“In the blink of an eye, you’re getting married. I’m really going to miss you.”
“Oh, little sister. Lanlan is marrying into the same courtyard. If you miss her, just stand in the yard and call out to her!”
The eldest aunt couldn’t help but laugh at Bai’s mother’s wistful words.
Bai Lan was using a tube of lipstick to dab a little color onto her cheeks. She laughed too at the exchange. The straight-line distance between her family’s home and her future in-laws’ was less than fifty meters. It truly was a case of “lift your foot and you’re back at your family’s house.”
She thought this was great. Plenty of the young unmarried girls and young wives in the communal courtyard were envious of her.
Right on cue, Qin Yan chimed in, “Exactly, exactly. In the future, I want to marry into a family close to home too.”
“Hey, hey, hey, you little girl, have you no shame?” Aunt Qin patted her daughter’s shoulder, amused and exasperated.
“What’s there to be ashamed of? For a girl, knowing early on what kind of family she wants to marry into makes it harder for others to fool her later!”
Grandma Bai walked in from outside and threw out this comment as soon as she heard what they were saying.
That made sense, and the room immediately filled with nods of agreement.
Over on the bridegroom’s side, it was just as lively.
At the Xu family’s west wing, quite a crowd had already gathered. Some were neighbors from the communal courtyard, while others were Xu Jianbei’s classmates and friends.
Cao Changsheng, one of Xu Jianbei’s closest buddies, was running around like crazy. And of course, Ning Datou, as the number-one sidekick, was enthusiastically greeting the guests.
Xu Jianbei was happy to have his brothers’ help. As he straightened his clothes, he teased, “When you two get married someday, just say the word, and I’ll be there to help.”
“Oh wow, Jianbei. Since when did you get so polite?” Cao Changsheng ribbed him.
Datou immediately piped up, “Cao-ge, you just don’t get it. My brother Bei is…”
“Brother Bei is what…”
Xu Jiannan walked in excitedly. “Jianbei, are you ready over here? It’s about time. Go get your bride, and then our bicycle team is setting off!”
Xu Jianbei, who had been beaming just a moment ago, rarely felt a flash of nerves. He tugged at the big red flower pinned to his chest, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m ready.”
Over at Bai Lan’s place, she had just finished getting ready when she heard a group of young men whooping and hollering outside. She didn’t need to look to know it was about time.
Sure enough, Qin Yan came running in like a headless chicken. “They’re here, they’re here…”
Then Bai Lan heard Xu Jianbei’s voice coming from the main room next door, talking to her parents. The gist of it was the usual advice about getting along well after marriage. Right after that, he headed her way.
——
When Xu Jianbei saw Bai Lan in her red cotton jacket, her hair pinned up, her face rosy, and her eyes bright, his heart pounded like crazy. He pressed a hand to his chest and gave her a brilliant smile.
Bai Lan loved that smile and grinned back just as goofily.
The way they looked at each other naturally drew laughter from the crowd. Amid the cheerful noise, Bai Lan’s hand found Xu Jianbei’s, and surrounded by everyone, they went to the main room to bid farewell to her family.
Because she was marrying so close by, Bai Lan wasn’t sad at all. She happily went through the motions, said goodbye to the elders, and then left with Xu Jianbei.
Although the two families were near each other, they didn’t just carry the bride straight over. Instead, they had ten bicycles lined up in a procession to ride around the nearby hutongs before returning.
This was the part Bai Lan had been most looking forward to.
The weather cooperated beautifully. There was no snow today, just a warm sun shining under a clear blue sky.
As soon as the bicycle procession set off, it drew a crowd of onlookers from the neighboring houses.
Sitting on the back of the bike, Bai Lan held onto the hem of Xu Jianbei’s jacket with one hand and whispered, “I’m really happy today.”
Xu Jianbei, pedaling the bike, nodded vigorously. “I’m really happy too.”
As they exchanged quiet words and watched the curious or amused expressions of the people they passed, they found it all incredibly delightful.
The bicycle rode around for a while and soon returned to the communal courtyard.
By then, tables and benches had already been set up in both the front and back courtyards. They were just waiting for the ceremony to finish before everyone sat down to eat.
The ceremony was very simple. The couple bowed and swore an oath in front of the portrait of the great leader. After that, the newlyweds walked out of the room and graciously accepted everyone’s blessings and teasing.
——
“Hey, Bai Li. Your little sister is already married. Want me to set you up with someone, Auntie?”
Bai Li was pouring water for the onlookers when someone suddenly asked her this. She was taken aback for a moment.
Bai Lan was standing nearby and heard it too. She looked over at her second sister. Second Sister Bai Li shook her head and ignored the auntie who had asked the question.
Bai Lan knew that given her second sister’s personality, she wouldn’t say anything harsh. Ignoring the woman was about the best she could do. So Bai Lan deliberately called out, “Second Sister, come here for a moment. Help me carry something…”
Seeing this, Xu Jianbei quickly grabbed Cao Changsheng, who was joking around nearby, and said, “Changsheng, help me keep an eye on the people around us.”
Cao Changsheng was sharp enough to understand immediately and nodded at Xu Jianbei to show he got it.
Apart from this small interruption, the atmosphere in the courtyard remained wonderful right up until the meal. Even Widow Hu, who usually loved to stir up trouble, stayed huddled by her own door and didn’t come near.
——
But this peaceful stretch didn’t last through the entire banquet.
Halfway through the meal, a commotion broke out at the entrance. Soon after, a group of people barged in. Spotting that the food was already on the tables, a middle-aged woman shouted, “Oh my, little brother. You’re really heartless. Your daughter gets married, and you have the feast without waiting for your elder brother and sister-in-law?”
Her voice was so grating that the entire courtyard fell silent.
Bai Lan frowned and looked at the newcomers. She recognized them as relatives from her father’s side. The shouting middle-aged woman was her father’s elder sister-in-law. The middle-aged man next to her was her father’s elder brother. Behind them followed the couple’s four sons.
But that wasn’t the only reason Bai Lan was frowning. The main issue was that her family had cut ties with this uncle’s family long ago.
“What happens in our family has nothing to do with yours anymore. We broke off contact over ten years ago.”
Bai Lan’s father stood up firmly and said, “If you have nothing else to do, please leave now.”
Bai Daniu knew about his younger brother’s stubborn temper. He immediately tugged on his wife, who had been yelling moments ago, and said, “Little brother, you said it yourself—it’s been over ten years. Surely you’ve calmed down by now? There’s no such thing as a grudge that lasts overnight between brothers. Honestly, if we hadn’t heard that you’d finally gained a son, we wouldn’t have dared come knocking, would we?”
Bai Lan’s father glanced at his son, Bai Baowei, then at his elder brother’s four sons, who were the pride of the family. Still, he shook his head. “If you truly acknowledge me as your younger brother, don’t cause trouble today.”
Bai Daniu immediately raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, alright. I really did come to congratulate my niece. And to celebrate that you finally have a son.”
Hearing this, Bai Lan found it truly strange.
Given that her uncle’s family had been trying for decades to have one of their sons adopted into her family, since when did they become so generous as to come offering congratulations?
But Bai Daniu really did put on an agreeable front. “That’s all I came to say. We brothers will have plenty more chances to see each other in the future.”
With that, he actually led his family away. But before she left, Bai Lan’s aunt reached out to try to steal a piece of chicken from the table. The eldest aunt sharply rapped her on the back of the hand with her chopsticks.
Once they were gone, the communal courtyard became lively again. This time, everyone’s conversation revolved around Bai Daniu.
The eldest aunt cursed outright, “How dare that family show their faces here? Brother-in-law, you have to stand firm. Don’t let Aihong get the short end of the stick.”
Bai Lan’s father nodded repeatedly. “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’m a man of my word. When I said we were done with them, I meant it.”
Bai Lan nodded along. Seeing Xu Jianbei’s curiosity, she quietly explained the grudge between the two families.
Simply put, it all came down to the issue of sons.
Bai Lan’s father and mother had given birth to four daughters. But Bai Lan’s uncle and aunt had produced four sons. Back when Bai Lan’s mother gave birth to her first daughter, she had no luck getting pregnant again for a long time. It was several years before she had her second child. And because of that long gap—and the fact that she had three more daughters—the elder branch of the family got the idea of having one of their sons adopted over.
After all, the elder branch lived in the countryside, while Bai Lan’s father lived in the city. Plus, Bai Lan’s father had a good job.
The signs of this scheme had already appeared when Bai Lan’s mother was pregnant with her second child. Because of this, half of Bai Lan’s parents’ energy was taken up dealing with the situation. That was why they hadn’t noticed that their son had been swapped by the Qian family.
To be honest, it was a complete mess. Luckily, they’d sorted it out years ago, otherwise they’d still be dealing with the fallout even now.
Seeing Bai Lan’s little mouth rattling off this family drama, Xu Jianbei immediately poured her a bowl of soup so she could wet her throat.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I may have three brothers, but nothing like that will ever happen in our family.”
Bai Lan understood what he meant and laughed. “I’m not afraid!”
Truth be told, girls in later generations were terrified of marrying into a family with multiple brothers. But back in this era, it was the opposite. Still, Bai Lan loved Xu Jianbei, and that had nothing to do with his brothers. The man was reliable—extremely reliable. She knew for a fact she’d regret it if she didn’t marry him.
Unlike the Bai family, the neighbors weren’t about to drop the topic. They kept discussing the old grudges between the Bai brothers, getting more and more heated as they went.
In the end, even Bai Lan was left speechless. She had no idea what the elder branch of the family was really after by showing up like that.
——
But no matter what, the day had been a happy one.
By evening, the communal courtyard, which had been lively all day, finally fell quiet.
Inside her room, Bai Lan was washing up with hot water while secretly getting nervous about the important part of the night ahead. She was rich in theoretical knowledge but had zero practical experience. She had no idea whether “that kind of thing” was as wonderful as it was described in novels.
Her mind wandering all over the place, she didn’t notice Xu Jianbei talking to Datou outside.
By the time Xu Jianbei came back in, Bai Lan still hadn’t mentally prepared herself. But when she looked up and saw his handsome face, she suddenly felt she was ready after all.
Xu Jianbei noticed her reddened earlobes and couldn’t resist reaching out to rub them between his fingers.
The touch startled Bai Lan, sending a shiver down her spine.
“You…”
“You…”
The two novices just stared at each other, making the air in the room grow thick and heavy.
——
While the newlyweds were enjoying their sweet moment, the elder branch of the Bai family next door was far from happy.
Su Xiaomei lay in bed, pounding the mattress, then lifted her leg and kicked the motionless Xu Jiandong.
“Xu Jiandong, the wedding is done. Find a chance to talk to your little brother right away!”
Xu Jiandong shook his head. “No. You talk to him if you want.”
Su Xiaomei snapped, “Do you want your son to have nowhere to live in the future?”
Xu Jiandong replied, “I’m not going to say it.”
Once again, Su Xiaomei was left speechless by her husband’s spinelessness. She had no idea what she’d been thinking back then, picking a man like him.
“Fine. If you won’t say it, I will. I don’t believe your little brother can actually be that heartless.” Su Xiaomei had already made up her mind. She’d spent this whole time trying to curry favor with Xu Jianbei and Bai Lan. Whether they accepted it or not, the neighbors had all seen her humble herself. Tomorrow, she would make a big scene in the courtyard—that would work in her favor. Newlyweds were always the most thin-skinned.
While the eldest branch was squabbling, Xu Jiannan and Liu Meiling were having a calm discussion.
“Tomorrow, I’ll find some time to talk to Bai Lan,” Liu Meiling said.
Xu Jiannan wasn’t entirely convinced. “They just got married. Will she have time to talk tomorrow?”
Liu Meiling replied, “She’ll have time. When I married into this family, I had plenty of time. We’ll hash things out, and then we’ll go all in—selling our braised meat across the entire northern part of the city.”
Little did Bai Lan know that on her first full day as a newlywed, she would already be facing a negotiation with her sister-in-law.
Right now, she felt like she was in a sauna. Beads of sweat rolled down her nose and forehead.
Especially when she saw the same sweat on Xu Jianbei’s chiseled, handsome face—Bai Lan was so excited she wanted to squeal like a goose.
Of course, at that moment, she couldn’t make much sound at all.
Let’s just say—no words could do justice to how wonderful that night was.
——
The next morning, Bai Lan didn’t wake up until after seven o’clock. Finding herself completely clean and dry, she realized Xu Jianbei must have wiped her down after she’d fallen asleep. Feeling the warmth radiating from his arm around her waist, she couldn’t help but bury her face in his solid chest. Before she could say anything, his deep voice sounded in her ear.
“Good morning, Comrade Bai Lan.”
Such an ordinary greeting, yet Bai Lan found something uniquely special in it. Delighted, she lowered her head and gave him a playful bite, then responded, “Good morning, Comrade Xu Jianbei.”
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