In ancient times, the joyous events in life were when the gold list was awarded, the night of the wedding...what else?

The three great joys of life are when you win a title in the gold list, when you have a wedding night, and when you meet your old friend in another town.

Source: Song Hong Mai, Rongzhai Suibi - Poems on Gaining and Losing Intention, Volume 8

Former acquaintance: an old friend. Cave Room: deep inner room, mostly referring to the new room at the time of marriage. Flower Candle: colored candles, used in weddings since the Six Dynasties. Jinbang: the imperial examinations (the highest level of examination personally presided over by the emperor, held in the palace on the great hall) admitted to the list for the golden list.

The drought and the rain, the countryside meets the old, the cave flower candle, the golden list is the four happy things in life. It describes the joyful mood when one's good wishes are realized.

Expanded Information

Originally, "There is a poem that boasts of the fulfillment of a person's wishes: 'A long drought meets a sweet rain, and an old friend meets an old friend in another country. The night of the flower candle in the bridal chamber, the time when the golden list is hung.'"

Translation: A long time ago, there were four lines of poetry that boasted of the moments of fulfillment in one's life: the joyful rain after a long drought, meeting an old friend in a foreign land, entering a cave on one's wedding night, and being enrolled in the imperial examination and being titled on the gold list (all four of these are great joys in one's life).

Reference:

Baidu Wikipedia - A long drought is followed by sweet rain, meeting an old friend in a foreign land, a wedding night in the bridal chamber, and being on the gold list