Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 64 Proposal
"Red Plum Blossom~"

"Uncle Zhao, Aunt Chen."

"Oh my, so this is a Red Army soldier, isn't it?"

"What a handsome young man!"

"Let's go inside and talk."

"Oh, this is just a small gift we prepared, nothing special."

"..."

When proposing marriage, one cannot arrive empty-handed.

Although Li Hongbing neither smokes nor drinks, Zhao Weiguo and his parents still specially prepared cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and pastries.

Zhao Weiguo was tall and handsome, not the effeminate type, but rather fit the aesthetic standards of this era.

Li Hongbing knew something about Zhao Weiguo.

But his parents were meeting each other for the first time from beginning to end.

My first impression was alright.

After all, we just met, and it was on such a special day, so it's hard to tell anything from that.

However, according to what Li Hongbing learned from Li Hongmei, the other party was not the kind of person who was sharp-tongued and mean.

Li Hongmei and Zhao Weiguo had already discussed it beforehand. Today, they came to propose marriage, and also to let the two families meet and formally get to know each other, since they would be in-laws in the future.

Besides.

It's just about discussing the betrothal gifts and marriage arrangements.

A proper marriage involves a formal betrothal ceremony. In ancient times and the old society, the bride price was used to buy concubines, a one-time purchase.

Nowadays, betrothal gifts are generally not high, and their symbolic meaning is more important.

In this regard, Li Hongbing would obviously not make things difficult for them or deliberately cause trouble.

The remaining issues are discussing the date for registering the marriage and whether or not to hold a wedding banquet.

“Uncle Zhao, Aunt Chen, it’s not that I, Li Hongbing, don’t care about my sister, it’s just that we don’t have any relatives in Beijing, so we won’t be having a banquet here. Besides, the government is advocating frugality these days…”

This request was made by Li Hongmei herself, who persuaded Li Hongbing, and now it is being put forward by him.

They came to Beijing as refugees from famine, and had no relatives or friends there.

If a banquet were to be held, it would mainly be for the neighbors in the courtyard. After thinking about it, Li Hongbing realized it wasn't such a big deal.

"This one……"

Upon hearing Li Hongbing say that they wouldn't be holding a banquet here, and mentioning the directive from higher authorities, Zhao's parents felt somewhat embarrassed. After hesitating for a moment, they couldn't help but say, "We're still planning to hold a banquet here..."

For the groom, getting married is a big deal and a matter of face. Although his family isn't wealthy, they are in a decent position, so they definitely need to hold a wedding.

"Uncle Zhao, there is no conflict, it's just that our family's situation is a bit special."

The fact that the Zhao family was willing to spend money on a banquet was, to some extent, a sign of their respect for Li Hongmei, so Li Hongbing naturally wouldn't object.

"Hongbing, Uncle Zhao has a favor to ask. On the day Weiguo and Hongmei get their marriage certificate, we plan to set up three or five tables in our own yard. Could you please ask your master to come and cook?"

They originally planned to find someone outside, but when they learned that Li Hongbing had been taken in as an apprentice by the head chef of Fengzeyuan Restaurant, they started to have designs on him because of this connection.

If you can invite the chef from Fengzeyuan Restaurant to cook on your wedding day, you can brag about it for a lifetime; it'll give you both prestige and status.

However, the head chef of Fengzeyuan is not someone you can hire easily, and he doesn't readily take on private jobs.

They're only relying on Li Hongbing's connection now.

"Don't worry, we'll give you plenty of red envelopes, no matter how much you need. We'll make sure your master doesn't come for nothing and you don't lose face."

They knew the rules about hiring a chef on the side; they weren't planning to get something for nothing. So, to avoid Li Hongbing misunderstanding, Zhao's father quickly explained.

Being able to get the other party to come over through Li Hongbing's connections is already a huge favor.

Even if you offered a lot of money, you might not be able to hire anyone else. "This won't do."

Li Hongbing shook his head, and as Zhao's parents were disappointed, he spoke up again: "My master is my elder. How can I let him work on my sister's wedding day? We might even have to invite him to attend. If you need to hire a head chef, I can ask the other chefs in the kitchen for you."

"That's no problem. I didn't think things through earlier."

They thought it was hopeless after being rejected by Li Hongbing, but things took an unexpected turn, making them extremely excited.

Actually, they didn't necessarily need Guo Youzhong, but because he and Li Hongbing were master and apprentice, they felt that they had the best chance of getting him to come.

As long as Li Hongbing can get any of the other chefs at Fengzeyuan to come, the effect will be the same.

"Okay, I'll ask around later. It shouldn't be a big problem."

Li Hongbing's statement wasn't entirely absolute, but to Zhao's parents, it was clearly without any problem.

For a while.

Li Hongbing's importance in their hearts increased even further.

The chefs in the kitchen are well paid and almost never lack money. However, they do take on private jobs, but they mainly hire people with a certain social status and influence. Ordinary families can hardly afford to hire them.

However, this was not difficult for Li Hongbing.

What they were really concerned about wasn't Li Hongbing's reputation, but rather Guo Youzhong's personal connections.

For such a major event as his own sister's wedding, Li Hongbing would naturally want to use Guo Youzhong's connections and influence, and he believed that Guo would not refuse.

The whole process went smoothly as long as neither side caused trouble for themselves or the other.

As for Li Hongmei's dowry, the Zhao family wisely didn't mention it, as this was entirely up to the woman's wishes and was obviously acceptable to them, more or less.

A daughter-in-law as good as Li Hongmei, who is also so hardworking and sensible, is not easy to find. It's already a blessing from their ancestors that they can marry her into the family. They don't intend to cause trouble for themselves.

Moreover, their own son had already decided on Li Hongmei, and they had finally been looking forward to this good thing. If it were to be delayed again because of them, the sin would be enormous.

Although they had some disagreements before because of Li Hongbing, their younger brother, things are not only over now, but even better.

It's not just about understanding the principles, but also about weighing the pros and cons.

Everyone has selfish desires.

In Li Hongbing's view, Zhao's parents were just ordinary, normal parents in this era. Moreover, their house was not big, and after they got their marriage certificate, Li Hongmei and Zhao Weiguo would apply to the factory for housing and move out.

Living apart and spending every day together can greatly reduce conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law.

Li Hongbing wasn't too worried about this.

Li Hongmei is not a submissive person, and the son and husband play a crucial role in determining the extent of conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Judging from his previous performance, Zhao Weiguo seems to be quite reliable.

After finishing talking with Zhao's parents, it was already quite late.

Li Hongbing asked Li Hongmei to continue chatting with them while he focused on preparing lunch.

As Li Hongbing began to "showcase" his culinary skills, everyone's attention was no longer on chatting, mainly because the aroma was too tempting.

Braised pork knuckle, steamed pork with rice flour, braised prawns, and stir-fried fish fillets...

Although they were prepared, they were still somewhat flattered by the lavish preparations Li Hongbing had made.

All of them were hearty dishes.

Even during the Lunar New Year, they wouldn't eat such a lavish meal.

As dish after dish was served, everyone couldn't help but swallow hard.

After the final stir-fried vegetables and fish soup were finished, Li Hongbing also joined the meal.

Li Hongbing, who had never drunk alcohol before, poured himself a glass, stood up, raised his glass, and said to Zhao's parents, "Uncle Zhao, Aunt Chen, although I agree to my sister's marriage to your son, let me make this clear first."

I, Li Hongbing, only have one sister, and she's the only blood relative I have in the entire city of Beijing. If you bring her into our family and then mistreat her or subject her to hardship, I, Li Hongbing, will not stand for it!

(End of this chapter)