Farm Girl's Manor

After locking the dowry box to make sure no one would discover what was inside, Liu Tinglan sat back down in front of Mo Yan and cautioned, "Don’t give this thing to just anyone, it’s not good for you."

An unmarried girl had actually concocted such shameful pills. Although many women would like them, it was invariably a cause for criticism.

"Yeah, I know. Apart from you and me, no one else knows this thing exists." Mo Yan had never thought about making money from it and didn’t plan to spread it around.

Liu Tinglan held her friend’s hand, touched, not knowing how to thank her. The allure of the pills was too strong for her, and even though they were deeply embarrassing, she wouldn’t discard them. How difficult it must have been for her dear sister to wholeheartedly consider her well-being and personally make such a thing. The trust alone, let alone the friendship, was enough to last her a lifetime.

...

Tomorrow would be the day Liu Tinglan married and joined the Shen family. Normally, the dowry should have been sent over today, but since the two families were over a hundred li apart, and the journey to and from was rather inconvenient, the dowry would accompany Liu Tinglan when she went over tomorrow.

Mo Yan would also go over tomorrow and, after enjoying the wedding banquet at the Shen family’s, would return with those escorting the bride.

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That evening, Mo Yan stayed in the room to have dinner with Liu Tinglan. After dinner, they faced the climax of this joyful event—the "crying-for-marriage" ritual.

There was a strict protocol to "crying-for-marriage". One couldn’t just cry at will; they had to know how to cry. Those who didn’t know how were subject to ridicule or even discrimination. Usually one must cry for "father and mother," "brothers and sisters-in-law," "sisters," "uncles," "guests," "matchmakers," "hair combing," "ancestors," "boarding the bridal sedan"... Anyone who came to visit the bride was expected to accompany her in crying.

Originating from long ago, "crying-for-marriage" expressed the bride’s gratitude for her parents’ and elders’ upbringing, the affection of her siblings, and it voiced the sadness of leaving behind a girl’s joyful life and the confusion and unease before the arrival of a new life. It also served as an outlet for dissatisfaction with marriage or anger at matchmakers for carelessly arranging one’s future. It was an expression of many complex emotions.

Mo Yan had always thought of "crying-for-marriage" as just a ceremony, but when she saw Mr. and Mrs. Liu holding Liu Tinglan, crying uncontrollably, tears uncontrollably followed from her own eyes.