On the morning of October 3, 2014, pure white flower baskets adorned the entrance of a hotel in the provincial capital. Inside and outside the venue, florists bustled about, preparing for the long-awaited wedding. Despite the nationwide flower shortage in October, they had arranged fresh blooms flown in from Kunming that very day, creating tree-like displays throughout the hall.
Next to the entrance flower basket stood a large wedding portrait with the names of today’s newlyweds: Jiang Qiaoxi and Lin Qile.
As afternoon approached, more and more guests arrived at the hotel. The groom’s father, Jiang Zheng, chatted with his former subordinates in the red-carpeted corridor. Though well past fifty, his dyed black hair and a tailored suit made him stand out in the crowd, hinting at his former handsome charm.
Clutching the father-of-the-groom boutonnière, Jiang Zheng stepped away from the group to make a phone call by the window.
“Liang Hongfei,” he asked, “why aren’t you here yet?”
The woman paused before responding, “I told you I’m not coming.”
Jiang Zheng frowned. “It’s Qiaoxi’s wedding. How can you, his mother, not be here? All our old colleagues are present. What will they think of Qiaoxi?”
“I’m not welcome,” Liang Hongfei said.
Jiang Zheng scoffed, “You think I am?”
“Liang Hongfei,” Jiang Zheng continued, “what do we live for after all these years?”
“Jiang Zheng,” the woman’s voice trembled over the phone, “we’re divorced. We agreed Mengchu would stay with me, and Qiaoxi with you.”
Jiang Zheng stood by the window, golden twilight at his back as he faced the darkness. “Liang Hongfei, there won’t be another chance. Today is the best opportunity to reconcile with Qiaoxi and mend your mother-son relationship,” he said softly. “Will you truly abandon your child from now on?”
Liang Hongfei fell silent for a moment.
“…Stop deluding yourself.”
“Jiang Zheng, forget about me and Mengchu… You and Qiaoxi, father and son, live well together. Don’t contact me again.”
She hung up.
Inside the venue, colleagues from the provincial power system mingled with the bride’s father, Lin Haifeng, an electrical engineer.
“This son-in-law grew up under Lin’s watchful eye!” an old colleague remarked. “Such thorough vetting must put your mind at ease about your daughter’s marriage!”
As laughter erupted around him, Lin Haifeng nervously pressed his lips together, nodding and smiling. “Of course, of course…”
He glanced down at his speech for the upcoming ceremony, having reviewed it so many times the paper had worn thin. Noticing the increasing number of guests, Lin tucked the speech into his Tang suit pocket. As his old colleagues continued discussing Qiaoxi’s childhood in Qunshan, Lin Haifeng nodded, “Qiaoxi has always been a good child – excellent, kind, and filial…”
“We can see how pleased you are with your son-in-law!”
At the entrance, Manager Cai Yue chatted with another group of old friends. Having recently moved into a large villa bought by his son, he showed no signs of being affected by his recent heart stent surgery.
“Manager Cai, how much did you put in the red envelope for Lin Yingtao’s wedding?” a former colleague joked. “Taishan Tourism made so much money back then, you can’t be stingy!”
Cai’s lips curled at the question. “How could I possibly give too little? I prepared the envelope two weeks ago. What about you all? How much are you giving the bride?”
Jiang Zheng entered with a smile, shaking hands with his former subordinate Cai Yue before moving further in. “In-law!” he called out cheerfully, embracing the beaming Lin Haifeng.
Their children’s marriage had made them family, though they’d only met face-to-face after returning to China.
Jiang Zheng immediately noticed the speech peeking out of Lin Haifeng’s pocket.
“Manager Jiang,” someone teased, “you should give a speech too!”
Jiang Zheng waved his hand. “Please spare me. I finally escaped speeches after going abroad. Just seeing a script gives me a headache.”
In the hotel lobby, bridesmaid Qin Yeyun greeted guests alongside Auntie Juan. The latter wore a Tang suit, having long been accustomed to a bare face. “Unlike when I was young,” she’d said, “always eager to wear lipstick.”
Lin Yingtao’s aunt was also dressed festively, looking as radiant as if it were her own daughter’s wedding. “Young lady,” she said, gazing at Qin Yeyun, “you’re so beautiful! Are you a celebrity?”
Qin Yeyun simply smiled, linking one arm with Auntie Juan and the other with Lin Yingtao’s aunt. She craned her neck to look outside, but Jiang Qiaoxi’s car hadn’t arrived yet.
“When is Qiaoxi coming?” Auntie Juan asked softly, not seeming particularly anxious.
A Mercedes pulled up at the hotel entrance.
Jiang Qiaoxi stepped out, still wearing his groom’s suit after handling last-minute work at the company. He closed the car door and was about to enter the wedding venue.
Bridesmaid Qin Yeyun called out, “Jiang Qiaoxi, what took you so long? Come in quickly!”
Jiang Qiaoxi’s steps faltered. He paused by the car and turned around. Across the street, beyond the flowing traffic, he saw someone he hadn’t seen in many years.
Liang Hongfei stood at the entrance of a post office, wearing a deep red suit so dark it was almost black. Her hair was neatly pinned up, maintaining her customary meticulous appearance. She carried a black travel bag, clearly indicating her intentions. Liang Hongfei gazed back at him, not even raising a hand to wave as cars passed between them. She had brought this child into the world, only for him to break away from her.
As another car drove by, the figure beneath the post office disappeared. Jiang Qiaoxi glanced at the nearby road, slowly adjusted his shirt cuffs, and turned to enter the hotel.
Qin Yeyun rushed to the preparation room at the back. As soon as she opened the door, she heard Lin Yingtao anxiously complaining to the makeup artist: “I’ve only had a few small biscuits for lunch, I’m so hungry—”
Qin Yeyun lifted her bridesmaid’s dress and walked in, squeezing Lin Yingtao’s shoulders from behind. “Your husband is here!”
Lin Yingtao had just lifted her head when the makeup artist gently pressed it back down. “Oh!” she responded.
The sister-in-law sat on a nearby sofa, playing with her young son. “Qiaoxi is just too busy with work,” she said. “It’s good he made it in time.”
The little nephew picked up a dragon and phoenix bangle from a wooden box with both hands. “It’s so heavy!” he said in his childish voice.
His mother quickly took the bangle and put it back in the box, closing the lid. “Don’t touch that. Aunt Yingtao needs to wear it when she changes into her wedding dress later.”
“What’s a wedding dress?” the little boy asked.
“It’s the clothes the bride wears.”
Lin Yingtao listened to the makeup artist’s instructions and obediently closed her eyes. “When you get married in the future,” she said, “I’ll give this pair of bangles to your bride, okay?”
The little nephew covered his mouth with his hands, exclaiming with curiosity, “My bride? My bride?”
Lin Yingtao’s makeup was complete, and her hair was styled. She opened her eyes to see her reflection in the mirror. Beside her, Qin Yeyun said, “You look beautiful.” Lin Yingtao turned to look at her, and they both smiled. Lin Yingtao pursed her lips and nervously shrugged her shoulders. She stood up and, wearing slippers, entered the changing room to remove her robe and put on her wedding dress with the stylist’s help.
The little nephew waited at the door. When Lin Yingtao pushed it open, he cupped his face in his hands and exclaimed, “Wow, Aunt Yingtao!” His small hands gently stroked the feathers on her wedding dress. “You look like a fairy!”
Lin Yingtao smiled. She wore a veil, with an orange blossom crown nestled in her hair. The stylist opened the bride’s jewelry box and helped her put on the cherry necklace and earrings.
Qin Yeyun stood behind her, holding a pair of small red Ferragamo shoes, smiling at her friend.
Music filled the wedding hall as a jazz band played slow versions of popular songs, mostly old tunes from around the millennium. The groom had provided the playlist, with Sun Yanzi’s “Tian Hei Hei” as the opening song.
The LED screen began displaying the couple’s digital photo album. The first image showed a three-year-old Lin Yingtao with two little pigtails, cradled in her father’s arms as he coaxed her to eat. In the early 1990s, a yellowed white lace cloth draped over the sofa backrest. Lin Yingtao’s large eyes stared directly at the camera, a spoon in her mouth.
Guests seated at the tables laughed, “Lin, which apartment block was this?”
The next photo appeared on the screen: a kindergarten-aged Jiang Qiaoxi in Hong Kong, dressed as Nezha for a children’s performance. He wore clothes woven from lotus flowers and green leaves, with a small red dot on his forehead.
The wedding’s emcee, Du Shang, wore a shirt with a fitted vest over it, his hair slicked back. He was huddled in a corner, rehearsing his opening speech. Hearing the burst of laughter from the audience, he looked up and saw the childhood photo of Jiang Qiaoxi.
“Holy…” Du Shang muttered, quickly pulling out his phone to capture this rare embarrassing photo.
A line of text appeared on the big screen.
“1999, We Met!”
Jiang Qiaoxi, having been touched up by the wedding makeup artist and donning cufflinks and a watch, entered the venue.
“Qiaoxi’s here!” called out some uncles and aunties from the headquarters’ residential area seated near the door. “Congratulations, congratulations!”
The screen displayed a photo:
Outside the old red brick dormitory at the Qunshan work site, Lin Yingtao wore her hair in two long ponytails and a strawberry-print dress. She stood happily next to the transfer student Jiang Qiaoxi, posing with her new neighbor.
Team Leader Yu Zhenfeng sat at the family tables, arms crossed. He suddenly mused, “You know, old Cai, how did he think to arrange for Manager Jiang to live next to old Lin back then?”
The next photo, from 2001, showed Jiang Qiaoxi’s eleventh birthday. He had invited a few friends to the arcade at the Qunbai Building. Each child held a glass of juice. Lin Yingtao and Du Shang had been playing too enthusiastically on the dance machine, their hair disheveled and cheeks flushed from exertion.
As guests laughed at the photos, Jiang Qiaoxi greeted them one by one, realizing he should have done this earlier had he not arrived so late.
The Yu Zhenfeng couple, Yu Jin, Grandma Yu, and Grandma Zhang sat at one table. Grandma Zhang, the former kindergarten principal at the Qunshan project site, asked Grandma Yu, “Is Yingtao a kindergarten teacher now?”
Grandma Yu waved her hand, straining to say, “I can’t hear!” She then smiled as Jiang Qiaoxi bent down to greet her, thanking her for coming. “Good, good!” she nodded happily at Jiang Qiaoxi.
Du Shang’s mother and Cai Fangyuan’s mother also sat at this table, having grown closer since their sons attended university together in Shanghai. Cai Fangyuan’s mother asked, “When will Du Shang get married?”
“I don’t know, he’s so busy,” Du Shang’s mother replied.
“If he gets married, won’t he need to buy a house in Shanghai?” Cai Fangyuan’s mother inquired.
Du Shang’s mother responded hesitantly, “He can’t earn as much as Fangyuan. I can’t help him much in this regard, so…”
Cai Fangyuan’s mother, cracking sunflower seeds, patted her friend’s hand. “Du Shang is so hardworking and determined. He always manages to turn crises into opportunities. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
Qin Yeyun’s father sat at the next table, next to Driver Shao and Accountant Xie’s family. On the other side was Boss Wang Daolin, who had worked at the Qunshan site years ago before going into business. Upon seeing him, Wang greeted him warmly, “Old Qin, I heard from Brother Lin that your daughter has opened an online store. Business is booming, isn’t it?”
Uncle Qin, dressed impeccably in a suit with a partially visible Rolex on his wrist, smiled nervously, “Oh, it’s all thanks to the child’s capabilities. I’m… I’m just basking in her glory!”
Driver Shao looked up at the screen, which showed Lin Yingtao in ninth grade. The girl everyone in Qunshan remembered as mischievous and disinterested in studying had received a Three Merits Student award at Qunshan City No. 1 Middle School. She stood in her school uniform, holding the certificate, posing with other outstanding classmates.
Driver Shao took his young son’s hand and pointed at the screen, “Look at the older brothers and sisters, how good they are. You must study hard, understand?”
Yu Qiao sat with his classmates instead of his family. Dressed in a shirt and trousers, he was today’s “navigator,” having driven the wedding car during the morning’s bride pick-up and door games. Now, he had no particular role in the ceremony.
Lin Yingtao’s high school deskmate, Huang Zhanjie, sat beside him. Yu Qiao asked, “So you’re writing urban romance novels now?”
Huang Zhanjie blushed, stammering, “The editor needed manuscripts, so… I’m just trying everything!”
Du Shang’s girlfriend arrived, sitting on Yu Qiao’s other side. Half the table was still empty. Qin Yeyun and Cai Fangyuan were busy as bridesmaids and groomsmen, while Du Shang was preparing to be the emcee. His girlfriend chatted briefly with Yu Qiao and Huang Zhanjie before turning to Xin Tingting and her boyfriend, Old Zheng.
“Are you two from the Experimental School too?” she asked.
Xin Tingting replied, “We’re from the South Campus!”
Across the table sat Feng Letian, Lin Yingtao’s class monitor, and Dai Lixin, a junior high classmate, who had come together. Dai Lixin looked around nervously, as Geng Xiaoqing hadn’t come. Besides Lin Qile, Feng Letian was her only familiar face here.
Yu Qiao realized he was the only single person at the table. Even Huang Zhanjie was in an online relationship.
Xin Tingting discreetly pointed at Yu Qiao, whispering to Du Shang’s girlfriend, “He was on our year’s Experimental School team. So many girls in our school had crushes on him!”
Du Shang’s girlfriend glanced at Yu Qiao and smiled, “I know, Du Shang has told me so much about him!”
Yu Qiao grew curious, “What did he say about me?”
Du Shang’s girlfriend stifled a laugh, “He suspected you liked boys!”
Old Zheng nearly spat out his tea.
The screen flashed a news image of Jiang Qiaoxi as the top scorer in the 2005 high school entrance exam, prompting applause from the guests. It was followed by a photo of Jiang Qiaoxi in his sophomore year after joining the provincial Math Olympiad team, posing with his teammates.
The next photo, secretly taken in the classroom, showed Jiang Qiaoxi standing by Huang Zhanjie’s desk during break time. Wearing the blue and white high school uniform, he smiled at the camera. Huang Zhanjie looked awkward, caught in the middle, while Lin Yingtao sat on her desk, peeking out from behind a book, also smiling at the camera.
A small caption read: Courtesy of classmate Cai Fangyuan.
Their high school homeroom teacher, Teacher Chen, remarked leisurely, “Caught in the act of puppy love!”
Jiang Qiaoxi stood nearby, resting his hand on Teacher Chen’s shoulder, laughing.
At this table sat several of Jiang Qiaoxi’s former math teachers from primary and secondary school, as well as the provincial team leader and his son, Qi Le.
“Senior Jiang, congratulations!” Qi Le stood up, addressing Jiang Qiaoxi enthusiastically. He was currently pursuing a Ph.D. in mathematics.
Jiang Qiaoxi squeezed his shoulder, gesturing for him to sit down.
The big screen displayed a photo booth picture of Lin Yingtao and Jiang Qiaoxi on Wangfujing Street in Beijing during the summer of their sophomore year.
In the photos, Lin Yingtao always appeared excited and happy, while Jiang Qiaoxi had to lower his head – he was too tall and had to accommodate Lin Yingtao.
Jiang Zheng stood silently by the door. When the wedding ceremony began, he would take his seat as the groom’s father, but for now, he stood apart from the crowd, watching from afar.
He too felt that he had never seen this side of Qiaoxi before, never truly understanding his son’s youth.
The next photo showed Lin Yingtao in 2008, wearing a dance costume with her hair tied up, rehearsing a Chinese dance performance with her classmates in the Beijing Normal University auditorium. Meanwhile, over 2,000 kilometers away, Jiang Qiaoxi was starting at the University of Hong Kong. He stood at a classroom door, posing with a teaching assistant from Tsinghua University. Jiang Qiaoxi looked somewhat tired, with unshaven stubble and slightly longer hair.
Soon, it was autumn 2010. Lin Yingtao sat in the HKU Maxim’s restaurant eating teppanyaki, smiling at the camera –Jiang Qiaoxi’s phone camera.
Several professors and teaching assistants from HKU, along with Jiang Qiaoxi’s superiors and colleagues from Morgan Stanley, sat at one table. Nearby were Jiang Qiaoxi’s cousin and the boss of a private equity firm. Jiang Qiaoxi walked over, shaking hands and thanking them one by one for taking time from their busy schedules to come from afar.
At the adjacent table sat several of Yingtao’s seniors and teachers from Beijing Normal University, as well as the deputy principal and colleagues from her workplace. Senior Meng Lijun discreetly turned to glance at the HKU table. She covered her mouth, whispering to her former roommates, “That group looks so elite!”
When she turned back, she noticed a young, bespectacled HKU teaching assistant at that table sneaking a glance at her.
In early 2011, Jiang Qiaoxi and Lin Yingtao climbed Victoria Peak. The photos clearly showed they were deeply in love. They spent the New Year together in Hong Kong, went shopping, had reunion dinners with relatives, and watched fireworks at Victoria Harbour.
The next image was their marriage license photo taken at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Jiang Qiaoxi stood at the end of the main aisle in the venue. He handed his phone to his assistant and listened as the wedding designer went over the final details with him and the emcee, Du Shang.
When applause erupted in the hall, Jiang Qiaoxi looked up. The screen displayed the final photo – their recent wedding portrait.
Jiang Qiaoxi also raised his head. In the venue filled with fresh flowers, balloons, laughter, and sighs, bathed in soft light, he too found it strange. That little girl who once cried at the Qunshan work site was now in a wedding dress, becoming his bride.
The young nephew, dressed in a white suit with a plaid bowtie, helped Aunt Yingtao carry her beautiful wedding dress train. Lin Yingtao, holding her bouquet, walked forward accompanied by her mother and Qin Yeyun. Her mother held her close, “Don’t be nervous, okay?”
Lin Yingtao inexplicably felt like crying. She squeezed her mother’s hand and walked anxiously to the hall’s entrance. The wedding coordinator explained, “When the doors open, the groom will be standing at the other end of the red carpet aisle. Don’t be afraid, bride. Think of nothing else. Just follow this path, arm in arm with your father, towards your groom.”
“Yingtao!”
At the other end of the corridor, Lin Haifeng quickened his pace, running over.
“Dad…” Lin Yingtao saw him from afar. Her voice trembled, her shoulders shook, and she was on the verge of tears.
Qin Yeyun gently advised her, “Oh, don’t cry!”
Lin Haifeng approached, smiling as he carefully adjusted the snow-white veil on Lin Yingtao’s hair. “Oh, Yingtao, you look so beautiful…”
Inside, Du Shang picked up the microphone and began speaking. His initial rapid pace made everyone laugh and cheer.
Lin Yingtao held back her tears, smiling at her mother, Qin Yeyun, and her sister-in-law. She gripped her bouquet and linked arms with her father. As the doors opened and she stepped forward, flower petals suddenly fell on her shoulders.
Jiang Qiaoxi turned his head at the other end of the aisle, watching her.
Her father’s handheld Yingtao’s, just as it had when she was little, guiding her step by step. “Look,” he said, “Qiaoxi is right there.”