Bai Fumei in the ’70s Chapter 128
Translated by Serena Love
LF: editor~
Chapter 128
The people in the room subconsciously held their breath. Maybe they were shocked by this beautiful pearly wedding dress, or maybe they were attracted by the beauty of the bride-to-be who wore it.
Zhao Lanxiang subconsciously tightened her waist and abdomen. She raised her head and raised her chest. She felt the silky texture on her body, which was very rare. The wedding dress was embroidered with auspicious patterns, and the crane, lotus, phoenix tail, and auspicious cloud formed a harmonious pattern. A pair of large collars, from Zhao Lanxiang's neck, hang down all the way from the chest, like a shawl, with a jade pendant hanging on the tail. When she was walking on the road and swaying, it was luxurious and beautiful.
The elder sister put the phoenix crown on her tentatively. Because the hair accessories had not been tied, the huge and heavy phoenix crown wobbled on her head.
The moment she put it on, Zhao Lanxiang felt as if her neck had sunk a bit. She subconsciously supported the phoenix crown with both hands. Such an expensive thing was worn on her head. Zhao Lanxiang did not dare to take it lightly and feared that she might break it.
At this moment, Sanya pulled her big brother over with a grinning smile.
He Songbai came in from outside the door and saw his wife standing in the middle of the room. His eyes darkened as if he was addicted to this fiery red color. The corners of his mouth slowly raised.
"Are you dressing up now?"
He walked over and picked off the phoenix crown on Zhao Lanxiang's head, and said with a smile, "We need to find a skilled person to comb your hair. It is not suitable for wearing the crown now."
When the phoenix crown left her neck, Zhao Lanxiang was relieved.
She quickly thanked Grandma Li, "Thank you Grandma for leaving it to me. This red wedding dress is really beautiful. Put them on and get married, I feel my life is worth it."
Grandma laughed lightly and said, "It is good if you like it. Come on, I'm tired too. You little couple take the wedding dress away."
Zhao Lanxiang held Grandma's arms sweetly, rubbing her legs and massaging her shoulders.
She said, "Grandma has worked hard."
In the beginning, Zhao Lanxiang felt that this old woman was difficult to get along with. She was indifferent and inaccessible. But when He Songbai told Zhao Lanxiang about her grandmother's experience, she could not help but feel sorry for her. As she got along, she discovered that the old grandmother was actually a person who was cold outside and warm inside, it was a lovely contrast.
She was stern and serious, but she seemed to look carefully at everything. It's just that her husband and son's premature death has made her discouraged. Now that she saw hope in her life, she has softened. Her occasional smile makes her heart warm.
Granny sighed and said, "Your personality is very good. Brother Bai knows how to be considerate."
"But... the relationship between husband and wife is frank and honest. What is rare is to understand each other and think about each other. I hope that you, a young couple, can last for a long time. After quarreling and squabbling, you should remember the difficulty of the year and support each other for a lifetime, alright?"
Facing grandma's pre-marriage teachings, Zhao Lanxiang nodded conscientiously and remembered it in her heart.
She smiled and said, "Thank you, grandma."
She and her elder sister went to the back to carefully change out of the wedding dress, and then she withdrew along with He Songbai.
He Songbai said with a smile in his voice, "I will not quarrel with you. If I quarrel with you later, you remember to kiss me."
"Blocking my mouth will make me speechless. When you kiss me, my head doesn't want anything else. I just want to do something happy with you."
When Zhao Lanxiang heard this, her cheeks were hot, and her heart throbbed in her chest. Even though her soul was an old woman who had chased her old man offensively, she was also ashamed by He Songbai's words.
"Do something happy? You really...not paying attention to the surrounding at all."
He Songbai laughed loudly. He grabbed her hand cheekily and split her fingers to count them one by one.
"For example, send you beautiful flowers, go out to breathe fresh air, watch movies, cook together... there are so many happy things."
Zhao Lanxiang was speechless.
---
In January, on the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. It is the day suitable to marry, to consecrate, to enter a new house, to migrate, and to stay in bed.
It was just a few days after they received the marriage certificate, but this was the best day to get married in the whole month. The city was full of a festive atmosphere. People were cleaning the house, eating suckling pigs, and drinking Laba porridge.
Zhao Lanxiang was pulled up by Feng Lian before dawn. Because if she was going to get married in a traditional dress, Feng Lian had to ask someone to help her daughter comb her hair, open her face, and apply makeup.
While combing her hair, Feng Lian looked at her slim daughter, who was very happy but looked lost.
"Comb to the end, don't worry about wealth."
"Second comb to the end, free of illness and worry."
"After three combs, you have many sons and longevity."
Two happy people: one man and one woman, clapped hard beside them while smiling. One is responsible for holding the fruit tray and the other is holding a red hydrangea. These two happy people are the attendants that were caught by Feng Lian. In fact, they are little Huzi and Sanya. The lively days made them both happy to participate.
After the auspicious time arrived, a car drove to the door of the Zhao family's house and took the bride to "Song Lan" for the wedding banquet.
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When Zhao Lanxiang went out, firecrackers and fireworks were ringing at the same time, and the fireworks were scattered all the way in the air. The Zhao family couple distributed wedding candy and cigarettes to the crowd. Walking all the way, it was lively, and the neighbors who had divided Laba porridge at home were hooked out.
Now, everyone knows that Zhao Yongqing is going to marry off his daughter. After the reform and opening up, Zhao Yongqing, who is part of the "tens of thousands" household, married his daughter!
[T/N: "tens of thousands" household just means this household's annual earnings is in the tens of thousands, which at that time, probably a millionaire in the modern time.]
This extravagant show is extremely arrogant. It is the most lively wedding they have seen in recent decades.
Neighbors have inquired about where the Zhao family's son-in-law was from. What their occupation is, and how much their monthly salary is. As a result, they learned that he is a foreigner. All of them suddenly thumped their chests and feet. The fertile water flowed to an outsider's field.
The Zhao family's daughter's wedding banquet was set up in the fast-growing famous restaurant "Song Lan". The red stickers with the words "congratulations to the newlyweds" hung at the door. The sound of firecrackers and fireworks kept coming.
Zhao Lanxiang just got out of the car and was almost scared by the pompousness of her father. She asked him to keep a low profile but got such a display.
This wedding ceremony was particularly impressive for the old people of the century. There are many people who mentioned it in their memoirs.
Because today "Song Lan" offers free wedding cakes for the whole city, one package per family, it took a long time to distribute. The passersby who happen to see the wedding banquet were very happy, let alone those who had the invitation to the banquet.
The entrance of "Song Lan" was squeezed with people and there were a lot of lively voices.
The sumptuous and delicious cuisine is mouth-watering, and the wine and liquor are intoxicating.
He Songbai and Zhao Lanxiang toasted table by table. The guests moved their chopsticks to eat like a storm. He Songbai accompanied Zhao Yongqing's business friends to drink and talk. He Songbai avoided a lot of wine while he was talking.
Today, he received a huge amount of toast, which reminded him of the day when his sister got married. But at this time, there was no little brother who could help him to stop the wine. His little brother-in-law was just a little boy with a snotty nose.
The banquet was held from noon to the evening. In the afternoon, the waiters cleaned up and held the evening banquet neatly and cleanly.
The university students from Zhao Lanxiang's university also came. Many of them only found out that "Song Lan" was her store. The groom is tall and handsome, and he is not overly humble when talking to a businessman with a face in the city. That kind of demeanor convinces them.
Jiang Li also came at night and she came with Tang Qing. She especially gave the gift to Zhao Lanxiang at the banquet and another gift to He Songbai.
She said, "I didn't expect you to move so fast."
Jiang Li also wanted to say something else, but when she saw the happy and sweet smile on the couple's faces, she swallowed it again at her mouth.
She jokingly said, "I used to think that we might become a family. And in the future, I can come to Song Lan to eat and drink for free... Alas." She changed her tone and said to He Songbai, "To her. You can let go today, she is not easy."
After Jiang Li finished speaking, she picked a place and sat down. She looked at Tang Qing in the crowd. His eyes were on the bride. She turned her head and picked up the roast suckling pig that was renamed as "Red Robe Adds Joy" and ate it. It reminded her of that year when she had Zhao Lanxiang's roasted pork belly rice in the dark and broken little firewood room.
Her mouth was full of oil. It was fat but not greasy.
Because the seasoning is sufficient, the roast suckling pig in front of her was more delicious. When her chopsticks poke in, the oil will bash out as if it will explode. It was crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, as if it was creamy. It was sprinkled with green onion, and rolled up to become more fragrant. It is also delicious with sweet hoisin sauce.
The dishes are filled with sour sauce, sweet hoisin sauce, and salty soy sauce, which made them very enjoyable.
After Zhao Lanxiang finished drinking, it was time to go back to the lounge and fix her make-up. She told He Songbai, "Don't drink so much, ah?"
He Songbai smiled and took her hand, "Go and rest, I'm afraid you will get drunk if you stay late."
Zhao Lanxiang returned to the lounge and was already hungry as if her chest stuck to her back. On this day, she changed her wedding dress twice. Before, she wore the red wedding dress from Grandma Li. When toasting, she wore the wedding dress bought by her parents. Now, she took off her shoes and socks and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, I got married in winter, otherwise I don't know how hot it is."
Feng Lian was tearing down the guest's gifts of red envelopes, and when it came to Jiang Li's, it was terrible.
The red envelope, which was originally thought to be a thin one, was filled with a cheque of tens of thousands yuan. It was signed by Jiang Jianjun.
Feng Lian's hands almost shake.
"What's wrong with this person? We dare not to collect such gifts."
Zhao Lanxiang glanced at the cheque, and she twitched.
She said, "After a while, I will ask Brother Bai to return it."
Outside of the "Song Lan" restaurant:
Jiang Li walked out of the door after she is full of food and drink. She walked towards a black military vehicle.
She lifted her chin and said, "All the gifts are given, don't you want to go in and sit down?"
The man in the driver's seat said lightly, "You are full, so you should go home."
But his double fists were clenched tightly, green veins raised on his arms.
Jiang Li sighed, "You are not as good as Tang Qing at this point. She is married. You should let it go."
Jiang Jianjun pursed his lips tightly, and said after a while, "You don't understand anything."
They used to be a family. They had children who connected them by blood, and they had happiness.
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Jiang Li also said, "You didn't cherish it at the beginning, and now it's useless to regret it. Leave. Just drive."
---
After the banquet was over, He Songbai managed to get away.
He was driven home by his father-in-law in a car, and a few young people took his drunken self to the new house.
"Let's go. Leave the husband and wife alone."
"Really? Why are you so drunk?" a young man murmured.
They sent He Songbai to the new house.
Another young man said with a guilty conscience, "I hope student Zhao would not blame us. On the wedding night, we made the groom so drunk."
"It's good to get drunk when you are overjoyed."
The voice outside the door became smaller and smaller. Zhao Lanxiang twisted a towel to wipe He Songbai's face. She pursed her lips and smiled, "I know you are not drunk, get up quickly. It wasn't like this when you were drunk. You are really cunning."
He Songbai suddenly startled. He took his arms around his wife and kissed her hard, with a strong aroma of wine.
Zhao Lanxiang covered the towel on his face, "Since you are not drunk. Go take a bath yourself, full of alcohol, ah!"
She pinched her nose in disgust.
He Songbai smiled and kissed her again, "Your man is still your man even if he stinks."
After he said that, he picked up his clothes and went to the bathroom. He took the time to take a shower, and entered the room with a fresh fragrance.
He Songbai satisfactorily put the clean, white, and tender wife in his arms and muttered, "We are married! I finally married you home."
The warm yellow light gently spread on her clean face. After a shower, he was dizzy with a thin layer of water vapor. Her eyes were bright like water, bright and moving, and her soft hair was scattered around her waist, with a touch of lightness. He Songbai's heart was tickled by the water.
She smiled, put her face on his chest, and said softly, "I am very happy to marry Brother Bai."
He Songbai listened to this sentence, and his blood seemed to boil. He looked up to her face-to-face.
He hugged his newly-married wife with a heavy breath, kissed her hurriedly, chewed, and possessed her with the utmost tenderness and wildness.
The night was thick, the soft moonlight was scattered on the street, and there was tranquility everywhere.
But the rapid and enthusiastic heartbeat of the two seemed to be a part of the noisy world.
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