Chapter 20.2

Translated by Aviana

On the day of the wedding, Lin Qingwan woke early in the morning and saw Yang-shi getting busy inside and outside with a face full of joy. Several other married women who usually had good relations with Yang-shi also came to the house to lend a hand.

She also went to help, but Yang-shi refused to let her do so, saying that bride shouldn’t do any work on that day. Even the breakfast and lunch were all handled and brought to her by Yang-shi.

At noon after lunch, Yang-shi let her rest for a while, after which she pushed her into the kitchen to take a bath.

Yang-shi already prepared hot water at an earlier time; she simply had to soak in it. After soaking for about half a sichen, she came out of the bath.

时辰 (shíchen): One shichen is equals to 2hrs.

Good Fortune madam came after she was done with the bath.

Before the bride gets into the sedan chair, Good Fortune madam should comb her hair.

Lin Qingwan changed into her bridal dress, sat cross-legged on the k’ang, and let Good Fortune madam do what she had to do on her face and hair.

It was only at this moment did she feel that she truly was about getting married….

The Good Fortune madam took out a long red thread. She tied both ends into a knot, twisted the string several times to form an x-shape, and held it up to Lin Qingwan’s face. The madam lightly plucked at the bride’s forehead, nose and chin, all the while reciting in a low voice, “For the top, honoring the heavens, the earth, and the parents. For the middle, a prayer for the couple to live in harmony. For the bottom, may the house be filled with offsprings.” The madam then plucked the string thrice at the left of Lin Qingwan’s face, the nose again and the right of her face. “For the left, may you be blessed with a son. For the center, may you work hard and be thrifty in running the household. For the right, may you live to a ripe old age in conjugal bliss.” Then, the madam threaded Lin Qingwan’s face.

It turns out that they even had to recite these lines. Lin Qingwan found it quite fascinating, to the extent that by the time she felt the pain, threading was already finished.

The madam of Good Fortune then took out a tiny razor and trimmed forehead hair a little. With this, the entire process of removal of the bride’s facial hair could be considered as finished.

The next part was ‘combing hair’. The Good Fortune madam took a new comb and started combing Lin Qingwan’s thick and jet-black hair. While combing the hair she started to recite:

” With the first combing to the head, may you need not worry about riches and honor;

With the second combing to the head, may you be devoid of any illness and sorrows;

With the third combing to the head, may you be blessed with an abundance of offsprings and longevity;

Once again, combing to the tail, may you be blessed with mutual respect in the marriage;

With the second combing to the tail, may the husband and wife fly together wing to wing in a union;

With the third combing to the tail, may you be perpetually bounded and united like the heart ornaments;

From start to finish, may you be blessed with riches and honor.”

At the side, Yang-shi was wiping her tears whilst watching her.

After getting along for the past few days, she had started to consider Lin Qingwan as her own daughter. Thus at this moment in her heart, she was feeling happy yet also sad.

Seeing Yang-shi wipe her tears, Lin Qingwan’s rim of eyes also couldn’t help but become red.

In both lifetimes, for the first time, she was getting married. In the previous life, she was an orphan without a father or mother. In this lifetime, the Yang-shi was the only one who could be regarded as her elder.

During this period of time of getting along, Yang-shi’s treatment for her was good, without exception were all vivid in her mind…

She had sincerely regarded her, this magnanimous and candid woman, as her most significant elder…

After combing her hair neatly, Good Fortune madam began to apply make-up on her.

It could be seen that this Good Fortune madam was also had good skill. She also didn’t put too much make-up on Lin Qingwan, but merely smeared lightly, and applied a very light make-up. The only thing that could be counted as rich was her red lips, appearing quite fiery and alluring.

Once the make-up was finished, Yang-shi happily pulled her up to take a look.

She was greeted by the sight of a beautiful young woman in a red bridal outfit standing in the room. Her bridal outfit style was the kind that was very commonly seen in rural areas.

The bridal outfit didn’t have any embroideries. It merely had circle-shaped designs embroidered by a black thread on the lapels and edges of sleeves and skirt, along with a waistband of about a 3-cun wide dark pattern on red tied around the waist.

The big red sleeves were just like the fleeting clouds during sunrise, while that wide waistband around her waist made her look slender, showing her delicateness and tenderness.

“What a beautiful young lady.” At the side, the Good Fortune madam sighed. The brides passed by her hand were not less than a hundred, but this was the first time she had seen such a beautiful young lady.

Yang-shi took a bronze mirror and showed it to Lin Qingwan to let her look at her reflection.

The figure in the mirror was wearing a peach topknot with a red velvet flower on the side of her hair. Light eyebrows, slightly raised phoenix eyes, fair cheeks smooth as jade, beautiful nose and bright red lips….

Lin Qingwan knew that this body’s appearance was pretty good. But she didn’t expect that she, who previously always given people an elegant and sweet-tempered image, could also be breathtakingly beautiful like this.

It was almost dusk now.

Sounds of firecrackers, gongs, and drums could be heard from outside. A young woman who came to lend a hand came in the running with a smile across her whole face.

“The bridegroom has arrived to escort the bride to the wedding ceremony. Is the bride ready?”

“Alright, she’s done.” Yang-shi hurriedly helped Lin Qingwan sit properly by the k’ang, and then brought a red veil put on her head.

Suddenly, everything before her eyes became red.

Amid the sound of firecrackers, the door was pushed open, and many people came in at once.

In the middle was Yan Tiezhu.

He was dressed in a red-colored groom’s outfit, with a big red flower on his chest. The happiness and joy on the face couldn’t be covered.

The bride’s brother ought to carry the bride on his back to the sedan chair, but Lin Qingwan’s situation here was quite different from others. Thus this duty of carrying the bride to the sedan chair was left to the groom.

Lin Qingwan, with the help of Yang-shi, carefully climbed onto the back of the man in front of her.

His shoulders were quite wide, thick, and very strong, giving people an unlimited sense of security…

There was a burst of laughter and hubbub next to them. Someone shouted, “The bridegroom is carrying the bride to the sedan chair~~~~ Light the firecrackers ~~~”

Once again, there was ear-splitting sounds of firecrackers. Lin Qingwuan felt herself being carried on the back for a while before she was put on the sedan chair.

“The bride has sat, raise the sedan chair~~~”

Slowly the bridal sedan chair rose, after which it swayed and moved forward.

Lin Qingwan was somewhat in a daze..

Is she married? Getting married just like this…

Surrounded by the dazzling red color, Lin Qingwan slowly headed towards her future life, with some fear, some apprehension yet full of expectations…

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