In the blink of an eye, it was New Year again. This was the last Spring Festival Su Wan would spend at her parents’ home. From now on, she would only be able to return on the second day of the Lunar New Year after getting married.
So, this New Year’s Eve had less laughter and joy than before, and more reluctance and sadness over the coming separation.
That night, looking at the New Year’s Eve dinner that was even more lavish than usual, Su Mother could not help wiping away tears. Su Father and Su Lei’s eyes were red as well. Su Father said hoarsely, “Why are you crying? It’s New Year!”
Su Wan looked at her parents and brother with reddened eyes, then forced a smile and said, “Come on, it’s not like we’ll never see each other again. Why be sad? Hurry and eat! Mom really spent a fortune on today’s dishes. If you miss this chance, there won’t be another one!”
“That’s right, that’s right, eat first!” Su Mother wiped her tears and smiled. “It’s New Year’s Eve. We should be happy, not sad!”
“Exactly. Dad, Mom, stop being upset. Next year, let my brother hurry up and marry a wife. Then have a few nieces and nephews for me, and the house will become even livelier.” To cheer her parents up, Su Wan decisively sold out her still-reluctant older brother.
As expected, Su Mother’s attention was immediately diverted. Looking at Su Lei, she said, “Su Wan is about to get married, but you, her older brother, still aren’t married. That’s unacceptable! Next year I’m definitely arranging introductions for you. You’re not allowed to refuse anymore. You’re already in your twenties. Next year you must bring home a wife.”
Hearing the task his mother assigned him, Su Lei instantly developed a headache.
Su Wan chimed in, “Exactly, Brother. Hurry up, or by the time your little nephew or niece is born, you still won’t have found them an aunt.”
Hearing Su Wan casually talk about having children before even getting married, Su Mother quickly smacked her arm to stop her. “You, honestly! You’re not even married yet. Why are you already talking about having babies? Stop it!”
With that interruption, the atmosphere improved considerably. Laughing and chatting, they spent the final New Year’s Eve belonging to their family of four.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Han Rui came again carrying gifts. He did not stay for a meal because Su Wan’s family was going with Su Mother to visit her maiden family. While seeing him off, Su Wan teased him, saying this was him getting an early taste of visiting his future in-laws as a son-in-law.
After visiting relatives, Su Mother busied herself preparing Su Wan’s dowry.
At the engagement, the Han family had given a bride price of 166 yuan. There was originally supposed to be a sewing machine too, but during discussions between the two families, Su Mother had said it would be inconvenient to bring one along when they followed the army later. So, they decided not to buy it yet and would purchase one after moving there.
As for Su Wan’s dowry, the furniture had already been moved into their room. Everything was neatly arranged, and the materials used were excellent—the finest in all the surrounding villages.
On top of that, Su Wan included a wristwatch as part of her dowry, specially bought for a man. At first glance, it was obvious it was for Han Rui.
On the day of the engagement, everyone had been amazed. Now, whenever people discussed bride prices and dowries, they used Han Rui and Su Wan as examples.
If the woman’s family complained that the bride price was too low, they would say, “Look at the Han family from Han Family Village. Look how much bride price they gave!”
At that point, the man’s family would reply, “Then why don’t you learn from the Su family of Dahe Village and prepare such a generous dowry? If your dowry is that good, then our bride price can be that high too!”
And then everyone would fall silent.
Soon, it was the eighth day of the new year.
Su Wan got up early and deliberately changed into a military uniform. She braided her hair into two neat braids hanging on either side. Standing tall in front of the mirror, she felt she finally had a bit of a soldier’s aura. Satisfied, Su Wan nodded.
Today she and Han Rui were going to take wedding photos.
Actually, a marriage certificate did not require photos, but Su Wan felt that not having wedding pictures would be incomplete. So they had specially come today to take them.
When she walked out of her room, Su Mother rarely saw such a spirited and heroic-looking daughter and repeatedly praised her. “Beautiful, beautiful!”
Han Rui also arrived wearing his military uniform. Su Wan sat on the back seat of the bicycle and waved at her family standing at the doorway.
Su Father and Su Mother watched as Han Rui carried their daughter farther and farther away. The two of them looked perfectly matched, making them both happy and heartbroken at the same time.
The weather was still a little cold. The fields were barren, with no crops planted yet. Winters here rarely saw snow, and the exposed earth looked bleak and desolate.
Yet the two people traveling down the country road were filled with joy and nervous excitement. Even the bleak scenery felt lovely.
Su Wan wrapped her arms around Han Rui’s waist and hid behind him to avoid the wind. She had so many things she wanted to say, but in the end, she only called out crisply, “Han Rui!”
“Hm? What is it?” Han Rui asked, slightly turning his head.
Su Wan said nothing more, and Han Rui did not urge her to continue. Silence fell between them for a moment.
“Han Rui!” Su Wan called again.
“Mm.” Han Rui was endlessly patient with her.
“I just wanted to call your name,” Su Wan explained.
“Then keep calling. I’m listening,” Han Rui said with a smile.
“Han Rui, Han Rui, Han Rui…”
She called his name again and again.
Her clear voice echoed beside his ears, making Han Rui think of the first tender bud on a spring tree, the first touch of green—so fresh and vibrant that it struck directly at the heart.
Later, whenever Han Rui thought back on the day they got their marriage certificate, the clearest memory in his mind was hearing her call his name over and over again.
Because it was the New Year period, there were many people taking photos. Han Rui and Su Wan waited in line for quite a while before it was finally their turn.
Although marriage certificates did not require wedding photos, people had taken them before, so the photographer was not surprised. Young people nowadays liked such things.
The two sat side by side on a bench, their shoulders touching closely. Perhaps because it was rare to see an unmarried couple so relaxed around each other, the photographer glanced at them a few extra times and smiled kindly.
As soon as Han Rui sat down, he instinctively straightened his back, placed both hands on his knees, and assumed the serious posture of a soldier.
Seeing this, Su Wan felt it did not look like a wedding photo at all. So she pulled over his left hand and intertwined it with her right, resting their joined hands on their touching legs.
Now this looked like a wedding photo.
Su Wan felt satisfied. The way they had been sitting earlier, especially while wearing military uniforms, looked more like a picture of comrades-in-arms. If not for the red backdrop, people might have misunderstood entirely.
Han Rui glanced at their clasped hands but did not pull away, silently accepting it. Deep down, he also felt this looked much better.
With a click, their first photograph together was captured forever. In the future, there would be many more photos to come.
Afterward, following Su Wan’s requests, they took several more pictures in different poses.
Although Han Rui felt the poses were a bit too intimate in public, he could not bear to refuse her and cooperated willingly.
Even the photographer had never seen such unusual poses before and thought they looked quite nice. They were simply too intimate—most people probably would not dare pose that way.
Han Rui paid the fee, took the receipt for collecting the photos, and arranged to return in a few days to pick them up.
Then he and Su Wan headed together to the Civil Affairs Bureau.