? Text/Wang Ningzi
? After the autumn harvest, the winter wheat enters the ground, and it is the season for farmers to marry wives. The matchmaker was sent and the marriage certificate was received. Everything went smoothly. The man set an auspicious date and asked the matchmaker to send a message to the in-laws. If there was no objection, the two families were busy with their children's marriage.
People in Guanzhong call married girls enlightened girls. As the name suggests, they start a new life and move towards a new life. Whenever a woman gets married, villagers will bring gifts to see her off, symbolizing a safe and happy journey. Buying a dowry for a woman makes the mother feel happy and sad at the same time. She is happy that the woman has found a good son-in-law, but sad that the daughter is not retained and the adopted daughter is in vain. Every time a woman gets married in the alley, she will carry a few eggs in her lapels to see them off. She will praise them in front of the dowry and remember the dowry items in her heart one by one. By the time he inspired the woman, the necessary items were already in his mind. A pair of wooden boxes, a wooden comb box, two pairs of Shile shoes, a washbasin stand, a spinner and a brush... She must have things that other women have. My sister-in-law and my sister-in-law are both sons and daughters, so they cannot be left out when making quilts. I also invite a few lucky women in the alley to help me. Although the sister-in-law next door has a good relationship with me, she is not very good at it! There is no way, this is the rule left by our ancestors. The quilt was made of cotton given by her husband's family. If it was too thin, there were still two bundles of flowers at home. Alas, if you want a woman, you will lose money! But a woman is her mother's heartthrob, and she cannot afford to be unable to raise her head in her husband's family just because of a shabby dowry.
From arranging a marriage to finding a matchmaker, the man spends all his money just to find a good wife for his child. Just as the matchmaker said, the gift money and clothes given to the woman will eventually bring her home with a carriage and a dowry. Although the family has endured hardships in recent years in order to find a wife for their son, the old couple is overjoyed at the thought of having a baby in the coming year. The topic of marriage every day is inseparable. The chef invites the chef with the best cooking skills. The tables are cold and hot. Relatives and friends have calculated over and over again how many seats should be prepared. I have an idea in my heart. I would like to ask the deacon to thank Xiangdang for this. It's also a big deal and shouldn't be made fun of for being careless. Marrying a wife, it’s time to repair the front and back yards. The new house has been painted with white clay several times, the ceiling has been installed, the kang tray has been installed, the window grilles have been cut, the cabinets have been laid, and the invitations have been pasted. Everything is packed and ready, just waiting for that day.
The book (invitation) has been placed and the countdown to the wedding has begun. In the evening, the butler was invited, and the host prepared cigarettes and tea. All the men in the production team were invited. Who would serve tea and who would run errands, who could write and who could draw, the general manager knew all about it. After breakfast the next day, the men went about their own business, setting up the wedding tent, writing wedding couplets, borrowing tables and benches... The chef came in, and the women came too, picking vegetables and cutting meat, making fire to steam steamed buns, and rotten buns. The whole alley was filled with jingles and aromas as the smelly food went out of the frying pan. The scent attracted cats and dogs, and also attracted a group of greedy cats. They scratched at the door frame and swallowed saliva. The women picked up a few meat bones from the casserole pot, and before they could walk over, they were surrounded by the greedy cats. The men sat around the stove, drinking tea, listening to Qin opera, smoking pots and gossiping. It wasn't dark yet, but the red lanterns were already lit. Two straw men were leaning in front of the wedding tent with tiger head hugging skirts worn by children on their heads, guarding the door like Qin Qiong Jingde. Outside the wedding shed, the large carriage used by the production team to pull soil was washed clean. A few bamboo poles were used to prop up a reed mat, covered with wheat straw and hung with a door curtain. It was the car used by the bride to get married. Several children also came to join in the fun. As soon as one climbed onto the back of the car, he was kicked off by the adults.
Although everything was arranged by the general manager and dozens of deacons helped, the man didn’t know what he was busy with all day long. As soon as his head hit the pillow, sleepiness came over and he stared for a while. Suddenly remembering what happened the next day, I woke up again with a jolt. Ask the woman to check the gift for marrying the bride again. Is the lotus root rooster tied with red silk? Can the Lotus tray delivery cage be accommodated? Is the rice wine in the box full...
The woman carefully counted the gifts, packed them up inside and out, and looked at the red lanterns, her eyes full of joy. It was late at night, and there was still no sleep. The man was leaning on the kang, smoking a cigarette. When a cat meowed, the woman suddenly remembered the steamed buns above. Put small red dots on them to signify happiness and auspiciousness. After the wedding banquet, the man wraps these steamed buns together with the plate in red envelopes and takes them home) and quickly slips off the kang.
? The man is very busy, and the woman can’t stay idle. After having breakfast and laying out the dowry, fellow villagers came one after another to see them off. Simple folk customs, a wooden comb, a mirror, a pair of pillow towels, and a few eggs are gifts. The soybeans have been cooked the night before. Cut a few carrots and stir-fry a pot of salty beans. This is a side dish for the host's guests. The women were chatting and laughing around the dowry, and the children also came after hearing the news. They grabbed the adults' clothes and mixed them with a handful of salted beans, not letting go of the grease in their hands. Just look at it and it can make anyone die of embarrassment! While smiling, the host wrapped some salty beans in newspaper and stuffed them into the baby's hands. In the evening, after sending off the last wave of people, the crowd finally stopped. Under the meticulous decoration of the elders, the bride's face was opened and her eyebrows were slimmed down, making her look much better than usual. The new clothes and shoes are all placed on the kang, just waiting for the car from my husband's family to arrive.
Before the sun comes up, a new daughter-in-law is brought in. It is said that a daughter-in-law married early is diligent and filial. This marriage custom continued in rural areas of Guanzhong until the end of the last century.
If there are two families in a village who are marrying brides on the same day, they need to prepare early and wait until early morning. The bride-to-be relatives will go about their business, carrying boxes of wine, holding gifts, carrying lotus plates, and Smoking, drinking, and carrying a bunch of pork and cooked rooster, the mighty wedding procession is on the road. If they meet a wedding team on the road, both parties will stop to say hello and then exchange the big red flowers on the front of the car.
After a sleepless night and just taking a nap, the woman’s family was awakened by the crackling of firecrackers outside the door. For a while, the women were busy cooking, and the men lit the candles in front of the incense table, kowtowed and saluted, and opened the door. Welcome guests. While her husband's family was chatting and eating, the bride was dressed up, wearing a red hijab, and holding money for traveling in her hand (however old the bride was, her husband's family would prepare the same number of coins and throw them all the way from her parents' house to her parents' house). After being warned, surrounded by everyone, he got into the car. Once you leave, you will become relatives when you return. Thinking of this, the bride couldn't help but burst into tears. Outside the car, my father's expression was solemn, and my mother's eyes were red.
The bridegrooms were in a hurry, and the wedding tent was already crowded with people. The sauerkraut pot in the backyard was boiling, the plowshare under the hearth was burning red, and the groom was neatly dressed and fidgeting nervously. The watchman at the entrance of the village came back with a fog of fog. The sound of horse hooves was getting closer and closer, and everyone's smiling faces also flew out of the wedding tent.
The car was steady, the driver took away the bay-red horse, firecrackers exploded in the silent night sky, the doors of each house were opened, men, women and children gathered around the car, and the jealous people used their hands to The fire tongs clamped the plowshare, and the vinegar pot was held in one hand. Amid the laughter of the crowd, he circled the car three times to the left and three times to the right. Vinegar was poured on the red plowshare, making a sizzling sound, and his nose was filled with strong vinegar. Fragrance. The new daughter-in-law was ushered out of the car. Wheat bran (meaning blessing) mixed with walnuts and dates was sprinkled overwhelmingly on the bride. Following the sound of the fruit falling to the ground, the urchins followed the bride and grabbed it, laughing. The women said polite words and surrounded the two female guests who were seeing off the bride. The men, women and children nearby laughed and grabbed the red envelopes from the hands of the two children who were seeing the bride. The female guests did not care about returning the gifts, and bent down to protect the children and the packages tightly. , the child had never seen such a scene before, and was so frightened that he hugged the adult's legs tightly. Under the wedding tent, crowds of people surged, bursts of laughter rushed out of the alley, breaking the pre-dawn tranquility. After paying homage, the groom entered the bridal chamber and stepped on the four corners. The bride ate the noodles and arranged the dowry before dawn.
Guanzhong Marriage Customs Series (1) - Back Opinion
Guanzhong Marriage Customs Series (3) - Marriage Settlement
Guanzhong Marriage Customs Series (5) - Annulled Engagement