Li Xiangqian and the others' arrival quieted the noisy courtyard a little. Fortunately, the ceremony was already over. They stopped at the table where wedding gifts were recorded and began taking out money.
Wedding cash gifts at the time were generally one or two yuan. Nobody complained if someone less well-off gave fifty cents, while five yuan was already very generous from someone who was both close to the family and comfortably off. Many people watched as the guests from the county town took out their gifts.
Li Xiangqian went first, followed by Chen Hongjun and Zhong Guoqiang. Each took out two Great Unity notes-twenty yuan!
That was an enormous gift!
Even an ordinary city worker only earned thirty or forty yuan a month! Only skilled workers or those in special positions earned more than fifty. Back when Li Jianguo worked at the fishery, the manager had offered him fifty yuan a month to stay. When he refused, the manager had scolded him, because the manager himself only earned fifty a month. That was the most he could offer Li Jianguo; anything higher would have broken the rules.
The three men's generosity stunned the villagers present. As the coordinator, Lu Yingming hurried to lead them to the main table. Li Jianguo was there, so entertaining these guests from town would be no problem.
"Looks like we arrived at just the right time." Seeing that the dishes had yet to arrive, Li Xiangqian smiled. "Better to arrive at the right moment than early. Today, we get to share in Xiao Li's good fortune."
"That's right." Chen Hongjun had practically watched Li Long build himself up step by step from a village lad. After sitting down, he accepted the cigarette Li Jianguo offered and looked around.
This courtyard was clearly newly built,