◎The Groom and the Bride◎
Benefits?
Feng Man didn’t expect Cheng Lang to mention benefits so seriously. After a moment’s thought, she had no clue and simply said, “Let me think about it, and you think too. If you can really quit, of course I can give you a reward!”
Appropriate rewards helped with success, and Feng Man understood that.
“Good.” Cheng Lang agreed, his thin lips curving up slightly.
Quitting smoking wasn’t something to rush, while the wedding banquet coming up between them was the top priority.
Neither Feng Man nor Cheng Lang invited many people. Feng Man had come south from thousands of miles away and had no relatives or friends here. The ones she knew best were Cheng Lang’s cousin and his wife, plus one or two nearby stall owners she chatted with.
Cheng Lang wasn’t one for making friends either. Most people around him were workmates he’d known for years. This time, they invited two tables—not too many, not too few, just right for a lively atmosphere.
When He Chunsheng received the notice, his heart tugged. Before he could even mourn his lost secret crush, his master had curtly told him to attend the wedding banquet and then notify the others—especially making sure Song Guodong got the invitation after him.
Hey, a smug smile immediately spread across He Chunsheng’s face!
Song Guodong was studying behind the other masters in the Mine District, watching and asking questions as he learned intently. That’s when Cheng Lang approached the group, speaking as calmly as if he were just notifying everyone to go out for food and drinks after work: “Come to Changping Road next week for wedding wine.”
The workmates who had already heard that Cheng Lang was buying a house and furniture and appliances all teased him: “Not bad, kid—you said it’d be quick and didn’t waste time. Looked like you weren’t in a rush before, and now you’re suddenly holding the banquet.”
“Rest assured, we’ll make sure to show up in force when the time comes.”
Song Guodong had been focused on learning ever since he arrived at the Mine District. Hearing that Lang bro was getting married caught him off guard: “Lang bro, who are you marrying?”
Cheng Lang turned his head to look elsewhere: “Someone you know—Comrade Feng Man.”
“Really!” Song Guodong felt both shocked and like it made perfect sense. He blurted out, “But didn’t you want to chase her away before?”
Cheng Lang shot him a glance but said nothing as he turned and left.
Song Guodong: QAQ
News of Cheng Lang’s resignation and wedding quickly swept through the Mine District. As the most technically proficient miner there in recent years, with the sharpest eyes, his departure was clearly bad news for the Mine District, and all the workmates knew it.
But what You Jianyuan had done really grated on people, so they could only curse him inwardly a couple of times.
As for the marriage, who knew how many people felt regret—the prized catch they’d been eyeing suddenly had an owner?
Everyone gossiped eagerly: “Who’s he marrying?”
Cheng Lang had kept it tightly under wraps, and hardly anyone had even seen him on a date. Naturally, most people had no idea, but a few workmates mentioned spotting him at the furniture factory or the Department Store with a young, pretty girl: “Looked a bit like the sesame flatbread boss at the gate.”
“Really? Hey, I was thinking of introducing Cheng Lang to my niece and the sesame flatbread boss to my nephew!”
Cheng Lang naturally ignored all the rumors around him. He had always done things without consulting others’ opinions.
Thanks to You Jianyuan’s push, the resignation went unusually smoothly. He completed all the formalities before the wedding banquet and collected his wages for the final half month.
Inside the deputy mine chief’s office, You Changgui asked sternly, “What are you doing? What good does squeezing Cheng Lang out do you? The guy’s got a cold temper, sure, but he’s capable. If you really want to climb up, you need to know how to tolerate people!”
You Jianyuan didn’t take it seriously and smiled as he comforted his second uncle: “Uncle, we’ve got thousands of workers in the Mine District. What’s the big deal about losing one Cheng Lang?”
“Without Cheng Lang, would you have gotten to go to the provincial city for that commendation?” You Changgui felt a headache coming on as he looked at his ambitious yet petty nephew. The kid had actually gone behind his back to process Cheng Lang’s resignation paperwork.
A fierce glint flashed in You Jianyuan’s eyes, but it vanished in an instant as he smiled again: “Uncle, I’m not about to rely on some penniless nobody!”
Things weren’t calm in the mine chief’s office either. Tong Jiayu was shocked to hear that Cheng Lang was resigning and even getting married soon.
She chased after him all the way out and finally caught up at the Mine District gate, blocking his path directly: “Cheng Lang, why are you resigning? Is the Mine District not good enough? Even if You Jianyuan stole your credit last time and went to the provincial city for the commendation, making you hate him, there’s no need to quit in a huff like this, right?”
“And who are you marrying? That sesame flatbread seller at the gate?”
Cheng Lang didn’t react much to the first two questions, but at the last one, his sharp gaze landed on the woman in front of him like a bone-chilling wind: “What’s it got to do with you?”
“What good is there in marrying a sesame flatbread seller? You’re capable—surely you know who you ought to marry?” Tong Jiayu thought of that person who had come as Cheng Lang’s cousin and cousin-in-law’s relative, and she guessed, “Did your family force you into marrying her? You…”
“No one can force me to do something I don’t want.” Cheng Lang spoke coldly and strode away.
Opinions varied wildly about Cheng Lang’s resignation. Even his cousin Fan Zhenghua felt uneasy about it, especially worrying over the Mine District that Cheng Lang planned to contract: “A-Lang, last time you said you wanted to contract the one next to old Yang boss, who’s selling up to emigrate abroad. How’d it turn into Boss Wang’s place, the one that’s about to go bankrupt and close?”
Anyone could see that old Yang’s Mine District was still doing decent business—the mine itself was a hot property, and taking it over still had potential. But…
Cheng Lang was concise: “Boss Wang’s got a courtyard house over there like a siheyuan. Pretty suitable.”
Fan Zhenghua: “…”
He never would have guessed that was the reason.
But Fan Zhenghua knew his cousin wouldn’t do anything pointless. If he dared to contract a failing Mine District on the brink of collapse, he must have a plan.
While Cheng Lang was notifying relatives and friends, Feng Man wasn’t idle either. She was stocking up with Dong Xiaojuan and her son at a nearby small shop—nuts, peanuts, red dates, and dried longans for the wedding banquet all needed to be ordered ahead of time. A few pounds of this, a few pounds of that, with pickup arranged for the day before.
Then she went to the nearby restaurant to finalize the menu with the head chef they’d hired.
Weddings were such a hassle—so much to handle! Feng Man was double-checking the dishes when her eyes scanned the twelve standard wedding banquet dishes common in Ink River City that the head chef had provided. That’s when Old Lady Cheng hurried over.
“Mom, sit down and rest your feet a bit.” Dong Xiaojuan had her son fetch a stool for his grandma. “We’re picking out the dishes right now.”
“Aunt Cheng, take a look at the menu? We don’t know much—we’re counting on you to check it.” Feng Man handed the menu to the old lady. She could tell that although Cheng Yulan didn’t say much, she really cared about this nephew’s wedding. Even a few days ago, when Cheng Lang told her, his aunt had insisted on giving them three hundred yuan to buy wedding supplies and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Cheng Yulan’s eyes flickered, and her tense face suddenly softened a lot. She took the menu, glanced over it quickly, and spoke: “Make sure there’s plenty of fish and meat—it’s a big occasion. Ink River folks like braised dishes too, so swap those two stir-fries for braised beef and braised chicken. Most of the guests are from the mine, so the soup needs to be hearty—pick either chicken soup or pig trotter soup.”
The wedding banquet was all about face. It didn’t need to be overly lavish, but it had to look the part and let everyone eat their fill.
“You’re absolutely right.” Feng Man had the head chef adjust the menu accordingly, settling on a nineteen-yuan-per-table standard and paying the deposit.
“Mm.” Cheng Yulan nodded in satisfaction.
Dong Xiaojuan saw that Feng Man was getting along well with her mother-in-law and couldn’t help feeling surprised. While the old lady took Xiaoshan for a stroll outside the restaurant, she whispered praise: “Manman, you’ve got real skill. Mom’s not easy to get close to, but now she’s warming up to you.”
Feng Man smiled faintly. Cheng Lang’s aunt was the type who needed a gentle approach!
Besides, since the woman had stubbornly insisted on paying for the banquet, a few kind words were only polite.
The day before the wedding banquet, the little courtyard was given a thorough cleaning. Red ribbons were hung up fluttering in the wind, lucky “double happiness” characters were pasted on the windows with rice paste, lanterns were strung up—festive and auspicious everywhere, full of wedding vibes.
On the twenty-eighth of the fifth lunar month, an auspicious and joyful day perfect for weddings.
In front of a bungalow near Ink River City’s largest Mine District, the crackle of firecrackers rang out.
Red paper scraps flew everywhere, like a rain of fallen petals from the trees—beautiful.
From the bright window of the bedroom, Feng Man lifted her eyelids for a peek. Outside was a lively hubbub. Miners in the Mine District’s deep blue work uniforms filed in, clustering around the rarely seen Cheng Lang in a white shirt and black trousers—crisp, capable, handsome, and upright. The man had a boutonniere pinned to his chest, with a short red silk ribbon hanging down, written in black ink: “Groom”.
Right here, right now.
Yet her state of mind was completely different.
“Come on, Manman, pin on your boutonniere too.” Dong Xiaojuan was helping out in the inner room with a few workmates’ wives. They had originally planned to help apply powder and lipstick to Feng Man’s face, but Dong Xiaojuan had heavy hands—like slathering wall putty—so Feng Man quickly took over, doing her makeup lightly.
With a turn, Feng Man sat obediently on the stool. Her fair face appeared in the bronze mirror—red lips, white teeth, radiant and glowing.
Her hair was done up, secured with a big red plastic yarn flower dotted with tiny plastic pearls in the center—very much of the era.
Feng Man had seen this hairstyle in TV dramas before. Now that it was on her own head, she felt a flood of emotions.
Her red wedding outfit was the most fashionable style of the time—a bright red suit, tailored neatly and sharply, making her look even more spirited.
When the groom finally entered the inner room amid cheers from front and back, Feng Man turned to meet the man’s eyes. Cheng Lang was dressed more formally than ever before in his life—even his hair had been styled after his workmates egged him on, the stiff short crop standing out sharply, showing off his handsome features without reservation.
But with all the festive joy today, the cold hardness in Cheng Lang’s demeanor had softened a bit. A hint of warmth rippled in his usually indifferent eyes as he looked at her intently.
Perhaps because the hoots from the men and women around them were so obvious, Feng Man suddenly felt her cheeks heat up.
Compared to getting the marriage certificate, for many people, it was the wedding banquet that truly marked the marriage.
As a result, by this day, the workmates coming to offer congratulations were wildly enthusiastic, drinking even more happily at the banquet than the groom himself.
Two full tables of dishes—ten meats, two veggies, one soup. Hot dishes, cold dishes, stir-fries, braised dishes, fish, and meat—lavish to the extreme. Feng Man and Cheng Lang went around toasting the two tables, with the first cup going to Cheng Lang’s aunt. She didn’t try to stop him when he got pestered; after all, they were his relatives and friends, and he knew what he was doing.
He Chunsheng was the most devoted disciple and was the first to stand up and help block wine for his master. In the end, his face turned as red as a monkey’s butt. Fan Zhenghua pitched in too, but he was so thrilled that he kept going cup after cup—two liang at a time—unable to stop.
Once the hustle was over, Feng Man finally sat down to eat. The banquet chef had real skill, and after being busy half the day, Feng Man had a huge appetite. She only occasionally glanced at Cheng Lang, who was being plied with drinks. His eyes remained clear, so everything seemed fine.
But with one more glance, she saw Cheng Lang get up and head to the door, where he spoke in low tones with one of the Mine District workers.
At this hour—was something up with Cheng Lang? Feng Man ate some braised fish as she eyed the tall figure at the iron gate.
“Lang bro, I just got off work and ran into someone outside the Mine District asking about you. Said he was your fellow townsman. I didn’t know your connection, so I told him to wait there and came to pass the word first.” It was prime time after shift for heading out to grab food, so the workmate had turned back to relay the message.
Fellow townsman?
Cheng Lang went silent for a moment, a faint bad premonition rising: “Did he say his name?”
“Said Jiang… right, Jiang Ping!”
The workmate noticed Cheng Lang’s eyes go abruptly cold at the name Jiang Ping and thought to himself, what’s the deal—do they have bad blood?
Feng Man was greeting the guests to eat and drink. A few minutes later, she saw Cheng Lang finish talking to the workmate at the door and return straight to her side.
“What is it?” Feng Man turned to look and saw the groom’s face serious.
Cheng Lang leaned in close, his alcohol-tinged voice low and husky as it brushed her ear, a little itchy: “Something came up at the Mine District. I’ll head over quick and be right back.”
The Mine District was looking for him on their wedding day, even though he’d already resigned! Feng Man grumbled inwardly about heartless capitalists but knew it couldn’t be a big deal, or Cheng Lang wouldn’t leave now: “Mm, go ahead. I’ll keep everyone eating and drinking well.”
……
A little over half a month earlier, Jiang Ping had called Cheng Lang once, originally intending to come throw in with him and find work down south.
But unexpectedly, Cheng Lang on the phone had mentioned that the Mine District wasn’t stable long-term and instead pointed him toward another path: heading to an electronics factory over seven hundred kilometers outside Ink River City, in another province, with good development prospects.
Jiang Ping had originally wanted to follow Cheng Lang. Last time in Nine Mountains Village, he had vaguely mentioned it. Although it was not directly settled, Brother Lang had clearly been willing at the time and even said that the Mine District was developing well. Yet somehow, he had suddenly changed his mind now.
The simple-minded Jiang Ping only thought that the Mine District had too many people and too much gossip. Perhaps even Brother Lang could not mix well there, so he had introduced another good job for him.
Jiang Ping, who had traveled all the way to Ink River, lingered near the Mine District. He had just asked around a bit when he saw a tall figure approaching from not far away. Brother Lang, who was usually not this formal, was actually wearing a white shirt and suit pants, looking tall and handsome.
“Brother Lang!”
Cheng Lang stuffed the brooch he had just taken off into his suit pants pocket and raised his eyes to look at his fellow villager Jiang Ping. His expression was cold and stern. “Why did you suddenly come to Ink River? Didn’t I introduce you to a job in Changping?”
“Heh heh.” Jiang Ping scratched the back of his head and picked up the large woven bag of local specialties at his feet. “Brother Lang, you introduced me to a job. I can’t just thank you over the phone with a couple words. I decided to come see you before reporting for duty in Changping. These are all dried meats and vegetables sun-dried by my family.”
Jiang Ping was a grateful person who repaid kindness, especially since Cheng Lang had taken such good care of him. Half a month earlier, when he bought his train ticket, he had changed his mind at the last minute. He decided to come to Ink River to thank him in person first, then head to the electronics factory in Changping to start work.
Cheng Lang: “…”
The helpless Cheng Lang did not know what to say for a moment. “There was no need for that. You just wasted time.”
“It was necessary, it was necessary!” Jiang Ping chuckled twice, then let his gaze fall on Cheng Lang’s clothes. The white shirt was stretched taut and stylish by the man. Even his hair strands seemed neatly styled. “By the way, Brother Lang, what are you doing today? It’s the first time I’ve seen you dressed so formally. Too handsome! Even when someone in our village gets married, they don’t look as sharp and neat as you.”