There was still a set of rituals to follow once the bride had been brought home, including calling her new parents Mom and Dad. Usually, by the time people arrived for the banquet, all of that was over. This time, Li Long took part in the whole process.
Relatives had accompanied the bride, and these were honored guests, so Li Jianguo naturally seated them at the main table inside the house. They needed people to keep them company.
Li Jianguo found two villagers who could hold their liquor to chat with them first. Li Long glanced over and noticed that there was still an empty seat at the table.
Usually, this table was essentially where the groom's and bride's relatives and friends held a friendly "exchange"-in reality, a contest.
The bride's relatives, usually paternal or maternal uncles and the like, had to show sufficient "valor" at a time like this. It demonstrated that the bride had powerful enough backing that she would not be bullied by her in-laws.
The men keeping them company on the groom's side also had to demonstrate sufficient strength. Ostensibly, this showed that the groom's family had the means to give the bride a good life; underneath that, they also wanted to get the upper hand over her relatives. Best of all would be to drink them under the table and send them home.
This was the battlefield for the two sides' contest, but on the most basic level, it also marked this as the most important table of guests.
People gradually arrived for the banquet. Li Long joined the others in watching the festivities and going through the rituals, while also keeping an eye out for wedding pranks-after all, he had seen plenty of malicious wedding pranks on video platforms in his previous life.
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