Have a feast!!!

Zhao Dongchuan took the large bowl Sun Shaoan handed him and nodded.

"Alright, when you two get married, I'll prepare a big gift for you!" Zhao Dongchuan said with a chuckle, teasing them.

Everyone else also smiled, not taking him seriously, thinking he was just joking.

Little did they know, Zhao Dongchuan really had prepared a big gift.

Seeing their attitude, he knew they hadn't taken it to heart, so he didn't explain further, just smiled and said nothing.

Only Sun Shaoan, looking at Zhao Dongchuan's expression, seemed to sense something and said, "Little Zhao, don't waste money. You also need to save up to marry a wife!"

Sun Shaoan had personally handled his own wedding and knew how expensive it was. Even with their simple arrangements, it would cost several hundred yuan.

That didn't even include the bride price. If that were added, the cost would be even higher!

Zhao Dongchuan chatted and laughed with everyone at Sun Shaoan's house for a while, then declined Old Man Yu Hou's kind offer of a meal and took his leave to go home.

.........

December 23, 1976, was the Northern Minor New Year.

Shuangshui Village was exceptionally lively that day. Sun Yuhou's eldest son, Sun Shaoan, was getting married. His wife was a big-eyed girl from Shanxi.

All the old men and young women of the village flocked to Old Man Yu Hou's house to see the new bride!

A crowd of onlookers was squeezed at the entrance, with people even on the trees and woodpiles.

Inside Sun Yuhou's house, it was truly bustling. The courtyard was decorated with red banners and ribbons, and '囍' (double happiness) characters were pasted on the doors and windows, making it very festive.

Many relatives and friends had already taken their seats, waiting for the banquet to begin.

Zhao Dongchuan pushed a "worn-out" bicycle draped with red cloth into Sun Yuhou's courtyard. This was the big gift he had prepared for Sun Shaoan, having processed it earlier.

Before coming, he had thought about it and felt that this gift would be more appropriate to present at the wedding itself; giving it in secret wouldn't be grand enough.

Since it was a bit showy, he decided to 'process' it further with some tools. He loosened the chain, making it unable to run normally, and then pushed the bike, draped with red cloth, to Sun Shaoan's house.

Everyone was greatly surprised to see Zhao Dongchuan pushing a bicycle draped with red cloth!

Who was this person, and what was his relationship with Sun Shaoan's family? Why would someone give a bicycle as a gift?

Everyone else was giving one or two yuan as a gift, but this person was giving a bicycle? This was a major item.

When Sun Shaoan saw Zhao Dongchuan pushing the bicycle, he understood that this was the big gift he had mentioned. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Little Zhao, this gift is too heavy; I can't accept it. Please take it back!"

At this moment, the entire Sun Yuhou family also nodded in agreement.

Bicycles were a rarity in those days; not only were they expensive, but you couldn't buy one with just money—you also needed a coupon!

This gift was indeed too much!

"Brother Shaoan, this bicycle belongs to a friend of mine. He rode it for several years, and then he fell a while ago and broke it. I exchanged it using the industrial coupons and vouchers my unit gave me, so it didn't cost me any money!"

"Brother Shaoan, please don't be disdainful. Although this bicycle is a bit old and broken, it can still be used after some repairs!"

Seeing the expressions on Shaoan and his family's faces, Zhao Dongchuan knew he needed to explain thoroughly, otherwise, the gift would probably not be accepted.

The onlookers, hearing him say this, were still a bit surprised but not entirely unable to accept it. After all, Little Zhao was now a city person, not comparable to their 'mud-legged' selves, so it was natural for him to have a grander display.

Moreover, a used, broken bicycle that still needed money for repairs would naturally be greatly discounted in value, making it different from a new one.

On the surface, Sun Shaoan couldn't refuse too much, as it would slight Little Zhao's good intentions. So, he smiled helplessly, took the bicycle from Zhao Dongchuan's hand, and handed it to Sun Shaoping, who was standing nearby. He knew Zhao Dongchuan's character; he couldn't refuse. This kindness would naturally be remembered in his heart, and whether Little Zhao wanted it or not, he would definitely repay him well.

Soon, a loud shout came!

"The auspicious hour has arrived!"

Tian Wanyou, Shuangshui Village's "people's artist," acting as the master of ceremonies, shouted loudly.

And those young men who had already prepared heard the signal and immediately lit the firecrackers hanging from bamboo poles.

Instantly, "Crackling!" went the firecrackers, their sound reverberating throughout Shuangshui Village, covering this small mountain village with an indelible layer of strong joy.

Sun Shaoan had also invited a musical troupe from a nearby village, specialized in providing a full range of services for weddings and funerals.

They skillfully puffed out their cheeks, blowing suonas, striking gongs, and beating drums, performing traditional folk art programs that had been passed down for countless years.

For a time, the sound of firecrackers and suonas, like a duet, vibrated throughout the entire village.

Gongs and drums roared, red cloths fluttered; it was truly lively.

In the back kitchen, Jin Junwen, Shuangshui Village's master chef, had been invited. He was not only skilled at butchering pigs but also an expert at preparing banquets.

He was seen skillfully cutting vegetables, preparing ingredients, putting them into the wok, and adding seasonings, systematically cooking dish after dish in the large stove. All the pork from the pigs slaughtered days earlier was used.

Stir-frying in a large wok required great attention to heat, seasoning, and strength. Once the dishes were cooked, they were scooped into enamel washbasins, and then ladled into bowls and plates.

Wang Manyin, whose belly was round from eating nearby, wiped his mouth with his sleeve and eagerly picked up a red lacquered tray, going from table to table to serve the dishes.

Those attending the banquet were Old Man Yu Hou's relatives and friends, including several of Sun Shaoan's aunts and uncles by marriage, as well as some maternal uncles and their wives.

With everyone bringing their families, they all gathered in his family's single cave dwelling, squeezed together, with hardly any room to move.

There were four or five tables of relatives here, in front of the kang, behind the kang, and in the back kitchen. There were also two tables for village cadres, arranged in the courtyard.

Some local team cadres and close acquaintances were arranged in Sun Shaoan's other courtyard, waiting for the banquet to begin.

As the guests arrived, the banquet began. Sun Shaoan, adorned with a red flower, led He Xiulian, who was wearing a floral dress and had rouge on her cheeks, to toast each table!

"Eat plenty! Don't be shy!" Sun Shaoan greeted them while toasting.

He Xiulian also, like a hostess, urged the relatives, friends, and old men and young women attending the wedding to eat more dishes.

Zhao Dongchuan was sitting with village cadre Tian Futang and Shaoan's elementary school classmate Liu Genmin, among others. He had originally intended to sit with Sun Shaoping and his group, but he was unexpectedly assigned to the cadres' table.

In fact, Shaoping and his family members didn't have time to eat properly. Not to mention Lanxiang and Lanhua busy in the back kitchen, Shaoping and Jin Bo each had a box of cigarettes and had to go around offering them to each table!

They couldn't neglect the guests, so they could only snatch a bite to eat to fill their stomachs!

Old Man Yu Hou's mother had been carried by Shaoping to a neighbor's house early in the morning, to stay there temporarily until the banquet crowd thinned out, then she would be carried back.

Old Man Sun Yuhou sat at a table with his in-law, He Yaozong, eating. His face was covered in red oil, two red dates hung from his ears, and his mouth was smeared with an inky substance like lipstick, making him look very comical. This was a local custom, the attire for the father-in-law during wedding shenanigans.