Chapter 35: The Village Welcomed a Military Vehicle

The next day, the two of them rode their bicycles to the city. Song Jingzhi took her directly to the department store.

“I have a watch, I don’t need to buy one. We’ll buy the other three essentials when we get to the army.” Tang Xiaoxiao said, looking up.

“You manage the money, you have the final say.”

“Not bad, Comrade Song Jingzhi, you’re quite enlightened.” She smiled brightly at him.

They went straight to the fabric counter. She chose two pieces of woolen fabric, planning to make two woolen coats.

One red one for herself, and one black one for Song Jingzhi, to wear for their wedding.

“My mother said she’ll bring the bed sheets and pillowcases for the wedding, but we still need to prepare two sets of bedding, one to keep at home and one to take to the army.”

They wouldn’t have anyone to help them prepare there, they would need these things when they first arrived, and she had no reason to take them out of her space.

“We can send these over first. Before the New Year, you can sort out the clothes you don’t wear and send them over.”

There would be a lot of people on the train, Song Jingzhi thought it would be better to travel light. He also needed to have free hands to take care of his little wife.

“Okay.” That’s what she was thinking too.

They also bought some cotton and some cloth. These were difficult to carry, and luckily Song Wei had driven the tractor to the city today, so he could take them back.

They also bought two sweaters and trousers to match the woolen coats. Tang Xiaoxiao pulled Song Jingzhi to buy leather shoes.

“The army issues leather shoes, you just need to buy them for yourself.” Seeing her picking out leather shoes for him, Song Jingzhi quickly stopped her.

“It’s a custom. I don’t know how to sew shoe soles, anyway, I’ll be wearing them on the wedding day, so I’ll buy you a pair of leather shoes.”

Hearing that it was a custom, Song Jingzhi didn’t refuse, but he chose two pairs for her.

After buying everything they needed, the two of them rode their bikes back to Yuhucun.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.

A military vehicle drove into Yuhucun. The children playing at the entrance of the village curiously followed behind it, attracting a group of villagers.

Tang Xiaoxiao, who was brushing her teeth in the yard, stared blankly at the military vehicle that stopped in front of her.

At this time, the driver’s door opened, and a tall soldier in military uniform got out of the car.

“Brother, brother?” Tang Xiaoxiao, with foam still in her mouth, called out.

Two more people got out of the back seat, it was Tang’s father and mother.

“Dad, Mom.”

Ignoring the foam on her lips, she ran over and excitedly hugged her mother.

“Tsk, can you wipe off the foam first?” Tang Mu looked at his sister with foam all over her mouth with some disgust.

She let go of her mother and used the towel hanging around her neck to wipe her mouth.

“Brother, how did you get here?” She ran over and hugged her brother. In her past life, Tang Mu died of a relapse of an old injury at the age of sixty, and Tang Xiaoxiao hadn’t seen him for more than two years in this life.

“Why are you still like a child?” Tang Mu patted his sister’s head affectionately.

“Your brother, hearing about your wedding, he barely managed to get leave.” Tang’s mother said with a smile.

“Xiaoxiao.” At this moment, Song Jingzhi’s voice came from the crowd.

Song Jingzhi had seen the commotion from his home and saw the military vehicle, guessing that her family had come, so he hurried over.

Tang Mu looked up at Song Jingzhi, who was also wearing a military uniform, his eyes undisguisedly sizing him up, letting Song Jingzhi know that this brother-in-law’s test was going to be difficult.

Tang Xiaoxiao introduced her parents and Song Jingzhi.

“Uncle, Auntie, hello.” He politely greeted Tang’s father and mother.

“This is my brother, Tang Mu.”

Song Jingzhi gave Tang Mu a military salute, “Song Jingzhi, captain of the first team, Tianjin Fire Brigade.”

“Tang Mu, battalion commander of the first battalion, first regiment, Northeast Military Region.” Tang Mu returned a military salute.

Tang Xiaoxiao inexplicably felt a spark between the two, and the people around them were also watching their interaction.

“Ahem, Tang Mu.” Tang’s father spoke, and the two of them put down their hands at the same time.

“My parents, uncle, aunt, and brother, please come to my home to sit down.” Song Jingzhi respectfully said to Tang’s father and mother.

“Okay, Tang Mu, bring down the gifts prepared for our in-laws from the car, and park the car.” Tang’s mother took some candy from the car and gave each of the onlookers a piece.

Tang Xiaoxiao held her mother’s arm with one hand and her father’s arm with the other, walking in front.

Song Jingzhi and Tang Mu carried things behind them, followed by many villagers who came to watch the excitement.

“How did you trick my sister?”

To say about Tang Mu, in the army, he was a cold and ruthless battalion commander, at home, he was a son suppressed by his parents, and in front of Tang Xiaoxiao, he was a sister-obsessed brother.

He always thought that no one in this world was worthy of his sister, and this was also an important reason why Tang Xiaoxiao had the confidence to stay single in her past life.

“Brother, I didn’t trick her, I truly love her.” His tone was sincere.

Tang Mu was older than Song Jingzhi by a few months, so Song Jingzhi didn’t feel awkward calling him big brother.

“It’s best that way.” Actually, before coming, Tang Mu had already used his connections to find out about Song Jingzhi.

But his beloved sister, who he had cherished for so many years, was suddenly getting married, and he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

When they arrived at the Song family’s house, Song’s father, Song’s mother, and the village chief’s couple were already waiting in the yard.

They warmly welcomed them into the main room. There were also some tables and chairs set up in the yard, with melon seeds and candies on the tables for the villagers to sit on.

That’s how it was in the village. Knowing that the two families were coming to discuss the marriage, many people came to watch.

The Song family couldn’t drive them away, so they simply put out some things. If it was too noisy, it would be a joke to the in-laws.

The two families sat down in the main room. Song’s mother and Aunt Wu poured tea for everyone, and then they started to discuss.

“My wife and I prepared a betrothal gift of six hundred and sixty-six yuan. The three essentials and the rest will be provided by Jingzhi.” Although he had already given it, Song’s father felt that he should still tell the in-laws about it.

“Dad, Mom, this is from Song Jingzhi to me.” Tang Xiaoxiao took out the passbook and envelope that Song Jingzhi had given her from her satchel.

Tang’s mother only opened the passbook and looked at it with Tang’s father, her eyes full of smiles.

“Jingzhi has given all his wealth to Xiaoxiao.” After looking at it, she returned it to her daughter and told her to keep it well.

Those in the yard who were close to the main room only heard that the betrothal gift was six hundred and sixty-six yuan, and there were also the three essentials, and it seemed like all of Song Jingzhi’s money.

Although they didn’t know the exact amount, they all started to discuss. Just the six hundred and sixty-six yuan was unheard of in the village.

“Because they will go to the army after the New Year, so our family has converted all the dowry into cash. They can buy it themselves when they get to the army.”

There was a custom in Yuhucun that the dowry had to be shown to everyone. If the daughter was valued in her natal family, she would be valued in her husband’s family.

Tang’s father took out a passbook from his satchel, opened it and handed it to the Song family to look at.

“This, this is too much.” Song’s mother and Aunt Wu’s mouths were almost unable to close. Song’s father and the village chief were men, so they weren’t as surprised, but they were also surprised.

The dowry was a full five thousand yuan! Was the Tang family so rich?