Chapter 477 Welcoming the Bride
These days, it's really not an easy thing to acquire systematic knowledge openly and honestly.
Zhang Yueran whispered something mysteriously in her sister's ear.
A burst of unusually loud gongs, drums, and firecrackers erupted downstairs, signaling that the wedding procession was about to officially set off.
The two sisters smiled at each other, tidied themselves up, and went downstairs hand in hand.
Excited footsteps and voices could be heard in the corridor, and red debris even drifted onto the stairs.
Upon reaching the first floor, a wave of festive cheer greeted us.
Zhang Yueran walked briskly to Zhou Xingzhi's side, took his arm, and looked up at him, saying something. Zhou Xingzhi lowered his head slightly to listen, revealing a indulgent smile. He raised his hand as if to rub her cheek, but stopped himself due to the occasion, only replying softly.
Zhang Yueran smiled, pursing her lips.
Nan Zhiyi watched from the side and felt that the young couple were so affectionate and loving, they were such a mismatch.
She walked to Gu Xiao's side, and the couple, along with the others, surrounded Gu Yan and walked towards the wedding car decorated with flowers and ribbons.
Firecrackers went off again with deafening roars, accompanied by the deafening sounds of gongs and drums.
A long wedding procession slowly drove towards the hotel amidst the billowing smoke and flying red confetti, to pick up the bride.
Soon, more guests arrived, and the air was filled with congratulations and greetings once again.
Gu Xiao resumed his duties of receiving guests, and Nan Zhiyi, along with her sisters-in-law, invited the women to drink tea and have snacks while waiting for the wedding procession to return.
After a busy morning, the wedding procession drove back amidst deafening firecrackers.
Gu Yan got out of the car first, bent down and helped Chen Anna out.
Chen Anna wore a pure white, floor-length wedding dress with a light veil, which looked particularly dazzling in the winter sun. It was custom-made according to the fashionable style of the South and was very eye-catching in Jian'an City.
The best man and maid of honor followed behind, laughing, grabbing colorful fruit candies from the basket and throwing them at the crowd and children.
The children screamed and crouched down to pick it up, and Gu Zhao quickly joined in, her little face full of excitement.
"The bride is here!"
"Come in quickly! Come in quickly!"
The crowd automatically parted to make way for the newlyweds as they walked towards their new home.
Soon, the room was filled with young people and photographers, filled with laughter, blessings, and cheers.
I don't know who started it, but someone shouted, "Give me a kiss! Give me a kiss!"
Gu Yan stood in the center of the room, with Chen Anna, who was wearing a veil, in his arms.
Hearing the cheers, he raised an eyebrow, lowered his head without hesitation, and kissed the bride's red lips firmly through the thin white veil.
"oh!"
"good!"
The roar of laughter and even more enthusiastic applause and whistles almost lifted the roof off.
Nan Zhiyi, arm in arm with Gu Xiao, stood on the periphery of the crowd at the entrance. Looking at the flamboyant celebration inside, she couldn't help but smile as well. "Gu Yan did a good job today."
Gu Xiao smiled and said, "Yeah." His younger brother was quite straightforward.
After a brief ceremony, it was almost noon.
The Gu family and guests then set off for the Jian'an Military Region Guesthouse, where the wedding banquet was being held.
After the ceremony, the Gu family members greeted their guests and, in separate vehicles, made their way to the military hotel where the wedding banquet was being held.
Outside the banquet hall, a festive scene unfolded.
At the entrance, a festive archway was made of pine and cypress branches and red silk, with a huge red double happiness character hanging above it.
The wedding company staff were busy moving around, adjusting the sound system and checking the fireworks.
The cameraman, carrying a shoulder camera, took up a good position early on, and the lens swept across the scene from time to time.
Outside the banquet hall, on one side, there was a long table covered with red velvet. Two kind-looking middle-aged women sat there. One was a female relative invited by the Gu family to help, and the other was a female relative from the Chen family. On the table were a red paper gift book and a small locked leather box for storing monetary gifts, for registering guests and their monetary gifts.
The main figures welcoming the guests were Commander Gu, Mr. and Mrs. Chen, and the two newlyweds.
Gu Xiao, along with Gu Weiguo and others, received some military colleagues, elders, and old comrades-in-arms of Commander Gu. Most of these people were of high status and were seated at specific tables.
Nan Zhiyi, along with several of her sisters-in-law, looked after the female relatives and friends, guiding them to their seats.
Before long, Feng Xuemei and Zhang Jianguo arrived.
Nan Zhiyi was the first to greet them: "Aunt Feng, Uncle Zhang!"
Feng Xuemei, dressed in a brand-new dark purple velvet coat, looked radiant, while Zhang Jianguo wore a neat Zhongshan suit. The two smiled and agreed.
They first approached Commander Gu and the bride and groom, who were greeting guests at the entrance. They were all old acquaintances from the compound for decades, so they were naturally familiar with each other upon meeting.
When Commander Gu saw them, his smile deepened: "Xuemei, Jianguo, you've finally arrived!"
Gu Yan smiled and bowed slightly: "Aunt Feng, Uncle Zhang, it's been many years since we last met. Thank you for coming."
Feng Xuemei looked Gu Yan up and down and exclaimed, "You're right! Last time I saw you, you were just a young boy, and now you're about to start a family! You look so energetic! And your wife, oh, she's so beautiful!"
She then turned to Chen Anna, praising her with a beaming smile. Chen Anna smiled back at Feng Xuemei, "Hello, Auntie."
Commander Gu chuckled and said, "I saw your Yueran and Xiao Zhou today; they're a perfect match. When are they planning to hold their wedding banquet?"
Feng Xuemei: "We just got our marriage certificate. We're thinking of having the wedding banquet when the weather gets warmer. I'll definitely invite you then, and you absolutely have to come!"
"Absolutely! Seeing these children getting married one by one makes me very happy!" Commander Gu nodded repeatedly.
As they were talking, Zhang Yueran came over arm in arm with Zhou Xingzhi and called out to them in a clear voice.
Commander Gu smiled and praised Zhang Yueran a few more times, saying that "a girl changes a lot as she grows up," and also praised Zhou Xingzhi for his handsome appearance and good temperament.
After exchanging pleasantries, Nan Zhiyi led Feng Xuemei and her family of four into the banquet hall.
The hall was already packed with distinguished guests, and the atmosphere was bustling with activity.
Crystal chandeliers illuminated the room filled with red silk and fresh flowers. The backdrop for the main stage was a huge red velvet cloth and golden double happiness characters, and wedding company staff were making final adjustments to the microphones and sound system.
Feng Xuemei exclaimed, "Wow, this is so beautifully decorated, so grand!"
Nan Zhiyi: "Yes, Dad and Gu Yan put a lot of thought into it, and the wedding company was also very professional."
Feng Xuemei looked around and said, "Perfect, let's learn from her. When Yueyue has her own wedding, let's make it lively and festive too!"
Hearing this, Zhang Jianguo shook his head slightly. This old woman was starting to come up with something out of nowhere again. What kind of family did the Gu family have? What was their Zhang family's situation? How could they compare them like that?
Zhang Yueran took her mother's arm and said, "Mom! We don't have that many relatives and friends. We can just have a simple party and invite everyone to a meal to celebrate. There's no need to go to all that trouble."
Zhou Xingzhi, who had been quietly following beside him, spoke up gently: "Dad, Mom, leave the wedding arrangements to me. We can also hire a wedding planning company to help with the process and decorations. It will save you both a lot of trouble with your busy schedules. We'll do whatever Yueran likes."
Upon hearing this, Feng Xuemei looked at Zhou Xingzhi with even more satisfaction: "Oh my, listen to this! Xingzhi is so thoughtful! Alright, alright, we'll listen to you then. You young people make the decisions, and we'll help with the arrangements!"
Nan Zhiyi led them to their seats.
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