Chapter 187 Wedding Candy
On the day of her homecoming banquet, Nan Zhiyi specially wore new clothes.
She was putting on a hair clip in front of the mirror when Gu Xiao leaned against the bathroom door frame and watched her, his gaze as soft as newly melted snow.
He suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind, his chin lightly brushing against the back of her neck.
"Stop fooling around," Nan Zhiyi laughed and dodged, "My hair was just styled..."
Gu Xiao turned her face and kissed her lightly. "You look good this way."
After a moment, he deftly fastened the loose hair clip back into place.
Before leaving, the two handed Xiaoman over to Aunt Wu, but Xiaoman clung to the buttons on Gu Xiao's military uniform and wouldn't let go.
Aunt Wu chuckled and handed the child a teething biscuit: "Don't worry, Xiaoman is the best girl."
Gu Xiao and Nan Zhiyi arrived at the Peony Hall of the Peace Hotel. A red banner hung at the front of the hall, which read, "Congratulations to Zhou Anping and Meng Qingshan on their marriage."
Zhou Anping wore a crimson wool suit with a velvet flower on his chest trembling slightly, while Meng Qingshan wore a crisp military uniform. The two stood beside Zhou's parents to greet the guests.
Song Lanxin was exceptionally energetic today, her hair neatly combed and shiny. She smiled broadly when she saw Gu Xiao and his wife: "Oh, Gu Xiao and Zhiyi are here! Come in and sit down, we've arranged for you at the table to the right of the main table, we're all family!"
Zhou Anping stepped forward and grasped Nan Zhiyi's hand; the two sisters pressed their fingers together slightly.
She whispered, "I feel at ease now that you're here." Her eyes were a little red, and she only regained her smile after Meng Qingshan gently touched her arm.
Meng Qingshan warmly greeted them, "Fifth Brother, please come in and have a seat."
Gu Xiao shook hands with Meng Qingshan and said, "I wish you a long and happy marriage."
He pulled Nan Zhiyi into the banquet hall.
Eight round tables were set up in the banquet hall, and the main table was piled with Zhonghua cigarettes and assorted candies amidst a cluster of plastic lilies.
They were seated at the second-highest table after the main table, next to family members of officers at the division level or above.
Nan Zhiyi whispered to Gu Xiao, "Aunt Song has really gone to great lengths; this is quite a grand affair."
A brand-new jacquard tablecloth covered the table, red ribbons tied to soda bottles, and even the sunflower seeds had been carefully sifted to size. Gu Xiao pulled out a chair for her: "For Anping, and for the Zhou family's reputation."
As soon as Nan Zhiyi sat down, she heard whispers around her: "Is that Gu Xiao's wife? From the Nan family..."
"Now that the policies have loosened, look, they're all sitting at the head table..."
Without changing his expression, Gu Xiao peeled a piece of wedding candy and put it in her palm, his broad hand covering her slightly cool hand.
As guests arrived one after another, many recognized Gu Xiao.
Several young men in military uniforms came over and saluted: "Deputy Division Commander Gu, is this your wife?"
They also had relatives and friends living in the Jian'an Military Region compound, and they had heard about Gu Xiao's marriage in private. At this moment, seeing how protective Gu Xiao was, they dared not linger their gazes on Nan Zhiyi.
Gu Xiao nodded slightly, "Yes, this is my lover, Nan Zhiyi."
The young men nodded to Nan Zhiyi, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then left.
Not long after, an elderly officer with gray hair at the main table looked at Gu Xiao and asked, "Little Gu! Your wife..." He looked at Nan Zhiyi with a probing gaze.
She instinctively straightened her back, and Gu Xiao took her hand under the table.
"Sir, my wife is Nan Zhiyi, from the Nan family in Wannian Lane. She grew up in the compound."
The old leader suddenly realized: "The Nan family of the yarn factory... Good, they are a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman."
The whispers around them immediately ceased.
Nan Zhiyi relaxed slightly, and Gu Xiao whispered while pouring tea, "It's alright, don't worry. Now you are the rightful Mrs. Gu."
She smiled slightly and squeezed his fingertips.
The ceremony began just before midnight.
Chief of Staff Zhou's speech was brief and powerful: "...I hope you will respect and love each other, and work together to build a modern and powerful nation!"
Meng Qingshan stood up and saluted: "I will never let the organization down!"
Zhou Anping bowed in response, and when he looked up, his eyes met Nan Zhiyi's. Both of them had tears in their eyes at the same time.
Waiters were constantly moving around serving food.
The four-happiness meatballs gleamed in the blue and white porcelain bowl, and the braised crucian carp held its head high and tail raised... A total of eight cold dishes, eight hot dishes, one soup, and one snack were served, truly a generous offering.
When it was their table's turn to toast, Nan Zhiyi hugged her friend and said, "You must be happy."
Zhou Anping whispered quickly in her ear, "He even washed my feet last night..." He then laughed, tears welling up in his eyes.
As the banquet ended, Song Lanxin went from table to table handing out wedding candies, four White Rabbit milk candies wrapped in red paper and tied with gold thread.
When he reached Nan Zhiyi, he slipped her an extra bag: "For the child."
She whispered again, "Please take good care of Anping while she's in the capital."
Nan Zhiyi said solemnly, "Auntie, I will."
Song Lanxin's expression was extremely complex, her mind filled with countless thoughts, and in the end she only said, "You understand, thank you."
Zhou Anping and Meng Qingshan called out to Nan Zhiyi from a short distance away, "Zhiyi, come take a picture, let's take a picture together!"
Nan Zhiyi greeted them with a smile, and the group took photos together.
As I left, light snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
Nan Zhiyi turned around and looked at the young couple seeing off their guests at the restaurant entrance. Zhou Anping was tiptoeing to brush the snow off Meng Qingshan's shoulders, and the red flower on his chest swayed brightly in the wind and snow.
Gu Xiao tightened her scarf. "Shall we take a walk?"
She immediately smiled, "Okay." She casually unwrapped a candy, picked it up with her fingertips, and popped it into Gu Xiao's mouth: "Is it sweet?"
He smiled, the candy sticking out of his cheek and making a small bump: "Not as sweet as you."
She tightened her grip on his arm: "Come on,"
The snow gradually thickened, and pedestrians wrapped themselves tightly in their cotton-padded coats and hurried on their way.
They walked slowly, hand in hand, their military boots and cotton boots crunching and groaning in the snow.
As they walked under a sycamore tree, Gu Xiao suddenly stopped: "I'm sorry."
"Hmm?" Nan Zhiyi turned her head in confusion.
"I couldn't give you a proper wedding." His voice was as soft as falling snow. "We only had three tables set up in the cafeteria..."
Nan Zhiyi paused for a moment, then shook her head: "Back then... being able to simplify things must have been... something you fought hard for."
She reached out and touched his chin. "Besides, things are great now. We have Xiaoman, and we have a home..."
Snowflakes fell softly from the bare branches.
He silently gripped her hand and pressed it against his cheek. Snowflakes fell on his eyelashes, like stardust adorning the tips of his dark feathers.
She reached out and brushed away the snowflakes: "Deputy Division Commander Gu bought me roasted chestnuts, and I felt so grateful."
As the streetlights came on one by one, she presented the warm paper bag.
She popped the first chestnut kernel she peeled into his mouth.
When they arrived at the porch at their doorstep, both of them had snowflakes on their heads.
Nan Zhiyi tiptoed and brushed the snowflakes from his hair: "Fifth Brother's hair has all turned white." She recited in a literary style, "Sharing the snow, growing old together." Then she laughed first.
Gu Xiao smiled and pulled her into his arms, wrapping the two of them in his coat.
He lowered his head and kissed her frostbitten nose: "Go back inside and warm up. Aunt Wu must have made some jujube tea."
She playfully punched his chest, saying, "I'm outside." But he picked her up and carried her over the threshold into the house.
The warmth from the radiator in the entryway, mixed with the aroma of red dates, wafted in. Aunt Wu's voice came from the kitchen: "You're back? There's some soup on the stove; have some to warm yourself up."
Gu Xiao didn't put her down, and went straight to the stairs: "Let's take care of business first." Nan Zhiyi exclaimed and punched his shoulder.
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