After they finished visiting the homes of the more familiar villagers, the sun became brighter and brighter, a warm winter sun that Gu Qingqing really enjoyed.
She was walking slowly on the road and asked the man next to her, "Brother, what time is it?"
"Twelve fifty-nine," Chu Dai asked her, "Are you hungry?"
"A little bit." Gu Qingqing took his arm, "Are you hungry?"
Chu Dai nodded, "A little bit."
"Then let's go quickly!" Gu Qingqing pulled him and ran back. Gu Qinglie took a look and started running too. Gu Bao felt that his health was not as good as theirs, so he was not in a hurry to go back for dinner and followed his nephew slowly.
"Canyang, can you stay at home until the Lantern Festival?"
Gu Canyang shook his head, "I will go back to the military area with Qingqing."
Gu Bao was a little disappointed. "You finally get to go home for a few days. Forget it."
"You can come to visit relatives," Gu Canyang said with a steady pace and glanced at him: "Look after the food and get my allowance."
"That's great! Your uncle will come to see you in two months. You can go whenever you miss you. Then, go to the beach and bring back some seafood." Gu Bao had heard from Goudan these days that there was an abundance of seafood in the southern military region. Many fish and shrimps were stranded on the beach every day. You could just pick up a bucket and get a big one.
Gu Canyang said "hmm" lightly and didn't say anything else.
Gu Bao was talking and dancing with joy, and he didn't feel embarrassed. The more he thought about it, the happier he became. He would bring some shrimps back for Ali when the time comes, as she must have never eaten them before.
It was past one o'clock when I returned to Gu's yard. Gu's family members came back from various places one after another, and the first thing they did when they got home was to reach for the water bottle.
Gu Jingang picked up the porcelain pot and saw that everyone had gathered around him. He couldn't help but smile: "Why do I feel that getting married is more tiring than going to the mountains to collect stones to build a river bank?"
"That's right." Gu Bao sat down on a small bench next to him, stretched out his long legs, and leaned against the millstone behind him. "One hundred and eighty households. We visited one hundred and eighty households in Dagouzi Village. Our faces were frozen with laughter."
"It's the same for us, little uncle," Gu Xiong stepped over his legs and went to the kitchen to grab a cornmeal steamed bun. "Yuan Chao Jianguo and I have covered most of Datunzi Village. The rest are covered by my uncle and my father. All 275 households in Datunzi Village will come. When my third uncle comes back, I have to tell him to add more tables."
The people from Dagouzi Village and Datunzi Village have to share 57 tables with each other for one person. Most of them will bring their children, but they will also squeeze into the same table with the adults.
The younger ones in their own family can eat last, but the elders in the Gu family, such as Gu Tiezhu, Gu Tiezhu, Gu Jin and Gu Yin, must sit at the head of the table to accompany the guests in drinking. The other elders in the Gu family also have tasks, with two sitting at each table, one to persuade guests to drink and the other to accompany the guests in drinking.
After leaving his brothers' homes, Gu Tiezhu went to Master Xu's home. He was the most prestigious person in the village. Having been the team leader for so many years, he was also very eloquent. It would be most appropriate to invite him to speak the wedding words at the wedding tomorrow.
The task of distributing wedding fireworks was handed over to Gu Bao. He was a smooth talker, very good at sweet-talking and coaxing people even in his old age. He was also good at livening up the atmosphere. Besides, he knew almost everyone in the village, so it was right to hand the task over to him.
As Gu Qingqing's uncle, he is also qualified.
Except for those who went out with Gu Cai to buy, most of the Gu family members had returned. Zhang Cuifen began to assign tasks: "Xiongwa and Yuanchao, you two will grind the beans later, and Tiezhu, you will wait by the stove to make soy milk and tofu."
Gu Qingqing didn't know why, but every time she heard her grandma calling grandpa's name, she wanted to laugh. She leaned towards Chu Dai with a frown and whispered, "You must think of a name for our child in advance, otherwise, when it falls into my grandpa's hands, it will be too late to cry."
Gu Qinglie and Gu Canyang were standing next to her and agreed with what she said.
Especially Gu Qinglie, "Old Chu, listen to my sister." As he said this, he showed an indescribable expression and patted his shoulder heavily.
Chu Dai smiled softly, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Chu Zhao carried a pair of baskets into the yard, yelling, "Hurry up, Old Chu, I feel like this shoulder pole is going to break. Why did you come back just now? Hurry up, there are still a few baskets of dishes to be washed, and a few more people to help Xiao Xu move the table. Uncle Chu, the guard, is too honest. He has already run to several houses and carried the dishes for more than ten times. Uncle Chu also helped to move them. Hurry up."
Gu Qinglie couldn't stand still after hearing that. He put down the tea bowl in his hand and said, "Let's go, Lao Chu. Brother, don't just stand there. You're used to flying in the sky. Let's run a few times on the ground today to loosen up your muscles."
"Okay." Chu Dai picked up Gu Bao from the side and said, "Uncle? Let's go."
Gu Bao didn't want to get up at first, but when he saw his father's soles rubbing on the ground, he ran away in a flash: "Hey, Canyang, wait for uncle, you guys carry the table and I'll move the chairs. I'm really not lazy, I have to move three or four of those long spring stools at a time."
Gu Qingqing wanted to follow him, but Gu Qinglie held her back and put the enamel cup beside her in her hand: "Be good, we're getting married tomorrow. Be gentle at home today and help me hang the clothes in the washing machine. Be good, sister, I'll buy you some candy when I get back."
"Get out of here!" Gu Qingqing said unhappily.
Shi Rushuang came out of the kitchen and smiled to her sister-in-law after hearing this, "Luckily you're married."
Han Lianxin grinned: "Buy some more firecrackers, let's celebrate too!"
Zhang Yuqing poked half of her head out of the kitchen and said, "I think so!"
Gu Qingqing was so angry that she said, "Grandpa and grandma! Look at my mother and the others!"
Zhang Xiufen glared at her three daughters-in-law and said, "Why are you saying these things in front of the children? Just be happy about it secretly."
Seeing Gu Qingqing pouting, Gu Tiezhu laughed, "My dear, they don't love you, but Grandpa loves you. Go get Grandpa a pack of cigarettes, and Grandpa will speak for you."
Gu Qingqing curled her lips, took a sip of water from the enamel cup, and followed behind her brother Axiong, using a wooden ladle to add soaked soybeans to the stone mill.
The Gu family looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.
This darling of theirs is a straightforward person, with temper that comes and goes quickly. He is capable and can act cute, but he loves to sleep. Apart from being a little dark, he has no other shortcomings.
But it doesn’t matter. She’s married now, and what happens in the future is Chu Dai’s business.
The Gu family continued to be busy. The gate to the yard was completely opened. The men were carrying tables, chairs and benches in and out. Han's sister-in-law, Zhang's mother, and Shi Rushuang were all washing the baskets of dishes and chopsticks that they had brought back.
At noon, they had some leftovers from the night before and some steamed buns to fill their stomachs. Gu Cai had cooked some porridge in the pot before going to the supply and marketing cooperative, so they could eat it anytime.
When he came back with his sons carrying bags, it was already past four in the afternoon. The table and benches had been set up in the Gu family's yard, and he hurried back to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
The evening meal was also simple, but the portion was large. Gu Qinglie washed his head and shook his neck: "I am so tired today, even more tired than when I was in the army. I have to eat two more bowls of rice."
"Me too." Gu Yuanchao ran around Datunzi Village in the morning and worked on the millstone in the afternoon. He was sore all over now. "I must have a big meal tomorrow."
"Okay," Gu Cai looked at his eldest son with a smile, "but before you have your big meal, there is still a task for you to complete."
Gu Yuanchao's shoulders slumped, and he said in a deep voice, "Go ahead, Dad."
"After dinner, the ten of you brothers will go to the river, catch fish, and pick snails. And tomorrow you have to get up early to pick vegetables in the backyard. We don't have that many vegetables at home, so you can go to the eldest and youngest grandfathers' homes and pick what you can. I've already said hello to everyone."
Gu Yuanchao was dumbfounded: "Dad, you are relying on us to catch fish for more than 60 tables of people, is that possible?"
"I don't know if you can do it, but I've called all the grandchildren of your great grandfather and your youngest grandfather here, and I think they've probably already found them in the river."
The river at the entrance of the village is very big, flowing around Datunzi Village and Dagouzi Village. No one has ever found its source, but it has never stopped flowing over the years.
Gu Xiong was eating quietly. Hearing this, he looked up and said, "Okay, I won't come back tonight until I catch enough fish for tomorrow."
Gu Yuanchao: “…” He really didn’t know why his elder brother was so reckless day by day. After working at the mill in the afternoon, he helped to carry the table. When he came back, he took a knife and bamboo sticks to chop firewood on the mountain at the end of the village.
"Listen, this is the attitude that our Gu family boy should have. She is just a girl. Who will take care of her if you don't serve her as a brother?" Gu Tiezhu nibbled on the pickles and said, "Hurry up and eat. The sun is shining today, and there will definitely be moonlight at night. You are not allowed to go, so you can wrap wedding candies at home."
Gu Qingqing's originally eager heart suddenly cooled down. She lowered her head and poked the rice in the bowl with her chopsticks, then said "oh" in a listless manner.
After dinner, Shi Rushuang and the others cleared the table and washed the dishes.
The tables, chairs and benches in the yard and the main room have been set up. Sixty tables were borrowed, and there are eight square tables at home, all made by Gu Yin himself.
Gu Cai has already prepared a large chopping board in the kitchen, so it will be convenient to cut vegetables tomorrow.
The second son, Gu Yinren, is a hard-working man who doesn't talk much, so it's most appropriate for him to cut the side dishes. The fourth son, Gu Bao, is an active person, so he has been assigned the job of distributing wedding fireworks, so it's just right for him to stand at the door and greet guests tomorrow.
The Gu family will definitely not be able to sleep tonight.
After boiling several pots of soy milk, Gu Tiezhu stood in the steaming room and ordered the soy milk. At first he was still in the mood to pick the bean skin, but later he was numbed by the heat.
Gu Qingqing was walking around in the yard and was startled when she saw the red wedding character on the wooden window.
I had never had such a strong feeling before in the Corps and the Military Region. This time I realized that I was really going to get married.
When she was a child, she especially liked to watch the bride. At that time, the bride wore a red veil and the groom carried her all the way home. Along the way, he would give candies to the little kids. The colorful fruit candies were sweet and delicious.
The firecrackers would crackle, and the little girl would hide behind her mother, looking forward to eating meat later. What she was looking forward to even more was seeing the bride's appearance under the red veil.
But usually you can only see it the next day.
She slowly stroked her fingers across the wooden table and walked slowly in the yard, her thoughts drifting away.
All the boys in the Gu family went fishing and catching snails, and Chu Dai followed them, but she had nothing to do.
After thinking for a while, she went to the main room.
Zhang Yuqing and her friends were wrapping wedding candies. Stacks of thin kraft paper were cut into squares and turned into exquisite wedding candy boxes in the hands of these dexterous women.
Han Lianxin was cutting small red wedding characters. The eldest sister-in-law of the Han family took the wedding candy box and counted out two White Rabbit milk candies, two crispy candies, two chocolate candies with liquor fillings, two orange-flavored fruit candies, and two winter melon candies.
Shi Rushuang took the bulging candy box and pasted a red wedding character on it.
When Gu Qingqing entered the room, she closed the door. Seeing the aunts were busy, she went over to help.
A room full of women sat around the fireplace. Han Lianxin teased her, "Why are our little girl so quiet today? Are you a little nervous?"
Han's eldest sister-in-law said kindly, "This is what happens when a young lady gets married. I felt a little uneasy at first, but don't think too much, niece. Look, so many people are busy working hard for your happiness."
Everyone with the surname Gu in Datunzi Village has really started to move because of her. The five brothers Gu Tiezhu, Gu Tieshi and others will come over tomorrow to drink with them, which really gives enough face to this cousin.
Shi Rushuang pulled her daughter to sit beside her and said softly, "Sit and warm yourself by the fire. Dad and Mom are here, and your brothers are with you too. Don't be afraid, Qingqing."
The warmth from her palm brought her back to her senses. Gu Qingqing sat down, leaned against Shi Rushuang, and rubbed her shoulder: "Mother, I'm not afraid, I just don't want to leave."
"I'm used to wearing the clothes made by my mother and eating the chive egg pancakes sold by my second aunt. Every year, what I look forward to most is my third aunt bringing me good things during the New Year and other festivals." She felt like crying as she spoke, "You're not around anymore. There's no one to spoil me."
"Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about?" Her words made Shi Rushuang, Han Lianxin and Zhang Yuqing cry. Zhang Yuqing turned her back and wiped her tears.
There was only one girl in the family, and they all raised her as a daughter. They wanted to save all the good things for her. In the past, when Gu Tiezhu and his men went to work in the fields, they would always use tree leaves to pick wild fruits for her when they came back.
Now it is still like this when Gu Xiong and Gu Yuanchao go to the mountains with them. Although the boys did not say anything during this period, Zhang Yuqing could see their reluctance to leave.
We grew up together and she is my most beloved sister. It must be hard for her to get married suddenly.
The longest time Gu Qingqing had been away from them was the last time she went to the military corps. Apart from this incident, she had only been away for two or three days at most before, to visit her grandmother's house during the New Year and other holidays.
Zhou Man looked at her grandson from her younger daughter-in-law's room and saw the women in the main room with tears in their eyes. She turned around and asked her older daughter-in-law, "What happened?"
He Qiushui was also puzzled, but then she thought of the time when she had just gotten married, and said with relief, "I guess he can't bear to leave Qingqing."
After she said this, Zhou Man also felt upset. She stood at the door and watched for a while, and then walked over when their emotions calmed down a little.
"Qingqing, go to bed early tonight. You'll have a busy day tomorrow. Leave these things to your grandmother, mother, and aunts."
Gu Qingqing nodded obediently, looking up at Zhou Man, her eyes that were originally filled with tears slowly smiled: "Qingqing, listen to grandma."
Zhou Man rubbed her granddaughter's head, feeling very sad.
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