Wanran and A Shui settled in a small county town in the north and rented a small courtyard for a short period of time. It was somewhat similar to the small courtyard on Wuliu Street.

The summer here is not as hot as in Beijing, but the climate is dry and it doesn't rain three times a month.

On the way here, I had already sent a letter back to Jiang Ling and others. I was afraid that they would send anything again, so I hid the address and sent it back on the way.

Jiang Ling must have been about to scold him for being scheming when she received the letter. Thinking of this, Wanran couldn't help laughing. He packed up the house and went out with A Shui.

He and A Shui found an umbrella shop and worked as apprentices, which was also considered helping hands. They were provided with food every day and given some wages. The two of them quietly made umbrellas in the backyard of the umbrella shop.

Bamboo thorns are sharp, and after a day, the pair of hands had been pierced with many small cuts. On the way back in the evening, Ah Shui saw it and frowned, advising him to stop doing it, saying that it would be a pity to roughen such a pair of delicate hands.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the small red scars on his hands, remembering that Jiang Ling seemed to have praised his hands.

When he danced, she often stared at the flowers on his arm.

"I've bandaged it. I'll just wear a thicker bandage tomorrow. I promised the boss, so I can't go back on my word."

Ah Shui hurried to call the doctor, telling him to go back first. He walked slowly and passed by the rouge shop. He stopped unconsciously, lowered his head and walked in with an uncomfortable look on his face.

When Ah Shui came back after calling the doctor, he noticed the ointment on the bamboo cabinet beside the bed, lowered his head and smiled, pretending not to see it.

The two of them stayed in the umbrella shop for the entire summer and became quite skilled at tying umbrellas.

When autumn came, the two of them went to help the surrounding farmers with the autumn harvest. They left early and returned late, leaving in the morning dew and returning in the evening glow. As they went on, Ah Shui looked at him and smiled, "Young Master, you seem to have lost weight and become darker."

Wanran was startled, and when he passed by the pond, he stopped and looked at the water.

It seems to be a little darker.

He frowned, hesitating whether to go to the rouge shop again on his way home.

Ah Shui hid his smile, seeing his concern, and said seriously, "But your skin is whiter than snow. After a few days of winter care, it will be white again." His voice gradually became quieter, with a hint of teasing, "There's no need to waste the cream and ointment..."

Wanran lowered his eyes, covered his lips with his fists and coughed twice, "Hurry... let's go, the sun is about to rise."

After saying that, he strode forward, but his pine-and-bamboo-like back always seemed a little embarrassed.

Winter in the north is much more unbearable than in the capital, and the nights are also colder.

After washing up, Wanran entered the room and saw Ah Shui making his bed, carefully laying out a sheepskin mattress.

He asked where it came from, and Ah Shui replied with a smile while spreading it out: "The young lady secretly gave it to me, and also gave me a lot of thick cotton clothes. She was afraid that it would be cold in winter, but she didn't let you know."

After so long, A Shui is still used to calling her Miss Jiang Ling.

He turned around and chuckled, "Miss is kind enough to prepare one for me as well."

When he turned off the lights and lay down at night, letting the north wind howl outside, Wanran felt warm all over.

Half a year has passed since I left Beijing in the blink of an eye. Now, accompanied by the biting north wind, I suddenly feel a sense of longing.

The word "miss" had never occurred to him before.

Before leaving the palace, he lived cautiously every day, just thinking about living a more comfortable life. He had no other emotions except regret for his mother whom he had never met. He thought that even if she was alive, she would probably be bullied like him.

After leaving the palace, under Pei Yu's control, he no longer missed her. Who did he miss? What did he miss? His days in the palace? They weren't much better than now. Later, he escaped and became a dancer in Ruyifang. While dancing brought him some joy, he didn't know what to miss when he was being beaten by Huang Shou.

Now I feel a little bit of the longing.

And these experiences came after I met Jiang Ling.

Missing her, Doctor He, Jing'an, Xiaojia and the others, as well as Uncle Wang and Aunt Liu in the courtyard.

The capital city, which was full of conspiracies and calculations in his mind, now made him miss it a little.

He suddenly remembered what Jiang Ling asked him before leaving Beijing.

"When will you be back?"

He said: “I don’t know, but I will come back.”

Because she is in the capital.

If she were here, he would be back.

The sheepskin mattress beneath him worked, making his hands and feet no longer cold.

But Wanran thought it was because of Jiang Ling.

She is always like this.

In his eyes, pure and gentle.

Now he is even more aware of her power. Even if he can't see her, just feeling her care makes him feel warm like spring.

I'll write her a letter in a few days, he thought.

After a good night's sleep, Wanran got up in the morning and washed up, then took A Shui to the dance studio.

By chance, the master of the dance studio saw him dancing and was deeply impressed. Among the young dancers in the north, there were few with Wan Ran's exquisite dancing skills. The master sincerely wanted him to stay in the studio and offered him a generous salary.

Wanran just shook her head.

Now that he was finally out of jail, he didn't want to be held back by anything, not even his favorite dance music.

Although the abbot was disappointed, he did not make things difficult for him. Wanran then said that he could dance for the dance studio for three days as a way of thanking the abbot for his appreciation. The abbot was naturally overjoyed.

It was the New Year's Day and many people were looking for fun. Wanran's dance was loved by many people.

On the way home, A Shui talked excitedly, praising him and describing the scene of the people cheering and praising him.

Wanran listened with a smile, letting him talk to his heart's content before going back to the room to rest.

Under the candlelight, he unfolded the letter paper and picked up his pen to write.

"...The owner of the dance hall was kind and amiable, and wanted me to stay. I performed three songs for the dance hall as a token of my gratitude. The people of the city loved my dance, and their joyful expressions were truly moving."

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