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After the military academy leaders presented Zhang Weiguo and his wife with their marriage certificate, the ceremony came to a close. Zuo He and Zuo Hao led the crowd towards the back. Those who had never seen the grandeur of the Wang family estate were truly impressed today. The size of the house was astounding; typically, several families would share one courtyard, but seeing the Wang family’s spacious property, it was evident that there were plenty of rooms, enough for not just living but even accommodating a reinforced platoon if needed.
Apart from Wu Lei, none of the children from the Wu family had seen the Wang family’s house before. Now, witnessing it for the first time, Wu Yufen, the eldest daughter of the Wu family, couldn’t help but feel envious. She nudged her husband, Luo Zhiming, saying, “Look at their house compared to ours. We can’t possibly live in something like this. We’re still stuck in a large courtyard. Their house is even better than what my father has. It’s frustrating how people and houses can’t be compared. It’s truly maddening.”
Having knowledge of the Wang family’s business dealings, Wu Yufen was stunned by the grandeur of their mansion. Given the scale and level of luxury, she wondered if their savings could ever afford them a place like the Wang family’s.
Luo Zhiming looked at his wife, who was caught up in comparisons, feeling a bit helpless. He also yearned for a large house, but the housing assignments from work were based on hierarchy. Given his rank, it was a distant dream. Even their superiors wouldn’t be able to reside in such a grand residence.
As each person’s envy and jealousy intensified upon seeing the abundant spread of food on the table, all that remained was a sense of longing and admiration.
Today, while there wasn’t an abundance of meat and vegetables, the variety of seafood was impressive. The table was filled with all kinds of seafood dishes that one could typically find in the market, offering a vast selection. Even if you opened up your appetite, it might be challenging to finish all the dishes.
The guests from the Bai family who had come to escort the bride praised the lavish banquet provided by the Zhang family, recognizing it as superior to the one they had hosted the previous day. It seemed like the sister had indeed made the right choice, as almost everything had been done to the best of their ability.
The school leaders of Zhang Weiguo also patted his shoulder with a smile, saying, “Weiguo, you’ve done a great job with this wedding. The process was simple, but the content was exceptional. Today, we look forward to enjoying the food prepared by your family.”
As everyone took their seats, Bai Jianing changed into a red qipao and went around to each table, offering cigarettes and toasting with guests. The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly became lively. The young people gathered together naturally began teasing each other, especially when it came to the newlyweds, Zhang Weiguo and Bai Jianing. As they went around offering cigarettes and toasting, the guests started playfully interacting with them.
During this era, the liveliest part of a wedding was playfully engaging with the bride at the banquet; it wasn’t as elaborate as the raucous antics of the wedding night in later times. People in this era were relatively innocent and straightforward.
Bai Jianing blushed as she was playfully teased by the guests, but everyone knew the limits. Once the teasing was over, they graciously accepted the cigarettes and drinks.
Zhang Wanyou and his wife sat at a table with the elderly gentlemens, watching them joyously enjoying the meal, their faces creased with smiles, which brought happiness to everyone.
“Brother, be happy. Weiguo has finally started his own family. You and your wife can now rest assured,” someone remarked, expressing joy for the newlywed couple.
Zhang Wanyou raised his glass and said, “To my brothers here, I am grateful to all of you for helping my son get married today. Allow me to toast to you first.” With that, he quickly drank the entire cup of wine. Wu Changyong admired Zhang Wanyou’s straightforwardness when it came to drinking. “Haha, today is a joyful day, so let’s all drink together. Congratulations on your son’s wedding.”
As the lively feast continued into the afternoon, guests gradually began to disperse. The chefs from the military academy and Zhang Weiguo’s classmates were asked to stay behind for a more intimate evening gathering, where they could be properly entertained. With the help of these individuals, the wedding banquet was successfully and joyfully concluded.
Meanwhile, Wang Xuan went to the vegetable garden to help Zhang Jiuhong and Zhao Chune pick vegetables as she had promised earlier. Upon seeing the garden in disarray, likely due to Shi Wenting’s actions, she couldn’t help but shake her head. Others wouldn’t have trampled the garden like this even if they came to pick vegetables.
Seeing Wang Xuan return with two baskets full of vegetables, Zhang Jiuhong felt both delighted and slightly embarrassed.
“Auntie, if you don’t mind, you can take the leftover vegetables from lunch back home. They can be reheated for dinner. The guests who came today are mostly relatives…”
This offer to take the leftover food back home was more than welcome for Zhang Jiuhong and her family. They had been considering it but felt hesitant to ask, not wanting to cause embarrassment. Wang Xuan’s suggestion aligned perfectly with their thoughts.
“We don’t mind at all. These are all good things that we normally wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy. Even during the New Year, we don’t have this much variety,” Zhang Jiuhong replied truthfully. During these times, everyone was quite frugal, saving money to ensure their children’s future and wedding expenses, leaving little room for indulgences.
Zhao Chune also agreed that even though they were leftovers, they were still good quality dishes that the Wang family wouldn’t discard.
“Wang Xuan, this works out perfectly for us. We can save the trouble of cooking when we get home,” she remarked.
Upon hearing about the leftovers, the eldest daughter-in-law, Shi Wenting, quickly chimed in, “Wang Xuan, pack some for your uncle as well. He didn’t eat much at lunch due to drinking, so having some vegetables for dinner would be perfect.”
Observing Shi Wenting’s behavior, Zhang Jiuhong couldn’t help but feel disdainful. “If you want something, just ask for it directly. There’s no need for poor excuses. It’s like trying to have your cake and eat it too.”
“Wang Xuan, I’ll help you pack everything up,” she offered.
In the absence of plastic bags at the time, Wang Xuan had to use buckets to distribute the food to each family, with the understanding that Old Chen would collect them later.
As they escorted the women back home, Wang Qian noticed that Shi Wenting had picked the most vegetables, filling an entire large bag. She wasn’t concerned about the quantity of vegetables but rather about whether Shi Wenting would be able to consume them all before they spoiled, as vegetables didn’t keep well for long periods.
“Sis, I think I’ve figured it out. This whole ordeal at Grandpa Chen’s house is probably orchestrated by their eldest daughter-in-law. She always manages to come out on top in any situation. It’s hard to understand why Old Chen ended up with a daughter-in-law like her…” Wang Qian expressed with a hint of resignation.
Wang Xuan just shook her head and smiled wryly. “Well, she’s inconsequential. As long as we know who she is, we’ll just avoid dealing with her in the future. It’s fortunate that Chen Xu’s mother is still decent, despite being a bit sharp-tongued. Otherwise, their family situation could be much worse.”
In the evening, Zuo Zhanshan had arranged with several elderly gentlemen to have dinner at the Wang family’s residence, so they didn’t return home but found a room there to rest for a while. After a lively day, being elderly, they needed some peace and quiet.
Zhang Lan took care of their accommodations before finally sitting down to catch her breath. It had been quite a challenging day for her.
After a day of busyness, the family realized they hadn’t eaten yet. They had a simple meal, knowing that Wang Qian had to return to school in the afternoon, with Zuo He accompanying her.
At this point, Wang Qian felt a bit hesitant, “Zuo He, aren’t you worried about attracting attention again? Maybe I should just go back on my own. I’m familiar with the way, and it’s not too far…”
Zuo He didn’t let her finish and interrupted, “No, I won’t feel at ease letting you go alone. Let them watch if they want. I don’t mind. If they stare, I’ll have my brother come and charge them a fee next time. Let’s go. I don’t care; why should you?”
Zuo He grabbed her hand and led her out. This time, Wang Qian brought some sweets and fruits back with her. Last time, she noticed the surprised expressions of a couple of people when she brought gifts, indicating they hadn’t expected anything.
Today had been chaotic at home, so she decided not to bring any food. Having the fruits was already a good gesture.
With Zuo He carrying the fruits, Zhang Lan saw him accompanying her daughter back to school and felt reassured. She trusted that he would take care of things responsibly.
After seeing the two off, the Zhang family finally gathered together to chat. While enjoying some fruits, Bai Jianing chatted with her family. She had been busy these past few days and hadn’t had a proper rest. Seeing her looking a bit drowsy, Zhang Lan promptly urged them to go back to their new house to rest properly and return for dinner later in the evening.
Initially hesitant to leave, Bai Jianing blushed slightly at the suggestion to rest. “Sis, it’s okay, I’ll just lie down here for a while. No need to go back and forth.”
Zhang Weiguo also agreed to rest there to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth trips. He was concerned about oversleeping and missing dinner. With their classmates still around, they couldn’t just leave them and return home.
Zhang Lan had Wang Xuan find a room for them to rest for a while. After a brief rest, everyone went back to their respective rooms to relax.
Once rested, Zhang Lan and the children started tidying up the kitchen, washing the dishes that the military academy chefs had brought to ensure they had enough. Fortunately, she had purchased some additional dishes before leaving, which came in handy.
During dinner, Zhang Weiguo and his classmates, not having had much time to celebrate during the day, took advantage of the evening with fewer people around and suitable temperatures. Everyone, regardless of being in military uniform, engaged in lively banter. Bai Jianing, being accustomed to such occasions from her military background, handled the situation with ease, managing her friends effortlessly.
Zhang Hua initially felt concerned whether she should go over to help, but seeing how capable her younger sister-in-law was, she couldn’t help but marvel at how different life experiences shaped people’s behaviors. She realized that if it were her daughter in that situation, she might not have known how to handle it.
Glancing at the lively scene at another table, Zhang Lan smiled and reassured her sister, “Don’t worry. They all know their limits. If things get out of hand, Weiguo probably wouldn’t allow it.”
Wu Changyong and Zuo Zhanshan, holding their glasses with smiles, watched the young newlyweds having a good time. Despite being senior officials, they had no intention of intervening. Each group had its own way of celebrating, and they appreciated the liveliness of the young people.