Phoenix Rising

019

The road outside the Ouyang family estate was packed with carriages carrying the many noble guests that had been invited to the old matriarch's eightieth birthday celebrations. Minister Ouyang was known to be an extremely filial son—of course, whether that was the actual truth was anybody's guess. It was also common knowledge that the minister wasn't the old matriarch's son, but the son of one of the old master's concubines who had passed away at childbirth.

There were rumours that the old matriarch had been responsible for the concubine's death, but all these had been quashed by the minister himself, who insisted that the matriarch had nothing to do with his birth mother's demise. After a while, people stopped caring about the truth. Such things were more than common in these noble households, so much so that people became numb to these cruel realities.

Zi-ning stepped out of her carriage and turned to help her grandmother alight. Lady Min, Meiyan and Meisi followed suit from the carriage behind, walking up to join them. Although Lady Min and Meiyan showed no signs of being bothered by the old madam only asking for Zi-ning to ride with her, the jealousy was showing all over Meisi's face.

Ignoring her stepsister's dagger-like stares, Zi-ning gently supported her grandmother's arm, leading her towards the entrance.

Today, Zi-ning had chosen to wear one of the new dresses that the tailor had made for her, again in the shade of midnight blue except with exquisite embroidery in gold and maroon, painting the images of lilies along the hem of her skirt. Her hair had been secured elegantly at the back of her head with the silver hairpin with the cascading pearls that Hana had picked out for her yesterday, and she had light powder dusting her cheeks, highlighting her fair complexion. Her grandmother had remarked that she was dressing far too simply for a girl her age, but she had simply laughed off the old lady's comments. If only her grandmother knew that she had been born again, perhaps she might not treat her like a mere eighteen-year-old.

"Old Madam Sun, welcome, welcome!" Lady Ouyang came waltzing up to them dressed in rich silks the colour of honey, her red lips curled upwards in a smile.

"Lady Ouyang," the old lady greeted with a smile, accepting the younger woman's curtsey. Even though Lady Ouyang was the mistress of this house, the necessary respect still needed to be accorded to elders.

After briefly bobbing her head towards Lady Min, not disguising her disdain for the latter, Lady Ouyang ushered them indoors. "Mother will be most pleased to know that you have come. She always tells me about the old days when the both of you would meet to play chess by the Jolla Lake. It's a fond memory of hers."

"Madam Ouyang is a sentimental person," the old lady replied, the corners of her eyes crinkling up as she smiled.

They were led all the way to the inner quarters of the Ouyang estate, which was reserved for the female guests. The men would be entertained at the outer quarters where the manor's main hall was, keeping the male-female divide that was customary in these times. The only time the men would be allowed into the inner quarters was when they came over to deliver their birthday greetings to the old matriarch, and that would only be for a brief moment.

The inner hall was already milling with people. Ladies dressed to the nines in their expensive garments and accessories were laughing and chatting with one another as they waited for more guests to arrive. Old Madam Ouyang was seated at the front of the hall on her ornate wooden chair, her wrinkled face wearing a warm smile as she accepted the well wishes and gifts from the constant stream of people coming in. When she saw Old Madam Sun approach, her smile broadened even further.

"Miaoling, what a pleasant surprise!" the lady said as she greeted her old friend. "You shouldn't have taken the trouble to come all the way!'

"Nonsense." Zi-ning's grandmother patted her old friend affectionately on the hand. "It's your eightieth birthday, how could I not come." She gestured to the servant who had accompanied them and the girl stepped forward with a box lined with opulent green silk brocade. "I brought you a little something. It's not much."