Reborn in 1966

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Marriage

Someone shouted "They're here!" Pei Yin looked over and saw several bicycles with red paper flowers tied to their front ends. The first bicycle was being pushed by her second uncle, Shengqin, and Tian Lingling, wearing a floral shirt, was sitting on the luggage rack behind. Since there were no firecrackers during the New Year, there were no firecrackers this time either. Her fourth grandfather led the applause in welcoming them.

Uncle Shen smiled as he pushed the cart, saying to the people next to him, "Thank you, thank you!" Tian Lingling, who was behind the cart, blushed and kept her head down, smiling with her lips pursed. People in this era are all so genuine and innocent.

Grandma and Grandpa stood at the door, watching their youngest son return with his new wife. Their faces were full of satisfied smiles, and even their wrinkles seemed to be filled with laughter. Their whole being was beaming with joy.

A group of young people, cheering and joking, escorted the bride to the portrait of Chairman Mao. Fourth Grandfather raised his arm and pressed it down with his hand. After everyone fell silent, he cleared his throat and said, "Please sing a song first, wishing our great leader Chairman Mao a long life, a long life, a long life! Here comes 'China Produced a Mao Zedong,' ready, go!" Then everyone stood at attention and sang with great emotion, "The East is Red, the sun rises..." Pei Yin looked around, and even Third Grandmother, who was not talkative, stood at attention and sang along.

After the song ended, Fourth Grandfather said, "Today is the auspicious wedding day of Comrade Shen Shengqin and Comrade Tian Lingling. Let's first offer a gift to the great leader Chairman Mao and wish him a long life, a long life, a long life!"

Saluting the Chairman was a very solemn matter, so the scene was completely silent. In the vast place, only Fourth Grandfather called out, "One bow, two bows, three bows." After the newlyweds finished bowing, Fourth Grandfather continued, "Now let's bow to our revolutionary masses in gratitude, thanking our comrades for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend the newlyweds' wedding." After the newlyweds finished bowing, Fourth Grandfather said, "In this new era, while we should traditionally kneel before our parents, we should also bow three times to our parents to express our gratitude for arranging such a grand and warm wedding for you."

Grandpa and Grandma were invited by Fourth Grandfather to stand next to the portrait of Chairman Mao. Second Uncle and Tian Lingling bowed three times to Grandpa and Grandma. Then Fourth Grandfather said, "You two should also bow. May you live in harmony and work together to build our great socialist cause."

After the ceremony, Fourth Grandfather said, "Let's all give a round of applause and wish the newlyweds a happy life together and that they can contribute to the development of our country."

Afterwards, Peihua and several children carried some melon seeds, candies, and peanuts in a food box and distributed them to the villagers who came to watch the ceremony, so that everyone could share in the joy.

Amidst enthusiastic applause and cheers, Shen Shengqin and Tian Lingling's wedding came to an end. This signified the addition of a new member to the Shen family, and Tian Lingling fulfilled her wish to marry into the Shen family and marry her beloved Shen Shengqin.

After the wedding, the villagers gradually returned home, leaving only the relatives who had traveled from afar to attend the wedding and a few people who had helped out in the Shen family courtyard.

The villagers had already been invited the previous two days, and today was for the relatives who came to attend the wedding. There were three tables: one for the grandparents and their generation, one for Shen's mother's aunts and the female relatives of her cousins, one for Shen's father and his uncles and some male guests, and one for the children at a large table in the courtyard. The food was served in large plates and bowls, and the only thing to do was to make sure the children were full and satisfied. There was no need to follow any of the usual table manners.

Seeing that there was still some food left over from the kitchen, Shen's father told his grandmother and then asked Peihua to deliver it to several retired professors at the school.

Because Pei Yin was small, Shen's mother held her and sat her at the large eight-immortal table in the main room, where she could be fed some good food by her mother and listen to some gossip.

The newlyweds ate their meals separately. The bride, Tian Lingling, sat at a table with Shen's mother and her family, while the groom, Shen Shengqin, sat at a table with Shen's father and his family. In this modern era, there are no longer any rules about entering the bridal chamber or the bride not being able to move around freely. After the meal, the newlyweds would have to help each other pack up the borrowed items and prepare to return them to their owners.

Since they were all from the same village, even though Tian Lingling was a little reserved and shy, she still helped by picking up some food or pouring a glass of water. When her fourth grandfather, who was at the same table as her grandparents, came to the main room, he said, "Lingling, why don't you and Shengqin perform a show for us?"

Second Uncle, who was eating in Second Grandmother's room, came out, looked at Tian Lingling, and said, "Lingling, how about I play the accordion for you and you sing a song?"

Tian Lingling smiled at her lover and said, "Okay, then I'll trouble you, Brother Shengqin."

So, Shen Shengqin sat on a stool, holding an accordion in his arms and playing melodious music. Tian Lingling's voice was also very clean and sweet. The two of them sang a duet of "Mao Zedong Thought Shines Brightly".

Many years later, when the children of the family gathered for a meal, Peihua said, "Look at weddings now, with all that high-tech equipment filming and recording, nothing compares to the unforgettable chorus we had when my second uncle and aunt sang together at their wedding." Peiyin also always remembered her second aunt, who, as soon as she entered the house, would glance lovingly at her husband and play music along with him. Not only her second uncle and aunt, but she herself would never forget it.

This scene at the wedding banquet quickly spread. Everyone knew that the youngest son and his wife had sung a song together at their wedding, one playing the piano and the other singing. Before long, this became a trend. Later weddings became simpler and simpler, and even wedding banquets were no longer allowed. However, the bride and groom singing a revolutionary song together became an important part of the wedding. Because of this, many young men from the surrounding villages who couldn't play instruments would come to Uncle Shen for advice before their weddings. Before they knew it, Uncle Shen and his wife had become trendsetters.

After lunch, the relatives who came to attend the wedding said goodbye and left one after another. The newlywed second aunt changed out of her new clothes and helped Shen's mother pack her things. The fourth grandfather, along with Shen's father, second uncle, and several children, carried wedding candies and went from house to house to return the borrowed tables, chairs, cups, bowls, and spoons. Peiyin was preparing to take a nap on her grandmother's kang (a heated brick bed).

In a daze, Pei Yin heard Shen's mother talking to her grandmother.

Grandma said, "These are the only clothes his aunts had back then, but they don't have many patches. If you see any that fit, you can send them over."

Mother Shen said, "Thank you, Mother."

Grandma said, "The family is having a hard time right now. I was thinking of altering these clothes for Peizhi and Peiyin when they get a little older. Go ask your sister-in-law Shengquan to help alter them and let the girls wear them first. Tell them that this is how it is in our village, where several sisters share one piece of clothing, so don't look down on them."

Mother Shen said, "Mother, these clothes are very nice. How could Ruolan dislike them? I'll bring her home in a couple of days so you can take a good look."

Grandma said, "She's a strong woman. She came all the way from Beijing to come here by herself. See if you have any leftover food at home. Take some and send it over to the old and the young."

Shen's mother agreed and took the clothes that her grandmother had found to Aunt Shengquan's house next door to have them altered before delivering them to Meng Ruolan.

Pei Yin lay with her eyes closed, still thinking about Meng Ruolan, who had bright phoenix eyes. She wondered what had happened to make a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl travel all the way here alone.

The family spent the whole afternoon returning what needed to be returned and collecting what needed to be collected. They also cleaned the yard spotlessly. In the evening, Grandma used some leftover vegetables that were easy to spoil to cook a table full of dishes. After everyone ate, they rested.

Pei Yin pretended to be asleep with her eyes closed, eavesdropping on her parents' conversation.

Mr. Shen said, "Ruolan said that a rebel leader at her school had taken a liking to her, so she went to Ji Ming for help. Unfortunately, Ji Ming is also under investigation now. He told Ruolan the detailed address here, as well as our family's situation, and gave her some common sense about living in the wild. He also gave her some money and repeatedly told her to bring dry food on the road and not to dress too neatly. He also asked Ruolan to steal a map from the library. That's how Ruolan came here."

Mother Shen said, "Oh dear, isn't this like abducting a woman?"

Mr. Shen said, "Even if you could, what could you do? Who would you turn to for help? Those rebels could hold some leaders down by the neck and parade them through the streets for criticism and struggle sessions, let alone a teenage girl?"

Shen's mother asked, "How did Ruolan manage to get here?"

Mr. Shen said, "Hu Jiming had a few men under him who hadn't been investigated yet, so he found a reliable person to send Ruolan out of the city. Ruolan didn't dare to take the main roads in the cities near the capital, and she only took small roads. Fortunately, it was the time when the crops in the fields were ripe, and when she ran out of dry food, she would secretly pick a corn or dig up a sweet potato to eat raw. Later, when she saw that she was far from the capital, she dared to go to the bus station to buy a ticket and travel from city to city towards us. When she arrived in Xiping County, she was afraid that someone would be waiting for her there, so she put on her dirty clothes again and sneaked into the village. Just then, she ran out of dry food, and there was nothing left to eat in the fields. Seeing that our family was having a happy occasion, she thought she would come to find something to eat."

Shen's mother said with heartache, "Ruolan has really suffered. Professor Meng has raised her with such care and love."

Mr. Shen said, "Yes, Professor Meng is such an old man, and he burst into tears before Ruolan even finished speaking."

Shen's mother asked, "What will happen to Ruolan in the future?"

Father Shen said, "We still need to discuss this with Secretary Tian and Third Grandfather. After all, Ruolan is such a big child, we can't just hide her away. We also need to establish a grain and oil supply relationship, otherwise what will we eat and drink?"

Shen's mother said, "It's best not to go back. The world is not stable now, and I don't feel at ease leaving her, a young girl, in the capital."

Mr. Shen said, "Let's think of another way."