Free Web NovelChapter 36: Chapter 15: Formalizing the Betrothal
The sun had just risen, but Li Xiu’s courtyard was already bustling with activity. His eldest uncle’s family, his third uncle’s family, his parents and younger siblings, Second Brother Ge and Ge Ershao, and the village chief and his wife had all arrived. There were more than twenty people in total, and every one of them was stunned by the sight of the courtyard.
Everyone knew Li Xiu had built a large house, but no one realized he had made it so nice. Old Mrs. Li and Aunt Li had arrived early, but they had only been busy in the east wing’s kitchen and hadn’t taken a proper look. Unlike the others, who were filled with joy and envy, Second Brother Li and Ge Er Ya’s feelings were much more complicated. It was the first time they, as his parents, had visited. The house-raising banquet had been paid for by Li Xiu and held at the old family home. They had no idea their son had spent so much money to build this place. But even if they had known, what could they have done? They could no longer make decisions for Li Xiu.
Amid the lively chatter, it wasn’t long before Zhou Kun arrived with his entire family. Traditionally, only the womenfolk would have come, but Li Xiu had specifically invited everyone the day before. He wanted to put his future father-in-law at ease. Custom dictated that the bride’s father could not attend on the wedding day and could only visit the son-in-law’s home after the bride’s three-day return visit. Li Xiu’s invitation was meant to reassure him.
Seeing the high courtyard walls and the open vermilion gate connected to the three-room house, the Zhou family members were all stunned. They had heard Li Xiu built a big house, but they never expected it to be *this* big.
Li Xiu quickly walked over from inside the courtyard to welcome them. When the others in the yard saw that the bride’s family had arrived, they all came over to say hello. Stepping inside, the Zhou family saw a neat, clean courtyard, a six-bay main hall four meters high, two rooms in the east wing, a parasol tree against the wall, and a grape trellis.
The Zhou family members were truly astonished. It was only after Eldest Li and the others gave them a tour of every room and they sat down for tea that they began to process it all. To get a house this nice must have cost close to 1,000 yuan, they figured. You just didn’t see a farmhouse this well-appointed nowadays.
The village chief’s wife smiled at the stunned Zhou family members and teased, "Godfather, Godmother, you see? Li Xiu really treasures my little sister. He’s spared no expense to marry her!"
"Oh, we’re not asking for anything from him," Mrs. Zhou said happily. "As long as he treats your sister well and they can live a happy and peaceful life together, we’ll have nothing to worry about." Hearing this exchange, Eldest Li and his group were taken aback.
Ge Dayu smiled and explained, "My wife is their goddaughter. When she was born, she almost didn’t survive. It was Godfather who saved her, so my father-in-law had her formally acknowledge them as her godparents."
Indeed, it was the local custom to address a godfather as "Little Dad."
Li Bao piped up, amused. "Uncle Ge, does that mean my big brother will have to call you brother-in-law? Should I start calling you that too, instead of ’Uncle’?"
"Get lost! You call me what you’ve always called me," Ge Dayu retorted with a laugh. "Keep talking nonsense and I’ll give you a hiding."
Eldest Li laughed as well. He pointed to the younger boys of the Li family. "Your big brother can change his form of address, but if any of you dare get it wrong, just see how I’ll deal with you."
Everyone laughed at the boys’ instantly crestfallen expressions. The atmosphere was warm and filled with easy conversation and laughter.
Li Xiu grinned and gave Ge Ye a pointed look. Ge Ye shot him a glare. ’Never seen someone in such a rush, like his pants are on fire.’ Still, he composed himself and turned to Zhou Kun. "Uncle," he said, "seeing as the elders from both families are here, shall we discuss the arrangements? The betrothal gift, the wedding date, and all that?"
Hearing this, Eldest Li quickly chimed in, "Please, let us know your requirements. We can discuss them."
Zhou Kun took a slow drag from his cigarette. "We don’t have any special requests," he said. "Let’s just proceed as we discussed before."
"Hold on a second," Li Xiu said before hurrying into the house. He returned a moment later with a small box he had retrieved from the dressing table drawer in the east bedroom. Sitting back down, he opened it and handed a red paper packet inside—the betrothal money—to Ge Ye.
Ge Ye took the money out, counted it, and then passed it to Zhou Kun. "Uncle, this is the agreed-upon betrothal gift. Please take a look."
Zhou Kun accepted the red packet without even looking at the contents and tucked it into his pocket. Li Xiu then took out a ladies’ watch and a pair of delicate gold dragon-and-phoenix bangles from the box. He handed them directly to Zhou Lian, murmuring, "I wasn’t sure what else to get you. I saw all the city girls wearing watches, so I bought you one. Do you like it?"
Everyone in the courtyard was dumbfounded by what Li Xiu pulled out. A watch alone cost more than 100 yuan, and as for the gold bangles, there was simply nowhere to buy them. Even though the Cultural Revolution was over and regulations had loosened, gold wasn’t something that was openly for sale.
"Where did you get those?" Eldest Li asked, frowning at the bracelets. Li Xiu looked up at the crowd, a corner of his mouth twitching. "Policies are looser now," he explained. "I traded them from an old woman in the county town for some meat. It’s fine, it was a trade, not a purchase. I already asked around, so don’t worry."
Eldest Li nodded thoughtfully. "Just be more discreet in the future. Don’t draw so much attention to yourself." He then turned to Zhou Lian with a smile. "Niece-in-law, please accept them. The boy is quite dependable, and this is a gesture from his heart."
Zhou Lian glanced up, nodded, and moved to take the gifts. But Li Xiu didn’t let go of them. She frowned at him. ’Isn’t he giving these to me? Has he changed his mind?’ Just as she started to withdraw her hand, Li Xiu caught it, fastened the watch on one wrist, and slipped the bangles onto the other.
Zhou Lian stared speechlessly at Li Xiu’s bold actions amidst the roaring laughter of the crowd. ’How could he be like this?’ She lowered her head and returned to her seat beside her mother, ignoring the good-natured teasing. ’I’m practically an old lady already,’ she thought. ’There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.’
Li Xiu smiled as he watched her, then his eyes drifted to his mother and sister. Sure enough, their smiles looked forced and ugly. ’That’s got to sting,’ he thought. ’In the past, I’d have given any good things to them first. Now that it’s not their turn, they must feel awful. Well, they can just stew in it. There’ll be plenty more for them to feel awful about in the future.’
’That serves them right,’ Li Xiu thought with satisfaction. ’In my last life, my mother and sister gave my wife nothing but grief. Of course, I was no better—a real piece of work who never noticed her pain. If I’d been a better husband, they wouldn’t have dared to treat her like that. Look at them now, they don’t dare make a peep. In the last life, if my mother wasn’t throwing a fit, my sister was. It was all my fault for spoiling them. Well, we’ll see who spoils them in this life!’
"Uncle," Li Xiu said, looking at his happy future father-in-law, "I’ve had someone calculate some auspicious dates. One is the eighteenth of the twelfth lunar month, and the other is the eighth of the second lunar month after the new year. Which do you think would be better for the wedding?"
"Let’s do the eighth of the second month," Zhou Kun decided. "The twelfth month feels too rushed. You need time to get the furniture made." ’Just like my last life,’ Li Xiu noted. ’He picked the February date.’
"Uncle, I’ve already got all the furniture ready! How about the twelfth month?" Li Xiu tried to negotiate, eager to bring his bride home sooner. Everyone looked at him with resigned amusement. He was certainly in a hurry to get married.
"All right, that’s enough. We’ll go with what Godfather says," Ge Dayu cut in, his head starting to throb. "The bride’s family needs time to prepare the dowry. Who even hears of a marriage being arranged without a year or two of talks? You two only met for the matchmaking in the ninth month. Marrying in February is already less than six months. If it were the twelfth month, that’s only three months! Who gets married that fast? People would gossip."
"But I’m getting old!" Li Xiu muttered under his breath. "Old? What are you talking about?" Eldest Li shot back. "Some people don’t even get match-made until they’re twenty-four or twenty-five! We’re doing as your future in-law says. The wedding is in the second month." He had made the final decision. ’This boy,’ he thought, ’can’t he even wait another month or so?’
Li Xiu didn’t dare argue and just nodded, dejected. ’I can’t even decide my own wedding date,’ he thought glumly.
Seeing his crestfallen look, Old Mrs. Li felt a pang of sympathy. Worried that the Zhou family might take offense, she explained, "Please, don’t mind him. My grandson is just so fond of his fiancée that he’s anxious to bring her home."
She beckoned Li Xiu over. As he squatted down beside her, she patted his shoulder. "You just focus on getting the vegetable garden and your private plot in order," she said kindly. "Make sure all the household necessities are fully prepared. The time will pass quickly. In a little over three months, you’ll be able to marry your bride."
After a moment’s thought, Li Xiu’s spirits lifted, and he nodded happily. ’Yes, I’ll prepare everything perfectly to welcome my bride.’ Everyone chuckled, seeing him squatting so obediently beside his grandmother. He was still just a young man, after all. He always handled things with such a steady head that they’d nearly forgotten he was only twenty-two years old!
