He knelt respectfully before Su Jianguo and Wang Xiulan, offering them fragrant tea with both hands.
"Dad, Mom, please have some tea. I will definitely treat Yuzhen well and make her happy."
Su Jianguo took the tea, tears welling in his eyes.
"Mengsheng, I entrust my daughter to you. I hope you will treat each other with respect and grow old together."
Wang Xiulan also drank the tea and gave some instructions.
"Yuzhen is stubborn; please be more tolerant of her."
"Dad, Mom, don't worry."
Xia Mengsheng made a solemn promise.
"I will protect Yuzhen with my whole life."
The auspicious time has arrived; it's time for the bride to get into the sedan chair.
As arranged by the Xia family, the wedding procession consisted of ten military jeeps, with the lead vehicle decorated with large red flowers and ribbons, preserving the festive atmosphere of traditional weddings while also reflecting the characteristics of the military region.
Su Yuzhen walked out of the room with the help of her bridesmaids, and Xia Mengsheng squatted down in front of her.
"Come on, let me carry you to the car."
This is a village custom: when a bride leaves home, her feet don't touch the ground, symbolizing that she won't take her family's wealth with her.
With a flushed face, Su Yuzhen leaned against Xia Mengsheng's broad back, feeling his steady steps and strong heartbeat.
The courtyard was surrounded by villagers who came to watch the excitement. When the newlyweds appeared, firecrackers went off and cheers rose and fell.
Su Jianguo and Wang Xiulan followed behind, their faces showing relieved smiles.
The motorcade slowly drove toward the main wedding venue.
The intelligent greenhouse at the Sujiatun vegetable base.
The place has been completely renovated: the entrance is an archway made of fresh flowers, red lanterns and ribbons hang inside the greenhouse, and sixty round tables are neatly arranged with bright red tablecloths, each table adorned with exquisite wedding candies and flowers.
The most eye-catching feature is the temporary stage set up in the center of the greenhouse, with a huge landscape painting as the backdrop and couplets hanging on both sides.
"The military and civilians work together to build a happy home, and the deep bond between them will last a hundred years."
This was personally drafted by Commander Xia, signifying the special meaning of the military-civilian marriage.
The guests were already seated. In addition to the villagers of Sujiatun, there were also military guests brought by Commander Xia. They were dressed in neat military uniforms, which contrasted sharply with the festive attire of the rural guests, yet they blended in harmoniously.
When the newlyweds entered, the entire audience stood up and applauded.
Su Yuzhen took Xia Mengsheng's arm and slowly walked down the red carpet.
She saw her parents and siblings sitting in the front row, the loving gazes of the elders in the village who had watched her grow up, and the friendly smiles of the guests from the military region.
The wedding was jointly officiated by the village's former Party Secretary and a political commissar from the military region, blending rural customs with military etiquette. When Commander Xia took the stage to deliver his speech, the entire audience fell silent.
"Today is the wedding day of my son Xia Mengsheng and Comrade Su Yuzhen."
Commander Xia's loud voice echoed in the greenhouse.
"As their father, I am genuinely happy for them. Yuzhen is a hardworking, simple, and kind-hearted girl—exactly the kind of capable wife our military family needs."
He turned to Su Jianguo and Wang Xiulan.
"Father-in-laws, thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter. From now on, we are family."
Su Jianguo nodded excitedly, while Wang Xiulan wiped away her tears.
The highlight of the wedding is the exchange of tokens and vows between the newlyweds.
Xia Mengsheng knelt on one knee and put a ring on Su Yuzhen's finger.
"Yuzhen, I, Xia Mengsheng, swear before everyone today that I will love only you for the rest of my life. In good times and bad, in sickness and in health, I will stay by your side and never abandon you."
Su Yuzhen was moved to tears and put a ring on Xia Mengsheng's finger.
"Meng Sheng, I, Su Yuzhen, am willing to become your wife, to share your joys and sorrows, to support you through thick and thin, and to grow old together."
When the host announced.
"The groom may now kiss the bride."
The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.
Xia Mengsheng gently lifted Su Yuzhen's veil and placed a deep kiss on her lips.
The wedding banquet officially began, with dishes served simultaneously at sixty tables.
The military region's chefs collaborated with the village's skilled women to prepare dishes that combined rustic flavors with the standards required for banquets.
The guests toasted each other and offered their blessings.
The newlyweds went from table to table toasting and receiving blessings.
When Su Yuzhen arrived at the table with her relatives, she saw the reluctance and relief in her parents' eyes and could no longer hold back her tears.
"Dad, Mom, I'll come back to visit you often..."
"Silly girl, why are you crying on such a joyous day?"
Su Jianguo said, his eyes red.
"The Xia family's house isn't far from ours; we can come back anytime we miss home."
Wang Xiulan held her daughter's hand and gave her some instructions.
"Once you're married into your husband's family, you should be diligent, sensible, and respectful to your parents-in-law..."
Xia Mengsheng quickly made a promise.
"Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I'll take good care of Yuzhen. We'll come back often on weekends."
The banquet lasted until 3 p.m. before the guests began to leave.
The newlyweds stood at the door seeing off guests, receiving wave after wave of blessings.
The last to leave were Commander Xia and his wife, and Su Jianguo and his wife. The elders of both families stood together, their faces beaming with satisfaction.
"Father-in-law, we'll take the children back now."
Commander Xia said, holding Su Jianguo's hand.
See you at the homecoming banquet tomorrow.
According to custom, the bride is supposed to return to her parents' home on the third day after the wedding. However, considering that the two families are not far apart, Commander Xia specially arranged for the return banquet to be held on the second day so that the newlyweds could visit her parents' home earlier.
As the sun set, the wedding car slowly drove away from Sujiatun.
Looking out the car window at her family and fellow villagers standing at the village entrance seeing her off, Su Yuzhen was filled with mixed emotions.
Xia Mengsheng held her hand tightly and said softly.
"Don't be sad, we'll be back tomorrow."
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