The road back was similar, but with Zhang Guifang, the pregnant woman, in the car, they didn't dare to drive too fast, especially the section from the town into the village, proceeding with caution.
Fortunately, the wedding car was good, and Chen He's driving skills were also adequate. Although slow, it was very stable.
Upon returning to the village, a large red inflatable arch had been erected at the entrance. Inside, a long, arched corridor had been set up, with tables lining the area. Several chefs, bare-chested and with cigarettes dangling from their lips, were busily working on the side.
As they arrived at the house, their aunt, who had been sitting in the vehicle behind holding a red umbrella, walked over to the wedding car. She opened the red umbrella and held it high to shield Zhang Guifang, followed by a little girl from her family trailing behind, holding onto her skirt.
Considering Zhang Guifang's condition, many customary rituals were waived. After crossing the brazier and entering the house, they offered tea, received jewelry and red envelopes, and then proceeded to the bridal chamber.
Of course, there was one ritual that couldn't be omitted: the rolling of the bed.
Liang Minfeng's two young nephews were already in the bridal bed, rolling from head to foot and back again, three times in total. The implication, naturally, was a wish for an early birth of sons.
Although it carried a certain implication of favoring sons over daughters, it added to the festive atmosphere of the wedding and expressed people's aspirations for a better life.
The origin of the bed rolling ritual was a legend passed down by word of mouth. It was said that in ancient times, in the vast Guandong region, the population was sparse, and labor was predominantly male. Families with fewer men held lower status, and without sufficient labor, they would starve. Therefore, every household hoped for prosperity in male offspring.
However, a family surnamed Zhao had six daughters consecutively. In those times, failing to have a boy meant not only no one to care for them in their old age but also constant criticism from villagers, driving those with weaker emotional resilience to commit suicide by drowning in wells.
One noon, the Zhao woman, after working diligently, fell asleep and had a dream. In her dream, she received guidance, and consequently, she threw her brother's twin sons onto the kang and had them roll three times.
To their surprise, she then gave birth to a pair of twin sons. This event caused a stir in the village, spreading from one to ten, then to a hundred. The practice of rolling with boys to bear sons became popular, eventually evolving into a custom.
When the banquet began, Chen He and Li Dehai were ecstatic. Since they would be driving Zhang Guifang's relatives back to the city, they were legitimately exempt from drinking. This heavy responsibility then fell upon Li Haochen.
Of course, as a groomsman, he couldn't escape the duty of drinking to toast. Those local farmers were like wine amphorae, and under the onslaught, Li Haochen's steps became unsteady, and intoxication began to take hold.
Fortunately, the village wasn't large, and only about ten people were drinking. If it were a larger village, without playing humble, they could drink you into the hospital.
Even so, by the end of the banquet, Li Haochen's eyes were half-closed, and he could barely stand, muttering, "Come, cheers... cheers!"
The wedding car was a large seven-seater, offering ample space. On the way back, they simply tossed the drunken Li Haochen into the back row to fend for himself.
Driving on such a secluded country road at night was unsettling. The surroundings were too quiet, and they dared not drive fast, which was truly eerie. They were terrified that people might suddenly appear to waylay them, forcing Chen He and Liu Dehui, who were driving, to maintain extreme focus.
Fortunately, the journey was safe. After more than an hour, they finally turned onto the national highway, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Back at the hotel, it took quite some effort to get Li Haochen inside. It was fortunate that Chen He and Liu Dehui were there; otherwise, relying on Murong Yanran and the other women would have been quite a challenge.
"Ugh~~!"
The next morning, Li Haochen was in agony in his room, hunched over the toilet and retching uncontrollably. The room was filled with a strong, sour, and foul odor.
"How are you?"
Murong Yanran asked with concern, gently stroking Li Haochen's back.
"Ugh... spit, spit..."
After vomiting three times and bringing up bile, Li Haochen's face turned pale, his mouth dry, bitter, and foul. He took the tissues from Murong Yanran, wiped his mouth, washed his face, and felt slightly better.
"I'm feeling a bit better, don't worry."
"Remember to keep some hangover medicine handy from now on. If you feel unwell, just don't drink."
Men had to socialize and drink; she couldn't tell Li Haochen not to drink at all, so she could only ask him to be more careful in the future.
After washing up and drinking some water, he felt a little better, though his body was very weak after the heavy vomiting.
Not long after, they all went down to the hotel lobby to check out. Chen He and the others were beaming, suggesting they must have had a very deep and lively conversation the night before.
"Haochen, what's wrong with you? Your face is pale, and your lips are white. Don't tell me last night..."
"Eight times a lover!"
"I did ten, with the toilet. Want to give it a try?"
Li Haochen retorted irritably and then slumped onto the lobby sofa. He was indeed exhausted; even now, he occasionally felt a churn in his stomach, burping out the smell of alcohol and stomach acid, and even the sweat that broke out seemed to have an alcoholic content.
"Alright, let's go!"
After completing the check-out procedures, they drove around the city for a while before finding a decent-looking restaurant.
As soon as they sat down and looked at the menu, they regretted it. They flipped through it, but nothing appealed to them. However, since they were already seated, it felt awkward to leave. Moreover, Li Haochen wasn't feeling well, so they settled for a bowl of preserved egg and lean meat congee along with a few dishes.
After the meal, there weren't many attractions worth visiting. They discussed it and decided to head back.
The journey back was tough for Chen He and Liu Dehui. With no one to share the driving, even though they took a break at a service area, the more than ten-hour drive was exhausting, requiring them to remain mentally alert the entire time.
The journey was safe, and they finally arrived back in Binhai a little after six in the morning.
The feeling of being home was truly different, comfortable.
Li Haochen was extremely sleepy and went straight to his room to sleep. Murong Yanran, on the other hand, had slept in the car and was now in the kitchen preparing lunch for Li Haochen, knowing he wouldn't wake up until at least noon.
As expected, Li Haochen woke up nearly two o'clock, yawning sleepily. He stretched, and as soon as he stood up, his phone began to ring incessantly.
"Liu Qinghe?"
Seeing the caller ID on his phone, Li Haochen was taken aback and answered, "Director Liu, I just saw a magpie fly into the house, and your call comes right after. Is there any good news? Hahaha!"
"Haochen, it's good news of sorts. An association in Hong Kong and Macau wants to invite two fishing masters from the mainland to participate in their annual charity fishing competition. All the catch will be purchased by philanthropists at twice the local price. Half will be awarded as prize money to the contestants, and the other half will go towards supporting public welfare. I want you to go, what do you say?"
"Oh, really? When would that be, and for how many days?"
"We leave the day after tomorrow, for just three days."
"That's so tight, I haven't even gotten a permit yet. I don't think I can make it."
"Don't worry about the permit. If you agree, I'll help you get the documents by tomorrow, hehe!"
"Then... alright."