dowry box." He spoke with a firm tone, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.
Cheng Xin's cheeks flushed, and she gently hit his arm: "You are the only one with a good memory."
After leaving the mall, the two went into the grocery store.
Geng Yunye said to the salesperson, "Comrade, weigh five pounds of fruit candy and three pounds of milk candy." He looked around and said, "And buy some kelp and dried shrimps for the soup at the banquet."
An acquaintance nearby smiled and said, "Yun Ye is such a good son-in-law. He bought so many things for the wedding."
Cheng Xin looked at him counting the money seriously, then turned around and put two packs of his favorite salty biscuits into the basket.
The cadre from Haiwan Commune saw Geng Yunye as soon as he entered the house. Old Li patted him on the shoulder and greeted him familiarly, "Will you get the certificate tomorrow?"
"Well, go on time at nine o'clock." Geng Yunye invited the other party: "The wedding date is set on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. Come and have a drink at the wedding."
Old Li smiled and congratulated: "Okay, I will definitely come to your wedding."
After the two of them bought the wedding supplies, the bamboo basket on the back seat of the bicycle was stuffed full. In addition to cloth and candy, there was also a new washbasin, tea, rice, oil, salt, and two strings of wedding candles wrapped in red paper.
Cheng Xin rode her bike alongside him and whispered, "I'll buy you a woolen coat when life gets better."
Geng Yunye's laughter mixed with the sea breeze drifted away: "With you here, even a shirt in winter is warm."
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