Younger brothers don't need to wear veils when they get married. Zhao Shiyun looked at Lin Yan standing under the eaves. He was so bright and shining, like a star twinkling in the dark night, that it was hard to look away. He walked over, took Lin Yan's hand, and said, "Brother Yan, come home with me."
Lin Yan looked down at Zhao Shiyun's hand. It was warm, perhaps from nervousness, but his palms were sweaty, and for some reason, he was still shaking. Miraculously, Lin Yan calmed down, perhaps because someone else was even more nervous than he was. He was going to marry this man today, and from now on, they would share joys and sorrows, treating each other with respect. Lin Yan felt that being held by his hand was particularly warm in this cold winter.
"let's go."
The two walked to the door and said goodbye to Zhou Chunlan. Zhao Shiyun helped Lin Yan onto the donkey cart and led the way home. Zhao Shiyu and several relatives scattered wedding candy in the back, and the onlookers, adults and children, immediately squatted down to pick it up. There was constant laughter and joy along the way. Zhao Shiyun would occasionally look back at Lin Yan in the carriage, his eyes gentle but firm.
Arriving at the doorstep, firecrackers rang out. Zhao Shiyun carefully helped Lin Yan out of the car. Entering the yard, it was filled with fellow villagers who had come to congratulate them.
Zhao Shiyun led Lin Yan to the main hall, where, as was customary, they offered tea to the elders. Zhao's father and mother sat at the top, their faces beaming with joy. Lin Yan respectfully handed them the teacup, softly calling, "Dad, Mom." They nodded happily, "Okay, okay," accepting the tea and presenting the newlyweds with a red envelope.
After the ceremony, Lin Yan was helped into his room. He sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at the festive room. The bed was covered with a red wedding quilt, sprinkled with red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds, symbolizing the early birth of a son. Against the wall stood a wardrobe. Next to it, facing the window, was a dressing table with a makeup box on it. Lin Yan liked it immediately; although it was a simple makeup box, it spoke volumes about the Zhao family's devotion to him.
As he was watching, the door of the room was pushed open. It was Zhao Shiyun's younger brother, Zhao Shiyu. He brought a bowl of fried fish and put it on the table: "Brother, this is what my brother asked me to bring. It's fresh out of the pot and still hot. Come and eat it."
Lin Yan smiled and said, "Thank you, Yu Ge'er." Before they got married, Zhao Shiyun brought Yu Ge'er to his home, and Lin Yan and Yu Ge'er got along very well.
"Then I'll go out first, you eat slowly."
"Hmm!" Listening to the lively sounds outside the door, Lin Yan washed his hands, picked up the fried fish and started eating.
*
In the courtyard, the tables were laden with a sumptuous feast. Today, the Zhao family had prepared eight dishes, four meat dishes and four vegetarian ones. The meat dishes included: stewed chicken with mushrooms, fried fish, steamed pork with rice flour, and stir-fried radish with oil residue. The vegetarian dishes included: tofu with scallions, stir-fried bamboo shoots, stir-fried vegetables, and winter melon soup. Each dish was prepared with generous portions, striving to please the villagers who had come to congratulate them. Zhao Shiyun toasted at each table, and the villagers at each table wished the newlyweds a happy marriage and a son soon.
After three rounds of drinking, the sky gradually darkened. Zhao Shiyun's face was now slightly flushed, and he was clearly a bit tipsy. Zhao Qiming and Li Yuemei, who were standing by, saw this and quickly advised, "Shiyun, it's getting late, and you've had a bit too much to drink. Go back to your room first, and don't keep Brother Yan waiting. We'll take care of the rest of the things here."
Zhao Shiyun nodded slightly in agreement. He sniffed himself, reeking of alcohol, and asked, "Mo, is there any hot water in the kitchen? I need to clean up."
Li Yuemei responded, "Yes, yes, go quickly. I'll go to the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles. You can bring it to Yan Ge'er later. The child only had some fried fish today, so he must be starving now!"
"Okay." He then stood up and staggered towards the kitchen. There was a compartment on the right side of the Zhao family's kitchen, where a wooden barrel was placed. After Zhao Shiyun fetched water and went to the compartment, Li Yuemei quickly walked towards the kitchen. A few moments later, she brought out a bowl of steaming, fragrant noodles from the kitchen.
The noodles in the bowl were of uniform thickness, and were topped with a layer of fresh green vegetables and some chopped green onions. Li Yuemei put a few pieces of steamed pork with rice flour on it and scooped a spoonful of stewed chicken with mushrooms. Lin Yan had left a portion of this banquet dish warm in the kitchen a long time ago, and now the full bowl made people feel hungry just by looking at it.
Li Yuemei carefully placed the bowl of noodles on the stove and called out, "Shiyun, I've put the noodles here. Remember to bring them to Yan Ge'er after you've washed them."
"Oh, I see."
*
Zhao Shiyun tidied himself up, picked up the noodles and walked into the house. He pushed open the door. Lin Yan was in a daze. When he saw Zhao Shiyun come in, he quickly stood up.
Zhao Shiyun smiled and said, "Brother Yan, you must be starving. Come and have some noodles. My mom made them especially for you."
When Lin Yan saw the noodles filled with meat, his stomach started to growl. He shyly walked to the table, sat down, picked up the noodles and started eating.
Zhao Shiyun said in frustration, "Sorry, Brother Yan, I should have brought you something to eat earlier."
Lin Yan ignored him and continued eating his noodles. After he finished, he wiped his mouth and said, "It's okay. It's not too late to eat now."
It was already dark. The candle had burned all day, its red candle flickering as the two sat facing each other. Zhao Shiyun gently held Lin Yan's hand, gazing into his round eyes. He felt a surge of enthusiasm, a surge of anticipation for the person before him, for the future, for this family. Thus, he made a promise: "Brother Yan, for the rest of my life, I will never let you down."
He learned this from the village scholar, and practiced it immediately to please his husband.
Lin Yan chuckled and nodded with a red face.
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