Courtyard Houses: The Great Masters of a Nation Hidden Within

Gao Jianguo also contributed money, giving 50 cents.

Some people in the courtyard wrapped even more bags, but Gao Jianguo didn't care about that; his relationship with Xu Damao was just so-so.

Time moved forward little by little, and people were busy coming and going in the courtyard. Around noon, the dishes were full and the courtyard was packed with people.

Weddings at this time were simple; there were no traditional rituals like bowing to heaven, earth, or parents.

Why not? Who would be so bored as to make themselves unhappy?

Once everyone was seated, Xu Fugui and his wife led Xu Damao and Pang Xiulan to stand at their doorstep, and the noisy chatter immediately subsided.

Xu Damao's marriage was clearly arranged without any prior arrangements or considerations; it was a forced, rushed affair.

Despite the celebration being called a happy occasion, only Pang Xiulan seemed genuinely pleased; Xu Fugui and his wife looked like they'd eaten a dead rat.

As for Xu Damao's face, saying it was as white as paper would be an understatement; describing it as ashen would be more accurate.

Three turns, one sound, and thirty-six legs? Not a single hair was seen.

Pang Xiulan didn't care at all. This woman was very shrewd. Once she got what she wanted, she could be happy. What she lacked now, she was sure she could accumulate in time. After all, she had to use the Xu family.

Gao Jianguo didn't know what the person hosting the event was called in Beijing. He wasn't a native of Beijing and had never attended a wedding banquet here, so it wasn't worth asking.

He only knew that in his hometown, this role was called the chief coordinator, so he called him the chief coordinator in his mind.

Yi Zhonghai took on the role of chief coordinator, but when he did this job, he couldn't muster any of the enthusiasm he usually had for hosting celebratory events; he just wanted to get the process over with as quickly as possible.

We still had to say a few polite words, but we couldn't use the old-fashioned phrases anymore. The gist of it was that two progressive young people had come together in the wave of construction, and we wished them to respect each other after they got married, to live a solid life together, and to contribute more to the construction.

The words "May you have a long and happy marriage and many children" didn't reach Gao Jianguo's ears. Instead, he thought they were quite fitting. If these words were spoken to Xu Damao and Pang Xiulan, they would probably be the most vicious curse.

Sha Zhu and He Yushui sat next to Gao Jianguo. Sha Zhu stared at Xu Damao's deadpan expression, his mouth stretched almost to his ears. Anyone who didn't know better would think that he was the one getting married.

After Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, Xu Fugui also stood up and said a few words. It was obvious that he had no intention of speaking at all. He said that his son was getting married, thanked the neighbors, and that they should eat and drink well. He finished in a few words.

Yi Zhonghai gestured, and Xu Damao and Pang Xiulan bowed to their parents, then to everyone else, thus concluding the wedding.

Most of the people in the courtyard either witnessed or heard about Pang Xiulan's disturbance at their door that night.

I didn't see what happened next, and I don't know how these two ended up together, but everyone knew that today's wedding was not a fair one, so apart from the perfunctory "Congratulations" when the two bowed, no one had much joy on their faces.

As soon as Yi Zhonghai announced the start of the banquet, the scene became much more boisterous than the wedding ceremony just now.

If you're not enthusiastic about eating, you must be out of your mind.

There wasn't much meat, but as long as there was something to eat, that was fine.

The table next to them was occupied by Yan Bugui's family. Old Yan paid 50 cents, and the whole family came. Gao Jianguo didn't understand the customs in Beijing, but back in his hometown, no matter how much a gift was given, usually no more than two people would be seated at the head table. Only very close relatives would bring their whole family.

Unlike Xu Damao's family, who wore long faces throughout, Sha Zhu was overjoyed from beginning to end. It was hard to find fault with him. "I'm happy for you getting married, that can't be wrong, can it?"

Gao Jianguo hadn't been involved in this kind of fun for a while, and he and Sha Zhu were having a great time drinking. However, he still secretly whispered to Sha Zhu, "Sha Zhu, you're laughing too much. Pull your arm back a bit, pull it back a bit."

Sha Zhu nodded: "Okay!"

Then he laughed even harder.

Gao Jianguo was chatting enthusiastically with the other neighbors at the table. Eating with a group of people and eating alone are two different experiences.

The whole courtyard was happy, but Xu Damao's family was living a life of misery.

In the dim light, Gao Jianguo's keen ears caught people talking about Pang Xiulan. "Where have I seen this woman before?"

Gao Jianguo turned his head and saw that the two people who said those words had smiles on their faces, and those smiles looked suspicious.

Before long, the bride and groom went from table to table toasting, and Gao Jianguo was placed near the front. He was the only one in the courtyard with an official hat, and even the deputy section chief was a leader.

After the main table was finished, it was his table's turn. Originally, he was arranged to sit at the main table with the Xu family, Yi Zhonghai, and Liu Haizhong, but Gao Jianguo declined, saying that he was about the same age as Sha Zhu and would feel more comfortable drinking there, so he didn't go.

When Liu Haizhong heard that Gao Jianguo wasn't going, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, as if this one insignificant official position was the only one in the entire academy that was so oppressive to those obsessed with officialdom.

Xu Damao and Pang Xiulan each wore a red pin on their chests, with "Groom" and "Bride" written on them. The two carried wine cups to the table, and Xu Damao glanced sideways at Yan Bugui's family next to them, his face immediately darkening.

The two of them first toasted everyone together. Some people brought wine, some brought water, and He Yushui brought a bowl of soup. Everyone congratulated them, and Sha Zhu's voice was especially loud.

Xu Damao looked at Sha Zhu's gaze; if eyes could breathe fire, Sha Zhu would probably be on fire by now.

After downing a glass of wine, Pang Xiulan pulled Xu Damao aside to refill his glass, then thanked Gao Jianguo, saying, "Leader, we owe you so much for what happened that day. Damao and I would like to toast you."

Gao Jianguo smiled and said, "Why thank us? It was a natural outcome of your free choice in love; we wouldn't dare take credit for it. Let me just offer my congratulations again."

When Xu Damao heard the words "free love," his face turned as black as soot. He wanted to curse the other person's ancestors for eight generations, but he didn't dare to open his mouth and curse.

That night, Gao Jianguo didn't say much, not even a single empty promise to Pang Xiulan, such as "If the police station verifies it, the factory will definitely punish Xu Damao severely."

Hearing Gao Jianguo's congratulations, Xu Damao had to lower his glass, give a perfunctory clink, and down his drink. The man in front of him was a rising star in the factory, a genuine engineer, deputy captain of the militia, and deputy section chief—someone he couldn't afford to offend.

Amid Gao Jianguo's smiling face and Sha Zhu's loud laughter, Xu Damao and his wife moved to the next table.

Holding his wine glass, Xu Damao stared at the half-table of Yan family members, feeling completely numb. The anger he had been holding back at the previous table still wouldn't dissipate here. They were having a celebration, though it couldn't really be called a celebration.

Without uttering a single polite word, Xu Damao downed his drink in one gulp, and before the rest of the Yan family could even clink glasses, he turned and went to the next table.

The commotion lasted until after noon before finally dissipating.

Gao Jianguo had just returned home and rested when Lou Xiao'e showed up at his door, leading a group of people to move a lot of things.