According to rural customs, the wedding banquet was very simple, consisting of just a large stew.
In winter, it's radishes, cabbage, and glass noodles; in summer, it's green beans and potatoes. The difference lies in the amount of pork in them.
Those who are well-off will have more, while those who are less well-off will only have a few pieces for decoration, and no one will complain.
After all, so many people came; I wonder if they came all this way just for this meal.
But Mo Yuan's situation this time was clearly different. Although everyone knew that Mo Yuan had made something of himself recently...
He made money, and he was even able to marry a beautiful educated youth from the city.
But I didn't expect it to be this grand.
The person in charge of cooking lived in the neighbor's courtyard next to Mo Yuan's house.
They got busy from the morning; some of the more astute ones had already gone to investigate.
They had already started exchanging information with great excitement.
"The braised pork belly is glistening with oil, and the big carp are so delicious, it almost made my mouth water. I really made the right choice coming here today."
"You Shan's three sons have really made something of themselves! You saw them just now, their new bride is as beautiful as a fairy. Did you go inside and see? The sewing machine, radio, bicycle, and everything else are all brand new. They've struck it rich!"
"Who says otherwise? Everyone knows what that kid was like before. How come he changed so quickly all of a sudden? But let's not worry about it. Let's eat our fill today. I didn't eat breakfast this morning, hehe. Just for this meal, do you think our gift money seems a bit too little? It's not fair to such good food!"
"Oh, who cares? That's how everyone does it, that's just how it is in the countryside. Nobody's complaining. Hurry up and get ready, the feast's about to start!"
Some distant relatives didn't mind; they were all waiting for the feast to begin.
But at this moment, Mo Yuan's eldest sister, Hong Ying, was indeed somewhat uneasy.
She's still in a daze. How come her home has changed so much in just a few months?
Compared to the Spring Festival, the courtyard is still the same courtyard, and the people are still the same people.
Why does it suddenly feel so unfamiliar?
I've been married for ten years now, and every time I visit relatives during holidays, my home is always the same.
It's been less than half a year since I came here for the Chinese New Year, how come everything has changed so drastically all of a sudden?
When Mo Yuan gave her his wedding invitation, she was very happy. Her parents had worried a lot about her third brother's marriage, but he was too picky and not good enough for anyone.
Mo Yuan's reputation wasn't very good before, and after the young women inquired about his background, they all dropped the matter.
She was naturally overjoyed that the couple had finally gotten married, but then she faced a dilemma.
When my younger brother gets married, as the eldest sister, I certainly can't go empty-handed. Although gift money isn't much these days, as his older sister, I can't let people laugh at me, can I?
I managed to scrape together five yuan by borrowing from here and there, thinking it would at least be enough to cover a small portion of the expenses.
But when Hongying saw the completely new look of her parents' home today, she was stunned!
She traveled over twenty miles with her son and daughter. Although they arrived at just past nine o'clock, they hadn't eaten much that morning.
We were starving after walking all that way.
Without saying a word, her mother immediately had Hongxia bring over three bowls of shredded pork soup and freshly steamed white buns.
The two children almost ate themselves to death.
Even during the New Year, I've never eaten this well. Hongying saw the two children eating so heartily.
She was about to share what was in her bowl with the children, but her mother interrupted her, "Don't eat too much. You should have something to eat first to save room for the big feast at noon. Otherwise, the two children won't be able to eat!"
Then Hongxia showed her the things Mo Yuan had prepared for his wedding, which once again overturned her elder sister Hongying's understanding.
When did your family become so generous? So many brand-new belongings, how much money did you have to borrow?
Instead of talking about his second sister Hongxia, he proudly introduced that Mo Yuan hadn't borrowed a single penny; it was all earned by himself.
They even embellished the story of how Mo Yuan had earned more than a thousand yuan from their family's mortal enemy, Mo Yougan!
Seeing her second sister's beaming face, Mo Hongying felt the five yuan in her pocket.
I feel even more embarrassed. Now that I'm so capable, I hope you don't think my five yuan is too little.
Yu Xiue seemed to see through her eldest daughter's thoughts, and took out a few ten-yuan bills from her bosom and handed them over.
“Your brother knows your family’s situation. You’re not having an easy time either, and you have to raise two children. You must be short of money. Look how thin the two children are! He’s prepared all this for you. You can use this money to give as a wedding gift later. Keep what you have in your pocket and use it to buy some food for the children when you get back.”
Mo Hongying refused to accept it no matter what, and the mother and daughter struggled for a while. In the end, Hongxia persuaded her, saying that not only her sister-in-law would receive it, but her sister-in-law would also give it to her, which would make things look better.
After all, Hongying hadn't left home yet, and her second brother wasn't married and was studying away from home and couldn't come back.
The older siblings are all married, so they'll be giving money as a wedding gift when Mo Yuan gets married.
So Mo Yuan prepared this specially, not only for its appearance, but also to give his sister-in-law and elder sister some face in both their own and their husbands' families.
Especially the eldest sister, with her family backing her up, had an easier time in her husband's family as well.
Mo Yuan knew a lot about his eldest sister, and he was determined to pull her out of that hellhole in his lifetime.
Sure enough, when Mo Hongying gave her gift, it was revealed that she had also given fifty yuan, which immediately attracted everyone's attention and envy.
Mo Hongying, like her sister-in-law Chen Qiaoyun's family, also got to show off!
Now, sitting at the table, the youngest son, still too young to understand, innocently said, "Mom, that bowl of shredded pork soup and steamed buns this morning were so delicious! My dad insisted on coming along, otherwise he could have had some too! It's such a pity. Why doesn't Grandma let me eat more? If only I could have steamed buns every meal."
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