Chapter 101: Dad, Have Some Tea!
Chapter 101: Dad, Have Some Tea!
Longtan Market was one of the largest in the entire Baise region. Even though it wasn't market day, the streets were still bustling with people. Compared to places like Shuangwang, which were practically deserted on non-market days, the difference was like night and day.
At ten o'clock in the morning, a medium-sized tractor adorned with a large red "double happiness" character pulled up at a crossroads in Longtan Market, instantly drawing a crowd of onlookers.
In this era, most brides walked to their new homes, and only families with good means would use a bicycle to fetch the bride. Seeing someone use a medium-sized tractor to pick up the bride was as rare and impressive as seeing someone use a Rolls-Royce in the modern world. Naturally, everyone stopped to watch.
After about ten minutes, the crowd saw the bride being escorted by a group of seven or eight people, with a few more helping to carry her dowry.
The moment they got a clear look at the bride, everyone's eyes widened in amazement.
"My goodness, this bride is stunning!"
"Yeah, she's absolutely beautiful, just like those actresses in the movies."
"No wonder the groom's family used a medium-sized tractor to fetch her. With a bride this beautiful, you can tell their family must be well-off."
"Look, that guy with average looks must be the groom. What's that saying again? A beautiful flower stuck where?"
"A beautiful flower stuck in cow dung!"
"I think it's supposed to be cow manure, right?"
"Are cow dung and cow manure different?"
"I guess not..."
"Exactly!"
"..."
Amid the murmurs of the onlookers, the groom, Deng Yuntao, received his bride.
Seeing the breathtakingly beautiful bride, Deng Yuntao felt as if he were in a dream, a dream he had never dared to imagine before.
According to local customs, the groom had to give a red envelope to the bride when he came to fetch her. Deng Yuntao, of course, had prepared for this. After recovering from the shock of her beauty, he greeted each of the bride's escorts and then handed a red envelope to the bride, Zhang Xiuping.
Some brides would open the red envelope to check the amount of money inside. If it didn't meet their expectations, they would refuse to go with the groom. In such cases, the groom would have to rush back to get more money, making for an incredibly awkward situation.
Fortunately, Zhang Xiuping wasn't one of those brides. She followed the rules, didn't even look at the amount in the red envelope, and was helped into the tractor by two well-wishing women.
The groom's party then helped load the dowry onto the tractor and invited the bride's escorts to board.
Once everyone was on board, the tractor was packed to the brim. It was already a tight fit, even with the number of people kept to a minimum. Otherwise, a medium-sized tractor wouldn't have been able to accommodate everyone.
As the tractor started and drove away, the crowd slowly dispersed.
By the end of the day, the news of the medium-sized tractor fetching a bride in Longtan Market had spread throughout the various brigades of the Longtan commune, and the bride's beauty was the talk of the town.
...
Even though the tractor wasn't moving particularly fast, it was still much quicker than a bicycle. They returned to Naye Village in less than an hour.
In Baise County, the wedding customs from the Republican era required the bride to be greeted with three loud explosions, followed by the sound of long whistles, drums, and fireworks. In the current era, however, they simply set off fireworks to mark the occasion.
Amidst the sound of firecrackers, the bride was escorted out of the car by two fortunate women.
As the bride walked forward, a person scattered colorful paper behind her, saying, "First, scatter like flowers and brocade; second, scatter a hall full of gold and jade; third, scatter a hundred years of good marriage; fourth, scatter promotions and wealth; fifth, scatter honor for husband and wife; sixth, scatter eternal unity; seventh, scatter health and longevity; eighth, scatter a thriving family; ninth, scatter the evil spirits far away; tenth, scatter good fortune and blessings."
Before entering the house, the bride and the wedding guests walked to the basin of water prepared by the groom's family to wash their faces and hands. Zhang Xiuping lightly washed her face and hands, then, following tradition, tossed two coins into the basin.
After completing this, the next step was to offer incense to the ancestors.
After offering incense to the ancestors, the bride then served tea to her new parents, and it was time for her to call them by their new titles.
"Father, please have your tea!"
Seeing his personally chosen eldest daughter-in-law standing before him, bowing respectfully and serving him tea, Deng Shirong was overjoyed. With a broad smile, he accepted the tea, took a sip, and then handed the cup back to her.
Zhang Xiuping took the teacup with both hands and passed it to the Ouyang sisters, who were acting as her bridesmaids.
Deng Shirong then took out a large red envelope he had prepared and handed it to his eldest daughter-in-law, saying with a chuckle, "Wishing you a happy marriage and a long, harmonious life together! May your days be sweet, and may you have a noble child soon!"
"Thank you, Father!" Zhang Xiuping accepted the red envelope with both hands and passed it to the Ouyang sisters to keep.
After serving tea to her new parents, the bride was escorted to the bridal chamber, where she and the groom would drink the "cross-cup wine."
As Deng Yuntao and Zhang Xiuping locked eyes and linked arms, their hearts raced uncontrollably.
Although they were getting married today, they had only had one intimate moment before this, which was when Zhang Xiuping had hugged Deng Yuntao from behind while riding a bicycle to register their marriage at Songshan Commune. Now, standing so close to each other, they both felt their hearts pounding with excitement.
After much effort, they finally finished the cross-cup wine. Whether it was the quick absorption of the alcohol or some other reason, both of their faces were flushed.
After the cross-cup wine, they opened the fruit platter and shared dates (for an early start) and olives. Then, they combined two oil wicks, lit the oil lamp, and called it "united hearts."
...
After drinking the tea served by his eldest daughter-in-law, Deng Shirong entered the kitchen to start preparing the feast.
Today, he was the head chef for the banquet, and his eldest daughter played a crucial role in the kitchen. Others who had some cooking skills helped them.
In his previous life, the early death of his eldest son was Deng Shirong's greatest regret. This time, seeing his eldest son get married, he was determined to make the banquet unforgettable for all the guests.
The main dishes included spicy crabs, pan-fried large shrimp, steamed mudworms, meatballs, egg rolls, poached chicken, poached duck, braised pork, stir-fried pork with leeks and garlic, steamed carp, sweet lotus, and bamboo shoots.
The soups included sea cucumber and vermicelli soup, pork bone and yam soup, and sweet lotus soup.
The vegetarian dishes included fried peanut candy, stir-fried bamboo shoots, stir-fried yam, pickled garlic sprouts, stir-fried pumpkin, and stir-fried winter melon.
The variety and quantity of dishes were so abundant that they would set a new record for rural banquets in this era.
Finally, the first daughter-in-law has joined the family. Please give Zhang a vote of support, ha ha!
(End of Chapter)
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