So Peony spent 23 love sick years in the afterlife, pining for her beloved and wreaking a fair amount of havoc on the living. The Chinese believe that death does not take away any of the human longings we all feel when still alive. In this case of Peony in Love, Peony was engaged to Wu Ren but died before they could marry. Therefore, it was better for everyone involved to find a spouse for the dead family member. (Daughters can only be venerated by their husband’s family, not by their natal family.) Because of their loneliness and lack of proper veneration, they would most likely cause a great deal of mischief to their family members and descendants who were still alive. Furthermore, if the single ghost was a woman, she would have no living descendants to care for her. It was believed that if a person died while single, they would be very lonely in the afterlife. I learned from reading Peony in Love and doing a little research afterwards, that ghost marriages were not uncommon in pre-Communist China. Also, Peony happened to be dead when she married her beloved Wu. For one thing, Wu Ren was already married to somebody else. The wedding scene between the two of them might seem commonplace, except for a couple of important details.

Peony and Wu Ren are characters in Lisa See’s meticulously researched historical novel Peony in Love. A lavish banquet was served, and finally the bride and groom retired to the bridal chamber, where they spent the night together. Peony was dressed up beautifully and carried in a palanquin to her new husband’s house. All of the rituals considered proper for their time and place-17 th century China–were performed, including the payment of a dowry and a bride price.

Chen Tong (known by her family as Peony) and Wu Ren finally get married after pining for each other for 23 years.

Peony in Love by Lisa See