Back To The 80s-Chapter 480 - 491: Wedding banquet_1

Bai Xiaolan laughed while sighing, "My aunt is so domineering. It’s always her way or no way."

Gu Xiaobei was relieved. It was a good thing that Qin Li didn’t take a liking to the Cheng Qijia family, otherwise it would be like jumping into a pit of fire.

Bai Xiaolan turned her body and said to Gu Xiaobei, "My aunt is a lifelong competitive woman. She rules her husband like a servant at home. My mother is Han, and my aunt always looked down on her and used to badmouth her in front of my grandmother when they were young. My mom has a soft personality and never stood up to her, luckily my grandmother wasn’t a fool or else her life would have been tougher.

After my grandmother passed away, my aunt became even more controlling over us siblings. My mother, in the name of family harmony, always seems to tolerate it. Over time, I felt like mom had fallen under aunt’s influence and she often sided with her. That’s why I rebelled against any marital arrangement set by them. Thankfully, my persistence led me to Xiangdong." Bai Xiaolan said the last part with pride.

Gu Xiaobei knows there are many inexplicable people and things in this world. Some people tend to oppress others, while some enjoy being oppressed.

With nothing else to do, Bai Xiaolan began to rant about family matters again. Every family has its hardships; not all of them are as harmonious and prosperous as they appear.

Gu Xiaobei listened to Bai Xiaolan’s rants, his eyes squinting as if dozing off.

Seeing that Gu Xiaobei was about to fall asleep, Bai Xiaolan nudged him awake and then continued saying excitedly, "Don’t sleep. Listen to me. Last time, my aunt tried to arrange a match for my cousin. They were already discussing the engagement, but my cousin refused to accept it. My aunt planned to force my cousin to marry the girl with the help of my three brothers. Hahaha."

Watching Bai Xiaolan cackling at the misfortune of others, Gu Xiaobei amusingly reminded her, "Be careful what you say. If Cheng Qijia knew you were making fun of him, he’ll make you pay."

Bai Xiaolan suppressed a laugh and continued, "No, I helped my cousin successfully escape from the arranged marriage last time. I really wonder what kind of sister-in-law my cousin will end up with, someone who can tame my aunt."

Far away in the Tibetan area, Cheng Qijia shivered as though someone had walked over his grave, he sneezed. He Qin, who was sitting in front of the window reading a newspaper, looked up with a frown. "Are you cold? Make sure to cover yourself with the quilt."

Cheng Qijia begrudgingly looked at He Qin and obediently covered himself with the quilt, knowing that if he dared to resist, He Qin would have a hundred ways to punish him.

...

At the end of December, Gu Xiaobei began preparing for New Year’s goods. The two shops across the street seemed to have suddenly ceased fighting, selling only regular goods.

Qin Li stood at the entrance of the shop, studying the situation and then said to Gu Xiaobei, "Do you think the shops across the street will also sell New Year’s goods?"

Gu Xiaobei was unsure, shook his head and said, "Hard to say, but we didn’t prepare too much this year. Only thirty thousand sets. We plan to close early for the New Year once they are sold."

Twirling a pencil on the table, Qin Li thought for a while and then suggested, "Actually, we can prepare our new year’s goods after the Mid-Autumn Festival. We can have Chen Zhao run around in Ning province and Shaanxi province to expand our market."

Gu Xiaobei nodded approvingly, "Your idea is not bad, but we don’t have the capacity to take on such a big market yet. Give it a year or two, once we can produce the contents of the gift boxes ourselves, we can follow your proposal. And you’re right about starting right after the Mid-Autumn Festival. We always seem to be rushing at the end of the year."

While the two were chatting, an uninvited guest walked into the shop, Jiang Jiahua.

Gu Xiaobei was surprised, "Why did the editor-in-chief pay us a visit?" he asked, smiling.

Looking at Gu Xiaobei wrapped in a thick quilted jacket and holding a warm tea mug, in a shop with a burning stove yet still so chilling, Jiang Jiahua couldn’t fathom why a woman would choose such a hard life over a comfortable one.

"I happened to pass by, so I thought I’d come and take a look." Jiang Jiahua said as he smiled graciously and started examining the shop’s products and displays.

Gu Xiaobei had no choice but to put down the tea mug and follow Jiang Jiahua around.

"Do you guys still sell New Year’s goods?" After a round, Jiang Jiahua asked.

"Yes, they will be available in the market right after New Year’s Day." Gu Xiaobei replied, answering all his questions as he trailed behind him.

Jiang Jiahua paused and said, "My sister is getting married on New Year’s Day. I would like to buy some sugar, cigarettes, and alcohol from your shop."

Gu Xiaobei was surprised to hear that Jiang Jiayan was getting married again so quickly and said, "Sure, how much do you need? Do you want it delivered to your home or to the wedding venue? I’ll have Chen Zhao deliver it."

Jiang Jiahua thought for a moment, took out a list from his pocket and read, "Fifty bottles of white wine, a hundred bottles of red wine, ten pounds of sugar, and five packs of cigarettes."

On hearing the quantities, Gu Xiaobei exclaimed that it’s an extravagant celebration, she couldn’t help but ask, "How many tables are you planning for your wedding banquet? You need so much wine?"

Jiang Jiahua seemed slightly embarrassed as he replied, "We are setting up a banquet in the courtyard under our building, about twenty tables. It’s better to have more cigarettes and alcohol in case it’s not enough."

His embarrassment was because it was rare to see such a grand event for a second wedding, especially when the groom’s family was not contributing anything, all the wedding expenses were borne by the Jiang family.

Gu Xiaobei calculated the total for Jiang Jiahua, rounding off to five dollars less. He agreed to have it delivered to their residence the day before New Year’s Day when the wedding canopy would be set up downstairs in the courtyard. It would be easy to find then.

Gu Xiaobei bid Jiang Jiahua goodbye with a polite smile but was curious about Jiang Jiayan’s new groom.

After Jiang Jiahua had ordered the wedding supplies from Gu Xiaobei, he went on to reserve the meat and vegetables from the market. He hurried home only to hear Jiang Jiayan angrily asking, "Mom, where are we going to live after the wedding if we don’t live at home?"

"I don’t care where you live, but you can’t live here. Our house is not an inn for your husband. What kind of look does it present?" Jiang’s mother responded furiously.

Throwing herself on the sofa, Jiang Jiayan argued, "I don’t care. I want to live with Xiangyang at home. We can’t possibly rent a house outside, can we?"

"You’ve shamed the Jiang family enough. As a divorced woman, you’re insisting on a grand wedding. Now that we’ve agreed to it, you want to move your husband into our home. Let me tell you, don’t even think about that. It’s impossible!" Jiang’s mother slapped the coffee table emphatically.

"My brother isn’t getting married anytime soon and he already has a house. This house would be empty anyway, what’s wrong with Xiangyang and I staying here? Why are you being so partial?" Jiang Jiayan argued unreasonably.

Jiang’s mother was even more furious, slapping harder on the table and raising her voice, "What do you mean, ’the house will be empty anyway’? Am I not a person? Are you trying to kick your own mother out? We’ve fulfilled your wish for a grand wedding; don’t even think about anything else."

Jiang Jiayan sat up abruptly and said, "If that’s the case, I won’t get married."

"Don’t try to scare me with your threat of not marrying. If you don’t want to get married, then leave!" Jiang Jiahua barged in angrily.