Where the Mask Ends - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After being delayed for nearly half an hour at the city gate, it was finally the Cheng’an Earl’s Mansion’s carriage's turn to have its identity verified by the city guards.

Wei Rao had already put on her veil hat.

Once the carriage came to a steady stop, Bitao lifted the curtain and reached out to hand the Earl’s Mansion’s identity token to the approaching guard.

The guard carefully inspected the token. Once satisfied, he looked inside the carriage. The faces of Bitao and Liya were visible, and the woman seated in the middle, while wearing a veil hat, clearly had the figure of a young lady. She was certainly not among the fugitives recently wanted in the capital.

"You may pass." The stern-faced guard returned the token to Bitao while signaling the two soldiers blocking the road nearby.

The soldiers immediately stepped aside.

The coachman expertly drove the carriage out of the city. The creaking of the wheels against the snow-covered ground muffled the guard's subsequent inquiries.

Wei Rao removed her veil hat again and handed it to Liya to put away.

For young ladies of official families going out of the city for leisure, unless they ran into a situation involving wanted criminals, showing an identity token was usually enough to be waved through.

"Miss, look quickly! It’s all snow outside!"

The city gate was like a boundary. Inside, one had to strictly observe rules everywhere, but once outside, those rules seemed to relax considerably. Bitao, having a lively temperament, leaned her body to lift half the curtain. She saw a vast, white expanse of snowy scenery; the distant mountains and nearby trees were all covered in white snow, glistening and jumping with light under the sun.

That window was mostly blocked by Bitao’s head. Wei Rao smiled and lifted the curtain on her side. Before she could even get a good look at the snowy scene, two fast horses sped past her like the wind, one after the other. They were so fast that Wei Rao only managed to identify Second Master Qi, Qi Zhongkai; she didn't even catch a glimpse of the corner of the other person’s clothes.

Two rows of hoofprints were left on the snow, mingling with the earlier footprints of pedestrians and carriage ruts.

Wei Rao did not lean out to peer; she simply listened to the fading sound of hooves and felt very envious. What was the point of enjoying the scenery from inside a carriage? Galloping on horseback was far more exhilarating—the wind blowing, refreshing the spirit, and being able to look wherever one pleased without the trivial hassle of lifting curtains and poking one's head out.

Her cousin secretly envied her status as the Fourth Miss of the Earl’s Mansion, but if it were up to Wei Rao, she would rather be a daughter of the Zhou family, having grown up beside her grandmother where no one cared how wild she acted or how she played.

The carriage traveled steadily for an hour before finally arriving at Yunwu Town.

Yunwu Town derived its name from Mount Yunwu.

Mount Yunwu was the highest peak within a hundred miles of the capital. Whenever it rained, the mountains were shrouded in mist like a fairyland. In the spring, pear and apricot blossoms would bloom across the mountains in a race for beauty, appearing just like large patches of clouds. It was the premier destination for the young masters and ladies of the capital for spring outings and autumn hunts.

Yunwu Town was ten miles away from Mount Yunwu, and Lady Shou’an’s "Idle Villa" was situated right between the mountain and the town—a perfect spot that was neither too noisy nor too quiet.

"Old Madam, the Fourth Miss has arrived!"

A young maid had been waiting expectantly outside the Idle Villa for a long time. Upon seeing the familiar carriage from afar, she happily ran inside to announce the arrival.

Because she lived so far away, Wei Rao was considered quite late. Lady Shou’an had already received the four estate managers who came to offer their birthday greetings and was currently chatting with her daughter-in-law, Madam Wang, her eldest daughter, the elder Madam Zhou, and her son-in-law, Huo Jingchang. Four of the younger generation were also sitting with them: Zhou Huizhen and Zhou Huizhu, born to Madam Wang, and Huo Jue and Huo Lin, the children of the elder Madam Zhou and her husband.

"Sister Rao is here! I’m going to meet her!"

Zhou Huizhu was the first to jump up. With her almond eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, she resembled her mother, Madam Wang, and was a delicate beauty.

"I’m going too." Huo Lin was the second to stand.

Zhou Huizhen, sitting beside her mother, curled her lips. She didn't look very willing as she followed her two younger sisters outside.

So, as soon as Wei Rao stepped out of the carriage, she saw her three cousins. Aside from Zhou Huizhen, who was a year older than her, both Zhou Huizhu and Huo Lin were younger.

Wei Rao stayed at the Idle Villa for a period every year and was very familiar with the Zhou sisters. They met often, but she really missed Huo Lin, who lived in Taiyuan and perhaps only visited the capital once every two or three years. The last time they met seemed to be when her mother had been expelled to the Western Hill Palace; her aunt and uncle had been concerned and had brought their children to visit.

"Linlin has almost grown as tall as me. Look at this little face; surely there isn't a girl in all of Taiyuan more beautiful than you?" Wei Rao took Huo Lin’s hand and praised her sincerely.

Huo Lin looked at Wei Rao’s bright, bewitching face and laughed: "Sister Rao, you love to joke. Do you take me for you? You are the most beautiful in the capital, but there are plenty of beauties in Taiyuan—not to mention being number one, I might not even make the top ten."

Wei Rao leaned to her ear and whispered: "Then we won't compare beauty with them. We’ll compare money—Linlin would surely take the top prize."

Huo Lin burst into laughter. This time, she didn't humble herself further; the reputation of the Huo family as the wealthiest merchants in the Jin region was no empty boast.

"Let’s go. I need to wish Grandmother a happy birthday first, and then we can go out to play together this afternoon." Wei Rao walked inside, holding Huo Lin’s hand in her left and Zhou Huizhu’s in her right, acting extremely intimate. As for the cousin Zhou Huizhen, who was watching her with a lifted chin, Wei Rao had no desire to cozy up to her cold face. They were all sisters; what was the point of competing?

Upon entering Fuan Hall, Wei Rao smiled at her grandmother seated in the center and threw herself into the arms of her aunt, the elder Madam Zhou. Originally, she only wanted to act spoiled, but upon seeing her aunt’s face, which so closely resembled her mother’s, Wei Rao’s eyes grew sour and involuntarily turned red. Although she shielded herself in time, the trembling "Aunt" whispered by the little girl hiding in her elder’s embrace exposed her emotions.

The elder Madam Zhou knew her niece missed her mother, but on such a joyous day, she could only pretend to misunderstand. Laughing as she held her niece, she spoke to her mother on the main seat: "Look at Rao’er. Of all the children in our family, she is the most spoiled. In the past, when I followed your uncle out to purchase goods for half a year, Linlin wouldn't act like this when I returned."

Lady Shou’an smiled and said: "Distance makes the heart grow fonder; the further away one is, the more precious they become when they finally meet. Look at me—I dote on her like the apple of my eye every day, but for my birthday, she goes to hug you first. I truly have wasted my affection on her."

Hearing this, Wei Rao hurriedly ran to her grandmother’s side, sat down beside her, and rubbed her forehead against the old lady’s arm: "Grandmother, you love to wrong people. When I walked through the door just now, you were the first person I looked at."

Lady Shou’an smiled and touched her small face, concerned: "You left early in the morning, didn't you? Are you cold?"

Wei Rao shook her head. Her eyes were still a little red, though the watery sheen had already vanished.

Lady Shou’an touched her forehead affectionately again before pretending to scold her: "Don't just act spoiled. Go and pay your respects to your uncle."

Wei Rao smiled, stood up, and walked over to Huo Jingchang, bowing respectfully and intimately: "Greetings, Uncle."

Huo Jingchang nodded with a smile: "We are all family, Rao’er. No need for such formality."

Wei Rao glanced at her grandmother and laughed: "I knew Uncle wouldn't tease me."

After saying this, Wei Rao walked to Huo Jue, who had already stood up, and sweetly called out "Cousin."

Two years ago, sixteen-year-old Huo Jue had only been a fist taller than Wei Rao. Now, she had to crane her neck to see the face of the eighteen-year-old Huo Jue.

Huo Jue nodded with a smile as gentle as a spring breeze.

Having finished her respects, Wei Rao went to greet her aunt, Madam Wang.

Madam Wang looked at Wei Rao, who was as dazzling as a pearl, young and delicate, and vaguely felt as if she were seeing the younger Madam Zhou of over a decade ago. Back then, Madam Zhou was just as vibrant and beautiful as Wei Rao was now, smiling all day long, seemingly convinced that no troubles would ever befall her, living a life without care.

And in truth, that was how it had been. In the prime of her youth, the younger Madam Zhou had first married the talented Second Master Wei and was showered with love. Later, when he died, everyone waited to see her make a fool of herself, but as soon as she returned home, she was favored by Emperor Yuanjia and entered the palace as a Consort. Though she and her daughter had been sent away to the Western Hill Palace because the Empress Dowager disliked her—and had not been allowed to return for over two years—and though the common people didn't think highly of them, Madam Wang faintly felt that someone like Madam Zhou would never simply fade into mediocrity.

Heaven was particularly partial to beauties when creating them, and beauties remained favored throughout their lives. Beauties like Lady Shou’an, the Madam Zhous, and Wei Rao would be favored their entire lives, from childhood to old age, without exception.

When Wei Rao returned to Lady Shou’an’s side, Madam Wang’s gaze fell upon her eldest daughter, Zhou Huizhen.

Fortunately, her eldest daughter had also inherited Lady Shou’an’s beauty. At sixteen, she was at a prime age for marriage. As long as she kept her eyes sharp and found her daughter a golden turtle of a husband, her eldest daughter would marry well, and her youngest daughter’s marriage would not go wrong either. If her two daughters were happy after marriage, what did it matter if she continued to remain a widow?

She was not like the younger Madam Zhou, who ignored her daughter’s future for her own pleasure, even dragging her nieces down with her.

Thinking of this, Madam Wang’s anger flared up again. She had no complaints against the elder Madam Zhou, but the younger Madam Zhou had directly tarnished the reputations of both her daughters. Wei Rao was at least a Wei, with the reputation of a loyal minister left behind by the late Second Master and the diligent, household-managing Old Madam Wei to look after her. What did her two daughters have?

The surname "Zhou" had already been ruined by the three generations of Lady Shou’an’s household!

Being in such a bad mood, it became increasingly difficult for Madam Wang to maintain her forced smile.

Lady Shou’an glanced at her several times.

"Grandmother, these are the prayer beads my grandmother sent for your birthday. She said she had Master Jingkong bless them." Wei Rao had Bitao bring out the gift sent by Old Madam Wei.

Lady Shou’an did not believe in gods or Buddhas and had no interest in such things. If Buddhas could grant the wishes of believers, there wouldn't be so much poverty and suffering in the world.

Seeing Madam Wang looking at the beads with envy, Lady Shou’an put them back in the box and told a maid to give them to Madam Wang: "You believe in Buddha. Take these beads. If you turn them more often each day, your heart will remain tranquil, and you will surely live a long life."

Both Madam Wang and Wei Rao gaped in shock.

Madam Wang was pleasantly surprised and even stammered: "Mother, such precious beads—are you really giving them to me?"

Lady Shou’an smiled: "Do you think I would tease you in front of the children?"

Madam Wang was so happy; it wasn't just receiving a string of prayer beads, it was as if she had invited a true Buddha into her home.

Seeing this, Lady Shou’an rolled her eyes at her daughter-in-law in her heart.

When her husband died years ago, she had spoken to Madam Wang, telling her that if she wished to remarry, she would never stop her as a mother-in-law and would even provide a dowry. But Madam Wang had cried as if she were being kicked out, preferring death to leaving. Two years later, Lady Shou’an, feeling bad that her daughter-in-law had a dull life as a widow, gave her a fine jade trinket to amuse herself. Her daughter-in-law had avoided her for days afterward. To this day, Lady Shou’an didn't know if her daughter-in-law had even liked that gift or used it.

Which of those two things wasn't better than a string of wooden prayer beads?

Wei Rao tugged on her grandmother’s sleeve, her eyes full of dissatisfaction. That was a heartfelt gift from her own grandmother!

Lady Shou’an patted her hand and whispered: "Don't worry. Once it’s your grandmother’s birthday, I’ll send her something even better."

The beads were of no use in her own hands. If her daughter-in-law liked them, she might as well give them to her. For the sake of the beads, her daughter-in-law wouldn't be making snide remarks to trouble Rao’er these next few days.

Harmony in the family brings prosperity to everything. In one’s old age, this was the only thing one asked for.