Han Shuying and Wang Cuixi were very happy to see Meng Tao, but they couldn't help missing He Lian and Guan Xiuzhi, and they were filled with mixed feelings.

Liu Yongsheng had a serious expression on his face. He walked up to Grandpa Xu and gave him a standard salute. Grandpa Xu raised his hand to his forehead to return the salute, then smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Captain Bao and Zhou Shian were stunned: the last time Liu Yongsheng came, they all felt he was quite impressive, but now he saluted Grandpa Xu like a soldier. Who was this Grandpa Xu? Suspicious, Zhou Shian asked his son-in-law Zhang Guoqing, who said, "It's nothing, just like me and Teacher Meng. If I haven't seen each other for a long time, I will also be very excited and salute the teacher."

After hearing this, Zhou Shian and Captain Bao thought that this was the truth and felt relieved.

In the afternoon, the elders discussed preparations for tomorrow's engagement ceremony. It is actually very simple. The man just shows the betrothal gift (bride price), and the relatives from both sides sit together for a meal and that's it. In this day and age, everything is required to be simple, which saves time and effort.

So there is nothing much to prepare, it is just a discussion, tea and leisurely chat.

Aunt Yang and Aunt Yu came over to take over the kitchen work, so Meng Tao didn't have to be busy anymore. She held little Mingming, who still remembered her and called her aunt sweetly, and accompanied Sun Hong, Xu Yuting and Liu Jianli for walks in and out of the village.

Shen Yu was not so idle. He was assigned by Captain Bao to do some work and set up the stage.

Seeing Xu Yuting and Liu Jicheng surrounding his fiancée like two generals, he felt sour in his heart but could only endure it temporarily.

It was not until before going to bed at night that the two of them were able to be alone for a short while while getting the quilt. There were too many people in the house and someone might pop up from any corner at any time. They didn't dare to hug or kiss each other, so they just held hands and said a few sweet words.

Originally, Meng Tao and Zhou Cuiling planned to send some people to live at Zhou's house, but no one was willing to go. Since they were guests at Meng's house, they just wanted to live there, even if they had to sleep on the floor.

Finally, the grandmothers discussed it and made new arrangements. The women lived in the upper house, and the men lived in three side rooms. They added a simple bed frame and it was enough for them to squeeze in. There was no need to rent accommodation outside.

Everyone agreed, so Meng Tao had nothing to say.

When I woke up, it was sunny and windy. It was indeed a good day.

Four or five aunties were busy before dawn. One kitchen was not enough, so they borrowed the kitchen of a nearby neighbor. So although we couldn't hear the sounds of steaming, frying, boiling or frying, they were actually cooking in someone else's house.

After breakfast, children from the village began to come and play. Each of them could get a handful of peanuts, melon seeds and three or five fruit candies. This task was given to Meng Jinshan, who slung a large shoulder bag full of candies over his shoulder and gave each child a handful. The children happily surrounded him and vied to talk to him. Meng Jinshan suddenly became a star-like figure, envied by everyone. He was happy in his heart, but he did not get carried away. The time had come to test his memory. It was the first time they met, and he would not make a mistake about who got the candy and who did not.

Meng Changshou felt heartbroken when he saw his little grandson giving away handfuls of candies, peanuts and melon seeds from the bag to others like a child giving away money. However, he didn't buy these things with his own money, so he couldn't do anything about it.

After nine o'clock, the invited guests and the neighbors and elders in the village all arrived. They first chatted and exchanged pleasantries with the groom's relatives, and then looked at the gifts brought by the groom together with the bride's relatives to find out how much betrothal gift was given. This is an old custom. Although it has been simplified a lot, it still exists among the people, especially in rural areas, where it is still taken very seriously.

Yesterday, Grandpa Xu, Liu Yongsheng and Meng Changshou had discussed it all, and specifically explained to Meng Tao: The specific amount of the bride price is something that only our family members know, and we still have to be polite on the surface, so just give the highest amount that has ever been seen locally.

Meng Tao naturally had no objection.

So the bride price that the neighbors saw was 600 yuan, and there were other gifts: watches, various fabrics, new clothes, shoes and socks, snacks, plus there was a rumor that the man had already given a sewing machine, a bicycle, a radio, etc. when they were dating, so this bride price was really generous and beautiful enough.

Everyone sat together drinking tea, eating melon seeds and chatting, and at eleven o'clock, the banquet started.

The planned four tables turned into six tables.

Some guests were not invited but came with gifts, such as Zhang Guoqing's parents and uncle's family, as well as Lin Erhu and Lin Dagang's family. Lin Erhu's father said that according to his friendship with Meng Shengli, he should drink the wedding wine. Lin Dagang said nothing, just smiled and followed his uncle.

It is definitely something that cannot be refused and must be welcomed with enthusiasm.

Other families in the village who had had friendly relations with Meng Shengli in the past, seeing that people from other villages had come, did not want to be left behind and followed with gifts.

The banquet was over-represented, and the aunts in charge of the kitchen were anxious and scrambled to make up for it. Fortunately, they were not without rice, and they prepared enough meat and vegetables: Meng Zhehan used special supply coupons to purchase a lot from the county town, Shen Yu brought a lot from the provincial capital, and Liu Jianxin and Sun Hong also brought two sacks of wild delicacies, mushrooms, black fungus, day lilies produced by the forest farm, and dried pheasants and rabbits...

You can fry or stir-fry directly in a pan. If the weather is still cold, you can also use hot pot, which is much simpler. Wash the meat and vegetables, stew large pieces of meat and bones in a pot, and eat it slowly, taking any time you want.

After a whole day of excitement, the engagement party was finally a complete success.

Zhou Cuiling smiled and said, "Your engagement banquet is so enviable. You received a lot of gifts and had many guests. It was even more prosperous and lively than other people's full-month banquets. In comparison, when Zhang Guoqing and I got engaged two years ago, it was really unknown. Our two families' relatives and elders only sat at one table."

Meng Tao said: "Am I being too extravagant? Am I afraid someone will report me?"

"Don't worry, there's no point in reporting it. Zhang Guoqing's uncle is in charge of this. Your brother invited him to have a drink. Do you understand what I mean? But two years ago, I really didn't dare to do that. Now it doesn't matter.

I don’t know why, but it seems that since last year, weddings and full-month banquets have become more and more elaborate, lively and fun, and some families even invite a film crew to show movies to celebrate. Isn’t that even more ostentatious? It’s all right! ”

"I'm glad you're okay."

Only then did Meng Tao realize that Zhang Guoqing's parents and uncle were invited by Meng Zhehan.

After the banquet, Uncle Xu called Shen Yu and Meng Tao over, gave them some instructions, and then went to say goodbye to Liu Yongsheng, Meng Changshou, Captain Bao, and Zhou Shian one by one. He was busy with work and had to return overnight.

My aunt stayed and stayed with Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu for a few more days.

Shen Yu drove Uncle Xu to the commune, and then he was accompanied by his entourage back to the provincial capital of Province D and flew back to Beijing.

Meng Zhehan was free, so he took Xiao Wangcai and got in the car to see Uncle Xu off.

(End of this chapter)