The bridal procession was grand and mighty, like a long red dragon winding its way along the dusty village road.
Leading the way was the Forever-brand bicycle tied with a red silk ribbon, followed by soldiers carrying sewing machines, moving color TV boxes, and holding various items. Each stood tall and straight, their faces beaming with shared pride and joy.
These eye-catching returned betrothal gifts had become the most striking scenery.
More and more villagers gathered along the roadside to watch the excitement, and the pointing and whispering never stopped.
“Look! What did I say? That girl Wanxing really has backbone!”
“All these nice things… the Lin couple must be heartbroken, right? Look at their faces—as pale as ghosts!”
“Serves them right! Who told them to be so greedy, even trying to keep their daughter’s betrothal gifts. Serves them well—they tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice; now their reputation is ruined too!”
“The Gu family really has gained face this time. This marriage brings them both substance and prestige!”
Wang Shufen and Lin Jianguo hung their heads low.
As the procession neared the Gu family home, even more villagers gathered to watch. Many who saw this special procession of returned betrothal gifts had peculiar expressions, immediately turning to whisper among themselves.
“Oh? She brought all the betrothal gifts back?”
“Looks like the Lin family really didn’t gain anything from this. This Lin Wanxing is quite something.”
“So the Gu family… got both the person and the wealth? No—the person came back, and the wealth came back too!”
“Now let’s see what the old Gu couple has to say. Their daughter-in-law came over with a clean slate…”
These remarks naturally drifted into the Gu family courtyard.
Mother Gu, who had been sullen over the possible loss of both bride and gifts, perked up at the commotion outside and hurriedly leaned against the doorframe to look out.
When she saw the sewing machine and color TV boxes carried by the soldiers, she was completely stunned. Her face then turned a mix of colors, as if a paint box had been overturned over it—alternating between pale and flushed.
On one hand, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief that the items had returned. On the other hand, Lin Wanxing’s unexpected move made her earlier complaints look ridiculous, which only added to her frustration.
Father Gu also frowned, lost in thought. Gu Xiuxiu hid inside the house, watching through a crack in the window, stamping her feet in anger. She would rather those things rot with the Lin family than see Lin Wanxing steal the spotlight like this!
Once the newlyweds entered the courtyard and a simple ceremony concluded, it was time for the wedding banquet to entertain relatives and friends.
The Gu family courtyard wasn’t large, but it was now packed with people.
Several borrowed square tables were pushed together, laden with dishes meticulously prepared by Lin Weidong: a large basin of stewed pork with cabbage and vermicelli, a basin of stir-fried shredded potatoes, plates of peanuts and pickled vegetables, and several bottles of Baijiu and orange soda covered with red paper. In those times, this was considered quite a respectable feast.
After the first round of drinks, as the atmosphere began to warm up, guests clinked glasses and exchanged toasts, but their eyes kept drifting toward the eye-catching betrothal gifts in the corner.
Just then, a steady and powerful car engine sound—unlike the usual tractor noise—suddenly came from the village entrance!
In the rural 1970s, such a sound was extremely rare. Those eating the stewed vermicelli and meat, those drinking soda, and those whispering in small groups all paused and turned their gaze outside the courtyard.
A green jeep came to a steady stop outside the courtyard gate. An elderly man in a military uniform with four pockets, looking spirited and dignified, strode in, led by a young communications officer.
The star insignia on his epaulets glittered in the sunlight, and his imposing presence instantly silenced the noisy courtyard.
Gu Jianfeng recognized the visitor at once and stood up abruptly, his face showing rare emotion.
He immediately straightened his already crisp military uniform, strode forward quickly, and offered a proper military salute, his voice slightly tense: “Chief! You… What brings you here?!”
The visitor was none other than the highly decorated and renowned old general from Gu Jianfeng’s military unit!
The old general laughed heartily, his voice booming as he patted Gu Jianfeng’s sturdy shoulder. “Well, well, Gu Jianfeng! Getting married is such a big event, and you still tried to keep it from this old man? What, not welcoming me?”
“Not at all, Chief! I…” Gu Jianfeng was somewhat at a loss for words, his bronze face flushed with the sudden honor.
The old general’s sharp eyes swept across the courtyard, lingering for a moment on Lin Wanxing, radiant in her burgundy bridal attire, with undisguised admiration in his eyes. He then glanced at the bicycle, sewing machine, and color TV boxes placed conspicuously nearby. Clearly, he had already learned about the betrothal gifts from the villagers’ whispers on the way.
“Fellow villagers!” the old general announced loudly to the stunned crowd in the courtyard, his voice resonant. “I am Jianfeng’s old superior. Today, I’ve come uninvited to ask for a cup of wedding wine. Comrade Gu Jianfeng is an outstanding officer in our army and a hero of our country. His marriage is of great importance to our unit. Today, on behalf of the army, I extend our warmest congratulations to him and Comrade Lin Wanxing! May you remain united in heart and grow old together!”
These words were like cold water splashed into boiling oil, instantly making the entire Gu family courtyard, and even the entire Red Star Production Brigade, explode in an uproar!
“Good heavens! That’s… that’s a general, right?”
“Wow! Gu Jianfeng has such huge influence? Even a general came to his wedding?”
“I always said that Gu family boy would go far! Look! Just look!”
“That Lin family girl really brings good fortune to her husband! As soon as she entered the door, she brought such great honor to the Gu family!”
Envious, shocked, and reverent gazes all focused intently on the small Gu family courtyard.
Father and Mother Gu had already forgotten their earlier frustrations, now so excited they didn’t know where to put their hands and feet. Their faces beamed with shared pride, feeling they had never had so much face in their entire lives!
Wang Shufen and Lin Jianguo stood in the crowd, watching their daughter and son-in-law being treated like stars surrounded by the moon, witnessing the immense glory of even a general coming to offer congratulations. Then, thinking about the betrothal gifts that had flown away from their home and their current wretched state, their hearts felt like a bottle of mixed flavors had been overturned—sour, bitter, spicy, salty—everything but sweet.
The old general walked over to Gu Jianfeng’s parents with a hearty smile, deliberately glanced at those betrothal gifts again, then patted Father Gu’s shoulder. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for several people nearby to hear clearly.
“Old brother, sister-in-law, you’ve raised a fine son! He’s the pride of our army! I’ve also heard your in-laws are very reasonable and understanding. Look at these betrothal gifts, returned completely intact for the daughter to bring back. They truly care for their child!”
Just as Mother Gu’s triumphant smile began to bloom, she heard the old general shift his tone, speaking with a warm, familiar manner: “I’d say, you as parents-in-law surely won’t lag behind in awareness either. These things—the bicycle, sewing machine, color TV—they look impressive, but in a revolutionary family, we don’t emphasize such superficialities. The young ones are still young, with long days ahead. They’ll need money and resources. I think you should just let the newlyweds keep all these things themselves, for their daily life. As elders, seeing them build a prosperous life is better than anything!”
The smiles on the faces of Gu Jianfeng’s parents instantly froze completely. They were utterly dumbfounded!
They had just been floating on air from the general’s presence, feeling immensely proud and wishing the entire commune knew about it.
But now… these words were like a blunt knife, stabbing straight into their hearts!
They never expected this esteemed figure to say something so devastating to them!
They wished they could ask him to leave immediately, but they wouldn’t dare even with a hundred times their current courage!
Their hearts were bleeding, yet under the old general’s smiling but authoritative gaze, they couldn’t even squeeze out a single “no”; their throats seemed blocked.
Father Gu’s mouth twitched violently a few times, his face turning pale, then red, then pale again. Finally, he forced out a few words through gritted teeth: “Sh… should be… we… we’ll listen to the Chief… give… give them to the children…”
Mother Gu, standing beside him, felt darkness cloud her vision. She only managed to stay upright by leaning on the table, the muscles on her face stiffly twitching into a smile uglier than crying, nodding mechanically.
Seeing the opportune moment, Lin Wanxing immediately stepped forward. Gracefully and confidently, she bowed deeply to the old general and her parents-in-law, her voice crisp, bright, and full of gratitude.
“Thank you for your care, Chief! Thank you for your understanding, father and mother! The Chief, father, and mother are all so considerate of us young couple, planning everything for us. We… we truly don’t know how to repay you! Please rest assured, Chief, father, and mother, we will live well together, support each other, work hard, and never disappoint the elders’ expectations!”
Her response was perfectly timed. It sincerely thanked the old leader while also cementing the matter in front of everyone, leaving no room for reversal.
The old general nodded with satisfaction. The more he looked at her, the more he felt this girl was clever, straightforward, perceptive, knew how to be grateful, and handled things impeccably.
For Gu Jianfeng—a valued subordinate he held in high regard, yet who was like a mute gourd in personality and always clueless about personal matters—this was truly a rare and excellent match!
He pulled Gu Jianfeng to a slightly less crowded corner and chuckled in a low voice, with the teasing unique to an elder: “Good lad! No wonder you turned down all those fine girls the division’s cultural troupe and hospital introduced to you before. So you were secretly keeping such a beautiful and sensible treasure of a wife for yourself.”
Gu Jianfeng’s ears turned bright red at his old leader’s words, a flush of warmth rushing to his cheeks. But his eyes were exceptionally clear and firm. He straightened his posture, answering with full vigor: “Thank you, Chief! She… she really is wonderful.”
Simple words, yet containing firmness, sincerity, and contentment.
“Good, good, good.” The old general patted his arm repeatedly with relief, then leaned in closer, his voice dropping even lower, carrying a knowing, teasing tone between men: “Since you’ve married such a compatible wife, hurry up! Settle into life sooner! I’m waiting… ahem, waiting to drink the wine celebrating the birth of your child!”
He even quickly added a low, vague yet meaningful piece of advice from experience: “…Be more proactive at night, don’t be all silent like you usually are. With your own wife, it’s nothing to be ashamed of!”
Gu Jianfeng had never heard anything like this before. His entire face, right down to his neck, instantly flushed deep red like a boiled shrimp. He didn’t know what to do with his hands and feet and could only scratch the back of his head with an awkward, honest embarrassment, stammering in response: “…Yes, Chief… I… I’ll remember that.”
In that moment, there was no trace of the cold-faced, formidable figure he usually was on the training ground.