Day of the wedding arrives. It's awfully busy at the Lu residence. At the break of dawn the servants rushed up and down the house decorating and preparing, making final checks at the arrangements. Fu Lin had made a short errand and had brought the flowers that Lu Wei had asked her to purchase. Meanwhile Lu Wei took out a well maintained box. Inside the box were two memorial tablets named Lu Lian and Wei Xian. They were her parents tablets, to be placed on the ancestral altar. On the wedding day it was customary to pay respects to ancestors. She dusted the tables and had them ready for the ceremony.
The dowry boxes arrived from Madame Rong. They were carried here by Madame's escorts and they will also join the wedding parade. The boxes were placed inside Lu Wei's quarters, they entered from the southern gate, therefore no one saw them come and go. Fu Lin guided them in and had the boxes placed inside the quarters. Fu lin wore a new attire to match the wedding atmosphere. Three days ago Lady Wei brought a new set of clothes for Fu Lin in pink and lavender shade, brought out Fu Lin's bright features. One of the escorts handed a letter to Fu Lin, who passed it to Lu Wei. The letter was addressed to Lu Wei.
It read : "The delay of the boxes were lead by a special present I had prepared. I'm aware that Madame Lu prepared your wedding attire but I still went ahead and prepared a new set of wedding attire including shoes and a coronet. It is not the usual phoenix crown worn for wedding but when I saw this piece it immediately reminded me of you so therefore I purchased it. This is my present to you. I wish you all the blessings for your future. Take care of my dear daughter. Signed Madame Rong."
Lu Wei : "Your mother prepared another set of wedding attire for me and a coronet."
Fu Lin : "She has your best interest at heart. The Mei'ren escorts will pose as porters in the parade. They will carry this beautiful dowry boxes and also a donkey drawn wagon is set, for the other two boxes and your painting stretcher. I had them take it to make space in the room."
Lu Wei : "Thank you, Fu Lin."
Lu Wei wore red garments, auspicious colour. She wore her moxiong (breast cloth), ru (upper garment) and pants underneath, long skirt; all which were plain red silk. Fu Lin was preparing to do her hair. She combed her and detangled it as she asked, "My lady how do you want me to do your hair?"
Lu Wei : "hmmm half open half tied up, after marriage the hair will be all tied up, so today let it be different."
Fu Lin : "Alright, lady Wei. I'll braid half of your hair on top and twist it into a high bun for the ornaments. And let the rest let loose to it's lengths."
It was the practice, unmarried maiden's had their hair open. And after marriage their hair would be tied up. It's sort of an indication on the marital status of a women. As Fu Lin was done with Lu Wei's hair, a knock was heard at the door.
Lu Wei : "You may come in."
Madame Lu's personal maid entered the room with a huge tray that contained the wedding attire.
Maidservant : "Lady Wei, your attire is here. I see that you have began dressing. We'll see you in the ancestral hall once your ready. Here"
Fu Lin takes the tray and she bows at the Madame Lu's personal maid.
Lu Wei : "Please take my parents name tablets and set it at the ancestral hall."
Maidservant : "Yes, Madame had asked me to do so, you can entrust it to me."
Fu Lin handed over the tray, that had the box of her parents tablets and a bouquet of plum blossom flowers.
Lu Wei : "Those flowers were my mother's favourite, if it is not too much trouble please set it along with other offerings."
Maidservant : "It's no trouble at all. I shall do as you ask."
Lu Wei : "Also here," as she hands out a pouch that has a container of soothing balm. "I know it is customary to give gratuity in wealth but I'm giving you a soothing balm I hope you like this."
Maidservant : "It is true that we servants prefer money, but Lady is always known for special gifts. Madame is always fond of the fact that you know exactly what to give people to make them feel nice without being monetary. It is a skill in itself. I wish you blessings for your marriage." It was a gift well thought, after years of service hands of this old servant were becoming rough and aching. This balm was a good gift.
All the three ladies bow and bide each other farewell. Fu Lin unravels the cloth over the tray that the maid servant brought. Fu Lin assists Wei to wear the big sleeved cloak that goes over all the other pieces of clothing. The wedding attire is deep red silk with delicate gold embroidery on the hem, collar, and the sleeves. The sash was entirely gold embroidered. The shoes provided had lotus embroidery on it. Lu Wei sat in front of the face mirror. As Fu Lin took the hair ornaments already set on the tray. She first placed the pearls around the braided bun along with red and gold embellished hair ornaments. Finally she places the two fengguan (phoenix) gold hairpin. Once it was done it looked marvellous. Two phoenix taking flight off the center as their long feathered tails were left dangling just a little above the shoulders. Fu Lin quickly prepared to put makeup. She added colour to Lu Wei's eyes and drew kohl on the eyes, Wei did not need to have her eyebrows draw as they were naturally lush and held a soft shape. The cheeks were added colour and finally the lips. Fu lin lastly uses perfume oils to add frangace and checks on Wei's fingertips. She had added soft red colour to Wei's finger nails. Lu Wei was ready as a bride.
Lu Wei stood up to leave, Fu Lin handed her the hand held fan. It was customary for brides to hide their face behind the fan. Lu Wei took a one last look at the worn out room she spent six years in and took a step out leaving behind her past. Fu Lin escorted her lady to the ancestral hall. Guests and family were already inside the hall. The tables that Wei gave were set in the altar along side the plum blossoms in a vase on both sides of the tablets. Lu Wei stood in front of a kneel cushion. While the other kneel cushion was laid out for Lu Mei.
Lu Mei entered the ancestral hall a little later. And you can see difference in two daughters wedding attire. Mei's attire was filled with gold brocade. Mei's hair was tied in and adorned with a high headgear with kingfisher bird feathers, gold and loads of embellishments on it. She was shinning with gold in comparison to Lu Wei. Mei did not take much notice of Wei as the ceremony was about to began. But suddenly, she saw her mother's wedding hair ornaments on Lu Wei. Mei grew furious. Lu Mei's mother had come with the worn out jewellery but she never thought that when she was confined in her room, Wei took away her mother's jewellery. She was bubbling with rage.
The ceremony begins :
Conductor : "According to heaven's will the auspicious hour has come, daughters of Lu family, Lu Mei and Lu Wei, shall go to their new home today. Therefore, bid farewell to their ancestors. Begin the ceremony to bid farewell at ancestral hall!"
Mei took notice of Wei's parents tables right in centre of the altar, this added more fumes.
Conductor : "Place the incense sticks with reverence."
Both Lu Mei and Lu Wei took and lit three incense sticks and knelt before the altar.
Conductor : "Bow to the heavens,"
Both the brides bow the first time.
"Bow to the earth,"
They bow for the second time.
"Bow to the ancestors."
Final bow in front of the altar. They both rise and place the incense sticks in front and turn around to formally greet their close relative.
Lu Mei : "I bid you farewell mother and father."
Lu Wei bows once again in front of her parents before turning towards her uncle and aunt.
Lu Wei : "I bid you farewell aunty and uncle."
Conductor : "The brides have paid their respects!"
Lu Wei heads out the ancestral hall when interrupted by Wei's furious outburst. Lu Mei who was following behind Wei, stepped on Wei's cloak and pulled out one of the phoenix hairpin and threw it on the floor with disgust as she stomped on the hairpin into pieces. Lu Wei and Madame Lu both reacted and asked her to stop.
Lu Mei : "You have no right in wearing my mother's items. Get it from your own dead mother." And stomped outside the hall, pushing Wei with her shoulder aggressively.
Fu Lin held her lady from falling.
Lu Wei : "Fu Lin, can you pick every speck of the broken hairpin, please."
Madame Lu : (panicking) "I didn't know she will react like this, her temper..."
Lu Wei : "Madame Lu, I'll go have a change of clothes, you don't need to worry. Please receive the grooms in the front. I'll take my leave."
Fu Lin had picked up every piece of the broken hairpin and followed Lady Wei back to their quarters. The porters were about to take the dorwy boxes to set it up to be carried on a pole by two men. When figures of two ladies rushed in.
Fu Lin : "Please step aside, the dowry isn't set to be leaving. I will inform you immediately when it's ready." Lu Wei entered the room and Fu Lin closed the doer behind. They both opened the two boxes, one each and on the left box was the wedding attire. Both saw the ensemble and gasped.
Lu Wei : "I did not think your mother could do this!"
Fu Lin : "I didn't believe my mother could also make such a choice. It's beautiful! My Lady!"
Lu Wei : "Indeed. Would you help me, Fu Lin."
Fu Lin : "Yes ,my lady."
Fu Lin helped lady remove the stomped cloak and assisted her in wearing the new cloak.
Lu Wei : "Lady let's change the hair ornaments also."
Fu Lin : "Yes please."
And Lu Wei sat down while Fu Lin rushed to remove the hair ornaments without tugging strands of hair. The auspicious time for the wedding will pass if they did not hurry and if they did not make it by the assigned time, it is considered bad luck.
Fu Lin took out the coronet her mother, Madame Rong had prepared.
Fu Lin : "Look lady it's so beautiful! This one piece is equivalent to several jewels."
And Fu Lin placed it on the head and secured it in in place. She also changed the earrings, necklace and put on bangles on both hands. Before Lu Wei could get up Fu Lin stopped her, "Wait lady let me deepen the colour on your lips, this entire ensemble requires it." So she painted the lips deep red and Lu Wei changed the shoes with the shoes prepared by Madame Rong. Fu Lin packed the rest and placed the broken hairpin in a small box and placed it along with the dowry.
Fu Lin : "Lady, I've placed the broken pieces of the phoenix hairpin in a box within the dowry box."
Lu Wei : "Thank you, shall we head out?"
Fu Lin : "Yes, here lady." As she handed Wei the hand fan.
Lu Wei stepped out one last time from the room. Fu Lin instructed the porters to take the boxes now that they were ready. Lu Wei now wore green heavy sleeved silk cady cloak. It was quite a lovely contrast with red on the inside and green over it. Th cloak had embroidery of green outlined with gold tracing the borders of the cloak. The hair coronet was a one piece crown of gold plum blossom flowers, that swayed as the lady moved. The earrings were gold drop earring with rectangle shaped green jade on the ends. And the necklace was a gold choker with coral red jade placed in it. The bangle was pure high quality white jade with gold see through delicate design on top of it. The shoes were embroidered with flowy, wavy and curling clouds. The clothes set by Madame Rong was simply ravishing. Lu Wei looked purely beautiful. It looked like she was dressed by someone who knew and understood her qualities and was able to portray it appropriately in clothing.