Because of the commotion at the start of the trip, everyone was quiet along the way. Even the two couples who were about to get their marriage certificates had lost their initial excitement and were only talking quietly.
When Liu Shumei learned that Zhong Lingling and Wang Wenqi were also going to get their marriage certificate, she seemed very happy and whispered to Zhong Lingling.
"If you're sure about it, it's good to get the marriage certificate sooner rather than later. That way, you'll have more people to take care of you. Lingling, you've just arrived, so you might not feel it as much as you do now. Life in the countryside isn't easy, especially for us female educated youth. Not only do we have to work, but we also have to be careful in everything we do. Otherwise, if we make a mistake, our reputation will be ruined."
Liu Shumei didn't have much contact with Yang Wanqiu on a regular basis, and the two weren't very familiar with each other, so she couldn't directly say anything to Yang Wanqiu. Instead, she took the opportunity of chatting with Zhong Lingling to give her a hint. Whether Yang Wanqiu would take it to heart was up to her own discretion.
At this moment, Zhong Lingling was only thinking about her future happy life with her brother Wenqi, and didn't care about the meaning behind Liu Shumei's words. She casually replied, "I know. By the way, Sister Shumei, there's something I want to discuss with you."
Zhong Lingling and Wang Wenqi were new educated youths, and both of them were rather cold-hearted. They hadn't gotten to know the other educated youths very well yet, let alone the villagers.
However, marriage is a major event in their lives, and they both wanted it to be a joyous occasion, without leaving any regrets.
So I thought about discussing whether we could hold the wedding together with Liu Shumei and Dong Weibing. They could contribute half of the cost of the banquet, and it would be more lively that way.
Although she was in charge of the educated youth settlement, Liu Shumei didn't have much contact with Zhong Lingling because she and the others had moved out to live on their own shortly after arriving. So, when she heard Zhong Lingling say this, Liu Shumei was a little surprised, but she still smiled and said, "Just say what you want to say. Why are you being so polite with me?"
Actually, Zhong Lingling was a little embarrassed. Apart from going to work, she usually spent most of her time taking care of Wang Wenqi and his sister. If there was anything that needed to be communicated with the old educated youth, it was Wang Wenqi who did it.
So she wasn't really that familiar with Liu Shumei, which made Zhong Lingling a little embarrassed to ask for help.
However, considering that marriage is usually more important to the woman's opinion, he didn't let Wang Wenqi go directly to Dong Weibing, but instead gritted his teeth and went to find Liu Shumei himself.
Zhong Lingling hadn't expected Liu Shumei to be so kind and approachable, which completely dispelled her initial apprehension.
Zhong Lingling was a generous and straightforward person, so she didn't hold back and said directly, "It's like this, Sister Shumei, I heard from Brother Wenqi that you and Dong Zhiqing are not planning to have a banquet or accept gifts for your wedding. You're just inviting the educated youth and acquaintances to come and make it lively. You see, Brother Wenqi and I have just arrived and don't know many people yet. But a wedding is a big event after all, and it wouldn't look good if it were too quiet. Brother Wenqi and I don't want to leave any regrets, so we were thinking if we could have our wedding together with you and Dong Zhiqing, so we could join in the fun."
"Wenqi and I will cover half the cost of the wedding banquet, okay, Sister Shumei?"
As if afraid that Liu Shumei would disagree, Zhong Lingling quickly added, "Wenqi and I don't accept gifts either. We just wanted more people to make it more lively."
Upon hearing this, Liu Shumei laughed. Looking at Zhong Lingling's serious expression, she thought it was something serious. If it weren't for a few close friends teasing them, saying that a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event and shouldn't be skipped, she and Dong Weibing wouldn't even want to entertain the people from the educated youth settlement. With relatives from both sides absent, they originally thought they would just get a marriage certificate and call it a day.
After all, neither she nor Dong Weibing came from wealthy families. During the years they were sent to the countryside, their families not only couldn't help them at all, but they also had to send money home from time to time to make up for it. So even though it was just a simple banquet, it was still a considerable expense for her and Dong Weibing.
Hearing that Zhong Lingling wanted to do it together and even promised to pay half the cost, Liu Shumei thought it was a good thing. Without thinking, Liu Shumei agreed, "Okay, it's quite a coincidence that we're getting married. Let's get our marriage certificate together today and have the wedding together later. It will be a fun memory to look back on in the future, don't you think?"
"Whether you accept gifts or not is up to you; you don't have to do it like us. We don't accept gifts because we haven't had much contact with others over the years. Plus, among us educated youth, we could go our separate ways any day, and it's uncertain whether we'll even keep in touch after we return to the city. So, over the years, we've developed this habit of not giving gifts, and it's not mandatory."
Although Liu Shumei and Dong Weibing had been working in the countryside for quite some time, they both still harbored the hope of returning to the city. Therefore, even though they liked each other and decided to become life partners, neither of them had any intention of buying a house and settling down here.
Therefore, they naturally wouldn't hold a lavish wedding and accept gifts. Even the educated youth living in the same courtyard would agree beforehand that after getting their marriage certificates, they would treat everyone to a meal to celebrate together, which would be considered their wedding, and they wouldn't accept any gifts.
"Yes, it really is quite a coincidence. By the way, Sister Shumei, when are you planning to hold your banquet? Should we buy the banquet supplies on this trip so we don't have to make another trip to town?"
Zhong Lingling was clearly surprised that things went so smoothly, and she nodded repeatedly in agreement.
This was the first time Liu Shumei and Dong Weibing had gotten married. Although they had carefully considered their relationship before deciding to get married, they were quite casual about when to register their marriage and when to hold their wedding banquet.
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