Snow collection

On a clear winter morning, the plum blossoms in the backyard of the Wen family mansion were in full bloom.

Xuanji, wrapped in a plain cloak, tiptoed under the plum tree, her fingertips gently brushing away the snow on the branches. She had heard Madam Wen mention yesterday that snow water from plum blossoms was the best for brewing tea, so she wanted to pick some early to surprise Madam Wen. However, the snow at the lower branches always contained some impurities.

Xuanji looked around and, seeing no one, lifted the hem of her skirt and tiptoed to the tree. She had often climbed trees to slack off in the music academy when she was young, and was quite skilled at it.

She gripped the rough tree trunk with both hands, pushed off with her toes, and leaped lightly onto the tree. The branches trembled slightly with her movement, and a few petals fluttered down, landing in her hair.

Xuanji tiptoed and gently parted the snow-covered plum branches with her fingertips. Fine snowflakes fell softly, a few of them slipping into her sleeve, making her hiss softly from the cold.

She held the small celadon urn under the plum branch, and with her other hand she carefully brushed the petals, letting the purest snow fall into the urn.

She was engrossed in scooping up snow when she suddenly heard a cold shout from under the tree: "Come down!"

Xuanji turned around and saw a strange man standing a few steps away. He was about twenty years old, extremely tall, and his indigo long robe accentuated his straight shoulders like a pine tree. His eyebrows and eyes were as sharp as ink, and his jawline was cold and hard. His whole person exuded an aloofness that made him unapproachable.

She blinked, not quite understanding at first.

Seeing that she didn't move, the man frowned slightly, his tone even colder: "The rules of the manor forbid maids from climbing the flowers and trees in the garden without permission. Don't you know that?" Xuanji saw that this man could enter the inner courtyard of the Wen manor directly, and spoke in a domineering manner, acting like the master of the house. Recalling what Xiang'er had said before that Senior Brother Li would be returning to the manor in the next few days, she understood a bit more.

Clearly, Li Yi mistook her for a new maid. She could have explained, but seeing his condescending manner, a mischievous thought suddenly arose in her mind. So she deliberately lowered her head and feigned a timid appearance: "This servant...this servant doesn't know...I just saw that the snow on these plum blossoms is very beautiful, and I wanted to pick some to make tea for Madam..."

Li Yi's expression softened slightly, but remained stern: "Although it was out of good intentions, what kind of behavior is it for a woman to climb a tree?" He paused, then added, "What's your name? Which courtyard do you belong to?"

Xuanji lowered her head meekly and said, "This servant... is named Xuanji. I have only been in the manor for a short time and have not yet been assigned any tasks."

“Xuanji?” Li Yi read it aloud, feeling that the name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he had heard it before. However, seeing that she was dressed simply and was indeed an unfamiliar face, he did not think much of it and simply said, “In that case, you should be even more careful in keeping your duties. There’s no need to collect snow anymore. Go back and find the steward to get the rules booklet and copy it ten times.”

Xuanji's eyes widened—copy it ten times? How can this person be even more demanding than the matrons of the music academy?

She straightened up, hands on her hips beneath her cloak, her feigned timidity vanishing completely: "Young Master Li, what great power you have! May I ask which master of this household you are? How dare you punish people so arbitrarily?"

Li Yi was taken aback, clearly not expecting this "little maid" to suddenly change her expression. He narrowed his eyes, his voice deepening: "Since you know my surname is Li, how dare you be so insolent?"

"I don't care if you're surnamed Li or Wang!" Xuanji raised his chin, his eyes gleaming with cunning. "When Mr. Wen accepted his disciples, he didn't say that the flowers and plants in his mansion would be under your care!"

Li Yi finally realized something was wrong: "You're not a maid?"

“When did I say I was?” Xuanji smiled and picked a red plum blossom, twirling it between his fingers. “But Senior Brother Li, you punished someone to copy books on our first meeting. Your way of treating guests is truly unique.”

Li Yi's face stiffened slightly. He suddenly remembered that his master had taken in a new female disciple, but he hadn't expected to meet her under these circumstances. Looking at her bright and lively eyes, he saw no fear whatsoever; she was clearly teasing him on purpose.

His brows furrowed even more: "Yu Xuanji? You're the woman from the music academy?" He looked her up and down, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes. "Indeed rude and uncouth!"

Xuanji was stung by the sarcasm in his words, her cheeks burning with anger, but she refused to back down: "What's wrong with me picking snow to give to Madam? It's you who's sneaking around under the tree, that's not like a good person!"

The man sneered, "Sharp tongue. The Wen residence is a place for studying and teaching, not a marketplace. Such insolence is not tolerated." He pointed to the ground and commanded, "Get down here immediately."

Xuanji bit her lower lip and stubbornly shook her head: "No way!" After saying that, she turned around and continued to reach for those few red plum blossoms, deliberately shaking the branches to make a rustling sound, and the petals fell like rain.

Li Yi's face darkened, and he strode forward. Xuanji hurriedly dodged, slipped, and fell from the tree.

At this critical moment, Li Yi suddenly reached out and precisely grabbed Xuanji by the back of his collar. Xuanji felt a tightness around his neck, and was pulled up by a force, swaying in mid-air like a cat being grabbed by the scruff of its neck.

Once she regained her footing, Li Yi immediately let go, taking a step back as if he had touched something unclean, his tone still icy: "If you break your leg, let's see how you still act tough."

Xuanji straightened her disheveled collar, her face burning, and retorted defiantly, "Who asked you to meddle! I can get down by myself."

Li Yi snorted coldly, "You don't know what's good for you," and walked away without looking back.

Xuanji glared at his retreating figure and muttered under her breath, "He really is a nuisance."

The next morning, as soon as Xuanji opened the door, she heard several maids sweeping and cleaning at the end of the corridor whispering among themselves.

"I heard that the new fish girl who arrived yesterday almost fell while climbing a tree to collect snow..."

Xuanji's fingertips suddenly dug into her palm. She turned and walked towards the main courtyard, the hem of her skirt brushing against the unmelted snow under the eaves. It must be Li Yi! He pretends to be virtuous on the surface, but behind her back, he spreads her affairs as a joke throughout the entire mansion.

In the main courtyard, Wen Xiang'er was tiptoeing, tying red ribbons to plum branches. Upon seeing Xuanji, her eyes lit up: "Sister Xuanji! Father is looking for you!"

"Where is the master?" Xuanji's voice was tense.

Wen Xiang'er was startled by her expression and pointed her little finger toward the study. Xuanji was about to take a step when she heard Madam Wen's smiling voice coming from the tea room: "Xuanji, you've come at the right time. Try the freshly brewed plum blossom tea."

Xuanji entered the tea room and saw Madam Wen sitting opposite a young man dressed in an indigo robe, enjoying tea. It was the same man she had met briefly under the plum tree that day.

Madam Wen smiled and beckoned her closer: "This is your senior brother, Li Yi. I suppose you have already met him." She personally poured a cup of tea and pushed it to Xuanji. "Zian is a member of the Li family of Longxi. Your master often praises his writing for its grandeur. In the future, you and your fellow disciples should exchange knowledge more often."

Li Yi rose and bowed, his tone much gentler than before: "Junior Sister." His gaze swept across her face before falling back down. "I didn't know you were Junior Sister that day, and I was very rude to you."

Xuanji returned the greeting and said softly, "Senior brother, you flatter me." But inwardly he was secretly grumbling.

In the tea room, Wen Tingyun was fiddling with an exquisite bronze tea stove. When he saw Xuanji enter, he smiled and pointed to the open scroll on the table: "This passage in the Classic of Tea is wonderful—'Plum blossom snow water must be slowly brewed with pine charcoal.' The snow that Xuanji collected yesterday is quite fitting."

Xuanji felt a tightness in his chest. "Master, I know I was wrong."

Wen Tingyun paused in his hand holding the teapot. Madam Wen put down her embroidery frame and exchanged a puzzled look with her husband.

"Where did we go wrong?" Wen Tingyun asked gently.

“The mistake was… I shouldn’t have climbed the tree to collect snow, which embarrassed my husband.” She bit her lip. “And I shouldn’t have trusted others so easily.” She secretly glanced at Li Yi.

Wen Tingyun coughed lightly, but his eyes were filled with a smile: "Xuanji, I'm not trying to blame you." He suddenly took out an exquisite bamboo pole from under the table. The pole was smooth all over, with a small net woven from thin rope cleverly fixed at the top, and a few sparse ink plum blossoms were carved on the pole.

"This was used last year to collect snow from plum blossoms for brewing tea." He handed over the long pole, his tone gentle. "Next time you need to collect snow from higher places, would you like to use this?"

Xuanji's ears burned, and she held the teacup, speechless. Madam Wen gently patted her hand: "The snow was picked very well, and the tea is especially fragrant. But..." She suddenly straightened her face, "If I hear that you jumped down from such a tall tree again, you'll be punished by copying the 'Admonitions for Women'."

"How does Madam even know this..." Xuanji muttered softly, secretly glaring at Li Yi. He, however, lowered his eyes and sipped his tea, appearing completely indifferent.

The matter was considered closed, but Xuanji secretly made a note of it in his heart—there would be plenty of opportunities to learn from this Senior Brother Li in the future.