Chapter 33
Gu Xi had just seen Jiang Huijun off, her face flushed, when she heard another knock on the door.
Thinking that Jiang Huijun had something else to say, Gu Yuanzheng got up to open the door, even though he was impatient. But to his surprise, it was not Jiang Huijun standing outside the door, but Gu Yuanzheng.
Gu Yuanzheng held a watch box in his hand and handed it over.
"Gu Xi, this is for you." His voice was low. "Consider it a wedding gift. Please accept it."
Gu Xi looked at him expressionlessly and said calmly, "No need, this thing is too expensive, you can keep it yourself." Then she added, "Besides, I already have a watch, I don't need so many."
As she spoke, she raised her wrist to show him the watch on her wrist.
Gu Yuanzheng was stunned for a moment, then realized that the watch must have been bought for her by the Shen family, and he suddenly felt a little uneasy.
Not only are watches expensive, but watch vouchers are also hard to come by.
So after Gu Xi returned to the Gu family, the Gu family didn't think about buying her a watch, while Gu Yuanxiang already had a watch when she turned fourteen.
Lately, Gu Yuanzheng has been thinking about the watch he gave to Gu Yuanxiang when he returned from a business trip to Shanghai. He bought it with several months' worth of savings and even got someone to exchange it for a watch voucher. It was a foreign brand, and it looked high-end and stylish, so it was inevitably quite expensive.
Because it was too expensive, I could only afford one at the time.
He naturally assumed that the watch was a 20th birthday gift for Gu Yuanxiang, since turning 20 meant something special and she deserved a special present.
But why did he only think that Gu Yuanxiang was already twenty years old, but not that Gu Xi was also twenty years old?
Even though Gu Xi and Gu Yuanxiang share the same birthday, he only thought about buying it for Gu Yuanxiang.
The problem in this world has always been not scarcity but inequality. Either both people have it, or neither of them has it. It's not fair to give preparations to only one person while the other completely ignores them.
He knew he had made a mistake, a terrible mistake, a mistake that he would regret for the rest of his life.
Perhaps Gu Xi's outburst and hitting someone was the trigger, but wasn't it also the reason why she had accumulated so much resentment and oppression in the Gu family? They never treated her well, never treated her as family, and only gave her endless oppression, neglect, and disdain.
Gu Yuanzheng reflected on many things, but didn't know how to make amends, because no matter what he did, it seemed extremely cheap and impossible to make up for.
But Gu Xi was about to get married and would leave this family, and even the city, and perhaps they would not see each other again for a long time... Thinking of this, he still wanted to do his part and bought her a watch.
But Gu Xi refused outright; she didn't care.
“You can wear them interchangeably,” Gu Yuanzheng said. “Take this; it’s a wedding gift for you.”
Gu Xi turned her head away and said coldly, "No need, I don't want to owe you anything."
Without waiting to hear his thoughts, she closed the door.
Gu Yuanzheng stood there blankly, holding the watch box. All his courage was dispelled by the words "I don't want to owe you anything," and a sense of dejection rose in his heart.
So she's grown to hate them this much, afraid of owing them even the slightest thing?
Even the compensation made her afraid of owing them anything, and afraid of getting entangled with them again in the future.
Gu Yuanzheng had never realized so clearly that Gu Xi truly did not want to have anything to do with the Gu family anymore, and that her marriage would be the time to sever ties with the Gu family.
She will never come back.
She owes the Gu family nothing, and the Gu family doesn't need to bother her anymore.
**
Gu Xi hadn't slept well again, and when she woke up, she felt dizzy and unwell.
She sat for a while, looking out the window at the gradually brightening sky. Thinking that she was getting married today and would soon be leaving this place, never to return, she felt better than ever before.
This good mood even overshadowed the physical discomfort.
After breakfast, Jiang Huijun and Gu Yuanxiang came over.
Jiang Huijun had some grooming supplies in her hand, and she was going to dress her up. Although it was a special era, she was getting married, so she definitely needed to dress up a bit.
Gu Yuanxiang carried a tray with candy, peanuts, and other festive items on it and placed it in the room.
After putting her things down, Gu Yuanxiang stood aside, looking at Gu Xi's beautiful face with a complicated expression, and said, "Xi Xi, congratulations."
Gu Xi tilted her head back, letting Jiang Huijun help her with her face, and gave a faint "hmm".
Jiang Huijun shaped Gu Xi's eyebrows, applied lipstick, and then started combing her hair, giving her a suitable hairstyle. After all that work, it was already late.
Gu Xi, all dressed up, sat in the house waiting for the man to come and pick her up to go to the restaurant.
The Gu family's gate opened early in the morning, and many neighbors came to offer their congratulations.
Today is not a day off, but everyone in the Gu family took the day off to stay home and wait. They offered each person who came to congratulate them a cup of tea, a piece of candy, or a handful of peanuts and melon seeds. Everyone who came received something.
Gu Xi sat in the room, idly fiddling with the watch on her wrist, listening to the noise below, feeling very calm.
Soon after, Gu Yuanxiang brought Chen Yunsheng and other unmarried girls from the compound to offer their congratulations, and the room became lively.
"Gu Xi, congratulations!"
You look beautiful today!
"Gu Xi, your hair looks so beautiful today. Did Aunt Jiang braid it for you? I want it braided like that for my wedding."
…………
A group of young girls chattered excitedly, surrounding Gu Xi and talking non-stop.
Actually, they weren't very familiar with Gu Xi, but they all lived in the same compound. Gu Xi was getting married today, so it was only natural for them to come and share in the joy.
Gu Xi responded with a smile, but didn't say much. Everyone thought she was shy and teased her.
Chen Yunsheng sat down next to Gu Xi and asked, "Gu Xi, after you get married, are you going to leave Beijing to join the army?"
Gu Xi hummed in agreement.
Everyone knows that she married a soldier and will definitely follow him to his military post.
"Oh, I see..." Chen Yunsheng said dejectedly, then added nervously, "Can we keep in touch by letter from now on? Like, like..."
Gu Xi said, "We'll talk about it later."
Chen Yunsheng didn't know whether she agreed or not, and became increasingly disappointed.
Around noon, the Shen family finally drove over to pick them up.
The Shen family arranged a car to drive into the family compound to pick up the newlyweds.
The girls stood up and left the room, hiding in a corner to watch Shen Mingzheng, who had come to pick up the bride. They saw his crisp military uniform, handsome face, and tall, slender figure, which exuded masculine charm and overshadowed the group of men around him. It was as if he was the most eye-catching person at the scene.
This is not because he is the groom today, but because of his innate appearance and presence.
"He's very handsome..."
"Wow, she's so good-looking."
"This military uniform looks really good. Maybe I should find a soldier as a partner in the future?"
…………
For these unmarried girls, height and appearance are the first things they look at when looking for a partner, and other factors are considered secondarily. Shen Mingzheng has excellent bone structure, and his appearance is undoubtedly outstanding. His deep-set features are a natural masculine charm that is clearly attractive to women.
Many girls blushed and their hearts pounded as they looked at him, and some even started thinking about finding a soldier as a partner in the future.
**
Gu Xi was sitting in the house when she heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Shen Mingzheng standing at the door.
He looked at her, his deep eyes locking onto her figure, and said to her, "Gu Xi, I've come to take you away."
As Gu Xi stood up, he strode over and extended his hand to her.
He extended his hand to her; his palm was large, with clearly defined lines.
Gu Xi reached out and placed her hand on his palm, finding it slightly damp. Then, her hand was firmly grasped by his large hand, which led her out of the room.
She followed him step by step out, and was still a little dazed when she got into the car.
Besides the driver, there were only the two of them sitting in the back seat of the car.
He held her hand tightly the whole time. It was hot, and both of their palms were sweaty, but they didn't let go.
Gu Xi lowered her eyes, looking at their clasped hands. His hands were large, able to completely envelop hers, and quite strong, though she could break free if she tried...
The car drove all the way to the state-run hotel where the banquet had been arranged.
Today's wedding was attended by relatives and friends from both the Shen and Gu families. The number of people was not large, with only eight tables. Mr. and Mrs. Shen sat at the head of the table, and many people came forward to greet them respectfully.
When the Gu family arrived, Gu Maowen was thrilled to see Old Master Shen at the head of the table. If it weren't for the large number of people on Old Master Shen's side, he would have immediately gone over to offer the old man tea and say hello.
Jiang Chengye and his family also came.
Seeing Old Master Shen surrounded by the crowd, Jiang Chengye exclaimed, "This must be the old master of the Shen family, right? He really is an old revolutionary; his spirit is different from others."
Tang Fengzhen nodded, looking around, "Where's Xixi?"
"Xixi is resting in her room inside and will be out in a bit." It was Jiang Huijun who spoke. Her own mother couldn't help much today and could only sit here, which made her feel a little disappointed.
The Shen family handled all the wedding arrangements; they were just there for the banquet.
Jiang Chengye and his wife's two children also came.
The eldest son, Jiang Shuwang, is already married and has two children with his wife. Today, he brought his wife and children over, and the children have already gone to play with the other children, filling the air with laughter.
My daughter, Jiang Shuyin, is 22 years old and works at a newspaper. She has a boyfriend and they plan to get married at the end of the year.
Jiang Shuyin said to Jiang Huijun, "Aunt, I'm going to see my cousin Xi."
As she spoke, she disappeared into the crowd, and no one could call her back. Tang Fengzhen was a little angry.
Jiang Huijun laughed and said, "Why are you angry? Shuyin and Xixi are about the same age, so let her go and talk to Xixi. After the wedding, Xixi will soon be going to join the army, and we won't have time to see each other again."
She became somewhat saddened as she spoke.
I originally thought I didn't care about this daughter, and even disliked her because of her recent troubles. But when I thought about how she would get married and go to the military with her son-in-law, and I might never see her again, I still felt a little reluctant to let go, and even regretted not cherishing her before.
-
When Jiang Shuyin arrived, she found that in addition to Gu Xi, there was also a tall man in military uniform in the house. His aura was very cold and intimidating.
It goes without saying that this is today's groom, and also my cousin's husband.
The two families lived far apart, and everyone was busy with work, so even when the Shen family came to propose marriage, they didn't have time to come over, which meant they had never met Shen Mingzheng. This was the norm.
Jiang Shuyin said somewhat embarrassedly, "Cousin Xi, brother-in-law, I'm sorry to bother you. I came to say a few words to Cousin Xi."
Shen Mingzheng looked at Gu Xi, and seeing her nod, he shook her hand, got up and left.
Jiang Shuyin stood to the side with her neck hunched over. She finally breathed a sigh of relief after the man left, thinking that her cousin-in-law was indeed a young regimental-level cadre, and his aura was too intimidating.
She patted her chest and walked briskly towards Gu Xi, saying, "Cousin, you look so beautiful today! You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. Congratulations!"
Gu Xi had a fairly good impression of her cousin from her maternal uncle's family. They didn't have any conflicts and were relatives she could get along with normally.
She said, "Cousin, congratulations to you too. I heard you're getting married at the end of the year. I probably won't be here then, so I won't be able to attend your wedding."
"It's nothing, we can keep in touch by letter from now on." Jiang Shuyin waved her hand, looked at Gu Xi's face, and sighed, "Every time I see you, it's like seeing my grandma in an old photo. I wish I looked like my grandma too."
Anyone who looks like your grandmother is definitely a great beauty.
She was quite envious of Gu Xi for inheriting her grandmother's looks. When she first saw the completely transformed Gu Xi, she was amazed. She finally understood how beautiful her grandmother was when she was young. No wonder her grandfather spent all his wealth to marry her and didn't mind that she was a country girl.
Gu Xi wasn't used to people praising her appearance. Although she knew she was pretty, before she came of age, people's impression of her was that of a dark-skinned, thin country girl, who had nothing to do with being pretty.
It's difficult to break the established notions formed over a decade or so.
Even if she later became beautiful, after being a ghost for decades, she wouldn't care about her appearance anymore and would hardly have any concept of what it means to be good-looking.
The two cousins only see each other during holidays and don't spend much time together, but since they are related by blood, they get along well when they do meet.
The two chatted for a while, and then Feng Min came in and said that she was about to go out to offer toasts.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuyin quickly stood up. She sincerely congratulated Gu Xi and said, "Cousin Xi, remember to write to me when you get to the army. We'll keep in touch later."
Aside from her aunt's family living in Beijing, her other cousins all lived elsewhere, meaning that Gu Xi was the only cousin she could really talk to. She used to be able to chat with Gu Yuanxiang, but Gu Yuanxiang had been spoiled by her family as a child, and the two had even clashed. She held grudges, so she stopped playing with Gu Yuanxiang.
Gu Xi nodded, "Yes."
Feng Min came over and touched up Gu Xi's lipstick. She looked at Gu Xi's pretty face with satisfaction and said to her son who had come to pick her up, "Alright, Mingzheng, take Xi Xi out to toast the guests."
Shen Mingzheng walked over and gently supported Gu Xi's waist as she stood up.
Although there were only eight tables, there seemed to be quite a few people there today, mostly from the Shen family, as well as some young people of Shen Mingzheng's age, all wearing green military uniforms, who were said to have taken leave specifically to come.
When Shen Mingzheng took Gu Xi to offer toasts, the people cheered and made a lot of noise, pouring Shen Mingzheng a lot of alcohol.
As for Gu Xi, she substituted tea for wine, but after drinking too much tea, her stomach felt very full and she needed to go to the toilet.
After the wedding, Shen Mingzheng had drunk an unknown amount of alcohol; you could smell the alcohol emanating from him while he was sitting in the car.
The smell of alcohol made Gu Xi feel quite intoxicated and dizzy.
Just then, a dry hand reached out and gripped her hand tightly, so tightly that it hurt a little.
"Big brother?" Gu Xi called out softly.
The man leaning there had his eyes closed. He responded softly, loosening his grip, but still didn't let go.
Since he still responded to her, he probably wasn't too drunk.
When they got home, Shen Chenshan tried to help him up, but Shen Mingzheng refused, saying, "Dad, I can walk by myself."
"Really?" Shen Chenshan looked at his son's face and met his clear eyes. He was immediately amused. It seemed that the wine they had drunk earlier had been diluted with water.
It's obvious without even thinking that it was Feng Min who did it. How could she let her son get so drunk? That would be a real headache.
Gu Xi went back to her room to change her clothes and then went to the bathroom to wash up, washing away the day's fatigue and sweat.
Today she was wearing a rather form-fitting dress with a red flower tied on it. She couldn't pleat the skirt, and had to maintain that posture all day, which must have been exhausting.
Add to that the hot weather, and it was really exhausting. Luckily, weddings at that time weren't as complicated as they are in later generations, otherwise it would have been even more tiring.
Just as I finished changing my clothes, Shen Mingzheng opened the door and came in.
She stood there blankly, staring at him, then blinked, unsure of what to do.
It wasn't until Shen Mingzheng started taking off his clothes that she finally remembered something and hurriedly said, "I'm going to get some water. Do you want some water?"
Shen Mingzheng hummed in agreement, watched her departing figure, and continued changing his clothes.
When he finished washing up and went out, he saw everyone sitting in the living room talking. Gu Xi was sitting in the middle, holding a water glass in her hand, and Shen Mingrong was sitting next to her, talking incessantly.
Seeing Shen Mingzheng come over, Feng Min glanced at the time, coughed lightly, and said, "Alright, it's getting late, go to sleep, Mingrong should go to sleep early too."
Shen Mingrong protested, "Mom, it's just getting dark, it's not late yet, I want to talk to Sister Xi!"
Feng Min, with a stern face, forcefully sent him back to his room.
Then Shen Chenshan, Feng Min, and Aunt Wang also went back to their rooms, leaving only Shen Mingzheng and Gu Xi in the living room.
Shen Mingzheng poured himself a glass of water and said to Gu Xi, who was sitting there, "Gu Xi, go back to your room."
Gu Xi gave an "oh" and slowly followed him back to his room.
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