The preparations here are almost complete, and guests have begun to arrive.
Wang Hehua could not manage much today, so she was in the courtyard helping select vegetables and such.
While they were busy, someone entered the kitchen, "Ruxin, see if there’s anything I can do?"
Yang Ruxin saw it was a girl around seventeen or eighteen, with slightly dark skin, but her features were quite delicate. She was currently displaying a set of white teeth, smiling at Yang Ruxin in a manner that was very familiar.
"You are...?" Yang Ruxin returned a smile but was clearly puzzled; she genuinely did not recognize the other person.
"Aunt Xiaoxia, how did you get in here?" Before the dark-skinned girl could speak, Li Xiang chimed in, "You are a guest, please go out..."
Aunt? Yang Ruxin was taken aback; this meant the girl was Aunt Hehua’s cousin.
"Li Xiang, what guest am I? I’m here to help you." Pei Xiaoxia shook her head, "I’ve heard from my cousin for a long time that Ruxin is skilled, and today I’m here to learn from her..." Rolling up her sleeves, she continued, "Ruxin, what can I do? By the way, my name is Pei Xiaoxia. Don’t mind my young age; I am of an older generation. I come from Stone Village in Peach Blossom Town, my cousin is Zhao Xinghua... She is busy at home and asked me to come help... It’s up to you whether you call me aunt like Li Xiang and Xiaoyu, or call me sister..."
Yang Ruxin suddenly understood.
"Why should Ruxin call you sister? What’s that about?" Li Xiang was displeased, "Do I have to call you aunt then? Just stop messing with the seniority..."
Pei Xiaoxia just laughed, "Heihei."
Yang Ruxin handed her a bulb of garlic, "Peel it and then crush it into garlic paste."
"Alright!" Pei Xiaoxia happily sat down and began peeling garlic.
Pei Xiaoxia was quite efficient, and with her help, Yang Ruxin felt considerably more relaxed. They hit it off well as Pei Xiaoxia was straightforward in her speech, leaving a good impression on Yang Ruxin.
In the countryside here, getting married wasn’t too particular, not like in the city where wealthy families might follow the "Six Etiquettes" and such. Here, as long as both sides took a liking to each other, they’d go to the temple to have a master check their compatibility, then find a matchmaker to bring them together. If both agreed, they could get married. Some even skipped the engagement altogether.
Little Liuzi’s family and Xiaoyu’s family, now more financially comfortable, wanted to celebrate festively and were unwilling to shortchange their children.
Soon, people from the bride’s side arrived; Xiaoyu was in a peach-red jacket and skirt, looking very festive.
Little Liuzi too was in a brand-new robe, looking quite spirited.
The two were already familiar with each other and had nothing to be embarrassed about. They wanted to exchange a few words, but the ribbing from everyone made Xiaoyu’s thick skin falter, and she quickly ran to her mother’s side, provoking another round of laughter from the crowd.
In the midst of laughter, Yang Zhenli and Liang Youcai clinked their cups in front of everyone, then started calling each other in-laws. After that, Liu Cuiyun presented Xiaoyu with a pair of silver bracelets and personally put them on her, signifying her acceptance of the daughter-in-law.
Zhao Xinghua gave Little Liuzi a set of shoes and caps she had made herself, and even personally changed him into the new shoes she had made, symbolizing her acceptance of him as her son-in-law.
"Little Liuzi, if you dare to treat my sister poorly, watch out; I’ll pound you," Liang Tie Dan warned Little Liuzi as he shook his fist at him.
"Brother Tie Dan, Sister Ruxin already said, if he dares to treat Sister Xiaoyu badly, he’ll be put in a sack and beaten with a plank..." Xiao Shunzi unabashedly betrayed Yang Ruxin’s words.
"You all have such a good relationship." Pei Xiaoxia suddenly murmured to herself.