Chapter 2031 - Collective Wedding (I)

"Oh, this Daoist needs no flattery—he has pleasures enough of his own!" Cui Hantang laughed. "But you, bald head, you're a sharp one indeed."

Shi Tong'an knew the epithet masked genuine approval. Pleased, he smiled along. "The Daoist Master has attained the Way in Australia and risen above such earthly concerns. Still, should you require anything, you need only instruct this poor monk."

Cui Hantang's laughter rang out. "Fine, fine. When I have need, you'll be the first I call upon."

After Shi Tong'an departed, the sting of Li Suiqiu's refusal faded from Cui Hantang's mind. Just a Li Suiqiu—what was he in the grand scheme? When the Tax Bureau ground him down to the marrow, they'd see how arrogant he remained. Still, among Li Qiushui's circle, several showed promise. Worth considering for recruitment, perhaps. After all, Li Suiqiu enjoyed comfortable circumstances, but these scholars were universally poor...

The fundraising campaign flourished under Cui Hantang's stewardship. Though he skimmed liberally from the proceeds, collective effort secured sufficient funds for both the wedding ceremony and renovations to the newlyweds' housing. All parties departed satisfied.

According to standard procedure, collective weddings traditionally featured a "city parade." But Guangzhou's cramped streets made this impractical—too narrow for carriages, and rickshaws would appear shabby. Instead, they would cruise the Pearl River.

Typically, couples photographed themselves at churches, city halls, or other landmark sites during such parades. Local conditions prohibited this, so Fang Fei eliminated the step entirely. After the boats docked, the newlyweds would assemble for group photographs at Great World Plaza, where the wedding itself would commence.

The ceremony would take place at Great World's outer plaza. The city proper remained too congested for large-scale public gatherings, but this venue could accommodate several thousand spectators and offered straightforward security and evacuation protocols. Most importantly, it possessed the sound amplification and lighting equipment essential for mass events and performances.

For the ceremony itself, they rejected the "Chinese style" advocated by the Huaxia Society, declined the "Western style" proposed by Wu Shimang and others, and vetoed the "revolutionary style" championed by the Spartacus Society. They settled at last on the so-called "Australian style"—in truth, a simplified iteration of commercial wedding practices from the old timeline. The Plaid Skirt Club would self-fund the cultural performances. Wu Ciren had traveled to Guangzhou specifically for the occasion, ostensibly to "inspect Guangdong's transportation and public safety infrastructure."

Several "leaders" would naturally deliver speeches and serve as officiants. Liu Xiang expressed willingness to preside, but Fang Fei ultimately requested Wen Desi instead—not for his official rank, but for his auspicious name. "Desi" could be interpreted as "gaining heirs," and even its literal meaning conveyed excellence—a tremendous omen for newlyweds.

The ceremony would culminate in a wedding banquet. Seventy-six couples, plus congratulatory relatives, friends, and guests from all sectors totaled roughly five hundred attendees. At eight per table, that required sixty tables. Neither the Ziming Restaurant nor local establishments could manage such scale; they'd need to hire specialized catering cooks, erect tents, build stoves, recruit waiters—tremendously troublesome, with hygiene concerns and myriad complications. Fang Fei rendered his judgment: buffet service.

The buffet's greatest advantage lay in minimal staffing requirements. Mu Min harbored considerable anxiety about managing so many guests. Traditional table arrangements would demand one to two hundred cooks, assistants, and servers—maintaining order would prove enormously challenging.

Fang Fei worked himself ragged, while Liu Yikun, head of Great World, fared no better. For a time, Guangzhou's entire municipal apparatus seemed to orbit the collective wedding. Even common citizens in streets and alleys felt the festive atmosphere—newspapers and posters had broadcast the news citywide. Those merchants and wealthy households who had "donated" or "rendered meritorious service" through various channels now strutted with chests puffed, boasting of "inside information" they didn't actually possess—merely hearsay embellished by imagination.

Within this joyous atmosphere, the day of the collective wedding finally dawned: September 1st, 1636. Liu Xiang joked it marked the start of school.

"Precisely," Fang Fei smiled. "Marriage is also education. The family is a school. We've come not only to transform the old marriage system but to revolutionize family life itself."

That morning, the women gathered at the "Guangdong Province Temporary Shelter" rose early. They had bathed the previous night and changed into completely new undergarments and outer clothing. Their wedding attire had been custom-tailored in Lingao, sponsored by the Huaxia Society: red dresses incorporating hanfu elements, following the traditional style of upper jacket and lower skirt but employing modern tailoring techniques for superior fit and mobility.

Their hair had been trimmed beforehand. To reduce styling time while promoting the "new woman" ideal, all wore simple modern cuts without traditional buns. Each bride had a specially crafted red velvet flower tucked beside her temple—simultaneously gorgeous and elegantly restrained.

When the bridal garments emerged, the brides gasped in wonder. When had they ever encountered such beautiful clothes? The cutting and ornamentation dazzled, but the fabric itself was premium silk. In their former lives selling smiles at doorways, their finest garments had been crude cocoon-silk at best.

"So beautiful!"

"These must be Australian—I've never seen anything like them!"

"I never imagined I'd wear a red skirt. I could die content now."

"Don't speak of dying on such a happy occasion—how inauspicious!"

The brides clustered around the garments, laughing and comparing. Though the styles were identical save for sizing, they continued lifting and examining each piece, holding them against their bodies. Several mirrors circulated frantically. Gasps of amazement punctuated bursts of laughter.

"Everyone, stop comparing—they're all the same design. Hurry and dress. We're running short on time."

He Xiaoyue urged the brides forward. She too wore new clothes today, though still the standard "female cadre uniform"—naturally pale beside the brides' splendor. As usual, she carried a bag containing the day's schedule and procedural documents. He Xiaoyue bore heavy responsibility today. Though not prettily dressed, she served effectively as "bridesmaid" to all seventy-six brides, accompanying and guiding them throughout. This marked her first independent assignment, and nervousness ran high.

Because of the numbers involved, professional makeup artists from Ziming Restaurant couldn't accommodate them all. Each bride received a small personal pouch containing a simple cosmetics kit for self-application—though "cosmetics" meant merely powder, rouge, and lipstick.

Yet even such rudimentary makeup rendered the brides radiant. After all, smiles born of genuine joy are the most beautiful cosmetic of all.

Under He Xiaoyue's prodding, the brides finally finished dressing and departed the shelter, escorted by staff and police.

The area before the gate had been swept immaculate. As they emerged, strings of ten-thousand-character firecrackers ignited on both sides while musicians hired from the city played ceaselessly. The few residents near this desolate, dilapidated temple emerged to investigate the commotion, watching the grand procession with curiosity.

"So many brides! Whose wedding is this?"

"Marrying so many at once! Wives or concubines?"

This era possessed no concept of collective weddings. Even when taking concubines, one never took two simultaneously. The elegantly dressed brides streaming endlessly from the gate bewildered many onlookers.

"Nonsense—this is the collective wedding the Australians are hosting! A collective wedding! Dozens of couples marrying together!" explained someone who had read newspapers or heard "announcements" at the teahouse.

"I see. These Australians certainly love spectacle, always inventing novelties."

"Not even wearing veils—and those clothes are far too immodest!"

"Australians favor this style. Haven't you seen their female cadres? Those trousers are so tight you can discern their buttocks."

Vulgar laughter rippled through the crowd.

"I heard many used to be prostitutes?"

"Shh! Do you want to die? The police will arrest you!"

"Prostitutes or not, if the Australians don't mind, why should you worry?"

"Prostitutes are excellent—experienced, haha."

Though considerable crude and indecent commentary arose from the onlookers, He Xiaoyue paid it no mind. She held her head high and called out: "Everyone stay calm, watch your footing, ignore the outsiders' talk."

In the canal before Huanghua Temple, five newly decorated "dragon" speedboats lay moored. The brides boarded one by one, bound for the "cruise ship" waiting on the Pearl River.

The cruise ship was the Octopus. Originally assigned as a Joint Logistics transport vessel for personnel and materiel between Guangzhou and Wuzhou, it had been specially allocated for this cruise. After simple repairs and modifications, it had been festooned entirely with fresh flowers. Guangzhou had long been famous for its flower markets; since the Ming Dynasty, Henan District had served as the primary flower farmers' quarter. Fang Fei had commissioned vast quantities of fresh flowers and plants from Henan's farmers, all deployed to decorate both venue and vessels.

The Octopus gleamed with fresh paint, its formerly removed decorations reinstalled, restoring its former glory as Guo Yi's yacht. Today, further adorned with flowers, it rested at Tianzi Wharf, drawing countless citizens to spectate.

Tianzi Wharf itself had been freshly decorated with flowers. Police maintained order while National Army troops stood guard in formation. Folk music troupes assembled from throughout Guangzhou Prefecture played their instruments. The atmosphere at the wharf was nothing short of magnificent.

(End of Chapter)