Chapter 984 Dowry

When Han Li and his friends came back from the Yun family, they found that the people under the cook Liang had already built the wedding tent. This wedding tent directly blocked more than half of the Mianhua Hutong. People could walk and ride bicycles from the side, but carts and cars could not.

However, weddings and funerals were like this for everyone, and there were only two days, so no one would jump out to say anything.

Even so, Han's mother didn't want her son's wedding to have any flaws. If a toad jumped out, it would not bite people but it would be disgusting.

So Han's mother greeted her colleagues in the street office early and asked them to stand by while the wedding tent was being built. Han's original greeting became an order after the leaders of the street office came today, and several department heads were sitting by the stove next to the wedding tent.

Han Li parked the car far away and walked towards home. Along the way, he greeted the neighbors and his mother's colleagues, smoked cigarettes, and was teased to the front door of his own street.

Hou Huidong and his team also built their tents. All the things in the Han sisters' rooms were moved in. The first big tent was already full of people.

Full of people? Yes, it was full. Even so, there were still many people who couldn't sit down and gathered under the wall to bask in the sun and chat.

There were Han Li's neighbors, childhood friends, junior and high school classmates, companions when he joined the team, university classmates, students who were trained at the Beijing Hotel, and friends who met during the competition at Beijing Foreign Studies University. These people were all selected by Han Li and notified.

However, there were also some uninvited people. These people were some students Han Li met when he was teaching in the lecture hall, and some students in his German class.

There were also some children of leaders in their fathers and mothers' units. These people were originally just friends who greeted each other, but now they all came to help as old friends.

But no matter what, Han Li had to go over and greet them.

Han Li smoked a circle of cigarettes outside the street gate and came into the yard with a sour smile on his face.

At this time, three stoves, two large and one small, were built under the south wall of the courtyard. In the big pot on one stove, meatballs were being boiled, and there were tofu and carp waiting to be fried next to it.

On top of the other big pot were layers of steaming steamers, which steamed buns. The small stove was used to stir-fry hot dishes and had not yet been used.

The rooms of the Han sisters had become a very lively kitchen preparation center. In one room were placed various ingredients and materials used during the wedding banquet.

These ingredients had been counted by both parties. Now, the chef Liang and his trusted apprentices controlled and prepared the materials here. During this period, if the boss increased the dishes, the amount of dishes, and the table size, it would not be counted. On the contrary, if there was a shortage, even if the boss did not care, the people around who helped would count it on the chef.

In this era where everything had to be carefully calculated, especially during the most difficult years, even the factory canteens with tens of thousands of people were used to the days of producing a few dishes with a pound of cabbage and a pound of potatoes.

If there is a shortage, whether it is due to miscalculation by the chefs or the internal staff's carelessness, it will be a very embarrassing thing for the chefs, so only confidants can hold the key to this room.

The other room was divided into two groups. One group was cutting meat and vegetables, and they were preparing for today's lunch.

The other group was kneading dough and making steamed buns. In order to meet the needs of the next two days, the steamed buns on the layers of steamers outside were not enough.

The parents' room was basically full of elderly women with children. Han Li entered and said hello and left Ding Yulan.

There were more people in Han Li's own room, including the leaders of the street office, the leaders of the bus company, and President Wen of Yanda, Teacher Niu, Teacher Zhang, etc.

Han Li stayed here until the people outside called for dinner, and there was a big pot of cooking at noon.

Everyone took their bowls to the pot and the cook served them the dishes. Then they took the steamed buns from the side. Some found a place to sit and eat, while others squatted outside by the wall with their bowls. However, most of them squatted together in the sun to eat and chat.

According to the custom of Sijiucheng, and the agreement of both parents, the woman's side would come to deliver the dowry (accompaniment box) this afternoon, so after lunch, everyone got busy under the urging of the steward.

This is the custom of Sijiucheng. On the first day of a woman's marriage, she will deliver the dowry. Male guests (four to eight people) will be invited to deliver the dowry sent by her family to the man's family.

This situation can be said to be quite grand in Sijiucheng. This is not only an opportunity to prove the strength of the woman's family, but also an opportunity to put pressure on the man's family and the surrounding neighbors.

At this time, the neighbors will come out to watch. If the items sent by the woman do not keep up with the trend at that time, the neighbors will talk about it in secret, and the man will not have much face.

But if the gifts from the bride's family are quite outstanding, not only will the groom be proud, but the neighbors will also look up to the bride, and it will be easier to deal with her in the future.

Although this custom has existed since ancient times, it was expanded countless times during the pre-pseudo-dynasty period under the influence of the Manchu custom of attaching importance to "aunties".

At that time, many families with means began to prepare dowries for their daughters as soon as they were born. Gold-skin cabinets, silver-skin boxes, tiger-skin chairs, and ivory beds were nothing. The land, shops, and number of slaves were what they showed off.

What about ordinary families? Let's eat it cold. If a hard-hearted family gives birth to a girl, she will give it away to someone, in the fields or in the river. There is always a place to give it away.

Those families with a soft heart will grit their teeth and keep it alive. When they encounter a shortage of money, they can sell it for some money and food. Otherwise, most of them will raise a dowry for their daughter by increasing the betrothal gift, but the betrothal gift is very difficult. Unreliable, this is also the origin of "losing money".

However, this situation has improved a lot after liberation, especially during the most difficult years. The custom of comparing and giving dowries is no longer common.

However, the quality of life of people in Forty-Nine City has improved in recent years. No one dares to talk about things like land and shops, but the girl’s parents will accompany her as much as possible and give her something, so that her daughter can live a better life and be loved. A good look from the in-laws and neighbors is better than anything else.

This is why this year a family with two married daughters in Mianmian Hutong gave away six sets of bedding, as well as large items such as televisions and electric fans.

——

At about two o'clock in the afternoon, the Yun family was led by Yun Chengpeng and two middle-aged men, as well as several relatives and neighbors, a total of eight people, driving a jeep and three gasoline-powered cars produced by Sijiucheng. The wheel set off from home.

Shu Yongjie and Mai Zhijun, who were sent here to keep an eye on their convoy, noticed it before their motorcade turned into Mianmian Hutong. The two of them ran into the alley, shouting as they ran.

"The dowry sender from the sister-in-law's family is here."

"The dowry senders from the sister-in-law's family are here, and they will enter the alley soon."

The voices of Shu Yongjie and Mai Zhijun caused the stewards in the wedding shed to immediately start to organize themselves. While notifying the hospital that the courtyard was ready, they sent someone to greet them with cigarettes.

At this time, the neighbors in the alley also came out of their warm homes, because Han Li could be said to be the most promising person in the entire alley in recent years, and everyone also wanted to know what his wife had given her at home.