On the eighth day of the second lunar month, the Zhou family's third brother was getting married. Last year, when Second Brother Zhou got married, Zhou Lian had been pregnant and couldn't attend—a superstition that joyous events shouldn't clash. Li Xiu had gone by himself. Now, with their child over two months old, Li Xiu planned to take his wife and daughter to the wedding.
Early that morning, Li Xiu finished packing. Seeing the sun was warm, he changed his daughter's clothes, secured her diaper, and bundled her in a small blanket. When he turned around, he saw Zhou Lian was also dressed. She wore a powder-blue, form-fitting, traditional Chinese padded jacket with butterfly knots, slim black trousers, and black, low-heeled leather shoes. Her long hair was braided into a fishtail and coiled on her head. Standing gracefully before the kang, she was so beautiful she seemed to be glowing.
