hi jennifer,
the shopowner from whom i bought the traditional stuff from, taught me to just leave it at the corner next to the door as i step out of the house. then step out cannot look back. when i leave my mum will pick up that fan, wrap it in the special red satin cloth that comes as a set, then put in ziplock bag to put in her drawer. when she miss me, she can take out the fan to use, signify, "bu san" from the daughter.
when i was doing jiemei for my fren earlier this yr however, hers was that as the bridal car was just slowly driving off, she throws the fan out of the car window and her mother picks it up to keep.
then besides this fan, she also said i have to carry another fan with me, to fan myself in the car and to get jiemeis to fan me when i head to my inlaw's home, to signify "fanning away" all bad habits so that inlaws will be happy with the DIL when she lives with them. anybody else have heard of this practice? this is the 1st time i hear of it personally.