After being delayed at the city gate for two or three quarters of an hour, it was finally Earl Cheng’an’s carriage’s turn to have their identity verified by the city guards.
Wei Rao had already put on her veiled hat.
The carriage stopped steadily, and Bitao lifted the curtain, extending her hand to pass the earl’s identification tablet to the approaching city guard.
The city guard carefully examined the tablet, confirmed it was correct, and then looked into the carriage. Bitao and Liu Ya’s faces were visible outside, while the woman sitting in the middle, though wearing a veiled hat, could be seen from her figure to be a young lady, not one of the fugitives recently wanted in the Capital City.
“You may pass.” The stern-faced city guard returned the tablet to Bitao while signaling to two junior soldiers blocking the road not far away.
The soldiers immediately let them through.
The coachman skillfully drove the carriage out of the city. The wheels crushing the snow made creaking sounds, drowning out the city guards’ subsequent questioning.
Wei Rao removed her veiled hat again and handed it to Liu Ya to put away.
For official family ladies like them going outside the city for pleasure, unless they encountered wanted criminals, they would normally be allowed through just by showing their identification tablets.
“Young Lady, look quickly—there’s snow everywhere outside!”
The city gate was like a boundary line. Inside the city, one had to observe all the rules strictly, but outside the city, the rules became much more relaxed. Bitao, with her lively nature, leaned sideways and lifted half the curtain. In the distance was a vast expanse of white snow scenery, with distant mountains and nearby trees all covered in white snow, sparkling with bright light under the sunshine.
That window was mostly blocked by Bitao’s head, so Wei Rao smiled and lifted the curtain on her side. Before she could see much snow scenery, two fast horses raced past her view, one after the other like the wind. They moved so quickly that Wei Rao only had time to recognize Second Master Qi Zhongkai, while she couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the other person’s clothing.
The snow was left with two tracks of hoofprints, mixed with previous pedestrians’ footprints and cart tracks.
Wei Rao didn’t lean out to look around, just listened to the gradually fading sound of hoofbeats. Wei Rao was quite envious. What fun was there in admiring scenery from inside a carriage? It was much more refreshing to gallop on horseback, with the wind blowing refreshingly, able to look directly wherever you wanted without having to lift curtains and poke your head out with all that trivial trouble.
Her female cousin secretly envied her status as Fourth Young Lady of the earl’s mansion, but if Wei Rao had to choose, she would rather be a Zhou family daughter, growing up at her maternal grandmother’s side, where she could play wildly however she wanted without anyone controlling her.
The carriage traveled steadily for an hour and finally arrived at Cloudy Mist Town.
Cloudy Mist Town got its name from Cloudy Mist Mountain.
Cloudy Mist Mountain was the highest mountain within a hundred li of the capital’s outskirts. Whenever it rained, the mountains would be shrouded in clouds and mist like a fairyland. In spring, the pear and apricot blossoms blooming all over the mountains also resembled great patches of clouds and mist, making it the premier destination for spring outings and autumn hunts for the young masters and ladies near the Capital City.
Between Cloudy Mist Town and Cloudy Mist Mountain lay ten li of distance. Shou’an Jun’s Leisure Manor was located between the mountain and town, suitable for both liveliness and tranquility.
“Old Madam, Fourth Young Lady has arrived!”
Young maids had been waiting expectantly outside Leisure Manor early on. Seeing a familiar carriage from afar, a young maid immediately ran inside joyfully to announce the news.
Since Wei Rao lived far away, she was considered late in arriving. Shou’an Jun had already received four estate managers who came to offer birthday congratulations and was currently speaking with her daughter-in-law Wang Shi, eldest daughter Da Zhou Shi, and son-in-law Huo Jingchang. Four younger relatives were also seated in attendance: Wang Shi’s two daughters Zhou Huizhen and Zhou Huizhu, and Da Zhou Shi’s husband and wife’s pair of children, Huo Jue and Huo Lin.
“Sister Rao is here! I’ll go receive her!”
Zhou Huizhu was the first to jump up. With her almond eyes and peach cheeks, she resembled her mother Wang Shi more—a delicate beauty.
“I’ll go too.” Huo Lin was the second to stand up.
Zhou Huizhen sat beside her mother, tugged at the corner of her mouth, and somewhat reluctantly followed her two younger sisters outside.
So when Wei Rao got off the carriage, she saw her three female cousins. Except for Zhou Huizhen, who was a year older than her, both Zhou Huizhu and Huo Lin were younger.
Wei Rao spent time at Leisure Manor every year and was quite familiar with the Zhou family sisters, meeting frequently. But Huo Lin, because her family was in Taiyuan City, might only come to the Capital City once every two or three years, so Wei Rao missed this cousin. The last time they met seemed to be when her mother was banished to Western Mountain Palace, and her uncle and aunt, worried about this side, brought her male and female cousins for a visit.
“Lin Lin has grown almost as tall as me. Look at this little face—you probably couldn’t find a prettier girl in all of Taiyuan City, could you?” Taking Huo Lin’s hand, Wei Rao praised sincerely.
Huo Lin looked at Wei Rao’s bright and alluring face and laughed: “Sister Rao is just joking. Do you think I’m like you, able to be crowned the most beautiful in the Capital City? Taiyuan has no fewer beauties than the Capital City. Forget being first—I might not even make the top ten.”
Wei Rao leaned close to her ear and whispered: “Then let’s not compete in beauty but in silver. Lin Lin would take first place.”
Huo Lin burst into laughter. This time, she didn’t act modest—the Huo family’s reputation as Shanxi Province’s number one wealthy merchants wasn’t just empty boasting.
“Let’s go. I’ll first go offer birthday congratulations to my grandmother, then we can all go out and play together this afternoon.” Wei Rao held Huo Lin’s hand with her left and Zhou Huizhu’s with her right, walking inside with utmost intimacy. As for that cousin Zhou Huizhen, who was looking at her with her chin raised, Wei Rao couldn’t be bothered to cater to her cold face. They were all family sisters—what was the point of competing?
Entering Fu’an Hall, Wei Rao smiled at her grandmother sitting in the center, then rushed into the arms of her aunt Da Zhou Shi. Originally just wanting to act coquettish, but seeing her eldest aunt’s face so similar to her mother’s, Wei Rao’s eyes became teary, and her eye sockets involuntarily reddened. Though she quickly covered it up, the young lady’s trembling call of “Auntie” while hiding in her elder’s embrace still revealed her emotions.
Da Zhou Shi knew her niece was missing her mother, but on such a joyful day, Da Zhou Shi could only deliberately misinterpret her niece’s meaning. While laughing and hugging her niece, she said to her mother on the main seat: “Look at Rao Rao—among all our family’s children, she’s the best at acting coquettish. Before, when I went out with her uncle to purchase goods, staying away for most of the year, when we returned home, even Lin Lin wouldn’t act like this.”
Shou’an Jun smiled and said: “Distance makes the heart grow fonder—the farther apart and less often you meet, the more precious it becomes. Look at me—I dote on her like an eyeball every day, yet today, on my birthday, she ran to embrace you first. I doted on her for nothing.”
Hearing this, Wei Rao quickly ran to her grandmother’s side, sitting close to the old madam, pressing her forehead against the old madam’s arm and nuzzling: “Grandmother is wronging me—when I first entered, the first person I looked at was you.”
Shou’an Jun smiled and touched her little face, asking with concern: “You left home early this morning, weren’t you cold?”
Wei Rao shook her head. Her eye circles were still slightly red, but the watery look in her eyes had disappeared.
Shou’an Jun lovingly touched her forehead again, then pretended to scold: “Don’t just act coquettish—go pay respects to your uncle.”
Wei Rao smiled, stood up, and walked to Huo Jingchang, saying respectfully yet intimately: “Uncle, may you be well.”
Huo Jingchang nodded with a smile: “We’re all family—Rao Rao need not be formal.”
Wei Rao glanced at her grandmother and smiled: “I knew uncle wouldn’t laugh at me.”
After speaking, Wei Rao walked to Huo Jue, who had already stood up, and sweetly called “Cousin Brother.”
Two years ago, sixteen-year-old Huo Jue was only a fist’s height taller than Wei Rao. Now, at eighteen, Huo Jue required Wei Rao to look up to see his face.
Huo Jue nodded with a gentle smile like a spring breeze on his face.
After finishing the greetings here, Wei Rao went to pay respects to her aunt-in-law Wang Shi.
Wang Shi looked at Wei Rao, dazzling as a bright pearl, young and tender, and in a trance seemed to see Xiao Zhou Shi from over ten years ago. Xiao Zhou Shi at that time was as fresh and charming as Wei Rao now, always smiling, as if certain that no troubles would befall her, living carefree.
And indeed it was so. In her flower-like years, Xiao Zhou Shi first married the talented Second Master Wei and was deeply cherished. Later, when Second Master Wei died, everyone waited to see Xiao Zhou Shi’s downfall, but once she returned home, she was actually noticed by Emperor Yuanjia and grandly entered the palace as a consort. Although due to the Empress Dowager’s displeasure, Xiao Zhou Shi and her son were sent to Western Mountain, and after more than two years still couldn’t return to the palace, and although the common people all looked unfavorably upon Xiao Zhou Shi and her son, Wang Shi vaguely felt that someone like Xiao Zhou Shi would never just fade into obscurity.
Heaven was particularly partial to beauties when creating people, and beauties in this world were equally favored. Beauties like Shou’an Jun, Da and Xiao Zhou Shi, and Wei Rao would be favored for their entire lives, from youth to old age, without exception.
When Wei Rao returned to Shou’an Jun’s side, Wang Shi’s gaze fell on her eldest daughter Zhou Huizhen’s face.
Fortunately, her eldest daughter had also inherited Shou’an Jun’s beauty. Just turned sixteen this year, it was the perfect age for marriage discussions. She would keep her eyes sharp and find a wealthy son-in-law for her daughter. As long as her eldest daughter married well, her younger daughter’s marriage wouldn’t go wrong either. With both daughters happy after marriage, what did it matter if she continued as a widow?
She was nothing like Xiao Zhou Shi, who, for her happiness, didn’t care about her daughter’s future and even implicated her natal family’s nieces.
Thinking of this, Wang Shi’s anger flared up again. She had no complaints against Da Zhou Shi, but Xiao Zhou Shi had directly tainted her two daughters’ reputations. Wei Rao at least had the Wei surname, with the loyal minister’s good name left by Second Master Wei and the diligent, thrifty, family-managing Old Madam Wei to arrange things for her. What did her two daughters have?
The surname “Zhou” had long been ruined by Shou’an Jun and her three daughters!
In a bad mood, Wang Shi’s forced smile became increasingly difficult to maintain.
Shou’an Jun glanced in her direction several times.
“Grandmother, this is the prayer beads my grandmother sent you—she said they were blessed by Master Jingkong.” Wei Rao had Bitao bring out the birthday gift from her grandmother.
Shou’an Jun didn’t believe in gods or Buddha and had no interest in such things. If Buddha truly fulfilled believers’ wishes, there wouldn’t be so much poverty and suffering in the world.
Seeing Wang Shi’s envious gaze fixed on the prayer beads, Shou’an Jun put the beads back in the box and had a nearby maid take them to Wang Shi: “You believe in Buddha—I’ll give you these beads. If you turn them more each day, your qi will flow smoothly, and naturally you’ll live to be a hundred.”
Both Wang Shi and Wei Rao opened their mouths in shock.
Wang Shi was overwhelmed with surprise, even stuttering as she spoke: “Mother, such precious beads—are you giving them to me?”
Shou’an Jun smiled: “In front of the children, would I deceive you?”
Wang Shi was overjoyed—it wasn’t just receiving a string of prayer beads, it was like inviting the real Buddha home.
Seeing this, Shou’an Jun inwardly rolled her eyes at her daughter-in-law.
When her son died that year, she had called Wang Shi to talk, indicating that if Wang Shi wanted to remarry, she as mother-in-law would absolutely not obstruct her and would even provide a dowry. Wang Shi was fine—crying as if she were being driven out, preferring death to leaving. Two years later, Shou’an Jun pitied her daughter-in-law’s boring widowed life and sent her a nice jade toy for entertainment. Later, her daughter-in-law avoided her for several days. To this day, Shou’an Jun still doesn’t know whether her daughter-in-law liked that gift or had ever used it.
Either of those two things was better than this wooden prayer bead string!
Wei Rao quietly tugged at her grandmother’s sleeve, her eyes full of dissatisfaction, which represented her grandmother’s sincere feelings!
Shou’an Jun patted her hand and said in a low voice: “Don’t worry, when your grandmother has her birthday, I’ll send her something even better.”
The prayer beads would be useless in her hands. Since her daughter-in-law liked them, she’d give them to her daughter-in-law first. For the sake of the prayer beads, her daughter-in-law wouldn’t make sarcastic remarks to trouble Rao Rao these few days.
Harmony in the family brings prosperity in everything—reaching old age, she only sought this one thing.