Chapter 195: Chapter 156: Group Photo, Group Photo!
Warming the bed for the Brother Boss is really nothing interesting.
For instance, yesterday afternoon, the bride scooted off early on her light motorcycle to pick up her school friend, while this groom idled until almost dark before coming over for the bedwarr.
He got on the three-wheeler lent by Director Xu, but he had to invite this relative for a while, and then arrange to et that friend. Following him, I didn’t know how many townships we visited or how many villages we ran through.
We raced until past eleven at night, with rumbling bellies and numbingly bumpy butts before we finally arrived at his ho.
His family is not small; uncles, Young Master, and other elders, along with cousins who ca for the bridal escort were all there, but I didn’t recognize a single one, and even their accents differed, leaving
clueless about what to say to them.
After gobbling a few bites of food, it was ti to wash feet and sleep.
The bridal room is the west room of his family’s house, swept clean and tidied until empty, with only a bed in it.
In a strange environnt, sleep was already hard to co by; I didn’t expect he’d snore and even have stinky feet...
I barely made it until dawn, thinking they would go fetch the bride and wouldn’t return until three or four in the afternoon, thinking I could sleep a bit longer, but ended up being woken by him.
Turns out, while his family was busy last night, they had forgotten to invite the boat pilot for dinner according to tradition. The pilot thought they were not fetching the bride today and went out early for errands.
Luckily, although the person was out, the boat was at ho, and it was from the sa brigade as his family’s, not too far from his ho.
With no other choice, Han Yu had to impromptu be the driver. Under the "navigation" of his big cousin who knew the waterway well, he, along with his brothers, piloted the little ten-odd-ton concrete outboard boat on the inland river with a "dong dong dong" for two and a half hours, finally arriving about fifty ters from the bride’s ho.
As soon as fireworks went off on this side, the other side responded with fireworks to welco us, and everyone, adults and children alike, ran over to watch the excitent.
Today, he is the groom and has to seem generous, later still has to hand out red envelopes.
His big cousin leads the team, interfacing with the family and friends of the girl up front.
In total seven people ca; the two of them didn’t do the heavy lifting, the rest had to carry things.
Thankfully, not being very tall and unable to carry a load, after transitioning from "bedwarr" to "driver," he transford yet again into a "custodian"!
Ard to the teeth, he had a large bag slung over each shoulder and a leather bag hanging in front.
One bag was full of loose fruit candies, reserved for distribution during the bridal escort. Another was stuffed with cigarettes, and the leather bag at his chest was full of cash.
Han Xiangning had planned to hide in the room and ask Captain Xu for a door-opening red envelope, but considering the photography duties, she braved the chasing children and ca out, cara in hand, clicking shutter rapidly.
"Groom, look this way, smile, good... San’er, why are you here too!"
"Don’t shoot , shoot the groom, shoot Brother Boss!"
"Don’t hide, let
take a shot."
The leather jacket was a gift from last year, and this was the first ti he was seen wearing it.
Already looking a bit oversized, now he was carrying three bags, which made him appear quite comical; Han Xiangning could hardly hold back her laughter.
She did not expect Han Yu to co for the bridal escort.
Han Yu unexpected thing was that Director Xu and Sister Wei actually planned to have two als today, happily watching with Old Zhang and Liang Xiaoyu at the junction.
Xu Mingyuan hurried over to hand out cigarettes, Xu Sanye shot him a glare and turned to point at the Zhang family’s elders.
Brother Boss had many tasks today; Han Yu had less to worry about. Seeing the jubilant Liang Xiaoyu, Han Yu felt like he had found a lifesaver. He took off the bags, one after another, and draped them over Xiao Yu, letting her join the bridal escort procession.
"Salted Fish, what are you doing? Just properly take part in the bridal escort; no slacking off!"
"Director Xu, Master’s wife, it’s not what you think."
"What exactly happened?"
Han Yu hastily explained the ins and outs of the situation.
Xu Sanye burst into laughter, slapping his arm, "Turns out you were press-ganged into service. It’s lucky you were the bedwarr—if soone else were in your shoes, would they be able to drive the boat?"
Old Zhang looked at the bridal escort team noisily knocking and shouting at Zhang family’s front door, and said gravely, "When we settle accounts tonight, demand three red envelopes from them."
Sister Wei chuckled behind her hand, "For the bridal car, for warming the bed, for piloting the boat, we can’t miss a single one."
"I don’t want any red envelopes; I’m almost dying from exhaustion, even more tired than going on river rescue."
This pilot’s leather jacket he wore was worth over a thousand yuan, and he had carried three bags earlier, with the one holding candies particularly heavy. Han Yu couldn’t be more heartbroken. Rubbing his shoulders, he asked anxiously, "Master’s wife, can you check for , see if my clothes are damaged?"
"No, your leather shirt is of good quality."
Sister Wei knew he treasured his new clothes and feared he wouldn’t believe, so she reached out to touch them.
Just as Han Yu let out a sigh of relief, getting ready to ask Director Xu how his arm and leg were healing, a cheer erupted from across the way. It wasn’t clear how much money Big Brother and the others had stuffed, but they had successfully entered Zhang Family’s gate.
In Linghai, fetching the bride isn’t a simple matter of picking up the bride and leaving; there’s a whole series of events on the bride’s side.
The first item on the agenda is to have the fetching party drink tea, which ans drinking date tea and eating various candies and pastries.
Zhang Lan ca out, dressed in a bright red woolen coat, sitting together with Xu Mingyuan. Liang Xiaoyu had snuck into the retrieving party halfway and followed them to the table.
Two relatives from the bride’s side were responsible for hosting, one looked like Zhang Lan’s second brother, and the other looked like Zhang Lan’s cousin, just enough to fill the large round table...
Han Yu was concerned about "drinking tea" that Liang Xiaoyu had to stand in for, because sitting at the table and not eating was impolite, and after eating it would soon be ti for lunch, and after fetching the bride to Xu Family’s place, there would be more tea and then dinner.
If one ate at every occasion, that would an eating five or six als in a day!
Han Yu was secretly amused when an Old Brother, looking a bit familiar, ran up to salute and greet Director Xu.
Imdiately after, five or six officials arrived.
The bride and groom were upstaged by him; regardless of where guests ca from, they had to greet him first. Mr. Zhang and Zhang Lan’s uncle couldn’t contain their joy, standing on the side continually handing out cigarettes.
It turned out that the man earlier was the Village Chief.
It turns out Zhang Lan’s father was the village accountant...
Weddings in Linghai countryside differ from those in big cities; on the bride’s side, the focus is on the bride’s departure, mainly inviting friends and relatives from the bride’s side, and the groom’s side does the sa, without mixing the two sides together for invitations.
Having worked in the Criminal Investigation team for so many years, and Zhang Lan in the logistics departnt for so many years, they had many well-connected leaders and colleagues.
Having separate invitations was beneficial for the Police Bureau. Those available at noon could go to Zhang Lan’s family for the wedding banquet, and those who weren’t could go to Xu Mingyuan’s family in the evening, avoiding overlaps.
As Han Yu whimsically thought about doing the sa for his future wedding, a burst of laughter suddenly ca from Xu Family’s main hall.
"Don’t laugh, please cooperate."
"Grandpas and Grandmas, Uncles and Aunties, please co over here."
"Thank you, just put the chair over here."
...
It was elder schoolmate, with everyone else speaking Linghai dialect, she alone spoke Mandarin, and holding a cara, she was undoubtedly today’s star second only to the bride.
Zhang Lan’s grandparents and parents, under her direction, sat on chairs at the entrance of the main hall. The groom and bride stood behind their elders. Not quite satisfied with the arrangent, she also pulled Zhang Lan’s brother and sister-in-law over.
Now a village only has one or two photo studios; anyone with a cara is soone with skill, so everyone listened to her as they took turns taking photos with the bride and groom.
Soon it was the turn of Xu Sanye and Sister Wei.
Xu Sanye cooperated well, pulling Sister Wei to sit down.
Just as Han Xiangning pressed the shutter button, Xu Sanye waved his hand: "Han Yu, where are you hiding? Co here, we’re all one big family."
"Right, right, co over." Xu Mingyuan laughed from behind the master.
"All right.
Han Yu had no choice but to stand next to Big Brother under the envious gazes of everyone with a hardened scalp.
Xu Sanye looked back and raised his arm, beckoning again, "Xiao Han, hand the cara to Director Zhang, co over here, stand by Salted Fish."
"Director Xu, this is inappropriate."
"It’s you not coming over that’s inappropriate, everything today has to co in pairs."
Xu Sanye’s words further confird Zhang Lan’s earlier speculation, and she couldn’t help but laugh: "Ningning, co over, pretend to be our groomsn and bridesmaids, besides, you and Salted Fish are siblings."
Old Zhang took over the cara and urged with a smile: "Xiao Han, hurry up, we’re waiting to take photos with the newlyweds."
Today anything you do must co in pairs.
Besides, taking a photo with Salted Fish is not like taking one with soone else, what’s there to be afraid of? Han Xiangning hesitated no longer, quickly straightening her clothes and running over to Han Yu’s side.
"Old Zhang, make sure to get a good shot, it’s alright to take two if you’re not sure."
"Don’t worry, I’ve been studying this cara whenever I have ti on the Dunship, look this way. Ningning, Salted Fish, move a bit closer. Okay, one, two, three, beautiful. Let’s take another, one, two, three!"
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