Wedding Procession

The Suona Troupe led the way, playing all the while until they left the village, when they finally fell silent. Behind them came the wedding procession, carrying shoulder poles, bundles, and luggage. There were Liu Yuanbo's two paternal uncles and aunts, several male and female cousins, and four or five children of five or six. Liu Yuanzhou led the donkey and walked abreast of Liu Yuanbo at the front, while the children laughed and chased one another through the crowd.

Liu Yuanbo's father-in-law's village was called Li Family Village, a little over ten li from Liu Li Village. But they had to cross a mountain, and there was no proper road between the two villages, only a winding goat trail. They traveled without speaking. Before noon, the wedding party of some twenty people had entered Li Family Village. The sun had only just climbed over the mountaintop.

Once they entered the village, the Suona Troupe began blaring, "Wah-woo, wah-woo!" Before long, a group of children ran out to frolic ahead of the procession and lead the way. Many people stood by the courtyards along the road, watching the excitement. By the time the procession neared the bride's home, there were even more spectators, crowding the rooftops and courtyard.

Several people came out of the courtyard and welcomed the wedding party inside. Liu Yuanzhou found a tree and tied the donkey to it, while the others handed over the shoulder poles, bundles, and other gifts to the bride's family. The Suona Troupe went to a bonfire in one corner of the courtyard and continued playing around it.

A crowd surged over and ushered the wedding party toward a Cave Dwelling. Liu Yuanzhou saw a scarlet curtain hanging over the door and wedding couplets pasted on the windows, and knew the bride was inside. People in the crowd began shouting. Some called for red envelopes, while others urged them to push open the door. Then someone inside called out, "Hand over the red envelopes! No envelopes, no door!"

Liu Yuanbo took out the red envelopes Zhang Shi had prepared beforehand. They were not large; each held a single copper coin, purely for good luck. He slipped more than a dozen through the crack in the door, but those inside still would not open it. Liu Yuanzhou and several male cousins stepped forward and shoved at the door. After a few pushes, it opened, and everyone squeezed into the Cave Dwelling.

Inside, Liu Yuanzhou saw the bride sitting on the heated kang bed, dressed in bright red wedding clothes and covered by a red veil, her face invisible. Someone from the bride's family came forward and asked Liu Yuanbo to stay, then led Liu Yuanzhou and the other members of the wedding party to a neighboring Cave Dwelling to rest, serving them tea, melon seeds, and the like. Not long afterward, the bride's parents came over. Liu Yuanzhou had met them both before, so he introduced the people from both sides. After exchanging a few words, the bride's parents hurried off again.

After a while, someone came to call them to eat. It was still considered breakfast, and they were having Helao Noodles.

After everyone had eaten, the bride's family finished their rites. Liu Yuanzhou saw Liu Yuanbo emerge from the Cave Dwelling with the bride on his back, followed by a noisy, laughing crowd. He quickly untied the reins from the tree and led the donkey over.

Liu Yuanbo placed the bride on the donkey's blanket. At that moment, the bride's parents came over, wiping away tears as they spoke a few words to Liu Yuanbo. "Boom, boom, boom!" The Suona Troupe began setting off firecrackers, and the wedding procession started for home. Four or five people from the bride's family came along as part of her dowry escort, also carrying shoulder poles and bundles—the return gifts from her parents' home.

The return trip went smoothly. Near the end of noon, the wedding party entered their own village, and the Suona Troupe began playing again. They had not gone far when Liu Yuanzhou suddenly saw seven or eight people blocking the main road ahead. Looking closely, he saw that the man at the front was leaning on a cane, his face full of anger. His heart skipped a beat. What was Li Laocai doing blocking the road? A bad feeling rose within him.

Liu Yuanzhou looked at Liu Yuanbo and saw that he too was frowning. Liu Yuanzhou offered him a word of comfort, then called Liu Yuanfan and three other male cousins. They passed the Suona Troupe and ran toward Li Laocai.

"Master Li, please make way. Our wedding procession needs to pass," Liu Yuanzhou said with a smile.

"Hmph!" Li Laocai shot Liu Yuanzhou a sidelong glance, snorted coldly, and lifted his chin to look at the sky.

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

"What do I want? You people of the Liu family did this yourselves, yet you want me to spell it out? The timber I had piled so nicely by the roadside was pushed into the river by you lot. See for yourself." As Li Laocai spoke loudly, he pointed into the river with his cane.

This stretch of road ran beside a cliff, with a small river at its foot. The water had already frozen over. Following Li Laocai's pointing cane, Liu Yuanzhou indeed saw a pile of timber scattered across the ice below.

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

"Do I need to see it with my own eyes? My timber sat there for a whole month without trouble. Why was it pushed into the river the moment your family started holding a wedding feast? If it wasn't one of your relatives, who else could it have been?" Li Laocai said, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Li Laocai, aren't you going too far?" Anger rushed straight to Liu Yuanzhou's head. He took a step forward and glared at Li Laocai, wishing he could slap him hard across the face.

At once, several young men behind Li Laocai rushed out and shouted at Liu Yuanzhou, "Second Child, are you thinking of laying hands on an old man?"

Liu Yuanzhou's cousins naturally refused to be outdone and stepped up to argue. In an instant, both sides were shoving and cursing, on the verge of coming to blows.

Liu Yuanzhou was anxious. He turned around and saw that the wedding procession had stopped far away. Looking around again, he saw more and more villagers gathering to watch the spectacle.

Liu Yuanzhou gritted his teeth. This can't drag on any longer. First, shove Li Laocai and his people aside and clear the road for the wedding party. As for what comes afterward, at worst, we'll have a fight.

Having made up his mind, Liu Yuanzhou was about to call Liu Yuanfan over and tell him to fetch people from the village when someone hurried over, shouting, "Nobody move! If you have something to say, say it properly!" It was Liu Yuanzhou's father, Liu Da.

"Master Li, today is my son's great day. I, Liu Da, will take responsibility for this matter first. Could you please step aside and stop blocking the road? Tomorrow, I'll return every single piece of timber to your home," Liu Da said, panting and speaking in a lowly, conciliatory tone.

"No. Today, you must move the timber back up for me," Li Laocai said, refusing to let the matter rest.

"Fanfan, go call Hu Wa and the others. I refuse to 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 whom?" someone on Li Laocai's side shouted.

"Everyone shut the hell up!" Liu Da roared, his face livid. He fixed Li Laocai with a fierce stare. "Fine. I'll move it back up for you right now." Li Laocai stumbled two steps back, a flicker of fear crossing his face. He said nothing.

Even an honest man could be driven to anger.

Liu Yuanzhou wanted to speak again, but when he saw the frightening look on his father's face, he fell silent. He had never seen his father wear such an expression before.

"Second Child, Fanfan, and you few, come with me and carry the firewood back up." Liu Da picked several people and strode off first. A narrow trail by the roadside led down to the foot of the cliff. Liu Yuanbo and the others looked at one another, then followed him down.

Before long, Liu Da and the others carried the timber back up to the main road and stacked it neatly against the wall. Liu Da called to Li Laocai, "Master Li, I've moved it back up for you. You'd better keep a close eye on your firewood this time." Li Laocai snorted coldly and left with his people.

Liu Yuanzhou and the others returned to the procession. The suona sounded again, and the party continued onward.

"Big Brother, it's all right now. Today is your great day, so bear with it all for now," Liu Yuanzhou said when he saw Liu Yuanbo's face darkened and his jaw clenched tight.

Liu Yuanbo said nothing, only stared at Li Laocai and his people's receding backs.

Everything went smoothly after that. They brought the bride home, bowed to Heaven and Earth, bowed to their parents, completed a few more rites, and then opened the feast.

The banquet was set in the courtyard, with five tables laid out. The suona played cheerful tunes as everyone ate dishes and drank wine in boisterous celebration. After they had eaten for a while, Liu Da and his wife, followed by Liu Yuanbo and his wife, came around to toast each table of guests, urging everyone to eat and drink their fill.

After the feast, the guests gradually departed. The first to leave were the people from the bride's family who had escorted her over, followed by Liu Yuanzhou's maternal grandfather's family. Zhang Shi had wanted her father, elder brother, and the others to stay another night, but they insisted on returning. Left with no choice, Zhang Shi packed some dishes and steamed buns for them and reluctantly saw them off.

At last, only Liu Da's elder sister and brother-in-law remained.

"Elder Sister, you and Brother-in-law should stay one more night. Xue Dong and Xue Nan are grown now too," Zhang Shi said, taking Liu Shi's hand.

"Husband, how about I stay for one night while you go back first?" Liu Shi looked at her husband and spoke softly. The couple had only arrived that morning, and she had not returned to her parents' home in a long time. She wanted to stay for the night.

"Stay for what? The children's schooling is at its most crucial time. If you don't go back, who will cook?" Ma Wenli said. He gave Liu Shi a look and raised his foot to leave.

Liu Yuanzhou had long been disgusted by his uncle-in-law's manner and could not help speaking up. "Uncle-in-law, Aunt hasn't been back for over a year. What's wrong with staying one night? You can just buy food outside yourselves."

Ma Wenli cast Liu Yuanzhou a sidelong glance, shook his head, and sighed. "Second Child, I told you long ago to study properly, but you wouldn't listen. Look at your Brother Xue Dong—he'll be taking the County Exam next year. Sigh, never mind. We're leaving." As he spoke, he glared at his wife, Liu Shi.

Ma Wenli taught at the school in neighboring Double Dragon Town. He often considered himself a man of official standing and looked down greatly on Liu Yuanzhou's family. He also beat and scolded Liu Shi at the slightest provocation.

"All right, Husband. I won't stay. Let's go home. If we don't leave now, it'll be dark," Liu Shi said meekly. She had a gentle nature and did not dare contradict her husband, though she also did not want him speaking ill of her nephew.

Zhang Shi said from the side, "All right. Since you're in such a hurry to return, I won't keep you." Then she called to Liu Da, "Liu Da, bring the things over." Liu Da carried over a paper-wrapped package and handed it to Zhang Shi. Zhang Shi took it and pressed it into Liu Shi's hands. "Elder Sister, this is a pork elbow left from the feast. Take it back and heat it up to eat."

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

"Mom, why did you give them food to take away? Once they bring it back, won't it just be eaten by those father and sons? Aunt won't even get half a bite," Liu Yuanzhou said indignantly.

"Sigh." Liu Da and Zhang Shi watched the figures of the elder sister and brother-in-law recede into the distance, and both let out a sigh.