bestfiction Chapter 204 "He Yuzhu" 8
Chapter 204 "He Yuzhu" 8
After He Daqing left, Yi Zhonghai sat down next to the deaf old lady and asked, "Grandma, He Daqing is married now, what should we do?"
"Didn't you hear a single sound?" the old lady asked, squinting at the door.
"No, He Daqing said it was arranged by his sister-in-law. He didn't mention it when he was repairing the house." Yi Zhonghai looked somewhat annoyed.
"Let's forget about it then. We'll talk about it after He Daqing's wife marries in. Then you can have your wife talk to her more and see what kind of person she is."
“Alright, then I’ll have Cuilan visit the He family’s daughter-in-law more often.” Yi Zhonghai nodded. The elderly caregiver he had his eye on was Jia Dongxu. He had always looked down on He Yuzhu. If it weren’t for the old lady’s craving for the He family’s cooking, he would have thought he could play it safe and discussed with the old lady about tricking He Daqing away. Now that things have changed, he’ll see.
Yi Zhonghai is not yet 40 years old. He has not completely given up on having a child. All his calculations are not so urgent. His current actions are entirely laying the groundwork for the future.
"Then, Grandma, you rest. I'll have Cuilan bring you your meal later. I'll head back now." Yi Zhonghai said goodbye and got up to go home, leaving the old lady still squinting at the door, seemingly lost in thought.
When Yi Zhonghai returned to the central courtyard, he saw He Daqing leading He Yuzhu and several other men in setting up a stove in a corner of the courtyard. The two large stoves, along with the kitchen in He Yuzhu's house, were more than enough for hosting a banquet in those days. Yi Zhonghai quickly went over to help.
After the stove was set up, He Daqing invited the men to take a bath and have dinner, and they didn't return until after nine o'clock in the evening.
The next morning, several of He Daqing's fellow apprentices came over with their own disciples to get busy. The ingredients had been ordered by He Daqing a couple of days earlier and were being delivered one after another that morning.
With He Daqing around, He Yuzhu doesn't need to worry about the He family's affairs. He just needs to bring some food home during famine years. However, marriage will be a problem in the future. Sigh, I hope Wang Yan can give He Daqing a son soon!
Everyone in the compound got up very early today and spontaneously helped out. While He Daqing's fellow apprentices and their kitchen staff were busy, the others moved tables and chairs, fetched plates and bowls, and did the washing. This was the first happy event in their compound since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and everyone was very enthusiastic. Even Jia Zhangshi didn't cause any trouble.
Around noon, the wedding procession returned. He Yuzhu quickly lit the firecrackers hanging at the door. He Daqing pushed the bicycle with a big smile on his face, followed by Wang Yan, whose face was flushed with embarrassment. Behind them were the matchmaker, Wang Yan's relatives and friends who had accompanied her, and Wang Yan's dowry, including a quilt and two wooden boxes. Inside the boxes were a few pieces of Wang Yan's own clothes.
Don't look down on them. In the 50s, many brides were single when they entered the family. It was considered good if they received a dowry, let alone a quilt. In those days, cotton was a strategic resource. The cotton quilts that the He family had were only obtained because He Yuzhu found a pretext to get the cotton.
A group of people took their seats at the invitation of He Daqing's senior brother and sister-in-law. Other neighbors also took their seats, and some of He Daqing's invited friends had also arrived. He Daqing quickly greeted his friends.
Once everyone was present, Yan Bugui checked the gift money and the bill, wrapped it in a large red paper, and kept it safe at home, planning to give it to He Daqing in person the next day when He Daqing was less busy. Then, he hurriedly sat down next to his wife.
After Brother He Daqing offered his congratulations, the most important thing he said was, "Eat and drink well, everyone!" In no time, you could see that the chopsticks on every table were practically dancing in the air.
The main reason was that He Daqing prepared such excellent dishes: six cold dishes and ten hot dishes. Among the hot dishes, there were four main dishes: a whole chicken, a whole fish, a pork knuckle, and braised pork. There were two purely vegetarian dishes, and the remaining four were stir-fries with meat. The staple food was steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water, and the liquor was Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).
In those early days after the founding of the People's Republic of China, no ordinary family could afford such a lavish meal, not even during the New Year. If He Daqing hadn't been a chef and hadn't asked his fellow apprentices to help prepare the ingredients in advance, such a sumptuous feast wouldn't have been possible.
Everyone would pause briefly when He Daqing and Wang Yan toasted at each table, and then continue eating when they moved on to the next table. This was completely different from the atmosphere of a modern banquet.
After everyone had finished their meal and left the table, He Daqing's apprentices took several bowls and started to collect the leftovers. Sure enough, there were leftovers. A person's stomach can only take so much food. This feast had sixteen dishes, and they were all very oily. Every table had leftovers, but the main meat dishes were indeed all gone.
Some of the leftovers were to be taken to the Wang family, some to the matchmaker, and a bowl was also given to each of the neighbors in the courtyard—all of whom had helped out. He Daqing's fellow apprentices didn't take any, and even the apprentices he brought each received a lunchbox of the best dishes that had been reserved in advance—it was the rule in their line of work.
In the afternoon, the Wang family sobered up and visited He Daqing's house. They all left satisfied. How could they not be? The lunch feast alone showed that He Daqing was living a very good life.
Apart from Uncle Wang and Wang Dahe, the rest of the Wang family members were all marveling at He Daqing's family's good conditions on the way back. His second aunt even asked Wang Dahe, "Dahe, can your brother-in-law find you a job in the city? If he can, don't forget your brother and the others."
Before Wang Dahe could speak, his second uncle scolded him, "What nonsense are you talking about? Is it so easy to get into the city? Have we never done temporary work in the city before? Dahe, don't listen to your second aunt. As long as your sister is doing well, that's all that matters."
They're all real relatives. If things really go well for Yanzi and Dahe, they'll definitely think of their family. After all, everyone has taken good care of the siblings over the years. But there are some things you can't say outright, or it'll hurt their feelings. That old woman! Uncle Wang thought to himself, and then glared at Aunt Wang.
Aunt Wang also felt wronged, muttering to herself, "That's just what I said!"
Wang Dahe then replied, "Right now, I just hope my sister can live a good life. This is the first time in my life that I've been separated from my sister, and I always feel uneasy about it!"
Uncle Wang said, "You don't need to worry about that. You can tell by how the He family behaves. They are all very polite and they value your sister. Even Zhuzi and Yushui are sensible. Look at them today, busy with all sorts of things, they didn't show the slightest sign of reluctance."
They treat us with great respect. Although they don't call you "sister" or "mom," they always address you as "Uncle Wang"! You two aren't that far apart in age; if it weren't genuine, what young man would call you "uncle"?
"That's true, hehe, now that you say that, I feel much more at ease!" Wang Dahe said with a simple smile.