Chapter 59: Bone Hairpin 14: Altar
The Wei residence covers a large area and is located on the west side of Ningyuan Village. The gate of the house faces south, there is a fruit forest on the north side, and a small bamboo forest on the east side, separating the village from the house. A dozen steps outside the west wall is a stone wall that reaches the sky. The rocks are rugged, and only scattered weeds grow in the broken soil between the rocks.
Xun Shu followed the maid to the garden. He tilted his head and saw the building under the rocks, and stopped.
It was a rather peculiar pavilion. The stone platform below was two stories high, its surface intricately carved, though eroded by time, it had become blurred and even chipped at the corners. The pavilion above looked like a later addition, with four stout wooden pillars at the corners, painted a vibrant vermilion. The roof, made of wood, looked light and airy, a stark contrast to the stone platform.
Xun Shu pointed at the pavilion and asked the maid beside him, "What is that place?"
"That was an altar built decades ago to pray for rain. It's no longer useful."
"Why does the altar have a roof?" Xun Shu wondered, his finger moving slightly upward, pointing to the top floor. "The pillars and roof on the third floor look like they were added later."
The maid smiled and praised, "Young lady, you have a good eye. After the Fifth Young Master moved back to Ningyuan Village, he saw this altar and said that it had saved countless lives and shouldn't be left here in such neglect. So he built a roof for it to protect it from rain and snow."
Building a wooden roof for the stone altar to protect it from rain and snow? Why is Wei Wulang doing such a strange thing?
Xun Shu looked at the altar, his thoughts going back to the Sitian Pavilion many years ago.
There is also an altar in the Sitian Pavilion. It looks similar to the altar here, but the altar in the Sitian Pavilion does not have a wooden shed to protect it from the sun and rain. The altar is carved with Tai Chi Bagua totems, which are still clearly visible after so many years. In the center is inlaid a huge water jade, which has been eroded by wind and rain and has long lost its transparency.
Legend has it that thousands of years ago, after Pangu created the universe, humans and gods coexisted, with the distinctions between them still less clear. Many people possessed divine powers and could communicate with the gods through altars, praying for their wishes to be fulfilled. The altar at the Sitian Pavilion was built during this period.
But these are all legends. Xun Shu grew up in Sitian Pavilion, a place where people say immortals live. However, she has never seen anyone immortal or with unchanged appearance, nor has she seen anyone who can predict all things that have not happened, nor has she seen the altar in the back mountain being used.
Even if it once had the power to reach the sky, it is now just an ordinary stone pillar.
Xun Shu's gaze was still fixed on the pavilion, and he tried to ask, "Can I go to the altar and take a look?"
The maid looked hesitant. "I'm afraid that won't work. After the third floor was built, the path leading to the altar was locked. Only the Fifth Young Master has the key and can go up. He often goes there to watch the stars." The maid chuckled. "In my opinion, he's probably trying to avoid the disputes in the backyard and doesn't want to get involved in the messy lawsuit between the concubines."
Xun Shu suddenly realized: "This is a good idea."
The maid led Xun Shu and Yu Chang to the back garden and sat them down in the pavilion beside the pond. Just as Xun Shu sat down, a silver bell-like laughter sounded in the distance, and four girls dressed like women walked into the pavilion hand in hand.
Xun Shu looked at the person who came without any expression.
The four concubines looked to be about the same age as Xun Shu. They were dressed in bright clothes and had sincere smiles in their eyes, but their appearance was not what Xun Shu had imagined.
She had originally thought that Wei Wulang's lecherous behavior was due to his attraction to beauty, but now it seemed that was not the case. The four girls before her were all of ordinary appearance, far from being the kind that would make one obsessed with them after just one glance.
It seems that Wei Wulang is just a bastard and a hooligan.
The four concubines naturally had no idea what Xun Shu was thinking. They walked into the waterside pavilion and surrounded Xun Shu. Looking at Yu Chang standing behind him like a door god, they laughed and said, "Just now, from afar, we thought Wu Lang had found a new sister, but we didn't expect her to be a daughter of a wealthy family, even with guards when she went out."
Another person laughed and said, "I told you your eyesight is not good. As soon as we entered the garden, I saw that this was not the sister Wu Lang had brought us. How could there be such an extraordinary girl in Ningyuan Village?"
Several people laughed and played together, once again breaking Xun Shu's imagination.
She originally thought that the concubines in Wei Wulang's backyard would be jealous of each other and dislike each other, but she didn't expect them to be so warm and cozy, like real sisters.
Seeing that Xun Shu had been silent, the aunt called Ah Zhen hurriedly said, "Don't blame me, young lady. We sisters are all from Ningyuan Village. We are used to joking like this on a daily basis. If I have offended you, please forgive me."
Xun Shu waved his hand: "No offense, I find you guys...very interesting."
Ah Zhen smiled and said, "That's good. Wu Lang said you wanted to explore the house. The sun is scorching hot right now, so why don't you sit here and try some of the iced drinks we sisters made to cool off? How about we take you for a walk when it's cooler?"
It wasn't even noon yet, the hottest time of the day. If we waited for the heat to dissipate, wouldn't it take several hours? Xun Shu was about to say something when he was interrupted by the concubines. They dispersed without explanation to prepare iced drinks and snacks, leaving Ah Zhen alone in the pavilion to chat with her.
Ah Zhen was clearly a highly sociable woman, adept at reading people's expressions. Even though it was her first meeting with Xun Shu, she didn't let the atmosphere cool down for even a moment, and she completely controlled their small talk. Often, as soon as Xun Shu opened her mouth, Ah Zhen would presume what she was about to say, then subtly change the subject, leaving Xun Shu a long time before he could react. After several exchanges, even Xun Shu, slow as he was, realized Ah Zhen was doing this on purpose, and a slight irritation welled up in his heart, his brows furrowing slightly.
Xun Shu placed the teacup in his hand on the table, and the collision of porcelain was a bit harsh.
Ah Zhen finally stopped talking and calmed down.
As if afraid of being interrupted again, Xun Shu took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, there was a rare urgency in his voice: "Why did you enter this house?"
Ah Zhen was stunned: "What?"
Xun Shu softened her tone and explained, "What I mean is, although the Wei family is rich and powerful, Wei Wulang is not a good man. I heard that he kidnapped you, tarnished your innocence, and forced you to enter the Wei residence... Why don't you all go to the authorities together? If the village head and the headman don't help, you can go to the next county to report it!" Her expression was a little solemn. "Or, after you tried, even the officials in the next county were threatened by the Wei family and refused to help you? Or maybe that pervert has you under house arrest, and you can't leave this house?"
Ah Zhen didn't expect her to suddenly say such a thing. She was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, she was somewhat helpless: "It's true that Wu Lang is a playboy, and it's also true that he kidnapped us, but we all followed him willingly and married into the Wei family of our own accord. She is still young, and she is the daughter of a wealthy family. Naturally, her ideas are different from those of us peasant girls."
Xun Shu really didn't understand, so she asked quite directly: "Why? Eighteen girls crowded in the backyard, and your husband can't even remember his own name. Why not find someone you like? Even if you live a poorer life, at least you are each other's only one."
Ah Zhen sighed: "How many days have you been in Ningyuan Village?"
Xun Shu didn't know why she asked this, but he answered obediently: "Today is the fourth day."
"Have you heard about Ningyuan Village?" Seeing her expression gradually becoming serious, Ah Zhen guessed that she knew something, but not everything, so she started from the beginning. "The daughters of Ningyuan Village were all born in disappointment and grew up in beatings and scolding. The villagers prefer sons, those who can help them farm and chop trees. Even though Ningyuan Village no longer relies on farming for a living, it is still like this. In their eyes, a woman is only valuable if she gets married and then keeps giving birth to children until a boy is born. In their eyes, a smart, beautiful girl who can help run the family business is no match for a girl who gets married and gives birth to two boys within three years, both of them.
"I originally thought that I would have to live like this for the rest of my life, until I met a man. That man told me that we had different paths. As long as we married him and lived in the Wei residence, we could do whatever we wanted. We could read and write, learn business, or follow the Wei family's caravan to explore different places. If one day we wanted to leave the Wei residence, he wouldn't stop us." Ah Zhen raised her head and smiled at Xun Shu, "If it were you, would you refuse?"
Xun Shu looked at her steadily and didn't say anything for a long time.
There might be someone they like in the village, but marrying that person would mean entering a cycle of reincarnation, trapped in the closed village, resigned to their fate and no longer struggling. Their husbands became their only lifeline, clinging to them tightly to survive. But if they married Wei Wulang, while sharing a husband with someone else, they would enjoy endless wealth and even the freedom to choose.
Both sides are very tempting, and everyone has their own opinions on how to choose.
Ah Zhen smiled gently and spoke sincerely, but Xun Shu could be sure that she had not told the whole truth.
I just don't know which part is true and which part is false, and what she is hiding.
As time went on, the weather grew increasingly hot. It was clearly an overcast day, but there wasn't a breath of wind, and it was incredibly hot and stuffy. Xun Shu sat by the railing, watching the dragonflies fly low and the fish swim out of the water. Even though she hadn't been stargazing in the past few days, she could tell the difference in the weather.
"It's going to rain." she whispered.
As soon as she finished speaking, raindrops began to fall into the pond, creating ripples one after another. Several girls, having gone to get iced drinks, came running towards the pavilion, laughing and making noises, their voices as if dampened by the rain, making them exceptionally clear.
The three of them ran into the pavilion before the rain got heavier, put the food boxes on the table, took out the iced drinks from them, and introduced them to Xun Shu with a smile: "There is a fruit tree not far from the back door. My sisters and I often go there every summer to pick fresh fruits and make iced drinks to beat the heat. Come and try it, young lady."
A palm-sized lotus-shaped bowl was pushed in front of Xun Shu. Inside the bowl was amber tea with a few pieces of crushed ice floating on the surface. Thin peach slices were placed around the inside of the bowl, giving it a pleasant fruity aroma.
Xun Shu was still sick and couldn't eat ice, but he was really craving it, so he just scooped a spoonful of tea, put it in his mouth and took a sip. His eyes lit up: "It's really refreshing!"
Ah Zhen noticed the cloth wrapped around her hand and pushed the other plate of dim sum away. "Qinghe's dim sum is the best in the village. Since you're still injured, you'd better not stay in the cold."
Xun Shu gladly accepted her kindness, took a piece of the dessert and savored it carefully. After praising her for a few times, he suddenly asked, "I heard that Wei Wulang has many wives, so why did I only see you four sisters? Where are the others? Aren't they at the mansion?"
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