On a December morning in 1982, the courtyard of a Beijing siheyuan--a lively quadrangle of homes--begins to stir. Auntie Xue's son Jiyue is getting married today, and she is determined to make the day a triumph. Despite Jiyue's woeful ignorance in matters of the heart--and the body. Despite a chef in training tasked with the onerous responsibility of preparing the banquet. With a cross-generational multitude of guests, from anxious family members to a fretful bridal party--not to mention exasperating friends, interfering neighbors, and wedding crashers--what will the day ahead bring?
