Volume Two: The Path to Azure Clouds – 23. Wedding Turmoil (Part I)

As my work began to flourish and my relationship with Shu Xiaoya grew increasingly stable, the matter of marriage was gradually placed on our agenda.

Regarding how the wedding should be arranged, since my father had passed away early and my mother was not by my side, combined with my lack of financial foundation, I had no choice but to follow the arrangements made by Shu Xiaoya’s parents.

Deep down, I was truly grateful to them. They were marrying their daughter to me without asking for a single cent in dowry, and they were even covering the costs of the wedding ceremony. After all, marriage is a milestone in life, and it deserved a decent celebration. However, as I had only recently become a section chief, I did not have much in savings. If it had been left solely to me, hosting a wedding at a star-rated hotel would have been quite difficult.

Under the organization of my future father-in-law, Shu Zhongquan, the wedding was ultimately scheduled to be held at the Huayue Hotel, a famous four-star establishment in Huajiang Province. The date was set for the very first day of the new millennium: New Year’s Day, 2000. As for the bridal chamber, we simply tidied up the one-bedroom apartment provided by my factory to serve the purpose.

Once the date was set, Shu Xiaoya said to me, "Dongshan, I’m feeling a bit uneasy."

"What’s there to be uneasy about?" I asked.

"Isn't there talk that the end of the world is coming at the end of this year? I’m afraid the world might end before we even get married."

"You believe that?"

"I don't really believe it, but the rumor is out there, and it keeps me feeling a bit unsettled."

"Then, should we move the date up?"

"No need. Actually, starting a brand-new life on the first day of the new century sounds quite nice." "It truly is; just thinking about it makes me look forward to it!" A thought crossed my mind, and I decided to tease her: "If you’re really that worried, why don’t we do the 'real thing' now?"

Shu Xiaoya paused for a moment before she understood. Her face turned bright red, which made her look incredibly adorable. However, having studied abroad, she was not conservative. Given our stable relationship, we had already done everything appropriate except for that one crucial step, so after blushing for a moment, she actually turned the tables on me: "Alright then, alright then. When? Right now?"

It was a checkmate. In terms of human desire, it would be strange if I didn't want to. But I felt that the most significant step should be reserved for our wedding night. The ancients spoke of the two greatest joys in life: the wedding night and success in the imperial examinations. I felt that marriage was a sacred affair and should be treated with the utmost solemnity.

Two days before the wedding, my mother arrived with our relatives. My mother had never been to the provincial capital before, and, suffering from severe motion sickness, I could only imagine how much she had endured on the journey just to attend my wedding.

Along with my mother came a large group of relatives: my second uncle, third uncle, two aunts, two maternal aunts, an uncle, as well as my second aunt, uncle-in-law, two other uncles-in-law, two cousins, a younger cousin, two older female cousins, and a younger male cousin. Of course, my younger brother, Donghai, was there too. He had visited me before, and since I was too busy to pick them all up, I had to let him lead the way.

As the first college graduate in our family and our village, I was the pride of our clan, and it was clear that they took my wedding very seriously. On the other hand, many of them had never been to a big city, having at most visited the county seat. This was, of course, a great opportunity to see the city, especially since their travel, food, and lodging were all covered.

As soon as they entered, they packed my cramped one-bedroom apartment to the brim. They arrived carrying large bags and small parcels. When they opened them, the floor was piled high with sweet potatoes, potatoes, two baskets of eggs, and even four live hens. I didn't know what to do with all of it. The chickens, in particular, were giving off an odor. Piling these things in the room felt entirely out of place in our decorated bridal chamber. I felt quite embarrassed, and I could only imagine what the fastidious Shu Xiaoya would think. Fortunately, according to local custom, she was not allowed to visit the bridal chamber two days before the wedding and was waiting peacefully at her parents' home.

Still, these were gifts from the heart, so how could I complain? I expressed my gratitude and asked Donghai to help me move the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and eggs to the kitchen. I initially thought about putting the chickens on the balcony, but decided against it; then I thought about the bathroom, but that didn't seem right either—the chickens would inevitably squawk and stink. In the end, I had to ask Xia Shuyong to help me find a solution.

It was fortunate that Xia Shuyong was there to run errands for me; otherwise, I would have been completely helpless. Li Zhengjiang also offered to help, but I only assigned him to coordinate with the leaders and colleagues from the factory attending the wedding. Since he was a senior colleague, I didn't want to keep sending him on errands.

As for accommodations, I had Xia Shuyong contact the factory’s guesthouse. At first, my second uncle and second aunt were reluctant to stay there, as in our hometown, staying away from the host's home when visiting was seen as a lack of hospitality. It wasn't until my mother scolded my second uncle that they reluctantly accepted.

When they entered the rooms at the guesthouse, they were thrilled to see such "luxurious" conditions. In truth, the guesthouse was merely adequate, nowhere near the standard of a star-rated hotel, but to my second uncle and the rest of the family, it was something they had never seen before.

On the first day of the new millennium, January 1, 2000, my wedding to Shu Xiaoya was held at the Huayue Hotel, located in the busiest district of Jiangning City. We hosted thirty-eight tables. Two deputy directors from my father-in-law’s workplace, the Huajiang Provincial Planning Commission, attended, along with most of the division and deputy division chiefs. From my factory, Director Shi, Vice Director Zeng Yunfeng, and Deputy Party Secretary Deng Zitu were present, along with most of the division and deputy division chiefs. We hired Wang Jiaming, a famous host from Huajiang Provincial Television, to emcee the event.

Shu Xiaoya and I greeted the guests at the entrance of the banquet hall. Then, those assigned to help led the guests to their designated seats. I had prepared two tables for my relatives from home, placed in a corner. Aside from my mother, who sat at the head table, all my other relatives were seated at these two.

After Donghai brought the group to the hotel, many were intimidated by its grandeur. But soon, my second uncle and the others began chattering away in admiration. I personally led them to their tables. My second uncle quickly found a central seat, grabbed a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes from the table, squinted at it, tapped the box, and announced to the crowd behind him, "This is top-tier tobacco! I’ve never smoked such good cigarettes in my life. Anyone want one? Anyone want one?"

Despite his words, he held the pack tightly against his side, showing no intention of actually sharing. Perhaps no one wanted to smoke, or perhaps they were too embarrassed by his display to ask, but no one spoke.

Seeing that no one answered, my second uncle said, "Since none of you want any, this pack is mine then."

As he said this, he stuffed the cigarettes into his pocket. Not stopping there, when the other table of relatives sat down, he walked over, took a look, and said, "You lot are mostly women and children anyway, nobody smokes, so the cigarettes at this table are mine too." With that, he grabbed the pack and pocketed it as well.

I had just returned to the banquet hall entrance when Dongliang came to tell me my second uncle wanted to see me. As I approached their table, I heard my second uncle loudly calling my childhood nickname: "Shanwazi."

I felt incredibly embarrassed, but I had to answer. Seeing me stop, my second uncle said with a stern face, "Shanwazi, look, we are your closest kin. Why did you put us in this corner? Look, there are empty seats in the front. We should be sitting in the middle." My second aunt, third uncle, and one of my maternal aunts chimed in, "That's right, that's right! Why put us in a place like this? Are you looking down on us?!"

I felt a throbbing headache and couldn't utter a word. Fortunately, my mother stepped in to smooth things over: "Alright, Old Er, say less. This is just treating you like family. The front seats are reserved for the guests. Dongshan is getting married; as his uncle, you should be a bit more understanding."

My second uncle was forced to be quiet for a few seconds, but then he shouted at my mother, "But I just saw you sitting at the table in the very front!"

"That's because I am the groom's mother; I have to sit at the head table." My mother was clearly getting angry.

My second uncle was silenced again, but only for a few seconds before he yelled, "Shanwazi's father is gone. As his uncle, I should represent him; I should sit at the head table too!"

My mother spoke sternly to my second uncle: "Old Er, since you are Dongshan's uncle, you should save some face for him. He’s getting married today in such a luxurious hotel with so much fine food—is that not enough for you?"

My mother looked genuinely angry as she continued, "There is no such custom where an uncle sits at the head table. Even in our remote village, we don't have such rules, let alone in a big city. Do you even understand the rules of the city? Besides, look at who came today. The people sitting at the head table are of a higher rank than our county magistrate. Do you even know how to talk to them? Do you think they’ll respect you? Many people sitting in the front are of similar status to our county magistrate. Aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourself by sitting there?!"

In my second uncle's mind, the county magistrate was a massive official. Upon hearing that many people there held ranks even higher than that, he immediately wilted. He possessed a natural awe for those in power, and coupled with the fact that he was usually afraid of my mother despite his bullying nature, he lowered his head and said nothing more.