flstandardbreds Chapter 223
Chapter 223
Even vegetable vendors in the city are involved in wedding business, as their vegetables are bought by the families getting married.
Players were puzzled as they watched the NPCs walk out of their houses one after another. What was going on?
Soon, special effects appeared, starting with everyone leaving their homes. The perspective then shifted from a wide overhead view to Matchmaker Lin's house. Matchmaker Lin hurriedly dressed and left with an apprentice. Her husband asked from behind, "Is this the Shen family's house today?"
As Lin the matchmaker walked out, she said, "Yes, it's already this late. We need to hurry to the Shen family, preferably in the morning."
As the matchmaker left, the camera suddenly shifted to a house, not a wealthy one. But it was now spotless, and the courtyard was filled with things. There were eight small chests and nine baskets, woven from bamboo and painted red, adorned with large red flowers, containing eggs, meat, pastries, and other items.
A woman stood nervously at the door, glancing around. A middle-aged man sitting in the main room drinking tea said, "It's still early. Matchmaker Lin doesn't come for a while. Come back and sit down. I'm nervous too, walking around like this."
The woman returned. "I was thinking of going to wait and watch the door. Son! Have you changed your clothes?"
"Okay, here it comes."
A handsome young man quickly emerged from the side room, wearing a newly made dark brown robe. The woman went over and straightened it. "Was it made in a hurry? Is it suitable? You'll be able to see the young lady today, so be polite. When you marry into the family, treat her well; a harmonious marriage is essential for a prosperous life..."
Her nagging words were filled with the hopes and blessings of the older generation for the younger. The man listened attentively, not arguing with his mother, though his face flushed slightly.
The gaze shifted again, and there was Lin, the matchmaker, searching for people after leaving the house. She quickly found seven or eight porters. They arrived at the Shen family's residence, and after a brief flurry of activity, they glanced at the time and carried the items off the ground. Many children gathered to watch, and neighbors came out to offer their blessings, saying that the Shen family was about to welcome a new member and that prosperity was on the horizon.
The group set off with the betrothal gifts to the bride's home. After presenting the gifts, everyone warmly discussed reserving a small courtyard for the couple's first meeting. Lin Shuying had changed a lot here, as she wasn't very familiar with the traditional customs. She had only heard about them from her parents and had some understanding from others when making wedding dresses for them, and she had gained some knowledge while researching wedding dress making materials. However, her understanding wasn't deep enough. For example, she found the details of the auspicious date selection, the matchmaker's first visit, and the specifications of the prepared gifts very difficult. She was also unfamiliar with consulting a fortune teller for horoscopes; in the instance, she only went through the basic procedures. The fortune slips given by the Taoist priest at the temple or the matchmaker's temple were all very auspicious, indicating good fortune.
After completing the previous parts of the story, the wedding ceremony begins.
When the eight-bearer sedan chair departed from the groom's house, many people gathered in the street to watch the spectacle. Some girls and old women accompanying the procession offered peanuts and melon seeds as gifts, along with many small, square embroidered handkerchiefs. The handkerchiefs were tiny, about the size of a palm, perfect for wiping one's nose. The four corners of the handkerchiefs were embroidered with cute and beautiful patterns such as butterflies, camellias, orchids, peonies, kittens, and puppies. Although the center was blank, the patterns were still very exquisite.
These handkerchiefs were made from scraps of fabric used by women when they were making clothes; they were colorful and varied. However, the amount of these gifts was quite generous, indicating that the wedding was taken very seriously.
However, the focus of giving gifts is not on showing off wealth or displaying anything. The most essential thing is to express the joy and happiness of welcoming a new family member, and to show respect and love for the new family member. So everything prepared is red and festive. The skin of the cured pork is red and printed with double happiness symbols. The cakes, peanuts, and candies are all red. The children are also very happy to see them, and their hands are stained red with red dye.
The pigments used here are all edible plant pigments, products that have been used in ancient China for thousands of years, so there are no concerns about safety. The plants used vary slightly from place to place; those appearing in the instance include buddleja officinalis, gardenia, maple leaves, safflower, purple orchid, and isatis root.
Soon, the wedding procession arrived at the bride's house, where her brother escorted her to the bridal sedan chair. Then, the elaborate red bridal procession was carried out, laden with large chests filled to the brim. There were cabinets, beds, quilts, sheets, fabrics, clothes, and countless other valuables.
It really can circle for ten miles!
There were also oxcarts, horses, and so on. There were no maids or anything like that as part of the dowry; Lin Shuying brought everything she had. The items that weren't brought were recorded in the plot summary as notes. Although they weren't exactly valuable, history is history. No matter how bad it may be, truthfully recording it is humanity's most powerful resistance against time and a crucial way for civilization to continue.
The players, too, crowded into the crowd, watching in utter shock, running alongside the NPCs to see what was happening. People on the upper floors of buildings along the street were scattering flowers downwards, which landed on the heads of the wedding procession members, who laughed and dodged, occasionally tossing handfuls of candy into the crowd nearby.
People didn't mind if candy fell on the ground; they bent down to pick it up and were overjoyed.
Players joined the candy-grabbing frenzy, stretching out their hands and quickly bending down to pick up the candies as they landed. Many people were pushed to the ground, and the surrounding NPCs politely refrained from trampling on them, but the players didn't care, crawling and grabbing at each other, sometimes even trampling three layers deep.
At this point, a casualty alarm will be triggered, and the player will be placed in confinement as punishment.
Lin Shuying was a little worried that this carefree gaming attitude might be carried over into reality by players, causing them to lose sight of real-world safety precautions and act recklessly. This aspect is quite strict, and it's a rule that gaming platforms welcome.
After walking around the main street for an hour or two, we finally arrived at Nanfang's house. The master of ceremonies called out from door to door, chanting over five hundred words of rites. From the bride and groom to the beginning of the ceremony and the wedding ceremony itself, the entire process was filled with chanting.
That's too grand!
"My mecha grand marshal, my marriage to my love was so hasty, we just got a marriage certificate, went on a trip, and that was it. I never imagined it could be so grand!"
"Look at that big bridal sedan chair, the patterns on it are all embroidered and velvet flowers, it's so beautiful."
"Why didn't they release such a beautiful flower bridge before? I would definitely buy it, sob sob sob."
"Yes, none of the carriages and sedan chairs we used before were this luxurious. Even the sedan chair used during the bride-stealing incident was too plain in comparison."
The bride's sedan chair was decorated with a large red flower on top, and was adorned with flowers such as velvet roses and peonies. Orange tassels hung from the eaves of the sedan chair, and colorful mandarin ducks were embroidered on the curtains.
The sedan chair bearers carried it, swaying back and forth, to the main gate. The groom waited until the officiant finished chanting before kicking the sedan chair and leading the bride out. The matchmaker quickly stepped forward, presenting the bride with a large red flower and rattling off a string of auspicious words, making both of them blush.
The bride's red dress wasn't adorned with many jewels, but the embroidered flowers on it were particularly exquisite, making the whole dress look incredibly luxurious.
Many players were shocked when they saw in the story description that the bride had spent a year or even several years preparing this outfit. They couldn't believe that it would take so many years to prepare just for a wedding!
However, getting married has always been very important in China, both in the past and in modern times, marking a turning point in a couple's lives. In modern times, however, the fast pace of life and Western-style weddings have diminished its significance, making it less grand.
However, things were different in ancient times. A girl could start preparing her wedding dress as soon as she learned needlework, which shows how exquisite the wedding dresses were. Even ordinary families could prepare very well. Although they might not be luxurious, extravagant, or covered in jewels, the embroidery on them would certainly be very delicate and beautiful.
Wedding preparations are typically lengthy, involving engagement, matching birth dates and times, auspicious date selection, and the wedding ceremony, which can take a year or more. It's not like the modern practice of setting a date and hiring a wedding agency for a week; preparations begin from the engagement day, including the dowry, betrothal gifts, and hiring various people to help. Even a simple dowry must include a wardrobe and a set of bedding; wealthy families might provide a bed. Some families have wardrobes custom-made, while others, lacking the means, have the men of the household make them themselves.
When a woman marries into a family, she truly feels like she's moving into a home where she can live for the rest of her life, not a stranger's home. This is because the house contains her own wardrobe, her own quilts, and her own dowry, which the husband's family cannot seize.
In modern times, many people talk about how women in ancient times married, as if it were all like in novels and TV dramas—they never had a good ending, either being beaten to death by their families, having unhappy marriages, or being tormented by their mothers-in-law. But reality and art are different. It's undeniable that reality is more dramatic than art, but the dramatic parts are extreme cases; normal people make up at least 60% of the population, if not 90%.
Lin Shuying incorporated her beautiful vision of starting a family and getting married into this storyline, and she also changed some of the incomplete details of the wedding scene from the previous version.
It doesn't strictly follow history; it also reflects her expectations and fantasies about the wedding. So, after the wedding ceremony, the bride changes clothes and comes out to greet guests. If she doesn't want to greet guests, she can bring her best friends to the bridal chamber to chat. These scenes borrow from some wedding procedures in her hometown. Back then, her favorite thing was to go into the bride's room, a place where there was never a shortage of wedding candies, melon seeds, and oranges. Because the large sacks used to hold things were usually kept there, the bride would also bring many exotic snacks, and even children could find a bag or two to satisfy their cravings.
When she was little, she was quite thick-skinned and loved going to wedding banquets, hahaha.
Even when she grew up, her mother would still tease her, saying that if she couldn't find anyone at a wedding banquet in the village, she should look in the bride's room, and she would definitely find her.
.......
The plot is a bit long, a full twenty-eight minutes.
But the player wasn't impatient; instead, he carefully read every detail and then spammed "envy" in the chat channel.
Just as everyone was itching with anticipation and savoring the moment, a red envelope decorated with lotus flowers, mandarin ducks, and koi fish fell into their hands. They eagerly opened it, wanting to see what was inside.