Marriage is a big event. Shen Yu and Li Xiang's proposal has been successful, so the next process will be the turn of the two families.
Back at the hotel, I went to my parents' room first, where they were checking the list of betrothal gifts.
After all, Shen Yu only has a son, and this is the most important thing in his life. How can Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru not care about him.
Because the customs in China and Japan are slightly different, the specific betrothal gifts have been discussed with Kazuo Asaba and his wife on the phone, and they were prepared before coming.
In addition to the regular nine items in Japan, Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru also gifted a set of gold jewelry, including earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and wedding rings. Then Asaba Kazuo and Miori also gifted a set of suits and shirts. Two pieces, two pairs of shoes, a set of mattresses, etc. Basically, the betrothal gifts and return gifts from both parties were similar, and they both agreed that these would be given to Shen Yu and Li Xiang for use after their marriage.
"Where have you been all day? I can't even see you."
"I'm just strolling around..."
Shen Yu came over to help and packed the betrothal gifts that had been checked and confirmed.
Naturally, the old parents didn't believe Shen Yu's suggestion of a casual stroll. They looked at him suspiciously, yawned, and stood up to wash up and rest.
"Get some rest early. We are going to visit you early tomorrow morning. Don't let your Uncle Qianyu and Aunt Miori see your listless look. You want to give people a good impression."
"That's for sure. I'm going back to my room to sleep."
"Don't sleep too late!"
"knew."
After Shen Yu left, Zhang Xiaoru and Shen Deyou lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling unable to sleep.
"Ouch, what are you doing tossing and turning..."
"I can't sleep. Lao Shen, can you sleep?"
"Close your eyes and don't think about anything. You will fall asleep soon..."
"Can you not think about it? Your son! Is getting married!"
"If you mention it again, neither of us will have to sleep tonight."
"Time flies so fast, eh, Lao Shen, do you feel as if we just got married yesterday, and then in the blink of an eye, my son also found a partner, and now he has started to start a family."
"Yeah. That's good. Isn't this what you've always wanted?"
"I can't tell you how I feel..."
Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru lamented in their hearts that once their son gets married, he can no longer be treated as a child. He will have his own family, and his parents will gradually withdraw from his life. They are both happy and sad.
"Old Shen, do you still remember the zoo we went to when we were young? Shen Yu would hold my hand and say, Mom, look, the elephant is so big, and you will carry him and ride on your neck. How happy he is. One bite As a parent, just thinking about it makes me feel that I was so happy at that time. In the blink of an eye, my son has grown up now and is getting married."
"When we have some free time, we can go shopping around. When I was young, I never took you romantically, so I owe you this."
"If we go shopping, who will help him take care of the child?"
"...Isn't this what you said when you urged him to get married before? Once the brat gets married, we will be liberated."
"You can free yourself. I don't have time to go. I have to take care of my grandson."
Also suffering from insomnia tonight are Asaba Kazuo and Miori. Perhaps Rika’s parents feel more sad than them. After all, it’s really far from Yokohama to Sunan...
…
Shen Yu was lying on the bed, making a video with Li Xiang, who was also lying on the bed.
"Husband, aren't you still asleep?"
"I'm so excited that I can't sleep. What about you?"
"Hehe, Rika can't sleep either."
He held the phone to his heart and asked her, "Did you hear my pounding heartbeat?"
"Super loud!"
"Tell me, what if your parents are reluctant to let you go and marry you to me..."
"Then Rika won't marry you~"
"you dare?"
Shen Yu gave in first and said obediently: "From now on, we will come back to Yokohama at least three times every year. When do you think it is best to come back?"
"Then New Year, cherry blossom season, and fireworks festival!"
"It's all up to you."
Shen Yu and Li Xiang, who were about to have a big event in their lives, were so excited that they couldn't sleep. They chatted about trivial things little by little until very late, and then they fell asleep with smiles on their faces.
…
The alarm clock at seven o'clock had just played the first note, and Shen Yu immediately opened his eyes, sat up from his bed with a crash, slapped his cheeks with both hands, and looked at the time and date and the surrounding environment to make sure that he was not dreaming.
The video of the call was still on, but fortunately the charger was plugged in. Rika was not seen on the other side of the screen, only the ceiling of her room was visible.
Shen Yu didn't wake her up, didn't hang up the call, and stood up to wash up and get ready.
Before he came, he had already had his hair cut, and he also had a special look and his eyebrows trimmed.
There were two sets of clothes that Li Xiang bought for him in the suitcase, one set to wear when he came to visit today, and the other set to wear during the wedding ceremony tomorrow.
I took a careful shower, washed my face, shaved my beard, and styled my hair to reveal my forehead.
After spending a long time dressing up in front of the mirror, I looked handsome and energetic.
After doing this, it was already eight o'clock. The screen of the mobile phone flickered, revealing Li Xiang's sleepy look.
"Nao Gong... Nao Gong?"
"you're awake?"
Shen Yu picked up the phone, but adjusted the direction of the camera so that she could not see him.
"Well, where are you? I can't see you..."
"I won't show it to you for now, for fear of impressing you. I'll have breakfast later and then go to your house. Do you want to wait for me in the room?"
"!! Rika, get up now!"
After hanging up the phone, Shen Yu went to help his parents get their things, have breakfast together at the hotel, and wait for a taxi to Li Xiang's house at nine o'clock.
Today I went to visit, which is the process of meeting the in-laws before the engagement. After all, the two families are far away, so it is inconvenient to visit. Many details of the engagement have been communicated and arranged on the phone. Today, I mainly focused on the wedding schedule. , methods, etc. are all selected.
Visiting is also a big deal, and big things should be taken seriously.
Look at how Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru are dressed today. They used to dress very casually, but today they are all dressed very formally.
"Mom, this is the first time I see you wearing a skirt and high heels."
"How about it?"
"nice."
Zhang Xiaoru was also a beautiful girl when she was young, but she didn't pay as much attention to maintenance as Miori. However, after dressing up carefully, you can indeed see a lot of the charm of her youth.
The gloomy complexion and eyebrows are like my mother's, the facial contour and height are like my father's, and my nose is high, combining the advantages of both of them.
After breakfast, Shen Yu helped bring the things with him. The trunk was full. These were all welcome gifts. In addition to some fruits and vegetables, they also included good tea and wine, and a piece of high-end silk.
Shen Yu's family has already set off, and Li Xiang's family is also ready.
Today is a family meeting. Miori woke up early in the morning and made preparations, including the ingredients for lunch, hygiene at home, new slippers for guests, etc. The couple also changed into formal clothes, and Miori was busy As for housework, Kazuo Asaba was washing the tea sets over and over again and playing with the green plants in the yard and house.
Lixiang was as excited as a little bird, running back and forth upstairs and downstairs.
"Dangdang~! Mom, look, does this skirt look good?"
"Every pair looks good. Which one do you want Rika to wear?"
"I do not know."
Lixiang ran back to the room, and finally chose a small skirt with yellow buds, which had a touching tenderness.
"Mom, let's take a rest. Lixiang will choose the vegetables."
"Mom has no time to spare, so go and play by yourself."
When she said this, Miori took a while to realize that she thought Rika was a child again.
"Rika is no longer a child."
She stretched out her left hand, wearing the diamond engagement ring given to her by Shen Yu on her ring finger. She waved it in front of Miori and said with a smile, "Doesn't it look good?"
"...Are you still afraid that your mother will regret not letting you get married?"
"No, if mom doesn't let Li Xiang get married, then Li Xiang won't get married!"
With that said, she covered the ring tightly like a treasure and ran away.
Miori looked at Rika's back and thought that when they elope, Rika can probably run faster than Bolt.
…
While waiting nervously, at the agreed time of nine-thirty, the doorbell rang.
Rika, who was upstairs, rushed down and hurriedly reminded Kazuo Asaba and Miori: "It must be Shen Yu-kun and my uncle and aunt! They are here! I'll open the door!"
Miori held her down and asked her to follow behind. The couple straightened their clothes. Asaba Kazuo walked in front, Miori and Rika followed him, and the family went out to greet him.
When the door opened, the first thing he saw was Shen Deyou. Shen Yu and Zhang Xiaoru followed him a little behind. Shen Yu was carrying a lot of things in his hands.
"Brother Qianyu, we are here to visit."
"Brother Shen, you've had a hard journey!"
The heads of the two families smiled heartily and hugged each other.
Shen Yu and Li Xiang each bent down to say hello to their uncle and aunt. When they raised their heads, their eyes met, their eyebrows raised here and there, without speaking, and they only communicated with their eyes.
Li Xiang's little face was a little red, and she was extremely reserved, but the corners of her mouth that were slightly pursed still couldn't conceal her inner happiness.
The two walked behind the parents in tacit understanding, and where they couldn't see, the little hands in the middle were linked together.
"whee… "
"What are you laughing at."
"Rika is happy."
"A secret kiss?"
"Never."
When the parents entered the room, Li Xiang quickly stood up on tiptoes, took a sip on Shen Yu's cheek, and slipped away again like a little swallow.
The last time I came to Rika's house was during the New Year, and now it's midsummer in August. The yard has changed a lot, it's full of flowers of all colors, and the kotatsu in the house has been put away and replaced by mats.
As they each sat down at the tea table, Li Xiang folded her hands on her thighs and looked like, "If you want to marry me, then marry me." "I will marry you even if you want." She would not refute anything she said. His face would be red, and he would nod his head like a chicken pecking at rice.
Miori was responsible for boiling water and making tea, while Asaba Kazuo and Shen Deyou were mainly chatting.
After all, it was also the first time. At the beginning, we talked about other things, such as the weather, the company, traffic, and the environment. The more we talked, the more we talked, and we almost talked about aliens.
Fortunately, the topic returned. Both parties took out the list of betrothal gifts to show to the other party, and then talked about the arrangements for tomorrow's wedding ceremony, and reached an agreement smoothly.
Regarding the wedding issue, it was finally decided that the wedding would be held in Southern Jiangsu.
Usually the wedding will not be too far away from the marriage ceremony. About three to five months later, the two parties discussed it and initially set it in January next year. After Zhang Xiaoru returned, they would find someone to choose a good date.
In terms of dowry, Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru were also sincere and offered to buy another house in the city center for their two children, while Kazuo Asaba also wanted to give their two children a new car.
The conversation was very pleasant, and both Shen Yu and Li Xiang breathed a sigh of relief.
China is different from Japan. Rika doesn't have to change her surname after marrying her. This fact makes Kazuo Asaba quite like it. He feels that his daughter is still the precious daughter of his Asaba family.
While chatting, the topic of children came up again.
"Let's have two, preferably a boy and a girl, but one is fine. It's hard to have more Lixiang. Brother Qianyu, you also like children, right?"
"Oh! Very good! Very good! Now, do you want to give birth?"
The eyes of both parents fell on Shen Yu and Li Xiang, who were both tools.
"Now… ?"
"I do not want it!"
Li Xiang was so embarrassed that she covered her little face with her hands, how could she give birth now
Before, she wanted to have a baby with Shen Yujun, but after getting tired of being together, she felt that it would be better not to get pregnant so early for the time being. She was still young anyway, so it would be nice to live in the world of two people for a while...
We had dinner together at noon and almost all the things that needed to be discussed were discussed.
Everyone had a little drink and was slightly tipsy.
Shen Yu's family returned to the hotel, and the two young men became more reserved. They didn't make any more secret appointments today.
I really need to take a good rest tonight and be in the best shape to welcome tomorrow's wedding ceremony.
…
The wedding was held in Sunan, and the marriage ceremony, also known as the engagement ceremony, was held at Rika's house. The entire ceremony was prepared by Kazuo Asaba and Miori.
The marriage of a daughter is a big event, and the marriage ceremony is more symbolic to the Japanese than receiving a certificate.
The matchmaker invited a highly respected uncle to serve as a witness, and in the early days, some close relatives and elders had been invited to witness this happy event.
When he arrived at Li Xiang's house, Shen Yu didn't see her. There were several seats for guests in the yard. It was also the first time for relatives of Li Xiang's family to see him. There was some language barrier, but Shen Yu still worked hard to give each other a good impression.
Fortunately, Li Xiang didn't keep him waiting for long. When she appeared in front of Shen Yu, his eyes lit up.
Like Asaba Kazuo and Miori, Rika also wore a kimono today. The red ribbon tied her hair behind her head, her hands were folded on her belly, and the cherry blossom-colored kimono was tightly tied with cloth, and she took small steps. Walking towards him, the light-colored wooden clogs clanged.
It was the first time that Chen Yu saw Li Xiang wearing a kimono, and she felt a sense of elegance and elegance that she had never seen before.
From her big rolling eyes, Shen Yu still found the familiar taste of stupidity.
"Old... Mr. Shen Yu!"
Li Xiang called him reservedly, smiled and bent down to say hello to the elders present.
"Why are you wearing a kimono today?"
"Does it look good?"
"very nice."
"Because today is an important day in Rika's life. I will also wear a kimono on my coming-of-age day."
"very nice."
Chen Yu held her hand, and with Li Xiang present as a little translator, the conversation with the guests went much smoother. The key was that his little wife would say a lot of nice things to him.
The formal incorporation ceremony began.
Everyone moved from the courtyard to the Japanese room where the marriage ceremony was held. The parents of both parties were ready. As newcomers, Shen Yu and Li Xiang and their relatives also took their seats.
The Japanese room is very spacious, and the most eye-catching thing is the long wooden table in front of it, with two wedding gifts wrapped in red ribbons placed on it.
After the ceremony is completed, the couple is responsible for taking the wedding ceremony home and keeping it.
The Japanese room is very quiet, and the relationship between Japanese people is relatively weak. There are only about ten elders present. In addition to the uncle who is the matchmaker, the older one is sitting next to Miori's mother, Rika's grandmother.
Grandma got married quite early, and today was her granddaughter's engagement day. She looked very happy, and kept talking to Li Xiang when Shen Yu's family didn't come.
As the protagonists of this marriage ceremony, Chen Yu and Li Xiang sat on both sides, looking upright, but feeling a little nervous inside.
From time to time, he would raise his eyes and secretly meet the other person's eyes, winking and swaying, but not daring to speak aloud.
My uncle began to preside over the marriage ceremony.
"I am very happy to witness this happy event. The children have finally grown up. Now, we are holding the incorporation ceremony of the Shen family and the Qianyu family."
He stretched out his hand and pointed his palm in the direction of Shen Yu's family: "The Shen family is full of sincerity and has come all the way to prepare generous gifts for the Qianyu family."
After the matchmaker spoke, the man's female elders began to give gifts to the woman.
Zhang Xiaoru stood up and walked to the long wooden table. Holding the prepared betrothal gifts and the list, she slowly walked to Li Xiang.
Lixiang stood up, probably because she was a little excited, her big eyes were misty.
The uncle said to Li Xiang: "Please accept this generous gift from the Shen family. I hope you can keep it forever."
Li Xiang solemnly took the gift from Zhang Xiaoru's hand and said loudly: "I have received this precious gift, and I will keep it forever."
"The Qianyu family is a virtuous wife with a filial son and a sincere heart. She has prepared generous gifts for the Shen family."
After her uncle spoke, Rika's grandmother, Mrs. Mise, stood up and came to Shen Yu with a generous gift in hand.
In front of his stooped grandmother, Yu looked as tall as Tokyo Tower. He also took the initiative to bend down, solemnly took the gift from Mrs. Mise, and said loudly: "I have received this precious gift." A gift that I will keep forever.”
After exchanging gifts, my uncle held Shen Yu in one hand and Li Xiang in the other, and then put Li Xiang's hand in Shen Yu's hand.
"Time flies and the years change. Only true emotions can leave immortal traces like the eternal nebula in the long night. I am very lucky to witness that the love between Shen Yu and Asaba Rika is recognized by time."
"I announce that Chen Yu and Asaba Rika are officially engaged and married!"
"May you work together, love each other, and never be separated!"
After the uncle announced the marriage certificate, there was warm applause in the wedding room. Both parents were choked with sobs and did not say anything, but clapped vigorously.
Li Xiang cried like a tearful person and hugged Shen Yu tightly.
When dreams become reality, happiness is smiling and eyes flashing with tears.
After the wedding ceremony, there was a lively banquet. Both Shen Yu’s family and Li Xiang’s family drank a lot of wine. After the guests left one after another under the reception of Mi Zhi, the two old men were still lying in front of the wine table, drinking one glass at a time. Do it.
Chen Yu didn't drink much, thanks to Li Xiang's grandmother, who kept pulling him to talk to Li Xiang.
She told him to give birth to a big, white and fat baby, and told him what Li Xiang should do after marriage, etc.
The wedding will be held in Sunan next January, and Shen Yu has already planned it. Naturally, Li Xiang will not be alone in Sunan. In addition to the father-in-law and mother-in-law, Li Xiang will invite all other relatives and friends of Li Xiang to Sunan to receive them well. , let everyone come together to witness his and Li Xiang’s wedding.
Shen Yu pretended to be drunk, and Li Xiang was also very sensible. She half supported and half resisted him and hid him in his room. After closing the door, the two of them fell to the bed with a grunt.
Tonight is at Rika's house, and Rika is wearing a kimono.
The faint moonlight is like a thin gauze, and the summer night wind is intertwined with the girl's whisper...
Being with her is more intoxicating than wine.
.
.