Lu Zheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart and abruptly grasped her slightly cool hand, pressing it tightly against his face. Her understanding, her devotion, and her fearless courage all stirred his emotions. He stood up, gently pulling her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her soft hair, inhaling the faint herbal scent emanating from it.
“Alright, we’ll go back to the capital to hold the ceremony. Let them see that their daughter has married a truly upright man.” He promised softly, then changed the subject, his hot breath brushing against her ear, “But now… Madam, on our wedding night, shouldn’t we… do something else?”
Luo Qingrou's face instantly turned bright red, even her ears turned crimson. She buried her face in his firm chest in embarrassment and let out a soft "Mmm".
Outside the tent, the wind and snow continued to howl, battering the heavy tent flaps. Inside, red candles flickered, and the air was filled with the warmth of spring. The rugged frontier and the simple tent isolated them from the hustle and bustle of the world, yet they warmed the hearts of two people who had endured hardships to finally be closely bound together, making them feel warm and real.
Lu Zheng carefully untied the sashes of her crimson wedding dress, his movements devout and gentle, as if handling a rare treasure. Luo Qingrou closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling like startled butterfly wings, feeling the shivers that came from his calloused fingers tracing her skin.
All words were transformed into a burning entanglement between their lips and teeth, and a suppressed murmur. The sounds of wind and snow, and the bugle calls of the military camp, became distant background. At this moment, the world was filled only with their scalding breaths, their frantic heartbeats, and the faint crackling of the red candle burning, together composing the most passionate and tender wedding night in this cold night in the borderlands.
That night, even the cold moon over the border seemed to be warmed by the spring passion within the tent, quietly disappearing behind the clouds.
The Shen Family Courtyard in Jiangnan.
As New Year's Eve quietly descended, every household lit up with warm lights. In the Shen family's main hall, the charcoal brazier burned brightly, dispelling the damp chill of a winter night in Jiangnan. On the large round table, a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner was laid out: steamed shad, braised pork hock, braised winter bamboo shoots, crab meat lion's head meatballs, eight-treasure rice... the aroma filled the air.
Mr. and Mrs. Shen sat at the head of the table. Shen Wenbai carefully held his son, while Lin Qingwan held her daughter. The twins were wrapped in thick brocade quilts and sleeping soundly. Shen Wensong was vividly telling An'an about the interesting things that happened in the capital during the New Year, making the little girl giggle. Shen Yuewei and Chuntao were busy setting out the dishes.
"Dinner's ready!" Shen Yuewei greeted with a smile.
Everyone sat around the table, raising their glasses in celebration. Although they were far away in Jiangnan, and their elder brother and sister-in-law were absent, the warmth of family reunion was enough to ward off any coldness. During the meal, Shen Wensong took out the letter and New Year's gift list that his elder brother and sister-in-law had entrusted to him. Everyone passed them around, laughing and chatting.
“Yuewei,” Mother Shen looked at her daughter with loving eyes, “His Highness Prince Jing… did he say when he would arrive?” Although she knew that the new emperor was busy with his ascension to the throne, as a mother, she always hoped that her daughter could be reunited with him soon.
Shen Yuewei placed a piece of tender fish on her mother's plate, her smile gentle yet resolute: "Mother, don't worry, it'll be soon. The ancestral temple ceremony is a major event; once it's over, he'll have no more ties. The letter said he's eager to return home." She raised her wine cup, looking at the table full of relatives, at her parents' relieved faces, at the peaceful baby in her second brother and sister-in-law's arms, at the lively and adorable An'an, and at her vibrant third brother. Her heart was filled with warmth and anticipation.
"Father, Mother, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law, Wensong, An'an," her voice was clear and gentle, carrying the unique warmth of the Jiangnan water towns, clearly reaching everyone's ears, "Although we are not all together tonight, wherever our hearts find peace, that is our home. May we have this day every year, and may every year bring us this morning. May our loved ones far away on the frontier also find peace and joy. May our eldest brother and sister-in-law in the capital have everything go smoothly. May... all of us, in the New Year, have our wishes fulfilled and be reunited in happiness."
"Good! Well said!" Father Shen laughed loudly, raising his cup in response.
"May all your wishes come true, and may you be reunited in happiness!" Everyone responded in unison, and the crisp sound of clinking glasses rang out in the warm light of the courtyard, intertwining with the faint sound of firecrackers bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new year from the distance of Jiangnan, creating the most beautiful prelude to the New Year.
The warmth of the Jiangnan water towns, the heat of the frontier military camps, and the lingering echoes of the capital's palaces—though separated by thousands of miles, they are all quietly connected at this moment by the same longing called "peace of mind." The winter snow will eventually melt, the spring breeze is on its way, and the day of reunion is not far off.
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