Chapter 204 - 204

Chapter 204 A Simple Wedding in the CafeteriaLi Man arrived shortly after.Today, she specially changed into the light pink Dacron shirt that Mother Yun made for her, with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, revealing her slender white wrists. She paired it with a pair of flowy white Dacron pants, which made her look refreshing and tall. She carried a military green canvas bag in her hand, and the pink shirt made her complexion look radiant.Yun Ting thought to herself, "No wonder my second brother has kept this in his heart for so many years.""Uncle, aunt, little sister, little brother, would you like to go out for a walk? I'll take you out."" Man, will this take up your time? If you don't have time, don't bother, we can just wander around the neighborhood by ourselves.""Auntie, it's alright. Our performing arts troupe doesn't have many performances lately, so we're quite relaxed. I've already taken leave."" Second Aunt, and me too, I want to go play too.""Okay, little girl, I won't forget you."Since Little Girl, their child, was there, they didn't go to the market; Li Man just took them for a walk around the neighborhood."Li comrade, are you taking your in-laws out?" an older woman teased her with a smile."Auntie, what brings you back?" Li Man asked politely, her face slightly flushed."I'm going out for a bit; we're out of soy sauce at home, I'm going to buy some."The old woman had no ill intentions; when she looked over curiously, Father Yun Mother Yunalso smiled and nodded politely as a greeting."I won't bother you any longer, I have to go home.""Okay, take care, ma'am."After that, they would occasionally run into a few people who would look at them curiously and greet Li Man, to which Li Man would respond with a smile.This shows that Li Man is a very good person. Although she is the niece of her teacher, she has not developed an arrogant and domineering personality because of it. Otherwise, so many people would not greet her with a smile.Walking to the back gate of the camp, a wooden fence opens to a path leading to the back mountain. The grass still bears traces of dried dew, making a rustling sound when stepped on.Li Man pointed to the river not far away, where sunlight sprinkled on the water like scattered gold: "In autumn, you can pick up wild duck eggs on the riverbank. In winter, when they freeze, you can even go ice skating on them.""Wow… Second Aunt, is that the sea?" the little girl exclaimed."No, that's Jiang.""So beautiful...""Back when we went to the countryside, we also played on sleds on the ice. It was so much fun,"Yun Ting said with a smile, her tone filled with nostalgia.Recalling that time, Yun Ting couldn't help but laugh out loud."I've never played it! My uncle and aunt never let me play it when I was little. Every time I went with my older brothers, I could only stand on the side and watch."From a young age, her uncle and aunt have always protected her, afraid that she might get hurt. She doesn't complain; she knows she is lucky to have met such a good uncle and aunt. All of that is out of love for her. To put their minds at ease, she will obediently listen to them." Second Sister-in-law, if you want to play, let my second brother take you. He'll definitely protect you, haha...""Little sister, you're making fun of me again," Li Man said, embarrassed.Mentioning Yun Huai brings a sweet feeling to her heart." Little girl, have some candy." Li Man took out White Rabbit Milk Candy from his canvas bagand gave Little Girl two pieces first.Turning to Father Yun Mother Yun, they didn't want it.Yun Xu and Yun Ting didn't stand on ceremony and each took one.Mother Yun looked at the two of them and laughed, scolding, "Why are you still acting like a child, taking candy from your second sister-in-law?""Mom, we're not married yet, so you're still called 'Child,' haha...""Auntie, it's okay. They're just my younger sister and brother. It's just a piece of candy."The little girl, with a candy in her mouth, mumbled, "Thank you, Second Aunt, you're so kind.""You're welcome, little girl, you have such a sweet tongue.""Mom and Dad, would you like some water?"Yun Ting took out a military water bottle from his canvas bag and handed it to them.Father Yun took it, twisted open the cap, and gave it to his wife first.This natural action seemed to be something he was used to. Li Man watched it and sighed inwardly, thinking how considerate her uncle was to her aunt.Then she wondered if her relationship with Yun Huai would still be this good when they got old.Newlywed couples are always so clingy; at certain moments, sometimes a gesture or an event will remind them of each other.After resting for a while, the group decided to head back.When we arrived, Little Girl was full of energy, jumping around and chattering non-stop, even picking wildflowers by the roadside. Now she's really tired, listless, and doesn't say a word." Little girl, are you tired? Let your uncle carry you."The little girl nodded. "Uncle, can you carry me on your back?"The little girl was quite sensible; she asked Yun Xu first."Of course, come on up!" Yun Xu replied, already squatting down.The little girl jumped up, but Yun Xu remained steady and wasn't knocked over by her force at all....Yun Huai and Li Man's wedding was held in the canteen, but only eight tables were set up, and only some close comrades and leaders were invited.Because internal regulations require military personnel to practice the principle of frugality, weddings for deputy battalion-level officers should avoid extravagance and are encouraged to be simple.Li Man only invited a few people he had a good relationship with from the performing arts troupes.The long wooden table was polished to a shine, arranged into eight squares, covered with a grass-green canvas tablecloth issued by the army. The corners of the tables were simply tied with red ribbons. The wind blew in through the window cracks, and the ribbons swayed gently with the aroma of food.The head cook personally ladled out the pot of pickled cabbage and pork belly, which sat in the center of the table. The sour soup bubbled and steamed, and thin slices of pork belly wrapped around crisp pickled cabbage. It was best eaten with an enamel spoon to cut through the richness. The sweet and sour pork was fried until golden and crispy, and coated with sweet and sour sauce and ginger shreds. It made a crunchy sound when you took a bite.There was also a pot of chicken stew with mushrooms. The mushrooms were dried hazel mushrooms that had been soaked and stewed until they were completely absorbed by the chicken.In addition to these three dishes, there are also cucumber and wood ear salad, braised pig's head meat, braised carp, stir-fried green peppers with pork, stir-fried potatoes, green beans, and eggplant, green beans and eggplant, and tomato and egg drop soup.The staple food is steamed white flour buns that have been prepared in advance. They are placed in bamboo baskets and served on the table with hot dishes, which is filling and satisfying.Today, both newlyweds are wearing military uniforms with a red flower pinned to their chests.Because of military discipline, they did not prepare alcohol, so everyone substituted tea for it.Division Commander Jiang sat at the head table, but not in the main seat. Several other leaders were also present, including Father Yun and Yun Huai. Yun Xu was naturally included as well.On the women's side, Wei Hua brought Mother Yun. Li Man and the others together.Including the families of the comrades, all eight tables were fully occupied.In front of the main table made of long wooden tables in the canteen, there was no portrait of the great man, only a red paper with the words "Serve the People" written on it. The words were written with a brush by the clerk, and there was still some flour from the stove stuck to the edges.The emcee, my second brother's former regimental commander, gripped a tin microphone, his voice carrying the aroma of food from the canteen: "The ceremony begins, first bow to the roots of our unit!"The second brother, dressed in a crisply ironed military green cadre uniform, his red collar insignia highlighting his radiant complexion, heldthe hand of his second sister-in-law —whose palms were sweaty. The two turned to face the red paper proclaiming "Serve the People," their backs ramrod straight, and bowed three times respectfully.The soldiers behind him didn't make a fuss, they just quietly lowered the enamel mug in their hands, and even the cicadas chirping outside the window seemed to be a little quieter.