Playing Wedding Pranks
Girls in this era were generally more reserved, so the visitors today were all young men. Among them, two well-known troublemakers from the village had also shown up.
Lin Chuan knew he couldn’t put on a stern face today, but seeing so many men around made him feel a bit protective of his newlywed wife. After tidying up, he put down the broom and gave a signal to his two brothers, clearly instructing them to watch over their sister-in-law.
The visitors entered the house shyly at first, and Su Su poured them water.
Seeing her warm and gentle demeanour, their courage grew. Kang Jianguo, the eldest cousin, spoke up first: “Well, since everyone’s here, let’s get started. Today’s a great day, so no one should get upset, right, Big Brother?”
Lin Chuan replied, “Don’t go overboard.” The message was clear: harmless fun was fine, but crossing the line would not be tolerated.
However, it seemed the boys ignored his warning, especially Kang Jianguo, who had come prepared. He pulled out a piece of candy tied to a string and held it up. “If you want to have a sweet and happy life, you’ve got to share this candy. Whoever bites it first gets to call the shots in the household. Let’s see who wins.”
Thus, the bride and groom were placed on opposite sides of the string, ready to bite the candy from either end.
As they got into position, a few mischievous boys stood behind them, ready to push them closer together, hoping to create an awkward moment.
Lin Chuan was visibly tense. Having never been this close to a woman before, the thought of an accidental kiss made him feel a bit overwhelmed.
Both of them leaned forward slowly, their faces blushing red.
Su Su, however, was unfazed. Compared to some of the games she’d seen at modern weddings, this was child’s play.
She confidently leaned in to bite the candy, but Kang Jianguo kept tugging the string, making it difficult to catch.
Lin Chuan, on the other hand, deliberately let Su Su have the advantage. He thought it would be nice if his wife ended up “calling the shots.” But just as he steadied the candy, it flattened slightly, causing Su Su to retreat.
After a few attempts, Lin Chuan’s breathing grew heavier. His wife’s sweet, fragrant lips kept coming closer, making him increasingly flustered.
Su Su, growing frustrated with the game, took advantage of Lin Chuan’s distraction and pounced forward, biting the candy in one swift motion.
Her lips did brush against Lin Chuan’s, causing him to freeze completely, his entire body stiffening. Using this moment to her advantage, Su Su secured the candy and cheerfully chomped it down.
The onlookers were shocked by how swiftly she had ended the game. The designer of this little challenge had clearly underestimated the bride.
But Kang Jianguo chimed in, “Well, that settles it—looks like Sister-in-law’s in charge now. Big Brother, guess you’ll never be able to stand up straight again.”
The words carried an unpleasant tone, almost like he was trying to stir up trouble. In an era where masculinity and dominance were held in high regard, such remarks could easily provoke anger.
Su Su, unfamiliar with the values of this era, didn’t realize how offensive this might sound. Even in modern times, remarks about a man being “unable to stand up straight” could cause offense—let alone in this era of rampant male chauvinism.
However, Lin Chuan had already embraced the idea of letting Su Su take charge and dismissed such concerns long ago. With a calm expression, he widened his eyes slightly and said, “I’m fine with it.”
The simple statement amused Su Su and the others, causing a wave of laughter to ripple through the group. But Kang Jianguo didn’t find it funny. Earlier, Su Su had embarrassed him, and he had hoped her new husband would put her in her place. In his view, no matter how capable a woman was, she should cower in the presence of a man—especially a straightforward and strong soldier like Lin Chuan.
He had never expected Lin Chuan to be so submissive to his wife.
Taking a deep breath, Kang Jianguo added provocatively, “If your back’s already weak, how are you going to handle the wedding night? Isn’t that right, everyone?”
The remark was crude and inappropriate, especially with children present.
Lin Chuan’s expression darkened, and his gaze turned icy.
He thought to himself, Su Su’s still a young woman—how could anyone say something so inappropriate in front of her?
He glanced at his bride out of the corner of his eye, ready to throw everyone out if she showed the slightest discomfort.
But Su Su had thick skin and wasn’t easily rattled. She accepted the joke effortlessly.
“I’ll show you how weak my back is,” Lin Chuan said, rolling up his sleeves. It was clear he intended to challenge them physically. Seeing this, the group quickly backed down—they all knew none of them could beat him.
Kang Jianguo, however, smirked and said, “There’s a way to test it. Big Brother, get on the ground, let Sister-in-law sit on your back, and do push-ups. Let’s see how strong you really are.”
Su Su frowned. It was their wedding night—what if he hurt himself?
To her surprise, Lin Chuan immediately got down on the floor and said, “Get on. Don’t worry, you won’t fall.” He added reassuringly, “We do this all the time in the army. It’s no big deal.”
Su Su hesitated but was eventually coaxed onto his back by the cheering boys.
Lin Chuan balanced himself with his hands and feet, showing no sign of strain. He calmly said, “But just me doing push-ups won’t prove anything. Kang Jianguo, join me.”
Kang Jianguo, confident in his own strength from working at the brickyard, figured he could outperform Lin Chuan, even if he didn’t win outright. He got on the ground, determined to make Lin Chuan regret it.
The two began their push-up contest.
Lin Chuan moved deliberately, taking care not to jostle Su Su. His slower pace contrasted with Kang Jianguo, who completed ten push-ups while Lin Chuan had only done seven. The crowd began to tease Lin Chuan, suggesting he was losing.
However, Lin Chuan remained unfazed, his movements steady and controlled.
Su Su grew concerned and whispered, “Should I get off?”
“No need,” Lin Chuan replied. He was determined not to let his wife underestimate him and intended to see Kang Jianguo collapse first.
By the time Kang Jianguo reached fifteen push-ups, he was visibly struggling. His movements became laboured, but he refused to admit defeat.
The eldest cousin frowned, realizing Kang Jianguo’s intentions weren’t just playful. He nudged him and said, “That’s enough.”
Kang Jianguo ignored him and pushed on, but his pace slowed further. Meanwhile, Lin Chuan completed fifteen push-ups without breaking his rhythm. Finally, at the eighteenth push-up, Lin Chuan caught up.
Unable to continue, Kang Jianguo collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.
Seeing he had won, Su Su patted Lin Chuan’s shoulder and said, “That’s enough.” Lin Chuan nodded and pushed himself to twenty-five push-ups before stopping. Once Su Su was off his back, he stood up effortlessly and said, “In the army, my record for carrying people during push-ups is 356. Do you think my wife, who barely weighs 100 pounds, is even a challenge?”
Leave a Reply