Translator: Exodus Tales
Editor: Exodus Tales
The banquet and the bridal chamber had all been prepared at home. The banquet however, was different from that of other weddings. No dishes were allowed to be hot, all dishes were served cold. There were four fruits: dried lychee, dried longan, dried peach, and shelled peanuts. There were four cold dishes: cured duck, sausage, marinated pig heart, and fried fish. There were four sour fruits: sour sand pear, sour buckwheat head, sour ginger, and sour green plum. Four raw fruits: apple, sweet orange, lychee, and pomelo. There were also buns and Chinese steamed twisted bread rolls.
If you think these things were prepared for someone, you would be wrong.
After my aunt prepared everything, she put dozens of tables in the yard. The dishes on each of the tables were the same, and were all covered with white cloth. The chairs under the table were all wooden stools, painted with white paint. In addition, besides the walls of the house, yard, and inside the house, papercut silhouettes of people of different gender and age were placed everywhere.
This was the so-called, inviting ghosts that passed by for a feast. These ghosts came in to get drinks and food, and in return, they would not come to harass the house again.
At the center of the gate, the word “Double Happiness” [1] was painted in red and white. Opposite to it was the incense and memorial tablet.
On the black memorial tablet [2], “Ming Si’s Memorial Tablet,” was written.
By the time everything was set up, it was already getting dark. I wore the red dress and stood in front of the Memorial Tablet while Aunt and Shang Yi both retreated back inside the house.
As the night became darker, the papercut silhouettes began to vibrate, causing my eyes to ache. It was August, yet I felt that there were sinister winds shrouding the entire scene.
However, she could not hear a single sound in the large courtyard. If there was one, it was just the rattling sound of the wind blowing through the papercut silhouettes.
“Oh my God! Isn’t this a feudal superstition?”
A passerby walking by whispered. The night was too dark so I couldn’t see the person clearly, but it had sounded like Old Wang’s son next door.
I stood trembling, my whole body was as stiff as a rock. Shang Yi had forbidden me to put on an eye mask today so that day, I could see everything that was happening around me.
A lot of wandering ghosts had entered the house and were gathering around the tables to eat and drink.
I swallowed hard, looking back at the room, my aunt had went into. The door was closed, and I suddenly wanted to cry..
Waves of wandering souls came into the yard, and soon I was surrounded by a lot of ‘people.’ My back felt cold all over and I started sweating profusely.
The ceremony was held like this to the end. All these little ghosts were thoroughly entertained, and I was surprised to see that ‘Elder Brother Ming Si’ had not appeared.
Although I was afraid, I was also looking forward to it slightly. Shang Yi said that Ming Si was the king of ghosts- once he married me, he would surely protect me.
He would be my lifesaver.
It was late at night, and it was not until the wandering souls in the courtyard disappeared that Shang Yi and Aunt walked out of the house.
Shang Yi sighed, “Why didn’t King Ming show up? I had already come to an agreement with him.”
Aunt took me into the house and then proceeded to clear the yard with Shang Yi.
That night, I slept alone in the cabin, my aunt was in the outer hall and Shang Yi just slept on the couch at the outer hall.
I can still remember that I did not dare to even close my eyes. The cold air still hadn’t dispersed and could feel it in my bones.
That day, my aunt took down the two statues of gods in the courtyard. But thinking of what had happened last time, I didn’t know if a hungry ghost would take the opportunity to slip in and choke me to death. I didn’t dare to sleep at all.
However, after a long time, I began to get drowsy. It was still dark outside the window and it seemed to have no end. It would still take a long while before dawn would arrive, but I couldn’t wait to see the sun.