Chapter 76 1. The unprecedented Chinese and Western wedding ceremony was held in the Governor's Office of Huguang

On the Double Ninth Festival in September 1999, Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping agreed to have two pairs of children: Ren Bing and Sang Yan, Nian Reng and Zhun Er.Zhang Zhidong didn't want to disturb the official circles in the three towns of Wuhan because of his children's wedding celebrations, and he didn't want to see the common situation in the official circles, that is, to collect a large amount of gifts from others under the pretext of a funeral.He has always been honest and self-disciplined, and now, as the lord of Huguang, he has to set an example for the officialdom.Both he and Sang Zhiping advocate keeping everything simple and do not invite any officials from the three towns, not even the officials in the governor's office. The table is a friend of foreign affairs, but there is a rule that no gift of a penny is allowed.The friends took the governor's love, but felt that it was too much, so they entrusted Cai Xiyong, the supervisor of the Iron Political Bureau, to convey their opinions.

Cai Xiyong said to Zhang Zhidong: "The second son got married, the eldest lady left the cabinet, and the two weddings were held together. This is really a rare and rare event in the governor's yamen. Everyone is aware that all the friends can bow to the grand ceremony and have a feast for face. Glory. Your Excellency does not accept congratulatory gifts, and sets an example to put an end to the current unhealthy trends in the officialdom. All the friends understand and appreciate it very much. It’s just that the friends don’t give out any gifts while having a wedding, which is too contrary to reason. Everyone said , the governor makes such a rule, we are all embarrassed to go to the wedding banquet."

Zhang Zhidong said: "Although it's a wedding banquet, I'm actually taking this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone. All of you have followed me for many years, and you don't think I'm careless, and you don't think the yamen pay is small and troublesome. It's really rare." Cai Xiyong said: "Liang Songsheng had an idea. He said that Nian Reng had been in the United States for many years, and he praised the solemnity and simplicity of American wedding ceremonies, especially the festival where they gave each other rings and blessed each other at the wedding ceremony. Songsheng said, the second son It’s better to add a foreign procedure to the wedding ceremony with the eldest lady: exchange rings, and say a confession in front of parents and relatives and friends. These two pairs of rings are given by all of us. Four rings, more than 20 Muyou, spread it out, one person can’t share one or two. This is really not a gift, but just to express a meaning and create an atmosphere. What do you think of Xiangshuai?"

Zhang Zhidong said: "Westerners' ceremony is good, simple, and profound. I appreciate it very much. Accepting the suggestions of all the fans, and adding this foreign procedure, I also accepted the gift of four rings. We have never seen it before. For a foreigner’s wedding, you have to plan what to say when giving the ring.” Zhang Zhidong readily accepted everyone's ideas, and Cai Xiyong was gratified by this kind-hearted demeanor.He said with a smile: "When foreigners give rings to each other, they say to each other, my dear, I will love you all my life." Zhang Zhidong also laughed and said: "This sentence is a bit nasty, except for wanting to throw it, the other children can't say it, so let's change it!"

Cai Xiyong thought for a while and said: "There is another procedure in the wedding of foreigners. The man and the woman make an oath to the witness. The oath is usually such a sentence: Whether you are poor or rich, whether you are healthy or sick, I will love you all my life." , will never change." "That's a good sentence!" Zhang Zhidong interrupted the supervisor of the Iron Political Bureau. "Men and women are married, hand in hand, and start a long life. The biggest test in life is often in the four characters of poverty, disease, high and low. There are those who are abandoned due to poverty and disease, and there are also those who change their hearts because of wealth. This sentence of foreigners sums it up well. , is more realistic than the words 'love you forever'."

"Then we'll transplant it over, make some changes, and use this sentence as their oath when they exchanged rings." "Okay, it's settled like this." Zhang Zhidong said happily, "This is called the combination of Chinese and Western, and the combination of Huayang and Yang!" On the evening of September 9, the Songzhu Hall of the Governor's Yamen became the venue for the wedding celebration of two couples.The Songzhu Hall was the same as usual, without much decoration, but on the south-facing front wall, two large red paper cut "Xi" characters were pasted, plus four dragon and phoenix flower candles one person high.Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping attended the wedding as parents. Among the parents of tonight's wedding ceremony, there was another low-status person, that is Nian Reng's mother Qiu Ling.

A month ago, Qiu Ling, who lived with her youngest son in Xiangshan City, received a letter from her eldest son, telling her mother that the wedding date had been confirmed on the Double Ninth Festival, and she was invited to come to Wuchang early.After Qiu Ling received the letter, she was so happy that she couldn't keep her mouth shut all day long.She didn't make much preparation, and accompanied by her youngest son, she set off immediately and arrived at Wuchang City after bumpy and hard work. Over the years, my son followed Governor Zhang Zhidong, under the care of Sang Zhiping, from Guangzhou to Wuchang, and did many great things.Whenever she read her son's joyful letters, Qiu Ling could not stop crying: her son has finally achieved success, and the foreign knowledge he has worked so hard to learn in the United States has finally come in handy in China.Qiu Ling didn't go to ask how important the iron factory and gun factory were to China. She was very satisfied with her son applying what he had learned and feeling at ease.The son is very filial to his mother, and he always sends back a lot of banknotes every year, but besides giving a small part to the youngest son, Qiu Ling saves most of it, so that he can use it for his son's marriage in the future.A young man who is almost thirty and has not yet started a family. Can a mother not worry about him?She intends to find a son for her son in his hometown in Guangdong, and the son always says, don't worry, it's too early for a man to be born in thirty years.My nephew was about to start studying, and he said it was too early.Qiu Ling thought: Maybe it was the influence of being in the United States. I heard that foreigners start their careers first and get married later.The son wants to imitate the foreigners, but the mother has nothing to do with him.Later, the son wrote and said: Mr. Zhang has taken a fancy to him, and he wants to betroth the young lady to him, and he is engaged.

After Qiu Ling got the good news, she was both happy and worried. The joy is that the son has finally engaged, and the engagement is the governor's eldest lady.When a woman has a husband's family, she will have a destination in this life; when a man marries a daughter-in-law, his heart will be tied.The thing that my mother has been most worried about for many years is finally let go.Being favored by Mr. Zhang and recruited as Chenglong Kuai's son-in-law, this shows that his son is indeed very good.Among the neighbors in the village, he won a big face for his mother. What is worrying is that the daughter-in-law is a rich lady, will she stand tall and big in front of her husband, and behave like a woman?She can't look down on this mother-in-law, especially when she knows that her mother-in-law is a concubine born as a maid, what will she think of it?

Thinking of this, Qiu Ling felt very uncomfortable.In fact, marrying a daughter-in-law is better than marrying a small family: it is true.A manly man relies on his own ability to live in the world, and he can go wherever he can, and he doesn't need to rely on the power of the Yue family.Of course, she knew her son's character, and his son was not the kind of person who wanted to climb high.The governor took a fancy to him and betrothed his eldest lady to him, and he had no reason to insist on not agreeing. Hey, Qiu Ling sighed, it is really fate that she will encounter too many hardships in her future relationship.

Originally, Qiu Ling wanted to live with Nian Reng after he got married.Sharing family happiness with her eldest son's family is certainly one of the reasons for her decision, but the most important thing is that she can often see Sang Zhiping, talk to him, gather together, and chat with him about decades of lovesickness suffering.The coincidence in Xiangshan City that year brought the joy to Qiuling beyond words and words.Over the past eight or nine years, the memories of the reunion salted a spring in her heart that often gushed sweet water.But now, the daughter-in-law is a person of this status, how can they get along harmoniously in the future?It seems that Wuchang cannot live long!

Before the wedding ceremony, Dagen invited Qiu Ling to sit in front of the hall on behalf of his fourth uncle, and he and Zhang Zhidong accepted the new couple's kneeling.Qiu Ling was in a panic for a while, and refused to go up.She felt that she could not sit side by side with the governor no matter what, nor could she face the many well-educated masters in the governor's mansion and accept their blessings.When he was in a difficult situation, Sang Zhiping came over, and Qiu Ling had an idea temporarily. "Cousin, I won't go up, you can replace me!" "Where can we go?" Sang Zhiping was surprised. "Why not!" Qiu Ling said, "You are Nian Reng's uncle, you can replace me!" "Uncle", Qiu Ling blushed when she said these two words, and Sang Zhi's heart was beating for a while. After he calmed down, he smiled and said, "Qiu Ling, if you don't come today, I will take care of you as my mother." As an uncle, it is reasonable to accept the kneeling of their young couple. But you are here, and Master Zhang personally invited you, how can you not show up and let me replace you?" Seeing that Qiu Ling was still a little nervous, Sang Zhiping said earnestly: "Qiu Ling, Mr. Zhang is a sensible and easy-going person. Since he has chosen your son, he will of course value you as his mother. You go up and sit with him today. Accepting the kneeling of your son and daughter-in-law is justified, Mr. Zhang will be very happy in his heart; if you don’t go, he will be unhappy instead. He has already come and is looking at us, don’t refuse anymore, go quickly!” Qiu Ling raised her eyes and saw that Zhang Zhidong was already sitting on the chair on the right above the lobby.According to the custom, at the wedding ceremony, the head of the man's family sits in the upper position on the left, and the head of the woman's family sits in the lower position on the right.Seeing that Zhang Zhidong was not special just because he was the governor, Qiu Ling left the seat for the superior on the left, and was quite moved.She didn't hesitate anymore, straightened her skirt, and walked up the hall under the guidance of Da Gen. Seeing Qiu Ling coming up, Zhang Zhidong hurriedly got up, pointed to the grand teacher's chair beside him, and said with a smile, "Mother-in-law, please sit here!" Qiu Ling blushed and said, "Master Zhang, you are the Governor of Huguang, and I am a commoner, so it is not good for me to sit with you!" Zhang Zhidong said sternly: "Mother-in-law, you are offended by what you said, Nianfeng and Zhun'er got married, we will be a family from now on, there is no difference between the governor and the common people, we are both in-laws and have the same status. " "Master Zhang is serious." Qiu Ling said this, but she was still very happy in her heart.After all, having been a maidservant in the Prime Minister's Mansion in the capital, and having seen important people and the world, once Qiu Ling took her seat, she felt at peace.Before the wedding ceremony started, Zhang Zhidong took the initiative to start a routine with his mother-in-law. "Zhun'er lost his mother at the age of seven. Although he has a father who is an official, he is actually a poor child." Zhang Zhidong said affectionately, with a bit of guilt for not fulfilling his father's responsibilities in his words , reluctance to marry her daughter. "After becoming the daughter-in-law of your mother-in-law, I think you will treat her like a daughter." In Qiu Ling's mind, the dignified Huguang Zhitai must be a tough man who is dignified and lacks affection, but unexpectedly he also has such deep love for his daughter, no different from ordinary people.Immediately, she felt that her heart and Master Taiwan's heart were drawn a lot closer.She had a sentimental and soft heart, and after hearing this, she couldn't help showing some pity for the daughter-in-law who was about to pass through the door, and said: "Children who have lost their mother since childhood are the most pitiful, and girls are even more pitiful than boys." Miss must be very lonely in her heart these years, I only have two sons and no daughter, for Miss, I will regard my son as more precious than my son." "After the hall visit, she will definitely be your daughter-in-law of the Chen family. You have to call her by her first name instead of Miss." Zhang Zhidong didn't have much joy on his face, but rather depressed. "Because I didn't have a mother since I was a child, I couldn't help spoiling her, and the servants around me naturally hugged and coaxed her. She must have the arrogance of the children of rich and noble families. Where things go smoothly, the mother-in-law needs to be more disciplined, and she must not be scrupled just because her father is the governor." These few words made Qiu Ling very ironic. It seems that Mr. Zhang is indeed a reasonable person as Sang Zhiping said.The worries in her heart were greatly reduced, and she hurriedly said: "Under the guidance of the adults, Miss is naturally knowledgeable, intelligent, virtuous and virtuous. The Chen family has accumulated evil virtues in their lifetime, and they are able to welcome such a noble daughter-in-law." Zhang Zhidong smiled slightly, and was about to have a good chat with his mother-in-law when Liang Dingfen, who was the master of ceremonies tonight, came over and said to Zhang Zhidong, "Where did Mr. Sang go?" Zhang Zhidong glanced left and right.Said: "He was still here just now, why did he disappear after a while. Tell Dagen to look for him!" "I'm coming." Just as he was speaking, Sang Zhiping strode into the hall.It turned out that while Qiu Ling was chatting with the governor, Sang Zhiping took advantage of this short spare time and hurried to Muyoutang to change into a new set of clothes.Sang Zhiping who appeared in front of Qiu Ling again made her eyes light up suddenly. She saw that he was wearing a silver-gray gown lined with high-quality Soviet silk, a black Scottish velvet mandarin jacket, and a mandarin jacket on his head. A melon skin hat made of the same material, with a dark red chicken blood jade the size of a thumb embedded on the forehead of the hat.What caught Qiu Ling's attention the most was the new pair of black cloth thick-soled shoes under his feet.Qiu Ling could tell at a glance that she had given him the shoes.That year they met again in Xiangshan, the pair he took from her twenty-four pairs of cloth shoes.He treasured it until today, wearing it for the first time in front of her on such a special occasion.But, these are a pair of cotton shoes. Wouldn’t it be too eye-catching to wear cotton shoes on the Double Ninth Festival? Qiu Ling's heart beat violently, and the blood all over her body was rushing. She looked affectionately at the chief aide in the supervisory office who was sitting next to her in front of her: he was still tall and handsome after half a century, and he seemed to have not changed much from the teacher of the Sufu thirty years ago, only his temples appeared and disappeared. His white hair records the vicissitudes of this long period of time.She secretly thought in her heart: If thirty years ago, she and him could pay homage to marriage and let him be the father of the bridegroom official today, how happy this world would be.Thinking of this, an excited but shy smile flew onto her face, and she lowered her head slightly unconsciously.At this moment, Sang Zhiping was also looking at her.In Sang Zhiping's eyes, under the dragon wind and candlelight tonight, she is still well-proportioned and has a good face in auspicious clothes, especially her pair of affectionate almond eyes, which are still gentle and bright as before. That little sister is no different! "Ji'an, let's begin!" After Sang Zhiping sat down on the empty chair on Zhang Zhidong's right, Zhang Zhidong said to Liang Dingfen. The prefect of Wuchang has been vacant recently, and the head and chief copywriter of Lianghu Academy, who is staring at this seat eagerly, is very excited to be awarded this important position tonight. lack of hope.He also dressed himself up today, worked very hard, and temporarily dispatched a dozen capable students from the academy to handle the things that should be done in the wedding ceremony in an orderly and ironic manner. In addition to more than 20 friends who attended the wedding tonight, they were the more dignified yamen servants and servants in the yamen.According to Zhang Zhidong's instructions, no one in Wuchang official circles was invited, because Zhang, Sang, and Chen's family were not locals, and apart from Nianfeng's younger brother and Peiyu's parents, they had almost no other relatives.Forty or fifty guests filled the Songzhu Hall inside and out, and everyone participated in this rare celebration with joy and excitement. Amidst the sound of firecrackers and suona, the protagonists that everyone was looking forward to tonight finally came from the backyard to the front hall. The first ones to walk out are the second son of the Zhang family, Ren Bian, and the young lady of the Sang family, Yan'er. Ren Bing was wearing a black robe, azure mandarin jacket, and a smoke-colored fedora with a wide brim.He was originally thin and flimsy, but when he put on this new set of clothes today, the usually inconspicuous Second Young Master suddenly became energetic and energetic.Ren Bing's right hand is holding a three-foot-long red ribbon with a big peony in the middle. The other end of the ribbon is the bride Sang Yan.Sang Yan was wearing a bright red dress and a bright red scarf on her head.She was tall and tall, and seemed to be half a head taller than Ren Pai.Now she is quietly standing beside her husband, like adding another big fiery red candle to the Songzhu Hall: bright red, bright and glamorous.The guests thought in their hearts that once the headscarves were removed, there must be a peerless beauty in front of them. This young man is really a blessing from the best of all generations.A young and competitive Muyou can't help but feel a little jealous: Judging by Ren's appearance, if he hadn't been born in the governor's family, would he have married such a beauty?Hey, this is really a strong man!Qiu Ling has also been staring at Sang Yan, silently fascinated: such a beautiful lady, like a father, like a daughter, I don't know if my daughter-in-law can compare to her?While daydreaming, another new couple walked into the front hall.The appearance of this couple immediately excited all the guests, and dozens of pairs of eyes focused on the couple. It turned out that the attire of the couple was contrary to the traditional attire of Chinese newlyweds for generations. I saw the groom, Nian Reng, was wearing an iron-gray woolen serge suit, a white shirt with a bright red satin tie on the collar, a black tall gentleman hat on his head, and the thick braid at the back of his head. Gone, a pair of shiny black leather shoes on the feet.Looking at the bride again, it was even more shocking: she was wearing a snow-white dress, and the long and wide skirt dragged three or four feet on the ground.A string of pink pearl necklaces hangs on the white neck, shining in the candlelight. What is especially amazing is: the bride does not have a turban, the more beautiful face that has been carefully dressed, the jet-black hair that is in a high bun and full of jewelry. The hair was exposed in front of everyone at a glance.The friends cheered loudly, the yamen servants and servants were full of surprise, and their eyes were fixed on the two newcomers.If it weren't for the acquaintances they were used to seeing in Pingyue, they really suspected that the two foreigners standing in front of them were. Qiu Ling was also stunned: she was no stranger to her son wearing western clothes. When he was studying in the United States in the past, the photos sent back usually wore this kind of clothes, and the beauty of his daughter-in-law made her very happy. As for being so generous and dignified, and daring not to wear a headscarf, she was very surprised.She turned to look at her father-in-law, only to see Zhang Zhidong smiling at his daughter and son-in-law, as if he was very satisfied with the way he was dressed. "Pray to heaven and earth!" Liang Dingfen's high-pitched Mandarin with a thick Cantonese accent sounded in the Songzhu Hall. The two couples bowed deeply to the night sky above the bright moon. "Second respect to my parents!" Ren Bing and Yan'er came over, knelt down to Zhang Zhidong and Sang Zhiping, and kowtowed.Zhang Zhidong said with a smile: "In-laws, Ren Bing has been your student for twelve years. From today on, he is also a student and son-in-law. You should do your best for him!" Sang Zhiping looked at the bridegroom in front of him, his heart filled with joy.Over the past twelve years, we have been together day and night, studying in small windows, and the ten-year-old boy has become a real man today. Sang Zhiping's affection for Renbing has long surpassed the usual teacher-student friendship.Zhang Zhidong's words reminded him: Now that the family is done, how can the business be established?You can't always be a book reader!What should the second son of the Zhang family take as his career in the future? Sang Zhiping also smiled and said, "Yes, it's time for Ren Bing to stand on his own. In a few days, I will talk to him about building a career. As a father, you should first plan for him." Next, Niantou and Zhun'er also knelt down in front of Qiu Ling and Zhang Zhidong, and kowtow respectfully.Zhang Zhidong didn't move, but Qiuling felt uneasy seeing Zhun'er making such a big gift to her, she stood up involuntarily, saying "Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it", while supporting Zhuner, get her up.Zhang Zhidong also stood up quickly, supported Qiu Ling's shoulders and said, "Mother-in-law, you sit down. She is your daughter-in-law, and it is natural to kowtow to you. How can you say that you dare not do it? Don't help her, she is old. Gently, you can get up by yourself." Qiu Ling was happy and a little embarrassed when she said that, so she had to go back to the chair and sit down.Seeing her son and daughter-in-law standing up and bending over to stand aside, she felt sweet in her heart.The hard work of more than 20 years seems to be fully compensated by the young couple's worship. Nian Feng did not bow down to Sang Zhiping.He still doesn't know that this man who is almost called his cousin is actually his biological father. Sang Zhiping looked at the dazzling son in front of him with infinite affection, and felt a sense of happiness and relief that he had never felt before.Over the years, in the face of Nian Feng, who has gradually become a pillar of Hubei's Westernization, Sang Zhiping wanted to say to him many times: child, I am your real father, and you are my own flesh and blood.But he kept Qiu Ling's advice in mind, swallowed the words forcefully, and decided not to tell his son the truth for the rest of his life. The fact that his son became Zhang Zhidong's son-in-law undoubtedly provided a broader stage for him to display his talents in the West in the future.This is the good fortune of the son and also his comfort.Looking at himself in contrast to his son, Sang Zhiping has a deep sense of backwardness.As time goes by and times are advancing, it seems that the theory leading China to prosperity should no longer be the study of Guan Zhong and Sang Hongyang, but should be the study of the West.In this regard, I don't know anything about it, and today's wavers should be the generation of my son. "Let's take care of the difficulties," said Zeng Guofan's father's famous words in Sang Zhiping's mind.Yes, it's time for me to rest. The ideal of enriching the people and strengthening the country can only be realized if you want to throw them away. "The husband and wife worship together!" Liang Dingfen deliberately dragged out his voice to show his due diligence.In the long draw, the two couples faced each other and bent over each other. For the Chinese, the so-called marriage worship means that after three such worships, the destiny will be combined from then on. People wish the couple to share joys and sorrows, have children, grow old together, and walk through the long journey of life hand in hand. way. Half of the guests in the Songzhu Hall thought that the wedding ceremony was about to end, and some of them were about to leave and go to the bridal chamber later.At this time, Liang Dingfen suddenly called out loudly again: "Mr. Liang Songsheng, please come up and present a wedding ring to the couple." What kind of etiquette is this?The guests who were about to leave quickly sat down again, waiting with great interest for new tricks to appear. Liang Dunyan, who always pays attention to appearance, looks more and more energetic tonight after shaved hair, trimmed beard and neatly dressed.He walked quickly to the front hall with a multicolored brocade box in one hand, and said to the guests in the hall: "To congratulate the second son and Miss Sang, Nian Tou and the eldest lady, all the behind-the-scenes friends in the yamen pooled up some money and called Entrust me to present two pairs of pure gold rings to them. When foreigners get married, there is a ceremony of giving rings to each other. I am entrusted by everyone tonight, and I ask Mr. Zhang for permission to preside over this foreign ceremony for the two couples. .” It was a strange thing that the Governor-General had to intervene in a foreign ceremony when marrying a wife and a daughter. This was a strange thing that had never happened before. Immediately, all the male and female guests in the hall were excited. The two new couples had known this additional procedure in advance, and they also participated with a sense of novelty. Now, Liang Dunyan walked in front of the couple, and said to the four smiling faces full of joy and shyness: "I will preside over the ceremony of giving each other wedding rings for you." As he spoke, he walked in front of the couple Renbing, took out a pair of gold rings from a brocade box, handed the smaller ring to Renbing, and then gave the other larger ring to Sang Yan.Then he said loudly: "Renbing, no matter whether you are rich or poor, healthy or sick, will you always love Yan'er?" Ren Bing's face was flushed red, and after holding back for a long time, he finally uttered two words: "Yes." Ren Pao's embarrassing performance drew joyful laughter from the whole hall. "Good!" Liang Dunyan nodded. "Then, put the ring in your hand on Yan'er." After the master of ceremonies spoke for a long time, the two of them remained motionless, and the people below were booing: "Second son, put it on for the bride!" Inosuke became more and more embarrassed. Liang Dunyan had no choice but to walk closer, and said softly to Ren Bing: "Second Young Master, put it on quickly! Yan'er is waiting for you!" Then he said to Yan'er who was covered with a hood, "Extend your right hand! The second son is going to give you a ring!" Yan'er couldn't see anything, she thought that Ren Biao had really stretched out her hand, so she slowly raised her right hand.Seeing that the bride had raised her hand, Ren Bing mustered up his courage, took Yan'er's hand, and put the ring on her hand tremblingly. "Good!" The whole hall burst into applause, and a new climax appeared in the lively wedding scene. Next, Liang Dunyan said to Sang Yan: "Yan'er, whether you are rich or poor, whether you are healthy or sick, will you love Renbing unswervingly?" Sang Yan didn't make a sound, but nodded heavily twice. The Songzhu Hall was full of laughter again. "Nodding means agreeing!" Liang Dunyan treated the bride tolerantly. "Then, why don't you put the ring in your hand on Ren Pai?" After passing the first level, Ren Pai was no longer as cautious as before, and after a short pause, he stretched out his left hand.Sang Yan dawdled, and stretched out her right hand with the ring on again, pinching a ring with two fingers.Seeing this, Liang Dunyan hurriedly took Renbing's hand, and touched Sang Yan's hand intentionally. Sang Yan under the scarf blushed, and hurriedly stuffed the ring into Renbing's palm, and her own hand shrank back in a hurry. return. Liang Dunyan smiled and said, "The bride can't see the groom's fingers, so I can forgive you. I'll put them on for her!" So he took the ring from Ren Bing's hand and put it on Ren Bing, cheerful laughter resounded inside and outside the hall. At this time, Liang Dunyan walked up to Niantou and his wife again. With a smile on his face, Nian Thiao greeted Liang Dunyan calmly.Zhun'er was a little nervous in advance, afraid that he would not be able to adapt on the spot, just now he saw the demonstration of Ren Bian and Sang Yan with his own eyes, and he felt confident and did not panic. Liang Dunyan took out two identical rings from another brocade box and distributed them to the two newcomers in the same way.He first repeated what he said to Nian Tou, Nian Tou was already prepared, straightened his back as soon as the master of ceremonies said, and replied loudly: "I will never change my mind, we will love each other forever." After finishing speaking, he immediately stretched out his hands towards the bride, as if inviting her to join in the grand event.Zhun'er pursed his lips and smiled, and stretched out a hand generously, trying to put the ring on the bride's ring finger steadily. Seeing this, Qiu Ling was very proud of his son's heroic act. It was Zhuner's turn, and she was also more refreshed than Yan'er. Although her voice was not loud, she happily said a customary auspicious saying: "We will stay together forever." Put it on the groom's finger. The performance of this young couple won the praise of everyone, and some people whispered: after all, the people in western clothes are inspired by foreigners, and they are also generous in their foreign salutes. Before Liang Dunyan came down, Liang Dingfen appeared in the front hall again and shouted loudly: "Now is the last ceremony of the wedding ceremony. I respectfully invite Mr. Zhang as the representative of the new couple's parents to give a speech." Zhang Zhidong never paid much attention to clothing. He usually wore loose and loose silk robes when he was doing business in the yamen.Although the scene today was grand, because it was the wedding of his sons and daughters, he still wore a set of half-new and half-worn Sichuan silk robes as usual.He stood up slowly, and said with a shallow smile rarely seen on weekdays: "On behalf of Nian Tiao's mother and Sang Yan's father, I would like to thank all my friends and guests for coming to the wedding ceremony of the little one tonight. You may be laughing at the old man in your heart, how can you hold such a nondescript wedding ceremony for your children, is Mr. Zhang confused?" There was light laughter from the guests. "Two days earlier, I heard that Song Sheng talked about the ceremony of forming an alliance and giving rings to each other at the wedding of foreigners. I thought it was very good. I adopted his suggestion and agreed to add it to the traditional wedding ceremony tonight. Marriage of men and women , this is the first major event in life, no matter in our China, or in the East and the West, everyone takes it very seriously and will offer a beautiful congratulatory message to the newcomer. We Chinese have many congratulatory words, all of which are very good, but still In my opinion there are two shortcomings." Everyone listened attentively to the following, to see what the learned and experienced governor would find fault with the good wishes passed down from generation to generation. "One is to say good things, such as longevity, children and grandchildren. The other is empty words, such as auspiciousness and happiness, longevity. In fact, once a family is formed, it will not only face good things in the future. On the one hand, the difficult side is unavoidable, and it is often accompanied by suffering and misfortune.” Having said this, Zhang Zhidong thought of the three times he had lost his wife, and his heart suddenly became heavy. Many guests were already nodding silently: The Governor is telling the truth! "When Yi Ruo talked to me about the oaths of Westerners, whether they are rich or poor, healthy or sick, I felt that what they said was true, neither biased nor empty, and it was better than ours. Congratulations. After getting married and starting a family, there will be many things to test the friendship between two people in a hundred years of life, the most important of which is the test of poverty and disease. After this test, everything else is easy to say, so I agree Introduce this ritual of foreigners. This is just like we run iron factories, gun factories, and cloth, yarn and linen bureaus. We must dare to learn and introduce the really good things of foreigners, and we must not be afraid of being criticized or laughed at. .” He is really a governor of Westernization, and he keeps his three words close to his own business. When he talked about the wedding, he also got in touch with the matter of setting up bureaus and factories.Cai Xiyong, who was at the friend's table, nodded repeatedly, and said to Gu Hongming who was beside him: "Master Zhang is right, family affairs and state affairs are actually the same truth!" Gu Hongming said proudly: "Governing a big country is like cooking small fish. The imperial court is a big kitchen, the supervisory office is a Chinese kitchen, and the prefectures and counties are small kitchens." "However, having said that, there is still a matter of priority." Zhang Zhidong changed his tone and continued, "Just as we introduced foreign machine technology and built iron factories and gun factories, the purpose is to The prosperity of our Qing Dynasty, as for the foundation of our own country, that is, China's Gangjilunchang, cannot be impacted by foreigners. In the wedding ceremony of the children tonight, although the procedure of giving each other wedding rings and swearing in each other was added, even recitation and They all put on western clothes, but the three cardinal guides and five constant principles, husband's responsibility and women's way of life for thousands of years should never be changed." Zhang Zhidong turned his face, glanced at his daughter, then turned his head and continued: "For example, you can wear a foreigner's dress, or you don't need to wear a red scarf. These Western clothes are very good, but She still has to abide by the principles of our Chinese women, three obediences and four virtues, filial piety to mother-in-law, husband and son, and presiding over middle-class support. She cannot show her face like a foreign woman, interfere in political affairs, or even ignore her husband and children to show off herself! If that is the case, it is upside down I will absolutely not agree to the confusion of priorities and priorities." Liang Dingfen took the lead in applauding, followed by warm applause in the Songzhu Hall.Whether it is a well-learned friend or an ignorant servant, they all agreed with the governor's words, and also agreed with today's unique wedding ceremony. At night, at the joyful moment when everyone was making noise in the bridal chamber, Zhang Zhidong took Peiyu to donate the Shanshui Qingyin Qin to the Renbing couple, and the Lanxinhui Changqin to the Nianrong couple, encouraging them to inherit the legacy of their grandmother, don’t fall into the family tradition, and play the piano harmonious.The two young couples were very sweet when they received this unique and profoundly meaningful gift from their father. Within a few days, the wedding ceremony in the governor’s yamen and the governor’s speech on distinguishing between the primary and the secondary spread throughout the three towns of Wuhan. inspiration.