Chapter 28

In Wei Zhuang Commune, people are more accustomed to getting married in winter.

There is also an old saying that goes, "Whether you have money or not, marrying a wife is a good way to celebrate the New Year."

The main reason is that winter is a leisure season for farmers and they don’t have to earn work points. It is also because the weather is cold and food doesn’t spoil easily. Leftovers from wedding banquets can be stored and eaten until the New Year.

There were only a handful of people in the commune who got married in August like Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Wen.

Fortunately, the work in the fields has not been busy recently, and the captains of the two production teams simultaneously announced a one-day suspension of work to ensure that Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Wen's wedding could proceed normally.

Xu Wen started putting on makeup at four o'clock.

In 1977, materials were relatively scarce, and cosmetics were even fewer.

Wei Zhuang Commune also did not have a dedicated makeup artist.

Xu Wen still had to go to school, so he didn't even have his hair permed, and he refused to get a shaved face that would have looked horrible.

Do your own hair and makeup.

She tied her hair into a neat bun and pinned two red flowers made of plastic and silk fabric on her hair.

Mainly, there is no choice, this is popular in marriages nowadays.

I used some cosmetics I picked up at a department store in the county town to put on a slightly heavier, light makeup.

The two small rooms of the Xu family were crowded with people busy coming in and out.

Xu Wen came into this world more than a year ago, and it was only after he got married that he realized he had so many relatives in his family, most of whom he had never met.

Everyone who came would go to the inner room to take a look at her, under the pretext of catching some of the bride's joy.

Although Xu Wen had simple makeup on, she had an outstanding appearance. She wore a festive red dress and allowed everyone to look at her with ease.

Although I'm not used to it deep down, I feel a bit like a monkey being watched in a zoo.

Compared to everyone else's joyous look, Xu Wen was so calm that she didn't even look like a bride.

I looked at the old-fashioned clock on the wall again and again unconsciously.

Compared to the bustling Xu family, the Lu family, without their parents' blood relatives, is a little quieter.

Just slightly.

The production team also stopped working for a day, and everyone came to Lu Yuanzheng to join in the fun. Young girls and wives all came to help with the washing and rinsing.

Dongsheng played hide-and-seek with a group of other kids in a crowded yard.

The big masters all do the hard work, chopping wood, cooking, setting the table and placing the stools.

As the only person in charge of the family and the groom, Lu Yuanzheng was extremely busy.

Men, women, young and old all look to him for advice.

"Yuanzheng, do you think it's okay to put the quilt here?

"Zhengzi, there's not enough cigarettes."

“There aren’t enough dishes.”

"Where is the couplet?"

"Have you bought the earth whip?"

“…”

While Lu Yuanzheng was solving a variety of problems, he also found time to change into new clothes and organize a bicycle wedding party to prepare for the trip.

Seeing that it was almost five o'clock, Lu Yuanzheng discussed with the consul's grandfather: "Grandpa, why don't we go pick up the bride earlier?"

The consul glanced at the watch and frowned: "It's not time yet! We are not far from Taoyuan Brigade, so it's not too late to go at 7 o'clock."

Lu Yuanzheng blinked: "I can't wait!"

The consul frowned, but he couldn't bring himself to say that it was a long journey on such a happy occasion, so he just said jokingly, "I know your wife is as pretty as a fairy in a painting, so you can afford to spend an hour or two here, right?"

"Not good." Lu Yuanzheng sighed and had no choice but to tell the truth to the person in charge.

The master in charge: "..."

What can he say?

He could only lead Lu Yuanzheng, and Lu Yuanzheng led the others, and they all lined up in a team on bicycles to go to Taoyuan Production Brigade to pick up the bride.

At the end there were two flatbed trucks pulled by mules.

One was used for sitting and playing musical instruments, and the other was used to pull the bride's dowry.

It's not that I really expect the bride to have much dowry. After all, in this era, if a girl is given a dowry, she will usually stay in her parents' home, usually just a few beds and bedding or something.

The main thing was to move in the bride's daily clothes, shoes, and other miscellaneous items.

The Xu family heard the sound of gongs and drums getting closer and closer. They looked over and found that the wedding procession had already arrived. They were all puzzled, "Why did they come so early?"

But no matter how much they complained in their hearts, they all joined in watching the fun.

Only Xu Wen was not surprised.

More than an hour ago.

Lu Yuanzheng knocked on the window, and it was Xu Wen who opened the door.

"What's going on?" Xu asked Lu Yuanzheng, what did he mean he couldn't marry her?

The Taoyuan Brigade was not far from the Lujia Brigade, and the sound of gongs and drums could still be faintly heard at Xu Wen's home.

From this we can see that Lu Yuanzheng came here secretly without telling anyone.

Lu Yuanzheng pinched his hips with one hand and rubbed the back of his head up and down with the other hand, looking a little embarrassed.

Xu Wen looked at his expression and guessed, "Did your company temporarily recruit you back?"

Lu Yuanzheng was not the kind of person who would break off an engagement at a whim, so Xu Wen could not think of any other reason except this.

Lu Yuanzheng smiled bitterly: "You are so smart sometimes that it's frightening." He sighed and picked up some non-confidential information and told Xu Wen, "The team sent me a telegram asking me to return immediately. We have to complete our mission."

You can't tell me where you're going, how long you're staying, or what you're doing.

Xu Wen couldn't explain what he felt. He pinched the hem of his clothes unconsciously and asked softly, "Do we have to leave now?"

Xu Wen looked calm, but he was nervous because of the long journey and couldn't speak.

After a moment of silence, he said, "There's still some time. A car will come to pick me up tomorrow morning." He raised his wrist and looked at his watch. "It will arrive around eight o'clock."

Lu Yuanzheng and several comrades from surrounding cities were on leave together, and the local authorities sent cars to pick them up one by one.

There were too few trains in the area, so the local armed forces sent a car to take them directly to the railway station in the provincial capital, which was faster.

It is estimated that some comrades are on the way now.

"There are still about four hours left?" Xu Wen frowned and calculated, "According to the plan, will you be at my house at six o'clock?"

Lu Yuanzheng nodded.

At six o'clock, he brought the wedding party to the house, had a banquet, had some fun, and then picked up Xu Wen to go to the Lu family to hold the wedding.

The plan is to leave at eight, hold the ceremony at nine, and start the banquet at twelve.

Almost everything to do at each time period is arranged clearly. We don't leave at exactly 8 o'clock, and the meal doesn't start at exactly 12 o'clock, but usually at 11:58.

"Well, if you come a little earlier, or if we hold the ceremony earlier, will it make a difference?"

Lu Yuanzheng's eyes widened, a little bit unable to believe what he heard, "I am like this...are you still willing to marry me?"

Picking up the bride and holding the ceremony in advance will not have much impact, except that it does not suit the so-called auspicious time.

Moreover, there are several time periods in one hour, so there is a lot of room for choice.

"Why not? It's not like you're breaking off the engagement on purpose." Xu Wen was puzzled.

Lu Yuanzheng was stunned for a moment. He had already made preparations to cancel the wedding before he came.

But even if he canceled the wedding, he wouldn't even have time to clean up the mess, and the rotten stall still had to be left to Xu Wen.

Xu Wen said calmly, "Besides, now all that's missing is a ceremony. We've spent all the money we needed to spend, bought all the things we needed to buy, even invited the guests. To be exact, even though the place is far away, all the relatives and friends have already arrived."

"I'm sorry!" Lu Yuanzheng apologized.

Not only could he not give her a perfect wedding, he was afraid that she would be laughed at by others.

Xu Wen shook his head. “It’s not your fault! You…”

"Excuse me, who are you talking to?" Zhu Meizhen also woke up.

"With Lu Yuanzheng, he said he would come an hour early to pick up the bride."

Zhu Meizhen was anxious: "Didn't we agree to come at six and leave at eight? How come it's an hour early?"

Hearing that Zhu Meizhen was about to come out, Xu Wen hurriedly said, "I was in a hurry to eat that day and missed the right time. Mom, Lu Yuanzheng has already left, you don't have to come out." Xu Wen lied without changing his expression, pushed Lu Yuanzheng out, and mouthed, "Go! Leave this to me."

Lu Yuanzheng: "..."

He didn't move.

Seeing this, Xu Wen forcibly pulled him up and ran outside. He turned the corner and looked back. Seeing that the family members couldn't see him from this angle even if they came out, he spoke: "If you tell them the truth, they will only be confused now. It's too late to cancel the wedding at this point, but if we go on, they will feel upset for me.

Although I have to face it sooner or later, I hope they can be happy for a few more hours. At least let them be happy enough to marry me off. Don't worry, I will explain it later."

Lu Yuanzheng was silent for a while, then compromised: "I owe you a wedding gift. Say sorry to my parents for me."

Xu Wen nodded.

After Lu Yuanzheng left, all members of the Xu family got up and asked Xu Wen what was going on and why Lu Yuanzheng came so early in the morning.

Xu Wen lied and said that he would pick up the bride an hour earlier and leave an hour earlier.

The Xu family members were not happy when they heard this. How could they suddenly decide to change the date on the wedding day?

If it weren't for Lu Yuanzheng's professional endorsement, the Xu family would even suspect that Lu Yuanzheng was deliberately making things difficult for them.

But no matter how unhappy you are on a wedding day, you usually have to compromise.

After all, the long journey is for the good times!

After being unhappy for a few minutes, she immediately started preparing for the wedding.

The Xu family has strength in numbers, so even though they arrived a little early, they were not panicked.

In order to save time, Lu Yuanzheng didn't even eat the son-in-law's meal.

After being begged and making a fuss for a while, he was about to take Xu Wen away.

As soon as I entered the inner room, I was startled by Xu Wen, who was dressed in red, and my breathing became disordered for a moment.

"You are so beautiful!" Lu Yuanzheng blurted out.

Of course, this was met with laughter.

If you want to pick up the bride, you must first find the hidden boutonniere and shoes.

Under normal circumstances, Lu Yuanzheng would join in the fun and take his time to have fun.

I was so anxious that I even found the boutonniere and shoes within three minutes.

But he knew how to handle things, and gave every cent of the red envelope he deserved. Even though everyone thought he found it too quickly, no one said anything.

Lu Yuanzheng knelt on one knee beside the kang to put on Xu Wen's shoes, then carried her down from the kang.

Before leaving, you should thank your parents and elders.

Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Wenxian held hands and kowtowed to their grandmother. Then they knelt in front of Xu Qiushi and Zhu Meizhen and kowtowed three times.

Zhu Meizhen's eyes instantly turned red. Marrying a daughter is a happy event, but as a mother, it is inevitable that she will feel reluctant when her daughter leaves home.

Xu Wen warned Lu Yuanzheng with tears in his eyes while smiling: "If you treat my sister badly, I will..." and waved his fist.

Before Lu Yuanzheng could express his opinion, Zhu Meizhen slapped Xu Wen in the face: "It's your sister's wedding day, why are you talking nonsense?"

Xu Wen cried out "ouch" and touched his head, feeling embarrassed.

On the wedding day, people only say blessing words. No matter what is wrong or what is not prepared, they will skip it immediately and will never say anything unlucky.

The last step is taking photos.

After taking a family photo and a few large family photos, the wedding procession was about to set off.

Lu Yuanzheng led the group, carrying Xu Wen, and several young men on bicycles followed behind, carrying grandma, Xu Qiushi, Zhu Meizhen, and the bride's daughter.

In Wei Zhuang, two people are needed to send a daughter off, one is the sister-in-law, and the other is the aunt or the elder sister.

These two people are called Songnu.

It is to protect the bride and help her make decisions at the groom's house.

Xu Wen borrowed a bicycle and took Sang Xiaoqing with him.

Xu Qie was young enough to ride in an ox cart.

There were other friends and relatives who wanted to attend the wedding. Some took ox carts, while others rode their own bicycles for the convenience of returning.

A group of people hurried back to Huijia Village again.

The short time on the road was not wasted, so I gave Xu Wen some information about my family's situation.

"You have just arrived and you may not know where many things are at home. Most Dongshengs know where they are. Just ask them. You can slowly get familiar with the objects.

I still have a few hundred dollars left, I'll give it to you later. My monthly allowance is about fifty dollars now, and I'll give it to you and Dongsheng on a monthly basis.

If... I say if, if I really can't come back, there will be a pension that will be enough to support you until you graduate from college.

As for Dongsheng, he actually enjoys some benefits as a martyr's orphan, including pensions for his parents. However, now that the incident happened suddenly, I don't have time to report the change of the recipient's information, so you can't get it for the time being.

But don't worry, I'll find someone to handle these issues as soon as I get back to work."

"I don't want these, I just want you to come back safely." Xu Wen put his arms around Lu Yuanzheng's waist and put his face on his back.

When it comes to separation, shyness is a luxury.

Lu Yuanzheng felt a warmth on his back, and he raised and put down one hand, and the veins on his hand that was holding the handlebars of the bicycle bulged.

After a moment of silence, he said, "I'll try my best."

He really wanted to promise her not to make her sad, but he really couldn't guarantee it.

Xu Wen could understand it intellectually, but could not accept it emotionally.

After a moment of silence, Lu Yuanzheng calmed down and continued, "I have informed my uncles and aunts that I am leaving. They will help with the aftermath..."

Lu Yuanzheng kept talking nonsense all the way.

Just as they reached the entrance of the village, they heard a burst of urgent horns behind them.

The wedding party all turned around.

A military green jeep appeared in front of us in the blink of an eye.

Xu Wen couldn't help but pinch the corner of Lu Yuanzheng's clothes.

The car to pick him up has arrived.