Shen Rong stayed in Shanghai for a few days, but the Xuanjiu Winery had matters that required her attention, so she had to return.
Less than half a month later, good news arrived from the capital: Chen Yu and Liu Xiaoguang were planning to get married on National Day.
Upon receiving the joyful news, Chen Yang felt a sense of déjà vu. At this time in his previous life, his younger sister and brother-in-law had already been married for several years.
However, due to his presence, the family's financial situation had improved significantly in this life, and his younger sister's horizons had broadened. She hadn't, as in his previous life, stayed to work at the university after graduation.
Instead, she chose to pursue postgraduate studies, and after completing her master's degree, she joined the Ministry of Education. Her relationship with Liu Xiaoguang had its ups and downs, and Liu Xiaoguang also did not stay at the university but instead joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Initially assigned to the Department of Asian Affairs, he was then sent abroad on official business for two years. During these two years, they spent little time together, which Chen Yang found unavoidable.
Although he hadn't deliberately interfered with his younger sister's marriage, his rebirth had, to some extent, caused certain events to deviate.
However, the outcome was good. This year, Liu Xiaoguang returned from his overseas assignment, received a promotion, and remained in China. He would likely not be relocated for at least the next five years.
Ultimately, they were fated to be together, and now they had reached the stage of marriage.
Chen Yang naturally had no objections to their union. Liu Xiaoguang's family was also well-off, being natives of Beijing with a siheyuan courtyard house.
His parents had no complaints about Liu Xiaoguang's appearance, career, family background, or character.
With the wedding date set, Shen Xue became even more worried. Chen Yang's younger sister had found a partner, but her own sister was a cause for concern. Why hadn't this girl found a boyfriend during her university years?
Time passed quickly. The summer of 1987 was spent by Zhenhua in a frenzy of production. Summer was the peak season for refrigerator and air conditioner sales.
The television production line at Zhenhua Electric Appliances Factory was even temporarily halted, with workers working overtime to help the refrigerator and air conditioner departments assemble parts, all to meet the demand for goods.
This year, Panasonic was directly driven out of the Chinese market by Chen Yang, and Meiling and Hitachi also suffered setbacks in China.
Zhenhua ushered in a new wave of factory construction, and this time, Chen Yang set his sights on the inland regions.
Zhenhua began to consciously segment its production and manufacturing bases. The headquarters remained in Shanghai, serving as the future manufacturing base for televisions.
The Shenzhen branch factory focused heavily on producing refrigerators, while the planned new Jiangcheng Zhenhua Electric Appliances Factory was dedicated to air conditioners. Jiangcheng, situated at the confluence of six provinces, had always been a strategically important area and a convenient transportation hub.
Building factories in easily accessible locations facilitated future cargo transport, which was Chen Yang's primary criterion for selecting factory sites. Moreover, Jiangcheng's location in central China allowed access to Xiangxi and Jiangxi in the south, Shaanxi and Gansu in the north, and Sichuan in the west, making it geographically advantageous.
In the future, Chen Yang also planned to build a manufacturing plant in Sichuan to specialize in washing machines. Since he aimed to be a leader in the home appliance industry, he intended to cover all product categories.
However, these were still in the planning stages. One had to eat one bite at a time, and tasks had to be tackled one by one.
As Chen Yang anticipated, it was soon the end of September. He specifically canceled all his work and social engagements and prepared to travel to Beijing with his wife, children, and parents.
His younger sister's wedding was arguably the biggest happy occasion for the Chen family in recent years.
Chen Yang had originally wanted to throw a lavish celebration for Chen Yu and Liu Xiaoguang, but given their current status, it wasn't appropriate to be too ostentatious.
Ultimately, Liu Xiaoguang's parents hosted a banquet at the Beijing Hotel, primarily inviting Chen Yang's family, relatives from Liu Xiaoguang's family, and some classmates and colleagues of Chen Yu and Liu Xiaoguang.
Although it wasn't as grand as Chen Yang had originally envisioned, it was still lively and joyous, and the in-laws had clearly put in a lot of thought.
Chen Yang did not overdo it, simply presenting a complete set of home appliances: an 18-inch color television, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, and a washing machine.
These items were trivial to Chen Yang, but for people of that era, purchasing such a set of appliances, even with increased wages, would require a worker's family to save for several years.
It wasn't that Chen Yang was unwilling to give more valuable gifts, but he was afraid of inadvertently hurting Liu Xiaoguang's family.
Marriage emphasizes matching backgrounds, which is precisely what it means. If one party in a marriage has a significantly higher status than the other, it can easily lead to problems.
Chen Yang was wealthy and could certainly afford to give more expensive gifts, but that would undoubtedly lead to others mocking Liu Xiaoguang for marrying into wealth and a prominent family, potentially harming his pride.
This set of home appliances, while valuable, was something that a family like Liu Xiaoguang's could, with some effort, manage to acquire.
Even Liu Xiaoguang's parents would likely perceive it as their daughter's elders doting on her and preparing such a generous dowry.
Their own preparations were not lacking either. They directly gave their siheyuan courtyard house to the newlyweds, choosing to live in the shared dormitory provided by their workplace.
They also furnished the young couple's home with new furniture, including a new bed, tables, chairs, a sofa, cookware, and dinnerware, new bedsheets and quilts. They bought two Phoenix brand bicycles, a radio, a sewing machine, a tape recorder, and two watches.
The combined value of these items even surpassed the home appliances Chen Yang gave. Both families contributed their efforts, hoping for a brighter future for the young couple.
Even Chen Yu and Liu Xiaoguang's classmates and colleagues could only cast envious glances.
Newly married, with all new appliances and furniture, and everything fully equipped. For any other young family, relying solely on their salaries, it would likely take ten to eight years to accumulate such a foundation.
Chen Yang had always considered himself strong, but for some reason, when Liu Xiaoguang brought Chen Yu to toast him, his eyes instantly welled up.
He recalled his mischievous and troublesome younger sister from childhood, the little girl who often argued with him, and the reclusive female professor in his past life who often took him to meet elite classmates from various industries...
Chen Yang's eyes suddenly felt moist. The bond between them was the unbreakable tie of blood.
His once young and mischievous sister was getting married today.
"You're all grown up now, why are you even more sentimental than before?"
"It's not like we won't see each other again. You have your department store in Beijing, so come visit me when you can."
"Brother, your brother-in-law is toasting you. Are you going to drink or not?"
"If not, we'll move on to the next table."
Chen Yu's voice, tinged with a slight tremor, brought Chen Yang back from his wandering thoughts. He looked at his sister, whose eyes were also red, and his throat felt parched, as if something were lodged there.
"I'll drink, I'll drink."
"Xiaoguang, you must treat my sister well from now on. Otherwise, even if I'm in Jinling, I'll rush to Beijing overnight to beat you."