Chapter 17.1

“Luo Lan,” Elder Brother Luo called out from afar, his voice growing louder as he approached. Without even looking inside the small shed, he started discussing the arrangements with his younger sister. “Come on, let’s go. You’ll stay at my place tonight and get married from there tomorrow. I’ll stay here in the shed tonight, and you can sleep in the east room with your sister-in-law.”

“But what about all this stuff?”

Only then did Elder Brother Luo notice the shed was packed with items. While he didn’t pay much attention to the clothes and bedding, his eyes widened in shock when he saw the brand-new bicycle. His eyes, as big as ox’s eyes, turned to Luo Lan, his tone filled with astonishment.

“Where did you get this from?”

“I bought it.”

“Where did you get the ticket?” He knew their parents had given her the dowry money, but getting a bicycle ticket was not easy, especially in the countryside. It looked like a women’s bike, which made it even rarer.

“I had someone help me get it. Oh, elder brother, don’t fuss over this. Should I leave it here or take it to your place?”

“Of course, it should go to my place. Since you’re getting married from there, all the dowry should go with you. There will be many people watching tomorrow, all of this is part of your reputation.”

Elder Brother Luo tried to move the bicycle but noticed the bedding was also quite a lot. “You pack up your personal things. I’ll carry the bike back first and then have the others come to get these items.”

“Okay.”

Elder Brother Luo’s three sons came to help, taking all the items back to his house. The second brother and second sister-in-law were also called over. Seeing the items, the second sister-in-law was full of envy and jealousy.

“Luo Lan, where did you get all this? Did you borrow it from someone?” She shook her head disapprovingly. “It really wasn’t necessary. Even if it shuts the Wang family’s mouths for now, once the truth comes out, they’ll still find a reason to mock you.”

“It wasn’t borrowed. I bought it.”

“What?” The second sister-in-law’s mouth fell open in surprise. She thought borrowing such items was already impressive, but to learn that Luo Lan had actually purchased them was astonishing. These were her own dowry.

“Where did you get the money?”

“Zhou Qingshan gave it to me.”

Well, it’s clear now. The new husband provided the face-saving items, and all the sister-in-law could do was feel envious. She clicked her tongue and touched the beautiful fabrics and soft bedding with a sense of regret.

“This bedding is really nice. Sister,” she changed her address this time, “your nephew is also getting married soon. Could you ask your husband to buy two more sets of this kind of bedding?”

“Sure, but this is imported. You’d better prepare enough money. It’s about half more expensive than local stuff.”

“Really? It’s that expensive?” The second sister-in-law was shocked, feeling reluctant to let go of the bedding. “Oh, us poor farmers can’t afford such good things.”

Luo Lan didn’t respond, and the eldest sister-in-law remained silent. The eldest sister-in-law’s son was also mentioned, indicating the wedding would happen in half a year. Though she envied the good things Luo Lan had, she knew such quality came with a high price. She was saving money for her son’s marriage and didn’t have any extra for such items.

“The floral fabric you bought is just fine. Come on, sit on the bed, and let’s discuss who might come tomorrow and how we should entertain them.”

As the head of the family, the eldest sister-in-law addressed the main matters, and only then did the second sister-in-law stop admiring Luo Lan’s belongings. Since this was Luo Lan’s second marriage, distant relatives were not informed to avoid any additional gift requests. It was expected to be just the family and the four households of the village.

“Our own family is manageable, but we need to make sure the new son-in-law is well-received and not looked down upon.”

As soon as the matter of the items was mentioned, the second sister-in-law fell silent. Luo Lan understood her well. The eldest sister-in-law had previously mentioned bringing out eggs and slaughtering a chicken. Luo Lan didn’t mind the second brother’s awkward expression and directly stated.

“I still have about ten pounds of corn and five pounds of flour.”

The eldest sister-in-law sighed quietly, “Previously, your sister brought two pounds of flour and a fish. Adding your share, it’s more than enough. Don’t worry about the vegetables from the field, we have plenty from our own land. The neighbors also sent a lot of radishes. I’ll get some tofu and bean sprouts; that should be sufficient.”

The eldest brother looked at the second brother and his wife. “If you’re really part of the Luo family, then contribute something. We’ll all eat together tomorrow, and that will balance things out.”

“I’ll bring some vermicelli and a few eggs from my place,” said the second brother. It would be enough for the family of five to have a meal, and they wouldn’t be at a loss.

“Alright, it’s settled then.”

With the arrangements made for the younger sister’s wedding, the second sister-in-law took one last glance at the bedding before leaving. That evening, Luo Lan and her eldest sister-in-law slept in the east room. The next morning, they rose early.

The menu for the reception was elaborate: garlic chives with pork, eggs, sausages, meatballs, caramelized sweet potatoes, vermicelli, a whole chicken, and a whole fish. Given the scarcity of resources in those times, the family went all out. The eldest sister-in-law began preparing everything early in the morning, and despite Luo Lan’s offer to help, she was turned away.

“No need for you to help. Today, just focus on looking beautiful as the bride.”

“Thank you, eldest sister-in-law.”

“Don’t be so formal. We’re family.”

The neighbor who had a good relationship with the family came over in the morning to help. Luo Lan washed her face with clean water, and the neighbor used a cotton thread to clean her face. The thread was twisted into a scissor shape, removing the fine hairs and making her face look even smoother and fairer. The process was somewhat painful, but the result was worth it.

“Look at you, such a beautiful bride.”

“This is the first time you’ve done my face, thank you, auntie.”

“Don’t mention it. I hope your marriage is happy and you have children soon.”

After her face was done, it was a bit red. Once it calmed down, she washed it again with soap and applied some snow flower cream. With her natural beauty, the simple touches made her look stunning.

“The groom is here!”

Someone shouted from outside, and Luo Lan could hear the sound of drums and gongs approaching. The groom was quite formal and serious about the ceremony. As the drumbeats grew louder, he entered wearing a deep blue Zhongshan suit.