Chapter 337: The Bride's Dowry

Chapter 337: The Bride's Dowry

Songwang Township.

Shanxin Village.

Today is Zhu Junjie's wedding day. Although the banquet for guests is not held in the village but at the Suzheng Hotel in the county town, it has still caused quite a stir in the village.

After all, Zhu Junjie is arguably the most accomplished young man in Shanxin Village. At a young age, he has become the chief of the county police department, a position even more prestigious than the top official in Songwang Township. It is only natural that his wedding would cause a commotion in the entire village.

At this moment, in front of the old house of the Zhu family, hundreds of people are gathered. Most of them are from Shanxin Village, but there are also people from neighboring villages who have come to watch the spectacle. They are waiting for the groom to bring the bride back while chatting with each other.

The topic of their conversation, without a doubt, centers around the bride.

"Have you heard that the bride's family are self-employed?"

"Yes, they are self-employed, but not the kind who run a small stall. They run a big business."

"Even if their business is big, they are still self-employed. It doesn't quite have the same prestige. With Zhu Junjie's status, why didn't he find someone from a government office? That way, both of them would be on the government payroll, which would be much more honorable!"

"You're talking like that, but can honor put food on the table? Do you know how big the bride's family's business is? The largest and most upscale hotel in the county is owned by her family. They probably earn in a day what many government employees earn in several months!"

"Really? Running a hotel can be that profitable?"

"What do you think? It's the best hotel in the county."

"But even if her family is wealthy, it's still her family's money. The bride probably has a few brothers, right? They say a married daughter is like water spilled out, after all, she's just a daughter. How much can she benefit from her family? In my opinion, Zhu Junjie would be better off marrying a girl who works in a government office. That way, her salary would be part of their household income, which is much better than a daughter from a self-employed family."

"You have a point. A married daughter indeed doesn't get much benefit from her family."

"You all only know one side of the story!"

"What do you mean?"

"You only know that the bride's family is self-employed, but you probably don't know that her two younger brothers, one is at Tsinghua University, and the other is at Peking University. The one from Peking University is already working and is said to be at a level no less than Zhu Junjie's!"

"Really? Is that true?"

"Of course, it's true. Zhu Junjie's mother said it herself."

"If that's the case, it's really impressive. No wonder Zhu Junjie didn't choose someone from a government office but a self-employed daughter. It turns out her brothers are so impressive!"

"..."

The people from neighboring villages are all discussing the matter, and the villagers of Shanxin Village are also talking, but their focus is different.

"Can you guess how much dowry the bride will bring today?"

"How could we guess? But given the bride's family background, the dowry won't be lacking."

"I bet it will be the 'three revolutions and a sound'!"

"The 'three revolutions and a sound' are already outdated. Now, people are into the new 'four essentials.' I guess the dowry will be the new 'four essentials.'"

"What are the new 'four essentials'?"

"Really? You don't know? They are the refrigerator, washing machine, television, and tape recorder!"

"My goodness, if it's those four essentials, the dowry will be quite impressive."

"Given the bride's family's wealth, the four essentials are definitely not a problem. It just depends on how generous her family is."

"That might be a bit difficult. Although the groom's family has given a dowry price of 1399, it's far from enough to buy the four essentials. They are marrying off their daughter, not making a profit. They can't be expected to lose money on the marriage."

"You're right. They are marrying off their daughter, not taking a bride. It wouldn't be appropriate to make them lose money."

"..."

Inside the house, Grandma Zhu said to her children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren, "When Xiaojie brings the bride back, you must warmly welcome the wedding guests and leave them with the best impression. And you must keep smiling throughout. Do you understand?"

Zhu Erge said somewhat helplessly, "Mom, we understand. You've already said it several times."

Grandma Zhu glanced at him, "Are you annoyed by my nagging?"

Although they have been living separately for many years, the authority of the old lady still stands. Zhu Erge shrank his neck and shook his head, "No, I just said we understand!"

Grandma Zhu said, "Don't think I'm nagging. The main reason is that Xiaojie's wedding is different from others. It will be on television."

Zhu Dage's wife was surprised, "Mom, Xiaojie's wedding will be on television? What does that mean?"

The others also showed surprised expressions.

Grandma Zhu said, "I'm not quite sure about the details, but Xiaojie told me that he invited people from the Culture Bureau to shoot a video. We'll be on television, so you all need to be mindful and keep smiling when welcoming the wedding guests."

Upon hearing this, everyone took it seriously.

In this era, even taking a photo is a significant matter, let alone appearing on television, which is absolutely a major event that deserves high attention.

Seeing this, Grandma Zhu nodded in satisfaction and said, "Alright, since you all understand what to do, take your positions and do your best."

...

9:30 AM.

Two large buses drove into Shanxin Village.

The villagers eagerly crowded around, their eyes glued to the bus windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of the renowned beauty from a prestigious family.

Of course, some people had seen the bride before.

After all, her family had come to the Zhu family’s home to pay a visit a couple of years ago, and the Zhu family had prepared a grand feast, slaughtering a pig and cooking a lavish meal.

However, seeing her then is different from seeing her now as a bride.

Soon, the two large buses stopped in front of the old house of the Zhu family.

The first to get off were the people from the Culture Bureau, carrying video equipment and cameras, which left the onlookers in the village with surprised expressions.

Next, the people who had gone to fetch the bride got off, followed by the wedding guests, and finally, Zhu Junjie, the groom, helped the bride down from the bus. The entire process was naturally recorded.

In this era, weddings are not as elaborate as in ancient times or the future. In fact, in many villages, the bride often walks halfway with the wedding guests before the groom and his party come to meet her, so it is quite normal for the bride to walk. She doesn’t need to be carried in and out of the car.

Of course, this applies to brides who are not overly dramatic. In any era, there are always some brides who are more dramatic.

In the rural areas of this era, some brides require the groom to pick them up on a bicycle, and once the bride gets on, she won’t get off until they reach the destination.

It’s important to note that rural roads are not as smooth as city roads; they are often rugged and have steep hills. Even an empty bicycle would be difficult to ride up these hills, let alone one carrying a person.

Despite this, the bride would remain firmly seated on the back of the bicycle, refusing to get off under any circumstances. The groom would have to figure out a way to manage the situation.

Fortunately, the groom usually makes preparations in advance. When he goes to pick up the bride on a bicycle, he arranges for people to wait at these steep hills. When the groom arrives with the bride, he gets off the bicycle, and the pre-arranged people help push the bride up the steep hill.

If no such arrangements are made and the bride refuses to get off, the situation can become quite awkward. The groom would have to use all his strength to push the bicycle carrying the bride up the steep hill.

Fortunately, Deng Yunzhen, the bride, is not that dramatic. She gets in and out of the car on her own, without requiring the groom or anyone else to carry her.

The moment the bride got out of the car, the onlookers could see her clearly, and the entire scene erupted in excitement.

Everyone let out exclamations of surprise, as the bride’s attire was truly stunning, as if she had walked out of a television show.

Actually, Western-style wedding dresses had long been introduced to China, but they were generally popular in cities. In rural areas, it was considered a luxury for a bride to have a red dress for her wedding.

Therefore, the white, thick wedding dress that Deng Yunzhen wore was something the villagers had never seen before.

Combined with the professional makeup and styling, the effect was truly breathtaking.

It was only natural that the villagers would be amazed.

The Zhu family warmly welcomed Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yunheng, Deng Yunzhu, and the other wedding guests.

The two sisters-in-law, Zhu Dage's wife and Zhu Erge's wife, were responsible for greeting the bride. Once inside, they immediately served the guests with fruits, snacks, and tea.

After a brief rest, the bride and groom went to the ancestral hall to pay respects to the ancestors.

By this time, the villagers had recovered from their initial excitement and began discussing the bride’s dowry.

"How come we haven’t seen the bride’s dowry?"

"That is a bit strange. Even if the wedding feast isn’t held here, the dowry should at least be brought back and displayed!"

"There must be a dowry. Maybe it’s so much that they thought it would be a hassle to transport it back and forth, so they moved it directly to the home in the county town?"

"That’s probably it. If it weren’t for the need to pay respects to the ancestors, they might not have come back at all, as it takes several hours to make the round trip."

"Let’s wait and see."

"..."

In the village, whether now or in the future, once someone gets married, the villagers are very interested in topics such as "how much the groom paid for the bride, how much dowry the bride brought, how many dishes were served at the wedding feast, how many red envelopes the groom gave to the wedding guests, and how much money was collected at the wedding." Whenever the villagers gather, they are bound to discuss these topics.

Soon, under the guidance of the Zhu family, the groom and bride returned after paying respects to the ancestors.

Then, the groom and bride distributed candy to the villagers. With so many people present, they needed several kilograms of candy to go around. Fortunately, the Zhu family was well-prepared; otherwise, it would have been embarrassing if they couldn’t even afford to distribute the candy.

After the groom and bride finished distributing the candy, a close female neighbor approached Grandmother Zhu and asked in a low voice, "Third Mother, what is your new daughter-in-law’s dowry?"

Grandmother Zhu, who had been holding back the news of her new daughter-in-law’s astonishing dowry, was eager to share it. Even if no one had asked, she would have found a way to let it slip, just to make the villagers envious. Now that someone had asked, it was like the perfect opportunity.

She teased, "My new daughter-in-law’s dowry, I’d rather not say. I’m afraid it might shock you."

The female neighbor laughed, "Third Mother, I may not have seen much of the world, but I’m not that easily shocked. Don’t keep me in suspense, tell me already!"

Grandmother Zhu said, "My new daughter-in-law’s dowry consists of two items."

The female neighbor asked, "What are the two items?"

Grandmother Zhu smiled and said, "The first item is a house in the Yedeng residential area."

Hearing this, the female neighbor couldn’t help but widen her eyes. The Yedeng residential area was already famous throughout the county. Her village had a girl who had married into the Yedeng family and was now the envy of the entire village. She had heard about it before.

The dowry being a house was truly beyond her expectations. This house, it is said, cost 5000 yuan when it was being built through a collective fund, which is no less valuable than the 'four essentials'!

"Third Mother, your in-laws are truly generous, giving your daughter-in-law a house as a dowry. No wonder you were afraid it would shock me."

The female neighbor sighed in admiration and then asked, "Third Mother, what is the second item of the dowry?"

Granny Zhu maintained her smile and said slowly, "The second item is the best hotel in the county."

The female neighbor exclaimed, "Third Mother, you mean the Sui Feng Hotel of your new daughter-in-law's family?"

Two years ago, when Deng Yunzhen came to visit, the villagers already knew what her family's business was. The Sui Feng Hotel, which was openly known, was familiar to the villagers. Now, hearing Third Mother's words, the Sui Feng Hotel being part of the bride's dowry was almost unbelievable.

In Bobai, how many families would marry their daughters off in such a manner?

Granny Zhu nodded, "Yes, the Sui Feng Hotel."

Upon confirmation, the female neighbor was stunned! Soon, this news spread like a typhoon, leaving everyone reeling. The dowry was so astonishing that it had set a historical precedent in Bobai County.

Especially those villagers who had been to the county and seen the Sui Feng Hotel were even more shocked. To give such a prestigious hotel as a dowry, even with multiple sons, was truly incomprehensible to the villagers.

As the villagers were still marveling at the bride's dowry, the groom's side began to load the gifts onto the vehicles. These gifts were given by the Zhu family and their relatives and friends. After loading all the gifts onto the buses, the groom and bride, the wedding guests, the Zhu family, and their relatives and friends all got on the buses. The Culture Bureau's videographers and photographers documented everything before getting on the buses as well. Thus, the two large buses drove out of Shanxin Village, heading towards the county.

Seeing this scene, the villagers sighed in admiration.

"Zhu Junjie is truly blessed!"

"Yes, in all of Bobai, I've never heard of such an extravagant dowry."

"Even the house is fine, it's said that when it was built through a collective fund, it was only worth 5000 yuan, but the best hotel in the county is different. It's a golden goose, earning an unknown amount of money every year. Such a hotel being given as a dowry, how much do the bride's parents love her?"

"Do you think 5000 yuan for a house is little?"

"It's not that it's little, but compared to the hotel, it's still less."

"Everyone knows that. The hotel can continuously earn money, while the house is just for living in."

"Regardless of the house or the hotel, such a dowry is unprecedented. I've never even heard of it before."

"Neither have I. The bride's parents truly love her to the extreme!"

"..."

The bride's dowry was indeed shocking. After the villagers dispersed, the news spread rapidly, and everyone who heard it was stunned. After all, such a substantial dowry would be rare even in the future, let alone in the 1980s in Bobai.

...

County Town.

Sui Feng Hotel.

Today, the Sui Feng Hotel was adorned with the character for 'happiness' everywhere, clearly indicating that a wedding banquet was being held. Both passersby and customers were no longer surprised by this.

As the largest and most upscale hotel in the county, the Sui Feng Hotel had long been the top choice for newlyweds to hold their banquets. In recent years, there were almost one or two wedding banquets held here every month, so everyone was used to it.

It was now past eleven in the morning, and Deng Shirong and his family, along with their relatives and friends, were already waiting at the hotel.

In Bobai, the customs for wedding banquets varied. Some places held them in the morning or at noon, while others held them in the evening. Shuangwang Township and Songwang Township belonged to the former.

...

County Government Family Compound.

The Song Family's Home.

At this moment, County Chief Song's hair was neatly combed, and he was dressed in a suit, tie, and leather shoes, looking very presentable.

It was now the late 1980s, and even the top-ranking officials were already wearing suits in public. Under their influence, the lower-ranking officials naturally followed suit.

Although Song Yu was now a deputy department-level cadre, she was still young and dressed more casually, wearing a beautifully knitted high-necked sweater with jeans, exuding a youthful and energetic vibe.

Seeing the father and daughter getting ready to leave, Song's mother couldn't help but say, "Xiao Yu, today's bride is a year younger than you. It's time to consider your own marriage."

Song Yu had long been prepared for her parents' nagging and smiled, nodding, "I understand, Mom. If I find a suitable match, I'll get married as soon as possible."

Song's mother immediately followed up, "That's what you said. Tomorrow, your father will go to Nanning to visit his old leader and will ask the leader's wife to introduce a match for you. If everything matches up, you can't find excuses to back out, understand?"

Song Yu looked at her mother and then at her father, realizing they had already discussed this, and frowned, "Dad, Mom, I don't oppose you introducing me to someone, but having Dad ask the leader's wife to introduce a match seems a bit inappropriate, don't you think?

Song County Chief smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. I've already considered this issue. When the leader's wife introduces a match to you, I'll make it clear beforehand that she's only responsible for the introduction. Whether it works out or not is up to you. You don't have to worry about offending the leader's wife by refusing."

Song Yu smiled bitterly and said, "Alright, since you've thought it through, I'll follow your arrangements. I can attend the blind date, but I can't guarantee anything."

Song's mother said, "As long as you're willing to attend the blind date, the rest is up to fate."

Song County Chief said, "Alright, let's talk about this later. It's getting late, and we should head over now."

...

Sui Feng Hotel.

Zhu Junjie, the groom, and Deng Yunzhen, the bride, stood at the entrance to welcome guests. Zhu Lao Tou, Zhu Lao Tai, and Deng Shirong, as the parents, were also present.

At this moment, the hotel's cashier counter had been temporarily converted into a gift money collection desk.

In the future, some well-off families in Bobai who valued face would not collect gift money when they had something to celebrate. They would simply invite relatives and friends over for a meal to celebrate, not wanting to burden their guests with expenses.

Initially, Deng Shirong also considered adopting this practice, but after some thought, he decided against it.

After all, in this era, everyone collected gift money when they had a wedding. If only one family didn't, it would be too unconventional. Additionally, if you didn't collect gift money when your relatives and friends came to your wedding, what would they do when you went to their weddings? Should they accept your gift money or not?

Therefore, they decided to collect gift money, but to return a red envelope to each person based on the amount they gave, at a certain ratio.

For example, if a relative gave 10 yuan, they would return an 8 yuan red envelope. This way, the guests would save face and wouldn't be overly burdened. This approach would definitely earn praise from the guests.

"Director Zhu, Mrs. Zhu, congratulations!"

"Director Zhu, Mrs. Zhu, congratulations! Wishing you a long and happy marriage and a quick addition to the family!"

"Mr. Deng, congratulations!"

"Congratulations..."

As it approached noon, the heads of various departments began to arrive.

Attending a wedding was like attending a meeting; the higher the rank, the later they arrived. After all, you couldn't make the leaders wait, right? Considerate subordinates would arrive before the leaders.

As the heads of various departments arrived, the higher-ranking officials also came one by one.

The last to arrive were County Chief Song and his daughter, as well as the County Magistrate.

"Mr. Deng, congratulations!"

"Uncle Deng, congratulations!"

The County Magistrate and County Chief Song greeted Deng Shirong first before greeting the groom's parents and the newlyweds.

The current County Magistrate of Bobai was none other than the County Chief who had approved the land for Deng Shirong back then. After several years, he had successfully advanced, and County Chief Song had taken his place.

After thanking them, Deng Shirong and his second son, Deng Yunheng, led the three guests to the No. 1 private room to meet the other officials. The No. 1 private room, without a doubt, was for the most prestigious guests, all of whom were at the department level. Those below this level were not allowed in.

The No. 2 private room was for the heads of various departments, and those below this level were not arranged to be there.

Whether now or in the future, class or circles always existed, and this was clearly reflected at the wedding. Anyone who had attended a wedding would know that there were always a few tables that the host highly valued, and those seated there were wealthy, influential, and respected people.

Deng Shirong had to oversee everything, so he couldn't stay in any one room for long.

Fortunately, he had people to help. The No. 1 private room was naturally accompanied by his second son, Deng Yunheng.

As a leader who had made a name for himself within the system, Deng Yunheng understood the value of a Peking University degree and a background from the State Planning Commission. Such a person, if they didn't "fall by the wayside" midway, would naturally surpass their current level within ten years.

What position he could reach in twenty years was something the officials present couldn't even imagine.

In short, it would be a height they could never reach.

Showing goodwill now, during his early stages, was the most cost-effective deal.

For the No. 2 private room, Deng Shirong sent his third son, Deng Yunsong, to accompany the guests.

Although Deng Yunsong was currently a student, his status as a Tsinghua University student, regardless of the era, earned him respect, and his presence was sufficient.

The No. 3 private room was led by Zhu Junjie's four comrades.

Actually, given their ranks, especially Xiao Guangrong's rank, they could have been arranged in the No. 1 private room. However, since they were not familiar with the local officials and didn't want to go through the formalities, they chose the No. 3 private room.

The one accompanying them was Deng Yuntao, the eldest brother.

The No. 4 private room was for the leaders of Shuangwang Township.

The other private rooms were also reserved for important figures, such as the old clan head of the Ye Deng clan, Deng YunGui, Deng Changbao, and Deng Changxiong.

Once all the guests had arrived, the wedding ceremony began.

The ceremony was not as complicated as in the future. It was hosted by someone from the Education Bureau, who gave a speech of blessings for the newlyweds, followed by the parents of the bride and groom giving speeches, and then the newlyweds themselves.

The entire process was concise, lasting no more than fifteen minutes.

Following the ceremony, the part everyone had been looking forward to—dinner—began!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end