Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 44: Double Celebration

Early the next morning, Mu Dong went to his third uncle’s supermarket. Aunt Mu San was restocking the shelves. When she saw Mu Dong walk in, her expression changed, and she snapped, “What are you doing here?” After saying that, she went back to her work, ignoring Mu Dong. Uncle Mu San was tidying up in the back. Hearing the commotion, he came out and greeted him, “Xiao Dong, you’re here?” Mu Dong replied, “Uncle San, I’m here to apologize to Aunt San. My eldest aunt was completely out of line—if there’s a problem, we should talk it out. How could she go around smashing things?” Turning to Aunt San, he smiled and added, “Aunt San, please don’t be angry. It’s my fault for not explaining things clearly, and my eldest aunt was too impulsive. Please cut me some slack.” Aunt Mu put down what she was holding, stood up, and said, “Don’t think I’m afraid of his eldest aunt. I was just letting her have her way—I didn’t want to stoop to her level.” Mu Dong thought to himself, You’d actually dare to stoop to her level. Out loud, he said, “That’s right, Aunt Mu, you’re so generous. I’m here to ask for your help, aren’t I? Uncle Mu must have told you about the cigarettes and liquor—you’ll have to take care of that.” Uncle Mu San had mentioned this as soon as he got home last night, and Aunt Mu San was quite pleased—she’d be able to make a little extra money this way. She thought to herself that Xiao Dong was a sensible kid after all. Now, hearing Mu Dong bring it up again, she snorted impatiently, grabbed a small notebook and a pen, and asked Mu Dong, “Go ahead, I’ll write it down. What kind of liquor? What kind of cigarettes? How much?” Mu Dong quickly listed the items and quantities. He thought to himself, Thank goodness—it’s all over now. Mu Dong stayed at home for two days, discussing a few matters with his parents. The wedding would be held at the Mu family home. Mu’s mother planned to set up a small stage on the east side of the main gate to host the wedding ceremony. The wedding banquet was set to take place at a restaurant in town. Mu Hong had originally suggested holding the banquet at her family’s restaurant, offering to cover all the costs and arrange for several large buses to pick up the guests. In the end, Mu Dong decided against it—it was too far away, and with so many people, it would be more convenient to hold it at the restaurant in town. On April 25, Mu Dong took a bus to Quancheng. Mu Dong also made arrangements for the wedding motorcade. Since both his and Xiao Xiao’s cars were Audi A4s, he simply contacted an Audi A4 owners’ club and arranged for eight cars. Together with his and Xiao Xiao’s two cars, that made ten vehicles—all identical. Although they weren’t particularly luxurious cars, they were a huge improvement over the motley crew of makes and models he’d had at his wedding in that other timeline. Today was Saturday, and Xiao Xiao drove to the long-distance bus station to pick up Mu Dong. After they met, the two shared a gentle hug and left the station together. They had lunch together. Afterward, Xiao Xiao mysteriously took Mu Dong to the mall, saying she wanted to give him a gift. At the Ginza Mall, at the Longines counter, the mystery was revealed: a Longines Military Flag Series mechanical men’s watch. The price was 10,900 yuan. Mu Dong was instantly overcome with emotion. Not caring that the sales clerk was watching nearby, he pulled Xiao Xiao into a tight embrace and planted a firm kiss on her lips. “Thank you, honey. I love it so much,” he said, lifting Xiao Xiao into his arms and spinning her around twice. Xiao Xiao squealed in surprise, repeatedly patting Mu Dong on the shoulder. Mu Dong did a quick calculation: this watch must have wiped out all of Xiao Xiao’s savings. When they bought their house last time, Xiao Xiao had insisted on contributing 25,000 yuan—which must have depleted her entire savings at the time. A watch costing over 10,000 yuan must have come from her salary over the past few months. After all, at that time, Xiao Xiao’s monthly salary was less than 3,000 yuan. While Xiao Xiao went to pay, Mu Dong cradled the watch in the palm of his hand and examined it closely. The watch was a bright silver color overall, with a silvery-white dial and a simple, elegant design. The Longines logo was at the 12 o’clock position, with the “automatic” inscription below it. The date window was at the 3 o’clock position. Mu Dong really liked it. Xiao Xiao understood him well—she’d chosen such a simple yet elegant watch as a gift for him. But what should he get for Xiao Xiao? That’s it! Mu Dong slapped his forehead—the same model in a women’s version! Xiao Xiao would definitely love it! Haha, I’m a genius! Mu Dong urged the sales associate to bring out the matching women’s watch—he was absolutely thrilled! The design elements were identical: both featured a sleek silver finish and a minimalist silhouette, though the women’s model was slightly smaller and had diamond-set hour markers. So Mu Dong had the sales associate ring up the order and headed to another checkout counter to pay. In no time, the two of them returned, one right after the other. When Xiao Xiao realized Mu Dong had bought the matching women’s watch, she was absolutely overwhelmed with emotion. Xiao Xiao didn’t have enough money of her own; if she had, she would have loved to buy a matching set—one for her and one for Mu Dong. She never expected Mu Dong to understand her so well—while she was away paying, he had already bought the women’s watch. She hugged Mu Dong and whispered softly in his ear, “Thank you, husband.” Then the two walked away hand in hand. Xiao Xiao had already taken her wedding leave on Friday—15 days of wedding leave plus 3 days for the May Day holiday, totaling 18 days. That afternoon, the couple went home to pack up, grabbed their wedding attire and a few essentials, and drove back to their hometown. Xiao Xiao had been doing all the driving, and she continued to drive once they got on the highway. Mu Dong simply reminded her of a few precautions for driving on the highway, such as staying clear of large trucks and being careful when passing other vehicles. Fortunately, Xiao Xiao’s driving style was very steady, and gradually Mu Dong put his mind at ease, letting her take the wheel. Mu Dong felt that Xiao Xiao was now capable of driving on the highway independently, so he wouldn’t have to worry about her driving much in the future. In the evening, Xiao Xiao dropped Mu Dong off at the elementary school, unloaded some of his belongings, and then drove back to her own home alone. The Mu family was scheduled to visit the Li family the next day to present the pre-wedding betrothal gifts, so Xiao Xiao needed to go home to get ready. As dusk fell, Xiao Xiao arrived home. Seeing the Audi their daughter had driven back in—and hearing her say it was her own personal car—Mr. and Mrs. Li were overjoyed. They circled the car several times, their satisfaction with Mu Dong as their son-in-law growing even stronger. Their daughter worked in the provincial capital and had bought a house; both she and her husband owned cars. Seeing that their lives were clearly going well, the elderly couple felt deeply gratified. On Sunday, Mu Dong and Mu Daguo drove two cars, accompanied by Uncle Mu Er and Uncle Mu San, and loaded with all sorts of gifts, to the Li family’s home. They were there to carry out the final pre-wedding ritual: presenting the betrothal gifts. The most important gifts for the betrothal ceremony were pastries, known locally in Southern Shandong as “guozi.” This time, the Mu family brought 100 jin of “fine guozi” and 100 jin of “coarse guozi.” “Fine guozi” referred to small, delicate pastries, such as honey-glazed croissants; “coarse guozi” were larger, simpler pastries, such as flaky pastries. These pastries were primarily intended to be distributed to relatives and friends after the wedding. In Mu Dong’s view, however, this was nothing but a pointless hassle. These 200 jin of pastries would be hauled to the Li family’s home today, only to be hauled back to the Mu family’s home tomorrow exactly as they were—a pure formality. However, Mu’s mother had said that this was the custom, so they had to follow it. In addition to the pastries, the Mu family also brought gifts such as cigarettes and alcohol. It took several young men quite a while to unload all the gifts from the truck. Afterward, the banquet began. During the meal, members of both the Mu and Li families engaged in friendly discussions regarding some wedding details of mutual concern. In a cheerful atmosphere, the hosts and guests reached a consensus on several key issues, and both sides expressed their commitment to working together to ensure the wedding was a successful and joyous occasion. But I digress… In fact, both families were very pleased with each other. As ordinary rural families with promising children who had fallen in love on their own, communication between the two families naturally went smoothly. After the banquet ended, the Mu family took their leave. Mu Dong and Xiao Xiao spent the remaining days busy with their respective tasks. Mu Dong had to invite some important relatives—such as aunts, uncles, and cousins—all of whom he had to visit in person to formally ask for their consent. He also had to make arrangements for the wedding banquet and the celebration itself: videography and photography, venue decorations, and the emcee. He was swamped with work. Xiao Xiao had to deal with her own family and friends, arrange for makeup and hairstyling, find bridesmaids, and prepare their outfits—she was just as busy. On the evening of April 30, the two spoke on the phone. Xiao Xiao said, “Honey, getting married is really exhausting!” Mu Dong replied, “Yeah, honey, that’s why smart people only get married once!” On May 1, Mu Dong got up very early. He slipped into a brand-new suit, tied on a bright red tie, slipped into shiny black leather shoes, pinned on his “groom” boutonniere, and—following local custom—had a red thread tied in his hair. The groom made his dazzling entrance! Mu’s parents looked at their young, handsome son and felt deeply gratified. Mu Hong looked at her spirited nephew and felt very happy. Relatives and friends looked at the freshly dressed Mu Dong and felt a festive spirit. Han Yong, Cheng Qiang, and Cai Jiaojiao had come together as a group. Mu Dong was very grateful; they had arrived early in the morning and must have set out very early indeed. The three had arrived in a white BMW 740. Cai Jiaojiao explained that it belonged to her father and was being used as the wedding car. Mu Dong had originally prepared ten Audis, but now made a slight adjustment: Xiao Xiao’s white Audi would still serve as the lead car, adorned with red silk. The white BMW would be the wedding car, decorated with fresh flowers, with the bride and groom riding in it. This brought the total number of vehicles to eleven—which was also fitting, symbolizing wholehearted devotion. In no time, the eight Audis from the Audi A4 Owners’ Club arrived. After a quick touch-up on the decorations and finishing the floral arrangements on the wedding cars, the group grabbed the red silk ribbons prepared for the white Audi and set off to pick up the bride! Xiao Xiao barely slept last night—she just couldn’t fall asleep—and was in a bit of a daze, but she wasn’t the least bit sleepy. Before dawn, Xiao Xiao was already up. The makeup artist hired from town had arrived, and it was time to do her hair and makeup. Watching herself gradually transform in the mirror, Xiao Xiao began to feel happy—she was finally going to marry him. Once her makeup was done and she’d changed into her wedding dress, Xiao Xiao sat on the bed. From that moment on, her feet wouldn’t touch the ground. Relatives and friends kept coming in to see the bride all dressed up, and Xiao Xiao just kept smiling sweetly—so happy, so natural. It was getting lively outside—Mu Dong must have arrived, Xiao Xiao thought. Mu Dong encountered some resistance at the door to Xiao Xiao’s room. Several of Xiao Xiao’s younger sisters from her maternal family were blocking the doorway, demanding red envelopes. But for Mr. Mu, handing out money was a simple matter. In an instant, he cleared the way with a few red envelopes. The moment he saw Xiao Xiao, Mu Dong was spellbound; that sense of awe he’d felt when they took their wedding photos in Daocheng came flooding back. Mu Dong gently embraced Xiao Xiao, handed her the bouquet, and whispered in her ear, “My wife, I’ve come to take you home.” Xiao Xiao nodded happily, smiling radiantly, but said nothing. Amid the hustle and bustle of filming and photography, Xiao Xiao, wearing a pair of Mr. Li’s old shoes, finished taking photos with her family. When it came time to bid farewell to her parents, Xiao Xiao looked at her elderly parents sitting upright in their chairs and, in the end, couldn’t hold back the flood of tears, which smudged her makeup. With the cars outside all ready and parked, Xiao Xiao’s eldest brother and another brother from her father’s side carried her—still seated in her chair—out through the courtyard gate and into the wedding car. Mu Dong took the passenger seat, while the two bridesmaids sat in the back with Xiao Xiao. Firecrackers went off, and the cars set off. One bridesmaid busied herself touching up Xiao Xiao’s makeup, while Mu Dong kept trying to cheer her up—and eventually managed to make her smile. The members of the car club were very professional; every vehicle was equipped with a walkie-talkie, and the wedding car and lead car were also provided with them. They coordinated as a group, constantly changing the formation of the motorcade whenever the road was clear, adding plenty of fun to the otherwise monotonous journey. As they gradually approached Mu Village, the cars slowed down. A 600-crack slow-burning firecracker was lit to welcome the newlyweds, leading the motorcade slowly into the village until they reached the Mu family’s front gate. Next came the 200-crack “newlyweds’ alighting firecrackers.” After a burst of crackling, Mu Dong got out first, guided Xiao Xiao out of the car, and led her up to the small stage at the entrance. In this area, some brides demand “alighting money” from their in-laws when getting out of the car—they refuse to step out unless they’re paid, and won’t get out if the amount is too small. Xiao Xiao, however, looked down on this outdated custom and simply got out of the car. The emcee presided over the wedding ceremony with great enthusiasm. The proceedings followed the standard ritual: paying respects to their parents, thanking relatives and friends, and bowing to heaven and earth. The couple was in high spirits and let the emcee lead them through the festivities. Once all the formalities were completed, they finally entered the bridal chamber. Sitting on the new bed, Xiao Xiao finally let out a sigh of relief. These past few days had nearly driven her crazy—she’d been busy nonstop, yet she still didn’t know exactly what all the fuss was about. Before she’d even caught her breath, the wedding pranksters arrived. Xiao Xiao sighed inwardly—here we go again. After all the antics—biting into apples and gnawing on candies—Xiao Xiao felt even more exhausted. Why had she been so exhausted these past few days? After resting for a while, Mu Dong came to call Xiao Xiao again. “Honey, get changed—we’re heading to the restaurant to toast the guests.” After saying that, Mu Dong helped Xiao Xiao take off her wedding dress and put on a red two-piece outfit, and the two of them headed to the restaurant together. There were about forty tables at the wedding banquet—twice as many as at the engagement party. Mu Dong and Xiao Xiao shuttled back and forth nonstop, serving drinks and toasting every guest. After all that hustle and bustle, Xiao Xiao felt as if her ankles weren’t even her own anymore. What left a deep impression on Xiao Xiao was Mu’s eldest aunt, who boldly downed three small cups of baijiu, each containing one liang. Mu’s eldest aunt was overjoyed to see her nephew get married, so she accepted the toasts offered by her nephew and niece-in-law. After drinking, she glanced at Mu’s third aunt, who was sitting diagonally across from her, and said, “Third Sister-in-Law, I’d like to apologize for what happened that day.” With that, she raised her glass. Aunt Mu No. 3 was eating a dish and nearly choked; she quickly put down her chopsticks, picked up her glass, and said, “Aunt Mu, don’t say that. About what happened that day, it was actually my fault too. I shouldn’t have gone to ask Xiao Dong for the car. Xiao Dong has actually been really good to our family.” Aunt Mu sighed and said, “Third Sister-in-Law, Xiao Dong has it tough enough as it is; we can’t hold him back. He broke quite a few things at your house that day. How about I compensate you for the damage?” Aunt Mu No. 3 wouldn’t dare accept that; she waved her hands repeatedly, saying, “No, no, there wasn’t much damage…” With that, the whole incident was finally settled. A harmonious family brings prosperity—Aunt Mu understood this principle very well. That’s why she’d stepped in to resolve the matter involving Mu Dong, and she knew she’d have to clean up the loose ends herself. By apologizing to Third Sister-in-Law today in front of the whole table, she hoped to put the issue to rest once and for all. In the end, Uncle Mu couldn’t bring himself to serve the guests his family’s cellar-aged wine. There were simply too many guests—so many that it startled him. If he’d brought out his own stock, even three or five jars wouldn’t have been enough. Most of these people had come specifically for Mu Dong—villagers, townspeople, and many sand quarry owners. The wedding gifts were staggering, with most starting at a thousand; even the village chief, Mu Huafeng, had given a thousand. In the end, Mu’s father quietly served the Mu family’s own wine to only two tables of guests. One table was for distinguished guests, mainly the bride’s maternal uncles and close male relatives from the Mu family, accompanied by Second Uncle Mu, Third Uncle Mu, and several of Mu Dong’s uncles. The other table was for Mu Dong’s friends from Jinan, accompanied by Mu Xiaoxia, Mu Daguo, and a few others. The banquet continued until a little past 2:00 p. m. before it gradually came to an end. Xiao Xiao’s relatives from her maternal family stayed in the bridal chamber for a short while, offered some traditional well-wishes for a happy married life, and then took their leave. Mu Dong arranged for a bus to take them back. Xiao Xiao finally let her guard down completely. She slumped against the bedside and dozed off, and before long, she had actually fallen asleep. Mu Dong came in, saw that Xiao Xiao was asleep, helped her lie down, carefully tucked the blanket around her, and went back out to attend to other matters. Han Yong and his two friends had also left. Before they departed, Mu Dong took them to have a look at the elementary school. Upon learning that Mu Dong had purchased both the courtyard and the entire first floor filled with willow branches, they murmured among themselves that this guy was probably about to make a fortune again. With all the guests gone, the house was finally tidied up. Mu Dong took a look around; Xiao Xiao was still asleep, so he woke her up and told her to eat something. Xiao Xiao got up groggily, her steps a bit unsteady. Mu Dong asked, “Honey, you must be exhausted. This is our wedding night—you’re not just going to go through the motions, are you?” Xiao Xiao shot him a disapproving look and said, “I barely slept last night, so I’m really tired right now. I don’t know what’s going on, but these past few days, I’ve been feeling exhausted all the time—I just don’t have any energy at all.” Mu Dong teased her, “You’re such a wimp. You’re not suffering from ‘pre-wedding syndrome,’ are you? I remember hearing that term.” Xiao Xiao replied, “That shouldn’t be the case. I don’t feel like I don’t want to get married or anything. But come to think of it, my period is already more than ten days late. It might actually be a problem.” Mu Dong laughed, “What’s the big deal? Maybe you’re pregnant!” Mu Dong had blurted that out without thinking, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze. He looked at Xiao Xiao and saw that she, too, wore an expression of utter disbelief. Both of them were thinking, “Could she really be pregnant?” Mu Dong suddenly burst with joy. He pulled Xiao Xiao into a tight embrace, planted a big kiss on her, and laughed heartily, “Honey, you might really be pregnant. Just wait here—I’m going out for a bit.” With that, he dashed off. Mu Dong drove to the pharmacy in town, bought a pregnancy test, and dashed right back. Xiao Xiao was anxious too. She took the pregnancy test, gave the instructions a quick glance, and headed to the bathroom to take the test. A moment later, she ran out excitedly, shouting, “Honey, two lines! Two lines! I’m pregnant!” The news of Xiao Xiao’s pregnancy spread quickly throughout the Mu family, and before long, even her eldest aunt in the county seat had heard about it. A newlywed bride is pregnant—it’s a double celebration! Just as Mu Dong was overjoyed, his mother pulled him aside and told him they couldn’t “do that” for the first few months. Mu Dong naturally understood the reasoning—three months before and two months after. But the thought of having to abstain on his wedding night left him feeling more than a little deflated. In the evening, a light drizzle began to fall. The elders in the village remarked that this new daughter-in-law of the Huashan family brought both good fortune and prosperity.