Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

As the day approached, the planned items were completed one by one. Three or four days before the wedding, Li Long went to the county to buy things and specifically asked Gu Xiaoxia to ask for a few days off.

Gu Xiaoxia meant that she could just take one day off on the day she returned home. The company was very busy right now. However, Li Long insisted that she take at least five days off, and Gu Xiaoxia agreed.

Gu Xiaoxia is young and has been without a mother since childhood. Although Liang Yuemei can say a few words to her, she is still at work at that time, so some things are difficult to explain clearly.

Moreover, in the eyes of the villagers, Gu Xiaoxia is a public servant who works in the county and is a cadre. She must know more about many things than ordinary people - including this aspect.

Li Long has lived two lives, so he knows some things clearly, but it is not a good idea to tell Gu Xiaoxia clearly at this time, so he just asks her to take a leave.

Almost everyone in the village already knew that Li Long was getting married. When he met children on the way to do business or buy things, some of them would even laugh and boldly ask him for wedding candy.

Li Long has experience and always carries some hard fruit candies in his pocket. If he meets someone who is polite and sweet-talking, he would give a few to them to spread the good cheer.

Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia went to the photo studio together to take wedding photos. Gu Xiaoxia had already had a fashionable perm done at the barber shop, with her braids untied and her hair volume astonishing. After the perm, she looked much more mature.

Although from the perspective of Li Longliang, this hairstyle is really a bit ugly, but Gu Xiaoxia herself is beautiful. In addition, her temperament has changed significantly during her nearly one year of working in the Education Bureau. She can still handle this hairstyle.

The two took individual and group photos. After the photos were developed, Li Long looked at the group photo and joked with Gu Xiaoxia:

"Xiaoxia, you said that decades later, when our grandchildren look at this photo, they will definitely ask me, 'Grandpa, grandma is so beautiful, how did you trick her into marrying you?'"

Gu Xiaoxia didn't expect Li Long to suddenly say such a love word. After hearing it, her face turned red. She raised her fist and hit Li Long lightly, saying softly;

"What are you talking about? What...grandson..."

The sound became fainter and fainter, almost inaudible.

Li Long listened and laughed, then looked at the photos happily, put them away as treasures, and then left the photo studio.

As the day approached, the preparations became more and more complete. On the first day of the wedding, the host had been invited. Tao Daqiang drove a tractor to borrow tables and chairs, plates, bowls and chopsticks. The young men who helped serve the dishes and the aunts and sisters-in-law who washed the dishes had been instructed. The people in charge of various matters had also eaten a table in Li Long's courtyard. The specific manager was Lu Yingming, but a considerable part of the work was arranged by Li Jianguo.

As Li Long's eldest brother, he cannot be the chief steward when Li Long gets married tomorrow. He must sit at the main table and entertain the guests as the host. Although the Gu family has few relatives and the people who come to pick up the bride are also from the team, there are still some unspoken rules that must be followed.

Everyone who was in charge of a task had his or her own clear tasks. Most of the things in the yard were already in place. Even the table where the "Minister of Rites" would write ceremonies had been placed at the gate of the yard, with a bench placed on the table. Tomorrow, once they took out the booklet from the table, they could start writing.

Li Long was patrolling the yard, thinking of a joke he had seen before: someone graduated from college and worked in his hometown county. He would participate in every wedding or funeral in the village. He started out as a waiter and worked his way up the career ladder, and finally rose to the position of Minister of Rites (writing rituals). However, he was "dismissed" because his handwriting was too ugly.

Coincidentally, another college student who had the same experience was also dismissed. The reason for the dismissal was too bizarre, saying that the college student could not write. Of course, it was not that he could not write, but he was used to hearing the names of many uncles and aunts in the same village. When he wrote them, he found that the real names were completely different from the original pronunciation!

This is really not a joke, the same is true in our team. Many names that have been called for decades, when WeChat Moments were launched, pension insurance needed to be paid, and various subsidies were issued from above, one by one familiar names appeared in the form, and Li Long realized that this person was called this name, and it turned out that he had been pronouncing it wrong!

Similar jokes may be common across the country. After all, there are dialects everywhere. Except for old BJ, the dialects in other places will more or less affect the correctness of the pronunciation of words.

Far away.

The yard was filled with the mixed smell of various raw and cooked ingredients, a bit fragrant, and a bit strange.

There were basins of different sizes on the chopping board at the stove. Meatballs, fish, ribs, etc. had been fried. There were two large pots on the stove, one filled with water and the other with oil. The chef was still busy, but not impatient. There was a cigarette between his ears and another in his mouth. The one he was holding was given by Li Jianguo earlier, and the one in his mouth was lit by Li Long. Watching Li Long walking around the yard, Master Huang smiled and said:
"Xiaolong, can't you wait? Haha, tomorrow is the wedding day, and you will be an adult in the future! You have done a great job in this yard, and the food you prepared for this event is also great. This fish looks beautiful. The three Liang brothers really give you face!"

The three Liang brothers had brought the fish this morning, which was guaranteed to be fresh, and each one weighed more than two kilograms and was quite well-proportioned. Li Long paid according to the price, but the three Liang brothers insisted on paying half the price - one dollar for each fish.

Li Long did not insist in the end. The Liang family's intention was very clear, which was a reward, so Li Long accepted it.

Anyway, when good things happen in the future, just think about them.

As for other ingredients - although Li Long was a temporary worker in the supply and marketing cooperative, to be honest, as a person brought here by Li Xiangqian himself, and with two major events last year on his mind, it should be no problem for him to buy some good things at a reasonable price in the warehouse.

So this time, Li Long's work was a chance for Master Huang and Master Gao to show off their skills. They had hardly cooked many of the ingredients before, or had only heard of them.

Each table has a whole chicken, a whole fish, a plate of braised hairtail, a four-happiness meatball, a braised pork, and a plate of braised spareribs...

There were many meat dishes. When the menu was spread, many people were amazed. After all, it was only 1983. In this era, it was already very hard to have two or three meat dishes on the table for a wedding. Li Long had almost no vegetarian dishes, which made many people full of expectations.

It may be a bit of an exaggeration to say that everyone is waiting for the banquet tomorrow with empty stomachs, but everyone in the village wants to bring their families to participate, so that the elderly and children at home can share in the good fortune and have some delicious food.

After all, even if you celebrate the New Year at home, you may not be able to eat such delicious food.

Master Huang and Master Gao were satisfied that the amount of these things was sufficient, and twenty tables would be enough. Think about how many people there are in the whole village? Some of them ate at Gu's house. And if Li Jianguo's friends were in other places in the village, even if all of them were added up, it would not be possible to really fill twenty tables. This made them very generous in their operation.

After all, a good cook cannot cook without rice. If there are too many things, everything will be easy to prepare. If there are too few, it will be difficult to put together a dish.

After listening to Master Huang's words, Li Long smiled and said:

"It's not that I'm in a hurry. I'm exhausted from finishing all these things one by one. I just want to finish them quickly so I can take a break. It's really tiring!"

"Hahaha, we have to go through this," Master Gao said with a smile as he held a spoon and fried things. "It may seem tiring now, but in two years, you'll find it quite interesting. You have to take care of your own home. It's not easy now, but only then you can live a less troublesome life in the future and learn to cherish it."

Li Long didn't expect that Master Gao, who usually doesn't talk much, could say such philosophical words. He smiled and nodded, saying that he had learned a lot.

It was getting dark, the stars were shining, and the lights in the yard were turned on. It was still cool at night, and there were no flying insects. The things prepared on the chopping board were brought into the house first, in case someone's dog ran over and knocked them over in the middle of the night.

The two chefs prepared everything according to the list on the red paper and went back humming a tune. The other people who helped also left, and only the Li family was left in the yard.

"Everyone, take a break. We'll be busy tomorrow." Li Long shouted, "There's nothing to do now. Can we just leave it at that?"

Tomorrow we will use a tractor to pick up the bride. This is the first time in the team. Anyway, it is not far, so the tractor will shake for a while. Now the tractor head has been tied with a big red cloth, which looks very festive. The young men who will pick up the bride have been confirmed, and they have already agreed to gather early tomorrow morning.

Li Long did not return to the stable that night, but slept in the new room here. He tossed and turned at first and couldn't fall asleep, simulating the steps of tomorrow in his mind. Although he didn't seem to care much on the surface, it was a major event in his life after all, and he didn't want anything to go wrong.

So I don't know when I fell asleep, and then I dreamed that I was back to my previous life. All the efforts of more than a year, the newly built house, the yard bought in the county, the tractor and the bicycle all became a bubble and a joke. Li Long was unwilling to accept that he didn't want to live that failed life again. He wanted to come to the 1980s, but he couldn't go back. When he was anxious, he heard someone calling him.

When he opened his eyes, he found that it was already daybreak without him noticing, and he was lying on the bed with the ceiling covered with newspapers above his head. Everything around him indicated that this was a new house.

It turns out, it was just a dream.

Li Long didn’t know why he had such a dream. Was he afraid of losing everything?

"Brother Long, it's time to get up and pick up the bride!" Tao Daqiang shouted outside, knocking on the window.

"Here it comes." Li Long rubbed his face and suddenly smiled. No matter what, he was still in this life and was about to get married. His life would get better and better and he would be happier.

This is enough.

He stood up, put on his groom's attire - a blue suit, slowly tied his tie, put on the flowers, opened the door and walked out.

"Brother Long, you are very energetic!" Tao Daqiang laughed, "What do you call this? People are in high spirits when they are happy, right?"

"That's right!" Li Long said with a smug look on his face, "It's the greatest joy of a lifetime, I have to be proud of it for two days anyway!"

He has the capital to be proud of. He is the richest man in the village. He has what others have and what others don't have. He married a state cadre, a public servant, and is the first among this wave of young people. It is normal for young people to be proud. If he still hides it at this time, he is no longer a young man.

The aunts and sisters-in-law had already come to help, and the two chefs from the kitchen had also come. The group of young people who were going to pick up the bride had a simple meal in the yard, then started the tractor and went to pick up the bride with laughter and noise.

At the Gu family, Gu Xiaoxia also got up early and put on her new dress - a bright red wedding dress. At this time, the bride does not need so many sets of clothes, only one set is enough. There is a Chinese character "喜" on the window, which she cut herself. There is a red couplet on the door, which was written by Gu Boyuan. A young man has already prepared firecrackers outside. There are many people in the yard, and it is quite lively. Both parties have already coordinated the ceremony. The tractor is loud, and firecrackers will be set off when it is about to arrive. A wedding should be lively.

The neighbor's aunt brought some noodle soup for Gu Xiaoxia to eat, but she didn't want to eat. She felt her mind was in a mess, as if it was empty, but also as if it was full.

To say that she is happy is for sure. The person she is marrying is Li Long, whom she picked herself and is very satisfied with.

It is true that they are happy. After all, although they just got married today, they have been "living together" for a while, so it is finally legitimate.

It is sad, but from now on, this courtyard can no longer be called my home, but my mother's home. I will have my own new home, my own little home. I will not feel comfortable going back to my father's home.

In short, a mess of thoughts mixed together, and Gu Xiaoxia started to cry unconsciously.

"Xiaoxia, why are you crying on such a happy day? You didn't say you were going to marry somewhere else. We are in the same team and you can get home in no time. It's not far from here to there. Li Long is rich and capable. Everyone envies you!" The neighbor's aunt persuaded her, "Well, eat quickly. You have a busy day ahead. If you don't eat something now, you won't be able to hold on later! Come on, listen to your aunt and eat!"

Gu Xiaoxia nodded, picked up the chopsticks and started eating.

The sound of a tractor was heard, and the firecrackers at the gate of the yard suddenly rang out. The smoke and the sound echoed inside and outside the yard. The children gathered nearby, waiting for the firecrackers to stop so that they could rush up and grab the duds.

The tractor drove to the gate of the yard, and Li Long entered the yard surrounded by the young men. Someone began to lead him through the procedures, such as greeting his father-in-law, performing formalities, meeting people, etc. Although he was not like a wooden man, he could only let others manipulate him at this time.

At that time, red veils were not popular, so Gu Xiaoxia only wore bright red clothes, flowers, and a plastic flower on her head. Although it was an old-fashioned outfit, and the makeup was quite rich and rustic, in Li Long's eyes, Gu Xiaoxia was the most beautiful at this moment.

After picking up the people and getting on the tractor, Li Long drove the car, said hello to Gu Boyuan, and circled back to the big yard. Gu Boyuan was not sentimental at all. After watching the tractor go away, he turned around and shouted:

"Okay, let's eat! We finally sent them away. I'm starving!"

"Mr. Gu, you're not sad at all that your daughter is getting married." Someone teased him.

"Why are you sad? It's not like you're marrying far away. The Li family is in the team, so you can come back in no time. Besides, Xiaoxia works in the county. Before she got married, she came back once a week or two. After she got married, she still comes back once a week or two. Besides, I've made a profit! Whose son-in-law is as capable as Li Long? According to Li Jianguo's education method, the boy is very sensible. I have to have half a son in the future."

"Yes, yes, you really made a profit. Come on, just for what you said today, I have to have a few drinks with you!"

"That won't work. Let's play finger-guessing games. Those who don't have the ability should drink!"

"Hey! Lao Gu, I've never seen you playing finger-guessing games!" People of the same generation were very surprised.

"Just because I didn't draw doesn't mean I can't do it. That thing is as simple as anything. Come on, pour the wine, I'll beat the game!"

After a while, Gu Boyuan had defeated three people and he only drank one glass - two wins in three punches, this kind of finger-guessing game that tests on-the-spot reaction and calculation ability is really no big deal for him!
While Gu Boyuan was killing people everywhere, Li Long was driving a tractor slowly around the village. When crossing the bridge and the intersection, a young man on the back bucket of the tractor lit up a string of firecrackers and threw out. The sound of electric cannons filled the air, foreshadowing that life would be prosperous in the future.

Some clever children followed the tractor all the way. As soon as the firecrackers stopped, they rushed over to pick them up. Soon their pockets were full. One child picked up the firecrackers too quickly and put a firecracker with a slow-burning fuse into his pocket. It exploded and scared the child so much that he burst into tears. The other children laughed.

By the time the tractor drove back to the yard, everything was already ready.

Everyone in the Li family wore new clothes, including Li Juan and Li Qiang. They resisted the urge to pick up the duds today - Li Long promised Li Qiang that he would give him a string of 500-shot electric cannons, which he would then dismantle and let him set off himself.

Five hundred shots!

No matter how many red envelopes you may get later, they won’t be as attractive as these 500-shot electric cannons!
"Xiaoxia is so beautiful today!" Liang Yuemei said sincerely as she watched Gu Xiaoxia being helped out of the car. An elder sister-in-law is like a mother, and Li Long was raised by her. Although he is slightly stronger than Li Juan, in Liang Yuemei's eyes, he is like her own child.

Seeing that Li Long was about to marry this capable girl, Liang Yuemei was genuinely happy.

Li Qingxia and Du Chunfang were also grinning from ear to ear. Their youngest son's marriage was a perfect accomplishment in their lives. Today's lively scene was grand and spectacular enough. Although they didn't drink much, they felt drunk and dizzy until Gu Xiaoxia came over to pay her respects.

When the procedure was completed and the meal was about to begin, a car horn sounded and a large car drove up to the door.

Li Xiangqian arrived.

Although they knew that Li Long had a wide network of contacts and a high profile, they did not expect that someone would drive over to attend Li Long's wedding. The villagers' impression of Li Long was refreshed once again.

Not only Li Xiangqian came, but also Chen Hongjun and Zhong Guoqiang. They all had good relations with Li Long, and Li Long also sent them invitations to his wedding. These people also knew each other, so after discussing it, they decided to come together. (End of this chapter)