Li Weihao stood on the second-floor balcony with Li Wanting, watching his father extend his hand to his mother under the lamplight as she walked out of the courtyard.
Gazing at their retreating figures, Li Weihao stroked Li Wanting's hair.
“When we were kids, we hated Dad the most because he wouldn't let us get too close to Mom.”
“As we grew up and pursued love ourselves, we understood that Dad’s behavior was possessiveness.”
“This love Dad has for Mom is rare in this world, not for fame or fortune, but just to grow old together in quiet companionship.”
“If it weren’t for the lack of development in Ku Shan, my father would never have taken on the role of village head, nor would he be so stuck here now.”
“I know he doesn't regret it. He has repaid the land that raised him, and he has repaid Mom and the Li family. His life has been lived with clarity.”
“I also hope to be like Dad, to look back when I'm old with no regrets and no shame.”
“That Lin Duoer, she's cousin-in-law's sister, she once…”
“Although this matter did not lead to irreversible consequences, it was still a mistake in my life.”
“Her current predicament is, to some extent, my fault. I made a wrong decision, which didn't seem significant at the time, but when the chain reaction unfolded, I realized how arrogant I had been back then.”
“If you and I were like Mom and Dad, with no secrets between us, misunderstandings and arguments would be less likely, and we could grow old together in mutual devotion.”
Li Wanting turned and buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. “You did nothing wrong. Don't feel guilty about her. I worry that over time your feelings might change.”
Li Weihao lowered his head and chuckled, “Silly girl, I'm being honest with you so you can be cautious. She's not Jiang Lin.”
Li Wanting looked up. “Jiang Lin only pursued you unilaterally, but Lin Duoer had a verbal agreement with you. Even if it was only for two days, I’m still jealous.”
“Alright, alright, I was wrong.”
Li Weihao coaxed her, radiating joy, as he loved his wife’s possessiveness towards him.
…
On November 28th, the Li family’s four valiant sons returned with their brother-in-law (their elder sister's husband). They had completely accepted their demoted status and were taking good care of their brother-in-law, lest they be ‘taken care of’ by their dear mother (their aunt).
Han Lushì took off his cold outer coat and squatted beside his daughter. “Xuanxuan, say dada.”
Xuanxuan, who had just turned one, could already walk by holding onto the sofa. Frankly, if everyone hadn't doted on holding her so much, she wouldn't have learned to walk so late.
Xuanxuan stared at Han Lushì’s face for a long time before saying, “Da-da.”
This utterance of “dada” was like warm sunshine melting glaciers. Han Lushì’s smile was like the spring breeze in March as he reached out to embrace his daughter.
Xuanxuan shook her little arms and her head. “No, no.”
Mother Li smiled. “Xuanxuan has become fond of learning to walk. She won’t let anyone hold her unless she’s tired.”
Han Lushì then squatted beside his daughter to accompany her walking, and he forbade her uncles from ‘laying their hands’ on her.
“Hmph!” Li Weixin let out a proud snort. “When I get married, I’ll have ten or eight daughters, and each uncle and aunt will hold one.”
Tian Jing watched her younger son with amusement. “Good. Your children will have six uncles and aunts. It seems you’ve even counted your father and me in. I’m looking forward to it.”
“But you have to help me find the other half too, right?”
Li Weixin complained. “Your son has been determined to find a girlfriend since he was 18. He's almost 21 now, and I don't even know her last name.”
“I can’t help with that,” Tian Jing shook her head. “Don’t you have a group chat?”
“Don’t mention it.” Li Weixin leaned back against the sofa. “I don’t mind an older woman, but the girls don’t like younger guys?”
Li Min offered her nephew a suggestion. “Those girls don’t like younger guys, but the girls in elementary and kindergarten like older uncles. You should lower the age range of the people in your group.”
“Pfft!”
“Pfft!”
Li Min’s words made everyone in the living room burst into laughter.
Li Weixin looked at his aunt with an indescribable expression. “Do you want me to wait until I’m thirty or forty to find a partner? Or are you suggesting I get a child bride?”
Li Min pondered. “It seems neither is acceptable. Then let’s change the ‘people’ in the group to middle and high school girls.”
“Forget it.”
Li Weixin lost hope. Middle and high school students nowadays are too proud; they're even harder to deal with than older women.
November 29th, the eighteenth day of the tenth lunar month, Monday.
Li Weihao and Li Wanting’s wedding banquet in Ku Shan.
The venue was naturally on the second and third floors of the village committee office building.
The villagers voluntarily carried their own tables to the second and third floors to set them up. This time, Afeng and Xiao Yuan were jointly in charge of the cooking, and their mouths were watering.
Sister-in-law Niu busied herself at home for a while before taking money to give her gift. Upon reaching the second floor, she saw many villagers lining up behind the accounting desk, looking towards the stairs. Puzzled, she handed the money to Ouyang Meihua, who was collecting gifts.
Ouyang Meihua casually picked out one bill and pushed the rest back to her.
Sister-in-law Niu looked at the money pushed back to her and asked, “What’s wrong? Are all these 99 bills fake?”
Ouyang Meihua glanced at her sideways and loudly announced, “Niu Defu, one hundred yuan.”
Sister-in-law Niu was startled by Ouyang Meihua’s loud voice. Seeing Lin Silai at the accounting desk preparing to write, she hurriedly called out, “Silai, my family is giving ten thousand.”
“Refused!”
Ouyang Meihua pushed the returned money back to Sister-in-law Niu. “Regardless of the amount, we only accept one hundred.”
Sister-in-law Niu looked at the villagers behind the accounting desk. They all nodded at her.
She thought for a moment and understood. She put the returned 99 bills in her pocket.
“Perfect. It saves the trouble of arguments over gift money when we host events, and it also saves County Magistrate Li from being targeted again. A hundred yuan to eat Afeng's cooking is a great value.”
When Tian Jing arrived with her eldest son and daughter-in-law, most of the villagers had already given their gifts.
Seeing her, many people opened their mouths as if to speak, unsure of what to say.
Sister-in-law Niu spoke quickly. “Team Leader Tian, this way of collecting gift money isn't appropriate, is it?”
Tian Jing smiled. “If I weren’t worried that you would feel bad about not giving gifts and still eating and drinking, I would have refused to accept anything.”
“In the future, when it comes to gift money for your families' banquets, you will give as you always have. For now, our family must remain low-key.”
“When I attend banquets at your homes, for the first two times, it will be as before. After the second time, I will follow the established customs.”
“Alright, since all the guests have arrived, let’s be seated. I’ll tell Afeng to get ready to serve the dishes.”
Sister-in-law Niu pulled Sister-in-law Guilan to help carry dishes, but Tian Jing stopped her. “Sisters-in-law, please sit down and enjoy the feast. We have many young men, let them carry the dishes.”
Sister-in-law Niu was unaccustomed to this. “Isn’t it natural for us to help each other?”
Tian Jing shook her head and said in a low voice, “We can only do that after Comrade Li Zhengguo retires. Today, he specifically went to another place for field work.”
“We helping you is fine, but you helping us is exploitation.”
Sister-in-law Niu looked at Sister-in-law Guilan and said resentfully, “It's too stifling to be a spouse with no freedom.”
“There’s no other way.”
Tian Jing smiled. “As spouses, every word and action of ours will be magnified. Come, let’s go in and sit. Ranran and the others should learn these things.”
Soon, Li Wenyuan, Li Weibo, Li Weixin, Han Lushì, and Chen Fu, five young men dressed in crisp suits, came carrying large wooden trays to serve the dishes.
Seeing that the Li family’s young men were all home, Sister-in-law Niu felt at ease and began eating the feast.
After the meal, Sister-in-law Niu went downstairs to help with the washing up, but she was stopped by Li Min. “We have plenty of hands; we don’t need help.”
Sister-in-law Niu was dissatisfied. “We want to get some leftovers, why is it so difficult?”
Ouyang Meihua chuckled. “Then you should pray for Damai’s family to have a wedding celebration?”
Damai, who was washing trays, looked up. “My Fangfang's wedding banquet is probably twenty years away. However, if he gets first place in his entrance exam, I'll even hold a ceremony for him for junior high entrance.”
Sister-in-law Niu stamped her foot. “Your Fangfang hasn't even started elementary school yet!”
Damai smiled. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. He’s starting this year.”
Sister-in-law Guilan picked up a bowl and rinsed it under the tap inside the courtyard gate. “I’ll go upstairs to collect some leftovers.”
Sister-in-law Niu remained still. There was no way there would be leftovers; it was like a battle for food earlier.
As Sister-in-law Niu had expected, Sister-in-law Guilan couldn’t even scrape up a drop of soup.
Not only these two sisters-in-law, but also the other sisters-in-law who used to help the Li family with tasks were depressed when they couldn’t help this time. Why couldn't they help County Magistrate Li's family with their affairs?
Not only were they depressed, but outside the Kuhe Bridge, villagers from other villages who had been stopped hours ago and were not allowed to enter the village were all registered. Those attending the wedding banquet were uniformly advised to turn back.
Those who were well-informed had already prepared to come to the Li family for this banquet and were naturally unwilling to return.
The security guards explained that the Li family had a limited number of tables prepared for the banquet, and they did not accept gifts from people they had never interacted with.
Villagers from other villages could only return in disappointment.