Chapter 33: Crying Marriage
【I’m convinced. I really can’t stand people who don’t understand human speech. How many times does Lin Huaizhi have to say it? How many times until these two things stop dangling in front of him?】
【Fang Mo really ruins goodwill. Before, I thought he was decent because of that sword dance. Now he’s colluding with Chu Xiaoran. It looks like he’s helping Chu Xiaoran not get bullied by Lin Huaizhi, but in reality, they’re both bullying Lin Huaizhi!】
【Why do I feel like we’re acting out an abuse novel? Chu Xiaoran is the domineering CEO, Fang Mo is the white moonlight who went abroad and abandoned his old love, and Lin Huaizhi is Fang Mo’s substitute.
As soon as the white moonlight returns, the substitute becomes a tool for the CEO to show his love. Abuse here, abuse there. The white moonlight frames him in various ways, but the CEO just believes the white moonlight. After a series of physical and mental abuse, the white moonlight’s ugly face is exposed, and the CEO regrets it and starts chasing his wife back?】
【Yuck—please stop talking. An abusive CEO is at least a real CEO. What does Chu Xiaoran have? Using the benefits Lin Huaizhi gave him to trample on Lin Huaizhi’s body, just to play the domineering CEO? I spit on him!】
The bullet comments were always noisy.
However, the scene quieted down. Lin Huaizhi really didn’t want to look at those two appetite-ruining faces anymore, so after speaking, he went directly into the task room.
Whether carving shapes or cutting out the finished flowers with scissors, it was work that required extreme care.
Su Rui was nearsighted. Although he wore glasses, to ensure no mistakes were made, he practically stuck his whole self to the tools.
Fang Mo remained silent after entering the door, burying his head in work. But perhaps because he was scared by Lin Huaizhi’s words or something else, he hit his own hand with the hammer several times.
He cried out in pain.
But when he looked up, he found that of the three people present, not a single one cast a concerned look at him. They didn’t even look up at him.
Fang Mo pursed his lips and lowered his head again, his red-rimmed eyes looking utterly pitiful.
【This room is full of cold-blooded people! Baby Mo got hammered on the hand! And not a single person cares about him!】
【…Vomit.】
【Sorry, no one in this room likes white flowers, nor do they like drinking green tea.】
No one spoke.
Except for the sound of silver pieces colliding and breathing, there was almost no noise in the room.
Even Huo Chen, who looked like someone who wouldn’t do delicate work, actually did it in an orderly manner, not showing any impatience throughout the process.
Lin Huaizhi was also very serious.
Although this silver hat prepared by the program team was just a gift for the girl getting married and wouldn’t replace the very complex and beautiful silver hat she had prepared for a long time, since it was a gift, it required heart.
The silver hat was finally completed after two days.
Miao wedding customs include a ritual called “Crying Marriage” (Ku Jia). Generally, it starts three or seven days before the bride marries. For those who like liveliness or have grand weddings, it might start half a month or even a month in advance.
With the development of society, some customs haven’t been preserved perfectly. The Crying Marriage in Jinzhai Village now only takes place the night before the bride marries.
There are many ways to cry.
One can cry for parents, brothers and sisters-in-law, sisters, etc. Some lyrics are passed down from generation to generation, and some are improvised by the bride and the “accompanying crying” sisters. The content is basically gratitude for parents’ upbringing, sadness for the passing of joyous girlhood, or confusion and unease facing the new life.
Crying Marriage is mainly done by the bride.
But generally speaking, the bride will also pull some peers and sisters to cry together.
In the beginning, Crying Marriage was a way for women to use song to accuse the unfree marriage system and resist feudalism.
Nowadays, Crying Marriage is more of a cultural custom and ritual.
The program team separated the four pairs of guests. Half were sent to the groom’s side to help, and the other half stayed in Jinzhai Village to help the bride’s side.
Huo Chen went to the groom’s side.
Lin Huaizhi stayed in Jinzhai Village. Staying with him were Xu Qiao, Zhou Mi, and Hu Xiaoxu.
Thus, for the Crying Marriage segment, the four were also invited to the bride’s home as “sisters” to accompany the crying.
They couldn’t actually cry.
And they couldn’t actually sing either.
The four were surrounded by a group of girls, listening to the Miao language crying marriage songs they couldn’t understand at all. Xu Qiao was open and started singing along. Hu Xiaoxu could also sing a line or two. Lin Huaizhi didn’t dampen the mood and followed the local custom to sing.
Only Zhou Mi seemed to have his mind elsewhere the whole time. His eyes constantly and unconsciously glanced at the Miao girls sitting next to him.
Xu Qiao noticed his absent-mindedness.
After noticing his gaze, the girl slapped his shoulder, causing Zhou Mi to stumble and almost fall off his chair.
“Stop looking! Even if these older sisters are beautiful! They are women you will never get! Hurry up and sing!”
“You’re the only one not singing properly now!”
Zhou Mi’s eyes turned gloomy for a moment. Before he could speak, the surrounding Miao girls began urging him to sing.
Zhou Mi couldn’t lose face, so he showed off his voice and sang a rap song.
Once the song was over, the Miao girls clapped, but they paid no attention to what he sang. Soon, they surrounded the bride again and began to cry in Miao.
Zhou Mi’s face turned black instantly, but the atmosphere was enthusiastic, so he could only endure his unhappiness.
The sky had turned dark.
Everyone was gathered around the fire pit, and no one paid attention to Zhou Mi. But by the firelight, Lin Huaizhi didn’t miss the flash of displeasure on his face.
Lin Huaizhi withdrew his gaze.
A thing that aimed too high but had little ability, couldn’t control his lower body, and had a brain full of yellow trash—he couldn’t stir up any waves for the time being.
The wedding began the next day.
The groom’s family, accompanied by several groomsmen, brought the betrothal gifts to the bride’s house to pick up the bride. Huo Chen and his group were also in the groomsmen team.
Lin Huaizhi and his group served as the “marriage blockers.”
The so-called blocking meant that the people on the bride’s side would block the groom with bamboo poles before he reached the bride’s house. They would demand the groom sing antiphonal songs with them. Only after singing and giving gifts would they let him pass.
This link in the wedding procession is called antiphonal singing (duige).
But the bride’s side wouldn’t just sing once. They would walk a bit, block a bit, repeating several times before reaching the bride’s home.
However, current antiphonal singing doesn’t just make the groom sing. When the groom can’t answer, the groomsmen in the group will also stand out to help.
There are also people who specifically pick groomsmen to sing against.
Lin Huaizhi and the other three were sandwiched among several aunties, blocking the entire wedding procession outside.
Because it was a wedding for young people, the songs weren’t limited to ancient Miao songs; there were also pop songs.
After several rounds of singing, it was the guests’ turn to contribute. Lin Huaizhi looked at Huo Chen standing opposite and smiled with a bit of childishness.
“That Mr. Huo opposite, I want to sing with you. Listen carefully!”
“Listen to me say hand in hand, walk with me, create a happy life. Today is too late, tomorrow will be a pity—”
“May I ask, how do you sing the next line!”
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