There was no such thing as a fianc é e before. For wives who have not yet married into the family, their future husbands will refer to them as "unmarried wives". In ancient China, it was relatively traditional. After setting a marriage contract, it was almost impossible to break it again, so this term is also more reasonable.
The ancient marriage process
1. Na Cai
Na Cai, also known as "proposing marriage", refers to the practice in ancient times where a man, when interested in a woman, would prepare some meeting gifts and request a matchmaker to deliver them to her home. He would also tell her parents what they were thinking and ask for their approval.
2. Ask Name
Asking for a name means asking for the woman's name and date of birth, with the purpose of determining if their birth chart matches. Calculating one's birth date and eight characters before marriage is a custom that has been passed down to this day, and it was also highly valued by ancient people.
3. Najib
Najib is a good omen. After the matchmaker asks for the woman's name, if the two people's birth chart matches, it is considered a good omen. The matchmaker will bring a small gift to inform the woman's parents, proving that the marriage has been somewhat successful.
4. Na Zheng
After both men and women agree, the groom can officially send gifts such as gold, wedding cakes, and offerings as part of the alliance ceremony.
5. Please wait
Requesting a wedding date means that the groom can inform the bride's parents and seek their opinions after the groom has identified a suitable auspicious wedding day for both parties.
6. Welcome personally
After the wedding date is confirmed, the groom's official only needs to wait for an auspicious time to personally ride a fine horse, bring a ceremonial guard, and carry the sedan chair eight times to welcome his newlywed wife.