Chapter 221: We're Engaged (2 in 1)

Marriage is a big event and with Shen Yu and Rika's proposal having been successful, it was then the turn of the two families to get on with the process.

When I got back to the hotel, I first went to my dad and mum's room, where they were checking the list of bride price.

After all, Shen Yu is the only son and this is the most important thing in his life, so Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru could not be more concerned.

As Chinese and Japanese customs are slightly different, the exact bride price was discussed with Asaba Kazuo and his wife over the phone and was prepared before they arrived.

In addition to the usual nine items from the Japanese side, Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru also gave a set of gold jewellery, including earrings, a necklace, a bracelet, an anklet and a wedding ring, and then Asaba Kazuo and Miori also gave a suit, two shirts, two pairs of shoes and a mattress. These were all given to Shen Yu and Rika for their wedding.

"Where have you been all day, you're nowhere to be seen."

"I'll just wander around ......"

Shen Yu came over to help with the packing of the bride's gift, which had been counted and confirmed.

Shen Yu's parents did not believe him when he said he was just strolling around, so they looked at him suspiciously for a few moments, yawned and got up to wash up and rest.

"Get an early night's rest, you have a house call in the morning, don't let your Uncle Asaba and Auntie Miori see you looking unrefreshed, it's only right to make a good impression."

"That's for sure, I'm going to bed in my room."

"Don't sleep too late!"

"Got it."

After Shen Yu left, Zhang Xiaoru and Shen Deyou lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

"Ouch, what are you doing tossing and turning ......"

"I can't sleep. Old Shen, you can sleep?"

"Close your eyes, don't think about anything, you'll be asleep in a minute ......"

"Can you not want to? Your son! Getting married!"

"If you mention it again, neither of us will have to sleep tonight."

"Time flies, eh, Old Shen, do you ever feel as if we both got married just yesterday, and then in a flash, our son has also found someone and is now starting a family."

"Hmm. Pretty good, isn't that what you always wanted."

"Can't say what's in my heart either ......"

Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru feel both relieved and sad that their son will no longer be treated as a child once he is married, that he will have a family of his own, and that his elderly parents will begin to withdraw from his life.

"Old Shen, remember the zoo we went to when we were young, Shen Yu would take my hand and say, "Look mum, the elephant is so big and big, you would even carry him on your back and ride on his neck, he was so happy, he said "mum and dad", just thinking about it makes me feel so happy at that time, in a flash, my son is now all grown up and getting married."

"When we're both free, we can go for a walk around, I never even took you romantically when we were younger, and I owe you that."

"If we both go shopping, who's going to help him with the kids?"

"...... Isn't that what you said before when you were pushing him to get married, the brat got married and we both got liberated."

"You liberate yourself, I don't have time to go, I have to take my grandchildren."

Also losing sleep tonight were Asaba Kazuo and Miori. Perhaps Rika's mum and dad felt more sad than the two of them, after all, Yokohama to Sunan is really far away ......

......

Shen Yu is lying in bed, videoing with Rika, who is also lying under the covers.

"Honey, you're still awake?"

"I'm excited and can't sleep. What about you?"

"Hehehe, Rika can't sleep either."

He held the phone over his heart and asked her, "Hear that, my thumping heartbeat."

"Super loud!"

"What do you say if your mum and dad don't want you to go and refuse to marry you off to me ......"

"Then Rika will not marry you~"

"How dare you?"

Shen Yu gave in first and said, "We'll come back to Yokohama at least three times a year, when do you think is a good time?"

"Then it's New Year, cherry blossom season, and the fireworks festival!"

"All according to you."

Shen Yu and Rika were so excited about their upcoming event that they couldn't sleep. They chatted about trivial matters bit by bit until late at night, when they each fell asleep in a daze with a smile on their faces.

......

The first note of the seven o'clock alarm clock had barely struck when Shen Yu opened her eyes and sat up with a start, slapping her hands against her cheeks, checking the time and date and her surroundings to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

The video of the call was still on, but the charger was plugged in, so I couldn't see Rika on the other side of the screen, only the ceiling of her room.

Shen Yu didn't wake her up and didn't hang up the phone, but got up nimbly to wash up and get ready.

He had already had his hair cut and a special image done before he arrived, and had his eyebrows trimmed.

In his suitcase he carries two sets of clothes that Rika bought for him, one for today's visit and the other for tomorrow's knotting ceremony.

A careful shower, a clean face, a clean shave and hair styled and gelled up to reveal his forehead.

After half a day in the mirror, I looked handsome and refreshed.

It's eight o'clock when this is done, and the screen on the phone flutters a little to reveal Rika's sleepy eyes.

"Brain male ...... brain male?"

"You're awake?"

Shen Yu picks up her phone but redirects the camera so that she doesn't see herself.

"Well, where are you, I can't see you ......"

"I won't show you first, I'm afraid I'll give you a handsome look, I'll have breakfast later and go over to your house, do you want to wait for me in your room?"

"!!! Rika get up now!"

After hanging up the phone, Shen Yu went to help her parents get their things, had breakfast together at the hotel, and then took a taxi to Rika's house at nine o'clock.

Today is the past visit, that is, the engagement before the in-laws meet process, after all, the two families are far away, door-to-door visits are not convenient, about many engagement details have been communicated on the phone also arranged, today past is mainly the wedding schedule, the way, etc. are selected down.

A visit is also a big deal, and a big deal has to be taken seriously.

Look at Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru's outfits today, they are both dressed in a more formal way than they used to be.

"Mom, this is the first time I've seen you in a dress and high heels."

"Well?"

"Nice to look at."

Zhang Xiaoru was also a pretty girl when she was young, but she didn't take care of herself as much as Miori did, but after some serious dressing up, you can really see a lot of her youthful charm.

Shen Yu's complexion and eyebrows resemble her mother's, her face and height resemble her father's, and her nose is tall, combining the best of both worlds.

After breakfast, Shen Yu helped to bring the things with him, the trunk was stuffed to the brim with gifts, which included good tea and wine, as well as a fine silk, in addition to some food and fruit.

The Shen Yu family had already left and the Rika family was ready to go.

It was a family meeting and Miori woke up early to make preparations, including the ingredients for the lunch, the cleaning of the house, the new slippers for the guests, etc. The couple also changed into formal clothes.

Rika was as excited as a little bird, running back and forth upstairs and downstairs.

"Dang dang~! Mommy look, does this dress look good?"

"They all look good, which one does Rika want to wear?"

"I don't know eh."

Rika ran back to the room and finally chose a little dress in a soft bud yellow, which had a touch of tenderness to it.

"Mum, take a break, Rika will choose the vegetables."

"Mummy can't be bothered, you go and play by yourself."

As she said this, it took Miori a moment to realise that she was treating Rika like a child again.

"Rika is not a child anymore."

She held out her left hand, with the diamond ring on her ring finger that Shen Yu had given her, and waved it in front of Miori's face, smiling, "Nice, isn't it?"

"...... You're still afraid your mother won't let you get married off, huh?"

"No, Rika won't get married if Mum won't let her!"

With that, he covered the ring tightly as if it were a baby and ran off in a huff.

Miori looked at Rika's back and thought to herself that when she was eloping, Rika could probably run faster than Bolt.

......

The doorbell rang at the appointed 9.30am as we waited nervously.

Upstairs, Rika rushed down with a thud and hurriedly alerted Asaba Kazuo and Miori: "It must be Shen Yu and Uncle and Auntie! They're here! I'll open the door!"

Miori held her down and told her to follow him. The couple straightened their clothes and Asaba Kazuo walked ahead, followed by Miori and Rika, and the family went out to meet them.

When the door opens, the first person to see him is Shen Deyou, followed a little later by Shen Yu and Zhang Xiaoru, who is carrying a full load of things in his hands.

"Brother Asaba, we've come to visit."

"Brother Shen, good job on the journey!"

The two heads of the family laughed brightly and embraced.

Shen Yu and Rika each bend down to greet their aunts and uncles, and when they look up, they look at each other with their eyebrows raised, not talking, just making eye contact.

Rika's face is a little red and reserved, but the softly pursed corners of her mouth cannot hide the happiness she feels inside.

The two walked silently behind their parents, their little hands hooked together in the middle where they could not see.

"Hee hee ......"

"What are you laughing at."

"Rika happy."

"Sneak a kiss?"

"No way."

Once the parents were inside, Rika darted up on tiptoe and gave Shen Yu a kiss on the cheek before slipping away again like a swallow.

The last time I visited Rika's house was during the New Year, but now it is the height of summer in August and the courtyard has been transformed, with flowers of all colours, and the stove has been put away and replaced by a cool mat.

Rika's hands were folded on her lap as she took her seat at the tea table, looking like 'I'll marry you if you want me to' and 'I'll marry you if you want me to'. She would only blush and nod her head like a chicken pecking at rice.

Miori is in charge of boiling water and making tea, but it is mainly Asaba Kazuo and Shen Deyou who are talking.

After all, it was the first time that we started talking about other things, such as the weather, the company, the traffic, the environment, and the more we talked, the more we almost talked about aliens.

Each side took out a list of the bride price for the other to look over, and then talked about the arrangements for the wedding ceremony tomorrow, and it was smoothly agreed.

When it came to the wedding, it was finally decided that the wedding would be held at Sunan.

Usually the wedding is not too far away from the ceremony, around three or five months, so the two parties discussed and tentatively set a date for January next year, when Zhang Xiaoru returns and then find someone to pick a good date.

Shen Deyou and Zhang Xiaoru were also very sincere when it came to the dowry, offering to buy their children a house in the city centre and Asaba Kazuo to give them a new car.

Both Shen Yu and Rika were relieved to have had a good conversation.

Unlike in Japan, Rika did not have to change her surname when she married into the family, which Asaba Kazuo liked.

The conversation went on and on and on about children.

"Let's have two, preferably a boy and a girl, one is fine too, having more than one would be hard on Rika, Brother Asaba you like children too, right?"

"Wow! That's good! Very good! Now, just birth?"

The eyes of both parents then fell on fellow instrumentalists Shen Yu and Rika.

"Now ......?"

"I don't want it!"

Rika was so ashamed that she covered her face with her hands.

She had wanted to have ten or eight children with Shen Yu, but after getting tired of being together, she thought it would be better not to get pregnant so early for a while.

We ate together at lunchtime and talked about everything that needed to be discussed.

We all had a little drink and were slightly tipsy.

Shen Yu and his family went back to the hotel, and the two youngsters were reserved and did not sneak out to meet again today.

It's really time to get some rest tonight and be in the best possible shape for tomorrow's knotting ceremony.

......

The wedding took place in Sunan and the ceremony, also known as the engagement ceremony, was held at the Rika family home, with Asaba Kazuo and Miori preparing the entire ceremony.

The marriage of a daughter is an important event, and the ceremony is more symbolic than a marriage certificate in Japanese terms.

The matchmaker was a highly respected uncle, who acted as a witness to the marriage, and a number of close elders and relatives had been invited earlier in the day to witness the event.

When he arrived at Rika's house, Shen Yu did not see her, and there were a few chairs set up in the courtyard for guests.

Luckily, Rika didn't keep him waiting and when he appeared in front of Shen Yu, he couldn't help but see the light.

Like Asaba Kazuo and Miori, Rika is wearing a kimono today, red silk ribbon tied around her hair at the back of her head, hands folded at the small of her back, cherry-coloured kimono tied tightly with a cloth belt, walking towards him with small steps, her light-coloured wooden clogs clacking Atsushi.

When Shen Yu first saw Rika in a kimono, she felt a sense of elegance that she had never seen before.

In her big, bony eyes, Shen Yu still finds a familiar flavour of sillyity.

"Old ...... Shen Yu!"

Rika calls out to him haughtily, smiles and bends down to greet the elders present.

"Why are you wearing a kimono today?"

"Is it nice?"

"It's nice to look at."

"Because today is an important day in Rika's life, and I wore a kimono on my coming-of-age day."

"That's nice."

Shen Yu took her hand and with Rika there as a little interpreter, conversations with the guests went much more smoothly and, crucially, he had a lot of good things to say about his petite wife.

The official knotting ceremony began.

The crowd moved from the courtyard to the peace room where the ceremony took place, where both parents were ready and Shen Yu and Rika, the newlyweds, and their relatives were seated.

The room is spacious and the most striking feature is the long wooden table in front of it, where two red ribbon-wrapped wedding gifts are placed.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom are responsible for taking the wedding gift home for safekeeping.

The room was quiet, the Japanese relatives were not very close, there were only about ten elders present, apart from the uncle who was the matchmaker, the older one was Miori's mother sitting next to her, Rika's grandmother.

Her grandmother had gotten married quite early, and today was her granddaughter's engagement day, and she seemed very happy to be there, dragging Rika along to talk when Shen Yu's family wasn't.

Shen Yu and Rika, the main protagonists of the ceremony, were seated on either side of each other in a dignified manner, both a little nervous inside.

From time to time, they would raise their eyes and surreptitiously meet each other's for a moment, raising their eyebrows and daring to speak out loud.

The uncle began to perform the knotting ceremony.

"It was a pleasure to witness this happy event and the children are finally growing up, and now we are holding a ceremony to tie the knot between the Shen Family and the Asaba Family."

He held out his hand, palm facing the direction of the Shen Yu family: " The Shen Family has come a long way with a sincere heart and a generous gift for the Asaba Family."

After the matchmaker has spoken, it is up to the man's female elders to start giving gifts to the woman.

Zhang Xiaoru got up, went to the long wooden table, held the prepared bride price and the directory, and slowly approached Rika.

Rika gets up, probably a little excited, her eyes watery and misty.

Uncle said to Rika, "Please accept this generous gift from the Shen Family and I hope you will keep it forever."

Rika solemnly accepted the gift from Zhang Xiaoru and said aloud, "I have received this precious gift and I will keep it forever."

"The Asaba Family has prepared a generous gift for the Shen Family with a virtuous wife and children and a pious heart."

After the uncle spoke, Rika's grandmother, Mrs. Mitsuse, got up and came to Shen Yu with a generous gift in her hand.

Shen Yu, who looked as tall as the Tokyo Tower in front of his hunched grandmother, also bent down voluntarily and solemnly accepted the gift from Mrs Mitsuse, saying equally aloud, "I have received this precious gift, and I will keep it forever."

After the exchange of gifts, the uncle took Shen Yu in one hand and Rika in the other.

"As time passes and the years change, only true emotions can leave an indelible mark like an eternal nebula in a long night, and I am lucky to have witnessed Shen Yu and Asaba Rika's love recognised by time."

"I announce that Shen Yu and Asaba Rika are officially engaged to be married!"

"May you, hand in hand, love each other and never part!"

After the uncle's announcement, the room erupted in applause and both parents choked up a little, saying nothing but clapping hard.

Rika cried like a tearful man and hugged Shen Yu tightly.

When dreams become reality, happiness is smiling, glistening teary eyes.

After the ceremony, there was a lively banquet, with the Shen Yu family and the Rika family both drinking a lot of wine, and after the guests had been entertained by Miori, the two old men were still lying at the table, drinking one glass to another.

Shen Yu didn't drink much, thanks to Rika's grandmother, who kept him and Rika talking.

He told him to have a big, fat baby, explained what Rika should do after the wedding, and so on.

Apart from his father-in-law and mother-in-law, he will invite all of Rika's friends and family to Sunan to witness his wedding.

Shen Yu pretended to be drunk, and Rika knew enough to half-help, half-resist, and hide him in his room, where they collapsed into bed with a grunt after closing the door.

Tonight it's at Rika's house and it's Rika in a kimono.

The pale moonlight is like a light veil, the summer night wind, intertwined with the soft chant of a maiden ......

The lingering with her is more intoxicating than wine.