Chapter 36 : Discovering a bug in the original book

Seeing that Geng Changqing had already taken out a red envelope, the other leaders followed suit, taking out their own red envelopes and presenting them to Lu Changzheng.  

Nowadays, when people attend banquets, they often give gifts like daily necessities to relatives and friends. Most people give red envelopes containing amounts ranging from 50 cents to 2 yuan.  

Several leaders presented 2 yuan each, along with four taels of food coupons. In those days, it was crucial not to take even a penny from the common people.  

After the leaders of the commune entered the house, two men stayed at the door for a while to greet brigade members arriving for the banquet.  

At noon, a simple ceremony was held, witnessed by a group of members and several leaders.  

The couple took an oath in front of the Chairman’s portrait, then bowed three times to Lu Changzheng’s parents and grandfather, as well as to Geng Changqing, the bride’s family representative. Finally, the bride and groom bowed to each other.  

With that, the ceremony was complete.  

Twenty-five tables had been prepared, and every seat was taken.  

Since the vegetable patch had been plowed up, the entire banquet was arranged at the Lu family’s side to facilitate serving dishes, rather than in their own yard.  

The staple food was steamed buns made with mostly white flour and a little cornmeal, each about the size of an adult’s fist, with two provided per person. Two large pots of barley porridge were also cooked, ensuring everyone had enough to eat.  

The first dish served was mutton soup, a hearty and warming dish. The mutton, along with mutton chops and offal, was chopped into small pieces and stewed until tender. White radish was added, and the dish was garnished with wolfberries and chopped green onions before serving. The soup was milky white, the mutton fragrant and fresh, and a single bowl was enough to warm one’s stomach and bring great comfort, especially in the chilly weather.  

At most tables, except for the leaders’ and educated youths’ table where guests ate with restraint, people competed to eat as quickly as possible to get more.  

The second dish was pork stewed with cabbage and sauerkraut, served in a large enamel basin.  

The third dish was stewed old hen with mushrooms and vermicelli, featuring more mushrooms than chicken or vermicelli, as these ingredients were considered expensive. The mushrooms were foraged from the mountains and dried for later use.  

The fourth dish was goose stewed with potatoes. Although there was more potato than goose meat, it was delicious enough to make everyone crave more.  

After these main dishes, two vegetarian dishes were served. Each table had different vegetables based on availability.  

Additionally, each table for the men was provided with a pound of bulk liquor and a pack of cigarettes, while the women’s tables received a handful of candies.  

The banquet brought great joy to everyone, as it was the best meal they’d had all year, even compared to Chinese New Year feasts.  

Lu Changzheng and Su Mo did not toast every table. They toasted the leaders, a few tables of relatives, and the table of educated youths.  

When Geng Changqing observed the dishes on the table, he realized that the Lu family valued Su Mo highly, which put him at ease.  

After the meal, Geng Changqing visited the couple’s new house. Seeing their setup reassured him.  

Given that Lu Changzheng had an allowance and Geng could provide occasional support, he believed they would manage well.  

Before leaving due to work, Geng reminded Su Mo to call Su Tingde.  

What he didn’t share was that Su Tingde, upon hearing of Su Mo’s wedding, had nearly lost his composure. Only Geng’s assurances about Lu Changzheng’s character had calmed him down.  

Su Tingde, who had two sons but no daughters, had always treated Su Mo like his own daughter, frequently sending her pocket money. It was largely thanks to him that the original Su Mo enjoyed a relatively comfortable life.  

After everyone left, only the couple remained in their room. Lu Changzheng, slightly tipsy from the toasts, excitedly began showing Su Mo around the house.  

First, he took her to the main room in the middle. “Wife, there are two large stoves here. The stove on the east is connected to the fire wall. In winter, we can use this stove for cooking and keeping the house warm.”  

He then opened the cupboard to display its contents.  

“Wife, I’ve stocked up on all the essentials. I’ve bought plenty of rice, flour, bacon, sausages, and eggs. You can eat whenever you want. Don’t hold back. I’ll send you my allowance regularly.”  

Su Mo peered inside and saw rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and other necessities. There were also ample bowls, chopsticks, and jars likely filled with rice and flour.  

He then led her to the reception area, which had a round dining table, several stools, two wooden benches, a low table, and even a Forever 26 bicycle.  

“Wife, if guests come over, entertain them here. Don’t let them onto the kang. Those aunties don’t bathe often, and it can be unhygienic.”

Then he led Su Mo to the west room, saying, “This is the guest room. If we have visitors in the future, they can sleep here.”  

Su Mo looked around the west room. It was laid out similarly to their wedding room but had less furniture. There were just two kangqins (heating platforms), one large and one small, along with a kang table placed on the kang. On the floor stood a large wooden cabinet and a sizable bathtub beside it, making the room appear quite spacious and empty.  

“There are two adobe huts outside,” he continued. “The larger one is used as a storage room for firewood and miscellaneous items. The smaller one outside is the toilet. It’s a dry toilet, but it’s clean.”  

After finishing his explanation, he looked at Su Mo with bright, expectant eyes.  

Su Mo couldn’t help but smile at his expression, which seemed to be seeking her approval. She hadn’t expected this slightly drunk version of Lu Changzheng to be so endearing.  

“The house is lovely. I like it very much,” Su Mo said with a warm smile.  

“As long as my wife likes it,” he replied cheerfully before pulling her back to their wedding room. “Wife, is there anything else you want? Tell me, and I’ll go get it for you.”  

“There’s no need, everything is perfect. Changzheng, this house is really nice. I love it,” Su Mo reaffirmed.  

Lu Changzheng chuckled happily. Su Mo realized he was quite drunk, so she comforted him gently.  

“The afternoon is still long. Would you like to take a nap?”  

“Okay, but only if you nap with me, my wife.”  

Su Mo: …  

There was no arguing with a drunk person.  

“Alright,” she said, planning to wait for him to fall asleep before quietly moving to the main room to avoid any misunderstandings if visitors stopped by.  

Su Mo prepared the bed by laying out a mattress, spreading a new bedsheet, and setting up a fresh pillow. Once ready, she helped him onto the kang to rest.  

Since it wasn’t cold enough for a heavy quilt, she covered him with a thin blanket she had brought from the educated youth center.  

“Wife, aren’t you going to sleep too?” he asked.  

“I’ll watch over you while you sleep,” Su Mo replied.  

It didn’t take long for the tired and slightly drunk Lu Changzheng to drift off.  

Once he was asleep, Su Mo moved to the main room, sitting on a wooden bench. She retrieved the two red envelopes given by Geng Changqing from her skirt pocket and fell into deep thought.  

From Geng Changqing’s attitude, it was clear he didn’t avoid interacting with the original owner of her body. Moreover, he appeared to have regular contact with the original owner’s uncle, as evidenced by how quickly the uncle learned about her marriage.  

Yet, a mystery remained: after the original owner’s death, why didn’t Geng Changqing take care of the aftermath? Instead, the Lujia Village Brigade sent a telegram to Hai City, prompting Yang Suyun to retrieve the original owner’s belongings.  

Was it because Geng Changqing was unwilling, or was he prevented from stepping forward for some reason?  

The uncertainty troubled Su Mo. It seemed there were layers of mystery here.  

After pondering for a while without finding answers, she decided to let it go. “Things will make sense when the time is right,” she thought.  

Opening the two red envelopes, Su Mo counted the money: 200 yuan in each, totaling 400 yuan.  

She clicked her tongue in amazement. “Just by getting married, I’ve earned nearly a year’s salary for many people!”  

After putting away the money, Su Mo calculated her finances.  

After her earlier purchases, she had 933.27 yuan left. She received a 400-yuan betrothal gift, then spent: 125 yuan on a watch for Lu Changzheng, 0.5 yuan on white cotton thread, 0.3 yuan on a newspaper, 2.5 yuan on a White Rabbit candy card from the black market, 1.5 yuan on a pillow core two days ago, 0.84 yuan on three feet of cotton cloth  

This left her with 1,202.63 yuan. Adding today’s 400 yuan in gift money brought her total to 1,602.63 yuan.  

Su Mo felt quite pleased. “Getting married earned me nearly 600 yuan,” she thought with satisfaction. She was one step closer to her dream of buying a Siheyuan in the capital.