Chapter 159 [VIP]
Before dawn, the Chen family courtyard was brightly lit.
"Yuanbao, wake up! Your aunt is getting married soon."
Little Yuanbao grumbled and didn't want to get up, so he closed his eyes, stuck his bottom out, and burrowed under the covers.
Chen Qingyan patted him twice helplessly, "Your father also left with him. If you don't get up now, you won't be able to find him anymore."
Yuanbao pulled his head out of the blanket and looked around sleepily.
"Where is Father?" The little boy was so anxious that he was about to cry when he didn't see Wang Ying.
Chen Qingyan said, "Your father is in your aunt's room. Hurry up and get dressed, or you won't be able to find anyone later."
Yuanbao immediately perked up and asked his father to help him get dressed. On this joyous occasion, Li had specially sewed him a red robe and a small hat.
My aunt sewed the hat for me. It was exquisitely made. The front was embroidered with auspicious patterns, and the back had silver images of the twelve zodiac animals, each the size of a fingertip, hanging down. It jingled and tinkled as I walked.
Dressed neatly, Chen Qingyan led her son towards the west courtyard; everyone was over there.
The autumn morning light was cooler than the night, and Chen Qingyan, who was dressed rather lightly, was so cold that he picked up his son and hurriedly ran into the house.
Inside the bedroom, Li and Chen Rong were talking to her about matters of the heart, while the others waited in the outer room.
Seeing the two approach, Wang Ying stepped forward and took her son from his arms. "Little piglet, are you awake?"
Yuanbao snuggled shyly into his arms, touching Chen Qingyan's hand: "Why are your hands so cold? There's hot tea brewing in the kitchen, go and have a cup, or you'll catch a cold."
Chen Qingyan waved his hand and said it was nothing, but then he sneezed a series of sneezes.
Wang Ying glared at him reproachfully, and Chen Qingyan had no choice but to obediently go and drink the hot tea.
A short while later, the bedroom door opened, and Li Shi and Chen Rong walked out with warm smiles. Qingyun, on the other hand, blushed deeply. This was the first time this girl had ever encountered such a thing, especially since it came from her elders. She was incredibly embarrassed.
However, these are all necessary procedures for marriage. Ancient times are different from modern times. Although there were erotic novels, few ladies from well-to-do families would read them, so they didn't know much about sex. If their elders didn't teach them, they probably really wouldn't know.
It was now around 3 AM, and the bride began to dress and groom herself.
Fourth Aunt Fang Ling was Qing Yun's most blessed person because both her parents were alive and she had both a son and a daughter.
My aunt had done the "Full Blessing" ceremony for others before, and she knew the specific steps very well. First, she would "shave" the face, which involved using fine, strong, two-colored cotton thread to remove the fine hairs from the face, including the eyebrows, lips, and sideburns. After the "shaving" process, the cheeks would appear smoother.
Then comes the hair combing, which also has its own rules. The double buns of a young girl are changed to a bun symbolizing a married woman.
While combing her hair, Fang Ling recited auspicious words: "One comb to the end, two combs to white hair reaching the eyebrows, three combs to a house full of children and grandchildren..."
Today, I'm wearing my hair in a bun styled up, adorned with a complete set of gilded hairpins and rings, which looks dignified and elegant.
Once your hair is combed, you can start applying makeup. First, apply a layer of powder to your face, making sure it's thin and even to cover up any blemishes. Then, use a ribbon to draw your eyebrows and use vermilion to outline your lips.
Women in this dynasty favored petal-shaped lips, with two petals on top and one on the bottom, creating a lip makeup as delicate and beautiful as a flower.
Finally, it was time to put on the wedding dress. Qingyun's wedding dress was custom-made from a tailor shop. After all, time was short and Li's embroidery skills were definitely not enough to finish it in time, so Qingyun only embroidered the collar and cuffs herself.
The wedding dress consisted of three layers: an inner shirt, a green skirt, and an outer garment embroidered with intricate patterns.
Wearing a bright green wedding dress, Qingyun sat gracefully on the bed, holding a jeweled fan, looking quite like a noble lady from a prominent family.
The bedroom door opened, and Yuanbao ran in first. Upon seeing Qingyun, he gaped in surprise, "Wow, Auntie looks so beautiful today, like a fairy from heaven!"
Chen Qingyun covered her mouth with her fan and laughed heartily.
Wang Ying teased her son, asking, "Have you ever seen a fairy?"
"No, but I think fairies look just like Auntie." The people in the room were amused by his childlike words and laughed heartily.
Mrs. Li moved a stool and sat down next to her daughter, holding her hand with eyes full of reluctance. After today, the girl she had raised for sixteen years would marry into another family. Just thinking about it made her feel sad.
With some time still to go before the wedding procession, everyone else sat down and started chatting about their families.
When Chen Rong recalled Lin Qiu's wedding, she said, "The county doesn't have as many rules as the prefectural city. It was a simple affair, and the young couple lived a pretty good life after the wedding."
Wang Ying joked, "How could it be simpler than me? I came all by myself when I got married."
Chen Rong exclaimed, "Oh dear, I forgot about that!" Everyone burst into laughter, which eased their sadness.
Chen Rong then brought up Lin Sui's marriage, because he had been busy with Qing Yun's marriage these past few days and hadn't had time to meet with Marquis Wu Ping.
Li Mu knew that the Chen family was going to marry off their daughter, so he didn't rush over to discuss it. He would wait until the Chen family had finished the wedding before inviting Lin Sui's relatives to sit down and talk.
"I don't know if this marriage will go through." Chen Rong always felt that the two families were not a good match, and her son was infertile, so she was afraid that life would not be good even if they got married.
Lin Sui, however, took it all in stride. "Let nature take its course. I can live just fine without getting married."
Wang Ying said, "Sui'er's idea is good. If I get him, I'm lucky; if I lose him, it's my fate. We don't need to take him too seriously. If Marquis Wuping is interested, he will naturally take the initiative to ask for her hand in marriage. If he is not interested, we don't need to rush after him."
As they were talking, it was already the end of the Yin hour (3-5 AM), when suddenly hurried footsteps came from outside.
Chen Qingsong jogged over and said, "The wedding sedan chair has arrived at the alley entrance. Big brother, second brother, come with me to block the door!"
Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai followed eagerly. They had spent half a day preparing yesterday, just to give their brother-in-law a hard time today. They knew that if you wanted to marry his sister, you couldn't get in without some real skills.
Before long, a commotion came from outside the door, and everyone rushed out to see what was going on. Chen Qingyun also wanted to go and was so anxious that she kept stamping her feet inside the house.
At the gate, Liu Changyi, dressed in a bright red robe, dismounted from his horse and greeted the Chen brothers with clasped hands, saying, "Greetings, elder brother, younger brother Huai, and younger brother Song."
Chen Qingsong waved his hand and said, "Stop. Don't try to get close to me today. You have to answer the couplet we gave you before you can go in and marry my sister."
Liu Changyi pleaded, "You are all talented scholars; it would be too difficult for you to be chosen from among them."
Chen Qingsong chuckled and said, "I'll go first. The first line of the couplet is: 'A red sheet of paper holds a vow to the sea.'"
After a moment's thought, Liu Changyi came up with a reply: "The bright moon at midnight bears witness to our vows."
"Great!" The onlookers clapped and cheered, even though some of them didn't understand what was going on. They just cheered along anyway.
Chen Qinghuai was the second to speak, "Listen carefully, the road to the clouds is long and winding, and the immortal has stood for a long time in the scorching sun."
"The dressing table is deserted, but why shouldn't the maiden open her precious mirror?"
A handsome young man and a beautiful young woman, a perfect match indeed. Chen Qinghuai nodded and stepped aside.
Liu Changyi knew that Qinghuai had released water, so he bowed repeatedly to him, and finally went to Chen Qingyan.
"If my sister marries you, treat her well from now on."
"Don't worry, if I dare to do anything wrong, you can slap me across the face, and I won't dare to say a word against it."
"A poem inscribed on a red leaf, a match made in heaven tonight." Chen Qingyan said, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Planting jade in Lantian, the land becomes a perfect match, and the union is complete."
The gate opened, and Liu Changyi strode into the side courtyard. Chen Qingyun had been waiting inside for a long time. The two bid farewell to their parents, and Chen Qingyan carried his sister onto the bridal sedan chair.
Yuanbao followed behind, watching the commotion, and asked in confusion, "Father, where is Aunt going?"
Wang Ying said, "My aunt is getting married."
Chen Qingsong only realized what was happening now. Looking at his sister who was about to leave in the sedan chair, he was filled with reluctance, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
"The auspicious time has arrived, lift the sedan chair!" With a shout, the wedding procession turned and left, with dozens of men carrying the dowry away in a grand procession.
Yuanbao burst into tears, "Where is Auntie going? Why didn't she take Yuanbao with her?"
Wang Ying's eyes welled up with tears as she recalled when she first came to the Chen family. Qingyun was only twelve years old, and the little girl who used to follow her around all day was now married.
Needless to say, Li Shi went to the side to wipe her tears as soon as her daughter got into the sedan chair.
She was a frail woman who had lost her husband in middle age and was left to fend for herself with her three children. Now, seeing her children married, she felt a mix of emotions. "My dear husband, if you are watching over Yun'er from heaven, may we live happily ever after..."
Qingyun was also shedding tears in the sedan chair, but afraid of ruining her makeup, she carefully wiped them away with a handkerchief. Before long, the sounds of music and celebration outside distracted her from her tears, and she curiously peeked out through the crack in the sedan chair window.
The Liu family's wedding procession was grand; even in the prefectural city, such a wedding was unusual. Many people gathered on the street to watch the spectacle. The matchmaker at the front was scattering candy balls wrapped in paper, and a group of children followed behind, scrambling for them.
Some passersby, unaware of the situation, whispered, "Whose daughter is getting married? There's such a grand procession."
"I heard it's the Chen family's daughter who just moved into our alley."
"Is his family that rich?" They usually don't show off, but when they do, they can carry sixteen loads at once. You can tell from the strength of the servants carrying the loads that they are all fully loaded.
In the prefectural city, some families would use empty chests to make their daughters look nicer when they got married, but you could tell at a glance.
The Chen family didn't have much money, but Wang Ying was very attentive and willing to spend money to prepare a dowry for her younger sister.
The sedan chair was carried all the way to Zhengtong Street. When it arrived, there were far fewer people watching the spectacle, and the common people dared not follow to continue watching, for fear of offending the important person.
Finally, they arrived at the Liu family's door. Liu Changyi's two older sisters were already waiting at the door, and a group of relatives were also gathered around.
The matchmaker handed Liu Changyi a bamboo pole to lift the sedan curtain, a gesture symbolizing rising step by step.
Chen Qingyun covered her face with a fan, took her husband's red silk handkerchief and slowly stepped out of the sedan chair. They walked through a group of relatives into the courtyard, where the two of them had to step over a fire basin, symbolizing the removal of bad luck and the wish for a prosperous future.
Upon arriving at the main hall, Liu Changyi's parents sat at the head of the table, awaiting the couple's wedding ceremony.
Qin Furong was also dressed festively today, in a purple-red long robe with peonies embroidered with gold and silver threads. She was already a bit plump, and this outfit made her look even more elegant and noble.
Liu's father also wore a new dark blue robe, a jade crown on his head, and even his beard was carefully groomed.
The master of ceremonies led the couple to kneel facing north and chanted: "First bow, a match made in heaven, a perfect union!"
After getting up, he turned around and knelt down in front of the two elders.
"I bow twice to the parents, whose health and longevity are as heavy as a mountain!"
Qin Furong said with a smile, "Good child, get up quickly."
Finally, the two faced each other and exchanged vows, "Three bows in harmony, may our hearts be forever united!"
The emcee announced loudly, "The ceremony is complete!"
A group of people escorted the newlyweds into their bridal chamber; Qingyun was about to begin a new life.
A note from the author:
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