Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 427 - 302: Distinguished Guests Gathered (Part 2)

At 7:28 p.m., the wedding officially began.

Just as many people were astonished, almost at the last moment, as to the status of the middle-aged woman who arrived, who could sit at Secretary Miao’s table after being fervently invited by leaders from Huaiyin City Police Bureau, Changhang Bureau, Binjiang City Police Department Criminal Investigation Team, and Water Police Station, Port Authority Union Chairman Qian with a red flower pinned to his chest, beamingly walked to the center of the stage.

"Respected leaders, elders, friends, and dear children, good evening!"

Chairman Qian had plenty of experience hosting weddings and didn’t need a prepared speech.

A round of warm applause broke out, he smiled and nodded his head, then turned to look at Master Han, Han Yu, and others standing to his left, and said exuberantly, "Today is a joyous day for the marriage of Comrade Han Yu and Comrade Han Xiangning, as well as Comrade Liang Xiaojun and Comrade Han Xiangmeng. If this were a meeting, I would stress that there is no order of precedence between the two couples."

Choosing which couple to introduce first mattered in a wedding.

Hearing him say there was "no order of precedence," everyone, including Vice Mayor Miao, couldn’t help but laugh.

Of course, a wedding should be delightful.

Deputy Director Xu from the Industry and Commerce Administration raised his hand and laughed, asking, "Chairman Qian, today I’m a friend of Comrade Liang Xiaojun and Comrade Han Xiangmeng. I need to ask on behalf of Liang Xiaojun and Han Xiangmeng, are you ranking by the number of strokes in their surnames, or by what means? Why are Xiao Jun and Xiang Meng listed after?"

"Yeah, why are you putting our side in the back?"

A division head from the Industry and Commerce Administration followed suit, provoking another round of laughter.

Chairman Qian nodded and explained with emphasis, "Ancient people said ’Between father and son there exists intimacy, between sovereign and minister there is righteousness, husband and wife have their distinctions, seniors and juniors have their order, and between friends there is faith.’ Nowadays, we don’t talk about the old relationships of sovereign and minister or father and son, but we still promote the order of seniors and juniors and the faith among friends.

As for the precedence I introduced just now, I am inheriting and promoting our Chinese nation’s fine tradition of respecting the elderly and loving the young. As everyone knows, Comrade Han Xiangning is the elder sister of Comrade Han Xiangmeng. Although Comrade Salted Fish is younger than Comrade Liang Xiaojun, from now on, he will be the brother-in-law to Comrade Han Xiangmeng and Comrade Liang Xiaojun, hence Salted Fish and Han Xiangning should be listed first. Does everyone agree I’m correct?"

"No!"

"Very good, that’s how it should be ranked."

"Since all leaders, elders, and friends have no objections to the order, let’s applaud to approve."

Treating the hosting of a wedding like a meeting and even applauding for approval!

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh, and gave another round of warm applause.

Choosing Chairman Qian from the Port Authority Union to host the wedding was a well-considered decision since today’s wedding involved three families.

If a leader from the Port Supervision Bureau or the police system were to host, the friends and relatives of the Liang family would undoubtedly feel that Liang Xiaojun and Han Xiangmeng were mere supporting roles, and vice versa.

Having a leader from the Port Authority host was different; after all, to many, both Han Yu and Han Xiangning are considered part of the Port Authority, and Han Xiangmeng is certainly a nurse from the Port Authority Hospital.

By having a common leader host, no party could complain.

And indeed, Chairman Qian was a great host, witty and humorous, even his mere opening remarks had everyone bursting with laughter.

"First, let me introduce myself. My surname is Qian, named Qian Aiguo, currently the Chairman of the Port Authority Union. Before coming to the union, I’ve worked in the Youth League, Women’s Federation, and family planning. I’ve taken advantage of my position to focus on hosting weddings for over two decades.

According to incomplete statistics by my spouse this morning, over the past twenty years, I’ve hosted over six hundred weddings, toasted with over six hundred pairs of newlyweds, eaten over six hundred pairs of wedding candies, including some of the guests here today. Eating, drinking, and even taking gifts, sometimes twice a day, once at noon and once at night, it’s truly hard work."

Such a unique self-introduction even had Vice Mayor Miao in tears from laughter.

A Deputy Director from the Port Supervision Bureau, who was an old friend of Chairman Qian, stood up and said with a laugh, "You’ve got food, drink, and gifts and still say it’s hard? You’re taking advantage and still acting coy; how about I come up and host instead?"

"Yeah, Chairman Qian, we can take on the hardship for you."

"No, no, today, I am honored to be entrusted by the two pairs of newlyweds and their parents to host the wedding. This is like an official appointment from the Organization Department; it’s the trust that the two couples and their families have in me, and I must do a good job hosting the wedding."

Chairman Qian laughed and turned around, saying, "Next, let’s welcome Comrade Han Yu, the groom, and Comrade Han Xiangning, the bride, along with the parents of the newlyweds, on stage with a round of warm applause!"

Han Yu could no longer laugh; he quickly took his senior classmate and walked onto the stage with his dad, mom, and in-laws.

"Ladies and gentlemen, once again, I must emphasize that hosting the wedding of Salted Fish and Xiangning, I’m not a conscripted civilian; I deserve to be their officiant because I have watched them grow up.

Salted Fish is a diligent student, ranking sixth in the Linghai region during his middle school exams. He’s hardworking; in seven years of service, he has been awarded Second-class Merit once and third-level merit three times. Now he has become the Deputy Director of the Fire Department in the Changhang Public Security Bureau Binjiang Branch, a talented and dependable young man.

Xiangning was equally excellent in her studies, serving as class president every year, and since starting work has been responsible and diligent, awarded third-level merit twice, and last year recognized by the Port Supervision Bureau as an advanced worker, an outstanding young lady indeed!

The two are alumni from the same school and studied the same major; they’ve known each other, been familiar with each other, and loved each other for a long time. Seven years ago, they supported each other on the dunship at Bailong Port, and to this day, they still stand together at the tail of the Yangtze River!"

Chairman Qian looked around the audience with inspiring fervor, continuing, "Their love has stood the test of time and space; their union is a match made in heaven. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give them our sincerest blessings with enthusiastic applause!"

The wedding guests were mostly familiar with Han Yu and Han Xiangning.

It was clear Chairman Qian wasn’t exaggerating or simply following wedding hosting clichés; they sincerely offered their applause, and Han Yu and Han Xiangning quickly bowed in thanks.

Next came the "interview" segment, asking the couple when they started falling in love, who performed better in school - it was still humorous and amusing, causing the audience to burst out laughing again and again.

After interviewing the newlyweds came the "interview" with the parents of both sides.

Han Zhengxian wasn’t quite the talker; he mainly interviewed Master Han and Nurse Chief Xiang, and his questions were pretty sharp, like whether the event today was about marrying into a wife’s family or what.

Everyone was quite interested in that and echoed the sentiment.

Left with no alternative, Master Han could only grin and say, "All the leaders, relatives, and friends here, the new era calls for new customs. We don’t fuss over those things. Anyway, Salted Fish and I treat Xiang Fan as our own son, and my father-in-law and mother-in-law think of Ningning as their daughter. Both kids are surnamed Han, and their kids will bear the Han surname as well. However, you look at it, it’s all the same."

"Exactly, it’s all the same."

Han Zhengxian was seeing such a grand occasion for the first time, and seeing so many leaders in the audience made him a bit nervous. He nodded in agreement with his father-in-law.

"You all heard it, it’s all the same. Mayor Miao, Director Jiang, I think Master Han is too overqualified for his job at the Meteorological Bureau. He should be at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"Master Han’s playing coy, haha."

"Yeah, after all that talking, it’s as though he didn’t say anything, hahaha."

"But from Master Han and Director Xiang’s words, I hear their expectations for the bride and groom. Salted Fish, Xiang Ning, from now on, you’re husband and wife. Not only do you have to work, but you also have to build a happy and warm home, and have a healthy baby soon, so your parents can hold their grandchild earlier. Don’t you all agree?"

"Yes!"

"Right, have children soon!"

"But let’s not rush, we have another important segment. Let’s welcome with a warm round of applause the leadership from the newlyweds’ alma mater, Dean Shao Haifeng from Binjiang Shipping College, to come on stage and bear witness to the wedding!"

Choosing the wedding witness was also a decision made after much consideration.

There were many leaders present today; choosing this leader could make others feel slighted. By having someone from the Shipping School do it, it showed respect for teachers without worrying about offending any leaders.

Dean Shao was well-prepared. He smiled and bowed to everyone, then looked at Han Yu and Han Xiangning, pulled out the wedding oath, and started reading it with proper emphasis and intonation.

Following the conclusion of the marriage witness segment, Han Yu and Han Xiangning stepped off the stage with their parents.

Chairman Qian asked Master Han and Nurse Chief Xiang to stay, and warmly invited Liang Xiao Jun, Han Xiangmeng, and the Liang couple onto the stage.

The same routine, equally humorous and witty.

The only difference was that the wedding witness wasn’t a teacher, but a leader from the Binjiang City Health Bureau.

Since the couple both studied medicine, and their hospitals fall under the jurisdiction of the Binjiang City Health Bureau, it was fitting to have a leader from the Health Bureau officiate their wedding.

Chairman Qian watched as the Health Bureau official who had conducted the wedding returned to his seat, then suddenly shifted gears: "All the leaders, elders, relatives, and friends, as an experienced wedding host, I’m well aware that at such wedding banquets, aside from the bride and groom’s families and myself, the host, most people are wondering when they can start eating."

Indeed, that was what people were thinking, and when he bluntly said so, they couldn’t help but burst into laughter again.

Chairman Qian laughed and said, "It seems everyone really can’t wait. Now, on behalf of the two couples and their families, I declare, let’s eat!"

There was a sound system in the banquet hall, and the lively "Xi Yang Yang" started playing as the restaurant staff filed in, and hot dishes were served before anyone had even touched the cold dishes.

Director Song from the Criminal Investigation Team felt deeply moved and, picking up his chopsticks, laughed and said, "Chairman Qian has a real knack for hosting weddings. He does it so well."

Political Commissioner You agreed, "He has hosted over six hundred weddings; his experience is vast."

Deng Qikang looked up at the main table, curiously asking, "Who’s that sitting next to Mayor Miao? Doesn’t quite look like a leader."

Political Commissioner You automatically asked, "That comrade?"

Deng Qikang looked more and more puzzled and whispered, "Yeah, Salted Fish and the bride went to toast, not to Mayor Miao first, but to that lady!"

At this table, Director Tong from the Water Firefighting Department of the Changhang Bureau was hosting. Seeing three firefighting police officers puzzled, Director Tong hurriedly explained, "That’s Salted Fish’s Master’s wife; she’s watched Salted Fish and Ningning grow up and treats them like her own kids."

"What about Salted Fish’s Master?"

"Salted Fish’s Master was Xu Sanye, who’s no longer with us. He passed away last February."

"It seems he had great respect for his Master. It’s not just him; his family respects him too, otherwise they wouldn’t have asked his Master’s wife to sit at the main table."

"Xu Sanye really does deserve respect. Not only do Salted Fish and his family respect him, but Director Zhang and I also hold him in high esteem."

As they were speaking, Vice Mayor Miao toasted Salted Fish’s Master’s wife.

Following that, Deputy Director Yu Xiangqian from the Huaiyin Police Bureau, Zhang Junyan from the Changhang Bureau, Old Peng, Branch Captain of the Water Police Station, and Political Commissioner Wang Wen Hong from the police, surprisingly, one after the other, toasted that lady.

To be so respected by so many leaders isn’t easy.

Director Song was about to ask if Salted Fish’s Master died in the line of duty, when Han Yu and Han Xiangning, along with their parents, came over with glasses in hand.

"Director Song, Political Commissioner You, Mr. Deng, thank you for supporting our work, and even more so for gracing our marriage with your presence."

"Today is a day of joy for you two, let’s not talk work. Come on, let’s all wish you happiness and soon to have children!"

"Thank you all leaders. I must apologize first, I really can’t drink..."

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