Early the next morning, Jiang Shushu went to each family on the list that had been assigned to him, but after asking five families in a row, there was no good result. Either they had no plans to get married, or they had gone their separate ways, or they had no plans to arrange the wedding and only wanted to get a marriage certificate.
Around noon, Jiang Shushu found a quiet place, took out a rice dumpling from his bag and started eating it for lunch.
When they were 2/3 of the way through the meal, they saw a couple with affectionate looks walking towards them from a distance. Jiang Shushu recognized them at once. They were Huang Aimin and Li Xiang, who were the couple that Zhao the matchmaker had brought to the East State-owned Restaurant for the first time and had a successful blind date. They had later come to the East State-owned Restaurant for dinner twice.
The two of them happened to be on the list in Jiang Shushu's hand. Jiang Shushu stuffed the remaining rice dumpling into his mouth, poured some water from the cup, wet a tissue, wiped his mouth and hands clean, rinsed his mouth with water, and then swallowed it.
Jiang Shushu pretended to meet him by chance and walked forward with a smile.
"What a coincidence, Comrade Li, good afternoon." I hope Li Xiang still remembers me. I can get close to her just by saying hello.
Li Xiang still remembers Jiang Shushu vividly, because Jiang Shushu's skin was so good, white with a rosy glow, and standing in the dining room, she would sparkle and attract everyone's attention. "Good afternoon, Comrade Jiang."
That’s great that you still remember me. Now all that’s left is to introduce myself, and it won’t seem so awkward.
When Jiang Shushu saw the large piece of red cloth Li Xiang was carrying, he knew they had a good chance. "What a beautiful red cloth! Comrade Li has great taste."
Li Xiang smiled shyly and said, "I plan to make a new dress to wear when I get married, so I chose it carefully."
"So you are planning to get married? Congratulations, congratulations! You two are a talented couple and a beautiful woman, you will surely live happily together and grow old together. When are you planning to get married?" I am trying so hard to flatter him, he can't just not answer me, right?
"Thank you. We'll be getting married on the 16th day of the first lunar month."
I answered, and sure enough, no matter what time it is, flattery never goes out of style.
"The sixteenth day of the first lunar month is a day of good fortune. It's a truly auspicious day. Comrade Li, I'm sure you two will have a smooth and successful life together after your marriage. Are you planning a wedding banquet? How many tables?"
"We're planning a small wedding, inviting relatives and friends from both families, and there will probably be only four tables." Although Li Xiang said it was a small wedding, she was full of pride when she mentioned the four tables.
In those days, food was in short supply, and being able to host two tables was already very respectable, not to mention that Li Xiang hosted four tables.
Jiang Shushu was a little surprised. "Fourth table! Comrade Li has met someone he cares about. Comrade Huang is as sincere as ever, just like when he first met her on a blind date and found out about her hobbies. They're a perfect match, made in heaven."
Huang Aimin and Li Xiang exchanged a glance, their eyes so piercing that Jiang Shushu instantly thought of a song: You are the wind, I am the sand, lingering to the end of the world.
"Are you planning on having it at home? Preparing four tables of food is a lot of work, and the 16th of the Lunar New Year is a Friday, so many relatives won't be working."
"It's at home, so I have no choice but to work hard. It only happens once in a lifetime, so I'll just have to work hard!"
Huang Aimin looked at Li Xiang with some guilt, "Xiangxiang, don't worry, on the wedding day, I will try to do as much work as possible and won't let you get tired."
We are not afraid of being tired!
"Okay, I believe you love Min Ge."
Jiang Shushu: "..." I'm full of dog food. If it weren't for the performance, I would feel embarrassed to be a light bulb here against my conscience.
Jiang Shushu tried hard to recall the days of eating sweet potatoes for more than ten days straight, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes. "It's so touching, so touching. I'm deeply moved by your love. Marriage is a lifelong event. How could you, the bride and groom, fight? It would be a huge regret when you look back on it. Marriage should be beautiful and happy. When you look back on it in the future, every minute and every second will be filled with happiness and sweetness."
Huang Aijun smiled embarrassedly, "There weren't that many relatives to help us that day, so we had to do a lot of things ourselves. But Comrade Jiang is right, that day is very important. Xiangxiang, you just need to be in charge of Meimei that day, and I'll take care of the other things."
"How can that be? If you want to do it, then do it together. You are the groom and the protagonist of the day."
I've said so much, why don't you think about what I do? Forget it, just do it yourself.
"Why don't you come to our state-owned restaurant? You don't have to do anything, just focus on making it delicious. Our chef is a top chef, and he just won the food competition a few months ago. He'll specially prepare a feast for you, and I guarantee your friends and family will enjoy the meal and be full of praise..."
Huang Aimin and Li Xiang's thoughts turned more and more fond as they listened. They immediately felt that holding a wedding banquet at a state-owned hotel would be a very profitable venture, as it would bring both face and substance.
Li Xiang was puzzled. "Are state-owned restaurants able to make reservations for us in advance? I've never heard of that. Isn't it just about eating whatever's available when you get there?"
"There are no specific regulations. In the past, ingredients were limited, so the default was first come, first served. But in recent years, living standards have improved, and with more ingredients available, we've relaxed the rules. If it's a reasonable request, we can reserve some. Our country is committed to building a better life, fostering happy marriages, and encouraging healthy and frequent births. You had a successful blind date at our state-owned restaurant, and you got married there. We're responding to this policy and doing our part for the motherland."
When the idea of a happy marriage and more children came up, Li Xiang became shy and Huang Aimin became excited.
"Comrade Jiang, we will hold our wedding banquet at the State-Owned Hotel East on the 16th day of the first lunar month."
"No problem, I will definitely help you make it beautiful and make that day the most beautiful memory of your life."
Huang Aimin: "Thank you, Comrade Jiang. You really helped us a lot. I will definitely give you a red envelope when the time comes."
"No need for a red envelope. I'm deeply moved by your love. Such an important day should be a happy one. How can you make yourself so busy and exhausted?"
Then Jiang Shushu discussed with the two of them, and half an hour later, even the menu was confirmed, including three meat dishes, two half-meat and half-vegetarian dishes, two vegetarian dishes, one fruit, and one soup. He also wrote a handwritten letter of intent in two copies.
"Comrade Li, Comrade Huang, on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, our National Hotel will be open on the east side. If you have any questions, feel free to come and see me. On the 12th day of the Lunar New Year, I'll come back to you to finalize it. Then, on the 16th day of the Lunar New Year, we'll proceed as agreed. Is that okay with you?"
Li Xiang and the other person nodded at the same time and said, "Sure, sure."
"Then I'll be leaving first. I'd like to wish you both a happy new year in advance, and good luck in the coming year!"
Li Xiang: "We also wish Comrade Jiang a happy new year and good luck in the coming year!"
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