The onlookers were surprised. This wedding was too grand. It was held in the International Hotel, and they heard that the banquet was the best. The food was one of the best in China, and the drinks were all Maotai. They can’t even imagine how much it will cost. This family was rich.
The guests who attended were also not the ordinary folks. Most of the guests inside were all high-ranking officers. There were more than 10 City level officials. These two families must have some background. Maybe they were the relatives of some Officials in the City Government or even the Provincial Government.
The best man and the bridesmaids were Wu Zhigang and his nurse girlfriend. Feng Yu was still schooling and does not qualify as one. The MC was a TV station’s host. The MC was paid handsomely to host this wedding. The officiator of the ceremony was changed from Deputy Chief Xue to the City’s Chief of Post Office. Li Shiqiang’s resignation was not yet approved by the Post Office! In that era, the officiator of the wedding was usually the leader of the groom’s unit. But it was rare for the highest-ranking officer of the department to be the officiator.
Feng Yu had wanted to ask Zhang Ruiqiang to be the officiator, but Zhang Ruiqiang refused. He said that it was not right for him to be the officiator and it might cause unnecessary rumors. He had already given Feng Yu face by attending this wedding banquet. As such, Feng Yu did not insist. The City’s Chief of Post Office as the officiator was good enough.
That day, Li Shiqiang’s father was drunk. He did not expect so many top officers from the City Government attending this wedding banquet. Even the Chief of his unit attended and patted his shoulders and told him that it was time for him to take on more responsibilities.
Everyone knew the meaning of that sentence. He was about to be promoted. Li Shiqiang’s father was overjoyed and bottoms up a glass of Maotai.
Li Shiqiang’s father still needs to drink with Li Mingde, Li Shiyou, Hou Haitao, etc. These were all leaders which he never got the chance to speak to before. Especially Zhang Ruiqiang. Li Shiqiang’s father hands were shaking when he was drinking with him. This was the Deputy Mayor of Bing City. He had never sat at the same table with a Deputy Mayor before in his life.
The Post Office Manager told Li Shiqiang to remain in the Post Office but on indefinite unpaid leave. He can come back to the Post Office anytime he wants.
Even the Chief of Post Office attended his wedding banquet, how could he let Li Shiqiang resign? Furthermore, he and Li Shiqiang’s father were former comrades in the military. This was the time to be closer to them, and he might even be promoted because of their relationship.
If Li Shiqiang were not from his Post Office, the Post Office Manager would never get to sit at the first table. Everyone sitting at that table was all City Level heads!
Feng Xingtai was calmer. Today was his daughter getting married, and it was the groom side that was hosting the banquet. It should be Li Shiqiang’s father to entertain the guests. According to their customs, 3 days later, Feng Xingtai will host another banquet in their district. That will be the time when Feng Xingtai got to entertain the guests.
Feng Xingtai only drank with the people at the first table, and he listened to his wife to eat more. The food there was delicious.
Not only there were poultries, but there was also seafood. There were even some dishes that Feng Xingtai had never seen before. All the leaders were also enjoying the food.
Feng Yu was seated at the table for Tai Hua Trading staffs. He does not want to be seated at the first table. If he were sitting there at his age, he would attract the attention of everyone. Toast with the leaders? Of course not. He was still a student and should not be drinking.
Li Mingde and the rest chatted and drink happily at their table. Zhang Ruiqiang was apparently the one leading there.
Although Zhang Ruiqiang was the Deputy Mayor, regarding of rank, he was still slightly lower than Li Shiyou and Hou Haitao. But after the Motor Factory and Aviation Factory were converted from a military installation to a civilian factory, the area government had more authority. Furthermore, Zhang Ruiqiang was heading the reformation of state-owned enterprises. From a particular aspect, Zhang Ruiqiang had the authority over them.
Also, all of them knew that Zhang Ruiqiang was specially appointed by the Mayor to be the Deputy Mayor.
Zhang Ruiqiang also had no airs and chatted with Li Shiyou and Hou Haitao about their factories. When he heard that they were in 3-way cooperation with Feng Yu, he became very interested.
Li Shiyou and Hou Haitao looked at each other and briefly told Zhang Ruiqiang about this project. They did not go into the details as the research was still going on. But this made Li Mingde uncomfortable. Feng Yu was working with the Motor Factory and the Aviation Factory to develop a new humidifier? Why Feng Yu did not look for the Machinery Company?
Li Mingde also has a humidifier in his office and was useful. He had asked his engineers and was told that the technology behind this humidifier was straightforward. It was just a heating rod and heat resistant plastic. Their Machinery Factory can also produce these. But such a simple product can bring in so high profits! Feng Yu’s father had a stake in the Motor Factory and shouldn’t he work with the Machinery Factory for this business? Why work with those 2 factories?
Li Mingde had not taken into consideration that the orders for the agricultural machines were lined up to May. The Machinery Company does not have the capacity to manufacture this humidifier. Nevertheless, he still felt that this money should be earned by the Machinery Company.
Zhang Ruiqiang changes the topic to Feng Yu. He asked the 2 factory directors if they had ordered Soviet Union’s advanced machinery or technologies from Feng Yu. Both nodded. But Feng Yu told them to wait a while more. It was still quite tricky to get it now, but he guaranteed that he will get it for them within a year.
Feng Xingtai heard this. What? His son was still getting machines for them? Where is his second production line for his Soybean oil? Helping others instead of his own father. He needs to give Feng Yu a good beating when he gets home!
Zhang Ruiqiang nodded. This Xiao Feng was really capable but likes to use loopholes. He had scolded him about the used cars business, and he stopped doing that. But now, he got this fleet of Gaz trucks and without paying a single cent of tax.
Everyone knew what was going on when Feng Yu sued that Russian. It was evident that Feng Yu want to escape tax but what he did was perfectly legal. No one could do anything about it unless they were able to prove that IOU was fake.
But never mind. Zhang Ruiqiang also does not want to make things difficult for Feng Yu. He even knew that if he confronts Feng Yu, he would just deny everything and claims that it was the other party that owe him money and using these trucks as repayment to him.
Zhang Ruiqiang only hopes that Feng Yu would do something for Bing City and not just make money for himself. What’s the use of earning so much money? Can he finish spending?
“Mr. Feng, I heard that you had set up a factory in your district. The Tai Hua Premium Cooking Oil was a product from your factory. You have become an entrepreneur from a farmer.” Zhang Ruiqiang smiling said.
When he heard the Deputy Mayor praising him, Feng Xingtai was full of smiles: “Hahaha, it’s not worth mentioning.” Although he said that, his expression said otherwise. He was still waiting for more praises.
Li Shiqiang’s father returned to the first table drunk. Before he could even eat anything, his wife helped him to a corner to rest. The banquet was over, and most of the guest left. The guests that like to packet the leftovers from wedding banquet noticed that there were no leftovers. All the food was finished. Many guests were so full that they couldn’t walk properly. They said that this might be the only time they get to eat at the International Hotel and they must eat more!
Many years later, people still talk about this wedding banquet.
