Chapter 157: Chapter 157: My Cousin's Wedding (Part 1)
In the countryside, every family experiences the joyous event of a marriage, which is a major event and also a tiring and taxing matter. Not to mention the other families in the village, Feng Yiping had been involved in several weddings in his own family and his uncle's family, and although it was not yet his turn to get married, he already knew the hard work involved.
So much so that for a while afterwards, when he watched some TV dramas where the parents of the man and woman in the city met and said, 'I think next Tuesday is a good day, let's set it for that day, and then have the wedding a few days later,' he was dumbfounded and couldn't help but envy them, thinking, 'City people really do things with ease!'
Of course, when he later became a city person himself, he understood that, well, a lot of the plots on TV are exaggerated on a drama basis, just to fool him as a mountain person who knows nothing. It's not easy for city people to get married either. At least they have to start making various preparations six months in advance.
And it's not like the countryside, where the man and woman from each family prepare their own banquet. In the city, the two families work together on many things related to the wedding preparations, and they set up the banquet together as well. There are more conflicts, and he has encountered one himself. Because of the conflicts during the preparations for the wedding, the two people about to get married almost broke up.
Feng Yiping and his father rushed back to the village on the afternoon before Yu Hua's wedding day. By the time they arrived at their second uncle's house, it was already bustling with activity outside.
A large, specially-kept pig had just been butchered that morning; one side was still hanging on the ladder against the wall, while the other was on the large cutting board, being divided by the two invited chefs.
A few of the sisters-in-law were already hard at work on the other countertop, mincing up a whole fish to make fish balls, while two more were chopping vegetables.
The people who would be helping out tomorrow would be eating at Erbo's house in the evening, so they could arrange some things along the way. Feng Yiping counted the people coming and going, and estimated that there would be at least three tables tonight. It was true that, not to mention the helpers and odd jobs, there would be quite a few people helping to carry the dowry tomorrow.
Two large stoves had been set up on the ground next to the house, with two large cauldrons hung upside down on top. Next to the house, under the eaves of the house of the eldest uncle, a row of small stoves had been set up, and in front of the house, there were also piles of miscellaneous items that could not be stored in the house of the second uncle, which would be used tomorrow.
As soon as he entered the main room of his uncle's house, he could smell the strong smell of paint. The main room was full of dowries, all painted red, and the word 'ϲ' (meaning 'happy') written on each one in red paper. Of course, it was the one with two 'ϲ's connected together.
He couldn't go into Sister Yuhua's room, where there were all the sounds of girls laughing. There were the older girls from the village and the younger wives, chattering away and having a great time, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. frёewebnoѵēl.com
In the kitchen, a circle of people were sitting around. The three Feng brothers were of course there, and the person in charge of the wedding was the fourth uncle, a private teacher. When he saw the third oldest son and Feng Yiping enter, he didn't say much, and settled on the tasks for the two of them. Feng Zhenchang would still be in charge of the accounts tomorrow, and Feng Yiping would become an honourable waiter.
There was no choice, there were too many young people in the village who had gone out to work, and there wasn't enough manpower.
Seeing Feng Yiping's expression of reluctance, Dong Mingge knew what he was thinking and immediately added, 'The tables, chairs, bowls, chopsticks and trays are all ready for you. You will only be responsible for setting the two tables at your uncle's house tomorrow, which are close by!'
Oh, that's good. You know, waitressing is not an easy job. If it's far away and he's responsible for three or four tables, his little arms and legs can't take it.
There was nothing for him to do next. The adults were discussing the reception arrangements for tomorrow, mainly for those of high status, such as Sister Yuhua and Dongming's uncles, the four Feng brothers, the aunts' family, the representatives of the groom's side, and some guests to be invited.
The biggest fear when handling such matters is making mistakes in the midst of the hustle and bustle, causing people to feel slighted or that the etiquette was not thorough. As the saying goes, some people with bad tempers don't care what the occasion is, and they will lash out when they should be calm, or even make an issue out of nothing, and the host family still has to put on a smile.
Feng Yiping didn't go to the table to eat, and after stuffing his stomach in the kitchen, he went home by himself. So, when things are busy, it's easiest to make mistakes. Usually, he is the Feng family's big treasure, but today no one is looking after him!
He fell asleep and only woke up when he heard his father come home. He looked at the clock and saw that it was already past ten.
The next day, Feng Yiping slept in until after seven o'clock. Then he was woken up by his two brothers, Wen Hua and Wen Hui. When he went outside, he saw that the weather was beautiful, with the sun already out. In the winter, this was a rare and beautiful day.
The yard at his uncle's house was already buzzing with activity. The dishes for the midday banquet were already being prepared, and there was chopping and dicing going on all over the work surface. Everyone was shouting, and if you spoke quietly, no one could hear you.
Feng Yiping took his two nephews, ate a big bowl of noodles, and then walked towards the hill behind the village. He was there to keep watch. At a time when fixed telephones were far from common, there was no knowing when the groom's party would arrive, so this was the only clumsy way to find out.
At first, only the two Wen Hua brothers followed behind, but by the time they reached the hillock, they were joined by a whole procession of young kids. There was no way around it: in the countryside, whenever there was a happy event like this in the village, it was like a festival, and it was normal for the little ones who went to primary school in the village to play truant for the day.
This time, the handful of hard candies that Auntie Er had stuffed into his pocket finally came in handy, and they were quickly snatched up by the little ones.
These little ones could not stay idle, always running back and forth between the kitchen and the hill. There was food in the kitchen, and they could get a dumpling or a piece of fried fish each time they went. On the hill, they could see when the groom's party would arrive, and when they gathered around, a handful of candy was indispensable, and they might even get a few bills.
Around 8 o'clock, people started arriving from all directions, bringing gifts. Around 9 o'clock, Grandpa arrived with his eldest and third eldest uncles.
For an ordinary relative, a message delivered by a trusted person would have sufficed, but for an esteemed relative like Grandpa, a cousin was sent by his second eldest uncle three days in advance to make the request.
When he arrived, he was immediately invited to the main room of the house by the eldest uncle, who accompanied him.
At around 9:30, they finally saw a group of people coming down the road. There were also a few drummers playing a cheerful tune that Feng Yiping couldn't understand, but it was clear that the groom's party had arrived.
Dongmingge and a group of his brothers, who had received the news, followed by Fourth Uncle and Feng Zhanchang, as well as several elders from the village, stood by the roadside. A long firecracker was hung from a bamboo pole nearby.
When they could see each other's faces, the firecrackers were lit. Amidst the sound of crackling, the people on both sides, as if joining forces, all took a few steps forward and shook hands enthusiastically.
The hill nearby was packed with people, most of them from the village, and some were guests who had come to give gifts. There were a lot of people, especially the young girls and wives, who were eating melon seeds while pointing and talking about the groom, who was wearing a blue Zhongshan suit and a big red flower made of red silk on his chest.
The groom is the type that you can look at for a long time. At first glance, he's not impressive, but the more you look at him, the better he looks. He's a little older than Sister Yuhua, and it's probably the first time he's been surrounded by so many people, so his face is even redder than the big red flower on his chest.
Feng Zhenchang They finished talking and stepped aside. The children nearby immediately swarmed around, reaching out to the person next to the groom. The person there was also well prepared, taking handfuls of candy from a basket with a big red wedding character on it, and unwrapping cigarettes, throwing the packs into the crowded area. Everyone jumped up to grab them, too. In short, it was a lot of fun!