Chapter Twenty-Four: Before the Wedding

An Songyu spent the entire day busy at Jiang Village before finally returning to their home in Rongdi.

By now, the An household was already decorated with a festive air. Since the couple hadn't purchased a separate wedding apartment, their bridal chamber was set up directly within the family home. All the original furniture in An Songlin’s room had been replaced, and the old pieces, rather than going to waste, had been hauled back to the village at An Jianping’s instruction. Currently, the entire room glowed with vibrant red hues. The bridal bed, however, remained empty, awaiting the ritual bed-setting ceremony to be performed by the professional bridesmaid.

Before An Songyu returned, An Songxiang, who had just finished work, was busy helping with the preparations. With the wedding only two days away, most of the items for the bride-fetching ceremony were already ready. What they were currently preparing were the contents for the gift boxes. After washing her hands and changing, An Songyu joined her sister in carefully selecting the items. The lotus seeds, longans, and red dates to be placed in the boxes had to be chosen with the utmost care. The lotus seeds needed to be plump and full, the longans had to be intact and in their shells, and the red dates had to be uniform in size with a rich, vibrant color. The sisters made the initial selection, which was then subjected to a final, rigorous screening by Bi Lizhu.

After dinner, Bi Lizhu cleaned herself up and began her work with great solemnity. She re-examined the lotus seeds, longans, and red dates the sisters had prepared, striving for maximum uniformity in size. She then placed a red silk cloth, which had come with the boxes, at the bottom of each container.

First came the lotus seeds, arranged in a full layer to symbolize the wish for "a succession of noble sons." Although they lived in an era of family planning where the number of children was no longer entirely their choice, the tradition persisted. Next, Bi Lizhu carefully arranged the longans in a circle, signifying harmony and perfection. Above the longans, she placed the red dates, painstakingly arranging them into a heart shape to represent the blessing of "an early arrival of precious children." Finally, she placed the wedding contract, written by An Jianping himself, on top. The contract had been purchased along with the boxes, ensuring a perfect fit. Once everything was set, Bi Lizhu closed the lids, applied the red "Double Happiness" stickers, and tied a beautiful bow with the matching red ribbon. The finished boxes looked both festive and elegant. Bi Lizhu then carried them into her son’s room, as they were essential items to be brought during the bride-fetching ceremony.

An Songyu and her sister watched intently, only letting out a sigh of relief once Bi Lizhu emerged from the room. Hearing each other's long exhales, the sisters looked at one another and couldn't help but laugh. Strictly speaking, this was the first time they had participated so closely in a wedding.

Over the next two days, the An household became even busier, with the sisters being kept on their toes by their parents. By the last day of April—a Friday—the wedding was set for the following morning. Yet, there was one more important ceremony to hold that evening.

In the afternoon, accompanied by their eldest uncle, An’s grandfather and grandmother arrived. By dusk, the rest of the extended family had gathered as well. After dinner, An Songlin went to bathe and change. The rest of the family rearranged the furniture in the living room under direction. Once An Songlin emerged, guided by the professional bridesmaid, he knelt solemnly before An Jianping. Despite the long period of discussion and preparation, seeing his son in this moment gave An Jianping a profound sense of pride in seeing his child come of age.

An Songyu approached carrying the "Scholar’s Hat" and the red cloth. Amidst the blessings chanted by the bridesmaid, An Jianping carefully placed the hat and cloth on his son. The bridesmaid’s voice rose at the perfect moment: "On this auspicious day, the young master comes of age! From this day forward, he establishes his household, and may happiness follow him forever. May the young master and his bride find their love as sweet as honey, and may they join hands to create a bright future filled with prosperity!" The surrounding guests chimed in with their own blessings. From this day on, An Songlin was a true adult, no longer shielded from the wind and rain by his parents.

After the ceremony came the eating of sweet rice balls, though the elders opted out of this part. The sisters served the freshly cooked treats to An Songlin, who then distributed them to his siblings and cousins. Almost everyone in the An family was present: the eldest cousin from their uncle’s side, the cousin from their second aunt’s side, the younger cousins from their fourth uncle’s side, and the cousins from their youngest uncle’s side who lived with them. The youngest was their fifteen-year-old cousin from their youngest aunt’s family. Upon receiving her bowl, she chirped happily, "Thank you, Cousin Songlin, and congratulations on becoming an adult today!"

The phrasing left An Songlin’s expression somewhat stiff on such a big day, while the older cousins stifled their laughter. The younger ones didn't understand the nuance, but An Songyu, being a "seasoned veteran" in life, immediately understood the double meaning and pulled her young cousin aside to prevent the older brothers from teasing her.

In the other room, the siblings and cousins took advantage of the rare gathering to chat. Their second aunt, who had married into the neighboring village, spoke up first: "Third Brother, are you planning to develop back in the old village? I heard you’re building four houses and have invested heavily in hundreds of acres of mulberry ponds and orchards?"

Their youngest aunt, who hadn't heard this news, widened her eyes and turned to her third brother. No wonder they dared to look at houses in the Macro-Industry Mansion for Songlin’s wedding—they really did have some family capital!

"It was only when my son was getting married that I realized we couldn't even scrape together enough for a wedding apartment," An Jianping said with a helpless sigh. Seeing his second sister’s skepticism, he quickly called out to his eldest brother: "If you don't believe me, ask Big Brother. I was so desperate at the time that I even thought about asking him to help me sell off our two residential plots in the village."

"That’s right, I was terrified when Third Brother called me," An Jianguo said with a simple smile, omitting the fact that An Jianping had changed his mind just a day later. Yuan Qionghua, standing nearby, nearly rolled her eyes; if it weren't for the fact that it was Songlin’s big day, she would have had a word with him.

"So why did Third Brother decide to build in the village and contract the mulberry fields and orchards?" the youngest aunt asked curiously.

"I was the one who suggested the orchard to Third Brother," An Jianmin interrupted. "Since everyone is here today, I’ll say it clearly. A new fruit wholesale market has been built in Liangdi. I’ve already reserved a storefront there, so the demand for fruit will increase significantly. We are all family; if any of you are interested in collaborating, you can follow Third Brother’s lead and contract orchards. As long as the fruit is of good quality, I will definitely prioritize ordering from our own family."