Chapter 24 : Pick Up the Bride

Shen Zheng stood outside the door, holding the bouquet, and pushed it lightly. The door was tightly barricaded.  

Accompanying him as the officiant was Li Zhongxun, the commander of their division.  

When Shen Zheng had first enlisted, Li Zhongxun had been the captain of his company. He had essentially watched Shen Zheng grow up. Shen Zheng had lost his father at a young age, and Li Zhongxun had treated him like a son ever since.  

After years of urging him to get married with no success, Shen Zheng had finally agreed, and Li Zhongxun was determined to give his full support. Today, he had even come along in the convoy, insisting on being the officiant.  

Li Zhongxun grew anxious. “Hurry up, where are the red envelopes? Start handing them over!”  

A flurry of soldiers behind him began passing red envelopes through the gaps in the door.  

A pile of red envelopes accumulated inside. One of them wasn’t wrapped properly, and a two-yuan note slipped out.  

Typically, the red envelopes for blocking the door contained only small amounts, one yuan was considered generous. Often, they held just a few cents, and some families even gave a few pennies.  

Fang Jie looked at the pile on the ground, at least fifty envelopes and was stunned.  

‘Is this how money is thrown around?’ 

The saying goes, “You can’t say no after accepting gifts.” With so many red envelopes…  

Fang Jie turned to Fang Xiaoluo. “Big Sis…”  

Fang Xiaoluo shrugged and gave him a look that said, ‘You decide.’  

Li Zhongxun pressed his ear against the door to listen but heard nothing. He nudged Shen Zheng. “Say something!”  

Shen Zheng nodded. Standing tall and straight, his gaze was firm.  

Li Zhongxun smacked his forehead. “Relax a little! This isn’t a battle.”  

Truthfully, Shen Zheng was incredibly nervous. This was his first wedding, he had no experience at all.  

Clearing his throat, he spoke loudly toward the door. “Comrade Fang, this is Shen Zheng, I—”  

Before he could finish, Li Zhongxun almost shoved him aside. Frustrated, he said, “What ‘Comrade Fang’? You’re getting married, call her by name and say something sweet! Didn’t I teach you this yesterday?”  

Shen Zheng paused, reorganizing his thoughts. “Xiaoluo, this is Shen Zheng. Today is our joyous wedding day, and I’ve come to pick you up.”  

“Once you’re with me, the household is entirely yours to manage. My salary will be yours, and I’ll give you my savings book as well. If you say east, I won’t go west. If you tell me to chase away a dog, I won’t run after a chicken…”  

Laughter erupted inside and outside the house.  

Fang Xiaoluo couldn’t help but laugh as well.  

Shen Zheng continued, his voice steady and sincere. “Xiaoluo, I promise to be loyal to you and to our family. I will shoulder my responsibilities and do my best to provide you with a safe harbor.”  

“Thank you for choosing to be my wife. From this day forward, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, I will protect and cherish you.”  

“Xiaoluo, please open the door.”  

As Shen Zheng’s voice fell, applause erupted outside, accompanied by playful cheers.  

“Open the door!”  

“The bride should open the door!”  

Fang Xiaoluo whispered to Fang Jie, “Ask him if he knows how to sing.”  

Fang Jie leaned against the door and shouted, “My sister wants to know if you can sing!”  

Sing?  

Shen Zheng thought for a moment. He figured he could after all, they sang in the army every day.  

“Yes!”  

Fang Xiaoluo said with a smile, “Tell him to sing for me. If it’s good, I’ll open the door.”  

Fang Jie relayed the message, and shortly afterward, Shen Zheng’s resonant voice rang out.  

“The Five-Starred Red Flag Flutters in the Wind!  

The Victorious Song Rings Loudly!  

Sing of Our Beloved Homeland…”  

His voice was powerful, vibrant, and passionate.  

Soon, the soldiers who had come along joined in, creating a chorus.  

The courtyard and the house were suddenly alive with the stirring sound of a patriotic anthem.  

The music, the lyrics, and the energy of the soldiers were deeply moving.  

Hearing the chorus of military men, one couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of respect for the sacrifices made by those who had fought bravely for the country.  

In that moment, Fang Xiaoluo felt deeply touched. As a child of China, born on this vast and beautiful land, she was proud.  

Today, she was marrying Shen Zheng, a soldier, a man capable of bearing great responsibility and defending the nation. She felt an immense pride in this union.  

“Open the Door!”  

At Fang Xiaoluo’s cue, Fang Jie swung the door open.  

The man outside was still singing, his voice resonating powerfully.  

Fang Xiaoluo stared at Shen Zheng without blinking. At that moment, he exuded a unique charm that deeply captivated her.  

As the song concluded, Shen Zheng smiled. “Xiaoluo, I’m here to take you home.”  

Fang Xiaoluo returned the smile. “Okay.”  

Through the open door, Li Zhongxun finally got a clear look at the bride.  

One glance, and he was stunned.  

‘Wow. Where did Shen Zheng find such a beautiful wife?’  

The saying goes, “Good things are worth the wait.” Shen Zheng, who had almost become a perennial bachelor, had certainly struck gold. Not even the most stunning performers in the army’s cultural troupe could compare to Fang Xiaoluo.  

No wonder Shen Zheng had been so eager to get married this time.  

Sunlight poured through the windows, bathing the room in a golden glow.  

But even that light paled in comparison to Fang Xiaoluo’s radiant smile. As Shen Zheng looked at her, his heart skipped a few beats.  

Quickly regaining composure, Shen Zheng strode inside, placing the bouquet in Fang Xiaoluo’s hands. Then, after rummaging through his pocket for a moment, he finally produced a shiny ring.  

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Shen Zheng softly asked, “May I put this on for you?”  

Fang Xiaoluo extended her left hand, and the silver ring slid perfectly onto her finger.  

“How did you know my size?” she asked.  

Shen Zheng’s ears reddened. There was no way to explain, it was a memory from their first meeting, when he had held her hand.  

Seeing his flustered expression, Fang Xiaoluo chose not to press further.  

Outside, a crowd of soldiers had gathered to watch the festivities. For many, it was their first time witnessing Shen Zheng speak so gently to anyone, a once-in-a-lifetime event.  

Li Zhongxun, thoroughly pleased with Shen Zheng’s performance, called out, “Alright, time for the tea ceremony! Let’s hear those new titles.”  

Fang Shijun and Zhang Xinyan sat waiting, while Fang Yamei brought out tea that had been prepared earlier.  

Among the guests, Fang Xiaoluo spotted Chen Meijun, who had rushed over to offer blessings, along with Wei Yan, his wife, and their son.  

Shen Zheng took the first cup of tea and handed it to Fang Shijun. “Dad, please have some tea.”  

“Yes!” Fang Shijun replied, taking a sip before handing Shen Zheng a red envelope.  

Shen Zheng then took the second cup and offered it to Zhang Xinyan. “Mom, please have some tea.”  

“Yes,” Zhang Xinyan responded, her eyes welling up with tears. She also took a sip and handed Shen Zheng a red envelope.  

Fang Shijun, leaning on his cane, stood up, took Fang Xiaoluo’s hand, and solemnly placed it into Shen Zheng’s. “Take good care of her. If one day you find you don’t love her anymore, make sure to bring her back. She’s always our precious daughter.”  

Fang Xiaoluo was deeply moved, her tears streaming uncontrollably.  

Shen Zheng immediately reassured him. “Dad, I will treat Xiaoluo well. She’s my one and only wife in this lifetime, and I will never let her suffer.”  

Zhang Xinyan waved her hand. “Alright, off you go. Don’t miss the auspicious hour.”  

With that, Shen Zheng scooped Fang Xiaoluo into his arms. The atmosphere, already emotional from the earlier exchange, turned lively again as cheers erupted at the sight of him carrying the bride.  

The courtyard buzzed with joyous energy and celebration.  

Shen Zheng gently placed Fang Xiaoluo in the car. She looked out and saw Fang Shijun and Zhang Xinmei standing at the door, waving goodbye.  

Fang Qiang and Fang Jie were busy loading items onto the car, most of them things Shen Zheng had purchased for her.  

There were also pieces of furniture, such as a dressing table and writing desk, that Wei Yan had sent over. These were items Shen Zheng’s family hadn’t had time to prepare, and everything was carefully loaded onto the car.  

Anyone who saw the scene couldn’t help but marvel. ‘This family is so generous, what an impressive dowry!’ 

Before the car started, Fang Xiaoluo called Fang Yamei over. “Yamei, tell Mom that I left 1,000 yuan in the bottom-left corner of the wooden chest by her bed. Remind her to take care of it.”  

Before Yamei could respond, the convoy set off, leaving the Fang family’s courtyard bustling with guests and laughter.  

Fang Qiang and Fang Jie stayed behind to entertain the guests. Fang Xiaoluo had hired a chef to prepare a banquet at the Fang household.  

Everyone praised the Fang family for finding such an exceptional son-in-law. After all, Fang Xiaoluo was now the wife of a regiment Captain!