Auspicious Day for Marriage on the Eighth Day of the First Month
For the sake of liveliness, Yang Dachuan had invited both a band and a theatrical troupe, who were playing since early morning.
Yang Chuxia woke up between 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. and was then taken to bathe and freshen up by Xiu’er and the family’s maidservants.
Having woken up so early, she felt slightly drowsy, but when she woke up again, she found herself being held by someone. She opened her eyes wide and saw Ye Zi’an smiling warmly at her.
"How did you get here?" Yang Chuxia was surprised, shouldn’t he be at home preparing at this hour? As she thought this, she noticed that he was indeed wearing new clothes but not wedding attire, so she couldn’t help but ask.
Ye Zi’an laughed. "I’m here to help my wife with her makeup and dressing."
"Really?" Speaking of dressing, Yang Chuxia looked at herself, clad only in underwear, and couldn’t help but say, "Xiao’an, did you get too excited and misjudge the time? The bridal chamber should be in the evening, not the morning."
Chortling, Ye Zi’an replied, "What are you thinking? I’m just here to help you dress and put on makeup. From today on, you’ll be my wife, and I’ll pamper you like a delicate flower. How could I let you do such heavy work like dressing and makeup? I’ll take care of it."
With that, he placed Yang Chuxia in front of the dressing table.
"Are you really going to do my makeup?" Yang Chuxia asked, still in disbelief.
"Yes." Ye Zi’an nodded, looked at the mirror, then at her, and laughed. "I’ve known for a long time that you don’t like those overly festive makeup styles. Don’t worry, I won’t make you look that ugly."
"How do you know how to do makeup?" All of Yang Chuxia’s attention was now focused on him. She had even forgotten how he had gotten in, and how Ms. Wang could have let him in.
"I learned it from Chen Sheng. He played in the theater and knows how to do makeup." Ye Zi’an said happily, "Today, I’m going to practice on my wife."
"Pfft..." Yang Chuxia laughed, somewhat disbelieving him. Marriage was a once-in-a-lifetime event. What if he made her look horribly ugly? Would she have to redo it herself? So she suggested, "How about I do the makeup myself?"
However, Ye Zi’an insisted on doing it. "No, my wife, don’t worry. I promise to make you the most beautiful bride."
Seeing his insistence, Yang Chuxia started to believe him. Brother An never did anything without confidence, after all.
With that in mind, Yang Chuxia nodded. "Alright, but if you mess up, don’t think I won’t hold you accountable."
Seeing her agree, Ye Zi’an nodded vigorously.
Then, he began styling Yang Chuxia’s hair. He took two red silk threads and fixed the fine hairs on her forehead. Step by step, he applied powder to her face, shaped her eyebrows, adorned her forehead with flowers, and applied rouge. Although some steps were slightly different, his hands were obviously skilled and practiced, and he was very attentive. He was careful with every move.
Yang Chuxia looked at herself in the mirror, then at Ye Zi’an. Her heart was so sweet that it was almost nauseating.
After finishing the makeup, Ye Zi’an looked at her up and down, his eyes flickering with amazement. Then he picked up the comb and got ready to continue.
"Are you really going to do my hair as well?"
Without hesitation, Ye Zi’an nodded. "Of course! As I said, I’ll take care of all the heavy work, and my wife just has to be beautiful like a flower every day."
"But Brother An, if you do this, there won’t be any element of surprise."
Yang Chuxia was thinking; she really wanted to see what kind of expression An would have when he lifted the bridal veil later.
Ye Zi’an thought for a moment and said, "I feel surprised every moment I see my wife." After saying that, he added, "But if my wife wants to give me a surprise, then I’ll fulfill her wish and let the wedding matron do the hair."