Extra: Snow in May and February
It was early February, and a sudden, unseasonable cold snap had struck. The chill was like a glass dome covering the capital. Even though the sun was still shining brightly, the cold seeped up from the soles of my feet. Grandma He stood at the doorway, gazing at the sky. She stamped her feet to shake off the chill and ordered the maid to quickly light the ground dragon. "Light two more fumigation baskets in the rooms of the brothers and sisters, and have the maids watch over them to prevent them from catching a cold." After a moment's thought, she added, "The same goes for those over there. Don't let them get sick from the cold and cause trouble again."
The old woman smiled and agreed, praising her mistress's kindness and virtue for a few moments before she left. Just then, a daughter-in-law, dressed in a tight-fitting skirt, excitedly ran down the corridor and said, "Grandma, Uncle An from the stables got back early and said the master has arrived at the city gate and is just waiting for him to unload the carts of medicine at the shop before returning."
Grandma He's face was filled with joy: "This time we'll be back soon after our long journey. Go and tell the brothers and sisters that Dad is coming back. Hurry up and take out those calligraphy and paintings you practiced in the past so that Master can see them and be happy."
The daughter-in-law was very smart and responded with a smile.
The husband was about to return from his long journey, so Grandma He was naturally busy. She first prepared several large buckets of hot water, herbal baths to relieve fatigue, clean underwear and robes, and heated the kang. Thinking that he would not have had lunch by this time, she asked the kitchen to prepare a few dishes that the husband liked. When the children came in, she asked them to wait on the kang in the inner room...
Tuantuan was busy for a long time, and it was already evening when a sweaty old woman came running out the door, her face full of anger and contempt. She said, "Grandma, the master is back, but that troublemaker is making trouble again! He asked a little maid to block the door, and when she saw the master, she cried and howled, asking him to come and see, saying that Concubine Cao is dying of illness!"
This kind of trick was not the first time played by that side. Grandma He didn't bother to pay attention to it at first, because her husband didn't like that side anyway. But now, seeing her two children eagerly waiting for their father to come back, she couldn't help but feel angry.
Grandma He's family was from the military. She had been influenced by her father and brothers since she was a child, and had developed a temper as violent as a sword. Without saying a word, she turned around and strode out the door. When she stepped over the threshold, she swung it vigorously, and the thick quilted brocade curtain hit the door frame with a heavy "bang".
The He residence was small and exquisite, with only three and a half halls in total. After just a few steps, Grandma He reached the west courtyard. Without waiting for the maid in the courtyard to report, she strode into the house with big strides. Just as she half-opened the curtain of the inner room, she saw a woman in plain undergarments half-leaning on the bed, her chest half-open, revealing half of her pink and tender breasts, set off by a sparkling water-red bellyband.
Aunt Cao was very delicate, with disheveled hair. She caressed her chest with one hand and held the man beside the bed tightly with the other. She said sadly, "Cousin, cousin, you are so cruel. You haven't even come to see me all these days..."
The man looked dusty and his voice was tired: "I'm out doing some shopping, how can I come to see you?"
Aunt Cao stared at the man with tearful eyes, her voice becoming increasingly tender: "Before that, if I hadn't been so shameless, my cousin wouldn't even want to look at me! Even if I died, I'm afraid no one would know!"
The man placed one hand on her pulse and said absentmindedly, "There's nothing wrong with your body. You're just a little depressed. I'll prescribe some dispersing medicine." He had heard so many stories of life and death over the years that he had become numb to them.
Aunt Cao secretly resented him. If it were just an ordinary man, it would be fine, but he was a first-class doctor. She couldn't pretend to be sick. Seeing the man about to get up and leave, she quickly grabbed his sleeve and cried, "Cousin, please have pity on me!"
Then she hung half of her body on the man, and said sadly and tactfully: "... Ever since my aunt passed away a few years ago, my cousin doesn't like to see me. I know I'm wrong. I've been a burden to my cousin all these years. He's either taking medicine or taking supplements. I think he must have been tired of me a long time ago. But I can't stop breathing. I just hope that I can be with my cousin forever, but my sister won't let me set foot in her place..."
Grandma He couldn't stand it any longer. She yanked the curtain and rushed in. She dragged Aunt Cao away from the man and threw her to the ground, cursing, "Bitch! Do you have any shame? You're leaving your clothes open, your breasts exposed, and your mother-in-law has only been dead for a few months?! Your husband is still in mourning, and you're so mean to seduce men like this! You're so hungry, I'll go find some strong men outside to help you relieve your anger! Why bother to blame your husband for being unfilial!"
Aunt Cao had always been afraid of this powerful mistress, especially after her aunt passed away, when she had once experienced a beating from the mistress herself. Her face flushed red, and she lay on the ground sobbing, "...Grandma, why...why are you talking so harshly! I...I won't live anymore..."
Grandma He had no sympathy for women. She spat on her and said disdainfully, "You'd better die soon! I'm afraid you won't die, and you're just looking for an opportunity to harm others! Your mother-in-law treats you so kindly, but you shameless bastard, what did you do while she was seriously ill? You still have the nerve to cry with such shame! You actually drugged your husband and asked a dirty little bitch to crawl on the bed, trying to bring a bastard into the house to cause trouble! Your mother-in-law could have dragged it out for another six months, but you made her so angry that she died before even a year had passed!"
Aunt Cao covered her face and just cried non-stop: "If you hate me, grandma, I will obey you even if you hit me or scold me, but don't wrongly accuse me! I am also thinking about the He family. My cousin has only one son and one daughter so far, why not take in concubines and expand the family! I am useless myself, so I found someone who is easy to bear children. Who knew that girl had ulterior motives? I don't know..."
Grandma He was furious. She kicked Cao, knocking her half over and cursing, "Bah! Who are you trying to fool? If it weren't for my grandmother's early warning, you would have succeeded. Just for this, I'll skin you alive and no one will stand up for you! Filthy things like you, it's filthy to even step on my territory!"
Cao was pinched so hard by the mistress that she wanted to throw herself at the man's feet, but was kicked over by Grandma He. Cao rolled on the ground and cried, "Cousin, are you just going to watch me get beaten and scolded like this?"
The man stood by the door, his expression still indifferent, as if the fight between the two women had nothing to do with him. "She is the mistress, and you are the concubine. She wants to teach you, so just bear with it. ... I'm tired, I'll go back first."
After saying that, he turned and left the house.
Grandma He was very proud and called the maids and the servants outside to come in. Seeing that no one could help her, Cao was panicked. She knelt beside the mistress and was about to plead, but saw two maids carrying a little maid in with a fork. Her cheeks were swollen and bleeding from being slapped. She cried out in disbelief, "Qiu'er, how did they beat you like this?!"
This is the only trusted maid left by Cao. It was she who went to the door to block the man just now.
Grandma He kicked Cao away, walked to the window and sat down. She surveyed the room full of servants and said slowly, "I said this before the New Year. I don't tolerate any injustice. Don't think you can get away with it..." She pointed at Qiu'er, who lay limp on the ground, and said coldly, "...you're just trying to go against me for a few pieces of silver! Someone, since this girl is so close to Concubine Cao, send her indenture to the Cao family!"
Qiu'er trembled all over. She had been with Concubine Cao for so long, how could she not know the Cao family's situation? They were so poor that even the Cao family's wives had to do the cooking and cooking themselves. They were starving, and the men in the Cao family were all vicious. If she, an innocent girl, went there, wouldn't she be walking into a tiger's mouth?! She was afraid that once they got tired of her, she would be sold to a brothel!
She was so frightened that she wanted to beg for mercy, but she found herself shaking so violently that she couldn't even speak. She was then dragged out by two maids.
The maids around were so quiet that they didn't even dare to make a sound.
"Pull her up here!" Grandma He shouted majestically, and the two daughters-in-law grabbed Cao's arms and dragged her to their front.
Grandma He rolled up her sleeves and raised her thick palms high. The sound of flesh hitting flesh could be heard. Cao was slapped from both sides more than a dozen times, her face and lips were broken, and she begged for mercy incoherently.
"...At first I thought you were a good girl. You were a young lady from a wealthy family who had suffered misfortune and been demoted. You had endured enough hardship in that remote village. I wanted to treat you well, with good food and drink, and be polite to you..." Grandma He was so happy that she slowly lowered her sleeves and said sarcastically, "Who knew you were so greedy? You are such a shameless person, even when I give you favors! How come that little bitch just climbed onto the kang seven or eight days ago and now she's two months pregnant?"
Concubine He deliberately humiliated the Cao family in front of everyone, and her words became increasingly rude: "Hmph, don't play dumb. My husband and I have already found out. That bitch has been going to the Cao family every few days to pass on information and things to you, and has been flirting with your brothers. It doesn't matter whose bastard in her belly is born, it's all surnamed Cao. Haha, you Cao family have such a good idea, but you actually want to plot against the He family's property like this! I tell you, dream on! Grandma and Grandmother have already seen through it and are just waiting for you to commit suicide!"
Ever since her daughter-in-law showed signs of being on her last legs, the old lady of the He family knew that the Cao family was impatient to cause trouble, so she told her granddaughter-in-law to wait and see, so that she could catch the person red-handed, and at the same time, to prevent her daughter-in-law from making unreasonable demands before her death.
As a result, before Mrs. He died, she only had enough strength to plead for her niece, and she could not say anything else. Thinking of her shrewd and insightful grandmother, Grandma He felt both grateful and admired.
After her plan was exposed, Cao was very quiet for a while and hid herself away from people. Unexpectedly, she returned to her old ways after just a few months. Grandma He had been holding her anger and had been waiting for today's excuse to deal with her!
"You stay here obediently. My mother-in-law told me to take good care of you before she died! My husband and I remember this and will not let you go without food and clothing. But if you dare to have any evil thoughts again, there are so many nunneries outside the city, and so many powerful abbots. I have plenty of ways to deal with you!"
After a round of threats and scolding, Grandma He felt much better. After throwing the crying Cao to bed, she reassigned her two "useful" maids and a few other "rule-abiding" women.
She returned to her room contentedly, only to find her husband had finished bathing and was sitting on the kang chatting and laughing with their children. The youngest child was naughty, holding up a large crooked character and demanding his father's approval, and even climbed onto his shoulders and played around. The eldest daughter was quiet, sitting on the edge of the kang with her little feet up, asking and answering questions with her father about the "Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" she had just finished reading. The father held his squirming son in his arms, looking at his daughter with eyes full of pride.
Grandma He's heart was filled with warmth and joy.
"Well, you two monkeys, why don't you come down!" Grandma He said with a smile, "Your father hasn't eaten yet!"
As she approached the kang, her son climbed up the vines and said in a baby voice, "Mom, my sister and I will accompany Dad to eat. I will serve him the food and pour him some wine."
"Bah! With you around, how can your father eat in peace?... All right, Sister Shu, take your little monkey brother back home!"
Shu Jie'er turned around, covered her mouth and chuckled, then pinched her brother's ears and dragged him away.
The couple watched their two children go out with a smile, and then Grandma He quickly asked the maid to put the food on the table on the kang, and she personally brought the hot rice wine and poured a glass for her husband.
"Is your experience going well this time, my husband?" Grandma He had just finished some snacks, so she didn't need to eat. She just sat opposite him and kept him company. "Doctor Huang from Bao'an Hall has been here twice. He said he has a prescription he'd like to discuss with you. Someone from Duke Yan's residence has come and said the pills you took last time were very good. The old lady and the old man really enjoyed them. He asked for more pills and, if it's convenient for you, he'd like to have you come to the house more often to take pulses. Oh, and Doctor Lin from Shuanghua Hutong has decided to retire. He asked you to think about it. Do you really not need him to recommend you to the Imperial Hospital? Although the Imperial Hospital is full of twists and turns, it also contains many ancient prescriptions and medical books that have been lost. If you don't want to go in, you can put up a sign first..."
Director Grandma He is an expert in both housekeeping and socializing. She can almost run half the household.
Doctor He took a sip of his wine and put it down, expressing his sincere gratitude: "You have worked so hard these days, taking care of everything inside and outside. You should also take care of yourself. This time I bought some donkey-hide gelatin and bird's nest for your family. They are for you to eat, don't give them away."
Grandma He laughed and said, "Why are you thanking your husband and wife? I'm in good health."
Doctor He smiled slightly, said nothing more, and lowered his head to eat.
Doctor He is only in his early thirties now. He has handsome features and is usually indifferent. Time has not left many traces on his face, but his eyes have become old, and they always show a sense of fatigue and numbness.
Grandma He looked at her husband for a moment, and suddenly she remembered something from many years ago. She and her husband were both quite old when they got married.
Grandma He's father was originally a low-ranking military officer stationed in Beijing. After Grandma He came of age, he arranged a marriage for her with a family of equal status. The other family was not only a neighbor for many years but also a colleague, a true family friend.
I don’t know whether what happened next was good or bad.
Starting from the late years of the previous Emperor Renzong, several princes and vassal kings plotted rebellion one after another. The current emperor ascended the throne, and then the rebellion was suppressed. A few years later, there was another rebellion, and then the rebellion was suppressed again. There was chaos inside and outside the capital.
Grandma He's father and brothers made great contributions in this series of turmoil. They did the right things and stood on the right side. They were promoted rapidly within a few years. She went from being the daughter of an inconspicuous low-ranking military officer to the daughter of the deputy commander of the South Gate of the Five Cities Army. Her brothers also had good futures - but her fiancé died in the war.
This delay dragged her into her twenties, until the He family came to propose marriage.
Her husband was a good man, having learned excellent medical skills at a young age, and the He family was also a prestigious family. Although it had been rumored that Doctor He had a cousin as a concubine (the Cao family had made several fuss about this), Grandma He was no longer picky, so her parents agreed.
Life after getting married was not difficult. Aunt Cao was not difficult to deal with. What was more important was that the head of the He family, Old Madam He, was still energetic and had a loud voice. She had set an iron rule early on - one of her daughters-in-law, Madam He San and Madam Cao, must live with her in her hometown of Baishitan.
Without her mother-in-law's support, the sturdy Madam He was more than capable of dealing with the concubine Cao, and without Cao by her side, the mother-in-law, Madam He San, could do nothing about her grumbling. She only returned to Baishitan every year for New Year's celebrations, and the presence of Cao and her mother-in-law at the same time was a bit annoying. Fortunately, her husband was a sensible man, and he was mostly perfunctory with his mother. He didn't show as much pity for this cousin Cao as the rumors said, but for his mother's sake, he would visit Cao's room from time to time.
As time went by, Grandma He even felt that her husband actually hated the Cao family deep down in his heart. In order to sow discord between them, Cao had vaguely revealed that her husband had originally had an excellent marriage.
Cao was wrong. Grandma He didn't care at all because she had been engaged herself. And knowing this was even better, she became more and more certain that her husband actually hated Cao in his heart, so she became more and more ruthless in dealing with Cao.
She deserved to be scolded and beaten. She grew up in the city with only two servants in her family. Sometimes she had to follow her mother to the street to buy things. She could curse out all kinds of nasty things at will. Cao was no match for her.
Moreover, as long as he had a legitimate reason, no matter how he dealt with the concubine, Old Lady He would agree with it. Madam He San could only wipe her tears and dared not say anything.
Only then did Grandma He understand why Old Madam He wanted to invite her to be her grandson's wife. Faced with such a shameless cousin and concubine, the Cao family who were like sticky candy and asked for money every day, and such an unreasonable and unreliable mother-in-law - if a young lady with a dignified demeanor, who was either gentle, timid, or dignified, came into the house, I am afraid that not only would the family be in chaos, but the couple would also have fallen out long ago.
It was only like this in my family. Not only was my family background decent, my wife's family could give my son-in-law a certain amount of support, and I myself had a rough and strong personality. I could deal with the concubines first, squeeze out the mother-in-law later, and then turn around and act like a loving couple with my husband.
Before the New Year, Grandma He's mother-in-law, who always said she was about to die but never did, finally died.
With the help of Onion, she acted like a filial wife in front of others, and her crying was so touching - in fact, only a fool would be sad. If it weren't for such a confused mother, with Dr. He's character and talent, he would have been able to marry a noble lady early and revitalize his own family. Would it be her turn?
And the husband didn't seem to be very sad about the death of his widowed mother.
Grandma He could understand. After all these years, she'd long since exhausted her sentimentality. As for Cao... she'd be keeping her in the palm of her hand from now on. If Cao behaved well, she wouldn't make things difficult for her. But if she dared to make a fuss, hmph...
Thinking of this, Grandma He was in a good mood. She smiled as she helped her husband serve the dishes, and occasionally talked about her recent experiences in Beijing.
"...Spring will begin next month, and there will be several happy events in the capital. The most important of these is, of course, the Ningyuan Marquis's eldest daughter getting married..." Before she could finish her words, Doctor He suddenly interrupted, "Didn't the Gu family's eldest daughter get married two years ago? How come there's another young lady?"
Grandma He was a little surprised. Her husband was a slow-paced person, or to put it bluntly, he was very slow-paced. He would even interrupt others when they were talking.
She smiled and said, "My husband, you don't know that the one who got married two years ago was Marquis Gu's biological daughter, and the one who is getting married now is the daughter of Marquis Gu's deceased brother. Speaking of which, she is also the Marquis's legitimate daughter. This Miss Gu is betrothed to the eldest son of the Yongchang Marquis's mansion. They are truly a perfect match, both rich and noble!"
Doctor He leaned on his chopsticks for a moment before nodding.
Grandma He continued with a smile, "Hasn't our family always provided medical care to the Liang family? This time, we must give a good gift. Oh, it's really Madam Liang's ability. She personally asked the widowed eldest wife of the Gu family for this marriage. Lord Liang is an honest man and doesn't know how to deal with things, but the Liang family's main branch has become increasingly prosperous in recent years. Madam Liang is so gentle and kind. She almost cried several times when she told me about her difficulties. Haha, now it's great, I'm married into the Gu family..."
She was so happy talking that she didn't notice that Doctor He was slightly displeased. He only heard him say, "If the Liang family has such thoughts, wouldn't the Gu family be dragged into it?"
Grandma He was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "What are you talking about, sir? If it weren't for a good match, Marquis Gu wouldn't agree. It's that Prince Liang who's good. He's not as honest as his parents and has a promising future. But..."
She paused, lowered her voice, and said, "In my opinion, Miss Gu's marriage two years ago was the best."
Doctor He raised his head and said hesitantly, "One is the son of a hereditary marquis, and the other is a newly minted scholar. Although they are both newly minted, they are still a bit weak." He paused and added, "But Miss Gu is a concubine's daughter, so it's almost the same."
Grandma He laughed and said, "My husband, you don't understand. Although the Liang family has a title, most of their money has been emptied over the years. There are many people in the family, with five wives and six sisters-in-law, and the brothers are not on good terms. There are disputes between legitimate and illegitimate children. There is unrest every other day, and the wife of the Marquis of Liang has almost turned gray. Look, the girl from the Gu family has entered the family, and she has something to be busy with. The Chang family is different. Mrs. Chang died early, and there is only a grandmother and a married sister in the family. Miss Gu has become the head of the family since she entered the family. In recent years, Lord Chang has been successful in his career, and when the female relatives entertain each other, who dares to look down on the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Gu?!... Tsk tsk tsk, they say that the wife of the Marquis of Gu loves this concubine very much. I didn't believe it at first, but now it seems to be true. It's rare, rare."
Doctor He was silent for a moment, picked up the chopsticks again, and slowly fiddled with the food in the bowl.
"Marquis Gu is stationed at the border, and Madam Gu is a widow. How should we arrange this marriage? ... Two years ago, Madam Gu rushed back from the south and personally arranged the wedding."
Seeing that her usually taciturn husband was interested in this matter, Grandma He also became excited and talked about everything she knew.
"This time, since Marquis Gu's wife isn't coming, it's the youngest son of the Gu family, along with his brother, who married off their cousin in their father's place. Tsk, tsk, my husband didn't see it. Young Master Gu is fine, he's already so imposing at such a young age. And Second Young Master Gu, he's just a picture. That day, he didn't take a carriage, but rode past Desheng Gate, and the young ladies and wives went crazy, clamoring for sachets, handkerchiefs, and other gifts! They say Marquis Gu's wife was a top-notch beauty back then, and Second Young Master Gu's mother is so handsome and graceful. I wonder which girl would be so lucky to have such a husband; I'm afraid they'd wake up laughing in the middle of the night even with their pillows. I heard that Uncle Shen and Duke Yingguo, their father-in-law and son-in-law, are very fond of the Gu brothers and want to find one for each of them..."
…
After dinner and tea, Grandma He sat on the kang and did needlework, while Doctor He stood quietly in front of the window. After a moment, he suddenly said, "It's snowing," and then pushed the door open and went out.
There was an old plum tree in the courtyard, with yellow plum blossoms trembling softly on its branches. Fine snowflakes were floating down from the sky. Doctor He stood under the tree with his back to the door, looking up at the snow-covered plum petals.
Grandma He pushed open the sewing cage and slowly stood by the door to admire the snow. Under the soft moonlight, the thin snow petals reflected silver fluorescence in the air, hazy like a piece of gauze.
She stood there in a daze for a while, and in a trance, she remembered that year, on a night like this with light snow falling and bright moonlight, a handsome and heroic young man was lying on the wall, staring at her infatuatedly, and she was also standing under the old plum tree in her home, looking up at him.
The boy's eyebrows were so thick and straight, and his eyes were so fiery. There was only her own reflection in his bright black eyes. She was unaware of the cold snowflakes falling on her face. Her heart had been burned by the boy's fiery gaze, and she felt that it could melt all the snowflakes in the world.
The two were childhood sweethearts, and finally their parents promised them a lifelong marriage. What a happy day...
"... Tomorrow morning, I'll set off with Daddy and my brothers. When I come back, we'll have the wedding. From now on, we... we... will never be apart. Even if our teeth fall out and our hair turns white, we'll always be together!"
"Sister, I, I... I only have you in my heart... always, only you."
"Don't worry, I will come back safely. For you, I must come back safely too."
——The words are still ringing in my ears, but the man in my springtime dreams has become a cold corpse in the grave. No longer are there those fiery eyes, no longer are there those hearty laughs, no longer are there those warm and strong arms...
Suddenly, a wave of moisture welled up in her eyes, and Grandma He quickly lowered her head to wipe it.
It took her many, many years to slowly get over her grief. She turned down countless marriage proposals from her father and brothers. She missed the age of beauty and missed a better marriage opportunity, but she never regretted it.
Suddenly one day, looking at her nephews and nieces playing in the courtyard, she realized that she still wanted a home, the happiness of having children around her, and in order not to cause trouble to her parents, brothers and sisters-in-law, she agreed to get married.
Her husband was a good man. Although he did not love her - she knew this very well, he treated her and their children with care and tenderness. The couple treated each other with respect and dignity. Their life was rich, peaceful and busy, and she was already very satisfied.
A woman who has experienced such sincere love in her life is truly blessed and her life in this world is not in vain.
Grandma He focused her attention slightly, looking at her husband standing under the tree in the courtyard, and a trace of guilt and curiosity suddenly arose in her heart.
Did this calm and indifferent man have someone in his heart who he would remember for the rest of his life?
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