Chapter 23 Lipstick and Wedding Part 3
Qiao Maling tried hard to want a modern wedding, but the elders from the groom's family wanted to see a traditional, Chinese bride - so all in all, this wedding became a bit out of place, but it was the most typical and trendy wedding combining Chinese and Western styles of this era.
The night before, at the Qiao Mansion, the girls gathered around Qiao Maling to try on the wedding dress (which Chu Wang had worn countless times). They were stunned by the large, gold-threaded peonies adorning the white veil. Late spring was a perfect time for a sleeveless wedding dress. To appear even more dignified, she wore elbow-length white gloves, resembling a sophisticated British aristocrat.
She tried it on once, then took it off and hung it in the room. The other girls stared at the hanger with the wedding dress until late at night. When their mothers told them not to disturb the bride's rest, they reluctantly left. Qiao Maling, however, kept Lin Chuwang and Xie Miya a little longer, asking them to tell her more about the groom.
Miya laughed and said, "He's the star. All the men were teasing him today, and he was so nervous he couldn't even speak! Who knows how shy he'll be when he sees you tomorrow. Don't be unable to walk!"
Chu Wang knew that Qiao Maling wanted to know about his conversation and appearance, so he quickly added, "He's tall, looks very solid, and very gentlemanly, like someone who has received higher education."
Only then did Qiao Maling feel a little relieved.
The next morning, an elderly woman from the Xue family joined Mrs. Qiao in dressing Qiao Ma-ling. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back into three small buns, arranged like a flower at the back of her head. Mrs. Xue seemed to think Ma-ling's complexion was too dark, so she applied extra rouge and foundation, making her face pale. Mrs. Qiao meticulously contoured her daughter's eyebrows into willow-shaped curves. Qiao Ma-ling's lips were already beautiful, so she only applied a light touch of lipstick and lipstick.
The girls, led by Zhao Ma and their respective maids, changed into peach-colored Western-style short dresses, topped with navy blue wool sweaters. Chu Wang was grateful that he had grown slightly in the past few months, now exceeding the height required for a flower girl. The responsibility of flower girl fell to Leon. Everyone was delighted to see this fair-skinned, adorable little boy with a blend of Chinese and Western attire—it perfectly suited the theme of the wedding.
All morning, the women in the household lectured Qiao Maling on marriage. Smiling, she thanked each of her sisters-in-law one by one, and near noon, she went upstairs to say goodbye to Mrs. Qiao. Mrs. Qiao sat upright in her armchair, having already cried seven or eight times that morning. Seeing Qiao Maling in her white wedding dress and neatly made-up, she couldn't hold back and finally burst into tears again. Qiao Maling's eyes reddened, and several aunts and wives rushed forward to try to stop her, lest her tears ruin her makeup.
Qiao Ma Ling could only hug Mrs. Qiao with red eyes and comforted her, "Fortunately, there are still three younger sisters who can accompany Mom."
She waved her hand, calling the three little girls over and kissing their foreheads one by one. Zhenzhen and Yunyan also burst into tears, while Chu Wang comforted them, saying, "Barton Road isn't far anyway. We'll make you lunch every day when you come back."
Qiao Maling chuckled, and a lady nearby jokingly said, "A married girl still goes back to her parents' home every few days. She's not afraid of gossip."
Mrs. Qiao's face darkened again, and she corrected Qiao Maling, saying, "You must not be so disrespectful in the future. When you go out, be more reserved. You can smile, but don't laugh out loud... Don't look around, and don't look at anyone."
Qiao Maling hurriedly lowered her head and agreed, and Mrs. Qiao then covered her with a wedding dress - although it was a white wedding dress, the veil could be draped down, covering her face with a hazy feeling, like a woman holding a lute and half covering her face.
The groom's car arrived, and the boys from the Xue, Lin, and Qiao families rushed over to the door, stopping the black-suited groom and his brothers as they emerged from the car. This was likely due to a language barrier—most of the bride's relatives from Shanghai didn't speak French or Cantonese, and the groom's relatives from Guangzhou and Vietnam didn't speak Shanghainese or English well—so the universal red envelope was the ticket to the bride's capture.
The groom, bribed by the groom, allowed him to enter the Qiao Mansion with his capable assistants. After paying their respects to Mr. Qiao, they waited at the door with the other male guests. Meanwhile, Qiao Maling, supported by Mrs. Qiao, came downstairs, followed by the other female relatives. Lin Chuwang listened as Mrs. Qiao repeatedly told her, "Keep your head high and chest out. Remember that." Qiao Maling already had an upright posture, but Mrs. Qiao seemed to be demanding she arch her back to show off her impressive figure.
Chu Wang didn't know if Qiao Maling was nervous, but Mr. Mark Huang was definitely nervous. He had only seen Qiao Maling's photo before, and today was his first time meeting her. He wondered if he was comparing this Hong Kong beauty to his Vietnamese beauty. He smiled, his face flushed, as he gazed up at his bride. His feet shifted slightly, and his facial muscles were a little uncoordinated with nervousness and excitement.
The groom, unidentified as the male guest, gave him a nudge. Amidst the roar of laughter, he stumbled, holding onto the railing and finally standing beside the bride. As the newlyweds exited the room, firecrackers clattered from the entrance. Then, a prominent woman among the female relatives whispered, "Cry!" The rest of the family began to fake weep—supposedly for good luck. Chu Wang watched the group of women weeping in fear, as if they were mingling with a multi-part female choir, and he could barely contain his laughter. The scene was truly bizarre.
A Dodge in front took the bride and groom to the nearest Leyden Cathedral, while the shuttle bus behind took Qiao Maling's trousseau to Barton Road. Lin Chuwang had seen them loading the boxes a few days ago: apart from some jewelry, most of them were exquisite porcelain and famous calligraphy and paintings that she couldn't quite name.
The gentlemen and ladies strolled for about ten minutes to the Leiden Cathedral, a Gothic church with tall stained glass windows depicting biblical stories.
Several prominent figures in Hong Kong politics had already taken their seats in the front row, while the families of the bride and groom were seated in order of status. The three young girls, led by Mrs. Qiao, were not too far away. Those prominent figures were likely witnesses, and Lin Chuwang recognized one of them: Mr. Xie. He was cheerfully chatting and laughing in perfect English with two other prominent figures, who were, I heard, the former and current Governors of Hong Kong, Sir Stuart and Sir John Smith.
As the fifth act of Mendelssohn's masterpiece, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," began to play, the chatter and laughter died down, and everyone glanced toward the wide-open church door. Also gazing from afar was Mr. Huang Mark, dressed in a suit and tie, standing before the priest. He gazed nervously at his bride, enveloped in holy light—and at his esteemed father-in-law, Mr. Joe, who was holding her hand and had a slightly balding head.
It was noon, and the church bells rang out twelve times. Light filtered through the stained glass windows, and thanks to the principles of optics, the colorful Bible stories on the glass were reflected on the bride's wedding dress, a beauty so beautiful that it caused everyone to exclaim in amazement. This also caused Mr. Huang to nervously clear his throat as he took the bride's hand from his father-in-law.
After receiving Qiao Maling's "yes, Ido" response in English, the priest turned to the groom and asked the classic question: "Mr. Huang, do you take this woman to be your wife? To enter into a marriage contract with her, to love her, to care for her, to respect her, to accept her, and to be faithful to her forever, in sickness and in health, and for any other reason?"
Mr. Huang nervously cleared his throat again, and amidst the confusion, he managed to utter his native tongue: "oui, jeleveux."
Amidst everyone's laughter, he hurriedly switched to English to answer.
For the first time today, Qiao Maling smiled genuinely and from the heart.
The priest then asked everyone, "Are you all willing to bear witness to their wedding vows?"
Everyone said in unison: "Yes!"
Western-style weddings, from the music to the vows, are incredibly powerful and moving. A couple's ceremony in such a sacred place, their love blessed by all and protected by the gods, is like an Oscar-winning performance of true love. Regardless of the depth of the sincerity, it certainly moved many to tears.
Even for Lin Chuwang, who was fully aware of Qiao Maling and Mr. Huang's past and had always lacked emotional ability, the wedding was deeply moving. Having been single for twenty-five years, she even felt a little bit of anticipation: if only she could have a wedding this grand and solemn, it would be quite nice.
The author has something to say: This chapter refers to the wedding clips of Ms. I.S. Pei and Zhang Youyi and Xu Zhimo.
That’s right, Mr. Qiao was a tea and porcelain foreign trade businessman traveling between China and Britain.
Partial copy and paste:
______________________
minister:
doyoumarlinqiao,knoan'sloveforyouandreturnindlearninthem,recognizinessesandhelpintooveethem,takemarkhuangtobeyourlawfullyweddedhusband
marlin:ido.
minister:placetherinhisfinger.
ministerto:
doyoumarkhuanoan'sloveforyouandreturnindlearninthem,recognizinessesandhelphem,takemarlinqiaotobeyourlawfullyweddedwife
mark:oui,jeleveux.
all（laugh）.
mark:yes,ido.
______________________
In short, in the church, it was just a series of "yes, Ido!"
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