enjoyebooks Chapter 327 The Wedding Procession
Chapter 327 The Wedding Procession
July 1, 1998, 6:00 AM.
Ling Yun stood in front of the mirror, wearing a deep red Tang suit. An Shiyu had chosen the clothes, saying that red was a must for weddings, for its auspiciousness. The fabric was soft, embroidered with subtle patterns of the character "福" (fortune), but the neckline was a bit tight, making her neck uncomfortable.
Zhao Weiguo came in from outside, carrying a bouquet of flowers.
"The car is all ready," he said. "We'll leave at 6:30, we'll make it in time."
Ling Yun nodded.
Sun Peng followed behind, yawning. "What time did you go to sleep last night? I didn't fall asleep until three o'clock, I was too excited."
Li Mo was the last to come in, holding several red envelopes in his hand, which he counted.
"That's enough," he said. "Ten each, sixty in total."
Zhao Weiguo took the red envelope and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Brothers," he clapped his hands, "today is big. Lingyun is getting married, we have to make a good impression."
Sun Peng laughed. "What's the point of putting on a show? Just drink less."
"I'll drink less?" Zhao Weiguo glared at him. "I'm the best man today, if I don't drink, who will?"
The group burst into laughter.
At 6:20, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Ten cars were parked downstairs. The lead car was a white Audi with a red ribbon tied to its hood in the shape of a flower ball. Behind it were nine black Santanas, all company cars, with pink balloons tied to their rearview mirrors. A red ribbon with the words "May you have a long and happy marriage" was strung between the lead and last cars in the convoy.
Lingyun's mother came out of the house with a red envelope in her hand and handed it to Lingyun.
"It's for the new bride," she said. "A gift for our first meeting."
Lingyun took it and put it in his pocket.
Ling's father stood at the door, smoking, without saying a word. He only spoke when Ling Yun walked to the car.
"Drive carefully."
Ling Yun turned around and glanced at him, then nodded.
The convoy departed at 6:30.
There weren't many people on the street yet. Sanitation workers were sweeping the streets, and breakfast stalls had already been set up, with fried dough sticks sizzling in the pans. Some people were standing by the roadside waiting for the bus, and when they saw the bus convoy pass by, they all turned their heads to look.
Zhao Weiguo sat in the lead car, shouting into a walkie-talkie.
"Keep up, don't fall behind. Red light, red light, slow down, slow down."
Ling Yun sat in the back seat, looking out the window.
As they passed a traffic light, a bus next to them stopped. Someone leaned out of the window, looked at their convoy, and shouted, "Get married! Congratulations!"
Zhao Weiguo waved to that person.
At 7:10, the convoy arrived at An Shiyu's parents' house.
The residential area wasn't large, consisting of several six-story red brick buildings. A group of people, all relatives of the An family, were already standing downstairs. Upon seeing the convoy approaching, they all gathered around.
Ling Yun got out of the car, holding flowers in her hand. Zhao Weiguo and the others followed behind, each holding a stack of red envelopes.
An Shiyu's uncle stood at the front, smiling broadly as he greeted her.
"The groom is here!" he shouted. "Hurry up, hurry up, the bride is waiting."
Ling Yun walked upstairs. The stairs were narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. He walked in front, with Zhao Weiguo and the others following behind, huddled together.
Third floor, east-facing unit.
The door was closed.
A red paper with the character "喜" (happiness) written on it was pasted on the door. Light shone through the crack in the door, and the sounds of laughter could be heard coming from inside.
Zhao Weiguo went up and knocked on the door.
"Open the door! Open the door! The groom has come to fetch the bride!"
There was a moment of silence, then the laughter grew even louder.
"Who is it?" Liu Min's voice came from inside, deliberately dragging out the sound.
"Groom!" Zhao Weiguo shouted, "Open the door!"
"Are there any red envelopes?"
"Yes, yes, yes." Zhao Weiguo slipped a red envelope through the crack in the door.
The red envelope was taken inside. The door remained closed.
"Not enough, not enough!" Liu Min shouted, "Stuff some more!"
Zhao Weiguo stuffed another one in, but it still wouldn't open.
"Shove ten in!" someone shouted from inside. "One for each person!"
Zhao Weiguo turned to look at Ling Yun, who nodded.
Zhao Weiguo counted out ten red envelopes and slipped them through the crack in the door one by one. Each time he slipped one in, a laugh came from inside. When he got to the tenth envelope, the door finally opened a crack.
An eye peered out through the crack.
"Where's the groom?" the eye said. "Let him sing a song."
Ling Yun stood at the door and opened his mouth to sing a line. Just one line, and he was terribly off-key.
They were all laughing inside.
"No, no, that's awful!" Liu Min exclaimed. "Let the best man sing!"
Zhao Weiguo was pushed forward. He cleared his throat and sang "Too Softhearted." When he sang the line "You're always too softhearted, too softhearted," some people inside started singing along.
The door finally opened.
Several girls stood at the door, laughing so hard they were doubled over. Liu Min clutched a stack of red envelopes in her hand, counted them, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Go in." She stepped aside.
Ling Yun went inside.
The living room wasn't big, but it was packed with people. An Shiyu's relatives were everywhere—on the sofas, chairs, and floor. Children were running around, only to be grabbed by adults.
An Shiyu sat on the bed in the bedroom, wearing a white wedding dress. The skirt spread out on the bed, layer upon layer, covering the entire bed. She lowered her head, her face flushed, and a smile played on her lips.
Ling Yun walked over and stood in front of her.
"Here you go." He handed her the flowers.
An Shiyu looked up at him. Her eyes were bright and sparkling. She took the flowers and smiled.
The people around started making a fuss.
"Give me a kiss! Give me a kiss!"
Ling Yun bent down and kissed her on the cheek.
"No, no, it's a kiss!"
Ling Yun bent down again and gently touched her lips.
The commotion grew even louder.
Liu Min squeezed through the crowd, holding a red ribbon in her hand. She tied one end of the ribbon around An Shiyu's wrist and handed the other end to Ling Yun.
"Take it," she said. "It's called a love knot."
Lingyun accepted it.
Liu Min then brought over two more cups of tea, one for Ling Yun and one for An Shiyu.
"I'll serve tea to my parents," she said.
Ling Yun and An Shiyu carried tea and walked up to An Shiyu's parents.
An Shiyu's father sat on the sofa, his face expressionless, but his eyes were red. An Shiyu's mother was beside him, already wiping away tears.
"Dad, have some tea." Lingyun handed over the teacup.
An Shiyu's father took it, took a sip, and his hand trembled slightly.
"Mom, have some tea." An Shiyu handed the teacup to her mother.
An Shiyu's mother took it, drank a sip, and tears fell from her eyes.
"Good girl." She held An Shiyu's hand. "Good girl."
An Shiyu's father stood up, took out a red envelope from his pocket, and handed it to Ling Yun.
"Treat her well," he said, his voice a little hoarse.
Lingyun accepted the red envelope and nodded. "Dad, don't worry, I won't let Shiyu suffer any injustice."
Mother An also took out a red envelope from her pocket and stuffed it into An Shiyu's hand, saying, "Come back and visit often in the future."
An Shiyu nodded, her eyes also reddening.
Someone nearby shouted, "The auspicious hour has arrived! The groom is ready to fetch the bride!"
An Shiyu's father bent down and picked her up. She was wearing a wedding dress with a long train, making it a little difficult to lift her. He carried her step by step out.
Mother followed behind, wiping away tears as she walked.
As they reached the door, An's father placed An Shiyu into Lingyun's arms.
"I'm entrusting my daughter to you," he said.
Ling Yun nodded solemnly, "Mom and Dad, don't worry about Shiyu, leave her to me!" He then carried An Shiyu downstairs.
The stairs were narrow, making it even harder to walk while carrying someone. He walked slowly, inching down the stairs step by step. An Shiyu wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Am I overweight?" she asked softly.
"No, it's not heavy at all."
She smiled.
Downstairs, firecrackers were already lit, crackling and popping, sending red confetti flying everywhere. A crowd had gathered around, children were chasing and playing, and Sun Peng and his friends were throwing candy into the crowd, making the scene even more lively. Ling Yun put An Shiyu into the lead car and got in from the other side.
An Shiyu sat in the back seat, adjusting her wedding dress. The train was too large, making the two of them stand close together.
The convoy started.
On the way back, the sound of firecrackers was still going off. Pedestrians on the roadside stopped to watch, and some waved to them.
An Shiyu leaned on Ling Yun's shoulder and looked out the window.
"What did my dad just say to you?" she asked.
"I will treat you well and never let you suffer any injustice."