activa-t Chapter 271 The Wedding!
Chapter 271 The Wedding!
Zhou Xiaobai smiled and said:
“Biyun, don’t you know Yuemin, Zheng Tong and the others? Before they went to Shaanxi to work in the countryside, they were idle in Beijing, causing trouble all day long. They were such a scoundrel. When Luo Yun and I came here to ice skate, we used the same trick. We took the opportunity to get close to them under the guise of teaching them how to skate. They were so shameless back then.”
Jiang Biyun joked:
"Xiaobai, it's a good thing Yuemin has a thick skin, otherwise how could he find such a beautiful partner like you? Isn't this a typical case of a toad eating swan meat?"
The two girls laughed without restraint.
"Hey you two, there's a perfectly normal person standing right here. Next time you're talking badly about someone, maybe you should be a little more discreet?"
Zhou Xiaobai, arm in arm with her man, said smugly:
"We call this being upright and honest; we never speak ill of others behind their backs."
"that is!"
While they were chatting, Zheng Tong suddenly said:
"Hey, Yuemin, Yuan Jun has really gotten into a fight with those punks. Let's go take a look."
Yuan Jun was surrounded by several young men in military green uniforms. Zhong Yuemin quickly ran over, separated Yuan Jun from the group, and prevented a real fight.
"Hey guys, what's going on? Are you ganging up on us?"
Zheng Tong may not be good at fighting, but he's definitely good with words.
The other party was led by a young man, who spoke in a rather arrogant tone.
"Where are you guys from? Which department are you from? You look unfamiliar!"
They were also wearing military uniforms, and most of the people who came here were anti-compound activists.
"Never mind where we're from, just tell me, what do you want?"
"What's wrong?"
The young man snorted and pointed at Yuan Jun.
"This son of a bitch took pictures of my boyfriend. I'll kill him today. Don't say we bullied you. You can fight me one-on-one or gang up on me, it's up to you."
"Leap People!"
Zheng Tong said to Zhong Yuemin beside him:
"It's your turn, they want to challenge you to a one-on-one fight."
Before Zhong Yuemin could speak, the other person froze. "You...you're Zhong Yuemin, aren't you? The one who stabbed Li Yuanchao? The leader of the gangsters in Beijing?"
Zhong Yuemin nodded.
"Alright, I'll give you face today. I really admire you, Zhong Yuemin. You're quite a character. Let's go!"
He left with a group of people, including the girl Yuan Jun wanted to photograph!
Yuan Jun rubbed his hands together, feeling regretful. "What a pity, I was hoping to stretch my muscles a bit."
"Just forget it!"
Zheng Tong said:
"You still think you're some kind of tough guy? Don't forget who you are. If you start a fight and end up in the police station, you, Platoon Leader Yuan, will become infamous."
"Yuemin, I never imagined that after all these years, your reputation would still be intact."
"That is!"
Without a hint of modesty, he said, "Although I'm gone and no longer in Beijing, my legend lives on."
"Legend my foot! No more fighting from now on, you hear me?" He was immediately silenced by his wife.
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you!"
Besides shopping and visiting parks, I also went to Wujia Village in Fangshan District to visit my master's wife. My master and Xiaoyang haven't returned yet; they're still in Hong Kong. My master's wife is in good health. With my master and Xiaoyang earning money in Hong Kong, she doesn't have to worry about money at all and is living a comfortable life.
They all attended Luo Yun's wedding, which was held at the Beijing Hotel. It was quite a grand affair, with many cars parked outside the hotel. Among the guests were not only military officers and leaders, but also leaders from local government agencies in Beijing—mostly prominent figures. The wedding ceremony took place in the lobby, with a red silk carpet, red cloth covering the tables, colorful ribbons, balloon decorations, and flower baskets. The entire venue was a riot of red, a vibrant and festive atmosphere. Honestly, even in later years, this kind of atmosphere wouldn't seem outdated, let alone now.
At the entrance to the hall, Luo Yun, dressed in a white wedding gown, looked stunning as the bride. The groom beside her was undeniably handsome, nothing special. Wearing a suit, he was, disregarding his background and status, would likely be uninteresting to Luo Yun, given her personality. But alas, he had a wealthy and influential father.
Zhou Xiaobai handed over the red envelope.
"Luo Yun, congratulations!"
Luo Yun accepted the gift. "Xiaobai, Yuemin, you're here. Thank you, thank you. Please come inside and sit down. I'll come back and talk to you when I'm done with my work."
Zhou Xiaobai nodded, took Yuemin's hand, and the two entered the hall, followed by Zheng Tong, Yuan Jun, Haiyang, and others.
"Luo Yun, congratulations!"
"Congratulations!"
"Yuan Jun, thank you... thank you so much!"
Luo Yun was somewhat surprised to see Yuan Jun there, because she hadn't sent him an invitation, and even if she had, she doubted he would have come. After so many years, he seemed quite different; his eyes were more reserved, no longer the carefree, playful guy he used to be. She felt a little dazed. All these years, she realized that this guy was the one she had always been thinking about, the one she had been longing for.
But now, there's no going back!
Zhong Yuemin and the others sat at a table by the window in the hall. Zheng Tong adjusted his glasses.
"Hey guys, tell me, how much did this wedding cost? It's such an extravagant affair, with the entire Beijing Hotel booked out."
"What do you care how much money he makes!"
Zhang Haiyang said:
“It’s not your money. Since we’ve already given a gift, we have to make sure we get our money’s worth today. A 10-yuan red envelope is too expensive, damn it.”
“Haiyang, why do I feel like you’re a reincarnated starving ghost?” Zheng Tong said.
"Last time, Lao Mo also ate and drank like crazy. In the army, you're not at headquarters, so how could you possibly go hungry?"
"Do you think the army runs a restaurant? What good food could they possibly have?"
Zhang Haiyang said:
"When I first became a recruit, we ate from the same pot. A bunch of us would sit around eating, and it was like a war. If you were even a little slow with your chopsticks, you wouldn't get any meat at all. That was tough. If Yuemin hadn't come a year later, I wouldn't have known what meat tasted like."
"Stop complaining to me, okay? Can you even compete with us in terms of suffering?"
Zheng Tong said:
"When we were sent to the countryside in northern Shaanxi, we lived in dilapidated and drafty cave dwellings. It was cold in winter and hot in summer. The kang (heated brick bed) was full of fleas that bit people and were extremely painful and annoying. We ate pickled vegetables and black cakes, which were very coarse. When they went down our throats, it felt like being rubbed with coarse sandpaper. Even so, we couldn't have enough. In winter, we would basically run out of food. What did we do? We would go to the county town in groups to beg for food."
However, we were relatively lucky, thanks to Yuemin, our lucky charm; at least we didn't go hungry, and we'd occasionally get a meat meal. The other educated youth in the different brigades were in a much worse situation; we often heard news of people starving to death.
Zhang Haiyang patted the person on the shoulder to show his understanding.
"Yuan Jun, why are you so quiet today? You're as well-behaved as a young maiden!"
Zheng Tong turned his gaze to Yuan Jun, who was standing to the side.
"What's wrong? Luo Yun's getting married, and you're upset? Too late, where were you before!"
"piss off!"
Yuan Jun was annoyed.
"Where did you see that I was upset? I'm just wondering, I'm purely acting as a friend, why do you think Luo Yun got married? What are her life pursuits and goals?"