On National Day that year, Fang Meihao got married. Her husband was a doctor at the county hospital, a few years older than her.
Fang Mei's house was filled with the aroma of cooking early in the morning. "Dongqiang, you and Tingting keep an eye on your little sister. There are a lot of people today, so don't let her run around." Fang Mei had returned from the city a few days in advance to prepare.
Relatives and neighbors came to help, filling the area around the house. Several uncles stood on long benches to build a bamboo shed, the bamboo poles clanging loudly in their hands. They secured the shed with wire, making neat circles around the frame. As soon as the plastic sheeting was laid on the roof, children started climbing up the bamboo poles, only to be pulled down by adults. "Don't be naughty, or you'll damage it and it won't be good to hang the red ribbon!"
Smoke was already billowing from the kitchen chimney. "When the wedding party from the city arrives, we'll have some snack noodles first." An experienced old woman who was good at cooking local dishes had already prepared a pot of rich soup, which contained shredded meat, tofu skin, dried daylily, shredded egg, shredded dried shiitake mushrooms, and more. The rice noodles were cooked a little firm and served in bowls without the soup. When the guests arrived, the hot soup would be poured into the bowls. This was called "topping noodles" locally.
My neighbor's uncle is very good at steaming rice. He's in charge of cooking rice for banquets. He soaks the rice for a while, puts it in a bamboo steamer, and when the steam comes up, the aroma of rice mixed with the fragrance of bamboo can be smelled from afar.
Several large pots were set up at the entrance, and an experienced cook was hired to cook. Several women from the surrounding area came to help in the kitchen, some washing vegetables and others chopping vegetables.
A few younger people were making balloons; red and pink balloons were tied to bamboo poles, swaying gently in the wind.
An elderly man squatted nearby, smoking his pipe, and smiled as he watched the younger generation bustling about. "Mei is so lucky. She has a good job and married a doctor from the city. This is even more lively than the New Year!"
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the bamboo shed, falling on the red silk, smiling faces, and warmth filling the courtyard; even the wind carried the scent of joy.
Fang Meihao wore a white polyester shirt underneath a red polyester suit jacket, with a red silk flower pinned to her chest, and matching red suit trousers. She also had a red silk flower pinned to the end of her hair.
Children crowded at the door to see the bride. Some children who were losing their baby teeth would be brought over by their mothers so that Fang Mei could touch their gums. It was said that if the bride touched her gums, new teeth would grow in.
When the sound of a motorcycle came from the village entrance, Fang Meihao's family immediately set off firecrackers to welcome it.
The groom, Bao Wenzhao, rode in the lead on a silver-gray Honda motorcycle with a large red flower tied to the handlebars, followed by a group of motorcycles, also with large red flowers tied to the front of their motorcycles.
The villagers all came out to watch. "The groom works at the People's Hospital. If you need anything in the future, just say you're from Meihao's village."
The old lady in the kitchen busily served the noodles with toppings to the guests. Hearing that the noodles were delicious, she smiled happily and called out, "There's still some broth in the pot. If it's not enough, I'll get some more. Everyone, please have some more."
Shortly after lunch, with the sound of firecrackers, the wedding procession set off back to the county town. They planned to have dinner at a restaurant in the county town for their colleagues and superiors.
After the wedding procession left, the busyness at home shifted from "festive preparations" to "final cleanup." The lively atmosphere in the courtyard hadn't dissipated yet. The women soaked the wooden buckets for steaming rice and the rough porcelain bowls for serving dishes in warm water, and scrubbed the oil-stained cloths with a "whoosh" sound. While washing the dishes, they chatted about how Meihao blushed when the wedding procession was sent off, and how polite the new son-in-law was. Their hands never stopped working.
Fang Meixiang's mother shared the remaining vegetables with the neighbors who had helped.
The person in charge of cooking is counting how many people have come to help. The bride and groom give red envelopes, and they will estimate what gifts to buy for everyone based on the number of people. These are usually practical items like enamel pots and basins.
The sounds of talking inside and outside the house, the clattering of bowls and chopsticks, mixed with the crowing of roosters outside the yard, filled the emptiness left by the daughter's marriage a little.
Fang Damiao went to the county town early the next morning. He could move into his new house now, and he would stay in the new house for one more night after he returned.
Aside from a new bed, the room was empty of other furniture. Fang Meili gave them a quilt she had made for her wedding that hadn't been used yet.
However, Fang Damiao wasn't worried. He knew that Fang Meili would take care of everything Fang Meixiang and Fang Dongqiang needed, so he just needed to focus on his work. He rarely came back now, and with a new house, a new bed, and new quilts, he was already very satisfied.
When he's at home, no matter how busy he is, he always makes time to visit the small shop. "Da Miao, now that you're living in the city, you come home less often."
"Meili's shop is busy. My younger sister is getting married today, so the shop is closed," Fang Damiao said with a smile.
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