Nobody knew that Li Wu Wei had left the hospital and never returned. It wasn't until his son came home from work that Jia Zhang Shi found out that Qin Huai Ru had arranged a marriage and gone back to the countryside with Li Wu Wei.
“Mom, why are you so concerned about Li Wu Wei?”
Jia Dong Xu held a cornbread in his hand, with no appetite. Although they were known to have decent living conditions, behind closed doors, they often ate cornbread.
With his meager salary, he couldn’t afford much and wanted to save money to marry a wife and hold a wedding banquet, hoping the neighbors would give gifts.
“Dong Xu, don’t ask too much. Mom is doing this for your good.”
Jia Zhang Shi put down the new pair of shoes in her hand, unable to send them out for now.
Meanwhile, Li Wu Wei met Qin Huai Ru at the factory gate and then went to a small courtyard, not far from the steel mill.
He stayed there for a night to organize the supplies he had purchased, which cost him very little. Most of them were directly taken from the vegetable market.
“Brother, you are so good to me, but you spent too much.”
Qin Huai Ru held three large bundles, unpacking and repacking them. She was a bit reluctant, but they were too much to carry.
“This is my first marriage, of course, it has to be grand.”
Having lived two lives, this was the first time Li Wu Wei was officially hosting a wedding banquet, he couldn’t be careless.
Apart from the three bundles Qin Huai Ru had organized, there were two wooden buckets for easy carrying and resting. He also prepared a large bag of peanuts, melon seeds, candies, and a bolt of cloth, originally two, but he kept one. As for cotton, Qin Huai Ru couldn’t bear to take it back.
Early the next morning, they went to take the bus with their luggage. The driver was used to it, as many passengers carried baggage in those days. It was just that this couple had a bit more than others.
Li Wu Wei was a smooth talker, he gave the driver a cigarette and a handful of wedding candies, and got help with the luggage. He even managed to snag the passenger seat and chatted about the countryside along the way.
As the bus reached the station, before it even stopped, Qin Huai Ru shouted from the back of the seat, “Brother, my parents and brother are here, over there.”
Li Wu Wei looked over and saw that, indeed, the Qin family was waiting by the roadside.
“That’s good, I was worried about carrying so much stuff.”
He sat comfortably in the passenger seat, while Qin Huai Ru spent the entire journey behind the seats, perched on the engine cover, using the small toolbox as a makeshift seat.
When the bus stopped, the driver got off and helped them carry their luggage, which made Li Wu Wei feel a bit indebted. Before the driver got back on the bus, he insisted on giving him a pack of cigarettes, which made the driver ecstatic.
“Dad, Mom, Guangming, Guangyou, you’ve been waiting for a while. Uh, and little Jingru, why did you come along?”
Li Wu Wei gave Qin Jingru a head pat, his large hand covering her small head.
“Brother-in-law, do you have any dried fruits?”
Qin Jingru had been craving them for a long time.
“Yes, I do.”
Li Wu Wei casually pulled out a handful from his pocket. In reality, he took it from his spatial storage. He had bought extra, which he also enjoyed as snacks.
“Wow, so many dried fruits!”
Qin Jingru lifted her hem to let her brother-in-law fill her pocket with the dried fruits. It was a huge pile, making her eyes light up with envy.
“Brother, don’t spoil her. Jingru has never liked to work since she was little, she only knows how to eat delicious food.”
Qin Huai Ru immediately exposed her younger sister’s secret.
“It’s alright, she’s a child, it’s the same in every family.”
Li Wu Wei smiled. Qin Jingru was a potential obedient asset, when she grew up, she could be a little maid in his house.
“Dad, Mom, I came in a hurry, I didn’t bring anything.”
He had changed his address last time, now that he had married their daughter, he had to acknowledge them.
“This is not much, it’s too much.”
Qin Changchun and his wife were overjoyed. Bringing so many things back to the village would surely cause a stir.
With the help of his father-in-law’s family, it was easier to carry those things. In the end, even Qin Jingru helped carry a bag, leaving Li Wu Wei empty-handed.
“Huai Ru, let me take the bag.”
“It’s okay, brother, you rest, it’s only a short distance.”
Qin Huai Ru carried a large bundle on her back, truly hardworking and enduring.
“Alright!”
Li Wu Wei just pretended, inexplicably, he found himself resembling Lang Lang, letting his wife carry bags and luggage when he went out.
Why was he so proud? It was because he was young and promising, not feeling inferior.
“Oh, look, the Qin family is back.”
“They brought a lot of stuff, big bundles and big buckets, I wonder when their wedding will be, it must be soon.”
“My mother also has the surname Qin, I’m sure she’ll get a sip of wine.”
“Qin Huai Ru is so lucky, she married a city dweller, she must be enjoying a life of luxury.”
The neighbors were all watching, filled with envy, giving the Qin family enough face.
When they reached the Qin family house, Li Wu Wei saw a pile of chicken feathers, what was this? At this time, his younger brother-in-law, Qin Guangyou, quickly said, “Brother-in-law, my family slaughtered all our chickens, and we bought another dozen from the village and slaughtered them, so my sister can marry you grandly.”
“That’s good!”
Li Wu Wei had been worried that the meat he brought was not enough, not because he was reluctant, but because it was too heavy to carry. Now with these chickens, it would be much easier.
Upon entering the house, Qin Huai Ru excitedly, yet with a tinge of heartache, took out the contents of the bundles.
One bundle contained over thirty pounds of fatty meat, another bundle held over sixty pounds of beef and mutton.
The last large bundle was filled with cigarettes, over sixty packs, along with a large bag of peanuts, melon seeds, and candies, weighing over sixty pounds.
As for the two buckets, they were full of wine, not loose wine, but bottled wine. In addition, there was a bolt of high-quality winter cloth, and a bag of rare dried goods, enough for a grand wedding feast. The only thing missing was staple food, which the Qin family had to provide, but they could buy it with money. Plus, the chickens prepared by the Qin family, and if they bought some fish, they would have several large meat dishes on the table.
“Son-in-law, how about we start eating at noon the day after tomorrow, and hold the wedding banquet the morning after that?”
After learning that his daughter had a four-day vacation, Qin Changchun adjusted the schedule, the following days were all good days.
“That’s good! If anything is missing, we still have time to buy it. The money is on me, we have to make it a grand celebration, we can’t let Huai Ru feel wronged.”
At that moment, Li Wu Wei held little Qin Jingru. This girl, not yet seven years old, was quite clingy, probably wanting some delicious food, which he didn’t lack.
“Good, good!”
Qin mother was beaming. Their Qin family hadn’t had such a grand celebration in a long time.