Chapter 111: Marriage

Feng Yi didn’t regret it at all. In fact, he was especially happy at the moment.

Jiang Liyun invited Jiang Qiazi and his wife to Shanghai, not only to have them have some fun in Shanghai but also to tell them about her marriage to Feng Yi.

Feng Yi had always wanted to get married. He couldn’t do it while he was in college, but now that he had graduated, he could.

In the past six months, Feng Yi has hinted at it several times.

Jiang Liyun also felt it was time to get married. They weren’t too young but also not too old, so getting married now was just right.

For the wedding, they would definitely have to return to Jiucun Town, but Jiang Liyun planned to buy some things in Shanghai to bring back and make the wedding lively.

She also wanted to hire a photographer to capture the entire wedding process.

After they had the wedding in Jiucun Town, they could also have a few tables at a hotel in Shanghai to entertain Feng Yi’s teachers, classmates, and friends Jiang Liyun knew from business.

In an era without high-speed trains, it was too troublesome to invite these people to Jiucun Town for the wedding, so it was better to separate the events.

After buying the car, Jiang Liyun took her family to a seafood restaurant for dinner and mentioned her and Feng Yi’s plan to get married.

When Feng Yi heard Jiang Liyun mention it, he immediately raised his head proudly, his eyes shining as he eagerly looked at Jiang Qiazi and his wife, waiting for their approval.

Of course, Jiang Qiazi and his wife couldn’t possibly disagree. Wu Xiaochun asked Jiang Liyun, “Liyun, what do we need to do?”

Jiang Liyun had a clear idea, so they simply followed her instructions.

Jiang Liyun said, “Mom, Dad, just rest well. Everything will be handled by the emcee on the day.”

In rural weddings, parents usually took care of everything—the number of dishes at the banquet, the brand of cigarettes served, the amount of dowry, who escorted or was escorted, and what gifts to prepare for the guests—all of these were normally decided by the parents.

But Jiang Qiazi and his wife were unreliable, so Jiang Liyun didn’t count on them and planned to handle everything herself.

Of course, she would seek help. She would invite two people familiar with these matters to help her manage things.

“Okay.” Wu Xiaochun was relieved to hear that she didn’t have to do anything herself.

After spending these years selling things at Liyun’s Dumpling Shop every day, she was no longer as introverted and hesitant to interact with people as she used to be, but it was still a bit difficult for her to handle her daughter’s wedding.

But she was willing to do anything else!

Thinking of this, Wu Xiaochun said, “Liyun, I made several sets of bedding for you, and I also had a gold ring and gold necklace made for Feng Yi.”

According to their custom, when marrying a daughter off, they had to buy gold jewellery for the other family, usually a gold ring and gold earrings.

Jiang Liyun was essentially being married off, so it was no different from marrying a daughter.

Since Feng Yi was a man and not suitable for wearing gold earrings, she had a gold necklace and a thick gold ring made for him.

Jiang Qiazi added, “We’ve also prepared the dowry.”

According to custom, this was something they had to provide.

But all their money came from Jiang Liyun opening the shop for them to earn, so it was essentially given by Jiang Liyun… Jiang Qiazi felt a little embarrassed.

“We can let Feng Yi wear the gold necklace and gold ring on the wedding day,” Jiang Liyun said with a smile.

At this time, no one had much money, so there were only a few pieces of jewellery bought for the wedding, but after more than ten years… She remembered that around that time, people in the rural areas near Jiucun Town would have weddings, and while the women were fine, the men would all buy big gold chains, one after another, looking like nouveau riche.

Feng Yi looked like a cultured person—very refined. It was hard to imagine what he would look like wearing a big gold chain.

Wu Xiaochun said, “The gold necklace I had made for you is thicker than the one your brother-in-law wears. Feng Yi will look good wearing it.”

Jiang Liyun looked at Sun Jinshan and saw that he was wearing a thick and ugly gold chain around his neck, and he also had thick gold rings on his hands.

On the bus ride to Shanghai, Sun Jinshan had hidden the necklace in his clothes and hadn’t worn the ring, but today he showed them off.

“The necklace I have is just thinner because I bought it early. When I go back, I’ll add more gold to it and have someone make a new one.” Sun Jinshan felt a little unhappy when he heard that Feng Yi’s gold necklace was thicker than his.

Jiang Liyun felt a bit helpless. Sun Jinshan’s necklace was already so thick that it was a bit ugly. If it were any thicker, how much uglier would it be?

Forget it; they’ll just wear the jewellery for the wedding.

While Jiang Liyun was thinking this, Wu Xiaochun said to her, “Liyun, I also had a gold ring made for you and two large silver bracelets.”

Jiang Liyun: “…”

The jewellery she bought from the jewellery store was mostly beautiful, but the ones crafted by her parents’ local artisans were generally as ugly as they could get.

The craftsmanship of the artisan in Hongxing Township who could work with gold and silver was really mediocre.

As they talked, various seafood dishes were brought to the table.

Jiucun Town was close to the seaside, and the Jiang family would usually eat local sea fish.

But what they usually ate were affordable and common sea fish like hairtail, saury, and skinless fish. Today, the dishes served were different—large crabs, abalones, and sea cucumbers—all unfamiliar to the Jiang family, making their meal quite satisfying.

As for Jiang Liyun, she already liked the food at this restaurant a lot.

Scallop fried rice, sautéed squid, grilled prawns, shrimp dumplings, braised yellow croaker… Of course, not all the dishes on the table were seafood; there were also dishes like Eight Treasure Duck and stewed local chicken.

The chef at this restaurant cooked exceptionally well, and Jiang Liyun particularly enjoyed the scallop fried rice, having two helpings.

After having fun with her family in Shanghai for a few days, on January 4th, Feng Yi and Jiang Liyun drove and sent the Jiang family back to Jiucun Town.

On January 5th, Feng Yi was invited to have dinner with Zhou Chongcheng.

They dined on seafood, and each dish was so beautifully presented that it almost felt embarrassing to use chopsticks.

Zhou Chongcheng asked Feng Yi, “How is it? The seafood in this restaurant is delicious, right?”

Feng Yi replied, “It’s very delicious.”

Zhou Chongcheng, feeling a bit proud, knew that not everyone could eat at this restaurant. Even Feng Yi and Jiang Liyun couldn’t get a reservation.

At this point, Feng Yi added, “The seafood at the restaurant we went to a few days ago with Liyun was even more delicious. Grandpa, next time, I’ll treat you there.”

The food in this restaurant was decent, but most of it was steamed. Feng Yi, being a common man, thought the previously visited restaurant’s sautéed squid and dry pot abalone were more flavorful.

Zhou Chongcheng: “…”

After a while, Zhou Chongcheng regained his composure and continued to enquire, “Feng Yi, the Lunar New Year is approaching. Would you like to accompany me to Taiwan for a vacation?”

Feng Yi replied, “Grandpa, I’m busy. I’m getting married after the New Year. On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Liyun and I will have a banquet in Hongxing Township, and on the eighteenth day, we’ll have another one in Shanghai. Will you come?”

Zhou Chongcheng asked, “You’re getting married so soon? Are you marrying into her family?”

Feng Yi nodded without hesitation and said, “Yes.”

Zhou Chongcheng was infuriated. “You’re getting married, and you didn’t tell me in advance? I’m your grandfather!”

“Grandpa, you told me not to tell you about me and Liyun,” Feng Yi said. “If you want to come, just let me know, and I’ll arrange a seat for you.”

If Zhou Chongcheng could change his attitude towards Jiang Liyun in these two years, their relationship might improve a bit. However, Zhou Chongcheng had always been resistant to Jiang Liyun, and their relationship remained lukewarm.

Zhou Chongcheng said, “I won’t go!” His grandson was marrying into someone else’s family, and he had no face to attend the wedding!

Of course, if Feng Yi pleaded with him, he would still go.

“Okay,” Feng Yi agreed without any fuss.

Zhou Chongcheng became even more angry.

Feng Yi paid no attention to Zhou Chongcheng’s mood. At this moment, he was still excited.

School was already on winter break, and after spending a few more days in Shanghai with Jiang Liyun, they could return to Jiucun Town to prepare for the wedding.

Jiang Liyun intended to delegate the wedding preparations to others, but Feng Yi wanted to do it himself, so he volunteered.

Jiang Liyun agreed.

Right now, Feng Yi’s mind is filled with thoughts of what to prepare for the wedding and what clothes to wear. He was absent-minded even during meals.

Seeing Feng Yi like this, Zhou Chongcheng silently scolded him for being weak but felt helpless.

In a society governed by the rule of law, he couldn’t lock Feng Yi up and prevent him from getting married!

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Jiang Liyun and Feng Yi returned to Jiucun Town together.

They drove both cars back, partly because they had brought back a lot of things that one car couldn’t accommodate, and partly because they intended to use these two cars as wedding cars.

In the past few years, the import of cars has been strictly regulated, and the tariff on imported cars has been very high. Car prices remained high, and one often had to pay a hefty premium to buy one.

In such circumstances, having a Santana as a wedding car was considered quite respectable.

The people in Qiaotou Village already knew about Jiang Liyun and Feng Yi’s upcoming marriage, and their words revealed a tinge of envy.

“Jiang Liyun is really wealthy. She and Feng Yi each bought a car.”

“She’s really capable!

“Feng Yi is not bad either. I heard he only studied for two years, and he already graduated from college. The university he attended even wanted him to become a teacher for college students!”

“He can actually teach college students? That’s impressive!”

“He must have gone crazy from studying; even his wealthy grandfather doesn’t recognise him.”

“He knows how to be grateful!”

“With the wealth of the Jiang family now, the wedding of Jiang Liyun and Feng Yi will surely be done in a very dignified manner.”

“I heard that the wedding candies from the Jiang family are imported chocolates!”

…

For most families, getting candies for a wedding is already good if they are something like traditional candies. Imported chocolates must be quite expensive!

And the chefs for the banquet… Typically, they hire local chefs from the same hometown, but the chefs from Hongxing Township didn’t receive an invitation from the Jiang family. After inquiring, they found out that Jiang Liyun had hired a head chef from a restaurant in the county.

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The wedding day was tomorrow, but early in the morning, close relatives and members of the Jiang family had already come to help. The hired chefs were also there.

When these chefs arrived, they brought two trucks and over a dozen workers with various tools, including materials to build a canopy. They set up a canopy at the entrance of Jiang’s new house, where the wedding banquet would take place.

Twenty to thirty years later, it became common to set up such canopies for weddings in rural areas. However, for people at that time, it was something new.

Villagers gathered to watch, marvelling at the spectacle.

Shortly after, those two trucks brought in many tables and chairs.

“No wonder the Jiang family didn’t borrow tables from us. They rented tables and chairs with their own money!”

“They didn’t borrow bowls and chopsticks either. Are the bowls and chopsticks they’re using for the banquet also rented from outside?”

“Look, they’re laying a red carpet on the ground! Such a bright red carpet, and they’re actually laying it on the ground!”

“This is too extravagant.”

“I’ve never seen anyone have a wedding like this!”

…

The trucks made many trips, bringing in a considerable number of items that beautifully decorated the entire wedding venue. Some people held balloons and ribbons, starting to decorate the new house of the Jiang family.

“Using balloons and ribbons for decoration makes this house look really beautiful.”

“Is this the new house?”

“No, this isn’t the new house. The new house is the one Jiang Liyun bought in town. I just came back from town and saw that the stairs of that house were all covered with red carpet.”

“The new house over there must be decorated even more beautifully!”

“Those chefs have already started preparing the meals, and there are many dishes I’ve never seen before inside.”

“I just asked, and they said there will be someone alone to eat tomorrow!”

“Is it the abalone with fish maw? My goodness, they’re using such expensive things for their wedding.”

…

Jiang Liyun’s wedding indeed used high-quality ingredients.

Take the abalone, for example… In later years, due to the popularity of domestic seafood farming, small-sized abalones could be bought for a few yuan each. However, at that time, abalones were still quite expensive.

In addition to abalones, Jiang Liyun also selected some ingredients that the villagers of Qiaotou had never seen before.

She had always been thrifty, but when it came to organising a wedding, she was surprisingly willing to spend money.

Feng Yi was shocked. “Liyun, this wedding has cost a lot of money.”

Jiang Liyun smiled. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, so let’s try to make it as good as possible.”

In fact, she considered this wedding a bit simple.

But at that time, the wedding industry wasn’t mature enough, so they could only do it this way.

As for spending a bit more money… In January, she had earned several hundred thousand, and using that money, she could already organise a very good wedding!

It was just a few hundred thousand, and in her memory, some people spent this much on just buying a handbag.

Consider it a bit of extravagance; houses could be bought later, but weddings could only be held once.

Feng Yi heard Jiang Liyun’s words and couldn’t help but laugh.

Jiang Liyun was right; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, and spending a little money is indeed nothing.