“Shao Xue, can you hurry up?” Yu Dong Ge called out from the entrance to the alley, her voice full of energy. “We’re all waiting for you.”
“I’m drying my hair, aren’t I?” Shao Xue stomped her foot in frustration, giving her hair a quick rub with a towel before rushing out, still damp. The cool air of the May morning hit her as she dove into the car, making her shiver.
“Are you really my mom? Other mothers are worried about their daughters catching cold, and here you are rushing me like it’s life or death.”
“Is that my fault?” Yu Dong Ge shot her a glare. “We’re already late for the wedding. Qiao Mu chose May 1st specifically because you all have school holidays. How does it look for you to be late?”
“Oh, I have the holiday, but you don’t? I was studying until past one in the morning, and then you dragged me up at six. If I show up looking a mess, it’s you who’ll be embarrassed.”
“You two stop arguing,” Shao Hua, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned to give each of them an annoyed look. “It’s a good day, no need for all the bickering.”
A good day, indeed. The wedding of Fu Qiao Mu and Dou Si Yuan had come as a surprise, and when everyone received the invitations, they were stunned.
“You young people don’t waste time. You only started dating properly this spring, and now you’re getting married in May?”
“Oh,” Fu Qiao Mu blushed, but her smile was bright, “we’ve known each other for so many years already, so why wait? Besides, aren’t you all moving soon? We wanted to have the wedding before everyone leaves.”
Dou Si Yuan’s family lived far away, so both sides agreed to have one ceremony in Beijing and another in his hometown. The venue they chose was a specialized wedding hotel in the Third Ring, with a grand and opulent lobby that looked high-class even from a distance.
“Look at how fancy weddings are these days,” Yu Dong Ge clicked her tongue in admiration. “When I married you, we had nothing—my wedding dress was rented.”
“Our wedding was high-class for the time,” Shao Hua protested, not pleased with her comment. “Furniture, appliances—we didn’t lack a thing. Stop being so sentimental.”
Fu Qiao Mu greeted guests at the entrance, dressed in a bright red qipao that made her skin look as white as snow. Shao Xue bounded up the steps, grinning as she grabbed Fu Qiao Mu’s hand, her eyes lingering on the intricate headpiece for a long time.
“Stop staring,” Fu Qiao Mu laughed. “This outfit—getting up at three in the morning to do my hair and makeup—nearly killed me.”
“You look amazing,” Shao Xue tugged at the tassels on the side of her headpiece. “When will I get to wear something like this?”
“That’ll happen before you know it,” Fu Qiao Mu patted her face. “But when the time comes, you’ll realize that getting married is a lot of hard work.”
“Hey, I don’t like the sound of that,” Dou Si Yuan suddenly popped out from behind the door. “What do you mean, hard work? I’m having the time of my life.”
He stepped aside, revealing Zheng Su Nian behind him. Zheng Su Nian, tall and dressed in a suit, looked broad-shouldered and long-legged. From a distance, he cut an impressive figure.
“Si Yuan, you didn’t choose the right best man,” Shao Xue said with a teasing frown as she looked at the two of them. “He’s younger and better looking than you. You’d better stay far away from Su Nian later.”
Dou Si Yuan slapped his hand on his thigh, exasperated. “I see how it is—you two are just here to give me a hard time.”
The wedding reception filled an entire floor of the hotel. Though Dou Si Yuan’s relatives from his hometown were few, all his colleagues and elders in Beijing were present, along with at least two tables of university friends. The atmosphere was lively. Zhang Qi and Zheng Su Nian were seated at a small table near the edge, waving Shao Xue over when they saw her.
“You’re cutting it close,” Zhang Qi said, giving her a look of disapproval. “You missed the welcoming ceremony and went straight to the reception.”
“That’s easy for you to say—you’re not taking the college entrance exams. What time did you go to bed last night?” She collapsed into the chair as if her bones had melted. “Su Nian, aren’t you the best man? Don’t you have to prepare or something?”
“What’s there to prepare? I just need to be called over when it’s time.” He leaned closer to Shao Xue, raising an eyebrow in a knowing way. “Take a look at Master Sun. He’s the one who has to be prepared.”
She glanced back and saw Sun Qi Rui holding a speech in one hand, his belly sticking out as he paced back and forth under the stage.
“Qiao Mu asked her master to be the officiant, and the old man got so nervous. He spent the whole morning memorizing his speech, sweating bullets the entire time.”
“Really? I’ve got to see this,” Shao Xue said with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
The wedding ceremony was following the proper sequence. The host was a high school classmate of Qiao Mu’s who worked as a broadcaster, far more polished than what any wedding company could provide. When the officiant was invited on stage, several familiar colleagues in the audience chuckled. Master Sun, with his belly sticking out, cleared his throat and waved theatrically at the crowd. The sound technician, recognizing the gesture, clicked his mouse, and Wang Leehom's Big City, Small Love began to resonate throughout the hall.
The song choice was fitting. After all, in such a big city, their love had seemed so small and inconspicuous. After years of twists and turns, they had finally found each other at the right moment.
Master Sun gestured again, and the music softened. He pulled out the sheet of paper from his pocket. The vows were written in classical Chinese, a revision of the modern vows he found distasteful—too short and crude, lacking the elegance worthy of being read aloud.
Clearing his throat, the old man’s voice, weathered by over half a century, gently rose in the hall, mingling with the melody from the new millennium.
“Time passes, and beauty fades, but you remain, a fair companion. On this day of union, friends gather to celebrate your joining. May your bond endure, a perfect match. On this day, the peach blossoms are in full bloom, a home full of warmth and harmony. May your future be abundant with children and prosperity. With the promise of growing old together, this is written on paper as a pledge. Let the bond of the red leaves be recorded in the book of swans. This is my testament.”
As his words faded, Big City, Small Love once again filled the room.
“Your dark hair is coiled in a circle, entwined with all my love for you. Through the translucent curtain, your words carry no deception. The quiet gray-tiled roof captures the image of your beautiful face, and I’ve finally found the end to all my wandering. Your smile has ended my weariness.”
Below the stage, Fu Qiao Mu was in tears, crying uncontrollably.
There was still a banquet in the afternoon, but Shao Xue had to leave early to study. Outside the hall, she saw Master Sun standing by himself, holding a thermos and sipping water.
“Grandpa Sun,” Shao Xue called out, hurrying over to greet him, “why aren’t you inside?”
The old man seemed a bit startled when he saw her, hurriedly stuffing his hands into the pockets of his Zhongshan suit, clutching his thermos close to his chest.
“Oh, I just came out for some fresh air. Where are you off to?”
“I’m heading home to study,” Shao Xue answered without thinking much of it, walking as she said goodbye. “You should go back inside—Qiao Mu is looking for you to offer a toast.”
He responded with a few quick “yes, yes,” and only when Shao Xue was out of sight did he reach out to steady himself against the marble pillar.
The capsules in his pocket were sticky from his sweaty grip. He counted out three and washed them down with the water from his thermos.
Inside, the hall was a sea of lively chatter. He smoothed his hand over his chest and exhaled deeply.
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