After traveling through the book, I realized my wish in my previous life

Chapter 249 Countdown to the Wedding

"Hu Shixuan!" Zhao Lingling was the first to see him and exclaimed in surprise.

Hu Shixuan was thinner than he had been a few years ago, and his eyes behind his glasses were still gentle and calm. He walked into the yard with a smile and said, "Sorry, the train is late."

"We've been waiting for you!" He Tingyuan stepped forward and took his bag. "Finally, all the people from our educated youth camp are here."

As the sun sets, the Youth League compound becomes bustling with activity.

Everyone talked about their experiences in the past few years. After graduating from university, Zhao Fan worked in a foreign trade company in Shanghai; Zhao Lingling realized her dream and became an excellent teacher; Hu Shixuan started his own business and became a boss after graduation.

"Zhu Xin," Zhao Lingling said with a smile, "Xia Xia and Jiang Yan have both achieved their goals. When are you and He Tingyuan planning to get married?"

Han Zhuxin is now fully focused on her career and has never found the time to plan for her lifelong event.

She has already met He Tingyuan's family, and the He family is quite satisfied with her.

Hearing Zhao Lingling's question, Han Zhuxin smiled suddenly and said, "I definitely don't have time this year. Let's see next year."

Zhao Lingling turned her head and looked at He Tingyuan, "Just let her do what she wants, aren't you in a hurry?"

"I'm anxious," He Tingyuan said helplessly, "but what's the point of being anxious alone...!"

Everyone laughed at this and condemned Han Zhuxin.

"Don't just ask us," Han Zhuxin turned the topic to Zhao Lingling. "How are you? You're not young anymore, are you dating?"

I had just wanted to change the subject, but unexpectedly Zhao Lingling nodded directly and said, "We've discussed it. The wedding will be held in May next year."

As soon as the words came out, except for Zhao Fan who knew about it, everyone else was stunned, their eyes widened, especially Shen Xiaoxia and Han Zhuxin, "Is this true?"

Zhao Lingling looked at everyone's expressions and laughed, "How are you? Are you shocked by my news? Hahaha... I guess this is the expression on your face."

Shen Xiaoxia came back to her senses and started to scold, "Zhao Lingling, you're such a good person! It's such a big deal, and you didn't leak a single word when we were in touch. When did you become so tight-lipped?"

Zhao Lingling continued to laugh, "Don't you want to see your surprised expressions when you hear the news?"

Several people quickly asked Zhao Lingling for details, such as what the other person did, how old he was, where he was from, how they knew each other, and what he looked like...

Zhao Lingling knew that everyone was curious, so she didn't keep them in suspense and told them everything in detail.

Everyone was talking at once, and laughter echoed in the yard from time to time.

When Jiang Juan came to call everyone to eat, the sun had already set completely, and the Youth League compound was shrouded in a faint blue halo in the twilight.

The Jiang family lived not far from the Youth League Home. Two round tables had been set up in the yard, and Jiang's father and mother warmly invited everyone to take a seat.

The table was filled with farm dishes, including stewed chicken, braised carp, pork with mashed garlic, stir-fried seasonal vegetables... and a large bowl of steaming cornmeal pancakes.

"Come on, don't be shy," Jiang's mother greeted everyone. "They're all grown and raised at home. They're not as fine as those in the city, but they're guaranteed to be fresh."

After dinner, everyone helped to clean up the dishes.

When we returned to the Youth League Home, the moon was already very high in the sky. Everyone was still reluctant to leave, so they gathered in the yard to chat.

Hu Shixuan took out a guitar from somewhere and started to play and sing softly. It was a Soviet song he liked very much, "Katyusha".

Shen Xiaoxia leaned on Jiang Yan's shoulder, humming along quietly to the melody; Han Zhuxin and He Tingyuan sat beside them, fingers intertwined; Zhao Lingling and Xie Yunheng were arguing about something, both with smiles on their faces; Zhao Fan and Hu Shixuan were discussing the country's latest economic policies...

At this moment, Shen Xiaoxia suddenly felt that time had never passed. They were still the group of young people who depended on each other at the educated youth site many years ago, but now they each had a different life trajectory.

And this wedding is like a precious reunion given to them by fate.

……

The next morning, everyone went to Jiang Yan's house to make preparations for the wedding.

The Jiang family specially set aside a room to store things needed for the wedding. Shen Xiaoxia, Han Zhuxin and Zhao Lingling followed Jiang's mother to organize things in the room.

In addition to the three turns and one bell, there were also two brand new quilts with quilt covers embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water, a pair of red lacquered wooden boxes, a set of enamel washbasins and thermos, and several pieces of fine cloth.

There were three rings and one set for the Jiang family, and one set for the Shen family. The set from the Shen family was the betrothal gift from Jiang Yan, and the set from the Jiang family was the dowry from Shen Xiaoxia.

In the future, they will be used by both families. If they need it in Beijing later, they can just buy more.

"This is prepared according to our customs here," Jiang's mother stroked the quilt. "It's stuffed with new cotton, so it's very warm."

Han Zhuxin asked curiously, "Aunt, what preparations do people in the village usually make for a girl's wedding?"

Jiang's mother explained with a smile, "Things are better now, unlike when we were young. Besides the basics like quilts, those who can afford it also have sewing machines, bicycles, and other things."

At the same time, He Tingyuan, Xie Yunheng, Hu Shixuan and Zhao Fan were helping Jiang Yan decorate the new house and yard.

The new house was the room Jiang Yan lived in before. It had good light transmission, with big red wedding characters on the wall and brand new curtains hanging on the windows.

He Tingyuan and Xie Yunheng were responsible for hanging the lanterns, while Zhao Fan and Hu Shixuan were responsible for helping.

"Jiang Yan," He Tingyuan asked as he adjusted the position of the lantern, "how much did you give as a betrothal gift?"

Jiang Yan was adjusting the lantern on the other side and turned his head when he heard this. "The things are another matter. I gave her three thousand in cash. Of course, that was for her parents. My own savings are all with Xia Xia."

"Wow," Xie Yunheng whistled, "That's quite a lot. I remember a few years ago, when people got married in the village, the betrothal gifts were only a few dozen, maybe a hundred at most?"

Jiang Yan smiled and said, "How can it be the same?"

Hu Shixuan came down from the ladder and wiped the sweat off his face. "Rural conditions are indeed better now. Over here, the bride price has increased by several hundred yuan. It's following the trend."

"Comparison is unacceptable," Zhao Fan shook his head. "The essence of marriage is the love between two people, not a monetary transaction."

"Everyone can talk about the truth," Xie Yunheng teased, "When you get married, we'll see if you can escape the common customs."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Jiang Yan did not join in their joke. He stood in the yard, looking around, imagining the days to come, his heart burning with excitement.

On the afternoon before the wedding, an aunt who was familiar with the Jiang family came to help steam the wedding buns.

The Jiang family courtyard suddenly became lively. Shen Xiaoxia, Han Zhuxin, and Zhao Lingling were dragged along to learn how to make various pastries. There were date-shaped steamed buns symbolizing the early birth of a son, flower-shaped steamed buns signifying a long and happy marriage, and even auspicious steamed buns shaped like fish...

Zhao Lingling broke several pieces of dough and got flour all over her face, which made everyone laugh. Han Zhuxin was unexpectedly dexterous and made flower buns that looked pretty good.

Shen Xiaoxia watched her friends playing and having fun, her heart filled with happiness. She turned her head to look out the window and saw Jiang Yan and the young people in the village building a colorful gate in the yard. The sunlight shone on him through the gaps in the leaves, outlining a bright outline.

At this moment, she suddenly became extremely convinced that returning to Baihua Village to hold the wedding was the right decision. This place is not only Jiang Yan's hometown, but also the starting point of their love, and the common youthful memories of this group of educated youth friends.

The wedding belongs not only to her and Jiang Yan, but also to all the friends who have left their sweat and tears on this land.

As night falls, the steamed wedding buns are neatly stacked on bamboo plates, emitting an enticing wheat aroma.

After a busy day, everyone was finally able to sit down and rest. Back at the Youth League Home, someone suggested that everyone gather in the yard again.

Hu Shixuan picked up the guitar again, and this time he played and sang a new song. The gentle melody floated in the night breeze. Shen Xiaoxia leaned on Jiang Yan's shoulder, looking at the starry sky and listening to her friends singing along in a low voice.

She thought that some feelings would not fade with the passage of time, and some bonds would not break due to distance.

This reunion is destined to be a perfect sequel to their youth story.