It was not long until the New Year. The group was not as leisurely as when they came; they rode hard every day. Qian Jiaoniang followed on horseback for two or three days. Xing Muzheng let her be, giving her Lightning to ride while he rode another brown horse. Qian Jiaoniang’s daily amusement became riding Lightning to bully Xing Pingchun, who rode Ant, making Xing Pingchun so angry that he wished he could fatten Ant until it was bigger than Lightning.
When they reached Xingping County, the weather suddenly turned bitterly cold. Qian Jiaoniang, quite experienced, predicted that snow would soon fall. Xing Pingchun was very excited. That night, the group found a courtyard in Huizhou City to rest in. Xing Pingchun stayed up waiting for the first snow of the year, refusing to sleep even at midnight. But the snow was slow in coming, and he eventually couldn’t hold out any longer. Hong Juan persuaded him to go to bed. Qian Jiaoniang had long since ignored him and gone to sleep.
In the middle of the night, half-asleep, she felt someone pushing her. She opened her eyes groggily and was just about to draw the dagger from under her pillow when her hand was pressed down. Xing Muzheng was standing at the head of her bed, telling her to get dressed and come outside. He left after speaking. Qian Jiaoniang thought something had happened and struggled to get up. When she came out, she saw Xing Muzheng alone, standing with his back to her at the doorway.
Qian Jiaoniang stopped and asked, “What is it?”
Xing Muzheng turned his head. “It’s snowing.”
Qian Jiaoniang murmured and walked forward. A cold wind hit her face, and, having just come from under the warm covers, she shivered and hunched her shoulders. Tilting her head back, she saw snowflakes drifting down from the sky. Indeed, it was snowing.
Suddenly, warmth came over her shoulders—Xing Muzheng had draped his cloak over her. Qian Jiaoniang turned her head and asked, “It’s snowing, and so?”
“So I wanted you to come see it,” Xing Muzheng said.
Qian Jiaoniang frowned. Was he serious? He had dragged her out of a warm bed just for this? If he wanted to call someone, it should have been Chou’er. Did he think she was still a three-year-old who got excited at the sight of snow?
“I don’t know why, I just wanted to call you to see it,” Xing Muzheng added, gazing at her.
Qian Jiaoniang stared at him blankly, intending to leave, but then looked back at the quietly falling snowflakes. Without knowing why, she stopped. She stepped over the threshold and sat down on it, pulling the cloak tighter around her as she looked up at the snow. Xing Muzheng sat beside her, saying nothing, only watching the snow.
A crescent moon hung lonely in the sky. The snowflakes were like stars it had scattered, quietly landing on the ground, clinging to branches, piling on rooftops. The courtyard was so quiet that the sound of snow falling could be heard, soft and pleasant. The snow grew heavier, quickly covering the ground with a thin layer of silver white. Snow gathered on the roof tiles, looking like a beautiful ink painting.
Xing Muzheng had never appreciated snow before. He disliked it—snow meant difficult battles, no surprise attacks, and the risk of being trapped in the wild by the enemy. But tonight, seeing the first snow before bed, he had the sudden thought to call Qian Jiaoniang. Sitting with her now at the doorway, watching the silent snowfall, he felt as though they were in a fairyland.
Qian Jiaoniang had never thought snow beautiful before. Seeing it only made her worry—it meant the coldest days were coming, that she might not have enough winter clothes, that she might not have enough silver to buy charcoal, that her mother might not make it through, and that Chou’er might not hold out. She feared the cold herself—the biting pain of washing clothes in icy water lingered in her fingers. But tonight, she didn’t feel cold. Maybe it was because she was wrapped warmly, or maybe because the person beside her added warmth.
It was beautiful indeed, snow falling.
The next morning, Xing Pingchun saw the courtyard covered in snow and shouted excitedly. He immediately ran to shake Qian Jiaoniang awake, wanting her to build a snowman with him. Poor Qian Jiaoniang, shaken awake by father and son one after the other, was listless the whole day. She didn’t even ride her horse—she just collapsed in the carriage and slept, not waking even with all the jolting.
The group continued toward Yuzhou, taking only land routes this time, not by water. On the way, Qian Jiaoniang received a letter from Di Qingya, scolding her for leaving without a word and preventing her from even seeing her off. Di Qingya gave her many instructions but said nothing about the Hang family, likely to keep her from worrying. Qian Jiaoniang had Yanluo write a reply according to her words, then copied it herself and sent it to Qingya. She was now practicing calligraphy daily and recognizing more and more characters.
They reached Baohua County in Huizhou by noon. Qian Jiaoniang suddenly had stomach pain and felt unwell. Xing Muzheng had them find a spacious courtyard to rest in for the day. He told Ah Da to find a doctor for her. The doctor found no serious illness, prescribing two doses of medicine for diarrhea and advising her to sleep it off. Xing Muzheng looked at the prescription, told someone to fetch the medicine, and personally saw the doctor out.
Suddenly there was a commotion outside. Xing Muzheng frowned slightly. Suier opened the door to investigate, only for a maid in a green jacket to rush in and kneel before Xing Muzheng.
“My lord, please save my young lady!”
Qian Jiaoniang, leaning on the bed and not yet lying down, was puzzled. She got up and looked carefully—this kneeling maid looked familiar. Thinking for a moment, wasn’t she Zhao Yaoqian’s maid?
The maid kowtowed hard and sobbed, “My young lady has had a cold for several days. Afraid of delaying the journey, she would not let me report to you to call a doctor. Now she is lying in bed unable to move, and her forehead is frighteningly hot!”
“Miss Zhao is here?” Qian Jiaoniang immediately straightened. “And sick? What are you waiting for, hurry and get a doctor for her!”
The green-jacketed maid froze for a moment, then quickly wiped her tears, kowtowed to Qian Jiaoniang, and pulled the doctor away.
Xing Muzheng closed his eyes briefly. When he turned his head, he saw Qian Jiaoniang’s look of interest. He had hidden it from her on purpose so she wouldn’t start matchmaking again, and sure enough, at the mention of Zhao Yaoqian, her illness seemed cured.
“My lord is too secretive. Clearly reluctant to part with Miss Zhao, yet hiding her from me. Do you think I’m a tigress who would eat her?” Qian Jiaoniang smiled broadly, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.
Xing Muzheng turned to her and said, “When have I been secretive? Her carriage is just behind us—you didn’t notice yourself. Besides, I brought her along for no other reason than that treasure map.”
Qian Jiaoniang waved her hand, “It’s all the same, all the same. Miss Zhao marries you, then the treasure map is in your hands, right? Looks like once we go back we can prepare for the wedding.”
“Nonsense, I’m not marrying her.”
“If you don’t marry her, where will the treasure map come from?”
“There are plenty of good men in Yuzhou. I can have any brother in the camp marry her. Ah Da and Yuluo have been courting for days with no response, and Wang Yong has looked like he lost his spirit ever since he found out Di Qingya is Madam Hang. Aren’t those two the best choices?”
Qian Jiaoniang snorted, “You say that but don’t dare take responsibility, using your subordinates as shields. If you ask me the lord is going in circles: you’re the lord, having three or four wives is nothing new. Marrying her is just another pair of chopsticks. Besides, she’s got mountains of gold behind her.” Saying this, she didn’t wait for his answer, lay down directly, took a handkerchief, and covered her eyes. “Ah, I’m going to sleep.”
Xing Muzheng gritted his teeth, came over, and pushed her, “Don’t sleep yet.”
Qian Jiaoniang played dead, even deliberately snoring twice.
Xing Muzheng found it funny and annoying, “This afternoon I’m taking Chou’er out, can you be alone here?”
Hearing he was taking their son out, Qian Jiaoniang immediately pulled off the handkerchief, “Where are you taking him?”
“I heard of a recluse living in the deep mountains near Baohua County. I plan to take Chou’er to visit.”
“Aren’t the mountains around here full of bandits?”
“That’s Qianshan Mountain. The one I’m going to is Kang Mountain. The recluse is a strange and talented man, especially skilled in traps. Didn’t you want Chou’er to learn such things?”
Qian Jiaoniang paused, “Ah, ah.”
“I was planning to stay here anyway, but you got a stomach ache. How do you feel now?”
“Uh… nothing serious,” Qian Jiaoniang said. “You go ahead, thanks for remembering.”
“What nonsense are you saying?”
Qian Jiaoniang looked at Xing Muzheng steadily and said slowly, “Lord, you didn’t like me and Chou’er before, so there is something I never said. Actually, in Mother’s last words, she asked you to raise Chou’er well. She loved Chou’er very much.”
Xing Muzheng paused, “Mother only told me to raise Chou’er well?” What about him and her?
To tell the two of them to live well together. Qian Jiaoniang opened her mouth, then smiled, “Exactly. She cared most about this grandson of hers.”
Xing Muzheng was silent for a moment. “I understand. From now on, I will treat you two well.”
Qian Jiaoniang’s smile did not change, “Lord, you should go see Miss Zhao. After all, she’s a guest. If she falls ill and no one visits, then…”
Suddenly everything darkened. Xing Muzheng bent down and covered Qian Jiaoniang’s mouth, sucking for a long time, punishingly biting her lower lip. “Nagger.”
