Ren carefully stepped up the small set of steps into the building that served as the bridal chambers. He peered inside to watch the bridal bed ceremony with mild interest.
A common Chinese wedding custom; a new bed for the bride and groom to share had been placed inside the room. There were several people Ren didn't recognize, but knew were probably his relatives. There was a small crowd of children as well. Jun was inside, with a bag of lotus seeds, red dates, oranges, and peanuts. She scattered the items across the bed with a flick of the wrist.
In an instant, the children, shrieking in delight, scrambled onto the bed to gather the treats. They squirmed around under the covers and on the beadspread, sutffing their faces and lying down.
Ren quietly counted the mass of noisy kids. There were 25 of them. He swallowed nervously.
The more children on the bed, the better the omen for fertility was. Ren was disgusted. He wasn't even actually a girl, so why did he have to go through everything as if he was?
His mother, dressed in new clothes, hurried into the room, taking Ren's hand. "Hurry," she urged. "It's time to go."
Ren followed her to the courtyard of the property, flinching at the sound of firecrackers. They were meant to scare off evil spirits, but they were uncalled for because they were both obnoxious and useless.
He walked down the aisle, feet padding softly on the red rug. He could see crowds lining the sides to watch, all guests that he barely even knew. He did hear someone call his name, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. So Yoh had come.
Ren stepped over the traditional heap of rice and, to his disgust, found himself standing in front of Zan Ching. The crowd was silent as the large man's sausage-like fingers grasped the red veil and lifted it.
Ren flinched and flickered his gaze downwards, desiring not to look at the repulsive man. He looked to the side out of the corner of his eye, scanning the crowd. Horohoro was nowhere to be seen.
The crowd broke into a wave of cheers, and more firecrackers were set off.
"C'mon, kid," grunted Zan Ching as he grabbed Ren's arm and jerked him towards the family altar.
The Chinese boy slowly kneeled on the floor and bowed, touching his head to the ground. He paid his respects towards the mortuary tablets of the ancestors and the altar of the kitchen god.
This concluded the ceremony, they were both officially married.
Ren sighed. He hated the complex ceremonies and rituals that went into a traditional Chinese wedding.
They made their way back inside the bridal chamber, and both were seated on the bridal bed, which still had a single lotus seed on it. Zan Ching didn't seem to notice it as he sat down on it, crushing it. Ren winced, shuddering slightly.
As custom demanded, the two then linked arms and drank from small cups of wine. Ren hated wine, so he only pretended to sip the drink as Zan Ching slurped it up, the liquid dripping from his hideous mustache.
Afterwards was the wedding banquet. Ren had no wish to participate it and convinced his mother to let him stay in the bridal chambers. His new husband, however, was more than happy to eat as much as his giant stomach would allow.
Ren sighed, placing the veil on his lap and taking the gaudy ornaments out of his hair. He placed them on the bedside table and looked up on the wall. A red sheet of paper with the Chinese character for "double hapiness" referring to marriage painted in gold was hanging there. He stood up and ripped the sign off the wall, crumpling it and throwing it into a corner.
He looked at the clock. It was already quite late, and he assumed most of the guests had left. He wondered where Zan Ching was, but he didn't really care, since he didn't want to see him anyways.
The door suddenly burst open with a loud bang, making Ren jump a little. A drunken Zan Ching, who looked even fatter than normal, swaggered in, moving towards Ren.
Horrified, Ren leapt off the bed and backed away, only to find himself trapped against the wall.
"Heeelloooo...my dearest bride..." Zan Ching drawled, approaching the terrified boy. His breath stank of alchohol, and the scent made Ren's eyes water. His hands flew to his nose in a vain effort to block out the horrible smell. The larger man lumbered towards him, reaching out his arms.
"G...Get away from me!" Ren yelped, trying to dodge his grasp. "You fat drunkard...d-don't touch me!" Zan Ching slapped the boy hard, knocking him against the wall.
"Hey..." he grunted. "That's no way to speak to your husband. I 'oughta teach you to respect me and show some manners and affection."
Ren twisted away from the hands that were grabbing at him, bolting for the door. He flung it open and stumbled outside, Zan Ching's drunken shouts echoing in his ears.
He dashed around the corner of the building and into an alley, slumping helplessly against the wall and hugging his knees to his chest.
A thin stream of tears trailed down his cheeks, dripping silently into his lap. Why did this have to happen to him? How did he end up in this situation?
Ren tensed as he heard movement from nearby. He cautiously took a look, inhaling sharply when he saw a very familiar figure outlined in the darkness.
Horohoro.
Author's Note: Ren's name means lotus in Chinese. When Zan Ching sat on the lotus seed, crushing it, it's my way of signifying an omen of future nupital opression.
It's extremely difficult to accurately depict a traditional Chinese wedding, as the ceremonies and events actually vary throughout the regions. I did my best based on the weddings of my grandparents, so don't flame me if some of it isn't traditionally correct.
It's also hard for me to describe the bridal attire, so if you want to see what Ren might have worn, including the ceremonial veil, then use a search engine to find images. (Try searching: Traditional Chinese Wedding)