Even after the wedding day had been chosen, it might still undergo unexpected changes. For example, if a family member died during the engagement period. The wedding would be postponed. One reason was to show respect for the dead; the other was to avoid being affected by this unlucky event. There were occasions when the wedding was advanced to counteract an unlucky occurrence.

In “The Dream of Red Mansions”, seeing her grandson Baoyu seriously ill, Lady Dowager Jia urged that the wedding ceremony for Baoyu be held at once. She sobbed, “Yesterday the fortune-teller said that we’d better hold the wedding ceremony for him at once and a bride with gold in her zodiac would counteract his bad luck. Otherwise, there would probably be no saving him.” What was worse, some people held weddings and funerals at the same time. This is a reflection of people’s distorted concept of searching for luck. As the custom ran contrary to human nature, it had never been popular.