A Small Farmer Girl 's Story of Making a Fortune by Farming

23

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the God of Happiness is in the southwest. It is a good time to get engaged, move to a new house, get married, or take up a new post.

　　Before dawn, except for Shen Yao and Shen Hongmei, everyone else got up early and started working.

　　The outside of the basket was covered with an inverted square of red paper with a large Chinese character for "囍" (happiness) written on it. The pole used to carry the basket was also tied with red silk.

　　By the time all the betrothal gifts were put into the basket, it was already dawn.

　　After the people who helped choose the betrothal gifts arrived, Shen Laosan also picked up Dayan, and the group set out to the town to welcome the bride.

　　Before leaving, Wu Pozi whispered in Shen Lao San's ear: "On this happy day, don't force me to beat you. If you look miserable again when you get to town, don't get married, and don't come back. I will just pretend that I never gave birth to you."

　　Shen Laosan pursed his lips, did not refute, and took a step to catch up with the wedding procession.

　　Marriage, wedding ceremony, the word "hun" is included in the word "hun", which means the wedding ceremony is held at dusk.

　　The wedding procession would not return to the village until the afternoon, so a small banquet was prepared at noon, and the guests who ate at the banquet were all relatives and people who came to help.

　　There weren't many people at noon, with only three tables, and the food was much inferior to the dinner at night.

　　Speaking of dishes, today Mrs. Wu specially invited Chef Fang from her natal village. Chef Fang is well-known for his cooking skills, but he is old now and doesn't take on much work, so he leaves the cooking to his sons.

　　The reason why he could come to the Shen family to cook for the banquet today was because Mrs. Wu was from the same village as him.

　　All the bowls, chopsticks, tables and chairs were borrowed. Many wives and mothers from the same village came to help. Some helped pick and wash vegetables, some helped wash the bowls and chopsticks, and some helped set the tables and chairs.

　　Rural people are like this. Even though they gossip on a daily basis, if someone needs help, they will help without saying a word.

　　For example, today, among the people who came to help was the gossipy wife of Liu Quan.

　　Although Liu Quan's wife was a chatterbox, she knew the importance of things. Today was the Shen family's big day, and she didn't dare to say anything that would offend the host family.

　　But it was impossible for the country ladies to not talk when they got together, so they tried their best to restrain themselves and told some harmless jokes.

　　Shen Yao had just helped to place melon seeds and peanuts on the table in the front yard. He came to the backyard to see if there was anything he could do to help, and was called over by the women. They teased her like they were a real child: "Yaoyao, your third uncle is going to marry your third aunt, are you happy?"

　　"Happy!" Shen Yao nodded in agreement.

　　"Then your mother is going to give birth to a little brother for you. Are you happy?"

　　Shen Yao grinned and continued to smile and say he was happy.

　　But the daughter-in-law refused to give in and continued, "When your mother gives birth to a little brother, she will no longer like you. By then, your grandmother will not love you either, and will love her eldest grandson every day. Are you still happy?"