Chapter 17 – Blushing
◎ Touched somewhere that shouldn’t be touched ◎

The wedding ultimately wasn’t brought forward. Since family and friends had already been notified, it wasn’t appropriate to change the date again. Zhang Dongling could only count the days on her fingers, waiting eagerly one day at a time.

Before Gui Xiwen and Gu Ying’s wedding took place, the courtyard first welcomed the marriage of Mingxue and Zhang Kuo.

Zhang Kuo’s wedding was set for an auspicious day—the sixth day of the sixth lunar month—a date chosen for its symbolism of good fortune and smooth success. But early that morning, an unpleasant hiccup disrupted the festivities.

Weddings in the courtyard typically didn’t book banquets at restaurants. Instead, it was customary to invite a seasoned chef to come cook on-site, setting up temporary stoves in the open space at the entrance and preparing delicious food for the guests.

The problem arose with the chef.

Originally, Zhang Kuo had invited Master Chef Xu Geng from the factory cafeteria. Xu Geng had a great reputation from years of experience—his cooking was renowned and widely praised.

But unexpectedly, Xu Geng came down with a bad cold the day before, and by morning he was too sick to get out of bed. His wife, Auntie Wang, rushed over with the message that Old Xu was really unwell and couldn’t possibly attend such a festive occasion.

Fortunately, Auntie Wang had asked another chef from the cafeteria, Master Yang, to step in. This spared Zhang Kuo from being caught off guard.

Zhang Kuo actually preferred Master Xu, but Xu’s illness was unavoidable. He had no choice but to let Master Yang take over.

That small mishap passed quickly. Zhang Kuo got busy greeting the guests. Holding a pack of cigarettes, he would offer a stick to any male guest, and if it was a female guest, he’d invite her inside for wedding candies.

While attending to guests, he suddenly spotted Sun Lan and Aunt Wu walking in side by side.

In the courtyard, whenever a family held a wedding, the other households would come over to congratulate and join the banquet—this was an unwritten rule. Only those with serious grudges would skip such a gathering.

A trace of discomfort flashed across Zhang Kuo’s face. He didn’t want to see Sun Lan—in fact, he didn’t want to see any of Gu Ying’s family.

That’s why, when his uninformed parents had previously suggested inviting the cafeteria chef Gu Chengzhi as the head chef, he flatly refused.

He still hadn’t sorted out his feelings.

Thankfully, Sun Lan came alone. If she had brought Gu Ying along, he probably wouldn’t have been able to maintain his calm facade.

Zhang Kuo quickly composed himself and greeted them enthusiastically, “Aunt Wu, Aunt Sun, you’re here! Come inside for some wedding candy.”

Sun Lan didn’t respond and only smiled faintly.

Aunt Wu clicked her tongue admiringly and stepped forward to pat Zhang Kuo on the shoulder. “Oh my, what a handsome groom in a suit! And that hairstyle—so sharp and clean. You’re the most dashing guy in our whole courtyard today!”

Knowing Zhang Kuo was busy, Aunt Wu exchanged a few polite compliments and then tugged Sun Lan inside. “Let’s go see how the bridal chamber is decorated.”

More accurately, they were going to check the assets.

In those days, the standard setup for a wedding was “three rounds and one sound”—a bicycle, a watch, a sewing machine, and a radio. With Zhang Kuo’s family finances, buying all three might already stretch them thin. Getting a radio on top of that would be a burden.

Just as Aunt Wu stepped into the bridal chamber, she saw a group gathered around a brand new radio. A few curious kids were reaching out to touch it, but the adults nearby quickly gave them stern looks and warned, “Don’t touch it! You’ll break it. This is a foreign brand—expensive!”

Aunt Wu chuckled and whispered to Sun Lan, “See that? They say that radio is imported from Germany.”

Sun Lan craned her neck to get a look, a complex expression flickering in her eyes.

Back then, she had assumed Gu Ying would marry Zhang Kuo, and she had nearly accepted him as her future son-in-law. Who would have thought Zhang Kuo would marry Mingxue instead? Life truly was unpredictable.

Zhang Kuo must really cherish Mingxue. Even though his family wasn’t wealthy, they still went out of their way to buy this foreign item to keep up appearances.

Would he have done the same if Gu Ying were the bride?

Sun Lan already knew the answer—and it was a cruel one.

If Gu Ying had been the one marrying Zhang Kuo, he probably would’ve just bought a cheap radio, or maybe none at all. After all, Gu Ying didn’t come from a prestigious family and didn’t require such “precious” things to elevate her status.

All of a sudden, Sun Lan felt a little upset. The emotion quietly crept onto her face, making her expression darken.

Aunt Wu didn’t notice the change in her expression. She leaned in to whisper excitedly, eager to share some gossip. “You know, that radio was actually bought by Mingxue’s dad.”

“Really?” Sun Lan looked up in surprise.

Aunt Wu lowered her voice, “Of course! Do you think Zhang Kuo’s family could afford such an expensive foreign item? Ming Defeng is all about appearances—would he let his daughter get married without proper show?”

She scanned the room again and added meaningfully, “I heard the Ming family contributed quite a lot of money and effort to this wedding.”

Sun Lan thought of Gu Ying and Gui Xiwen’s upcoming wedding and felt her mood drop again.

People, after all, are most afraid of comparisons.

Sun Lan believed their family had already done their best in preparing a dowry for Gu Ying, but compared to the Ming family, what the Gu family had done was truly limited.

Sun Lan sighed and said with emotion, “Our family probably won’t be able to do all this for Gu Ying.”

Aunt Wu was momentarily stunned and looked at Sun Lan in surprise. “What are you saying? The Gui family’s preparations will be more than enough. I’m sure they’ll do even better than this.”

Then, as if sharing a secret, Aunt Wu leaned close to Sun Lan’s ear and whispered, “I think our little Ying is luckier than Ming Xue. Look, Ming Xue even had to bring a dowry when getting married, but our little Ying marrying into the Gui family? That’s pure good fortune!”

Ever since the Gui and Gu families had met at Aunt Wu’s house and set the wedding date, Aunt Wu had taken on the self-proclaimed role of matchmaker.

It was also Aunt Wu who had spread the news of Gui Xiwen and Gu Ying’s engagement to the entire courtyard. Whenever she thought about it, she felt an overwhelming sense of pride, as if she had single-handedly brought the couple together.

So now, Aunt Wu naturally stood firmly on Sun Lan’s side, as if Gu Ying were her own daughter. She wanted everything about the marriage to outshine others’, only then would she be satisfied.

But Sun Lan waved her hand. “It’s still too early to talk about luck. No one knows what their future will be like.”

In truth, Sun Lan felt very uneasy. The marriage between Gu Ying and Gui Xiwen still felt unreal to her, like a beautiful dream, but one she feared she might wake from at any moment.

Aunt Wu smiled. “Don’t worry so much. From what I know, Zhang Dongling thinks very highly of little Ying. You know Zhang Dongling’s temper—she’s straightforward. If she didn’t like someone, she wouldn’t hide it. But she’s been full of praise for little Ying. Once she marries into their family, there won’t be any mother-in-law issues.”

Sun Lan still shook her head. “You never know. Getting along with people is an art. There’s no such thing as never having conflicts.”

Aunt Wu didn’t want to listen to Sun Lan’s worries and quickly pulled her outside to find some sweets.

Not long after, a wooden table was set up outside the courtyard. Helpers began laying red plastic table covers, signaling that the banquet was about to begin.

Before the banquet, there was still an important ceremony—fetching the bride.

Normally, the groom should’ve gone to the bride’s home earlier, but since Ming Xue also lived in the courtyard and the two families were just steps apart, there was no need to set off early.

When it was almost time to start, Mr. Zhibi found Zhang Kuo and instructed him to go pick up the bride. A group of children excitedly followed the wedding party, chattering and giggling noisily.

The bride soon arrived—Zhang Kuo had carried her all the way over. Amid the cheers and jeers, Zhang Kuo carried Ming Xue into the wedding room before putting her down.

Ming Xue wore a pure white wedding dress. The upper part was decorated with pleated patterns, giving it a very stylish look. A long veil was pinned to her head, cascading down her shoulders like a fairy’s.

Ming Xue was beautiful to begin with, and now in her elegant white gown, she was surrounded by curious children, all wanting to get close to the bride.

Some even reached out to tug her veil, which annoyed Ming Xue.

Younger children seemed fascinated by this Western-style dress, staring wide-eyed at the beautiful bride. Meanwhile, the older generation sitting in the main hall shook their heads, clearly unimpressed by this new trend.

“It’s supposed to be a festive occasion—how can she wear white? White is usually for funerals.”

“These youngsters just love following foreign trends. What’s wrong with wearing red? It’s festive and beautiful. Why insist on copying the West?”

Sun Lan sat among the elders, silently listening to their quiet complaints.

Once the bride was brought in, the banquet could begin. After eating, Sun Lan didn’t stay long and soon returned home.

Back at home, burdened by her thoughts, she asked Gu Ying seriously, “What kind of wedding dress do you want? The Western white kind or our traditional red one?”

Gu Ying answered without hesitation, “Red, of course.”

Sun Lan breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Gu Ying liked red—otherwise, there would surely be whispers from the elders.

Feeling satisfied, Sun Lan casually asked, “Those white gowns are pretty trendy nowadays. Why don’t you like them? I see lots of girls picking them for their weddings.”

Gu Ying answered honestly, “I just like red.”

Sun Lan smiled. “That’s true, you’ve loved red since you were little. Choosing red makes sense.”

Gu Ying shrugged. “Even if I didn’t love red, I still wouldn’t pick white.”

“Why not?” Sun Lan asked.

Gu Ying grabbed both of Sun Lan’s hands and placed them on her face, grinning. “Mom, look at my face. My skin isn’t fair—if I wear white, wouldn’t I look even darker?”

“Everyone would be shocked, thinking, ‘Hey, where’d this Ugly Bride come from!’”

Sun Lan burst into laughter at Gu Ying’s playful tone. She reached out to pat Gu Ying’s head. “What are you thinking? Brides wear makeup. The photo studio’s makeup artist will layer on the powder. You’ll be a fair-skinned bride too.”

“Oh, right.”

Gu Ying seemed to just realize that. She excitedly picked up the mirror from the table and looked closely. Then she turned to Sun Lan with a serious look. “Mom, do you think I’ll be prettier after makeup?”

Sun Lan covered her mouth, laughing. “Silly girl, of course you will.”

Gu Ying put down the mirror, then suddenly asked, “Mom, was Ming Xue beautiful today?”

Sun Lan froze, emotions stirring in her eyes.

For a moment, she didn’t know what Gu Ying meant by asking. Was Gu Ying feeling inferior, thinking she couldn’t compare to Ming Xue?

Sun Lan pulled Gu Ying into her arms and gently patted her head. “Ming Xue was very beautiful today—because she was the bride. When you’re the bride, you’ll be the most beautiful one too.”

Gu Ying poked her head out with a grin and said, “That depends—it all comes down to the makeup artist’s skills.”

Just because of that one sentence, Sun Lan personally visited several photo studios, asking around and making inquiries.

After several days of investigation, Sun Lan finally found a makeup artist with both excellent skills and a great reputation—Miss Liu, who worked at Lili Photo Studio, specializing in doing makeup for clients coming in for photos.

Sun Lan arranged a date and time with Miss Liu, then waited for the wedding day to arrive.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and before they knew it, Gu Ying and Gui Xiwen’s wedding day had come.

Still thinking about her appointment with the makeup artist, Sun Lan repeatedly reminded Gu Chengzhi the night before the wedding to take Gu Ying to Lili Photo Studio early in the morning to get her makeup done.

After hearing her repeat it a dozen times, Gu Chengzhi was a bit helpless. “Mom, stop repeating it—I got it. I’ll definitely get up early tomorrow and take Gu Ying there for her makeup.”

Sun Lan added again, “Don’t blame me for nagging. I’m just worried that with so many things happening tomorrow, you’ll forget. Miss Liu is hard to book—I made this appointment half a month ago. Don’t miss the time slot. If she gets busy with other clients, there won’t be time for Xiaoying to get her makeup done.”

“Alright, alright, I got it. I’ll get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Don’t worry!”

Only after Gu Chengzhi gave this guarantee did Sun Lan finally go to bed feeling at ease.

Perhaps because it was on his mind, Gu Chengzhi actually woke up early the next morning.

He got Gu Ying out of bed, who was still reluctant to get up, and wheeled out the bicycle, taking her to Lili Photo Studio.

It was just barely dawn. Many families in the compound hadn’t gotten up yet, and there were few people on the road. Sitting on the back seat of the bike, Gu Ying kept yawning and leaned her head on Gu Chengzhi’s broad back, mumbling, “Weddings are such a hassle. I can’t even sleep in.”

Normally, Gu Ying would sleep until she naturally woke up, around seven or eight in the morning. Sun Lan, knowing her daughter’s weak constitution, always pampered her.

This was Gu Ying’s first time waking up early to do something important. She kept yawning, her energy drained.

Seeing it was still early, Gu Chengzhi changed direction and took Gu Ying to have breakfast first.

After breakfast, they arrived at Lili Photo Studio just as it was opening.

The shop owner, surprised to see customers this early, said, “Wow, you’re here so early. Right on the dot, huh?”

Gu Chengzhi’s honest face broke into an uncontrollable smile. He nudged Gu Ying forward and said happily, “My sister’s getting married today, here to do makeup—we made an appointment with Miss Liu.”

“Congratulations!” the shop owner said warmly, ushering them in. “Come in and have a seat. Miss Liu isn’t here yet.”

Rubbing his hands, Gu Chengzhi asked, “When will Miss Liu be here?”

“Soon. Since you’ve made an appointment, she won’t forget,” the owner replied before going to take care of other business.

Seeing there was still half an hour before the appointment time, Gu Chengzhi called out to the owner again, asking, “How long does it usually take to do a bride’s makeup?”

The owner thought for a moment. “If it’s quick, about half an hour. If it’s slow… around an hour.”

Hearing that, Gu Chengzhi immediately became restless.

Miss Liu hadn’t arrived yet, and who knew how much longer she’d take. Add on the makeup time, and he’d be stuck waiting there for quite a while.

Turning to Gu Ying, he suggested, “Since it’ll take a while, I’ll head back first. I’ll come pick you up in about an hour. Sound good?”

It wasn’t that he couldn’t stand the wait—it was just that there were still many things to prepare for Gu Ying’s wedding at home. If he sat there doing nothing, they’d be short a pair of hands.

Gu Ying clearly understood what he meant. “Sure, go ahead, just don’t forget to come get me in an hour.”

Pushing his bicycle, Gu Chengzhi assured her, “Don’t worry, I won’t forget. Even if I do, Mom will remind me on time.”

With that, he got on his bike and quickly left.

Gu Ying sat in the studio, and not long after, Miss Liu arrived, stepping in wearing black high heels.

As a makeup artist, Miss Liu was fashionably dressed. Her hair was styled in big waves, and she swayed her hips as she walked, full of charm.

The moment she walked into the studio, the owner pointed to Gu Ying and said, “Your client’s here already—the bride-to-be you made an appointment with.”

Miss Liu remembered and without saying much, smoothly guided Gu Ying to sit in front of the mirror.

Before starting, she lifted Gu Ying’s chin and examined her carefully. “A bit dark… looks like I’ll need to use more powder.”

For some reason, Gu Ying found the comment funny.

Looking up with bright, shiny eyes, she asked, “Is it like whitewashing a wall? If you use too much, will it fall off?”

A mental image flashed in Gu Ying’s mind—thick plaster peeling off a wall.

She thought, if the powder on her face came off like that, leaving her face blotchy with white and black patches, she might scare everyone to death.

Miss Liu, who had been keeping a straight face, suddenly smiled. “You’re funny. Don’t worry, it won’t fall off like plaster. Trust my skills.”

With that, she turned serious again and began thinking about what kind of makeup to do for Gu Ying.

Hearing her reassurance, Gu Ying stopped asking questions. She didn’t understand this stuff anyway, so she just let Miss Liu do her thing.

Time passed slowly, and customers began to trickle into the studio.

Some didn’t need makeup, while others insisted on waiting for Miss Liu.

She had to speed up but still handled each job with care. Gu Ying closed her eyes, feeling Miss Liu gently applying makeup to her face, with the scent of rouge wafting in the air.