Welcoming the Bride

The Suona Troupe led the way, playing music until they left the village. Behind the Suona Troupe followed the wedding procession, carrying loads, holding packages, and carrying luggage. Among them were Liu Yuanbo's two paternal uncles and aunts, several paternal cousins, and four or five children around five or six years old. Liu Yuanzhou led the donkey and walked side by side with Liu Yuanbo in the front, while the children laughed and frolicked, weaving through the crowd.

Liu Yuanbo's father-in-law's village was called Li Family Village, about ten miles away from their Liu Li Village, but they had to cross a mountain. There was no proper road between the two villages, only a narrow path. Without a word along the way, the wedding procession of about twenty people entered Li Family Village before noon. At this time, the sun had just climbed to the top of the mountain.

Upon entering the village, the Suona Troupe started playing "wawu wawu," and soon a group of children ran out to frolic and lead the way in front of the procession. Along the way, many people stood by the courtyards of each house, watching the excitement. As the procession approached the bride's house, even more people gathered to watch, filling the rooftops and surrounding the courtyard.

At this moment, several people came out of the courtyard, beckoning the wedding procession to enter. Liu Yuanzhou found a tree to tie the donkey to, while the others handed over the loads, packages, and other gifts to the bride's family. The Suona Troupe walked to the edge of the courtyard by the fire and continued to play music around the fire.

A crowd gathered around, ushering the wedding procession to a cave dwelling. Liu Yuanzhou saw a bright red door curtain hanging at the entrance and festive couplets pasted on the window, and he knew that the bride was inside this cave dwelling. Someone in the crowd shouted, some calling for red envelopes, others calling to push the door open. At this moment, someone inside the door called out, "Quick, give red envelopes, or we won't open the door." Liu Yuanbo took out the red envelopes that Zhang Shi had prepared in advance. The red envelopes were not big, each containing a copper coin, just for good luck.

Liu Yuanbo stuffed more than a dozen red envelopes through the crack in the door, but the door still didn't open. Liu Yuanzhou and several paternal cousins stepped forward to push the door. After a few pushes, the door was pushed open, and a crowd of people squeezed into the cave dwelling.

Upon entering the cave, Liu Yuanzhou saw the bride sitting on the kang, wearing a bright red wedding dress and a red veil, making it impossible to see her face clearly. A member of the bride's family came forward, asking Liu Yuanbo to stay, and led Liu Yuanzhou and the others who had come to welcome the bride to rest in the adjacent cave dwelling, offering tea and melon seeds. After a while, the bride's parents came over. Liu Yuanzhou had met them both before, and he introduced both sides. After a few words, the bride's parents busied themselves.

After a while, someone came to call them for dinner, which was actually an early meal, Helao Noodles.

After everyone had eaten, the bride's family's ceremony was completed. Liu Yuanzhou saw Liu Yuanbo carrying the bride out of the cave dwelling, followed by a crowd of frolicking people. He quickly untied the reins from the tree and led the donkey over.

Liu Yuanbo helped the bride onto the donkey to ride. At this time, the bride's parents walked over, wiping their tears and saying a few words to Liu Yuanbo. "Dong, dong, dong," the Suona Troupe began to set off firecrackers, and the wedding procession began to return. Four or five people from the bride's family also followed as dowry, carrying loads and packages, which were the bride's family's return gifts.

The return journey was smooth. Around late noon, the wedding procession entered their own village, and the Suona Troupe began to play again. Before they had gone far, Liu Yuanzhou suddenly saw seven or eight people blocking the road ahead. Looking closely, the person in the lead was leaning on a crutch, with an angry expression on his face. His heart skipped a beat. What was Li Laocai trying to do by blocking the road? He had some bad premonitions.

Liu Yuanzhou looked at Liu Yuanbo and saw that he was also frowning. Liu Yuanzhou comforted him and called Liu Yuanfan and three other paternal cousins to cross the Suona Troupe and run towards Li Laocai.

"Master Li, please make way, our wedding procession needs to pass," Liu Yuanzhou said with a smile on his face.

"Humph!" Li Laocai glanced at Liu Yuanzhou, snorted coldly, and looked up at the sky.

"What exactly do you want to do!" Liu Yuanzhou raised his voice, forcibly suppressing his anger.

"Do what? You old Liu family did it yourselves and you still need me to say it? My good wood stacked by the roadside was pushed into the river by you. Look for yourself." Li Laocai said loudly, pointing to the river with his crutch.

This section of the road was near a cliff, and at the bottom of the cliff was a small river. The river water had frozen, and Liu Yuanzhou looked in the direction Li Laocai was pointing and saw a pile of wood scattered on the ice under the cliff.

"Master Li, did you see who pushed it?" Liu Yuanzhou asked.

"Do I need to see it with my own eyes? My wood has been fine for a month. How could it be pushed into the river as soon as your family held a banquet? Who else could it be but one of your relatives?" Li Laocai said, with a matter-of-course expression.

"Li Laocai, aren't you going too far?" Liu Yuanzhou's anger rushed to his head. He took a step forward, staring at Li Laocai, wanting to slap him hard.

At this moment, several young people behind Li Laocai rushed out and shouted at Liu Yuanzhou, "Second Child, do you still want to hit an old man?"

Liu Yuanzhou's several paternal cousins were not willing to be outdone and also came forward to argue. For a time, the two sides pushed and shoved, cursing and yelling, and it looked like they were about to fight.

Liu Yuanzhou was anxious. He looked back and saw that the wedding procession had stopped far away. Looking around, many people from the village had gradually gathered to watch the excitement.

Liu Yuanzhou made up his mind, thinking that he couldn't delay any longer. He would push Li Laocai and the others aside first to make way for the wedding procession. As for what happened later, he would just have to fight it out.

Liu Yuanzhou made up his mind and was about to call Liu Yuanfan to call people from the village when a person ran over in a hurry and shouted, "Don't fight, talk it out." It was Liu Yuanzhou's father, Liu Da, who had arrived.

"Master Li, today is my son's big day. I, Liu Da, will admit to this matter first. Can you please step aside and not block the way? I will put all the wood back in your home tomorrow without missing a single piece," Liu Da said, panting and speaking in a low voice.

"That won't do. You have to move the wood up for me today," Li Laocai insisted.

"Yuanfan, go call Hu Wa and the others. I don't believe we can't get through," Liu Yuanzhou said angrily.

"Li Damao, go call Li Ming and the others, call more people. Who's afraid of who?" someone on Li Laocai's side shouted.

"Everyone, stop it!" Liu Da shouted loudly, his face livid. He stared fiercely at Li Laocai. "Okay, I'll move it up for you now." Li Laocai stepped back two steps, a trace of fear flashing across his face, and he stopped talking.

Even honest people get angry.

Liu Yuanzhou was about to speak, but seeing his father's frightening expression, he fell silent. He had never seen his father look like this before.

"Second Child, Yuanfan, and the rest of you, come with me to carry the firewood up." Liu Da called out a few people and took the lead, walking down a small path beside the road that led to the bottom of the cliff. Liu Yuanbo and the others exchanged glances and followed.

Before long, Liu Da and the others carried the wood up to the main road, piling it against the base of the wall. Liu Da shouted at Li Laocai, "Master Li, I've carried it up for you. You'd better keep an eye on your firewood this time." Li Laocai snorted coldly and left with his men.

Liu Yuanzhou and the others returned to the group, the suona began to play, and the procession continued forward.

"Big brother, it's okay. Today is your big day. Just bear with it," Liu Yuanzhou said, seeing Liu Yuanbo's face was pale and his cheeks were tightly clenched.

Liu Yuanbo didn't speak, only stared at Li Laocai and his group's departing figures.

Everything went smoothly after that. They brought the bride home, kowtowed to heaven and earth, kowtowed to their parents, and after a few more rituals, the feast began.

The banquet was held in the courtyard, with five tables set up. The suona played cheerful tunes, and everyone ate dishes, drank wine, and made merry. After a while, Liu Da and his wife, and Liu Yuanbo and his wife, came over to toast each table of guests, telling everyone to eat and drink well.

After the banquet, the guests began to leave one after another. First, they saw off the bride's family who had come to escort her, and then Liu Yuanzhou's maternal grandfather's family. Zhang Shi wanted to keep her father and elder brother and his family for another night, but they insisted on returning, so Zhang Shi had no choice but to pack some dishes and steamed buns for them, and reluctantly saw them off.

Finally, only Liu Da's sister and brother-in-law remained.

"Sister, why don't you and brother-in-law stay for another night? Xue Dong and Xue Nan are all grown up," Zhang Shi said, holding Liu Shi's hand.

"Husband, how about I stay for one night, and you go back first?" Liu Shi looked at her husband and said softly. She and her husband had only arrived this morning, and she hadn't returned to her parents' home for a long time, and wanted to stay for a night.

"Stay for what? The children's studies are the most important thing. If you don't go back, who will cook?" Ma Wenli said, glancing at Liu Shi, and raised his foot to leave.

Liu Yuanzhou had long been unable to stand his uncle's behavior and couldn't help but say, "Uncle, it's been more than a year since aunt came back. What's wrong with staying for one night? You can just buy your own food outside."

Ma Wenli glanced at Liu Yuanzhou, shook his head, and sighed, "Second Child, I told you a long time ago to study hard, but you didn't listen. Look, your cousin Xue Dong will be taking the County Exam next year. Ah, never mind, we're leaving." As he spoke, he glared at his wife, Liu Shi.

Ma Wenli taught at the school in the neighboring Double Dragon Town and often regarded himself as an official, looking down on Liu Yuanzhou's family and often beating and scolding his wife, Liu Shi.

"Alright, husband, I won't stay. Let's go, let's go back. It'll be dark if we don't leave," Liu Shi said softly. She was gentle and didn't dare to contradict her husband, but she didn't want her husband to speak ill of her nephew.

Zhang Shi said, "Alright, since you're in a hurry to go back, I won't keep you." As she spoke, she called out to Liu Da, "Liu Da, bring the things over." Liu Da brought over a paper package and handed it to Zhang Shi. Zhang Shi took it and stuffed it into Liu Shi's hands, saying, "Sister, this is a pork knuckle left over from the banquet. Take it back and heat it up to eat."

Liu Shi declined several times, but finally accepted it and followed behind her husband.

"Mom, why did you give them food to take? When they get back, won't it be eaten by their father and sons, and aunt won't even get half a bite," Liu Yuanzhou said, looking indignant.

"Ah." Liu Da and Zhang Shi sighed as they watched the departing figures of their sister and brother-in-law.