Chapter 300: A Small Favor
The key issues like the dowry and cash gifts had already been settled beforehand; today, they were discussing details about picking up the bride two days from now.
The bride's family didn't live far away, just three to five kilometers down the road.
The family had barely sat down for a casual chat when the bride's relatives arrived. A small black sedan pulled up at the front gate, and seven people stepped out. Two had squeezed into the front passenger seat, four in the back, plus the driver.
Li Tang glanced at the small sedan curiously. It wasn't particularly spacious; how had they managed to fit everyone inside? He stepped closer to the car, peering inside with curiosity.
Fan Heguang quickly approached the guests, handing out cigarettes and introducing them to Li Tang and Lin Feiming, "These are Yan'er's uncles, aunts, and her brother and sister-in-law."
They all entered the house and exchanged polite small talk. After a few casual exchanges, the bride's uncle spoke up, "Since our two families live close together, we both know the usual procedures. But we still thought it better to come by and clarify a few things. The day after tomorrow, please send some people over early to pick up Yan'er's belongings. This represents her becoming part of your family."
"Yes, of course," someone immediately agreed.
"And the following day, bring along the dowry and everything else we agreed upon. Come at six in the morning to take the bride home."
"We know the procedures well. We've arranged many weddings for young people; there won't be any problems," the groom's relatives replied with friendly smiles.
"The two families live close together, so we usually hold separate banquets at each family's home simultaneously. But there's a small matter we need to discuss today," the bride's uncle continued.
"Oh, go ahead."
"Initially, we agreed that each family would hold the banquet at home. We have enough cooks and helpers from the village. However, there's a new development. Yan'er's brother works at the Tax Bureau, and since they're on holiday, his colleagues and supervisors want to attend the wedding. It's a great honor to have them, but it's inconvenient to host these important guests at home. So, we were thinking: why don't both families hold the banquet together at a restaurant in the city?"
In the past, everyone in the village had their weddings at home, neighbors helping each other in festive unity. Recently, some wealthier families had begun hosting banquets in restaurants, which was more convenient but also significantly more expensive.
If the family had enough savings, it wasn't a problem. But for those living paycheck to paycheck, it was a considerable burden.
Li Tang's aunt's family ran a small convenience store and earned just enough to get by. Fan Heguang himself worked as a laborer in the city, so hosting dozens of tables at a restaurant would undoubtedly strain their finances.
His older siblings each had their own families to support, leaving limited means to help financially.
Li Xiuqin glanced nervously at her husband. This was a delicate matter, and all the relatives present waited silently for her decision.
She coughed awkwardly and suggested, "How about your family hosts the banquet at a restaurant, and we'll keep ours at home? Our relatives and friends live nearby; they can easily help us out."
"But nowadays, young people prefer grander weddings. Hosting it in a restaurant would allow relatives and friends from both sides to properly witness the ceremony," the bride's uncle persisted, glancing toward a younger man beside him. "Besides, Yan'er's brother is at a crucial point in his career. Hosting the wedding in town would help him leave a good impression on his colleagues and superiors."
Clearly, this suggestion was mainly to uphold the family's dignity and social standing. Hosting the banquet in the village, with its muddy roads—especially if it rained—could leave guests with a poor impression.
"That's true," Li Xiuqin reluctantly agreed.
At home, she called the shots, as her husband tended to remain quiet. She knew this request was unexpected and felt pressured by the sudden extra expense, even though she understood the bride's family's intentions.
"If finances are tight for hosting at the restaurant, we've thought it over. We'll cover the bride's banquet costs ourselves," the bride's uncle offered sympathetically.
They, too, felt somewhat embarrassed by changing the arrangement at the last minute.
"My sister is getting married; I'll cover her banquet expenses," Yan'er's brother added generously. His job at the Tax Bureau provided stability, lending his words confidence.
However, hearing this offer unexpectedly strengthened Li Xiuqin's resolve. She straightened up and said firmly, "A wedding is our responsibility. How could we let the bride's family pay for their own banquet? Since it's come to this, let's host both banquets together in the restaurant."
"Hosting at a restaurant is convenient, too. We just tell them the number of tables, and everything is prepared. Guests arrive, eat comfortably, and leave without trouble."
"Yes, we'll do that," Li Xiuqin agreed decisively, though her heart ached at the thought of the expenses. "Have you decided on the restaurant yet?"
"He knows more about good restaurants since he works in the city," the bride's uncle pointed at the young man.
"There's a good restaurant near my office," the bride's brother answered promptly. "My coworkers can conveniently attend."
"Alright," Li Xiuqin agreed, though her voice trembled slightly at the anticipated cost—hosting dozens of tables could easily reach thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan.
"Nowadays, weddings usually have a convoy to pick up the bride," the bride's aunt suddenly interjected.
In previous generations, wedding processions involved carrying the bride in a sedan chair or bringing gifts by ox-cart, accompanied by drums and gongs. Recently, however, it had become fashionable to use cars.
Initially, the groom's family had planned to use motorcycles, common enough among villagers. Alternatively, there were some tractors in the village, though they were noisy.
"Convoys are for rich people," someone quickly objected. "We've prepared a traditional sedan chair already. Heguang's friends have agreed to carry it. That's the proper tradition."
"Exactly," others nodded. "Cars are for longer distances."
"But if we're hosting the banquet in town, it's quite far. We can't exactly walk," the bride's family pointed out reasonably.
Everyone fell silent again, waiting for Li Xiuqin's decision.
She felt helpless and unsure where she could suddenly find cars. Feeling overwhelmed, she glanced at her brother, Li Zaiqiang, knowing that last year, they'd visited Qianzhou Province and knew he was doing well. He had driven his own car this time.
"That's not a problem at all," Li Zaiqiang spoke confidently. Although he and his sisters had fought endlessly as children, their adult relationship was strong. "Booking a restaurant and arranging cars isn't a big deal. I'll handle it personally later."
The previous year, he'd offered his sisters 100,000 yuan, 50,000 each, but they had refused, accepting only a few hundred yuan for the children.
"Then it's settled," the bride's family agreed happily, unaware of Li Zaiqiang's financial status.
Lunch was served shortly after. As they ate, someone from the nearby construction site came to buy cigarettes. Li Xiuqin left the table, opened a drawer full of small change and a few ten-yuan bills, carefully picked out the larger notes, and went to a wooden cabinet at the back of the house. Unlocking it, she removed a metal box wrapped carefully in layers of cotton cloth at the bottom.
Opening it, she revealed their entire savings from the convenience store over the past few years. She had counted it many times: exactly 7,580 yuan.
In their village, they were considered fairly comfortable compared to many who struggled due to illness or disability.
She counted the money twice, then quietly returned and called softly to her brother at the dining table, "Brother, could you come here for a second?"
"Sure," Li Zaiqiang replied, quickly wiping oily fingers on his trousers and joining his sister. "I noticed you barely ate. Are you worried about money? Don't be."
"You'll need a deposit for the banquet booking, I heard. Take this first. If it's not enough, just tell me," Li Xiuqin said softly, handing him the cloth-wrapped cash. "You're experienced and knowledgeable. I trust you to handle this properly."
Besides the original 7,580 yuan, she had just added another 55 yuan from today's earnings.
She trusted her younger brother completely and handed over all the money without hesitation.
"What?" Li Zaiqiang opened the bundle and took a look inside. He saw a mixture of large bills of one hundred yuan as well as smaller five-yuan notes. It was obviously money painstakingly saved over a very long time.
"This is money for booking the banquet. Just pay the deposit first. If it's not enough, let me know," Li Xiuqin said lightly, trying to appear relaxed, as though she still had plenty of money left.
"Alright." Li Zaiqiang accepted the money without hesitation.
"Nowadays, weddings all have car convoys. Using sedan chairs carried by people doesn't seem appropriate," Li Xiuqin added worriedly. "Usually, the convoys need an even number of cars, like eight or twelve. I really don't know where to find these cars. Go and see if you can rent some in town. The last wedding in our village rented cars from the city."
"Don't worry, leave it to me," Li Zaiqiang assured her confidently.
Li Zaiqiang knew both of his sisters valued dignity highly. If he refused her money, she'd probably assign this important task to someone else. Although his sister was trying hard to hide her worries, he could clearly see the anxiety in her expression. He didn't say anything more.
After lunch, they all planned to visit restaurants in town to select a suitable venue. If they liked the environment, they would book it immediately.
"I'll drive; this is my specialty!" Lin Feiming volunteered eagerly.
Li Zaiqiang, Li Tang, Fan Heguang, and his elder brother Fan Heliang got into the car and headed towards town.
The Tax Bureau was located near the riverside in the city, and next to it was a guesthouse, followed by a large restaurant. Though it wasn't a star-rated hotel, it was spacious enough to host 50 or 60 tables of guests easily.
After speaking briefly with the restaurant manager, they learned the banquet had three price levels: eighty yuan per table, one hundred twenty yuan per table, and two hundred yuan per table. Considering the average income was around a thousand yuan per month, these banquet prices were quite reasonable. If it had been a star-rated hotel, a table would easily cost several hundred yuan.
After discussion, the bride's side felt that the one hundred twenty yuan option was appropriate—not too extravagant, yet respectable enough. The menu was traditional, with a good balance of meat and vegetables, following local customs.
However, Li Zaiqiang immediately decided on the two hundred yuan per table option, booking a total of sixty tables. The total came to twelve thousand yuan. Instead of using the money Li Xiuqin had handed him, he turned to Li Tang and said, "I didn't bring enough cash. Go to the nearby bank and withdraw some money."
He handed his bank card to Li Tang, "The password is your birthday."
"How much should I withdraw?"
"Fifty thousand should be enough," Li Zaiqiang replied, not entirely sure of the exact balance in his account. He had received substantial commissions several times from geological projects Li Tang had passed along, sometimes totaling hundreds of thousands of yuan. After realizing he had enough money, he'd stopped keeping track closely.
"Alright."
On their way here, Li Tang had seen a bank nearby. It took him only a few minutes to get there. After withdrawing the money, his phone rang unexpectedly.
He glanced at the caller ID, noticing it was Zhu Youxin from Hualing Steel.
"President Zhu, hello!" he answered politely.
"Li Tang, right? Are you still in Yanjing, or have you returned home to Guizhou for the holiday?" Zhu Youxin asked warmly.
"I'm in your territory now," Li Tang joked.
"I don't have any 'territory' here," Zhu chuckled. "Building personal factions is strictly prohibited in our group."
"I mean, I'm in Sanxiang Province," Li Tang clarified with a laugh.
"Really?" Zhu Youxin was pleasantly surprised. "Where exactly?"
"I'm in the provincial capital, right near the Tax Bureau, dealing with some family business."
"Look across the river. There's a tall building with the words 'Hualing Steel' on it. Can you see it?"
Li Tang looked up and indeed saw the Hualing Steel headquarters clearly visible across the river, and he couldn't help laughing. "What a coincidence!"
Zhu also laughed heartily, "It must be fate!"
"Do you have some free time today?" Li Tang asked, knowing it would be polite to visit since he was in the same city.
"I'll come over to meet you," Zhu said readily. "I just finished a meeting and haven't had lunch yet. Let me treat you!"
"I've just had lunch," Li Tang rubbed his stomach, which was still full from the meal earlier. The home-cooked chicken dish had been delicious, and he had eaten two bowls of rice.
"Then let's drink tea. Tea houses usually serve some snacks," Zhu suggested.
Shortly afterward, Zhu arrived at the restaurant with his secretary. "Li Tang!" Zhu greeted him warmly.
"President Zhu, you're quick!" Li Tang had just handed over the cash to his father, completing the booking arrangements.
"You didn't even notify me you'd be in my city! If I hadn't called, I'd have never known!" Zhu said, shaking Li Tang's hand enthusiastically. He looked around curiously at the restaurant's decorations. "You mentioned having lunch. Did you eat here?"
"No, my relatives are booking this place for a wedding banquet," Li Tang said, looking across the river at Zhu's company building. "I didn't realize your headquarters was so close. Otherwise, I'd have definitely visited."
"Finished booking?"
"Pretty much."
"Come, let's have some tea together!" Zhu placed an arm around Li Tang's shoulder, guiding him out.
Li Zaiqiang took the invoice from the restaurant manager. Turning around, he was surprised to see Li Tang leaving with some strangers. "Li Tang, where are you going?"
"This is President Zhu from Hualing Steel. We're going for tea and a chat."
"We still need to rent cars later, and you have all the money and cards!" his father reminded him.
"Right," Li Tang hurried back, handing his bag over. "Why don't you handle it?"
Li Tang wasn't familiar with wedding arrangements, so he wasn't very helpful here. Seeing Zhu's eagerness, he couldn't refuse. Besides, he was eager to secure more partners for Winning Mining. Hualing Steel seemed like an excellent potential partner.
"What's this? Aren't you on holiday?" Li Zaiqiang glanced reproachfully at his son, suspecting Li Tang was once again busy with work, trying to skip out on family duties.
"It's a coincidence," Li Tang smiled apologetically.
"Come back quickly! The family needs your help—don't be rude!" Li Zaiqiang scolded him lightly.
"Just a quick tea, and I'll be back!" Li Tang waved, telling Zhu, "After our last meeting, I felt we really clicked. I'd like to continue our conversation."
Knowing Li Tang was busy, Zhu instructed his driver to head to a nearby tea house. During the short drive, he turned to Li Tang and asked, "Was that your father just now?"
"Yes," Li Tang replied. "My aunt's family lives here. My cousin's wedding is in a few days, and we're busy with preparations."
"Can I attend? I'd love some festive luck," Zhu suggested generously.
"The day after tomorrow, noon, at the same restaurant. You're very welcome!" Li Tang accepted naturally.
"I'll definitely come!" Zhu replied happily.
Remembering the conversation with Li Tang's father, Zhu asked again, "Do you still have other preparations this afternoon?"
"They need wedding cars. We're planning to rent a few."
"Rental cars? What kind of cars?"
"Just regular sedans," Li Tang shrugged. "Honestly, it's all just for show."
"Rental companies are scarce here. They can be difficult to find," the driver chimed in.
Hearing this, Zhu quickly offered, "Our company has plenty of vehicles! We have several high-end cars exclusively for guest reception. If you don't mind, I can arrange them!"
"What kind of cars?"
"We have several cars worth over a million yuan each, right?" Zhu confirmed with his secretary.
"We have at least five luxury vehicles reserved for VIPs. Most of the time, they're parked unused. Our executives also have a few spare vehicles. We could easily gather twenty or thirty quality cars if needed," the secretary explained.
Zhu patted Li Tang's shoulder reassuringly, "It's a small matter, let me handle it. No need to refuse!"
"Is this appropriate?" Li Tang hesitated, not wanting to inconvenience Zhu.
"Consider it a blessing from Hualing Steel to the bride and groom!" Zhu laughed. "This way, we'll share in the joy too."
"Then alright." Li Tang called his father immediately, informing him, "I've arranged the cars. They'll arrive tomorrow at Aunt's house."
"Where did you get them?" Li Zaiqiang, who was fruitlessly searching for rentals, asked curiously.
"Hualing Steel helped."
"Alright, don't drink too much and hurry back!"
"We're just drinking tea and discussing business. You guys go to a reputable jewelry store to buy gold—don't buy from small places."
After hanging up, Li Tang thanked Zhu sincerely. "President Zhu, you've really helped us. My dad couldn't find rental cars."
"A small favor," Zhu said with a smile. To him, this was indeed minor, yet he wouldn't do it for just anyone. Helping Li Tang was part of his strategy to strengthen their partnership.
Settling down in the tea house, Zhu finally asked, "Did you hear? Iron ore spot prices rose again recently."
"Really?" Li Tang hadn't paid much attention lately.
"Not only did they rise, but supply has tightened severely. Our people wait at docks, yet shipments are sold out instantly upon arrival. We struggle even to secure supplies," Zhu said, summarizing the dire situation.
Li Tang shrugged, "Unfortunately, I can't help with iron ore shipments right now."
"After our previous discussion, we've made an internal decision," Zhu said seriously. "We intend to buy ore from Winning Mining and can even pay you in advance to speed up your mine construction."
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