sbdcsierra Chapter 1878 Ye Chengjiang's Wedding
Chapter 1878 Ye Chengjiang's Wedding
Chapter 1878 Ye Chengjiang's Wedding
For the next few days, Lin Xiuqing helped her second sister-in-law with Ye Chengjiang's wedding preparations and wedding arrangements.
The news of Ye Yaodong's departure on the 16th had spread, and some families and workers began to prepare in advance. As the day approached, they started to clean their fishing boats. He did not bring back all the boats, but only two.
The happiest and most carefree are the children. They play as soon as they open their eyes, eat when they are hungry, and continue playing after eating. They only go to sleep when the adults call them at night. The biggest trouble in their lives is probably the winter vacation homework.
However, the thought of not having done today's homework only flashes through my mind when I'm sleeping. Once I fall asleep and open my eyes again, I can't remember to do my homework, and the happy cycle of the new day begins again.
The adults were too busy to care for them, so the children became even more unruly.
Engagement takes place on the eleventh day of the lunar calendar, the wedding on the twelfth, and the family starts the feast on the tenth day – this is called the matchmaker's feast.
A large tent was set up early in the morning in front of the house, and the chicken, duck, fish, meat and seafood that had been purchased were piled up all over the ground. The women were all wearing aprons and had rolled up their sleeves to start cleaning up.
Under the tent, on three makeshift brick stoves, water in large iron pots bubbled and steamed.
The children were drawn to the lively places, curiously darting under the tents. Before long, they were shooed away with a handful of candy, much to their delight.
Ye Yaodong also got up early to help set the table and carry the bowls and chopsticks.
In the past two years, our family has held many happy events every year: engagement, wedding, full moon celebration, and first birthday celebration. Everyone is very familiar with the process.
There are many capable people in the family now. They can easily help out early in the morning and set out the tables and chairs. Then, when the helpers wash the dishes, the meals can be served.
Second Sister-in-law was wearing a brand-new maroon coat, her hair was combed slicked back and adorned with a red flower, and she had a few more laugh lines around her eyes.
She was straightening Ye Chengjiang's collar, beaming with joy, "Cheer up! You're getting married soon, stop being so carefree all the time."
Ye Chengjiang, dressed in a brand-new suit and wearing shiny leather shoes, was stamping his feet and shaking his body.
"It's a bit cold, it's so early in the morning, can you wrap me in a cotton-padded coat first?"
Sister-in-law Ye patted him on the shoulder, "Young people are hot-tempered. What's there to be cold about? Aren't you all wearing sweaters underneath? The sun is already out. You won't be cold after basking in the sun for a while."
"Then take it off when we go out. It's such a joyous occasion, you can't let me catch a cold."
Ye Ersao rolled her eyes at him and went back inside to get him a tattered cotton-padded coat. "It's a good day today, and you're still wearing tattered clothes. Are you trying to make us laugh? After you get married, your wife will take care of things for you, so you won't have to wear the same tattered cotton-padded coat for years, wearing the same thing every year, all in black."
"Isn't this your fault? You're my mother. If you don't provide me with clothes or anything, wouldn't I be wearing tattered clothes every day? How dare you say that?"
Ye Ersao slapped him twice, saying, "You're hardly ever home all year round, how am I supposed to take care of things for you? From now on, let your wife take care of everything."
She pinned a small red silk flower to the front of his suit jacket, her hand trembling slightly, and her tone softened.
"When you get to Huixin's house, you need to speak nicely and be very polite. You need to be humble towards your father-in-law and mother-in-law."
"know."
"Let's go have breakfast first. It's still early. We can rest for a while after we eat."
She still needs to check if everything she prepared is complete.
Engagement requires the preparation of betrothal gifts. In addition to red rice dumplings, thin noodles, pig's trotters, and an even number of fresh yellow croakers (symbolizing a complete life), the most important items are the betrothal gifts and a set of gold jewelry wrapped in red paper, including two rings, a heavy gold necklace, and a pair of gold bracelets, all placed on a tray covered with red velvet, gleaming with gold.
The table inside was already full, and Ye's mother was counting and checking it before putting it into the basket.
Lin Xiuqing, the matchmaker, had also changed into festive new clothes early in the morning.
"Mother, Second Sister-in-law, is everything prepared?"
"You can get there by 10 o'clock, so you don't need to leave so early."
"Everything has been checked, and the car has arrived. We'll leave when the time comes."
"Now my second sister-in-law's wishes can be fulfilled more than halfway."
Sister-in-law Ye is in high spirits because of this happy occasion; she looks several years younger today.
She said with a beaming smile, "I've been waiting for this year after year, and it's finally here. This good-for-nothing is finally getting married. Chenghe is two years younger than him, and he already has two children, both of whom are quite old and can run around. He hasn't even had a child yet, but now he's finally getting married."
"If this pace continues, you might be able to hold your grandson by the end of this year, and make us proud during the New Year."
"Haha, that's great, I'm really looking forward to it."
Several women sat around, chatting animatedly.
Ye Chengjiang moved a stool and sat a little further away from them. He felt embarrassed listening to them, and they kept nagging him. He couldn't talk back, so it was really tough for him.
When the time came, Ye Yaohua took a large bundle of firecrackers, rolled them on the ground, and then lit them.
The children had already moved away, standing far away and covering their ears.
After a series of crackling sounds, Lin Xiuqing, as the matchmaker, happily led Ye Chengjiang and several nephews, carrying these heavy festive gifts, onto the car and headed to the bride's home, which was her maternal home.
The bride's home was equally bustling and festive, with return gifts and dowry already laid out on the eight-immortal table in the main room.
The betrothal gifts sent by Ye Chengjiang were also placed on the table.
The bride price and betrothal gifts between the two families had already been agreed upon, so neither family was surprised; it was just something to show outsiders.
When the time was almost up, Lin Huixin would put on the gold that had been presented as betrothal gifts, and then follow Ye Chengjiang back to the Ye family home for the engagement banquet.
They only went home after finishing their meal to wait for the wedding the next day.
There was nothing we could do; their engagement and wedding were only one day apart, and the time was too tight, so this was the only option.
Anyway, people don't pay much attention to these things nowadays. As long as the banquet is held and relatives and friends are notified, that's fine.
The next day, when it was time to pick up the bride, a noisy group of young people from the Ye family went to fetch her, with two tractors following behind the car.
The tractor was to be driven there to transport the dowry, and one vehicle wouldn't be enough to fit it all. Lin Xiuqing had already known this, so she notified them to bring two vehicles.
The dowry included a "descendant bucket," a red-lacquered chamber pot filled with red dates, peanuts, and other items, as well as camphor wood chests, wardrobes, dressing tables, and washbasin stands, all painted red, giving it a festive look.
These alone would require a tractor.
There was also a sewing machine draped in red silk on a tractor, and two cotton quilts tied squarely with red rope.
The most eye-catching items were a 21-inch Venus brand color television with a red "囍" sticker on the screen, a Narcissus brand twin-tub washing machine, and a floor fan.
When the bride was brought back and landed, the firecrackers had just finished going off when all the villagers rushed over to watch. The dowry on the two tractors made everyone click their tongues in amazement.
"Such a large dowry? The Lin family is incredibly well-off!"
"Didn't we have just this many wives when the eldest son's daughter got married last year? This year, it's the second son's wife who's coming in."
"This is a marriage between relatives, which is good. They know each other well and their conditions are good."
"This daughter's marriage is a bad deal; so much money has been given away..."
"You can't say that. Having money means wanting to show off and save face."
These dowries were actually based on the grandeur of Ye Jingjing's wedding last year.
After all, one of them was marrying out and the other was marrying into the family. They were cousins, so it was a kind of exchange marriage. The Lin family also intended to make the dowry the same, so they didn't really gain any advantage.
In recent years, the Lin family's financial situation has improved, they can afford to spend more, and they are also willing to maintain good relationships.
Sister-in-law Ye couldn't stop smiling as she watched the bride enter the house. Then everyone carried the dowry from the tractor into the house.
The room was piled high with red silk ribbons and double happiness characters, making it almost impossible for anyone to stand.
But we can't take it away now; we have to put it inside to show the relatives and friends who come to the wedding banquet.
After the newlyweds entered the house, Lin Xiuqing couldn't even catch her breath; she still had to immediately start arranging the wedding ceremony.
Only after the wedding ceremony was over did she consider her task complete, and she let the newlyweds rest until the banquet began.
Ye Yaodong saw her supporting her waist as she walked out of the crowd, so he helped her up.
"tired?"
"Of course I'm tired. Two days of running around, plus the busy work of the past few days, I feel like I haven't had a break at all."
You didn't seem very tired last year.
"Last year, we combined the wedding and engagement celebrations, and although the banquets still took place over two days, there was less work. This year, the celebrations are on separate days, so isn't that an extra day of work? I'm exhausted."
"Go home and lie down."
The house was bustling with activity as everyone crowded around to see the bride, while the couple went back to their room to rest.
"I've been helping others with arrangements, so by the time it was my son's turn, I was quite experienced."
"When it's your son's turn, there won't be any reference. I guess he'll have to get married in Shanghai and take into account the customs of Shanghai."
"The bride's family follows the customs of Shanghai, but the groom's family still has to follow the customs of our own hometown. Although the wedding is being held in another city, the customs cannot be changed. She is marrying into our family, so we have to respect our local customs."
"You should rest first. It's too early to talk about these things now. It will be at least two years before your son gets married. They will have to graduate at the same time."
Lin Xiuqing went back to her room and leaned against the bed for a while, feeling more comfortable. "I can rest at home for three or four days before setting off again, which will give me a chance to catch my breath. Have you packed the boat?"
"It's all packed up. A couple of days ago, I had two workers spray the boat inside and out with a high-pressure gun. There's nothing else to worry about. We just need to fill up the tank before we set off. We only sailed back two boats in total."
Once he returns to Zhoushan, he will need to install video recorders on all the ships in the deep sea. He can then take advantage of the time to prepare and spend a few days in Shanghai.
"I'll pack up my things and luggage tomorrow or the day after I'm done with my work."
"No rush, there's no time to lose."
The two talked for a while, and Ye Yaodong told her to rest in the room while he went out to watch the excitement. He would come back in to call her when it was time to eat.
(End of this chapter)