Epilogue
Ming-ming
Happiness needs to be experienced to be understood.
The double wedding of Ming-ming’s two older sisters was probably not the grandest that Suzhou society had ever seen, but it definitely was the grandest celebration Ming-ming had ever attended.
Her father once told her stories about attending banquets at the royal palace in Beijing when he was a scholar at the Hanlin Academy.
His stories filled her imagination with beautiful music, graceful dancers, and endless pastries, but the reality of Ailin’s and Meilin’s weddings was better because Ming-ming was present to experience it for herself.
The event was unconventional in many ways.
Both grooms were not locals, and both needed to leave for the imperial capital soon, so the ceremony was held at Batong Mansion.
As a result, the traditional palanquin procession from the bride’s house to the groom’s house was a loop around the neighborhood, which was fine because Grand-mother Jiang wanted to host all the guests anyway.
Though such unorthodox practices could have lowered the prestige of the wedding, the grooms were so distinguished that all the local Suzhou luminaries came to get a glimpse of them.
The military men came for Captain Bai, and the scholars came for Enze.
There were also admirers of Ailin’s paintings, not to mention all the merchants who had long-standing business relationships with Grand-mother Jiang and Uncle Meng.
In addition to these guests was a large household of servants and children, which resulted in a lively party.
Would Ming-ming have been so involved in wedding duties if Grand-mother Jiang was not a matriarch who habitually utilized everyone’s abilities to the utmost? Ming-ming wasn’t sure, but she loved being part of the commotion.
Organizing the wedding gifts with Begonia might have been a chore, but it was mostly a matter of recording how many boxes of gold, jewels, silk, porcelain, and lacquerware were received and then telling Tian’s men where to put things.
She also got to order Sun around, which was an added benefit since he would be leaving with the Bai family for Beijing.
When all the gift-receiving was done, Ming-ming went to the wedding hall and watched her sisters walk down the aisle in their dazzling red gowns.
Veils meticulously embroidered with phoenixes covered their heads, showcasing Mama’s and Aunt Meng’s skills.
Ming-ming’s new brothers-in-law weren’t bad to look at in their crimson robes and black gauze hats either. They were each a success in their respective fields and men she could be proud to call family. It helped that they were good people who were good for her sisters too.
After the bowing ritual was completed, Ming-ming quickly stuffed her face with dumplings, pastries, and candy before the next task.
When her younger cousins and little Sandy finished eating, Ming-ming ushered them to prepare the bridal chambers.
They all giggled as they made sure the ribbon-bedecked rooms were full of red jujubes and lotus seeds, good-luck charms for conceiving healthy offspring.
Ming-ming made sure to vacate the children from the rooms before the boisterous adult guests came to tease the newlyweds before the wedding night.
When the festivities wound down, the guests left, and the house quieted, Ming-ming stowed the extra candies in her room to savor later.
Ailin and Meilin stayed only a few more weeks in Suzhou before leaving for Beijing with their husbands.
Enze took the metropolitan exam in the spring.
After he passed that, he also passed the palace exam and earned a position at the Hanlin Academy on his first try, just like Father had. It was his and Ailin’s dream come true.
Captain Bai received a promotion before being assigned to a new post as commander of the city guards in Beijing. Both Ailin and Meilin were grateful they could live in the same city with each other and their husbands for the foreseeable future.
Back in Suzhou, Ming-ming received frequent letters from her older sisters. Both sent messages anytime an acquaintance of theirs headed south. In this way, their family felt as connected as ever, despite the physical distance between them.
Mama’s embroidery sold well along with Aunt Meng’s. Grand-mother Jiang and Uncle Meng, once he had recovered from his arrow injury, continued to run the family silk business with experience and efficiency, as well as humaneness and generosity.
Ming-ming’s extended family was doing so well that even Junyou and Fulan reached out again after hearing the news of their success, inviting Mama and Ming-ming to come back to Nuolan Garden if they wished.
The two of them considered the offer but ultimately decided that they had too many connections to Suzhou to return to their old home, as lovely as the memories there had been.
However, Mama asked for little Heli’s measurements so she could make him a set of new clothes.
She intended to make it a yearly tradition so he could remember that he had a grand-mother who cared for him regardless of how far apart they were.
Winter passed and a new year came. The apricot trees bloomed, and the swallows returned. As Ming-ming turned fifteen, the adults in her life seemed to suddenly realize that she was no longer a child.
“We need to hold your hairpin ceremony soon,” Mama said over dinner one night.
“Shall I start inquiring about potential betrothals?” Grand-mother Jiang asked with her usual eagerness.
Jade, Ming-ming’s thirteen-year-old cousin and closest girl playmate, did not seem as excited. “Does Cousin Ming-ming have to get married so soon?”
“She doesn’t have to marry out,” Aunt Meng reminded as she affectionately put her hand on top of Uncle Meng’s. “She could bring a husband into the family. Or she could marry later. Or she could not marry at all. Our family supports each other no matter what.”
Ming-ming smiled at her extended family. She was no longer the child she was, but she was not quite a woman yet either. In her fifteen years, she had seen grief and heartbreak as well as courage and love. She didn’t know what the future would hold, but she believed it was limitless.