Chapter 390: This Wedding is Truly Grand

Chapter 390: This Wedding is Truly Grand

  At the entrance of the Ye Deng Clan Ancestral Hall.

  "Respected guests, dear friends and family, colleagues and classmates, ladies and gentlemen, everyone, good day!"

  Deng Shirong, as the father of the groom, was the first to take the stage to speak: "Today is the grand day of my son Deng Yunheng and my daughter-in-law Gu Caimei's wedding. I sincerely thank you all for traveling from afar to witness their entry into the sacred hall of marriage.

  The wedding is made more enthusiastic and grand because of your presence, and the newlyweds are made happier and sweeter because of your blessings.

  On behalf of our entire family, I once again extend the warmest welcome and the most sincere gratitude to all the leaders, dear friends, family, colleagues, and classmates who have graced us with your presence!"

  There were indeed quite a few leaders in the audience, and being accustomed to giving speeches, they naturally knew when to listen and when to applaud.

  With these words, the leaders began to clap, and the rest of the guests followed suit, instantly filling the venue with thunderous applause.

  Deng Shirong waited for the applause to subside before continuing: "First, on behalf of both sets of parents, I offer my blessings to the newlyweds: May Deng Yunheng and Gu Caimei have a happy and fulfilling life, together forever, with one heart and one mind, loving each other and growing old together!

  This day when you hold hands marks the beginning of your responsibilities, duties, trust, and loyalty. As a father, I first hope that you can be tolerant, inclusive, and composed in your marriage.

  Be tolerant of each other's small flaws, inclusive of each other's little temperaments, and composed in the face of small setbacks.

  Always remember that making your partner happy is your greatest happiness.

  Furthermore, I hope that you can be united, cooperative, and aligned in your future life.

  Face challenges together, work with the same effort, and share the same goals.

  Always remember that the safest and most comfortable haven is your home.

  I also hope that you can be loyal, enthusiastic, and devout in your careers.

  Maintain a firm and loyal dedication to your careers, sustain an enthusiastic and unyielding drive, and always harbor a devout and passionate gratitude. Encourage and support each other, and strive together to achieve continuous success in your careers!

  Finally, I hope that you can be benevolent, generous, and sincere in your interactions and relationships with others.

  Be benevolent to people, generous to others, and sincere in your friendships. Respect your elders, and protect and nurture the beautiful home you build together.

  Once again, I thank all the guests, and all the brothers and nephews of the clan. I wish you all good health, smooth work, family happiness, and a life filled with joy and contentment. Thank you!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, the venue erupted in thunderous applause once more.

  Modern weddings usually have a wedding emcee and a variety of wedding segments, and grand banquets often include various performances, with the bride and groom even taking the stage to showcase their talents, making the event resemble a cultural gala.

  However, Deng Shirong simplified many of the procedures for today's wedding, planning only for both sets of parents and the newlyweds to give speeches, without the need for the complex rituals common in modern times.

  After Deng Shirong stepped down, Gu's father, the father of the bride, followed him to the stage and gave a speech.

  All the official guests were aware of Gu's father's position, and seeing a leader take the stage, they all sat up straight, paying close attention.

  The speaking skills of a provincial leader were unquestionable, and in just a few minutes, his speech elicited several rounds of applause, creating a very lively atmosphere.

  After Gu's father finished speaking, it was the newlyweds' turn to take the stage.

  Deng Yunheng, holding Gu Caimei's hand, delivered a high-quality speech.

  Being a high-achieving graduate from Peking University and currently serving as the county magistrate, he was naturally adept at delivering speeches, and his words were met with enthusiastic applause.

  Gu Caimei was no less impressive. A highly valued university graduate of her time, combined with the refined upbringing from her family background, her graceful and appropriate speech also earned her several rounds of applause.

  After the speeches, Deng Shirong instructed the staff to start serving the dishes.

  The dishes were incredibly sumptuous, with a wide variety of delicacies from the sky, land, and sea, filling the large table to the brim, and even continuing to be piled on until there was no more space.

  To cater to the tastes of guests from different regions, Deng Shirong had invited over ten chefs, each skilled in different cuisines, ensuring that there were always a few dishes that each guest would enjoy, regardless of where they came from.

  At the table for the bride's relatives, Gu Xiaoyu swallowed her food and said with a look of deep emotion: "Caimei's wedding is truly grand!"

  Gu's mother, with a beaming smile, replied: "The in-laws are indeed meticulous, creating such a grand scene without much fanfare. However, this could only happen in the countryside; in the city, one would have to be more mindful of the impact."

These words were meant to console the eldest son-in-law, as the wedding of the eldest daughter was far less grand compared to the younger daughter's, and she was worried that the eldest son-in-law might feel embarrassed.

Chen Donglai responded, "The Ye Deng Clan is truly remarkable. I've already inquired, and the buildings we saw along the way, which are just at the foundation stage, are a unified villa complex constructed by the Ye Deng Clan. Once this villa complex is completed and the concrete road is landscaped, it will be absolutely beautiful!"

Gu Cai Xiao was surprised, "That area is being built into a villa complex? Good heavens, the Ye Deng Clan is truly amazing!"

Lu Wei was also astonished. He had seen what a villa looked like, and in this era, it was already quite impressive for a family to build one. Now, the entire clan was building villas together, which was simply unbelievable.

As they were talking, Gu Cai Wei and Deng Yunheng walked over.

Gu's mother called out, "Weiwei, Yunheng, come and have some food first."

Gu Cai Wei sat down and said, "We should eat quickly; we'll have to toast the guests soon."

Deng Yunheng filled a bowl of rice for his wife and said with a smile, "Take your time, there's no rush. It's fine to go a bit later."

Gu Cai Wei took the bowl and chopsticks, "We can't keep the guests waiting too long."

Gu's father nodded, "Indeed, we can't keep them waiting. Eat a little to tide you over, and you can come back and eat more after toasting the guests."

Deng Yunheng winked at his wife, then filled a bowl for himself and started eating in large bites.

Soon, Deng Shirong also came over with a bowl and said, "In-laws, is the food to your liking today?"

Gu's father made room for his in-law and said, "The food is excellent, with a variety of dishes. Thank you for your efforts, in-law."

Gu's mother added, "In-law, you've put a lot of effort into today's wedding arrangements for Yunheng and Weiwei. We truly appreciate your attention to our Weiwei."

Deng Shirong smiled, "You're too kind, we're all one family now. Their happiness is our greatest wish as parents."

The two sets of parents chatted while eating, finishing more than half a bowl of rice before Deng Shirong took his son and daughter-in-law to toast the guests.

The first table they visited was the one for Deng Yunheng's colleagues from the ministry.

Deng Yunheng, holding a cup of low-alcohol sweet rice wine, approached his old leader, Zhao Jing, on the left and said with a smile, "Leader, thank you for traveling thousands of miles to attend our wedding. We offer you a cup, wishing you success in all your endeavors and a bright future."

Zhao Jing also stood up with a cup and said with a smile, "County Magistrate Deng, Mrs. Deng, I wish you a happy family and the early arrival of a precious child."

After they clinked cups, Deng Yunheng continued toasting his other colleagues. Once he had toasted everyone at this table, he moved to the next one.

This table was for his alumni from Peking University. Deng Yunheng first toasted Li Haibo, the county magistrate: "County Magistrate Li, thank you for taking the time to attend our wedding despite your busy schedule. We offer you a cup, wishing you a career that progresses like a blooming sesame flower."

Li Haibo stood up with a cup and smiled, "County Magistrate Deng, Mrs. Deng, I wish you a long and harmonious marriage and the early arrival of a precious child."

Next, he toasted everyone at this table before moving to the next one.

This table was for his fellow Peking University students from the same hometown. Deng Yunheng first toasted Song Yu, the district head: "Sister Song, there's no need for many words. Everything is in the wine."

Song Yu stood up with a cup and smiled, "Indeed, everything is in the wine. I wish you the early arrival of a precious child."

Then, they moved to the table for his Peking University classmates. Deng Yunheng first toasted his roommate, Tang Mingjie: "Brother Jie, it's been a while since we last met. Since you've already resigned from your job in the system, don't rush to leave this time. Let's find a time tomorrow to have a few more drinks."

Tang Mingjie was deeply moved. Although his family had some background, it was something that might have seemed out of reach for Deng Yunheng back when they were students. However, now that Deng Yunheng was a county magistrate and had a provincial-level father-in-law, this background didn't mean much.

In such a situation, Deng Yunheng still treated him as a good brother and called him "Brother Jie," which of course moved him deeply.

"Since County Magistrate Deng has spoken, I definitely won't rush to leave."

After toasting his classmates, Deng Yunheng moved to the table for the county government officials, starting with Song Yu's father, the county magistrate: "Uncle Song, thank you for coming to our wedding. We offer you a cup, wishing you good health and family happiness."

Song Yu's father also stood up with a cup and smiled, "Thank you. I also wish you a long and harmonious marriage and the early arrival of a precious child."

After toasting the county leaders, Deng Yunheng moved to the table for the township leaders.

The moment he approached, the township leaders sprang to their feet as if they had springs under their seats.

In the political arena, reality is harsh. Before, when Deng Yunheng toasted, only the person being toasted would stand up.

Now, with Deng Yunheng approaching to toast, no township leader dared to sit comfortably.

After all, Deng Yunheng was now a full section-level official, a significant figure compared to the township leaders. Even if they were not in the same county, his rank was still there, and they certainly did not dare to sit and wait for him to toast them!

Deng Yunheng, of course, did not act superior and toasted each of them with his wife.

Next, he toasted the Deng Clan relatives.

Although those who were invited to this wedding were important figures within the clan, they still fell far short of Deng Yunheng’s status.

Moreover, even disregarding his political position, in terms of clan seniority, few of those present had the right to sit and wait for Deng Yunheng to toast them, let alone the higher-ranking clan elders who were also present. As the younger generation, they could not possibly remain seated!

For the other clan members, the same rule applied. As soon as the newlyweds approached, everyone would stand up with their cups.

There was no need to be so formal with clan members, so they toasted each table as a whole rather than individual toasts.

This made the toasting process much faster, with each table taking only about ten seconds.

However, toasting hundreds of tables still took over two hours, leaving them quite exhausted.

Fortunately, they only drank more at the beginning when toasting leaders, colleagues, classmates, and alumni. Later, when toasting the clan members, they were more relaxed, so they did not drink too much.

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Weiwei, you didn't eat much earlier. Are you hungry now? You and Yunheng should go sit down, and I'll have the food reheated for you."

Gu Caiwei smiled sweetly and replied, "Dad, you've been busy all day. Thank you for your hard work. I'll serve you some rice, and you should come and eat too."

Deng Shirong responded with a full smile, "Alright, I'll be right over."

Deng Yunheng's other family members, including Deng Yuntao, Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yunzhen, Zhu Junjie, Deng Yunzhu, Deng Yunsong, Deng Yunhua, and Deng Yunheng, were not idle either. They were distributing the "five flavors" to the clan members, with each person receiving a piece of the five flavors and a packet of wedding candies (containing candies, cookies, melon seeds, and peanuts). This was a custom in the Shuangwang region for wedding banquets.

Of course, this was only the custom in this era. In later times, as people started taking leftovers home, the practice of distributing the five flavors was no longer common.

Some families with higher standards would also give each guest a bowl of braised pork.

The bowl would be a large iron bowl, filled to the brim with braised pork, and guests would take it home with the bowl.

The five flavors were only given to clan members, relatives, and close friends, and sometimes to county leaders, but not to distant guests. It was not that they did not want to, but it would be impractical and wasteful to have guests carry a piece of the five flavors back to Beijing. It would spoil long before they got there.

After Deng Yunheng and the others finished their meal, relatives and clan members started to bid farewell. As the newlyweds, they had to see them off.

While the newlyweds were busy, Gu's father also engaged in conversation with Zhao Jing and Li Haibo, two distinguished younger generations with significant backgrounds. The county leaders were not idle either and chatted with the large group of Peking University alumni.

Leaders from the ministry also joined in, and everyone exchanged pleasantries. Although they might not meet again after this, making more friends was always beneficial. Who knew when these connections might come in handy?

Around four in the afternoon, everyone boarded the wedding cars and headed back to Bobai.

Tonight, the Deng family did not plan to stay overnight in their hometown but would stay in Bobai city.

They also had to arrange for the many guests to stay overnight in Bobai, and the next day, they would send them to Nanning.

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(End of Chapter)

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