Free Web NovelChapter 417: Chapter 415: Hot-Blooded
Everyone looked on and understood. These newcomers were all Dingzi’s comrades from the army, here to attend the wedding. Someone started calling for them to take their seats.
Once the soldiers sat down, the tables were perfectly full.
"You little brat, you didn’t say a word beforehand! You scared me to death! I thought they were here to cause trouble."
Grandma Dingzi lightly slapped Li Zhi on the shoulder, but her eyes were red. When Dingzi first came back from the army, he wasn’t assigned a job. The neighbors gossiped endlessly, saying he must have gotten into trouble and been kicked out. Dingzi looked for work for a whole month without finding anything. He was finally about to become a police officer, but someone else took his spot. No one knew how much she suffered, or how many times she cried in private.
Later, her grandson made something of himself and earned good money. She started living a comfortable life, and now he was even getting married. Still, deep down, she longed for her grandson to be recognized. With so many soldiers here today, including his former superior officer—what did that prove? It proved there was nothing wrong with her grandson. She was content.
"If I’d told you, we wouldn’t have this spectacle, this atmosphere, right?"
Li Zhi chuckled, very pleased with how the day’s arrangements had turned out.
The interlude passed. In any case, the soldiers’ arrival was a good thing. Dingzi and Marina returned to their spot in the center, and the emcee cleared his throat and began to speak.
He first thanked everyone, then recounted the story of how Dingzi and Marina met, speaking of their fated international romance. The atmosphere was quite good.
At the end, he thanked everyone again and had Dingzi and Marina bow to the crowd to express their gratitude. After that was done, he invited everyone to eat and drink their fill.
Dingzi and Marina began making their toasts. The first person they toasted was, of course, Grandma Dingzi. Her hand trembled as she held her glass, and she used the corner of her shirt to wipe her tears. She was truly happy, truly moved. Her eldest grandson was a grown man now, getting married. She could finally face her late husband, her son, and her daughter-in-law in the afterlife. She could face their ancestors.
Grandma Dingzi drank, followed by Grandma Sun, Lin Shan, Chen Fengjiao, Li Zhi’s parents, Sun Zhuzi, Cao Qiu, and finally, Gu’er.
Marina stepped forward and hugged Gu’er, her eyes also red-rimmed. Without Gu’er, she and Dingzi would never have met, so she was truly grateful to her.
"Don’t cry. You won’t be as pretty if you cry, and you’re the most beautiful one here today."
Gu’er felt a bit awkward. She helped Marina wipe her eyes, then raised her glass. Looking at Dingzi and Marina, she said, "You both know I can’t drink alcohol, so I’ll toast you with water. I wish you a happy marriage, a long life together, and a beautiful mixed-race baby soon. May you always be deeply in love."
Gu’er’s words were simple. There are only so many wedding wishes one can say. What mattered was that her feelings were genuine and sincere.
Dingzi nodded solemnly, and Marina nodded repeatedly. The two of them drank the wine in their glasses.
They moved on to the next table, and Gu’er sat back down.
On her side of the room, people ate and chatted in a lively atmosphere. Meanwhile, Dingzi, Li Zhi, and Sun Jiaming had started drinking with the army comrades. This time, no one was swapping their alcohol for water. It wasn’t like at Sun Jiaming’s wedding, when the younger guys forced drinks on him and he had to use water as a substitute. Now, they were drinking with comrades. They were drinking to their shared bond, so drinking water was out of the question.
After a while, Gu’er heard singing. The voices were powerful, and it sounded like they were singing "Returning from the Firing Range."
Watching the passion-filled group and listening to their neat, resounding song, Gu’er felt a surge of excitement. Many women were fond of soldiers and considered it an honor to marry one. A soldier’s life was hard, but they possessed a certain spirit—a spirit many people lacked. Especially when you spent time with them, that spirit was contagious and incredibly attractive.
And wasn’t it true? Over there, even Marina, whose Chinese wasn’t very good, was singing along at the top of her lungs. Although she didn’t know the lyrics at all, her expression was sincere, reverent, and excited. She was completely absorbed in the moment.
Sun Jiaming was singing along with them, too. Gu’er had never seen this side of him—so full of passion, so fervent. It made one’s heart race.
Li Zhi and Dingzi were also different from their usual selves. They all shared a certain quality, an indescribable air about them.
Li Zhi’s father pulled Lin Shan to his feet. The two of them walked over, singing along. Li Zhi’s dad had also been a soldier, and the scene moved him. Lin Shan was also reminded of his own past, of his passionate youth.
Gu’er wanted to join in too, but she patted her belly and stayed put. ’These are my family and friends,’ she thought. ’It’s enough just to experience it.’
"Look at them. We’re really getting old. Thinking back to when we were young... ah, let’s not even go there."
Grandma Dingzi said, full of emotion.
A reminiscent look appeared on Grandma Sun’s face. ’What was I like when I was young?’ she wondered. ’I can hardly remember.’
Grandma Sun thought back seriously. Black-and-white images flickered through her mind, and scenes from the past came vividly back to life.
She remembered people trying to arrange a marriage for her. There were two prospects: one was Grandpa Jia Ming, and the other was from the Guan Family in the neighboring village, who were very wealthy.
Her family wanted her to marry into the Guan Family, but she insisted on inquiring about the character of both men. Her mother doted on her and asked someone to make inquiries. They thought it would be difficult, since their family wasn’t from the area—they had moved from the south—but they got their answers right away.
The Guan Family was large and influential, with a great deal of money. Many families wanted to marry their daughters to them. The Guan Family’s young master was also very handsome and sharp-looking.
As for the Sun Family, Grandpa Jia Ming’s own great-grandfather had fought the "devils" and was even a leader, making him famous and highly respected in the region. Grandpa Jia Ming himself was a fine young man; everyone gave him a thumbs-up whenever he was mentioned.
Both options were good, and her family was in a difficult position about who to choose. Her parents said she should choose the Guan Family. They were closer, well-off, and she wouldn’t suffer if she married into their family. But she felt uneasy. She didn’t want to get married so thoughtlessly. In the end, she boldly found an opportunity to secretly see Grandpa Jia Ming and the Guan Family’s young master for herself.
The moment she saw them, she was taken with Grandpa Jia Ming. ’The Guan Family’s young master is too arrogant,’ she thought. When others spoke to him, his eyes were filled with pride, and he wouldn’t even lower his head slightly. She didn’t like that. ’A person like that probably can’t hold anyone in his heart.’
But Grandpa Jia Ming wasn’t like that at all. He was warm and cheerful. When he spoke to people, he wore a smile that seemed very sincere. His smile was so infectious; it was as if just looking at him could lift your spirits.
Her heart was moved—moved by Grandpa Jia Ming. There was no room for anyone else in it. She told her mother she wanted to marry into the Sun Family. Her parents didn’t really agree at first. It was only because she pestered and pleaded with her mother, and because her parents doted on her and saw that she absolutely would not change her mind, that they finally consented to the marriage with the Sun Family.
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