I'm still confused about it. I want to know if there's anything wrong
with the tense underlined. If not, how to understand it. According to
the context, I think the sentences should be "She was so happy when..."
and "She felt so proud as..." Am I right?
qingqing ... It was the custom of family groups to separate and then gather again at different sites for reunions as they followed the animal herds across the grasslands. If only it could be just like last year! Then She had been so happy when Dahu chose her as the future mother of his children. He was the best toolmaker in the group and it was a great honour to be chosen. She had felt so proud as the group shouted loudly to applaud his choice. If only she had looked ahead and planned better!
There's nothing wrong with the underlined words. They relate reactions which happened before the time of the main focus of the narrative.
Here's the order of events and reactions.
Background information about the family groups. <<<
It was the custom ... to separate and then gather again. <<< [This continued over a long time in the past.]
_______ Change of narrative focus ________
Background information about Dahu. >>>
He was the best tool maker. (So) it was (considered) an honor to be chosen by Dahu. >>>
Events. Last year. >>>
Dahu chose her. The group applauded his choice. >>>
Her reaction to the events at the time of the events. >>>
She became happy (because Dahu chose her). She felt proud (because the group applauded). >>>
Background information about her behavior at the time of the events. >>>
She did not look ahead. She did not plan well. >>>
Her reaction now. <<<
She wants everything to be as it was last year. <<<
She wishes that she could go back and do things differently
-- for example, look ahead and plan better. <<<
<<< shows the main narrative focus.
>>> shows secondary focus - events and reactions not within the main narrative focus.
>>> additional information - possibly tertiary focus
Others may have different interpretations.
CJ