Flowery Scenery
The evening breeze carried a slight smell of smoke from the kitchen. The multi-coloured glow of the setting sun was dim but still magnificent. But I only felt that the splendidly clothed beauty in front of me was both familiar yet strange.
“You and I are not old enough to be bald and toothless, so how can one not be able to recognize?” I whispered to her after a long pause.
This was a joke the two of us used to say before. There was a day that we both accompanied our family’s elders to Furong Temple outside the city to worship. There, we saw an old woman whose hair was about to fall out, who had come to burn incense. I stared at it for a long time before asking Ruochan if we would also grow old together like this in the future. But Ruochan only smiled, pinched my face and said, “If you dare to grow old like that, I wouldn’t recognize you…”
Ruochan didn’t answer, and there was no wave of expression visible under her thick makeup either.
“Ruochan,” I stepped forward, “Are you doing well?”
Ruochan smiled and said, “So what if one was doing well or not? One heard that you are now the daughter-in-law of Wei ChengXiang, right?”
I nodded.
“Better than me.” She sighed softly and said, “I should return.”
“Return to where?” I asked in surprise.
Ruochan smiled lightly, “The guests have yet to leave the banquet. Ah Jin, you saw it just now, didn't you?”
I was somewhat hesitant.
“Ruochan, you… umm, they said that the NingXiang Pavillion is yours?” I asked in a low voice.
There was a hint of ridicule in her smile.
“Yuying and the others must be the ones telling you.” She said softly. “Ah Jin, do you think I’m pitiful?”
“No.” I quickly said, “Ruochan, what’s troubling you? I can…”
“Troubles?” Ruochan's smile deepened, “There are troubles. There is a shortage of beauties in my shop, so I have to look for newcomers. The newly opened YuSheng Pavillion on the same street is gaining its momentum and popularity, and I must suppress it. There is also a banquet hosted by Jia Gong on the east of the city. I had requested him to change the dancers with my people. Ah Jin, can you help me with these?”
I was dumbfounded.
Ruochan looked into my eyes, as her rouge-tinted eyes shone with cold eyes.
“Ruochan…”
“I am not called Ruochan anymore. They all call me Tao Niang.” She said indifferently. “You should return to the loft. ChengXiang Da GongZi’s Furen, should not stand together with a courtesan like me.” Finishing, she covered herself with her fan and turned to leave.
My words were stuck in my throat as I stared blankly at her, it was very uncomfortable.
The laughter at the other side of the pavilion was still cheerful, and accompanied with the noise of the performers, it was very ear-piercing.
I suddenly took a few steps to catch up and pulled Ruochan’s sleeves.
“Let go.” Ruochan turned her head back and said coldly.
“No.” The frustration in my chest seemed to have found an outlet as it burst out without going through one’s brain. “I have never offended you, so why speak such hurtful words?! Do you think I feel proud of myself? The Fu Jin in front of you is now a woman who has been a wife for the second time (has been married twice), whose family was destroyed, and all that I have in the past is now gone. Do you want to hear me saying these words? Wei Tan married me only for my background. Do you think that I would be proud of the death of my whole family in exchange for this? Let me tell you, if it is possible, I would exchange my life for those of my parents and brothers!”
I finished speaking in one breath, as my throat filled with discomfort, I said in a low voice, “If it seems to you that I am proud, then consider that I have wrongly judged you!”
Ruochan looked at me fixedly, with her lips bit tightly, but water gradually floated in her eyes. Suddenly, she turned her head away and pressed her sleeves to her eyes.
Her movement was rather familiar, and when she raised her head again, except for her reddened eyes, her makeup was not smeared at all.
“You have changed. If I said something like this in the past, you would have cried before me.” She continued, “And you would never refute me.”
I bit my lip and did not speak.
“You have changed too.” I said after a while, “You would never say such things to me in the past.”
Ruochan looked at me for a moment before she silently reached out her hand and caressed the top of my head.
“.....Furen….” At that moment, there was a call from the shades at the waterfront. It seemed that Ah Yuan was looking for me.
Ruochan looked over there and said, “I should go. Must not let them see you talking to me.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it again.
She was right. No matter what my heart thought, the world had changed. There was a wide gap between us, even though we were once sisters.
As if seeing my thoughts, Ruochan sighed and gently squeezed my hand as she said in a low voice, “It’s enough that you still acknowledge me.”
The light in her eyes flashed slightly before Ruochan covered her face with her fan. She lowered her head, walked to the other end of the bridge and disappeared amid the shadows of the swaying flowers blowing in the wind.
“Furen!” Not long after, Ah Yuan appeared at the end of the long bridge. As she saw me, the anxiousness in her expression instantly eased. “I have finally found you.” She hurriedly came towards me, “Furen, Da GongZi is here, in the front courtyard right now.”
I was startled.
What was Wei Tan here for? I remembered this morning when he said that today he had something to do, with his head high and chest out, just as if he had to hurriedly bend to a task and spare no effort until late at night. So how did he find time to come over?
I answered with a sound of acknowledgement and followed her out of the garden.
“Furen.” Ah Yuan took two steps and looked around before whispering, “I seemed to have seen Rouchan NǚJun, she…”
“Shh.” I shook my head.
Ah Yuan understood and remained silent.
At the front courtyard, Wei Tan was indeed there.
He was talking to Lu Gong, still wearing the long coat he wore when he went out this morning, and a long sword was tied under the leather belt around his waist. The lights were shining brightly as he stood straight among the cloud-like clothed guests, and it made his presence very striking eye-catchy.
I also saw Wei Lang and Wei Ci standing behind him. Both of them were wearing red military caps that looked covered in dust.
The guests had started to leave their seats (to go home) and were coming out of the main hall one after another. Upon seeing Wei Tan, many of them came up to greet, blocking the front courtyard and filling it with noise and excitement.
Wei Ci saw me, raised his brows, and nudged Wei Tan.
Wei Tan turned his head, and the next moment his gaze landed on me. It was strange to say it, but even though separated by so many people, he seemed to have eyes on top of his head, as he did not need to look at Wei Ci’s pointing to know where I was standing.
He was surrounded by quite a lot of people, and it made me hesitate whether I should go over at this time. Suddenly, Wang Shi’s voice was heard from behind.
“Fu Furen.” She walked quickly towards me with a few servants and said with a smile, “One heard that Furen went to the back garden, and I was about to search.”
Her words were rather loud, and many people looked over.
I had no choice but to walk forwards with Wang Shi.
Lu Gong drank so much that his face was flushed with red, as his gait staggered when he cupped his hands to give greetings, “My humble house is coarse, one has neglected Furen.”
“With Lu Gong’s great kindness, where do these words stem from? (Why do you say such things)” I smiled as I said before looking at Wei Tan.
He also looked at me, his expression was as gentle as he was in front of the guests in the Wei Residence that day.
“Can we return to the residence now?” He asked in a low voice.
I smiled and nodded, looking down without saying a word.
The eyes of everyone around focused on us. I was aware that many of the people who were watching us were scholars and officials of Chang'an.
And of course Wei Tan knew about these better.
“On Lu Gong's birthday, the elders of one’s family should have come, but have no choice but to involve themselves in work affairs. One hopes that Lu Gong will understand.” He seamlessly walked to my side and said to Lu Gong.
Lu Gong hurriedly said, “Why did Da GongZi make such a statement? ChengXiang has worked hard for the country, everyone knows this fact. With Da GongZi and Fu Furen here, your presence brings light to my humble dwelling.” Upon saying that, he ordered the servants to prepare the feast and wanted to invite Wei Tan to eat and drink.
Wei Tan declinedly said, “Lu Gong need not to trouble yourself, it is already night, Mou come here to pick up one’s wife and return home. Moreover, one has to go somewhere else later, so it is inconvenient to stay.” After saying that, he naturally stretched out his hand and lightly rested it on my waist.
Although the action was small, it was undoubtedly full of intimacy in the eyes of the people around.
Duke Lu agreed as he smiled and praised, “It had long been said that Da GongZi and Furen are very affectionate with each other, it is indeed not empty words.”
Wei Tan smiled and said, “Nei Ren is a new bride, and is not familiar with etiquette. Many thanks to the residence’s care and hospitality.”
Lu Gong and Wang Shi hurriedly smiled and exchanged another round of courtesy.
I stayed silent and just customarily lowered my head and cooperated in displaying gentleness.
*******
The night’s wind mingled with the remaining mild of the comfortable warmth of the early summer, which swayed the carriage’s curtain.
The lanterns that were hung up high in front of the Lu Manor gradually faded away (from one’s sight), but the noises and cheerful laughter that came from it could still be heard.
At the carriage’s side, Wei Lang and Wei Ci were riding horses. One did not know what Wei Ci said, but the two of them laughed and rode up to Wei Tan before smiling ambiguously at him who was at the front.
I was leaning on the carriage’s window, with my mind still pacing back and forth about the situation when I met Ruochan just now. There was an indescribable feeling in my heart.
She said that I pitied her. That’s right, at that moment, I did pity her.
But she told me that she didn’t need my pity. This was indeed true. She had fallen into vicissitudes of life, and I had became a woman of second marriage. In this troubled time, everyone took what they needed, so who could be nobler than who?
I closed my eyes in the dark, and a girl who was smiling gently at me with flowery scenery around her was all I could think of.