Early in the morning, Xu Ruantang went to Li Shuhe's house.
These days, there aren't many professional makeup artists. The person who did Li Shuhe's makeup and hair was her cousin.
The Li family's house was decorated with festive red characters everywhere.
Xu Ruantang greeted them and then ran to Li Shuhe's room.
As soon as she entered, she almost tripped over something on the floor.
"Ruan Tang, come here quickly."
Li Shuhe sat in front of the mirror and waved to her.
"Meimei, could you move those dowry items by the door so they don't trip anyone up?"
Li Shuhe said with a smile.
Her room wasn't small, but it was filled with the dowry that her parents had prepared for her, so much so that it almost reached the doorway.
Yesterday, Li's parents almost asked Li Shuyang to move out and make him vacate the room so his sister could store her dowry.
Is it pretty?
Li Shuhe was putting on a hair accessory when Xu Ruantang approached, and she immediately turned around to ask her.
Xu Ruantang nodded, "It's beautiful, exceptionally beautiful."
What bride isn't beautiful?
Moreover, the things Li Shuhe uses are the best available on the market right now, and some of them are even impossible to buy at all.
Looking out of her room window, the Li family was bustling about, and everyone's faces were beaming with joy.
"Knock knock knock".
A knock came at the door.
"Please come in."
While shouting outside, Li Shuhe said, "It's probably my brother or my mother. They're probably worried that I'm changing clothes."
Her tone was natural, but Xu Ruantang was shocked.
The door opened, and two people carrying trays followed behind Li's mother. "Come on, have some breakfast first."
With a beaming smile, Mother Li placed the tray down, which contained red eggs and bowls of meat soup noodles.
"Mom, I'm not eating anymore, otherwise I won't be able to put on my wedding dress later."
Li Shuhe looked up and whispered to her mother in a coquettish tone.
Mother Li picked up an egg and peeled it. "Eat some, it's still a long time until noon, a bowl of noodles isn't much..."
The mother and daughter spoke to each other in soft, gentle voices.
Mother Li invited everyone to eat together, and Xu Ruantang also ate a bowl of meat soup noodles.
She didn't usually like this kind of meat-filled noodles, but one bite gave her a pleasant surprise.
It's sour and spicy, and the noodles come with lots of side dishes, such as daylily, wood ear fungus, and chives, so it's not greasy at all.
"We don't have the custom of eating noodles for breakfast in Beijing. This is a habit from my hometown. Will we be able to get used to it?"
Mother Li asked with a smile.
Xu Ruantang nodded vigorously, "Yes, I can eat it, Auntie, it's delicious."
Upon hearing this, Li's mother laughed even harder. Just as she was about to speak, the door to the room was pushed open.
The group looked towards the entrance.
The smile on Li's mother's face froze, and Li Shuhe reacted even more strongly, standing up abruptly.
She looked at the doorway with a complicated expression, and after a long while, she said, "Sister Cheng Dan."
Today is her wedding day; no matter what, it's impossible to just kick her out.
Cheng Dan, with one hand still resting on the door frame, looked at the people inside the room and calmly smiled, "Shuhe, congratulations."
As he spoke, he took out a red envelope and stuffed it into Li's mother's hand.
“Aunt Li, this is the money my mother asked me to bring as a gift. She originally wanted to come with me.”
Cheng Dan tossed her hair and smiled softly, "Maybe she was too happy when I came back yesterday and drank a few too many drinks, so she's not feeling well today."
Mother Li refused to accept the red envelope, saying, "Are you not feeling well? Then you should rest well, it's alright."
Li's mother knew perfectly well that it was best if Cheng's mother didn't come today, given her jealous nature.
Who knows what unlucky things they'll say when they arrive?
Ever since Cheng Dan went to the local cultural troupe, Cheng's mother and father had several arguments at home, but to no avail. After that, Cheng's mother became depressed and rarely left the house.
With her daughter annulling her engagement to the Lu family, and the Li family suddenly holding a wedding, it's no wonder Cheng's mother was happy.
The tug-of-war between Cheng Dan and Li's mother over the red envelope ended when Cheng Dan stuffed the red envelope into Li's mother's arms and took a step back.
Li's mother thought to herself that when Cheng Dan got married, she would just pack a few more and send them back.
"Cheng Dan, haven't you eaten yet? Here, Auntie made some meat soup noodles by hand, would you like some?"
Mother Li was just being polite, thinking that the woman might leave after giving out the red envelope.
It wasn't that they didn't want to invite people to the banquet, but Cheng Dan's appearance would inevitably become the subject of gossip among the people in the compound.
Li's mother thought that she didn't want to attend either.
To everyone's surprise, Cheng Dan smiled gently and sat down next to Xu Ruantang. "Okay, thank you, Aunt Li."
Mother Li quickly went to get busy.
Xu Ruantang sat by the table, and Li Shuhe secretly squeezed her hand a few times. Taking advantage of Cheng Dan's inattention, she whispered in her ear, "If you mind, I'll find a reason to make her leave?"
"Need not."
Xu Ruantang's eyes were cold and her expression was calm and composed.
The previous incident caused such a big fuss that, if anyone felt embarrassed, it was Cheng Dan.
She looked different when she came back this time; she seemed much more mature and composed.
Although the bride's family is hosting the banquet, the entire wedding process is still followed.
At eight o'clock in the morning, firecrackers went off in front of the compound gate.
Standing in the Li family's courtyard, one could faintly hear some sounds.
Soon, a group of boys led by Li Shuyang walked towards the house, with someone shouting, "Quick, close the door! The groom is at the front door!"
Blocking the door and demanding red envelopes is a tradition in the compound.
It's usually just a token amount; the red envelope usually contains only a few cents, and then some melon seeds, peanuts, fruit, or candy.
In the past, when someone in the compound got married or had a daughter married, they would prepare enough gifts to distribute along the way, so that everyone could share in the joy.
Li Shuhe had already changed her clothes and put on makeup, and was sitting on the bed holding flowers, waiting.
Xu Ruantang and Li Shuhe's cousin were discussing where to hide the wedding shoes.
"Sister, please help me."
Suddenly, Li Shuhe's cousin made a snap decision and rolled up her trouser leg.
Xu Ruantang blinked. "Should I tie it to your leg?"
"Um!"
My cousin nodded quickly, "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub, let's go!"
That fearless, death-defying stance didn't seem like it was for good luck; it looked more like it was for someone ready to charge into battle.
After Xu Ruantang helped her tie up, she looked up and someone grabbed her arm.
She turned around and saw that Li Shuhe's face was full of tension. She looked up at her and asked, "Why haven't you come in yet?"
Li Shuhe's fingernails were almost embedded in Xu Ruantang's cotton-padded coat.
"I'll go take a look!"
Li Shuhe's cousin ran out in a flash.
Everyone gathered in the main room of the Li family's house to watch the excitement, waiting for the groom to knock on the door so they could all ask for red envelopes.
Only Xu Ruantang, Li Shuhe, and Cheng Dan, who sat silently, remained in the new house.
"Sister Cheng Dan, aren't you going to go and take a look?"
Li Shuhe turned to ask her.
When Cheng Dan returned this time, she spoke much less than before, and she no longer had her previous arrogance.
Hearing this, she chuckled and shook her head. "I'll stay here with you. There are too many people over there; we can't squeeze in."
Li Shuhe's wedding happened to be during the Chinese New Year. All of Li's relatives and friends came, and with Li's father's status and position, almost half of the people in the compound came.
There wasn't enough room at home, so some people even stood outside the door to help the groom knock on the door.
The scene became chaotic at one point.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
