In a small county in Jiangsu, a unique rural wedding was held during the National Day holiday. Our whole family drove there to experience the excitement and relaxation of the holiday.
There are many weddings in the city, large and small. Basically, they are in a luxury hotel. A wedding company is hired. The emcee presides over the process according to the pre-planned sequence, singing, drinking, tea and games. It is very touching. The parents kneeling down, romantic declarations of love, and luxurious and noble pomp are enough to reflect the respect and magnanimity of the groom's family for the bride's family.
Weddings in small places have their own characteristics and etiquette. After we are used to following the rules, it is a surprise to see such a different kind of excitement.
Just like the eight-carriage sedan to marry a wife in the TV series, trumpets were blown early in the morning. This festive sound was spread to the sky above the entire village along with several large speakers set up at the door of the house. All the folks in the village knew that this family was having a happy event, and they came close to join in the fun. The Wedding Banquet started early in the morning, starting with ten tables, and people from far and near came. The old and young sat on the round table and waited for the food to be served. The food was served very quickly, with large plates being served. He was worthy of being a professional Ryushui Chef. , the taste is not inferior to banquets in big cities, disposable clinker tablecloths, disposable big red paper cups, tableware and chopsticks are specially designed for disinfection. The kitchen in the outer room of the banquet table must be a temporary structure. The large pots and large pots are set on fire. The pomp and the atmosphere are no less than the back kitchen of a large hotel. The equipment is just simple. Several aunts were squatting next to them, guarding a large basin of water, waiting to wash the dishes, so that the dishes could be reused smoothly. Because today's flowing banquet goes on and on all day long, and the meal time is not fixed. If you don't get in line this time, you will have to wait for the next one. I have attended open-air banquets before, or sat in makeshift tents. This time it was okay, because it rained non-stop the day before, and God gave us a sunny day on the wedding day. Otherwise, the muddy road would have been difficult to play on, and passing the dishes would have been a problem.
We have finished the morning feast, and the bride has not yet been picked up from the neighboring village. In the middle of the afternoon, the groom's parents and uncles and aunts put on bright dresses, tall hats, and heavy makeup, mainly red blush and lipstick, showing off their domineering appearance. Several men wore long blond wigs. With the sound of gongs and drums, they set out from the door of their house and walked to the entrance of the village to pick up the bride.
Along the way, people played suona, beat big drums, carried sedan chairs, and carried big robes on their backs, like a dance team or a drama crew. Children laughed and chased each other. Many people were chasing each other in the city. The adults who came did not see this grand celebration ceremony, and the villagers would follow behind to see the excitement.
After taking a few turns on the big and small field roads, we finally received a row of wedding cars with pink flowers on the main road. The beautiful bride was sitting on a bright red quilt and the groom's father ran into the sedan. Then the trumpet sounded and she walked home happily.
The convoy that goes to pick up the bride should be fully loaded. When they get home, all kinds of hard goods are taken out of the car. The dowry given to the bride is no less than the gift that goes to pick up the bride. There were two chickens jumping around, two huge fish, two big red wooden boxes carried on a pole, and many more. I didn’t understand what they meant. As for having a wedding ceremony, it is something that young people born in the 1990s are excited about. As a married person born in the 1980s, I feel that they are completely out of step with the times.
Many young people do not understand the local customs. The etiquette still used by the elders in the village was an eye-opener for us. When hosting banquets in rural areas, the emphasis is on being happy, generous and joyful. When a family holds a banquet, the whole village will help, and neighbors will send gifts to cheer for them. They will have a lively wedding banquet, join in the fun, eat well, and take gift bags home.
After finishing the afternoon meal of flowing water, it was almost evening. This is the time to harvest the fruits. The golden rice in the field is ripe and overwhelming. We can't take it away, but we went to pick heavy persimmons from the trees, moved several large pumpkins to the field, and harvested a large area in the vegetable field. , the neighbor also gave me a bag full of freshly picked edamame, as well as peppers, loofah, chrysanthemum leaves, coriander, and carrot leaves that I picked myself. It’s short, not to mention the edible sweet potato leaves.
The sky is getting dark, and the farmhouse music is also turned on at night. The headlights are turned on brightly at the door, and the women with heavy makeup and poor three-point styles are performing on the temporary stage set up. This is a common refined and popular appreciation in rural areas. Perhaps only at this time can we legitimately watch a "performance". The vulgarity and elegance that cannot be put on the stage have a reasonable reason to be displayed. It is indeed an indispensable folk art. The villagers can feast their eyes on it and the excitement lasts until late at night.
Although I did not grow up in a rural area, I feel a little envious when I see a peaceful and comfortable state. Take this wedding banquet to experience a beautiful and different kind of short life. I like the process of picking, the delicious fresh vegetables, the delicious farm rice, the harmonious coexistence of neighbors who believe in love, the endless rice fields, and the four directions. Fang's farmyard likes the quiet dark nights, but he doesn't like the natural and simple farmhouse toilet outside the house. However, if it is for freedom, this item can also be thrown away.
The fragmented experiences in life inject freshness into the ordinary life, and a wonderful flavoring allows us to experience different scenery.
Just like the meaning of travel, it allows us to misunderstand life. In this life, we are all passers-by without responsibility, relaxed bystanders, and strangers full of expectations.
And don’t we all like to blend into such excitement and appreciate other people’s happy lives alone?