152, Finishing Touches

Once the wedding banquet concluded, the final tasks began. Gao Shen, Zeng Lin, and Liu Gang accompanied Li Yougen and his son, going door-to-door to return the tables and chairs. At each stop, Gao Shen presented two red envelopes as a token of their gratitude.

Meanwhile, Jing Suyun and Mother Gao were responsible for sorting the remaining ingredients, packing them away for the family’s future use. As for the food left on the tables, there was nothing left; everything had been thoroughly polished off.

Auntie Li, along with six other women who had helped, washed the bowls, plates, and utensils while tidying up the kitchen area. Jing Qingxin and the other two young women took care of the cleaning.

Since Auntie Liu had not yet fully recovered her strength, Jing Qingxin was concerned about her overexerting herself after a busy morning. She insisted that Auntie Liu stop working and instead sit in the courtyard to chat and rest with Zeng Lin’s wife and children.

By the time everything was tidied up, it was nearly four in the afternoon. Jing Qingxin gave each of the six women a red envelope—containing the one yuan and twenty cents they had prepared in advance—and also invited them to take home some of the pre-cut vegetables. Because they had been worried about having enough food, the kitchen staff had prepared extra, and since everything was already cleaned and chopped, it was ready for immediate stir-frying upon reaching home. The six women expressed their sincere gratitude, offered their blessings, and headed home in high spirits.

For them, this day had been a wonderful event. They had enjoyed a good meal, received gifts, and been given generous red envelopes. Most importantly, they had witnessed a lively and novel wedding. It was the kind of occasion they wished could happen every day.

By evening, news had spread throughout the village about the generous one-yuan red envelopes and the vegetables given to those who helped, as well as the two smaller red envelopes—totaling one jiao and two fen—given to every household that had lent out tables and chairs. This news left the women who had initially refused to help feeling quite stifled with regret. However, most villagers simply praised the Gao family for their kindness and generosity toward their helpers, quietly resolving to maintain a good relationship with them in the future—specifically with Gao Shen’s household.

Upon hearing the news, Su Lijuan flew into a rage. She cursed Gao Shen for being stingy, complaining that he was overly guarded against his own family while being overly generous to outsiders, feeling deeply embittered by the situation. Of course, the people in the Gao family courtyard knew nothing of these reactions.

The women were busy sorting and categorizing the gifts sent by the villagers, which had been tossed into baskets in the chaotic rush of the morning. Jing Qingxin divided the items into several portions to give to Auntie Li’s family, Auntie Liu’s family, the Zeng Lin family, and her godmother, Mother Gao. She and Gao Shen had no use for so many things, and keeping them would be a waste.

Furthermore, Gao Shen had already filed his report and would likely be returning to his military unit in a few days. She would inevitably be following him, so it was better to distribute these gifts among their friends and family. Besides, they had truly worked hard for them over the past two days.

Jing Qingxin made sure to give the heavier vegetables and bulkier items to Mother Gao and Auntie Li, while reserving the more portable items for her godmother and Auntie Liu, who had to transfer vehicles to return to the city.

"You child, you’ve just married and started a family today; why don’t you know how to manage a household? Why are you giving these things away?" Jing Suyun said with a stern face. These were gifts from the villagers to the young couple; it didn't look right for them to be divided up.

"That’s right! Your mother is right. We all have these things at home; you should keep them to live on," Mother Gao added. As a mother, she already felt ashamed that she hadn't contributed a cent to her son’s wedding or helped provide for their household. How could she possibly accept gifts meant for them?

Gao Shen sat quietly beside Jing Qingxin, silently supporting whatever decision she made. He understood his wife’s intentions and felt no need to intervene. Although she was young, she handled interpersonal matters with great maturity, often surpassing women much older than her. He trusted that she would be a wonderful helpmate, an outstanding wife, and an excellent military spouse.

"Please, don't decline," Jing Qingxin said lightly. "You all know that Gao Shen will be returning to his unit soon, and I will be following him. The train ride alone takes over ten hours, not to mention the bus. The journey is rough, and there are only two of us—how much can we carry? Consider this a way to help us lighten our burden!"

In the end, no one could argue, and they all accepted the gifts. Mother Gao, seeing that everything was settled, decided not to stay for dinner. After saying her goodbyes, she picked up her two bundles and hurried home to prepare dinner for her family. She knew that if she didn't cook, the others would just muddle through with a meager meal. Nobody tried to stop her; her desire to return home was clear. Gao Shen accompanied her for a portion of the way.

The Li family members had also intended to leave, but Jing Qingxin insisted they stay. The ingredients in her kitchen were already prepared, making it quick and easy to cook. Since they had been helping for two days, their own kitchens at home were likely gathering dust—having one more meal here wouldn't hurt.