Chapter 71 Dust and Trivial Matters His hand warmth embraced the lingering warmth of the copper coin…

Compared to Yue Teng, who missed out on fish head tofu soup and had to reluctantly follow the young eunuch who had been searching for him to the palace to play football with the emperor, Xi Feijing was much luckier.

As soon as he climbed over the wall, he was spotted by the Xie family servants who were sweeping fallen leaves in the yard. The servants shouted, "Thief!" and "You audacious thief, don't you know whose grandpa's house this is?" and rushed up bravely with brooms in hand.

Fortunately, Zheng Neizhi was nearby. Hearing the shouts, he quickly called the other servants and grabbed whatever was around them. They rushed over and saw three men who were fighting with several servants. They looked very familiar.

"Stop! Stop! This is a disaster! This is our maternal uncle!" Zheng Neizhi quickly threw down the door bolt, opened his arms, and went to separate the group.

The servants were also shocked and immediately stopped what they were doing. Looking closely, they saw that it was indeed Uncle Xi, who hadn't been seen for many years.

Zheng Neizhi smiled wryly: "Why didn't you say anything when your uncle was coming?"

Xi Feijing leisurely brushed off the dust that had gotten on his robes while climbing over the wall.

Zheng Neizhi found it laughable after asking the question—indeed, this uncle had never greeted him before coming over.

"Quickly, please come in!" Zheng Neizhi asked someone to quickly inform the young master, the eldest daughter-in-law, and the old lady, and also sent a message to the next room. In an instant, servants ran off everywhere in the house.

Xi Feijing then sighed slightly: "I just didn't want you to go through all this trouble."

Zheng Neizhi smiled and led Xi Feijing into the inner garden: "As the saying goes, regardless of kinship, the maternal uncle is the most important. Your maternal uncle is a distinguished guest, and today is the Winter Solstice, so how can we treat him poorly? It is only right."

Although the social atmosphere in the Song Dynasty was relatively open, a woman's voice was diminished after marriage. If she was mistreated by her husband's family, her maternal uncle, as the head of her maternal family, became the strongest supporter and backer for the married woman and her children. This maternal uncle's power was difficult to erase, from major issues like royal succession struggles to minor matters like the division of family property. After all, brothers, uncles, and nephews of the same clan became competitors for interests, and only the maternal uncle would wholeheartedly side with her.

Xi Feijing now commands a large army and has not returned to Bianjing for many years. If such an uncle were to come to visit, some families would even open the main gate to welcome him.

Zheng Neizhi led Xi Feijing through the second gate, and Xi Shi, having received the news, hurriedly came out to greet him. When she saw her elder brother's tall and familiar figure at the end of the long corridor, her eyes welled up with tears.

But before she could shed a tear, Xie's father, who had rushed over from the outer courtyard, was already so excited that tears streamed down his face before he could even speak. Even before he reached the end of the corridor, his cries of "Brother-in-law! It really is Brother-in-law who has returned!" could be heard.

Xi's tears immediately disappeared.

Xi Feijing subconsciously took a step back to avoid Xie's father's roaring body that was about to pounce on him.

Xie's father stumbled and almost fell to the ground, but fortunately Xi's wife reached out and pulled him up, sobbing as he wiped away his tears while holding Xi's wife's sleeve: "Now that my brother-in-law is back, I'm not in a hurry to leave. I want to get drunk with my brother-in-law for a few days!"

Xi Feijing pulled him away with disdain, grabbed his sister's sleeve and pulled it back. He didn't rush to talk to him, but instead examined Xi Shi for a long time before he felt relieved and smiled, "You look alright. This incident didn't frighten you, did it?"

Madam Xi was not surprised that Xi Feijing seemed to know everything, but since there were many people around, she instructed, "Let's go inside and talk."

After the group went inside and closed the door, Madam Xi finally smiled and said, "This time, it's all thanks to Ninth Brother's meticulousness. He noticed the trouble the Guo family was in and immediately came back to report, which is why we have peace now." She then repeated Xie Qi's words to Xi Feijing, "Now that we've lost some money to avoid disaster, although our family has lost some of its wealth, we won't starve. We can live frugally from now on. As long as we're alive, we'll have plenty of firewood to burn."

Xi Feijing was surprised to find that the Xie family's transformation was related to Ninth Brother. He was first astonished, then delighted: "I didn't expect Ninth Brother to have such insight at such a young age. Where is he? I haven't seen him."

Father Xie interjected, sobbing, "Ninth Brother went to Louze Garden to pay respects to Mr. Xu on behalf of Third Brother."

"Why are you still crying?" Xi Feijing frowned, then thought of the Xu family, and his brows furrowed even more. "It's best not to get involved with the Xu family. It's not that I'm heartless, although we all know that Mr. Xu died unjustly, his family's misfortune is no one else's fault but their own. The Xu family's dealings with the Prince of Jin were already exposed during the late emperor's reign. I can't say much about the secrets. Back then, we and Third Brother suffered because we didn't know the inside story. Now the Xie family has finally managed to cross the river like a clay Buddha. At a time like this, we mustn't displease the Emperor."

Previously, Xi Feijing had no idea why the noble and virtuous Mr. Xu and his family had been poisoned and, after their deaths, the late emperor decreed that they should not be buried in the ancestral hall, and their bodies should be thrown into the Louze Garden. Later, after learning the inside story, he realized that there must be something hateful about those who are pitiful.

Mr. Xu was indeed innocently implicated. However, being of the same clan and bearing the same surname, he was powerless to change the late emperor's decree after being punished. The current emperor, having ascended the throne, could not easily alter the late emperor's will, and thus could only perpetuate the misunderstanding and remain ambiguous.

Madam Xi sighed: "I know, but Mr. Xu was kind to Third Brother. Their graves don't have tombstones, and apart from family members, no one knows who Ninth Brother went to pay respects to... Besides, this year may be the last time."

After a pause, she spoke in a deep voice about the Xie family's current plans, "Since my brother has just returned, I'll tell him the truth. Now that Ah Chong has resigned from his official post and is at home, several of the Xie family's nephews and sons who were officials elsewhere have also resigned after receiving the letter. From now on, there will be no more members of the Xie family in the officialdom. So I'm thinking of having this conspicuous mansion sold through a middleman, and then we can move back to our old house in Chenzhou with our families, so that we can support the Cui family."

The Cui family was also affected, and Cui Sicao was stripped of his official position. However, like the Xie family, he was able to "surrender" after receiving a letter. The officials did not exterminate these families who "knew the situation" and left them with some wealth and face, so that the entire clan would not starve.

Xi Feijing pondered for a moment: "Alright, but what about Ninth Brother? Doesn't he still need to take the exam?"

Xi said, "Buy him a small house in the inner city and assign a few people to look after him. He is self-reliant and doesn't need anyone to worry about him. He usually stays at the academy anyway, so it's fine."

“That’s good too. The Xie family has retired gracefully, and in the future… there will always be opportunities to return to officialdom.” Xi Feijing nodded in agreement, glancing at “Achong,” who had just stopped sobbing. This was Xie’s father’s childhood name. He was a premature baby and almost didn’t survive, so his family gave him a humble childhood name.

“My two good-for-nothing brothers even argued over selling the house and moving, and they still dream of being reinstated to their official positions. They quarrel all day long and almost made Mother sick.” Father Xie twirled the corner of his handkerchief to wipe the moisture from his eyes. The Xie family was not harmonious either. There was pressure from the outside and infighting within, which was already disheartening.

Father Xie was not good at handling such worldly affairs, and when Madam Xi, as the eldest sister-in-law, argued with them, she only got herself into trouble. In the end, she was forced to say coldly to the matriarch of the Xie family, "If you want to divide the family, you might as well strangle me first."

While the parents are alive, the second and third wives are reluctant to part with the mansion, let alone the money and land they have given away. Using the division of the family property as a threat is nothing short of cursing the matriarch to die young.

The two brothers were so unfilial, and they even conspired to pressure their father, the eldest brother, which made him very angry. He and his wife, Lady Xi, were outnumbered and outmatched. At this time, Xi Feijing arrived, which was like a divine intervention. As his brother-in-law, he felt as if he had found a pillar of support and felt confident. That's why he was so excited that he cried tears of joy.

"Brother-in-law, you'll have to stand up for them later and give those two good-for-nothing sons a good scolding." Father Xie said angrily, puffing out his chest. His words were full of: My wife's most capable and troublesome brother is here. Let's see if you still dare to spout nonsense!

Whenever disputes arose regarding the division of family property, the maternal uncles of each brother's wife's family would be present. And naturally, the brothers of the Xi family were the most powerful.

Xi said calmly, "When my elder brother arrived, the servants must have gone to inform my second and third brothers, but they cowered and dared not come. They must know that they are in the wrong and that they have no grounds for argument."

After listening, Xi Feijing smiled and said, "I don't need to do this. Chun Jun, you and A Chong don't need to pay attention to them. Let them make a fuss for a few more days. When the Guo and Xue families are sentenced to exile and are about to be escorted out of the capital, you can take them to see for themselves. The lesson of the past will be right in front of them. Will they still dare to make a fuss? They are too short-sighted. The Xie family has been a great family for hundreds of years. It is not what it used to be, but which great family's future is not measured in hundreds of years? It doesn't matter if they fall behind for a while. After two or three generations, the world will be a completely different place."

The Emperor is currently in his prime, and because of the Prince of Jin's affair, he is extremely disgusted with the aristocratic families. Since his family does not have the ability to change the world, he can only endure it until the next Emperor, and the next Emperor after that, when there will eventually be an opportunity.

They survived the Huang Chao Rebellion deep in the mountains and forests back then, so what's a little house raid like this? Don't make a fuss.

Xi had originally planned to do the same, and nodded in agreement.

After exchanging a few more words, Xi Feijing felt relieved and resumed his carefree demeanor, lazily sitting in the rocking chair where Xie's father usually read, crossing his legs, and casually picking up a storybook to read.

Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Madam Xi knew that her brother was not leaving today. She smiled and went out to instruct the servants: "Have Chef Fang bake a few batches of cricket cakes from Madam Chen's house. Brother, have you just arrived? You must be tired from the journey. It would be good to have some pastries to fill your stomach."

Xi Feijing couldn't reveal the secret edict, so he gave a vague reply. Upon hearing the name "Shen Niangzi," he turned around and asked curiously, "How many Shen Niangzi are there in Bianjing? I've heard of several Shen Niangzi these past few days: the Shen Niangzi who grills fish, the Shen Niangzi who makes flatbread, the Shen Niangzi who's good at making duck, and the Shen Niangzi you mentioned in your letter who makes soup noodles. How come there are so many Shen Niangzi?"

Lady Xi covered her mouth and laughed, "All the Lady Shens you mentioned are the same person. She has excellent skills, a quick mind, and can do everything. She has only been in Bianjing for less than a year, but everyone already knows her."

I see, that explains it.

Xi Feijing thought to himself, "This Lady Shen is indeed quite capable. Even the Emperor knows about her and still thinks about her roasted duck every day."

He was quite interested and thought he would have to try it out later.

Xi wanted to have a private conversation with Xi Feijing, so she sent Xie's father out again: "Achong, go and urge the kitchen to prepare a good feast so that we can entertain your brother tonight."

"Yes, yes, it's rare for my brother-in-law to come, I'll go right away." Father Xie then quickly got up and left.

After Xie's father left, Xi asked Xi Feijing if his rheumatism was getting better. Xi Feijing had been guarding the border for many years and liked to personally lead small teams out for flanking raids. He often slept in the snow and drank ice, and before he was thirty, he had contracted rheumatism. He didn't like to complain and never told anyone, so only his closest relatives knew about it.

Xi Feijing did not answer, but looked at Xi Shi and asked, "Chun Jun, what about you? How are you?"

His younger sister, like him, had a natural talent for martial arts and leading troops since childhood. Xi Feijing never looked down on women. The previous dynasty had Princess Li Sanniang, who guarded Niangziguan Pass. Why couldn't his Xi family have Xi Erniang? He originally wanted to take his sister to the battlefield, so that the brother and sister could work together, eating, sleeping, and fighting the Liao dogs every day. What a wonderful life that would be!

As it turns out, Chun Jun only stayed in Bianjing for half a year when she returned to the capital with her father to report on her work, and she was actually kidnapped by that pretty boy from the Xie family!

How could he not be angry? Yue Teng had his elder brother to rely on, so he should have had a younger sister too! Moreover, Chun Jun was originally a divine weapon forged by Ou Yezi, capable of cutting through endless craggy rocks, how could it be sheathed like this!

Xi was taken aback, recalling how her brother had been furious when she decided to marry into the Xie family. She smiled and said, "I've been married into the Xie family for over twenty years, and you still ask me this! No matter how many times you ask, I always say the same thing: I'm fine. Brother, you always feel sorry for me, but I love A-Chong. I've never regretted marrying A-Chong all these years."

Xi Feijing curled his lip in resentment. "Hmph."

Xi shook her head. There are many ways to live life, whether it's through iron horses and icy rivers or gentle breezes. No one can live for another, and no one can tell you what the best way is.

The two then started talking about other things. Xi Feijing noticed that it was getting late and wondered, "Why hasn't Ninth Brother come back yet? How come he's been mourning Mr. Xu for so long?" He also missed his nephew.

Although in the past, whenever his little nephew came to Youzhou, he would be implicated, falling off his horse, getting food stuck in his teeth, and needing to wear seventeen or eighteen amulets to feel at ease before going to war, he still loved him very much.

After a moment's thought, Xi smiled and said, "I'm afraid he's gone to see Madam Chen again. Today is the winter solstice, and before he left, he specifically asked Yanshu to fetch a hanging screen with an embroidered cat design. I guessed he would be returning late today."

Xi Feijing was puzzled again: "What do you mean?"

Suppressing a laugh, Madam Xi sighed, "A son grows up and can't stay at home."

Ninth Brother even came specifically to ask, blushing, to make sure the small house he was to buy was near Jinliang Bridge.

***

No one knows a child better than their mother. Xie Qi was digging kudzu roots with Shen Miao.

Before meeting Xie Qi, Shen Miao and Uncle Shen's family jointly paid respects to their grandparents and parents. After that, the two families had nothing more to say to each other, and they packed up and went home early.

Xiangjie and Jige both kowtowed and wept before their parents' graves, saying many words to their parents' memorial tablets. After wiping away their tears, they diligently took sickles and cut away the weeds and wild grass around the graves that had not been cleared in time.

Just then, they went around to the back, so Shen Miao lit three more incense sticks and poured three cups of wine on the ground, silently praying: "Big sister, may you have peace, joy, happiness and good health in your next life."

After that, he stood up and started pulling weeds around, taking a stroll as well.

Calling it a hill is an understatement; it's more accurate to describe it as a "former mountain." Historically, the three hills outside Bianjing (Kaifeng)—the Big and Small Claws and Yishan—were continuously silted up by the Yellow River's floods over the centuries. By the Ming Dynasty, these three hills were even lower than the riverbed, but they still had some slope, and although you could see the top at a glance, they were still about the height of a few stories.

Bianjing (Kaifeng) is located in a low-lying area and is frequently flooded. There is a local proverb that says, "Kaifeng is a city built on top of another city, with several cities buried underground."

The bustling city of Bianjing today was actually built ten meters above the ancient city of Bianzhou during the Tang Dynasty. Bianzhou of the Tang Dynasty was long ago buried by the flooding Yellow River… and Bianzhou of the Tang Dynasty was, in turn, built on land more than ten meters above the ancient city of Daliang of the Wei Kingdom.

Every time the Yellow River flooded, the terrain of Kaifeng would rise, and eventually, even the three mountains that could originally be called "mountains" disappeared. After Shen Miao finished his worship, he also stood on this small hill and looked into the distance, and suddenly wondered how high these three mountains were originally?

She later visited Henan, but never knew that Kaifeng had mountains. Now she realizes that they were buried underground along with Kaifeng's long history.

The world has changed dramatically, and it feels so amazing to see it all right before my eyes.

The green hills are no longer there, but through the vast expanse of time and space, she once again saw their outline.

Just as she was feeling sentimental, Shen Miao had wandered to the boundary between her family's cemetery and Louze Garden. Suddenly, she noticed a horse's tail swinging back and forth under a tree, chasing away insects, inside the collapsed, rotten fence of Louze Garden.

Shen Miao peeked out again and saw the familiar Rolls-Royce horse, which was tied to a locust tree next to Louze Garden, with no one else around.

Many families have their graves in their own fields. Besides the Shen family, the only other graves in Claw Corner are the countless wandering souls of those who died far from home in Louze Garden.

Why did Ninth Brother come to Louze Garden? His family should have an ancestral hall and family temple.

Xie Qi squatted alone in the corner.

He looked up as the ashes swirled and rose in the wind before him, a hint of melancholy in his eyes and brows.

He had already dug up and read the so-called evidence that Xie Su had hidden in the floor tiles under the bed. The shocking details were too numerous to recount. What was most distressing was that Xie Su had written that after his wrists were secretly severed, he had gone to collect the bodies of Mr. Xu's family.

Back then, the bodies of Mr. Xu and his family of three were exposed deep within Louze Garden, carelessly piled under an old locust tree, and no one bothered to collect them. Even members of the Xu family were made an example of, and no one stepped forward.

Xie Su, having lost an arm, dug for a day and a night with one hand, finally managing to dig a pit and bury them all. Mr. Xu's daughter, only ten years old, vomited blood all over her clothes, her lips were purplish-black, and her innocent round eyes remained wide open until death. Because her body was stiff, it took him tremendous effort to place her intact into the pit. After burying her, he dared not erect a tombstone, only making some marks on a locust tree with stones.

Therefore, Xie Qi came here ostensibly to pay respects to Mr. Xu's family, but in reality, he only burned some paper money on a patch of muddy ground without even a mound, as a token of his remembrance.

I didn't even dare to light a single incense stick.

After burning the paper money and kicking away the ashes, Xie Qi silently walked out of Louze Garden. He had just reached his horse and hadn't even loosened the reins when he met Shen Miao's clear, innocent eyes.

He was taken aback.

Shen Miao smiled first: "Wishing you a peaceful Winter Solstice."

Xie Qi's heavy heart immediately felt lighter. He smiled and bowed deeply, saying, "Madam Chen, may the Winter Solstice bring you good fortune."

Shen Miao curtsied in return: "What brings Ninth Brother here?"

"I'm offering a sacrifice for my brother, to honor an old friend." Xie Qi stepped forward, directly stepping over the dilapidated fence of Louze Garden, and glanced at the remaining incense and candles in Shen Miao's basket. "Is Lady Shen here to offer sacrifices as well?"

"Yes, my father, mother, and grandparents are all buried next to Louzeyuan. That's our family cemetery over there." Shen Miao didn't feel ashamed and answered honestly.

The Shen family were originally just ordinary people, so it was normal for their family graves to be next to a public cemetery. Especially since the Shen family consisted of only two families, Shen Miao and Shen's eldest uncle, and their numbers were small. With Shen's grandparents and parents buried here, they might make many ghost friends from all over the world in the afterlife, so they shouldn't be lonely.

Xie Qi nodded calmly and said, "Since you are Madam Shen's family here, it is fate that we met. I will also offer incense."

Shen Miao was also going back to pick up Xiang Jie'er and Ji Ge'er, so she took Xie Qi and turned back. She watched him light incense and candles, offering three sticks of incense with pious reverence. As she watched him bend down, a gust of wind came.

Shen Miao kept watching his clothes fluttering in the mountain wind, turning slightly, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

The four of them then walked down to the corner of the mountain together.

Xiangjie and Jige picked flowers and weeds behind them, bickering and playing. When they saw their parents' tombstone, they cried, and their deep longing seemed to remain on the grave, making it easier for them to move forward.

Shen Miao and Xie Qi walked ahead, and she asked him in a low voice whether the imperial examination went smoothly and whether his family was safe.

Xie Qi said gently, "It's all good. This year's exam questions were easy, and I did better than in previous years. Although things were a bit hectic at home, nothing really went wrong. I was helping out at home earlier, so I didn't come looking for Madam Shen. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

The exam was easy? Shen Miao blinked. After the exam, many students who were eating soup dumplings and crying poured into the shop. They all said it was very difficult. Could it be that Ninth Brother just predicted the questions correctly?

In any case, it's a good thing!

She breathed a sigh of relief and was very happy for him: "That's good! You've turned bad luck into good!"

Xie Qi felt a warmth in his heart and wanted to ask Shen Miao how she had been these past few days.

Suddenly, Shen Miao stopped and rushed towards the bushes. She grabbed a vine and followed it to the slightly raised root underneath. Exclaimed excitedly, "This is kudzu root!"

Kudzu root can be used to make kudzu root powder, which can be used to thicken sauces. It can also be used to make pudding. Kudzu root powder sheets are also delicious when stir-fried with cured meat. It is a versatile and useful ingredient.

She pulled out a sickle from behind her waist and prepared to dig. Looking at how thick the vines were, the kudzu roots underneath must be quite large.

Xie Qi naturally went along to help.

Shen Miao dug very carefully. After locating the kudzu root, she used a sickle to start digging from a distance of about ten inches from the top of the kudzu plant, gently loosening the surface soil and gradually moving closer to the kudzu bulb. This process required extreme care; if the knife cut directly into the kudzu root, it would easily break it.

After digging for half an hour, we finally dug out the huge kudzu root that was so big it took two hands to hug—perfect!

The kudzu root was large and heavy, so Xie Qi naturally helped to take Shen Miao home. He also naturally took off the bag he was carrying on his horse and took out a hanging screen made of unicorn hair and colorful thread. Although it was small, the Xie family embroiderers were very skilled and the embroidery was very lifelike.

Shen Miao took it in surprise, almost unable to put it down. The embroidery was so exquisite; in later generations, it would be worth thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan.

She then told Xie Qi about Qilin's bravery in catching mice. To her surprise, he was not surprised at all. Instead, he said gently, "In the Xie family, it not only catches mice, but it also catches moths that bump into lamps, cockroaches, and crickets. It can even climb trees to teach birds a lesson for stealing cherries."

Wow, so Qilin is actually the Three-Flower Sheriff!

Qilin had already been submerged by Aunt Gu. It was squatting in the vegetable patch urinating when it saw Xie Qi at the door. It shook the mud off its paws, meowed, and ran over. It rolled over and lay down at Xie Qi's feet, revealing its plump belly, which it then skillfully let him scratch.

Shen Miao also squatted down to pet the cat, rubbing its fluffy belly. She turned her head and asked, "It still likes you the most. Now that everything is settled, are you going to take it back?"

Xie Qi shook his head, his eyes slightly darting away: "There are still some chores at home, so I'll stay at Madam Shen's house for now." He might be moving to the vicinity soon, so why was Qilin still moving around?

After that, Xie Qi took his leave. Although he wanted to stay for dinner at the Shen family's house, it was the Winter Solstice Festival, and he had to go home to reunite with his family. Moreover, it was not appropriate for an outsider like him to stay at the Shen family's house.

But for some reason, he still felt a little reluctant, so with his ears turning red, he gave Shen Miao the scroll of the Nine Cold Days painting that he had rolled up in his sleeve, and whispered, "This is what I painted the other day. When the Nine Cold Days are over, the peach blossoms will bloom. I wish Madam Shen a peaceful and happy winter, and that the cold will pass and spring will come."

He hadn't shown it before because he had actually painted two, hoping to share them with Madam Shen to help her beat the cold.

But I was also inexplicably nervous, so I hesitated until this moment before taking it out, and then mustered up my courage to say some auspicious words that only served to cover up the truth.

Shen Miao didn't think much of it, and accepted it with a smile, even taking out ten copper coins from her pocket: "Here, this is the fee for your writing."

Xie Qi was taken aback, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He nodded, then picked up the copper coins, still warm from Madam Shen's hand, one by one, and held them tightly in his own palm.

His fingertips touched Madam Chen's palm, and the warmth of his hand embraced and blended with the lingering warmth on the copper coin, before gradually fading away.

Xie Qi finally mounted his horse, but even as he rode, he couldn't help but gaze at her. When he spoke again, his voice was warm yet hoarse:

"I'm leaving."

"It's cold, Madam Chen, you should go back first."

Shen Miao nodded, but still stood there holding the Cold-Dispelling Picture for a while, wanting to quietly watch him ride away. But after a while, he suddenly reined in his horse, turned back, and waved to her, as if urging her to go inside.

But she didn't turn back into the courtyard until Xie Qi had crossed the Jinliang Bridge.

In the courtyard, Sister Xiang held the Qilin's front paws and sang a nursery rhyme, the two of them dancing and twisting back and forth.

Ji Ge'er and Chen Chuan were studying the "Song Dynasty Criminal Code" again. Seeing his dedication to the study, Shen Miao even thought about finding a day to take his tuition fee to lawyer Deng and become Chen Chuan's apprentice.

Tang Er and Fu Xing were preparing dinner in the kitchen, while A Tao was teaching You Yu how to braid her own hair. Their shadows were stretched long and slanted by the lamplight.

Shen Miao put the Winter-Dispelling Picture back in her room and hung the Qilin hanging screen above her bed. Her room, which was originally not decorated, immediately became much warmer.

She clapped her hands and went into the kitchen to start cooking.

Today is the Winter Solstice, a night for family reunion. Besides eating wonton soup, how can we forget the mutton that the Song people loved so dearly? Just as people in later generations eat dumplings on most festivals, the Song people, even poor families, would cut off a few ounces of mutton to show their respect on most festivals.

She ordered a lamb, and when she went out to pay respects to her parents during the day, Tang Er had already set up a large pot in the yard, boiled a large pot of water, and was slaughtering the lamb with a swift stroke of his knife.

Although Shen Miao hadn't seen him, as soon as she entered, Fu Xing excitedly described him to her: "Tang Er is amazing! He slaughtered the sheep with just a small dagger. With one cut, he slit the sheep's neck, and with another, he gutted it and started skinning it. Sure enough, in less than a quarter of an hour, he had peeled off a complete sheepskin. There wasn't even a drop of blood on it, and the ground was spotless. He's already taken the sheepskin to the roof to dry, and the mutton has been cut up. We're just waiting for Madam Shen to come back and cook it."

Shen Miao laughed and said, "This lamb is freshly slaughtered and cooked, so it really doesn't need much preparation. Today, let's learn the Hu people's way of eating it. We'll just prepare some salt and chive blossom sauce, and eat hand-pulled mutton! We'll also drink sweet rice wine!"

On the night of the winter solstice, people gather around the stove, eating meat and drinking wine heartily.

Very beautiful.