Xu Zijiang was incredibly excited. He had finally made it to this day; it had been so difficult. He wanted to set off firecrackers to celebrate, but unfortunately, that wasn't allowed.
He suppressed his excitement and got up to wash. The houses of the Lin brothers, Lin Zheng and Lin Rong, had been built and they had moved in. Now, only Xu Zijiang was in the house. Once Yu Jiu was brought over, they could be affectionate without any worries!
Xu Zijiang's wedding will definitely include Gouzi as a groomsman. Lin Zheng, being Xu Zijiang's cousin and a rare family member, also needs to be present, otherwise it might draw criticism. Xu Zijiang only wants these two groomsmen; he doesn't want to hire too many. They're enough for his and his wife's wedding banquet.
According to the auspicious date calculation, Xu Zijiang could only leave to fetch his bride at 9 o'clock. Yu Jiu was getting married directly from the educated youth settlement, without looking for another place, nor was it necessary. Xu Zijiang could simply go to the educated youth settlement to pick her up.
Although the wedding procession was at 9 a.m., the preparations needed to begin much earlier, and Xu Zijiang got up at 3 a.m. He washed up first, then started cooking porridge. Just as the porridge was cooking, the helpers began knocking on the door one after another. The first to arrive were Zhou Chunrong and his wife.
"Xu Zijiang, open the door! I'm here to be your father!"
Zhou Chunrong said loudly that he only dared to make fun of Xu Zijiang on such a joyous occasion. If it were any other time, Xu Zijiang would probably take off his shoes and show the soles of his shoes.
"I'm in a good mood today, I can't be bothered to argue with you."
"Stop being so glib! It's such a joyous day, hurry up and help out!"
Wen Hongjuan rolled her eyes at him, telling him to stop fooling around.
Xu Zi opened the door and let them in. He didn't bother to close it, figuring more people would come soon. Sure enough, just two minutes after Zhou Chunrong and his wife went in, the aunties arrived, Lin Zheng arrived, and even Liu Jingsheng, the chef in charge of the lunch, arrived.
"Why are you here so early? You could have come at seven or eight o'clock."
Xu Zijiang said with a smile. Today he was all smiles and couldn't help but smile at everyone he saw, which was a far cry from his usual stern and dignified image.
"If I arrive late, I'm afraid there won't be enough time to prepare the feast. Of course, the earlier the better. I can't possibly delay Captain Xu's happy occasion!"
Liu Jingli said it was only natural, and then congratulated Xu Zi on his future, saying that he had finally escaped the ranks of bachelors and was getting married.
"No problem, no problem."
Since he was already there, Xu Zijiang naturally didn't intend to send him away. He acted like he was being conscripted, getting him involved in the chores with everyone. Some washed vegetables, others washed dishes. Soon, the courtyard was bustling with activity.
Before his wedding, Xu Zijiang installed electrical wiring in his yard and put in light bulbs. With a flick of the switch, the pitch-black yard instantly became brightly lit. Those working could see everything clearly, and everyone couldn't help but praise Xu Zijiang.
"Your electrical system is amazing! It's so bright! Wow, it's like daytime. Even though my eyesight isn't good, I can see everything perfectly clearly!"
The aunt looked at the light bulb hanging above and was extremely pleased with it, her envy evident in her expression.
"If you like, you can get one at home too. Putting aside everything else, it's really convenient. The team even gives subsidies for installing electrical wires and light bulbs now, so it doesn't cost much in the long run, but it will save you a lot of trouble."
Xu Zi was washing the dishes while chatting loudly with everyone. Although he was the groom today, he couldn't just stand by and let everyone do the work. Anyway, the wedding procession was still a long way off. He'd change his clothes and get ready at 8 o'clock, spend an hour getting ready, and then go out to pick up his bride—perfect!
"Running the electrical wires doesn't cost much, but turning on the lights after that costs money. How can ordinary people like us afford that? Forget it, we'd better not join in the fun."
The woman shook her head; she couldn't bear to spend the money on electricity. It would probably cost several cents a month, right? They usually just used candles or kerosene lamps, and it wouldn't cost them more than a few cents a year.
"Save some money. You can install it first and turn it on when you need it. If you don't want to spend the electricity bill, then turn it on sparingly. It won't cost much over a year, and it's better than straining your eyes."
Xu Zijiang offered a few more words of advice, his expression serious.
The main problem is that this aunt's eyesight is bad; she ruined it by staying up late at night. She has to work during the day and doesn't have time, and at night, when it's dark and she still has to mend clothes and embroider, her eyesight deteriorated over time. Now she has to get very close to see clearly.
"Let's talk about it later, let's talk about it later."
The aunt changed the subject, unwilling to discuss it further, for fear of spoiling his mood.
Seeing this, Xu Zijiang stopped talking and turned back to his other tasks; he was very busy today. The head chef was checking the dishes Xu Zijiang had prepared, and seemed unsure about some things, so he came over to ask Xu Zijiang.
"Captain Xu, are you planning to have me stir-fry this cured pork with garlic sprouts or green peppers?"
"Stir-fry with green peppers, and stir-fry the garlic shoots separately."
"Oh, okay, I got it. So, what about the eggs? Are you planning to make scrambled eggs or egg drop soup?"
"I wrote down the instructions for the egg drop soup, and I posted them in the kitchen ingredients section. Didn't you see them?"
Xu Zijiang was about to get up as he spoke.
"Hey, have you already written down the menu? I didn't see where you put the note."
The chef recognized the simple words, but he didn't see the note. So Xu Zi went to the kitchen and personally checked the dishes with him again.
In rural areas, a good banquet is one where there's enough food and a meat dish. The variety of dishes isn't important, but Xu Zijiang still prepared several. The meat dish was stir-fried cured pork with green peppers, and the soup was egg and lean pork soup.
The other dishes included stir-fried garlic shoots, smashed cucumber, and stir-fried cabbage, making five dishes in total. To bring the total to six, he added stir-fried bean sprouts with pork lard, symbolizing a smooth and harmonious married life.
This is considered top-of-the-line for a rural banquet, and the porridge he cooked wasn't too watery; the rice grains were clearly visible. He's guaranteed to be someone everyone will praise for half a month after the meal.
After a brief discussion of the menu with Xu Zi, the chef indicated that he understood. With the chef's task settled, the auntie washing dishes had a new problem.
"Hey, Captain Xu, aren't there a few bowls and chopsticks? And what about the plates for serving food? Are you done washing them so quickly?"
The aunties were full of energy, feeling like the work was already finished before they even started. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "It shouldn't be this little. With Xu Zijiang's popularity, there should be at least a dozen tables to invite everyone."
"Wait, there are definitely enough bowls and plates, I've already borrowed them all. There are just some left in the storage room that we haven't brought out yet, I'll continue to move them out now."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
