For Shen Zhixia, who in her previous life had only ever lived in a welfare home and rented rooms, the word “home” felt somewhat unfamiliar.
Yet the man standing before her had just told her that from now on, this would be her home too.
“Let’s go. Don’t keep the old man waiting.”
Lu Huaiyuan lightly supported Shen Zhixia’s back as they crossed the lively courtyard, passing several wintersweet trees before entering the spacious main room on the first floor.
The room had already been decorated as the wedding hall.
At the very center of the wall facing the entrance hung a portrait of the Great Leader, while red couplets with gold characters were pasted on either side:
“Revolutionary companions unite as one, helping and loving each other as they strive toward a bright future.”
Lu Zhenbang and Su Ya were seated in the places of honor, dressed in brand-new Sun Yat Sen suits and Lenin suits respectively, with red flowers pinned to their chests and smiles of delight on their faces.
“The auspicious hour has arrived! The newlyweds, please enter!”
The factory trade union chairman, who was serving as the master of ceremonies, called out in a booming voice, and the previously noisy room instantly fell silent.
In this era, which advocated “destroying the old and establishing the new,” weddings no longer involved the complicated traditional rituals of bowing to Heaven and Earth. Instead, they featured solemn ceremonies with distinctive characteristics of the times.
“First, three bows to the portrait of the Great Leader!”
Lu Huaiyuan and Shen Zhixia stood side by side with solemn expressions and bowed deeply three times toward the portrait on the wall.
“Second, three bows to the parents!”
The two turned around and bowed respectfully to Lu Huaiyuan’s parents.
Su Ya looked at the perfectly matched couple before her, her face filled with delight as the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes relaxed into a smile.
Although Lu Zhenbang kept a stern expression, the corners of his mouth were raised as well.
“Third, the bride and groom bow to each other!”
Lu Huaiyuan turned around to face Shen Zhixia.
They stood very close to each other, close enough that when Shen Zhixia raised her head, she could easily meet his deep eyes.
Amid the teasing cheers from everyone around them, the two slowly bent forward.
At the moment their heads touched, Shen Zhixia heard Lu Huaiyuan let out a soft laugh in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“I look forward to your guidance from now on, wife.”
Shen Zhixia ignored his teasing. After straightening up, she calmly smoothed the hem of her clothes.
“Fourth, the marriage certificate will now be read aloud!”
The trade union chairman cleared his throat, unfolded the bright red marriage certificate in his hands, which looked much like a certificate of commendation, and began reading aloud.
“Comrade Lu Huaiyuan and Comrade Shen Zhixia have voluntarily entered into marriage. After examination, they have been found to meet the marriage requirements stipulated by the Marriage Law of the People’s Republic of China. Their marriage is hereby approved and registered, and this certificate is issued!”
“Good!”
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd.
After the ceremony came the wedding banquet.
Naturally, even the Lu family could not stray too far from the call to “conduct weddings frugally,” lest they be criticized for promoting extravagant practices.
Even so, the abundance of dishes and ample supply of cigarettes and alcohol still demonstrated the family’s financial strength.
Lu Huaiyuan accompanied Shen Zhixia from table to table to toast the guests.
In her previous life, Shen Zhixia had occasionally been unable to refuse alcohol and had been forced to drink, but she had never particularly liked its bitter taste.
“Sister-in-law, give us some face. Have a drink with the brothers and let everyone share in the wedding joy!”
Monkey handed over a freshly poured glass of liquor, while the others joined in the teasing.
Lu Huaiyuan took the glass from him with one hand while discreetly shielding Shen Zhixia with the other. He raised an eyebrow.
“Brother Lu is in a good mood today. How much do you want to drink? I’ll drink with you!”
He tipped his head back and downed the drink in one go, his movements smooth and decisive, earning another round of cheers from those around them.
Standing behind him, Shen Zhixia looked at the man’s broad, upright back while holding the glass of plain water she was only pretending to drink. An unexpected sense of security arose in her heart.
The lively wedding banquet finally dispersed when the moon had risen above the willow branches.
The red lanterns in the courtyard had been lit, illuminating the slightly tipsy smiles of the departing guests and the red scraps of firecrackers scattered across the ground.
After seeing off the last group of guests, the newlyweds finally returned to their own room.
Lu Huaiyuan came in behind Shen Zhixia and closed the door behind him with a soft click.
The festive bustle outside was immediately shut out.
Under the dim yellow light, the newlywed couple, who had obtained their marriage certificate only a few hours earlier, finally had their first real moment alone together.
With no outsiders watching them anymore, Shen Zhixia quietly exhaled, and her shoulders, which had been tense all day, relaxed slightly.
“I’ll go get some water. You rest for a while.”
After saying this, Lu Huaiyuan turned and went into the outer room.
When he returned, he was carrying an enamel washbasin decorated with a red Double Happiness character, steam rising from the hot water inside.
The two washed up simply, yet the subtle awkwardness of sharing the same room seemed to grow more pronounced as the steam rose.
“You go to sleep first. I’m going to have a cigarette.”
Lu Huaiyuan pointed toward the bed before walking over to the armchair on the balcony and sitting down with his back toward the room. He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
Their room was spacious and even had a fairly large balcony.
Although there was no door separating the balcony from the room, Shen Zhixia still felt that she could breathe a little more easily once Lu Huaiyuan had stepped outside.
She quickly walked to the red-painted wooden wardrobe and turned her back as she changed out of her work jacket and sweater, putting on an old cotton nightdress with a faded floral pattern.
The clothes were worn and soft from years of washing, and the dim lamplight made the quiet room feel increasingly awkward.
Lu Huaiyuan had extinguished his cigarette at some point.
He had merely turned his head casually, but when he noticed Shen Zhixia looking back at him, his gaze lingered for a moment before he quickly looked away.
The room was not heated, yet he suddenly felt uncomfortably warm.
Shen Zhixia finished changing and turned around, only to meet Lu Huaiyuan’s unusually deep gaze.
Their eyes met.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.
The calmness Shen Zhixia had maintained throughout the entire day finally began to falter.
Although she possessed the memories of two lifetimes, she was still inexperienced when it came to matters between men and women.
In her previous life, she had spent thirty years single and had never even properly held a man’s hand, much less married or shared a wedding night with anyone.
Now, faced with the intense gaze of a man who was still practically a stranger, Shen Zhixia instinctively felt nervous.
She tightened her grip on the collar of her nightdress and stood somewhat stiffly.
Lu Huaiyuan immediately noticed her nervousness, even though she was doing her best to maintain a composed expression.
He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the restlessness in his heart.
He was a normal man, and Shen Zhixia was his newlywed wife, a woman he did not dislike and was actually rather attracted to. It would have been impossible for him to feel nothing.
However, it was obvious that she was not ready yet.
Lu Huaiyuan might be domineering by nature, but he was unwilling to force anyone into something they did not want.
He was the first to speak.
“Shen Zhixia.”
Shen Zhixia’s composure was almost impossible to maintain.
“What?”
“I haven’t forgotten what happened to those pears. I’ll settle that debt with you slowly.”
“Now…”