Red Scarf: A Short Story of the Cloth Tiger

Author: Liu Qingbang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The story truly begins when fiction starts. If the preceding prologue still had some basis in fact, the series of events and details that follow are all imagined and designed by the author based on the needs of the story. It's all old friends, and the author is willing to share this with his friends. Only now does the author's heart rise, and he takes extra care, afraid of making a mistake and disappointing his dear readers. Well, let's take a break and tell it slowly.
In their village, there's a tradition of "rummaging the bridal room" for newlyweds, and it lasts for three days without regard to age or seniority. This means that within the specified time, people of all ages and ranks in the village, regardless of whether they are young or old, can freely "rummage" with the newlyweds, even if it gets chaotic, the newlyweds are not allowed to be angry. Tian Junping and Xiaowen, the newlyweds, are inevitably subjected to this "rummaging," with waves of it coming one after another. Many people come to "rummage" the room, and Xiaowen doesn't recognize most of them. There's one person she should recognize, and she keeps an eye out to see if he comes. This person is none other than Tian Qingyou. Xiaowen already knows that Tian Qingyou and Tian Junping are "equal-aged" brothers from the same clan, with Tian Junping being the older brother and Tian Qingyou the younger.
With the older brother of the same clan already there, as a newcomer, no matter how unwilling Xiaowen is to admit it, Tian Qingyou must call her sister-in-law. And as the younger brother "rummaging" his sister-in-law's room, no matter how he does it, it's considered normal. It could even be said to be an obligation. If he doesn't "rummage," it would be abnormal. Xiaowen has thought this through repeatedly. If Tian Qingyou comes to "rummage," she will pretend not to recognize him and let him do whatever he wants. Xiaowen secretly hopes Tian Qingyou will come to "rummage" so that the heat of the moment will turn into indifference, and that chapter can be closed. Afterward, everyone can live their own lives, with no interference between them.
However, after waiting for a long time, Xiaowen doesn't see Tian Qingyou. It might be too bright during the day; perhaps he will come at night. The red candles in the new room flicker, casting light on excited faces. The new room is packed with people, both inside and outside the bed, in and out of the windows, all "rummaging" with no space left. In the swaying light, people move about more boldly, "rummaging" even more unrestrainedly. While people are pushing and prodding Xiaowen, she glances into every slightly dim corner but never sees Tian Qingyou.
Her heart sinks. She didn't get engaged to Tian Qingyou, didn't marry him, yet she still came to Tian Laozhuang and became someone else's wife. Tian Qingyou must have something against her, perhaps harboring resentment. In the later stages of "rummaging," Xiaowen doesn't coordinate well with the others and shows signs of frustration and resistance. When people scold her for having such emotions, she feels deeply hurt and aggrieved, almost to the point of crying.