Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 331 He Xiao’s Wedding
On December 20th, He Xiao got married.

The driver team of Yan Jiekuang's company parked their cars in front of the courtyard early in the morning. A row of Nissans was still very shocking in Beijing in this day and age.

He Yuzhu got up early in the morning as he had a lot of things to do today. He Yuzhu prepared two wedding houses for his son. One was the original house of a deaf old lady, which was renovated and decorated. The other was in the staff building of the textile factory, next to Ma Hua's house. Both were bought by He Yuzhu before he used his connections.

But as for the starting point, He Yuzhu insisted on starting from the Siheyuan, after all, this is the He family's ancestral home.

The best men were Jia Xiaobao and Yan Yongqing, as well as He Yuzhu's two apprentices Chang Li and Chang Chuang. The group set out at six o'clock, and the neighbors also walked towards the bridal chamber in the textile factory one after another. Suddenly, the courtyard became quiet.

After He Yuzhu and others left, he slowly walked into the backyard. He seldom came here, because whenever he came here, he always thought of the person who treated him the best in the world. He Yuzhu stood at the door of the house, standing quietly. He Yumei did not find He Yuzhu in the middle yard, so she came to the backyard, and saw that there was no one in the entire backyard, and there were big wedding characters on the windows and doors of the main room of the back house.

He Yumei walked to He Yuzhu's side, turned around, and saw that He Yuzhu's face was covered with tears.

He Yumei hugged He Yuzhu's arms, leaned her head on his shoulder, and instantly burst into tears. She said softly: "If she is in heaven and sees you now, she should be very happy."

He Yuzhu nodded slightly, and the two of them just stood there quietly. Outside the moon gate in the central courtyard, an old man with short white hair also saw this scene, and tears couldn't stop flowing down his face.

After a while, He Yuzhu said, "Let's go, we have to go there too."

The couple turned around, walked out of the courtyard, and ran towards the dormitory building of the textile factory.

There was a large open space downstairs of the dormitory building of the textile factory. There were huge wedding characters posted on both sides of the entrance. Yan Jiekuang was leading a few children and spreading firecrackers on the ground. He Yuzhu had made a lot of preparations.

When He Yuzhu and his wife came downstairs, they saw Xiaopang trying hard to arrange the firecrackers into a heart shape. He Yuzhu was delighted, picked up Xiaopang and kissed him, saying, "Boy, you are so creative, just like your dad."

Xiaopang said, "Uncle He, put me down. I need to place two people."

He Yuzhu put Xiaopang down and said, "Go ahead, be careful."

He Yuzhu was the protagonist today. He went upstairs with He Yumei and changed into new clothes. He Yumei specially wore a cotton jacket with bright red embroidery.

When it was almost ten o'clock, the convoy arrived and Yan Jiekuang shouted, "Shi Lei, light the fire."

The deafening sound of firecrackers rang out downstairs and continued until He Xiao carried the bride upstairs.

Yan Jiekuang did not go upstairs. He took the children and wandered around after setting off firecrackers. People kept coming down from the cars. Yan Jiekuang did not squeeze into the cars with them. He drove a van over and took the children straight to Sichuan Flavor Pavilion.

At Chuanweixuan, Ji Lian, along with Jia Dang, Huaihua, Shi Xiaoya, Yu Li, He Yushui, Zhou Nianping and a group of other female generals were preparing for the wedding banquet. They were all doing their job in an orderly manner. Huaihua and Zhou Nianping were collecting money at the door. Yan Jiekuang gave He Yuzhu a red envelope of 666 because too many of his family members had come and they couldn't give the same red envelope to others.

When everyone arrived, the wedding ceremony began. The master of ceremonies was Jia Dang. The ceremony went very smoothly and then the wedding banquet began. Yan Jiekuang sat at one table with his children. Yan Bugui and his wife were invited to the main table. Yi Zhonghai and his wife, He Yuzhu's parents, and Chang Cun and his wife were all invited to the main table.

As for Liu Haizhong's family, He Yuzhu did not notify them at all. He Yuzhu is still upset about that conflict.

He Yuzhu had notified Xu Damao's family, but Xu Damao had gone to the hospital to treat his leg. Xu's father and mother could not leave the hospital to take care of him, but they gave him a red envelope and asked Changcun to bring it over.

Jia Zhang was very dissatisfied with not going to the main table. She kept complaining during the meal. Jia Dongxu tried to persuade her for a long time but failed. Qin Huairu had no choice but to say, "Mom, didn't you see that the couple always sat at the main table? That has a meaning. Why are you going there yourself?"

Jia Zhang looked towards the main table, and it was true. All of a sudden, her anger disappeared, and she concentrated on eating. While eating, she praised He Yuzhu for his generosity. How could he not be generous? There were four seafood dishes: crab, mandarin fish, prawns, and squid, which were not common in Beijing.

When He Yuzhu was at the main table, Yi Zhonghai always hesitated to speak. When he wanted to speak again, Li Cuilan stopped him and whispered, "It's not appropriate to say this in this situation."

Yi Zhonghai thought about it and it was true. When Yi Zhonghai saw He Yuzhu standing at the door of the old lady's house in the backyard, he knew that this was a man of affection and righteousness. He immediately identified He Yuzhu and wanted to talk to him.

Yi Zhonghai's abnormality was noticed by Yan Bugui, but Yan Bugui pretended not to know and continued eating and drinking.

Halfway through the banquet, the two children felt sleepy. Yan Jiekuang said to Ji Lian beside him: "I'm taking the children home. You stay here and say hello to Brother Zhuzi for me." Ji Lian agreed.

Yan Jiekuang picked up the two children and said to the other children, "Don't make trouble here. I'm going to take my younger brothers and sisters home first."

Several children nodded. Little Fatty said while eating crabs, "We are so well behaved and never make trouble." Yan Jiekuang curled his lips and left with the children.

When they returned to Yuer Hutong, Tian Guixiang opened the door. Seeing two children sleeping on Yan Jiekuang's shoulders, she immediately took one of them over. Yan Jiekuang turned around to lock the door, carried the child back to the backyard, put the child on the bed and covered him with a quilt.

Sister Tian was very cautious and did not make any sound. She pointed to the front. Yan Jiekuang knew that Tian Guixiang meant that she had gone back to the front. Yan Jiekuang nodded. After Tian Guixiang left, Yan Jiekuang went to the main room, poured himself a cup of tea, and sat there drinking the tea and reading the newspaper.

After a while, snowflakes began to fall outside. Yan Jiekuang put on his coat, walked out of the house, and admired the snow. He suddenly remembered his wintersweet. He turned his head and looked to the right. The wintersweet was in bud and it seemed that it would soon bloom, perhaps in the next few days.

As the Chinese New Year was approaching, he was already 36 years old, and he was about to turn 40. His children were also growing up. He thought he had accomplished something, so he should do something he liked. But when he thought of the chaotic world outside, the little spark in Yan Jiekuang's heart was instantly extinguished. He decided to just muddle through and wait a few more years.

This year, Yan Jiekuang did not have to worry about the New Year's goods for the first time, because Ji Lian bought them for all the company's employees. Ji Lian is now very successful in the company and is very popular among the employees. This is mainly because she integrated all the processes and issued regulations on approval and decision-making authority. Everything in the company became formal. She then increased the welfare benefits for employees and won the hearts of the employees at once.

Yan Jiekuang was happy with the result. He always believed that he should not be a busy person. That kind of life was not suitable for him. He still liked to hang out in the market. Of course, he could also stay at home.

This year's annual meeting was jointly organized by the catering company and Keda Company. Employees can bring their families with them, and there is a special lottery event for the families. The date is set on January 17th, and the holiday starts on the 18th, and work returns on the 16th. This year, a special annual meeting organizing committee was established to be responsible for this event.

That day, Yan Jiekuang put on a suit, drove with the children to his largest restaurant, Sichuan Restaurant, at 10 o'clock. There was a security guard at the door checking the invitations for the annual meeting. When the security guard saw the chairman coming, he stood at attention. Yan Jiekuang smiled and greeted him, and took the children in directly. There were 20 tables in the lobby on the first floor. Yan Jiekuang was stunned. He didn't even know he had so many employees.

Yan Jiekuang asked the children to go to the amusement park in the backyard. This amusement park was specially built today to entertain the children of the employees. Yan Jiekuang went to the second floor to see the staff of the organizing committee. They were all familiar faces. After greeting them, he asked Jia Dang if there was anything he should pay attention to.
Jia Dang said, "It's up to you. Do you want to give a final speech?"

Yan Jiekuang thought about it and said, "Then forget it. I brought a pair of jade bracelets as a special prize." Jia Dang said in surprise, "Really?"

Yan Jiekuang rolled his eyes and said, "I'm such a big boss, how can I tease you? Besides, why are you so happy? You may not win."

Jia Dang said: "It's good to have a glimmer of hope. By the way, how much is it worth?"

Yan Jiekuang casually said, "You may not be able to buy it for more than 50,000 Hong Kong dollars in Hong Kong Island."

Jia Dang happily shared this surprise with the people from the organizing committee. Yan Jiekuang chatted with Ji Lian for a few words and then went downstairs.

Yan Jiekuang was on the central stage and saw the prizes prepared by the organizing committee. There were all kinds of things, including televisions, radios, tape recorders, bicycles, watches, blankets, gift boxes, liquor, cosmetics, and even a game console. Yan Jiekuang guessed that it must have been bought by Lou Xiaoe.

At eleven o'clock, all the employees and their families were seated. After a melodious music, two hosts came up. Yan Jiekuang was delighted when he saw them. The woman was Jia Dang and the man turned out to be Erxiao. This kid had returned from Hong Kong Island.

First, Wang Qing gave an opening speech, mostly talking about the gains of the year and thanking all employees for their efforts. Then came the speech by President Ji Lian. It was the first time Yan Jiekuang saw his vigorous wife speaking, and he listened very carefully. He was really satisfied with his wife's performance. Then came the banquet and the opening dance. The opening dance was actually led by Yang Lifen, who led all the foremen to dance a Xinjiang dance, which was a real eye-opener.

Then everyone started to eat. During the banquet, there were various programs and raffles. The employees and their families were all very enthusiastic. The banquet reached its climax when the first prize was awarded. In the end, the first prize was won by an employee of the Security Department. The employee could not believe his eyes. He had only been working for three months and he did not expect to win a TV. When he went up to receive the prize, his whole body was stiff. Yan Jiekuang was worried that he would throw the TV away.

Just when everyone thought it was over, Jia Dang walked onto the stage and said, "Everyone, are you happy today?"

Everyone shouted "Happy!"

Jia Dang said, "Then I'll give you another surprise. Two staff members will come and put all the employees' lottery numbers in the lottery box."

The employees below didn't know what to do, and they all stretched their necks to look at the stage. Jia Dang said, "Some employees know, and some don't. The one sitting next to the president is our chairman, Mr. Yan Jiekuang."

Yan Jiekuang stood up and turned around to wave to everyone. Jia Dang continued, "Today, the chairman gave us a special prize, a pair of jade bracelets. Let me reveal to you that this pair of bracelets costs more than 50,000 Hong Kong dollars in Hong Kong Island."

As soon as he finished speaking, the audience went into an uproar, with discussions rising one after another.

Jia Dang motioned for everyone to be quiet and said, "Now, please welcome our chairman, Mr. Yan Jiekuang. Please give him a round of applause."

Yan Jiekuang walked onto the stage, holding a microphone, looked down, and said, "I am Yan Jiekuang. Many old employees know me, but I rarely go to my own store and company. The main reason is that I am lazy. Don't learn from me."

Everyone laughed, and Yan Jiekuang continued, "I am very happy to see many familiar faces. I am also very moved. In the past few years, you have not stagnated and have been constantly learning and improving. Many of you can now stand on your own.

I still remember Manager Yang Lifen. When she first came, she was a quiet little girl.

I remember Wei Xiaobao. He was less than sixteen years old when he came. He was a skinny and small child who only went to primary school. What he has today is all due to his hard work.

I remember Wang Xuan. He wanted to cheat me of my money the first time he saw me. Later I found out that he was a mud mixer.

I remember Chen Zhaodi, who came to work before she was even fifteen years old. When I rejected her, she cried her heart out.

And Zhao Yuan, when she first came here, she asked Yang Lifen about everything, and followed Yang Lifen around every day without doing any work. Many people have come to where they are today from hard times, and I thank you all.”

After saying this, Yan Jiekuang bowed to the people below, and some of the employees already had tears in their eyes.

"I said I wouldn't say anything, but I couldn't help it because I saw you guys were full of emotion. Let's get back to business and start the lottery. I saw Jia Huaihua has prepared all your prize money. After we finish, go collect your prize money and celebrate the New Year happily."

The employees' applause lasted for a long time. Yan Jiekuang gestured three times in succession before the applause gradually quieted down.

Yan Jiekuang stretched out his hand and shook it three times before pulling out an employee number 98. Jia Dang took it and said, "Hey, who is this? So lucky. Come on, number 98? Who is number 98?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Zhaodi jumped up from her chair and shouted, "Me, me, me."

Chen Zhaodi trotted onto the stage, and everyone looked at her with envy. Yan Jiekuang handed the box to Chen Zhaodi, who was already a little incoherent, and could only say two words: "Thank you."

Jia Dang held her back and said, "This lucky little girl, would you like to say a few words?"

Chen Zhaodi was a little nervous in front of so many people, but she still picked up the microphone and said, "I want to thank Mr. Yan. He gave me a job that I like very much and saved my family. My family was really in trouble at that time. My father was bedridden and my mother was at home taking care of him. My brothers and sisters were all young. If I didn't have this job, I don't know what would happen to my family. Chunfeng Building is my home. I will give this prize to my mother to thank her for raising me and for supporting my work. Thank you, thank you everyone."

After saying that, Chen Zhaodi bowed to everyone while crying, and then walked to the stage. Sitting next to her was her mother. Chen Zhaodi opened the box and put it on her mother personally. Her mother was already in tears.

The banquet slowly came to an end, and the employees collected their bonuses one after another and went home. Everyone had a lot of money and their pockets were bulging.

Yan Jiekuang and Ji Lian also drove the child home. In the car, Ji Lian said, "I regret it a little bit."

Yan Jiekuang asked, "What do you regret?"

Ji Lian said: "I should have joined from the beginning. What a great group of employees. It would have been great to get to know them earlier."

Yan Jiekuang laughed, and Ji Lian also laughed.

(End of this chapter)