"Quick, call for your grandfather," Sheng Laosan said, his plain and honest face beaming with joy. He was very happy; his daughter was getting married to a man who not only respected the most esteed old leader, her grandfather, but was also the young man he admired most. What could be more thrilling than this?
Sheng Ning obediently approached Mr. Su and respectfully called out "Grandfather."
"Good, good, good..." Mr. Su, overjoyed, brimd with tears as he trembled and reached into his pocket to pull out a red envelope he had prepared earlier, stuffing it into Sheng Ning’s hands. "This is my red envelope for you. Take it and, in the future, never shortchange yourself." He could tell that Ningning was very filial to her father. Although she had acknowledged him for her dad’s sake, it was enough to make him happy.
Fortunately, he hadn’t listened to Xiao Hai’s advice; otherwise, even with his eyes closed, he might not have been able to hear Ningning call him grandfather.
Sheng Ning’s fingers stiffened and refused to take it until Sheng Laosan glared at her, and she obediently accepted it.
*****
Today, Sheng Ning was the bride and only had to change into beautiful clothes and wait in her room for the groom to co to receive her. She wore a red coat, a gift from Qiu Bai before she returned ho; her black and glossy hair was casually piled up by her own hands, and even without makeup, her whole being seed to glow beautifully.
The house was full of relatives, and Shen Luhua was busy greeting guests and preparing the banquet.
Sheng Ning simply needed to sit on the bed in her room, waiting for the groom to co for her. Last night, she had been so preoccupied with the old patriarch’s affairs that she had forgotten the anxiety of getting married the next day. Now that she had a mont to herself, she realized her heart was thumping rapidly, her palms sweating with nerves.
The village children clamored to see the bride and, after coming in, Sheng Ning scooped up a big handful of wedding candies to distribute among them.
Wave after wave of people entered, the children mainly after the wedding candies and joining in the excitent. The adults were mostly there to check if the banquet was presentable and to see what items were part of the dowry. When the neighbors saw the red ’happiness’ characters on the bicycle in the main house, they were all full of praise.
"Who would have thought! Sheng Laosan must have saved quite a bit of money on the side."
"An actual bicycle, that is really generous."
"An’an, when you get married, have your dad give you a bicycle as a dowry too."
"Exactly, he can’t play favorites."
Sheng An didn’t take it to heart and retorted, "No, that won’t do; my dad doesn’t have money, he is very poor."
"Look at this girl, you are too simple. If you don’t fight for it, you will lose out."
"You’re the simple one!" Sheng An was imdiately displeased. "Don’t talk nonsense; I won’t listen to you guys."
So gossiping aunts, having been scolded by Sheng An, did not dare to get angry since it was a day of joy. A conflict would not look good on anyone. And there were quite a few guests in formal attire in the Sheng family’s courtyard, clearly not the sort to offend. So, they had to drop the subject and continued to discuss the dowry.
"This child is really naive."
"True, this bicycle might be the first one in the village, right?"
"Certainly, Qi i didn’t even get a bicycle when she married into the village chief’s family."
"Little Yama snagged a good deal."
So people spoke with a hint of jealousy, but Shen Luhua, upon hearing them, did not get upset; instead, she retorted, "Indeed, it’s Little Yama who snagged the bargain." Wasn’t Xu Qigang lucky to marry Ningning?
Sheng Ning, from her room, simply pretended not to hear the outside noise. Mr. Su sat in his chair, making inquiries; seeing more and more won arriving, it beca quite awkward for him to keep sitting, so he took his cane and went outside.
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