Chapter 6: Who Needs Face When You've Been Reborn?
1988 was a year of soaring prices.
However, it had been less than ten years since the reform and opening-up, and rural marriages were far from the later generations' demands for high dowries, the groom having to buy a house in the city, and the uniform rental of luxury wedding cars for show.
In short, every marriage would fleece the groom's family.
In 1988, the countryside was generally still very simple.
When poor families got married, they usually only required the groom's family to have “thirty-six legs” in the bridal chamber. Here, “legs” referred to one square table, four chairs, one double bed, one large wardrobe, one writing desk, and one cupboard that could be used as a room, totaling exactly 36 legs. New or old didn't matter, though new would be better, making the groom's family seem more prestigious.
For more well-off families, the groom would be asked for “three turns and one sound.” The “three turns” were a sewing machine, a bicycle, and a watch, and the “one sound” was a radio.
If the groom's family could manage to get any one of these “three turns and one sound,” they wouldn't have to worry about not being able to marry a young woman in the countryside.
And if all of these “three turns and one sound” could be gathered, then that was a truly good family. Any young woman in the surrounding ten li (five kilometers) who married into such a good family would be the envy of all other unmarried young women her age.
The Yin family was a ten-thousand-yuan household in the village.
The thirty-six legs in the bridal chamber—the square table, chairs, double bed, large wardrobe, writing desk, and five-drawer cabinet—were all brand new, and they were directly transported from their own family's factory, crafted personally by the old carpenter Yin Laohan, with Lu Yang only able to assist.
The three turns and one sound.
The sewing machine, bicycle, watch, and radio were all new as well.
Of course, because it was originally a marriage where the groom moved in, all these items were prepared by the Yin family.
The bridal chamber was the same.
The banquet for inviting neighbors, relatives, and friends was also the same.
But wasn't she remarrying now?
The bride changed.
The wedding also changed from a groom moving in to a proper, officially arranged marriage.
So what to do?
Fortunately, Lu Yang didn't mind. The master had even prepared the head chef, the fat pig had been slaughtered, and the rest of the dishes needed for tomorrow's banquet had been bought a day in advance, so the wedding would still be at Yin.
Besides, he didn't have a home.
Lu Yang's home had been empty ever since his father died, his mother ran away, and he was almost starved to death. While he still had a breath left, he became the master's apprentice for a few years, and then naturally moved here to eat with his master and mistress.
After his home became empty, Lu's paternal uncles within five degrees of kinship naturally made use of it to store 雜物, so now he couldn't go back even if he wanted to. Even if he took it back, with how dilapidated the house was now, it was simply uninhabitable.
Uh...
So, the bridal chamber, including the thirty-six legs within it, and the sewing machine, bicycle, watch, and radio of the three turns and one sound, Lu Yang reluctantly and with a pained expression accepted them, only after his master and mistress repeatedly persuaded him, assuring him that these were all just dowry.
It was clear that after this rebirth, he had indeed developed a thick skin.
Since they all lived together, the custom of fetching the bride was omitted.
But the ceremony had to happen.
From nine in the morning, neighbors from the village and relatives and friends from farther away gradually started arriving to help. The banquet tables began in the courtyard and extended all the way to the main road outside the courtyard gate, totaling thirty-two tables. It was no wonder they were called the village's ten-thousand-yuan household; for an ordinary family, just this one banquet could bankrupt a well-off family.
When the auspicious hour arrived in the morning.
Old Village Secretary, acting as the wedding host, stepped onto the stage, asked the two newlyweds to take their places, and opened the red paper congratulatory message provided by the host family.
At first, Old Village Secretary's expression was very excited and joyful, but then he suddenly froze, and then began looking around strangely on the stage until he found Yin Laohan and Ma Xiulan, the old couple, waiting at the front of the stage. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, run over, and whisper:
“What's wrong with you two? On such a joyous day, why are the names of the newlyweds in the congratulatory message you gave me wrong? Luckily, I found out early, otherwise, it would have been a joke.”
Old Village Secretary clearly remembered.
The names of the newlyweds should be Lu Yang and Yin Mingzhu.
But it clearly said: Congratulations to the newlyweds Lu Yang and Yin Mingyue, may you be happily married.
Wouldn't that be a joke?
But the explanation from Yin Laohan and Ma Xiulan, the old couple, completely stunned him: “That's right, Old Village Secretary, it's Lu Yang and Yin Mingyue. These two have been the ones getting married all along. Old Village Secretary, you mustn't get it wrong.”
He was stunned.
Old Village Secretary was stunned. He realized that either he was getting old or he was hard of hearing.
How could a father marrying off his daughter get his own daughter's name wrong?
“Alright.”
“This is your family matter. As long as you two have thought it through, it's fine. Alas, it's just a pity for that child, Yangwazi.”
Everyone in the village knew that this youngest daughter of the Yin family had been ill since childhood and had difficulty speaking.
Just as Old Village Secretary sighed and returned to his position as emcee.
Lu Yang and Yin Mingyue, the newlyweds, finally appeared, slowly walking from inside the main hall towards the open space reserved among the banquet tables in the courtyard.
“No, that's not Yin Mingzhu. I know Yin Mingzhu, she's a bit taller than this bride, and her face is rounder.”
“No way? Maybe she just lost weight over the summer.”
“What do you mean lost weight? This is Yin Mingyue, Yin Mingzhu's younger sister. They are twin sisters. The older sister is the top scorer in the college entrance exam, the only female student from the County to get into Jing University this year, but the younger sister is just a little stutterer who can't even speak properly. When we were little, no one in the village wanted to play with her. She and I were even middle school classmates. I guarantee this is Yin Mingyue, and her illness definitely hasn't gotten better. She's just a little stutterer. If you don't believe me, ask her to speak later.”
“Good heavens, then there's going to be some fun to watch! The Yin family is playing a trick like 'the civet cat for the crown prince'! It's a good thing this groom actually accepted it. He's really a coward, a spineless fellow. If it were me, Li Si, taking such a huge loss, I'd beat my Father-in-law's head in.”
“Bah, what Father-in-law? You should call him Dad! This is a groom who moves in, you young people don't understand what a groom who moves in is! They're recruited to work like oxen and horses! How dare you talk about beating your Father-in-law's head in? I think you haven't suffered enough. Li Laosi, aren't you also unable to find a wife? Why don't you consider coming to my house as a live-in son-in-law? Then I'll teach you how to behave properly.”
“Hahahaha… Li Laosi, why don't you just give in.”
“So it's a little mute paired with a live-in son-in-law, I see! I was wondering why such a handsome young man would agree to a wife swap and marry a little stutterer. So he's a lazy live-in son-in-law! Then it's fine. A live-in son-in-law deserves to marry a little stutterer. It's called serving him right! Bah, let's see if he dares to betray his ancestors in the next life.”
Below the stage, there was an uproar of laughter, ridicule, and whispers.
Lu Yang's face was expressionless.
He was too familiar with the faces of these people. In his previous life, he was frightened by them, lost his mind to these sounds that were like demonic whispers in his ears, and ultimately made a coward's decision to flee overnight, leading to lifelong regret.
In this life, his heart was like stone. He regarded these laughs, ridicules, and curses as nothing, treating them as if they were admiring and praising him.
Lu Yang also felt the tension of the bride beside him, Mingyue Meimei.
However, he already had a plan.
So he squeezed her warm little hand and gave her a reassuring look: Don't be afraid, I'm here. They are just envious of you. Next, Mingyue Meimei, watch closely, these people's faces, they can do magic.
And he thought to himself: “Master, Mistress, even if not for me, just for Mingyue Meimei, it's time for you two to make an appearance.”
