The Wedding

Sister Li lied to my foster mother, claiming that she was pregnant with my child, and insisted that our wedding could no longer be delayed. After consulting with my foster mother, we agreed to hold the wedding in one week.

The ceremony was held at a luxurious hotel in Nanxi Town, Huzhou. The owner of this hotel was Sister Zhang, a former student of my foster mother who had hosted my foster mother’s birthday banquet. Upon learning of my relationship with Sister Li during that celebration, she had offered to help us arrange the wedding for free.

Of course, we could not let her handle such an event without payment, and given that Sister Li’s family was not short on funds, we ultimately paid a total of 660,000 yuan for everything.

We arranged for sixty-six banquet tables. Since Sister Li did not have many genuine guests, we invited local residents to fill the majority of the tables, offering them free meals to join in the celebration and add a lively atmosphere to the occasion.

Because she was marrying me, Sister Li resigned from President Du’s firm. The former Mingzhou branch was transformed into her private company. Those employees who wished to follow her stayed on, while those who did not were transferred back to the headquarters in Hudu. In the end, half of the original staff returned to Hudu, as the future of a newly established company seemed uncertain to them. Only Xiao Lu and three other university graduates—one man and two women—remained.

Preparing for a wedding in just one week was quite stressful, so Sister Li had her staff come to assist. Xiao Lu brought the three other employees to help with the arrangements.

I did not have many friends, but as the wedding approached, I called Fatty and Auntie Lin’s family, inviting them and Tie Tou’s family to attend. Fatty was surprised by the news, not expecting me to be marrying someone so soon. Now that Tie Tou was able to walk again, Fatty promised that he, Tie Tou, Auntie Lin, and Lin Xiaoyu would all come.

Since I had few guests, Sister Li had few close friends, and my foster mother’s former students were not numerous, six tables would have sufficed. The other sixty tables were filled by local residents; whether we knew them or not, we distributed invitations, and those who wished to come were welcome to dine for free. To avoid overcrowding, attendance was strictly based on the invitations presented at the door.

The day before the wedding, Fatty rented a car and arrived with Auntie Lin, Tie Tou, and Lin Xiaoyu. I had booked two rooms at the hotel for them in advance—one for Fatty and Tie Tou, and another for Auntie Lin and her daughter.

They were very happy to see me and offered many blessings, then presented me with red envelopes containing monetary gifts. I tried to decline, but they insisted that refusing would imply I thought their gifts were too small, so I accepted them with a smile. There were three envelopes—one each from Auntie Lin, Fatty, and Tie Tou—with 600 yuan in cash in each, as six is considered a lucky number for smooth progress. Lin Xiaoyu was still a student, so she did not need to give a gift. Instead, to mark the festive occasion, Sister Li and I each gave her a red envelope containing 1,600 yuan. Though she was shy and tried to decline, she eventually accepted them after encouragement from me and Fatty.

Xiao Lu and the other employees also gave red envelopes to Sister Li. I noticed they each gifted 800 yuan, a number associated with prosperity, wishing their boss financial success. Naturally, Sister Li could not keep her employees' money; after accepting them, she returned envelopes to them containing 1,600 yuan each, which she had prepared beforehand.

The wedding day was very lively. Fatty, Tie Tou, and a male employee named Xiao Zhou served as my groomsmen. Xiao Lu, the other female employees, and a few of Sister Li’s close friends were her bridesmaids. Many local children who had managed to get invitations also came to join in the fun. Sister Li was very hospitable to these strangers, having Xiao Lu give each child a 100-yuan red envelope.

The ceremony was hosted by a minor celebrity invited by Sister Zhang, whose eloquence kept the atmosphere vibrant. According to custom, Sister Li and I knelt to serve tea to my foster mother, who gave us red envelopes in return, followed by various traditional wedding festivities. Like most ordinary weddings, a videographer recorded the entire event.

By evening, the banquet began, and the residents with invitations came in to enjoy the feast. The people of Nanxi Town were well-mannered; the wedding was joyous, but devoid of any vulgar customs. Everyone was polite, chatting happily without any chaotic noise.

Sister Li accompanied me to toast the more important guests, most of whom were my foster mother’s former students—now successful, prominent individuals. They playfully called Sister Li the "Little Phoenix," congratulating her on finally getting married. They jokingly threatened me, saying that if I failed to take good care of their "Little Phoenix," they would not let me off easily.

The banquet slowly came to an end amidst laughter and chatter. Guests departed one by one. Fatty, Auntie Lin, Tie Tou, and Xiaoyu returned to the hotel to rest, and Xiao Lu took the employees home. Until Sister Li returned to the company, Xiao Lu would remain in charge.

Sister Li and I accompanied my foster mother back to the villa. Due to the rush, our bridal chamber was only decorated simply. Sister Li’s bedroom was already furnished in an elegant, antique style, which gave the bridal chamber a unique charm. After settling my foster mother in, we returned to our room. Sister Li wore a bright red bridal qipao embroidered with gold thread, which accentuated her slender figure and made her look incredibly alluring.

I could not help but reach out and pull her into my arms. She let out a soft sigh and collapsed against me.

The spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold; the flowers have their fragrance and the moon its shadow. The songs and pipes in the tower fade to a whisper, while the swing in the courtyard remains in the deep of the night.

The next day, we woke up around eight and drove to the hotel to see Fatty, Tie Tou, and the others off. Fatty and Tie Tou patted my shoulder and said, "Go take care of your bride; don't worry about us." Lin Xiaoyu looked at me timidly and said, "Brother Feng, wishing you a happy marriage." I replied, "Thank you all, have a safe journey."

After the wedding, my foster mother’s health began to decline, so we stayed in Nanxi Town to look after her. Sister Li’s company had only a few employees, now managed by Xiao Lu. Aside from her own salary, the others were interns, and even if there was no business, Sister Li could well afford to cover their wages.