Chapter 3: First Life - The Wedding

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"Mu Dan! Mu Dan!" My Grandma came toward our straw home yelling out my name. I was worried with her brittle bones, all that running could cause her to fall.

"Grandma, what is it? Don't run!" I stopped sweeping and ran to her side. She was breathing heavily and then coughing uncontrollably.

"Yi Huai has come back! And he wants to get married to you in three days!" She placed her palms around my cheeks, laughing happily.

I felt a rush of overflowing joy in my chest. Yi Huai was going to become my husband and I was going to become his wife. He told me I was to be called 'wife.'

"Grandma, what do I prepare?"

"The Wu Family will send all the preparation over. I can't wait to see you in the bride's clothing. You're going to look so beautiful! Oh, thank the Heavens! Master and Madame, now I can finally face you in the afterlife."

I thought it was weird Grandma was talking about the afterlife. What did a wedding have to do with the afterlife?

Once the day came, our small courtyard held treasures that sparkled every time I opened the chests sent by the Wu family. My Grandma helped me into a red dress before putting on my red veil. She said she would wait for me at the house. Since I was to join Yi Huai's family, she said I should listen to them well. I didn't know why, but I started to cry. If I had to go live with Yi Huai and leave Grandma behind then I didn't want to marry Yi Huai.

"Be good. Don't cry. Your makeup will wash off." Grandma said this to me but down her wrinkled face endless tears came as well. I wiped her tears with my red sleeves, not caring that I should not get my beautiful red dress wet, she was my Grandma.

"You've always loved Yi Huai. Back then and now. Go and be happy, my child. Only then can I be laid to rest."

With those last words from my Grandma, I entered the red curtains into the palanquin. The men set off to the Wu family's home. I started to get nervous and dug my nails into my palms. All the people around me, Grandma, Madame Wu, the villagers made marriage out to be so complicated. What would change after I marry Yi Huai?

We finally came to a stop and the men set me down. After waiting a few minutes, no one came to get me from inside the palanquin. I wanted to go see Yi Huai. Opening the curtain, I peeked through my red veil and realized how quiet the Wu residence was. The men standing around the palanquin were not speaking to me. Lifting my veil, I decided to make my way inside to the main hall.

Very strange, there were no wedding decorations anywhere. I'd been to weddings before in the village, and even though they were not as grand as the Wu Manor, the villagers always had cheerful people gather and red decorating the home. The Wu's home was much too vacant.

The doors to the main hall were wide open with Master and Madame Wu sitting all the way at the end. I was greeted by a maid, and she brought me in front of my two parents-in-law.

They didn't say a word to me, but I felt the staring bearing into my skin.

Then Madame Wu said, "Mu Dan, Yi Huai is on his way from the capital city. Shouldn't be a minute more until we can start the ceremony."

That's weird.

"Um, but my grandma said that Yi Huai was back."

"She must have been mistaken. I merely said he was on his way."

"Oh, okay."

An hour went by. Then two. Then three. Just where was Yi Huai?

Master Wu and Madame Wu left me all alone in the main hall. I stood for five hours by myself. Just then a man came running into the hall and Master and Madame Wu came back from where they had gone.

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