Su Yan chose a side room in the house that was closest to the small gate, with charcoal burning beside the long table.
A small purple clay teapot rests on the charcoal.
Ye Panjiu asked, "What is the origin of this pot?"
Su Yan smiled and said, "It was a gift from a friend. He loves tea, and I am far inferior to him in terms of knowledge about tea."
"I'm not really good at appreciating tea. I'll drink it whenever it's available, and I don't really care about the quality."
The two chatted casually and relaxedly about a wide range of topics.
We got so engrossed in our conversation that we didn't even notice how much time had passed.
A cold wind was blowing outside, but the Wang residence was peaceful and tranquil.
The streets outside were bustling with people, all with smiles on their faces, walking and looking around with their families.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, I returned to my parents' home.
Before coming to Shuzhou, Sun and Liu had already taken New Year's gifts and returned to their parents' home.
The other members of the Ye family also do not need to return to their parents' home.
Ye Panjiu went to the government office and found Duan Jingcheng.
Although it was only the second day of junior high school, Lord Duan was still working diligently at his desk.
Su Yan looked on with great satisfaction, "I knew I wasn't wrong, Junior Brother, you're quite good."
Duan Jingcheng listened with excitement, "I'm still far behind my senior brother."
Su Yan is a pillar of support for countless students from impoverished families across the country. Almost every high school student from a poor family will first visit Su Yan's residence to pay their respects.
Su Yan did not accept gifts, nor did he put on airs; he never refused visits from these people.
Whether it was a ninth-rank official or a lower-ranking official, he would show concern and give detailed instructions.
Duan Jingcheng studied with Su Yan, but he could never keep up with his senior's pace. No matter how hard he tried, he found that his senior was working even harder than him.
He read until midnight, and the next day when he woke up, he heard his junior brother say that his senior brother had gotten up to study at 1-3 AM.
So he kept trying to get closer to his senior.
Su Yan patted his shoulder, "Just do your best."
Ye Panjiu smiled and said, "Lord Duan, I want to buy the Wang family's house."
Duan Jingcheng was taken aback. "That's the residence of a disgraced official..."
Ye Panjiu waved her hand, "It's alright, Lord Duan, please name your price."
This put Duan Jingcheng in a dilemma. "The person in charge of this matter is off today. Why don't you come back after the New Year?"
Ye Panjiu was both amused and exasperated. "I was too hasty. Let's talk about it after the New Year. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Lord Duan."
As she walked out of the government office, Ye Panjiu let out a deep sigh.
It turns out that spending time with family and not working during the Lunar New Year is the norm.
Su Yan comforted her, "No one will buy this house. If it does sell, I'll buy it for you."
Ye Panjiu shook her head, "No need for that. Is there anything else fun to do in Shuzhou? Let's go have some fun."
Su Yan raised an eyebrow. "Then let's go sightseeing."
That's how it is during the New Year. Apart from Su Yan having dinner at the Luo residence on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, he spends all his time with Ye Panjiu.
The Ye family saw this but said nothing and did not disturb them.
The two would either drink tea and chat, stroll through the snow in the bamboo forest outside Shuzhou City, or climb the snow-capped mountains together, quietly waiting for the sunrise and sunset, and seeing the vastness of the world.
Their behavior was never out of line. Yet they both felt that true friends were hard to find, and they were never short of things to talk about.
Often, one person describes a cloud, and the other immediately understands the deeper meaning hidden within that cloud.
On the afternoon of the seventh day, Su Yan bid farewell to the Ye family.
Everyone gave him a New Year's gift in return.
The old man Ye gave him a strangely shaped stone that he had bought on the street.
The gift from Grandma Ye was a blessing she had obtained at a temple.
All of them are not considered expensive items.
Su Yan accepted them all; it was rare for him to receive so many gifts.
The gift may be small, but the sentiment is profound.
Ye Panjiu escorted him all the way to a pavilion outside the city gate of Shuzhou.
The pavilion was surrounded by bamboo groves, and there was no one else around.
She looked in the direction of the capital and said, "May your journey be long and smooth."
The north wind ruffled Ye Panjiu's hair, and Su Yan asked, "After this parting, I wonder when we will meet again."
Ye Panjiu smiled, "If you want to see me again, we can do it anytime. I will continue to write to you, but wouldn't that be too tiring for Yanyu?"
Su Yan glanced at Yan Yu, who was leading a horse in the distance, and said, "I'll give him a bonus. I think ordinary couriers are too slow."
"There's nothing we can do about that."
All I could do was ask Yan Yu to make sure he had a good meal whenever he sent a letter.
"This is a parting gift for you. You can read it when you get back to the capital." Ye Panjiu took out an envelope and handed it to Su Yan.
Su Yan solemnly tucked it into his lapel. "Okay."
Neither of them spoke for a moment, yet neither of them left.
Finally, Yan Yu called out, "My lord, if we don't set off now, we'll miss the morning court session."
Ye Panjiu waved her hand, "Go quickly."
Su Yan raised his hand, paused, and said, "Take care."
He turned around, withdrew his hand, and quickly walked back to his horse.
He leaped onto his horse, and with a flick of the reins, the horse shot forward like an arrow.
Yan Yu bowed deeply to Ye Panjiu and quickly followed.
The north wind lifted the hem of Ye Panjiu's skirt, and she stood there for a while.
She saw Su Yan raise his hand just now; people in ancient times were always reserved.
Her heart was beating a little fast.
Ye Panjiu lifted her foot to go home.
The sound of horses' hooves grew louder as she approached, and she looked up with some confusion.
Su Yan grabbed the reins, leaped off his horse, and ran quickly toward her.
He pulled her into a tight embrace. "I apologize for overstepping my bounds. I hope you will forgive me."
Ye Panjiu smiled and put her arm around him. "I have overstepped my bounds. I hope you will forgive me."
Su Yan's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest, and he looked down at her.
Ye Panjiu raised an eyebrow at him, "What, is your Excellency unwilling? Then so be it..."
Before she could finish speaking, Su Yan cupped her chin with one hand and lowered his head.
Their lips touched briefly before parting.
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