country bumpkin

Chapter 93 Engagement Banquet

Everyone rode the tractor and slowly made their way to the city.

The driver drove directly to the hotel entrance. It was a large, luxuriously decorated hotel.

After getting off the tractor, everyone looked at the hotel in front of them with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness in their eyes.

Uncle scratched his head and muttered to himself, "Such a high-class place? This is my first time in one."

At this moment, the hotel doorman saw this group of people dressed simply, even with a hint of dirt on them, and a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes, but he still mechanically opened the door.

Upon entering the lobby, the crystal chandelier is dazzling, and the marble floor is so smooth it reflects light like a mirror.

The receptionist politely asked them if they had an appointment.

Lin Junhui walked over and said, "Hello, we have reserved two private rooms: 'Reunion and Happiness' and 'Good Health and Happiness'."

The receptionist called a waiter to lead everyone to the private room.

The private rooms are all on the second floor; the lobby on the first floor is for fast food, and there aren't many large tables.

Upon reaching the second floor, we quickly found two private rooms, adjacent to each other. The first thing we saw was a dazzling crystal chandelier, like fallen stars casting a warm yellow glow.

Underfoot, a thick, handmade Persian carpet is embroidered with intricate patterns, absorbing sound and adding a touch of luxury.

In the reception area, European leather sofas surround a black and gold stone coffee table, on which fresh flowers bloom and emit a subtle fragrance.

The European-style reliefs on the feature wall are exquisite and delicate, telling a story of classical charm.

Along the corridor, walnut wood wainscoting gleams with a warm luster, and the occasional wall lamps are like bright pearls.

The guest room doors are made of carved solid wood with antique bronze handles, giving them a dignified and elegant feel.

One room was for male guests, and the other room was reserved for women.

Song Shiyue was already waiting in the women's private room. When she saw Kong Xiufang and her family, she greeted them warmly.

She served them tea and water with great attentiveness. She invited Mu Shuyun to sit down and chatted with her about everyday matters.

In the men's private room, besides Lin Junhui, his uncles, Kong Tongming, and his wife's family, the driver also sat with them.

The table was a bit large, and not many people came. After a while, the matchmaker arrived. Everyone knew each other, and Sun Zitao and his wife greeted the bride's family.

Kong Xiujuan brought her child with her. Mu Shuyun was overjoyed to see her granddaughter and grandson.

The children called her "Grandma" sweetly. Then she turned around and greeted her uncle and aunt.

Mu Shuyun and Song Shiyue sat very close together, chatting happily, as if they had known each other for a long time.

Mu Shuyun said, "My dear sister-in-law, there's no need to come to such a luxurious hotel. It's a bit too much of a waste."

Song Shiyue said, "It's no trouble at all. Xiufang is such a good girl, she deserves the best."

Mu Shuyun smiled happily, it was rare for her in-laws to value her daughter so much.

Kong Xiujuan and Song Shiyue are neighbors. Although they are both busy and don't see each other often, they know each other and understand each other's character.

After exchanging a few more polite words, the waiters began serving the dishes.

The dishes were served one by one, each one like a fine work of art.

The women kept exclaiming in amazement, the children ate happily, and the men loudly praised the abundance of the dishes.

The 26 dishes filled the entire table, and they were all delicious and visually appealing.

Just as everyone was enjoying their meal, a melodious tune suddenly drifted in.

It turned out to be a performance specially arranged by the hotel. A young woman dressed in gorgeous clothes walked slowly over while playing the pipa.

Everyone stopped eating and stared in astonishment; such a scene was quite rare.

After the performance, everyone picked up their chopsticks again.

Uncle exclaimed, "We country folk have never seen anything like this before. Today is truly an eye-opener."

Everyone agreed.

Halfway through the meal, Lin Junhui stood up, raised his glass to toast everyone, and expressed his gratitude for attending the banquet.

Then others followed suit, and the atmosphere became lively and extraordinary.

After a satisfying meal, everyone sat in the private room and chatted for a while, sharing interesting stories from their lives.

Feeling that they had almost finished eating, Lin Junhui took a red envelope and gave Kong Xiufang a betrothal gift.

A thick, bulging red envelope was handed to Kong Xiufang. She took it and weighed it in her hand; it was quite heavy.

"Looks like quite a lot of money," Lin Junhui said. "Xiufang, this is 2888 yuan, which means that both families will prosper together."

Kong Xiufang didn't expect him to take out so much money. At first, the two of them agreed that 1600 yuan would be enough!

In rural areas, the average family receives 1600 yuan, unless it's a marriage arrangement or the man in the family has some health issues, in which case they might receive around 2000 yuan.

Kong Xiufang accepted the money and expressed her gratitude. She was also very happy, as she felt that her mother-in-law and he valued her highly, and that she had brought honor to her family.

After giving the money, Lin Junhui went around to the men's and women's tables to offer toasts. Everyone ate and drank their fill, chatting happily.

Finally, everyone left the hotel satisfied and took a tractor home, still savoring the unforgettable feast all the way.

The three main appliances I ordered had already been purchased and delivered to the old house. These included a single-door refrigerator, a single-tub washing machine, and a black-and-white television.

These add up to 2300 yuan. That doesn't even include clothes and shoes.

This engagement has left JJ Lin penniless. All the money he's saved over the years is gone.

However, Song Shiyue's treasure box hasn't been touched yet, and the wedding will be another big expense. They'll have to use the money in the box.

Kong Xiufang also went back; she would be helping with the baby's birth banquet tomorrow, another busy day ahead.

When Lin Junhui returned home, he and Song Shiyue discussed how much money they had left and how much they would need for the wedding. They needed to have a rough estimate so they wouldn't be caught off guard.

The tractor rushed back to Kongjia Village, covered in dust from the journey.

Everyone raved about the engagement party.

As soon as I arrived at the village entrance, I saw several of the village's most notorious gossips chatting.

Granny Zhang quickly asked Mu Shuyun, "Old sister, how was the engagement banquet? Where did you eat?"

Before Mu Shuyun could speak, her aunt interrupted, "Tsk tsk~ The engagement banquet was held at the Huaguo Hotel in the city. The scene and the atmosphere were so magnificent and luxurious."

Granny Wang gaped in disbelief.

He quickly added, "The food at such a luxurious hotel must be delicious!"

My aunt said with a look of enjoyment, "Of course, it has to be delicious. There are several dishes that I've never seen before, and some are even carved. There's also roasted lamb leg, sea cucumber, beef ribs, Peking duck, braised pork knuckle... a whole table full of dishes, some of which we can't even name."

My cousins ​​couldn't help but smack their lips as they listened, as if they could see that table of food again and were reminiscing about it!

Granny Zhang's eyes lit up with envy, and she smacked her lips, saying, "Oh dear, I really want to go and see for myself."

Old Wang, standing nearby, said sourly, "Hmph, what's so great about it? It's just a meal. Who knows how much debt they must be in to put on such a grand show."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked somewhat embarrassed.

Mu Shuyun frowned and retorted, "The Lin family treats Xiufang with sincerity, so this money is well spent."

Upon hearing this, Kong Xiufang's second brother also puffed out his chest and said, "My sister will definitely live a happy life in the future. Her husband's family values ​​her very much."

Just then, a child ran up from the east end of the village shouting, "Oh no! Oh no! Grandma Wang's cow has run off and is ruining the crops!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately put aside the topic of the engagement banquet. The men grabbed their utensils and headed east, while the women followed behind, chattering excitedly, ready to see if they could offer any assistance.

Kong Xiangdong waved his hand and said softly, "I'll go take a look too, you guys go home first."

Mu Shuyun and Kong Tongming nodded and went home.

The two middle-aged men who had been listening to the gossip also ran towards the east of the village with the crowd. The village entrance, which had just been filled with envy and jealousy, was instantly filled with an urgent atmosphere of needing to resolve the emergency.

Granny Wang figured it probably wasn't her family's cow. But in this alley, only her family had the surname Wang, and there weren't many families with cows. After thinking for a moment, she followed the crowd and ran off.