WSMTATMC C159

Chapter 159

Before dawn, the Chen family courtyard was brightly lit.

“Yuanbao, wake up quickly; your aunt will be married off soon.”

Little Yuanbao grumbled, unwilling to get up, and burrowed under the quilt with his bottom in the air.

Chen Qingyan helplessly patted him twice. “Your a-fu is going along as well. If you don’t get up now, you won’t find him.”

Yuanbao pulled his head out of the quilt and blinked sleepily around.

“Where’s a-fu?” Not seeing Wang Ying, the little one grew so anxious he was on the verge of tears.

“He’s in your aunt’s room,” said Chen Qingyan. “Hurry and get dressed, or in a moment you won’t find anyone.”

Yuanbao snapped to attention and let his father help him dress. Since it was an auspicious day, Madam Li had sewn him a little red robe, with a small cap to match.

The cap had been sewn by Third Aunt, exquisitely made: a ruyi motif embroidered on the front, and twelve tiny zodiac silver charms on the back the size of a fingertip that jingled crisply as he walked.

Dressed neatly, Chen Qingyan took his son’s hand and led him toward the side courtyard—everyone was gathered there.

The autumn dawn chill bit even more than the night. Chen Qingyan was a bit thinly dressed, and, shivering, he scooped up his son and hurried into the room.

In the bedchamber, Madam Li and Chen Rong were instructing the bride in matters of husband and wife, while the others waited in the outer room.

Seeing them arrive, Wang Ying came forward to take their son. “Little piglet’s awake?”

Yuanbao burrowed into his arms in embarrassment, bumped into Chen Qingyan’s hand, and said, “Why are your hands so cold? There’s hot tea on the stove—drink a cup quickly, don’t catch a chill.”

Chen Qingyan waved it off as nothing, and immediately let out a string of sneezes.

Wang Ying cast him a reproving glare, and Chen Qingyan obediently drank the hot tea.

Before long, the bedchamber door opened. Madam Li and Chen Rong came out beaming, while Qingyun’s face was flushed red with shyness. It was the first time this girl had ever encountered such matters—especially being taught them by her own elders—unspeakably awkward.

Still, these were necessary steps for marriage. Unlike the modern day, while erotic booklets did exist, few well-bred girls ever read them, so their knowledge of sex was limited; without elder instruction, they might truly not know.

By now it was nearly the end of the yin hour, and the bride began her toilette.

Fourth Aunt Fang Ling acted as Qingyun’s “woman of all blessings,” since both her parents lived and she had both a son and a daughter.

In earlier years, Fourth Aunt had served in this role for others and knew the specific steps well. First was “opening the face”: using a strong, fine two-colored cotton thread to remove the downy hair from the face—brow ends, above the lip, and the temples—leaving the cheeks smooth and bright.

Next was combing the hair, which also had its rules: changing a maiden’s twin-bun coiffure into the bun signifying a married woman.

As she combed, Fang Ling intoned auspicious phrases: “First comb to the end, second comb to brows white with age together, third comb to halls filled with descendants…”

Today’s style was a tied-loop bun, pinned with a full set of gilt hairpins and rings, dignified and grand.

Once the hair was done, the makeup could be applied: first a thin, even layer of powder to veil any spots; next, brows drawn with snail-black, and lips shaped with cinnabar.

In this era, the petal lip was fashionable: two petals on top and one below, painted to resemble a blooming flower.

Then came donning the wedding attire. Qingyun’s bridal wear had been ordered ready-made from a clothing shop—time was short, and even with Madam Li’s embroidery skill, she could not have finished it; Qingyun herself embroidered only the collar and cuffs.

The bridal outfit had three layers: an inner undergarment; a green skirt in the middle; and an outer jacket embroidered with intricate patterns.

In the rich green bridal wear, Qingyun sat upon the bed with a jewel-inlaid fan in hand, looking very much like a noble daughter of a great house.

The bedchamber door opened, and Yuanbao dashed in first. One look at Qingyun, and his jaw dropped. “Wow, Aunt looks so beautiful today—like a fairy from the heavens!”

Chen Qingyun laughed, hiding her mouth behind the fan.

Wang Ying teased his son on purpose. “Have you ever seen a fairy?”

“No—but I think a fairy must look like Aunt.” The people in the room were doubled over by his childish words.

Madam Li moved a stool to sit beside her daughter, holding her hand with eyes full of reluctance. After today, the girl she had raised for sixteen years would be married into another family; just thinking of it made her feel sore.

There was still a while until the bridegroom’s party arrived, so everyone sat and chatted about family matters.

Chen Rong recalled Lin Qiu’s wedding. “The county doesn’t have as many formalities as the prefectural city. It was simple, but the couple’s days afterward were not bad at all.”

Wang Ying joked, “Could it be simpler than mine? I crossed the threshold all by myself when I got married.”

“Oh dear, I’d forgotten that,” Chen Rong exclaimed, and everyone laughed, the sadness easing.

Chen Rong then brought up Lin Sui’s marriage, since they had been busy with Qingyun’s wedding these days and still had not had a chance to meet Marquis Wuping.

Li Mu also knew the Chens were marrying off a daughter and was not in a hurry to discuss matters; he would wait until their ceremony was concluded to sit down and talk.

“I don’t know whether this marriage will come to pass,” Chen Rong admitted. She still felt the two families were not matched, and her son, unable to bear children, might suffer after marriage.

Lin Sui took it calmly. “Let things take their course. If fate favors, it is my good fortune; if not, it is my lot. No need to set too much store by it. If Marquis Wuping truly intends it, he will take the initiative to propose; if…”

As they spoke, it was already the end of the yin hour, and outside—

Chen Qingsong came trotting over. “The bridal sedan has reached the alley mouth—Big Brother, Second Brother, come help me block the door!”

Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai rolled up their sleeves and went out. The two had prepared half the day yesterday just to give the brother-in-law a test—if he wanted to marry their sister, he’d have to show true mettle before he could cross the threshold.

Soon there was a clamor outside, and everyone poured out to watch the excitement. Qingyun also wanted to see and stamped her foot anxiously inside the room.

Young Master Liu Changyi dismounted in a bright red robe. Seeing the Chen brothers, he cupped his hands. “Greetings to Eldest Brother, Brother Huai, and Brother Song.”

Chen Qingsong waved. “Hold it—no cozying up today. You must match the couplets we pose before you can enter to escort my sister.”

Liu Changyi begged mercy. “You are all from the Hanlin Academy—please don’t set anything too difficult.”

Chen Qingsong chuckled. “I’ll start. The upper line is: ‘On red-lettered paper, vows are writ.’”

Liu Changyi thought briefly, then replied, “By the moon at third watch, the mountain oath is proved.”

“Good!” The onlookers burst into applause. Some had not even understood, but cheering along felt right.

Chen Qinghuai was second. “Listen well: ‘Far the cloud-road stretches; the immortal youth has long stood in the blazing sun.’”

“‘Silent the dressing table; what matter if the jade maiden lifts her precious mirror?’”

Immortal youth to jade maiden was a neat parallel. Chen Qinghuai nodded and stepped aside.

Liu Changyi knew Chen Qinghuai had gone easy on him and bowed repeatedly, then came to Chen Qingyan.

“My sister is marrying you. Treat her well hereafter.”

“Rest assured—if I treat her even a hair poorly, Eldest Brother may slap me, and I will not dare utter half a word in protest.”

“‘On red leaves poems are penned; Heaven grants a good match to meet this night,’” said Chen Qingyan, eyes turning moist.

“‘In the Blue Fields jade is sown; Earth makes a fine pair to consummate this hour,’” replied Liu Changyi.

The door to the inner quarters opened, and Liu Changyi strode to the side courtyard. Inside, Chen Qingyun had been waiting long. The two bade farewell to the ancestral hall, and then Chen Qingyan carried his sister to the bridal sedan.

Yuanbao trailed behind to watch, puzzled. “A-fu, what is Aunt doing?”

“Aunt is getting married,” Wang Ying said.

Only now did Chen Qingsong’s composure crack. Watching his sister about to depart, his eyes were full of reluctance, and tears fell uncontrollably.

“The auspicious hour has come—lift the sedan!” At the shout, the escort turned about, and dozens of men carried the dowry in a grand procession.

Yuanbao burst into tears. “Where is Aunt going—why isn’t she taking Yuanbao?”

Wang Ying’s eyes stung, too. He recalled when he had just married into the Chen family: Qingyun had been twelve then, a little girl who trailed after him every day—now, in the blink of an eye, she was married.

As for Madam Li, there was no need to mention it: as soon as her daughter’s sedan lifted, she slipped aside to wipe her tears.

She was a gentle, fragile woman who had lost her husband in middle age and raised three children alone. Seeing her children settled now, she felt a hundred tangled emotions. “Virtuous husband, if your spirit watches over us, please bless our Yun’er—may she henceforth live in harmony and mutual respect…”

In the sedan, Qingyun was weeping as well, but afraid to spoil her makeup, she dabbed carefully with a handkerchief. Before long, the sound of pipes and drums outside drove away her tears. Curious, she peeped through the sedan’s window slit.

The Liu family’s welcome was grand. Even in the prefectural city, such an escort was not commonly seen. Many people lined the street to watch. The felicitations-matron at the front scattered wrapped sugar balls, and a crowd of children scrambled after them.

A passerby whispered, “Which family’s girl is marrying—such a great spectacle?”

“I hear it’s the girl from the Chen family that just moved into our lane.”

“Are they so rich?” They had seemed quiet and unassuming, but now—sixteen sedan-loads. Just from the porters’ strain, one could tell the chests were full.

In the prefectural city, some families, for the sake of appearances, used empty chests to make up the numbers—discernible at a glance.

Strictly speaking, the Chen family did not have much money. It was Wang Ying’s attentive care, willing to spend silver to provide a proper dowry for his sister.

The sedan was carried along to Zhengtong Street; there, the onlookers grew fewer, and the common folk dared not follow, lest they offend distinguished personages.

At last, they arrived at the Liu residence. Liu Changyi’s two elder sisters had long been waiting at the gate, and the extended family surrounded them.

The felicitations-matron handed Liu Changyi a bamboo pole with which to lift the sedan curtain—symbolizing rising “joint by joint.”

With a fan covering her face, Chen Qingyun descended, holding the red silk tied to her husband’s hand. Passing through the gathered kin into the courtyard, they stepped over a brazier—signifying the driving away of bad luck and the wish for ever more prosperous days.

In the main hall, Liu Changyi’s parents were seated at the head, awaiting the couple’s bows.

Qin Furong was dressed festively today, in a purplish-red, cross-collared long robe embroidered with peonies in gold and silver thread. A bit plump to begin with, she looked even more matronly and splendid in such attire.

Liu Father also wore a brand-new dark-blue robe, with a jade coronet on his head; even his beard had been meticulously groomed.

Led by the master of ceremonies, the couple knelt facing north, and he intoned: “First bow: Heaven bestows good matches; Earth creates fine pairs!”

They rose, then turned to kneel and bow to the parents.

“Second bow: May your parents thrive like the catalpa and the daylily; their grace is as weighty as mountains!”

Qin Furong beamed. “Good children, rise.”

Finally, the couple faced each other for the spousal bows. “Third bow: May qin and se sound in harmony, and your hearts be forever joined!”

The master of ceremonies declared, “The rite is complete—”

Amid a cluster of people, the newlyweds were escorted to the bridal chamber, and Qingyun was about to begin a new life.