Despite Yan Fei being engaged in the preparation of the banquet, he actually became the most idle one on the day of the banquet.
Ma Yongming sat behind a small table at the entrance of the cattle farm, recording the names of the guests, their relationship with Yan Fei, and the gifts they brought; Ma Chao and Heizi were responsible for accounting the gift amounts.
Sitting nearby were Yan Fei’s uncle, Lin Xiuqing, and his cousin Lin Haihu, as well as a cousin of Xu Xiaoyan. These individuals, including Ma Chao and Heizi, were simultaneously in charge of introducing Ma Yongming to the guests and explaining their relationship with Yan Fei.
Of course, most guests introduced themselves and didn’t require any introductions. They were also there to offer simple reception services, like distributing cigarettes.
The official reception, however, was handled by Yan’s parents, Yan Wenhai and his wife, along with a few relatives. They were in charge of leading the guests to their seats upon arrival.
On the other hand, Yan Fei was standing in the back without attracting much attention, simply maintaining a smile, regardless of whether he knew the guests or not.
In fact, he also held the most important responsibility, representing Miss Xu Xiaoyan, who didn’t need to appear in public. Nonetheless, she wasn’t idle. She was in a room with her sisters, Xiang Rui, and Yan Fei’s aunt, dealing with a swarm of relatives from all sides.
In the yard, a new stove was set up, where the hired chef was busy preparing food under a shelter that shielded them from the scorching sun. Tables and chairs were arranged beneath it.
Yan Fei’s grandfather was bustling around in high spirits, greeting anyone who arrived and serving as the host.
Children like Ma Chao were having a blast, unleashing their wild side at the festive gathering. It was like the New Year. Any missed words would be excused as children’s prattle, breaking plates or bowls would be interpreted as a symbol of safety and peace throughout the year, and as long as they did not knock over the table, they were free from scolding.
As for the dogs of the cattle farm, they were the unfortunate ones, tied up obediently on the floor, casting longing glances at the distant stove.
A stranger came to join in the fun. A middle-aged man with his child approached and asked, "Excuse me, is this the banquet for the student who got admitted to Provincial University?"
Ma Yongming hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, it is. And you are?"
While taking out the Bride Price, the man replied, "Our child is also in high school. We came to share in the joy!"
He sheepishly explained, "We might have been a bit presumptuous, but we just wanted to share in the happiness. When we heard that this was a cattle farm, we couldn’t smell anything usual, and thought we got the place wrong!"
Yan Fei loved hearing such compliments. Under his ’management’, the cattle farm was indeed very clean.
Firstly, the place was huge. Originally, the area between the front gate and the inner courtyard was large enough to grow wheat. Secondly, the number of cattle wasn’t large, and cow dung was frequently cleaned. Lastly, the location was great, surrounded by water on three sides, and a constant river breeze resulted in little odor.
Everyone understood what the man meant. Seeing the unwillingness on the face of the man’s child, Heizi quickly stood up to greet them.
Such guests were the easiest to accommodate. They were truly here to share in the festivity and did not care about their seating arrangement. They believed that after participating in the meal, it would be as if their own child would also have such a splendid event in the future. Even if they didn’t have their fill, they would still return home blissfully satisfied.
Some guests were even easier to entertain!
A group arrived singing while playing bamboo clappers, taking their time to finish their song. Not only was their song appropriate for the university admission banquet, but it included a series of compliments.
For such performances, a small gift was sufficient. However, after hearing their vigorous performance, you would feel guilty about giving them anything less, right?
Even after receiving their gifts, they would continue singing at the gate to create a cheerful atmosphere and considered it a way to return the favor.
When the food was served amidst laughter and talk, a long line of firecrackers tied to bamboo poles were held by some while set off by others. The resulting sound indicated that everyone should find their seats as the food was being served.
Normally at such banquets, the host family would seize this opportunity to eat as much as possible, because the follow-up toasts were about to begin.
However, today was different. The toasts could wait as there was a more important matter to deal with first.
That is, the engagement announcement of Yan Fei and Miss Xu Xiaoyan. There’s not much to say about this since the Bride Price had been decided, and the marriage was still a long way off. Nevertheless, the ceremony still needed to be observed. Both sets of parents had to exchange pleasantries, promising to be tolerant and supportive.
In fact, both families dispensed with these formalities as they had been neighbours for many years already, so it seemed unnecessary to bother with such trivialities.
After a few words were exchanged and all the dishes urged, the awkward silence led Yan Fei’s parents to start the toasting rounds.
This time, Miss Xu Xiaoyan’s task wasn’t that easy as she had to accompany Yan Fei on his toasting rounds, although she didn’t have to toast to each guest individually.
Typically, Yan Wenhai and his wife would make the first round of toasts, followed by Yan Fei. However, rules could be tweaked as Yan Fei did not know many of the guests, so it was easier for all of them to toast together.