The Journey Forward | ONC 2023 Version

3. Tea

Jing practically pulled me across the covered wooden pathway to our objective. I didn't have time to enjoy the garden surrounding the path or look at the other buildings. Nothing except the warmth of the midmorning sun and the smell of water, dirt, and flowers felt familiar.

I realized how soothing I found the sunlight when Jing escorted me into our ornately decorated destination. My mood plummeted as the lack of good lighting grabbed my attention. Between the dark wood of the chairs and walls and the blood orange and gold cloth sweeping across the windows filtering the incoming light, the same chill shot up my spine that always accompanied a trip to the morgue. Even the pale, patterned rug and cloth mural hanging behind the principal chairs couldn't lighten the dour impact of the space. The only sparkle existed where the black marble floors peeked out around the large carpet and reflected the flames of the candles lighting the room from the sconces on every wall. 

The woman who surveyed me from her thronelike chair at the head of the room matched the room perfectly. Her dark green and black hanfu almost blended into the wood surroundings. Her charcoal black hair sat high on her head in what I could only describe as a volleyball-sized bun with an ornate gold hairpiece that provided the only life to her look. She looked too young to be the Bao's mother but wore fine wrinkles around her narrow-set brown eyes. Her high cheeks and tear-drop chin balanced her patrician nose and thin lips.

As we approached, Bai's memories had me stop at a specific distance and bow with my hands tightly against my stomach before immediately rising without a word from my mother-in-law.

"You have finally arrived, Xiang Bai. I thought you would sleep the day away." Madame Wei's leathery voice matched the dark room and clothing.

"Mother, it was her wedding night. She had to be exhausted. Calling her here so early in the morning was cruel of you." A beautiful young woman entered the room wearing a peach and white hanfu with blue embroidered flowers and a matching blue sash. Her smooth black hair floated down her back with only a tiny bun at the upper back, allowing a lovely jade hairpin to have a job.

The woman stopped next to me and bowed at Madame Wei before turning her large doe eyes at me and smiling earnestly.

"Sister," the woman began, reaching around me with a hug. "It is so good to have you in the house."

"Lady Mei, you are too kind," I answered unexpectedly. Her name and identity had floated forward with minimal effort. Bai had met Mei on the wedding day when she had helped Bai prepare when only Bai's mother arrived to assist her. I felt warm toward this woman who helped Bai, though she was the first wife to the man Xiang Bai had loved.

It was possible Mei didn't know that Bai loved her husband, or he may have run the proposal by her before rejecting it. Regardless, I could understand why he didn't need a concubine. Yin Mei may not have been as strikingly beautiful as Xiang Bai, but her soft cheeks and dimpled chin coordinated perfectly with her wide eyes and shapely red lips. I began to think I had drifted into a drama. Everyone was so lovely; real people couldn't look like this.

"No, truly, I am happy you are here. It has been too long without a sister, older brother Bao needed to marry."

"He could have done better," Madam Wei huffed.

"Mother! She did not choose this any more than he did, but look at her, aren't you proud to call this fetching woman your daughter? Do your sisters have a daughter as attractive as her?" Mei turned to me and winked slyly as Madam Wei considered her words.

"She is quite stunning. Her father did not lie about that. She is miles above her sister's appearance but has no heart stone."

"Well, I am only at level three," Mei frowned and shrugged slightly.