Romantic wedding story: The Happiness That Couldn’t Be Stopped
On July 22, 20xx, in Caozhuang Village, Puyang County, Zhumadian, Henan Province, 25-year-old groom Zhang Hu was set to pick up his bride, 22-year-old Wang Yanli from Songzhuang. Songzhuang was nestled deep in the mountains, while Caozhuang lay at the mouth of the mountains, with the two villages being over ten kilometers apart.
The weather had been unbearably hot for days, causing a drought. But on this day, it suddenly started to rain heavily, and the river’s water level rose significantly. The winding mountain road from Caozhuang to Songzhuang crossed the same river 18 times, a river known as the “Eighteen Rivers.” Zhang Hu’s father, fearing accidents during the bride pick-up, suggested postponing the wedding. However, Zhang Hu was resolute: “Even if it rains knives, I will go and bring back the bride.”
The family prepared meticulously and arranged for three high-chassis motorized tricycles, suitable for climbing the steep slopes. At the break of dawn, Zhang Hu set out to fetch his bride, with the tricycles carrying the bridal sedan chair and the chair bearers. As soon as they hit the road, the rain intensified, pouring down like a waterfall. The tricycles struggled to cross the submerged bridges 18 times. With each crossing, the anxiety of the accompanying party heightened: if the journey here was this difficult, what would the return be like?
By the time they arrived at the bride’s home, it was already past 8 a.m.
Following tradition, they loaded the dowry onto the tricycles. Yanli’s parents, concerned for their daughter’s safety, looked at the sky and advised, “The rain is too heavy, and the river is rising fast. Maybe we should postpone it.”
Yanli had been awake all night, with her heart already across the Eighteen Rivers. Hearing her parents’ hesitation, she blushed and quipped, “A daughter given in marriage is like water spilled; there’s no taking it back.” Left with no choice, her parents reluctantly sent her off in the bridal sedan chair.
On the return trip, the rain continued, and the water on the submerged bridges grew deeper, with torrents of floodwater rushing down the mountains. The further they went, the stronger the current became. For the first nine river crossings, the bearers carried the sedan chair across, almost getting swept away by the water. By the time they reached the tenth river, Yanli got out of the sedan chair and walked herself. From the tenth to the seventeenth river, the bride held the groom’s hand and waded through the submerged bridges, with her wedding dress drenched through.
When the wedding party reached the last submerged bridge, the floodwaters from the mountains had converged here, forming a nearly 100-meter-wide torrent, with the water rushing two meters deep over the bridge. Zhang Hu was so worried that sweat dripped from his forehead. He gritted his teeth and said, “I should swim across to inform my parents to postpone the wedding!”
It wouldn’t be right to let the nearly hundred guests who came to celebrate the big day leave. Yanli said, “I’ll swim across with you!” Zhang Hu was startled, “Can you manage?” “Piece of cake,” Yanli boasted.
However, it was too much to ask of the bride, so both the escorting and welcoming parties opposed the idea.
Yanli threw off the wedding veil covering her dress and said, “Let’s go, swim across!” Seeing her determination, Zhang Hu told the others, “You all head back first, and wait until the water recedes before coming out of the mountains.” He quickly followed his bride, jumping into the river and swimming towards the opposite bank. A wave swept over them, and Yanli disappeared from sight. Zhang Hu panicked and shouted loudly. Moments later, Yanli surfaced from the water, flashed him a mischievous smile, and they finally reached the opposite bank, where they tightly embraced each other.
The three tricycles carrying the dowry were stranded in the mountains by the floodwaters and only returned two days later when the waters receded.
By noon on the 22nd, the villagers were seated. Despite the heavy rain and the floodwaters that destroyed roads and submerged crops, everyone was still able to gather to witness the wedding of the young couple, which was a joyful event. However, the prolonged absence of the bridal party made everyone anxious. Some speculated that the vehicles might have been stopped by the floodwaters and couldn’t make it. Most people felt that the wedding would have to be postponed. Just as the crowd was buzzing with speculation, the bride and groom appeared, soaked to the skin. Everyone was deeply moved, and applause resounded for a long time.
That night, in the bridal chamber, Zhang Hu held Yanli tightly in his arms and said emotionally, “You swam across the river to marry into my family; I’ll treat you well for a lifetime…” Yanli buried her head in her husband’s chest, feeling that their wedding was so romantic that they would cherish the memory forever.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
