Hong Yingrong sat upright in the main seat in the Xiangyun Hall, listening to her sons' conversation, feeling deeply moved.

Yuanchu's responsibility and Zhongfu's steadiness made her feel extremely relieved.

But when she thought about her eldest son going to the border, her eyes couldn't help but tremble slightly, revealing her deep reluctance.

However, this thought only flashed through her mind. She knew that she could not repeat the same mistakes as in her previous life, and seek comfort and gloss over the truth, which eventually led to the destruction of her entire family.

"Yuanchu, since the matter has been decided, you should spend more time with Shuxiu before leaving. Especially for those mistakes that need to be made up, don't hesitate any longer..."

Upon hearing this, Xue Yuanchu's gaze involuntarily turned to the place where Jiang Shuxiu had sat before, but he found that it was empty.

He looked through the open window in the hall at Tingyuxuan in the distance, with a hint of melancholy in his eyes.

After a moment of distraction, he nodded gently, as if making some kind of promise to himself.

On the other side, after Xue Shanqiu returned to the mansion with his mother and elder brother, he went straight back to Fanghua Garden where they lived.

She looked as if she was still in shock, and the teacup in her hand was shaking slightly, revealing her inner uneasiness.

Seeing this, the maid Xiao He naturally assumed she was worried about the eldest son's upcoming trip to the border, so she stepped forward to comfort her, "Young lady, don't worry. The old lady has already said that the position of a steward is only responsible for managing affairs and allocating food and fodder within the military camp, and does not require fighting in the battlefield. I think... it shouldn't be too dangerous..."

Although Xiaohe said this, there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Even though she was young and naive, she understood the dangers of the battlefield. Moreover, surprise attacks on the camp happened from time to time. At that time, who could tell whether they were soldiers or officials?

After hearing what Xiao He said, Xue Shanqiu nodded slightly and took a sip of tea to calm himself down.

However, her uneasiness did not come entirely from her elder brother's long journey.

When she was returning home from the imperial city with her mother and elder brother and about to get on the carriage, she took a quick glance and saw a figure coming on horseback.

Although it was just a glance, she immediately recognized the man - it was the Xirong man she met by the river in the farm that day.

"Is the girl in the room?" Mother Han's voice floated in like a thread, gently interrupting Xue Shanqiu's thoughts.

"Mom, you're here. Please have a cup of hot tea." The maid Xiaozhou came forward with a warm smile on her face and greeted her softly.

Mother Han waved her hand gently and declined her kindness.

"No, no, I'm busy packing the eldest young master's luggage for the border. Winter starts blowing after August there, so we need to prepare some winter clothes. At the beginning of the year, the farm sent us a few mink furs. I remember they were delivered to the fifth young lady."

She paused briefly and continued, "The old lady told me to take two pieces for the eldest young master to keep warm. When the farm has good mink fur next year, I'll send it to you."

Xue Shanqiu nodded slightly and motioned Xiaozhou to go to the inner room and open the wardrobe. "I don't need so much here, and I have a new white fox cloak that I haven't had time to wear yet."

After Xiao Zhou responded, he gently pushed open the small door to the inner room and opened the carved sandalwood wardrobe inside.

There was a pile of fine mink furs neatly stacked inside. She carefully selected a few of the thickest ones and prepared to give them to Mother Han.

While tidying up, she saw a neatly folded fox fur shawl in the back of the closet. It looked quite thick and felt even softer in her hands.

She couldn't recall when she had seen this shawl before, so she took it out and said, "Mom, please take your pick. If you find one that suits you, give it to the eldest son."

Mother Han carefully looked through the mink fur and shawl in her hands and said softly, "Actually, the color isn't the most important thing. The key is that it's thick and warm."

As she spoke, she picked up the fox fur shawl and exclaimed, "Oh, this shawl is really thick. It's suitable for the young master to wear."

Hearing this, Xue Shanqiu raised her head and found that the shawl in Mother Han's hand was the one that the Xirong man had put on her that day. Her heart suddenly rose to her throat and she was extremely nervous.

Mother Han continued, "The young lady is also preparing winter clothes for the eldest son. I won't take much, so how about this shawl?"

She looked at Xue Shanqiu, waiting for the Fifth Lady's agreement.

Xue Shanqiu's heart was in turmoil, but she could only remain calm on the surface. She couldn't explain the origin of the shawl, and she couldn't refuse it, otherwise people would mistakenly think that she was reluctant to give even a shawl to her eldest brother.

In the end, I could only nod slightly and replied softly: "Well, Mom will do whatever you think."

Mother Han was very happy to get the approval. She immediately put away the fox fur shawl carefully and prepared to go to Tingyuxuan, packing it together with other luggage.

Xiao Zhou sent Mother Han away and returned to the house. Seeing Xue Shanqiu still sitting there in a daze, he asked softly, "Miss, what's wrong with you? You look a little uneasy."

Xue Shanqiu came back to his senses, sighed softly, and said, "Nothing, just a little tired."

She couldn't help but think of the Xirong man she met that day. He had put the shawl on her with his own hands, but now he was going to sell it to someone else. How could she explain the reason in just a few words?

She sighed softly and picked up the teacup beside her, but found that the tea had already gone cold. After dinner, night had quietly fallen, and the sky outside the window was shrouded in deep ink.

As the moonlight deepened, the hustle and bustle in the mansion gradually faded, replaced by tranquility and peace.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from afar, breaking the tranquility of the night. Xue Shanqiu came out from the inner room and saw a maid hurriedly walking in, her face full of anxiety.

"Miss, this is bad!" the maid said breathlessly, "Someone just came from Tingyuxuan and said that the young lady suddenly fainted!"

"What?!" Xue Shanqiu was shocked when he heard this and asked hurriedly, "What happened? How is my sister-in-law now?"

Xue Huichun, who lived on the other side of Fanghua Garden, also came out of the house when she heard the maid's report.

The maid shook her head. "I don't know what happened either. I just heard that the young lady fainted while packing her luggage and hasn't woken up yet. The old lady and the eldest master are both there. You two girls should go and take a look!"

Xue Shanqiu's heart tightened, and he looked at his sister Xue Huichun. The two walked out, crossed the corridor, and hurried to Tingyuxuan, praying in their hearts that their sister-in-law would be fine.

When they arrived, they saw that the room was full of people. Hong Yingrong and Xue Yuanchu were both standing by the bed, their faces full of worry.

Especially Xue Yuanchu, who held Jiang Shuxiu's hand and refused to let go.