Arranged marriage-WangXian

Chapter 8

Ming An talked and talked and talked and talked!! Oh goodess, how did she like talking so much?? Wasn't that middle-aged lady supposed to teach her about a married life?? Then why was she talking about her aunt's brother's cousin's sister's large family?? Wei Wuxian couldn't anymore...

Wei Wuxian found the courage to speak. "Uh..Miss Ming? "

"Yes?"

Wei Wuxian wanted this to be fast: "Weren't you supposed to teach me about the rules of a marriage?"

Ming An said then: "Oh! I totally forgot about it, I was so taken by that story, I'm sorry dear" She laughed. Ughh!! I can't anymore with this auntie! She talks and only talks...Haaa Wei Wuxian thought.

"Young girl, marriage may sounds like something easy but actually it's not. There is these six rituals that you have to do before getting married."

These rituals are generally called 'three letters and six etiquettes'. But this will not happen now since you and you're fiancée won't get married soon. You now are engaged but nothing more, the marriage still is far. But I'll explain it anyway since i have nothing to talk about." The autie laughed. Oh sh*t, She's going to talk about all that? Nah I'm going to die.

This is the author's note.
Now I'll be writing about the procedure of the three letters and six etiquettes procedure. If you don't want to read all that you can skip until you'll see this "//" But it is an occasion to learn about traditional chinese rituals :> (I spended the whole evening doing researches about this💀💀💀)

// "Well, It starts with the proposal, which your families already did." Ming An started. "They did?" Wei Wuxian asked. "Mhm, if you let me explain.." "Oh sorry."

"It's when two families gets to know eachother, the two who are marrying too, of course. Soon after your families, even if I think they already did, will match you birthdates, if the suan ming* will be positive you'll be able to pass to the next step, setting the bride's price. Since your marriage it's official now I think that the suan ming did come out positively."

*t/n Suan ming Is the Chinese fortune telling that predicts of that couple to be.

"Then" she continued. "At this point the bridegroom's family arranged for the matchmaker to present a bride price and this step's called 'bridewealth' then the groom's family proceeds by giving wedding presents such as food, religious items or precious jewels to the bride's family. The next step's arranging the wedding: Before the wedding ceremony, two families would arrange a wedding day according to Chinese tung shing*. Selecting an auspicious day to assure a good future for the couple is as important as avoiding what is believed to be an unlucky day."

*t/n tung shin: Yellow calendar's a calendar mostly used to arrange a marriage's date.

"The final ritual is the marriage ceremony itself. But it has more elaborated parts: Before the arrival of the party's meeting the bride would be helped by an old woman to tie up her hair. She would wear a red skirt, as red traditionally symbolizes happiness. When the party arrives, the bride must cry with her mother to symbolize her reluctance to leave home. She would then be led or carried by her brother to the sedan. From here, the wedding procession from the bride's home to the groom's, the path to the groom's home will be infested by some difficulties set intentionally. After he passes the difficulties he will be able to take off the veil and see his wife to be. On the arrival of the sedan at the wedding place, there would be music and firecrackers. The bride would be led along the red carpet in a festive atmosphere. The couple will have to prostrate thrice, once to the heaven, then to the parents and at the end to eachother. Then comes the banquet, sometimes the bride serves wine or tea to the guests and family. The banquet's expense it's not the groom's family responsibility, but the one who provides about that is the bride's father, in this case your uncle, Wei Wuxian. Wedding banquets are elaborate and consist usually of 5–10 courses, with ingredients such as shark fin, abalone, lobster, squab, sea cucumber, swift nests or fish roe in soup or as decoration on top of a dish to symbolize fertility. The wedding banquets are two separate banquets: the primary banquet is hosted once at the bride's side, the second banquet (smaller banquet) at the groom's side. While the wedding itself is often based on the couple's choices, the wedding banquets are a gesture of thanks and appreciation, to those that have raised the bride and groom." The teaching auntie finally finished with the talking and outside the sun was already running away from Wei Wuxian's sight.