Chapter 781 – Wedding
Xun Suji forced his head up—it was splitting. He'd drunk too much at last night's party. The cocktails went down easy without feeling strong; he'd guzzled every variety available, and by the time Wen Desi gave his speech, he was already passed out at the table. He'd missed the entire entertainment program afterward—supposedly S-rank maids had danced "Nobody" and "Gee Gee." Clumsy as it was, the performance had the otaku crowd raving.
Now all he could do was sit on the bed and listen to Mo Xiao'an's recap. Mo Xiao'an was to be his best man at the wedding.
"That good—" Xun Suji was drooling a solid foot down his chin. "What else?"
Afterward, Mo Xiao'an continued, a certain male elder's girlfriend—a female elder—had taken the stage to sing "The Blue Danube Waltz," dancing as she sang. Her miniskirt swirled; though she wore safety shorts, her pale thighs kept flashing before the crowd of otakus, drawing wild cheers—except from a certain boyfriend with a very unhappy expression.
"Damn—" Xun Suji buried his face in his hands. "Stop."
"It's fine. You're about to consummate your wedding night," Mo Xiao'an consoled him. "Thighs—every woman has them."
"What's a wedding night…" Xun Suji said miserably. "Some things, once missed, are gone forever." Young female elders naturally suited otaku tastes better than any bride.
"Get real," Mo Xiao'an said. "The quality will only improve from here. Besides, female-elder cosplay isn't that great."
"What?!" Xun Suji jumped to his feet, then his legs gave out and he collapsed back down. "Cosplay?"
"Yep, cosplay," Mo Xiao'an said. "Dead or Alive…"
"Good Lord!"
"—was rejected for being too risqué."
"Damn, don't string me along like that." Xun Suji groaned. "Fine, they can cosplay next time."
"Xiao Pei cosplayed Mai Shiranui."
"Mm-hm, just her outfit was hot enough." Xun Suji reminisced—Pei Lixiu had been the most eye-catching person in the whole venue.
"And, you know, Sister Pei really delivered: no pantyhose, no leggings. The brothers confirmed—definitely went straight with a thong!"
"Holy moly." Xun Suji's face was a mix of envy and regret.
"Ha ha, a few naturalized citizens and natives had nosebleeds gushing like fountains," Mo Xiao'an said cheerfully. "Though someone asked if this might give them the impression we're 'debauched'…"
"They don't know squat! To those natives, female elders in miniskirts are already 'indecent'!" Xun Suji scoffed. "If we cater to native sensibilities on everything, what kind of revolution are we running? Changing customs begins with shortening skirts!"
"Hear, hear." Mo Xiao'an nodded vigorously and continued. "There was also Biko cosplay. Pan Pan and Mendoza came out too. I didn't catch what they were cosplaying, but the skirts were short enough—Western mares have great legs…"
"Aaargh—" Xun Suji flopped facedown into his pillow.
"Pity," Mo Xiao'an concluded regretfully. "Old Fang's concept was good, but the costumes and props were a bit off. Thrown together last minute—passable at best."
"Still beats no girls." Xun Suji thought about all the excitement he'd missed and felt supremely dejected, no longer wanting to get out of bed.
"You'd better get up, take a shower, and tidy up. You're the groom today." Mo Xiao'an prodded him. "You've got to go fetch the bride soon."
"My head hurts."
"Headache or not, you're still the groom. Get up."
Under Mo Xiao'an's relentless prodding, Xun Suji reluctantly rose. Mo Xiao'an called Kim Hee-sun in: "Get your master dressed up properly."
Kim Hee-sun was festively dressed and looking very spruce today. She wore a "Neo-Hanfu" women's outfit from the "New Hanfu Atlas" released by the newly registered Huaxia Society—organized by Liu Zheng and others as a "Sinocentrist" association. The outfit was essentially modern women's clothing with Hanfu elements. The pattern was designed and cut by Zheng Shangjie from the atlas; it was made in the special-production division of the garment factory under Mo Xiao'an's jurisdiction, with absolutely top-tier materials and craftsmanship.
She wore twin buns crowned with a ring of little red flowers and a full set of jewelry. Smiling, she came in and curtseyed to Xun Suji: "Congratulations to the Chief on your happy occasion."
Xun Suji seemed unable to meet her gaze; his eyes wandered as he laughed awkwardly: "Good, good, good." Though he had fantasized daily about enjoying the blessing of multiple wives, now that it was truly happening, he felt a bit uneasy—as if he were wronging Kim Hee-sun.
Still, although Liu Meilan was no beauty, she was tall and slim-waisted, with ample bosom and hips—physically far more advantageous than the petite, thin Kim Hee-sun. So he was quite eager.
For work convenience, Xun Suji had always lived in the food-factory office. Now, getting married, he couldn't stay there any longer. As someone about to wed, he was among the first eligible for a housing lottery in Bairen New Town and had drawn a medium-sized unit.
Decorating and furnishing were handled by the General Office after he picked styles—he didn't have to worry about any of it. For the wedding ceremony, Wu Shimang had tried to hold it in Bairen Cathedral, pitching its services: organ accompaniment, children's choir, a priest to administer vows…
"If you want Western flair, I'll summon a European priest just to marry you! Pick any of the four priests! Or if you don't like Westerners, I, the college director, will officiate!"
Xun Suji was neutral—a church wedding would be nice; the atmosphere was good. But the "Huaxia Society" immediately objected, calling it kowtowing to the West for a non-believer to marry in a church. Xun Suji hadn't expected his wedding to become a "political correctness" issue. To avoid controversy, he decided to hold the ceremony at the Commercial Hall auditorium.
Wedding invitations didn't go to all elders—first, the venue couldn't hold them all; second, he didn't know most of them. A wedding was, after all, a private affair. He sent invitations only to elders he knew and had dealings with. The rest received a packet of wedding candy and pastries. Xun Suji disliked leader-speeches, so he didn't invite Executive Committee members like Wen and Ma.
"You should invite Xiao Zishan from the General Office," Mo Xiao'an reminded him. "He handles elders' daily life affairs. He contributed a lot to your wedding, and you'll have lots to consult him about after you're settled."
"Of course, of course." Xun Suji nodded vigorously.
At Liu Family Stockade, lanterns and streamers filled the halls. Word that an elder was marrying into the family had spread everywhere. Whether Liu clansmen or related outsiders, everyone felt immensely proud. After all, Elder Xun wasn't taking a concubine or buying a maid—the Liu daughter was marrying properly as a wife in a red skirt! What other great family in Lingao could claim such an honor?
Liu Youren stood in the decorated main hall, watching his family bustle about, a cryptic smile playing on his face. Liu Meilan's father, from a previously overlooked distant branch, was now the envy of all. Today he wore newly tailored clothes, beaming from ear to ear.
Liu Youren had always intended to make a grand affair of this wedding. Since Liu Meilan was only a grand-niece—a distant relation—he feared the elders might see him as "offering someone else's flowers." So months earlier, he had formally adopted Liu Meilan as his granddaughter. He had also prepared an exceptionally generous dowry—including four maids. In Lingao, where the gender ratio was severely skewed, just those four young maids represented a significant gesture.
"That's not appropriate," said Zhang Youfu, who was handling go-between duties. "I heard Chief Xiao say the elders' apartments aren't big. If you send four maids, there may be no place for them."
"If not maids, then more gold and silver." Liu Youren was troubled. Typically, a bride's dowry included jewelry, clothing, fabrics, and large amounts of household goods and utensils. Fastidious families would buy these from Qiongshan or even Guangzhou. But Australian-made wares were exquisite beyond compare; even expensive Guangzhou goods might not catch their eye.
Yet gold and silver weren't common in Lingao either. Landlords were rich in grain—but you couldn't use grain as dowry. Liu Youren thought and thought but couldn't decide what to give. Finally, his clan nephew and secretary Liu Guangbiao suggested: give a hundred mu of paddy fields. Liu Youren felt that wasn't enough and added two hundred mu of hilly slopes.
"Uncle! Those two hundred mu of slopes have nothing but grass on them…" Liu Guangbiao worried—would this anger Chief Xun?
"No matter! With the Tiandihui, even the Meitai Flats can grow grain. He won't lose out." Liu Youren was confident.
This was an impressive gesture, among the best in Lingao. Though Liu Youren ached to part with those hundreds of mu, his heart was set on "riding the dragon." As long as he could cement this marriage alliance with an elder now, future glory was assured!
"They appreciate Meilan now. In the future, it may be that only commoner girls will catch their eye," Liu Youren observed.
"Well said, Uncle."
The wedding followed the House's "changing customs" principle, simplifying the ceremony considerably. Matching horoscopes, selecting auspicious hours, bowing to heaven and earth—all abolished. Xun Suji didn't want the tediousness anyway. Though the Liu family grumbled privately, they didn't dare contradict the elders' wishes. Aside from the customary invitation rituals, the wedding proceeded 21st-century style. The Executive Committee lent the Hongqi carriage for the bridal procession.
(End of Chapter)