Chapter 73 Getting Married: The main story is complete!
In the days that Yao Ruyi was preparing for her wedding, the newly appointed scholars in the capital were also packing their bags.
The official appointment documents from the Ministry of Personnel had already been issued. After that, there were still some formalities to go through: the "Memorial of Thanks for the Emperor," led by the top scholar and signed by everyone, was first submitted to the palace gate. Then, the "Release of the Coarse Robe Ceremony" was held, where people took off their plain clothes and blue robes and put on blue official robes. After that, the successful candidates and their fellow successful candidates filed into the Secretariat to pay their respects to the prime ministers and perform the court ceremony.
Afterwards, he kowtowed in front of the Chuigong Hall to express his gratitude to the Emperor, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" to show his loyalty to the Emperor.
Finally, they all followed the eunuchs out to the Ministry of Personnel's "Internal Appointment" department to register their official records and be assigned to their posts. This was the final verification: their ancestors for three generations and their examination records were all carefully checked to prevent any cases of impersonation or unclear backgrounds. Once the verification was successful, everyone received a formal appointment certificate and an imperial edict: these two documents served as proof of their entrustment to their posts.
You are given three months to take up your post; otherwise, you will be punished.
The newly appointed officials were mostly appointed as county magistrates or assistant county magistrates, or as staff officers in prefectures, serving a three-year term. They also had to undergo annual performance evaluations, otherwise they would be dismissed.
Apart from Cheng Shujun, most of the students who frequented Zhixingzhai and the general store received this kind of assignment.
Moreover, the imperial court had rules that officials could not be sent back to their hometowns to prevent them from associating with their clans, establishing themselves in the local area, and creating local tyrants. Therefore, the principle of assigning officials was quite similar to that of exiling prisoners: northerners were sent south, southerners were sent north, and those from the east and west were exchanged, with the main goal of scientific allocation and ensuring that no one could return to their happy hometown.
Meng Boyuan's ancestral home was Shuzhou, which is located in the southwest. He was lucky and was assigned to Jinling Prefecture, where he became a ninth-rank official, a military officer in charge of household registration and tax collection.
Upon receiving the news, Master Meng was overjoyed and wanted to throw a three-day feast. Holding his youngest son's official document, he examined it over and over, his fingers lovingly tracing the corners of the paper, wishing he could offer incense three times a day as a sacrifice, or simply hold it in his arms while sleeping at night. He and Madam Guan were so excited that they couldn't sleep for several nights, getting up in the middle of the night to check if the document was still there, fearing it might have been stolen.
Nanjing! That's a land of plenty!
Master Meng thought to himself, thankfully all that silver he had spent hadn't been wasted.
Lin Weiming and Geng Hao ranked near each other in the imperial examinations, both at the very bottom. They were also assigned to nearby locations, both in Jingdong East Circuit. That area, formerly bordering the Liao Dynasty, had now fallen to the Song Dynasty. Free from the ravages of war, it had gradually become densely populated, bustling with merchants, and considered a prosperous place. Geng Hao received the position of Registrar of Qiancheng County in Qingzhou, assisting the magistrate in managing documents, finances, and supervising clerks. Lin Weiming was the Supervisor of Shouguang County in Qingzhou, specifically in charge of the construction and repair of government offices.
When Yao Ruyi first heard about this, she was quite surprised. She had assumed that a son of a prime minister like Geng Hao would surely find a way to stay in the capital and take up a post. Even if the Ministry of Personnel were blind or had the audacity to try and trip him up, she was afraid that Prime Minister Geng would not agree.
To everyone's surprise, he was actually appointed to an outside post.
Later, one day, Geng Hao brought the twelve zodiac animals to Zhixingzhai for a meal. When Geng Ma came over to buy grilled sausages, he casually mentioned it, which finally cleared up Yao Ruyi's doubts.
It turns out that Geng Hao himself asked for this.
He grew up in Bianjing (Kaifeng), and the farthest he had ever been was Zhengzhou when he ran away from home after arguing with his father. He hadn't been anywhere further than that. Geng Hao's thinking was simple: he was already tired of the capital city, and while he was young, he wanted to go out and see the world, which was so big.
Geng Xiang probably thought it was a good thing to temper his son's will, since he would still be there to support him. Even if he was sent to a remote area, no one would dare to bully his son, so he agreed and did not go to the Ministry of Personnel to report it.
The Vice Minister of Personnel was in a state of turmoil, unsure how to deal with this hot potato, Geng Hao. One day, taking advantage of a break in the court assembly, he seized an opportunity, approached Prime Minister Geng with a beaming smile, and asked in a low voice, "Prime Minister, you say...where should I send your son?"
Geng Xiang didn't even raise his eyelids, maintaining an air of incorruptibility and integrity: "Do you still need me to teach you how to be an official? Just do what you're supposed to do!" With that, he turned and left.
The vice minister returned home and sat brooding under the lamp, pondering the matter all night. The next day, he nervously dispatched Geng Hao to the wealthiest county in Jingdong Circuit. He remained anxious for several days afterward, but seeing no movement from the Prime Minister's residence, he finally breathed a sigh of relief—his prediction had been correct!
When Geng Hao was about to leave the capital to take up his post, his father's old concubines were the first to feel reluctant to let him go. One tried to slip him silver notes, another rushed to make winter and summer clothes and shoes, and one even cried, "This child has been a smart aleck since he was little, but he's honest at heart. What if he gets bullied when he goes out there?"
When the crying reached Geng Hao's ears, he was speechless: These girls of his, how could they praise someone like that?
When the official appointment finally arrived, Prime Minister Geng heard the women in his household weeping every day, and his heart ached. What had seemed so certain now felt uncertain, and he began to worry. He not only personally selected four experienced advisors to accompany him, but his twelve zodiac servants naturally wanted to go as well. However, he felt it wasn't safe enough; among the twelve servants his son had chosen, some were either mentally challenged or stuttered! So he asked Geng Hao if he should take thirty strong servants and guards with him, and perhaps also bring along the few tamed yellow dogs they kept at home?
With Geng Xiang's arrangements, the luggage filled seven or eight large carts, and the procession was probably even grander than that of a county magistrate taking office.
Looking at the scene, Geng Hao remained silent, then turned to his father expressionlessly and said, "...Why don't you go in my place? I'll stay in the capital and serve as your chief strategist?"
Geng Xiang stroked his beard and pondered for a moment: "Me? Hmm... that's one way."
He actually planned to take leave to accompany his son to Qingzhou to take up his post, and even considered buying another house there, so that he could return to the capital after his son was settled.
Geng Hao was incredibly annoyed. He had been eagerly anticipating venturing out into the world, so what was the point of bringing his father along to his new post? If word got out, wouldn't his colleagues laugh their heads off? He turned around and started dismantling the pile of luggage, throwing away most of it, leaving only the two carriages. His father wasn't allowed to go, and the servants were unnecessary; he sent them all back.
He'll only bring his twelve zodiac animals. As for dogs... he can bring two, and leave them to Geng Gou to take care of on the road; he's always been popular with dogs.
After all, his son was grown up, and Geng Xiang couldn't refuse him, so he had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
Compared to the chaos at the Geng residence, Lu Fang felt an even greater sense of unease.
Both he and Kang Hua came from prominent northern clans, and their assigned territories were similarly dire. Lu Fang, in particular, came from the Fanyang Lu clan, which had numerous members scattered across the land: Ningzhou (present-day Xiushui, Jiangxi), Jinghu Circuit, Sichuan, Shaanxi, and even several branches in Zhejiang. One can imagine that the officials in the Ministry of Personnel at the time struggled with the registers: with so many members in the Lu clan, how far would he have to go to avoid contact with relatives and friends?
After some thought, he decided to send Lu Fang far away to the northwest frontier—next to Yanzhou, in Huile County of Lingzhou (Lingwu, Ningxia) in Qinfeng Road, to serve as a ninth-rank military advisor, in charge of criminal cases and litigation.
Lu Fang wasn't afraid of being in charge of criminal justice; he considered himself quite proficient in the law. But what kind of place was Lingzhou? It was a strategically important military town, controlling the Hexi Corridor, leading west to Yumen Pass, and reaching the Western Regions.
In the third year of the Baoyuan era, the first group of envoys to the Western Regions stopped in Huile County. After that, they went through Yumen Pass, passed Loulan, Qiemo, and Hotan, and traveled along the northern foothills of the Kunlun Mountains for several years before returning. They brought back many rare seeds, spices, and horses, which was a remarkable event that everyone in Bianjing City talked about with great interest at the time.
Lu Fang also heard that last year, Xie Su, who had made great contributions to opening up the Western Regions, was once again ordered to serve as the state envoy, leading a delegation of up to a hundred people with official credentials, and embarking on another journey. This time, it was said that they would take the more dangerous northern route: through Hami and Turpan to Yanqi and Kuqa, westward along the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains... Now, no one knew where they were.
Therefore, Lingzhou is not the worst place, but it is far from good either.
Lu Fang was on the verge of tears, as if he could already see himself standing alone on the earthen city wall, gazing at the swirling sandstorm, reciting "No old friends beyond Yangguan Pass," and desperately waiting for the Song Dynasty delegation to return, which was still nowhere to be found.
Besides, what kind of criminal cases or lawsuits could such a remote place possibly have to deal with? Does he expect him to spend his days helping villagers catch chickens and find sheep, telling them when Zhang San took Li Si's land, when Wang Wu pulled up Zhao Liu's vegetables, and gossiping about this family and that family, and upholding justice?
Alas, he has worshipped so many gods and Buddhas, yet not one of them is willing to take care of him.
He also wanted to go to Jinling, on the banks of the Qinhuai River!
Kang Hua was assigned to the Zhenrong Army in Jingyuan Road (Guyuan, Ningxia), serving as a clerk in the Judge's Office. He was essentially a staff officer, assisting his superior in managing general affairs, signing documents, and advising on important matters. That place was even worse than his Lingzhou; it didn't even have a prefecture or county, only the Zhenrong Army Command established by General Xi, which was also a crucial pass to guard against the Dangxiang people's rebellion.
The two places weren't too far apart. Upon receiving this news, Lu Fang felt a sliver of comfort: at least there were others worse off than him…
He slowly comforted himself, at least there was a familiar classmate nearby with whom he could exchange letters, which could be considered mutual support.
Although Kang Hua only met him during the imperial examination and was a student of Biyong Academy, and the two had some past grievances, none of that mattered... They were in the same year of the imperial examination, and had even drunk tea at Zhixingzhai and eaten roasted sausages at Yaoji together. This friendship was enough to make them close in the desolate northwest frontier.
Although Liu Huaiyan ranked lower than Lu Fang in the imperial examination, he came from a humble background and managed to stay in Bianjing (Kaifeng) as a ninth-rank registrar in the Censorate, responsible for document organization, archive management, and daily miscellaneous tasks—somewhat similar to a modern office worker. He had achieved his goal. After all, the primary duty of the Censorate was to advise the emperor, but they also frequently impeached ministers, overlapping with the duties of the Censorate. Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, the Censorate and the Censorate were often referred to together, with both offices jointly supervising officials.
The other students also have their own futures. Just as Grandpa Yao said back then, they will be scattered like stars in all directions, and it will be difficult to see each other during this three-year term.
The news of the people being granted official positions caused quite a stir in every household in the Imperial Academy, with everyone discussing it for several days.
As the excitement subsided, the day of Yao Ruyi's wedding arrived.
She would be married into the Yao family in Guozijian Alley, and the formal wedding banquet would be held at the Lin family's old residence in Zhuxian Town. Originally, they thought that Meng Boyuan, Lin Weiming, and others who were stationed elsewhere would not be able to attend her wedding banquet in time. However, after calculating the distance, they found that, except for Lingzhou where Lu Fang was located, which was a bit far and could not be reached directly by canal, their places were only twenty days away by boat, so they had plenty of time and stayed.
Lu Fang also refused to leave first, but with a three-month term of office, he figured it would be enough, so he insisted on staying to witness the ceremony. Even though these people had official positions, they were still quite unruly. They were all itching to beat Lin Wen'an with cotton swabs and see how he was struggling to come up with a poem to urge her to get married under the siege of the crowd.
Before the wedding, Meng Chenglin and his two companions were assigned by their parents to deliver colorful decorations, red silk, and paper-cut window decorations to the doors, windows, and hall. Lin Weiming, the boy, was leading Xiao Shitou to apply paste and paste the window decorations when he suddenly called out to Yao Ruyi with a grin, "Little Aunt."
She almost choked on her tea upon hearing this.
Suddenly being added to the seniority list, becoming an aunt at such a young age, Yao Ruyi was quite unaccustomed to it.
But this was her first time getting married in two lifetimes, and she was both looking forward to it and feeling a bit curious: she was actually going to start a family!
However, this hope was completely shattered on the wedding day. Before it was even dark, she was dragged out of bed by several aunts, uncles, and grandmothers who had come from Tanzhou. First, she was given a bath, her face was opened, and her hair was combed. Then there was a bunch of rituals to worship the gods and ancestors. Yao Ruyi was surrounded by them, busy doing this and that.
No... wasn't it supposed to be a wedding ceremony? She thought she wouldn't have to be busy during the day! She didn't expect that preparations would have to start before dawn.
Because the Yao family was small, all the friendly families in the alley came to help them out.
Inside the house, the women were busy, while the other male guests were busy in the courtyard, slaughtering the three kinds of animals. Grandpa Yao was specially receiving Yao Ruyi's uncles who had come from afar. He reminisced with his uncles, and as he spoke, he couldn't help but shed tears.
The Yao family courtyard was only so big. When Yao Ruyi was finally able to sit down and do her makeup, she could look out from her bridal chamber and get a good look at the original owner's three uncles. The eldest uncle was older, with a long beard, and was a refined middle-aged man; the second uncle was very strong, with a full beard, and his face was much more serious, looking as old-fashioned as Grandpa Yao; the two of them managed the family property in Tanzhou and were both merchants.
The uncle who once took her rabbit-catching in the original owner's memory still seemed to be the same handsome and lively man she remembered, dressed in a flashy outfit. Even when talking to Grandpa Yao, he sat lazily and carefree to the side, laughing and joking without any seriousness.
Of course, his appearance would soon draw the attention of his second uncle, who would turn around, glare at him, and raise his hand to hit him.
He was clearly experienced in being beaten; the moment his elder brother raised his hand, he immediately ducked and made an excuse to go to the outhouse to escape. But even after escaping, he was restless, running around the yard, curiously touching the carriage behind Yao Deshui, looking at the magpies under the eaves, and even scaring the dog, managing to meow and argue with it.
He wandered around, looking here and there, and even sneaked to Yao Ruyi's window to look at her while she was doing her makeup.
But the two only exchanged a glance and before they could say a word, he was angrily chased away by his aunts.
Yao Ruyi couldn't help but want to laugh.
I heard that this uncle had also been on a mission to the Western Regions. He was supposed to go again last year, but his wife happened to be pregnant. So he chose to stay and take care of his family and accompany his wife during childbirth. This time, he brought a lot of rare imported goods to add to her dowry. When Aunt Yu and Madam Cheng were looking at the dowry, they both said that there was a gem the size of a chicken egg in the box he brought. It was truly an eye-opening experience.
After she finished her makeup, the Lin family's wedding party arrived with great fanfare.
Suddenly, the outside became noisy and bustling, with shouts rising and falling. Today, Lin Wen'an was no longer a high-ranking official, but the grandson-in-law of the Yao family, someone everyone could beat up.
Lu Fang and his friends fought the hardest and made the most noise. These teenagers all seemed to be Yao Ruyi's family, shouting things like "Hit him!" "Hit him quickly!" and "Surround him!"
Yao Ruyi sat upright, dressed in a heavy, elaborate green wedding gown, holding a round fan to cover her face, her curiosity piqued.
She wants to see it too!
Unfortunately, she couldn't go out to see, but could only hear her aunts secretly peeking through the crack in the door, excitedly whispering among themselves, "Ruyi's husband is so handsome! Even with his hat askew, he's still so good-looking." They even turned to her and teased, "He really is Ruyi's husband!"
Although the praise was directed at Lin Wen'an, Yao Ruyi was very pleased and unconsciously raised her chin.
That's right, how accurate is her judgment? She saw it long ago: Second Uncle Zou is the most handsome!
A husband's good looks are a wife's glory!
Another grandmother smiled and said to Yao Ruyi, "Being handsome is good, but temperament is more important than appearance. A husband with a good temperament can live a long life with you. Look at Ruyi, this husband of yours, he can take a beating or a beating without getting angry or upset. He's an honest man. That's the kind of person who's good... Oh dear, why is your grandfather rushing up with a cotton swab too!"
Yao Ruyi was even more eager to see the bride because of their nagging. She had just moved her body and was about to stick her neck out of the window when her aunts pressed her down with laughter: "The bride can't be in a hurry. She still has to recite the 'bridal poem' to urge her to get ready."
Composing poems was no challenge for Lin Wen'an. Yao Ruyi listened to the students from the Imperial Academy taking turns to compose, and even Grandpa Yao joined in the fun, posing more than a dozen poems in a row. Seeing that he answered too quickly, they then set time limits and rhyme restrictions, making things difficult for him in every way. But Lin Wen'an remained calm and composed, responding fluently.
He finally walked up to her step by step.
Yao Ruyi had been hungry and tired all day, and now she finally saw him.
His bright red wedding dress was crumpled and battered, and the flowers on his crown were knocked off and nowhere to be found. He was in a sorry state, but he stood tall and straight at the door, his brow bone still prominent. Especially his eyes, which were now reflecting the bright red candles in the room, looked straight at her, focusing intently on her alone.
Their eyes met, and he stirred her heart so deeply. She gazed at him intently, and his bright red wedding attire reminded her of the first time she saw him in his scarlet official robes. Indeed, he was... with flowing sleeves and a jade-like figure... Even though she was about to marry him, she couldn't help but blush after looking at him for a while.
Fortunately, she had a round fan to shield her suddenly flushed cheeks.
Afterwards, under the guidance of the matchmaker, he performed the fan-removing ceremony. She and he held hands at both ends of a red silk ribbon, went out the door, and first knelt down to pay their respects to Grandpa Yao. Yao Qizhao looked at the two people kowtowing to him and couldn't help but shed tears. He wiped away his tears and hurriedly helped them up. He choked up several times before he finally spoke with difficulty: "Take good care of yourself."
Yao Ruyi felt a pang of sadness. This old scholar, so accomplished in poetry and literature, now had only one granddaughter getting married, yet all he could say was such a simple sentence.
And so, Yao Ruyi was helped into the bridal sedan chair, Lin Wen'an mounted his horse, and the musicians began playing their instruments again.
Firecrackers crackled in the alley, and the autumn twilight bathed the long lane. Yao Ruyi couldn't resist lifting the sedan curtain to look back. Grandpa Yao had followed her out at some point and was standing by the door watching her, with Tie Baojin, who was also tied with a big red ribbon, squatting at his feet.
The sedan chair started moving, and Big Yellow came running after it, barking loudly.
Yao Ruyi's nose tingled slightly again, but the sadness only lasted for a moment, because she then thought that she would be back in a couple of days... cough.
There seems no need to be so sad.
Upon arriving at the Lin family's old residence in Zhuxian Town, Yueyue and Lin Zhu had already arrived early to handle the preparations. There were countless complicated rituals to complete, but finally, after the wedding ceremony, she was overjoyed and entered the bridal chamber, finally able to rest. Removing her incredibly heavy phoenix crown and letting her hair down, she quickly drank two bowls of sweet soup, then ate three pieces of jujube cake, two pieces of dragon's beard candy, and finally nibbled on two apples. This astonished the young maidservant who had been left to serve her, who stared wide-eyed before silently stopping.
Yao Ruyi collapsed limply onto the couch, and only after eating something to stave off her stomach did she barely manage to survive.
She's never going to get married again; it's exhausting!
However... it doesn't seem like there's a reason for people to get married so often.
Look! She's exhausted.
She was prone to drowsiness after eating, and having gotten up very early that day, she hadn't had enough sleep to begin with, so she gradually became drowsy. When she woke up, everyone in the room had left, leaving only a small oil lamp, and the red silk curtains with mandarin ducks hung down, enveloping the large bed in a deep and intimate atmosphere.
She was gently awakened by Lin Wen'an's kiss.
In the dim light, there was no strong smell of alcohol, and he still looked fresh. Yao Ruyi, still a little dazed from the kisses, had the mind to ask, "...You didn't drink?"
He held her lips in his mouth and whispered, "...The Emperor and Wang Yong came incognito. They were very righteous today and helped him avoid drinking. Now they are both so drunk that it took seven or eight strong servants to help Liang Da Dang drag the Emperor onto the carriage, and that's how he escaped a disaster."
So that's how it is... Yao Ruyi gradually came to her senses, but soon became immersed in the moment again, her hands unconsciously wrapping around his neck, and she tilted her head up to respond to his kiss.
Speaking of the joys of the wedding night... Yao Ruyi had also secretly and shamelessly reminisced about them.
In short, although Lin Wen'an's legs are not very good, his back is still quite good.
After marriage, Yao Ruyi didn't notice anything different. The only difference was that she now had someone to hold and fall asleep in at night. The long rabbit plush toy had completely lost its favor, and she always loved to curl up in his arms to sleep. He would hold her, gently stroking her back with one hand, and she would quickly fall asleep peacefully. It was only after marriage that Yao Ruyi realized how much she craved physical intimacy, wanting to be close to Lin Wen'an almost all the time.
So... that wall was never demolished. Grandpa Yao insisted that out of sight, out of mind, and if it were demolished, he would move to Zhixingzhai.
She also moved to the Lin family's house, which was just a wall away, and shared a room with Lin Wen'an. However, she would always move over to eat her three meals a day with Grandpa Yao.
After the wedding, not only did the familiar students from the Imperial Academy set off for their new posts, but Yueyue and Linzhu also soon returned to Fuzhou. The sadness of parting made her quite unaccustomed for a while. But her days were not lonely. After the prefectural examination, a new group of students appeared at Zhixingzhai and the general store.
In particular, Yao Ruyi became busy again.
She not only invested in the "Xue Qinglang Gynecology" clinic, but also planned to rent a new shop with Master Meng near Zhouqiao to sell educational supplementary books of the three-five category. In addition, she also had to manage her two original shops, and her life became more and more fulfilling.
However, such happy and peaceful days always pass by very quickly, like flowing water.
In the blink of an eye, it's winter solstice again.
It always snows on the winter solstice in Bianjing.
It was an extremely ordinary day, and Lin Wen'an went to the yamen early to go on duty.
Yao Ruyi had styled her hair into a woman's bun, wrapped herself in a rabbit fur cloak, and sat by the window of the general store, counting accounts. The mixed vegetables and tea eggs were bubbling softly on the stove. Wang Wang was sleeping and snoring on top of the shelves. Occasionally, a hungry student would brave the snow, rub his hands together, and breathe out white breath to buy a bunch of food before running away, stumbling through the snow.
In the tranquility, a series of tinkling bells rang out in the courtyard, and Yao Ruyi turned her head to look.
It was Yao Deshui who brought out the goods. He had grown into a strong and sturdy donkey, pulling a newly made, large electric cart with a back bed. He was obediently led out of the yard by Cong Xin to deliver two buckets of freshly boiled milk to Zhixingzhai, walking very steadily.
Yao Deshui, having pulled a cart since it was a baby, developed normally in its forelimbs and back. Except for one hind leg that was curled up and atrophied, it was no different from a normal donkey; in fact, its forelimbs were even stronger and more powerful than those of most donkeys. Once considered useless and destined for donkey meat sandwiches, this little donkey had not only grown up healthy but was no longer useless; it could now pull some goods for short distances. The neighbors found this incredible. Moreover, Yao Deshui was extremely intelligent and affectionate; whether a child climbed onto its back or it was asked to carry goods, it would never kick up its hooves, being so docile it was almost unlike a donkey.
Watching Yao Deshui jingle through the alley, I also saw Da Huang wearing the little cotton-padded jacket that Yao Ruyi had sewn for her, lying at the entrance of Zhixingzhai, looking up at the snow.
Snowflakes fell one after another, dripping onto its nose, making it shake its head and sneeze.
She couldn't help but lower her head and smile.
The world was quiet, the house was warm, and outside, snow was falling heavily.
After doing the accounting for a while, Yao Ruyi rubbed her neck and was about to get up to rest when she seemed to hear the crunching sound of footsteps on snow approaching the general store.
She assumed it was another student buying food, so she put down her pen, closed her still-scribbled ledger, and peeked out to greet them:
"My lord, I want..."
In the heavy snow, it wasn't the students who walked over, but Lin Wen'an returning from his shift.
Thick clouds covered the sky, and fine snow fell softly, accumulating a thin layer on the umbrella. He held a worn oil-paper umbrella and carried the pastries he had bought along the way. He seemed to have walked out of a pure white world. His shoulders, eyebrows, and dark sideburns were covered with tiny snowflakes, as if they were covered with a layer of frost.
He gradually walked up to her, his eyes peering through the swirling snow, still calm and clear.
At this moment, time seemed to flow backward before her eyes, as if she had returned to the scene when she first met him in the heavy snow of the winter solstice.
Yao Ruyi was taken aback. Then, she rested her elbow on the windowsill, tilted her head slightly, and asked with a smile, just like when they first met:
"My lord, what would you like to buy?"
But the man she loves now is no longer the same man she loved before.
The snow fell very gently.
Lin Wen'an stood in the snow, watching her playful smile and hearing her affectionately call him "my lord," and his expression softened, and he smiled slightly as well.
—End of text—
————————
[Sprinkling flowers] The main story is finished! The side stories will continue to be updated daily!
I still remember how difficult it was when I first started drafting the story. I scrapped several beginnings and almost fell into anxiety again. But then I started imagining the scene of saying thank you to you all at the end, imagining bringing the story to a close, and imagining us promising to meet again next time.
This sense of satisfaction urges me to keep writing. No matter the outcome, I'll just keep writing!
I've really finished writing today! [pats head]
The ending of this book was something I suddenly came up with while daydreaming about it. In an instant, the scene of the ending popped into my mind.
I want them to end their ordinary day in an ordinary way. Like the little noodle shop, I hope that even when I stop typing, they will continue to live on in their world, day after day. [Cat paw]
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, my next novel, *Peaceful Spring Every Year*, should begin writing in early October. The pre-Qin era is too far removed from our lives; I need more time to research and develop an outline. [Applause]
Although I've written a fictional story, with my soul gradually drained after being a beast of burden, it might be very difficult to write without proper preparation. [laughing and crying emoji]
I'm also planning to challenge myself to save "Summer in Lipu" simultaneously. This story is just a light and short one about summer, about going to the beach with the female lead. Consider it a "virtual vacation" with her, since we don't actually have time for a real one. [crying emoji]
If I can successfully save the entire manuscript, this book will be published together with Sui Sui~
If it fails, then forget it, let it go back to the queue. [Upright-eared rabbit head]
If you're interested, you can pre-order it! [Rabbit head with upright ears]
In short, thank you very much for reading this far.
Finally, I wish everyone:
There are umbrellas on rainy days and wind on sunny days.
I have books I love to read, the courage to keep moving forward, and the sincerity to accept everything. I love you all.
I don't want to say goodbye, so...
See you next time!
Pineapple Crisp
Written in a quiet, dimly lit study during a downpour
June 14, 2025
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com