Chapter 233: Snow falls, plum blossoms smell, love is warm and long-lasting
The early morning snow fell finely, like a handful of salt sprinkled on the glazed tiles of Shufangzhai, sliding down with a gentle step. The red silk under the corridor was stained by the snow and hung heavy, making the palace lanterns under the eaves shine even brighter. The warm yellow light filtered through the thin snow, casting a hazy halo on the ground.
Little Swallow, wearing the silver fox cloak Yongqi had given her, squatted in the corner of the courtyard sweeping snow from the winter plum blossoms. Her fingertips were red from the cold, but she smiled brightly. The small bamboo broom in her hand swept over the branches, sending snow splattering across her nose, making the nearby insects chirp and laugh, "Princess, you've become a snowman!"
"Go away, little bug!" Xiaoyanzi raised her hand to wipe the snow off the tip of her nose, then picked up a snowball and threw it at him. However, the little bug dodged it nimbly, and the snowball hit the red wall, shattering into a white mass. Yongqi came out of the house, holding a hand warmer. He walked over quickly and wrapped her hands in the warmer, frowning slightly. "It's so cold, why don't you wear more clothes? Your hands are frozen."
"It's not cold, not cold," Xiaoyanzi moved closer to him, the warmth from the hand warmer filtering through the fabric, "Look how beautiful the wintersweets are in bloom, and even more fragrant with the snow on them! On our wedding day, I'm going to cut all the flowers in the yard and put them in a vase, so the whole house will be filled with fragrance." Yongqi smiled and nodded, reaching out to brush the snowflakes from her hair. "I'm all for you. I'll ask the kitchen to make some ginger tea later, so you don't catch a cold."
As they were talking, Ziwei walked through the corridor holding Erkang's hand. She was wearing a moon-white plain coat with a lotus embroidered on the collar. In her hand, she held a dowry list and whispered something to Erkang. Erkang was wearing a stone-blue robe, with an upright posture. From time to time, he tilted his head to listen to her talk, his eyes so gentle that tears could drip from his eyes. Seeing Xiaoyanzi sweeping the snow, Ziwei smiled and stopped, "Xiaoyanzi, stop playing. Concubine Ling just sent some brocade over, saying that it is for the bedding of your dowry."
"Really?" Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up, she dropped the broom and ran into the house, the hem of her cloak swept across the snow, leaving a trail of shallow footprints, "I want to choose the peacock blue one! The phoenix embroidered with gold thread on it must look good!" Yongqi shook his head helplessly, picked up the broom she dropped, and slowly helped Lamei sweep the snow, but he couldn't hide the smile in the corner of his eyes.
Ziwei looked at their backs and gently touched Erkang's arm: "Look at them, they always seem like children who never grow up." Erkang held her hand, his palm warm and dry: "This is good, free and easy." He pulled a small wooden box from his sleeve and opened it to reveal a jade hairpin with half a plum blossom carved on the head. "I asked a jade carving master to make this for me. You get one, I get one, and together they make a complete plum blossom. It's our token of love."
Ziwei's fingertips brushed the cool jade hairpin, her eyes warming slightly. "You're always so thoughtful." She tucked the hairpin into her temples, her black hair against the white jade, looking particularly gentle. Erkang looked at her, his Adam's apple moving slightly. "After we get married, I'll pin your hair every day." As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Xiaoyanzi's cheers from inside the room: "I want this peony-patterned brocade too! It would make a beautiful cape!" The two smiled at each other and walked briskly towards the main hall.
The fireplace in the main hall burned brightly, warming the air. Mingyue and Caixia were spreading out pieces of brocade on the long table. The peacock-blue material was embroidered with phoenixes and peonies in gold thread, shimmering with color. The pomegranate-red material was covered with a painting of hundreds of children, sitting and running around, their eyes lively. Little Swallow lay on the table, fingering the brocade, muttering to herself, "This one's for my mother's waistcoat, and that one's for Jinsuo's dowry..."
When Xiao Jian and Qing'er walked in, they saw Xiao Yanzi draped with brocade and spinning around. The red silk-like material swept across the heater and almost burned the corners. Yong Qi was so scared that he grabbed her and said, "Be careful of the fire!" Xiao Jian couldn't help laughing, "You are so old and still so impatient. Have you sorted out the dowry list?" He was holding a wooden box in his hand, which contained the dowry prepared for Xiao Yanzi - a few exquisite flying knives with red silk wrapped around the scabbards. He specially asked a skilled craftsman to make them.
"Don't worry, brother!" Xiaoyanzi took the wooden box and opened it to take a look. The flying knife was small and sharp, and the word "Yan" was engraved on the handle. Her eyes lit up, "This flying knife is so beautiful! I hid it in my dowry when I got married. Whoever dared to bully me would be thrown to death!" Qing'er whispered beside her, "Who brings a flying knife to a wedding? Be careful, or the Queen Mother will see it and scold you." She was holding a brocade box in her hand, which contained a gift for Ziwei - a pair of jade earrings. The teardrop-shaped jade pendants shone warmly in the light.
"Sister Qing'er's earrings are so beautiful." Ziwei took the brocade box and touched the jade pendant with her fingertips, which was cool and warm. "Thank you, this jade is very precious." Qing'er smiled and shook her head: "Brother Xiao Jian and I picked them together. We thought it would be perfect with your moon-white wedding dress." Xiao Jian added: "This jade is warm jade. It won't feel cold when worn in winter, and it can also ward off evil spirits."
Outside, the snow gradually stopped, and sunlight filtered through the clouds, reflecting a dazzling light off the snow. Little Mosquito ran in, holding a string of candied haws, their coating shimmering. "Dang, boom, the snow's stopped! The kids in the compound have built a snowman, saying they want it to be a 'wedding boy' for the princess!" Little Stool followed behind, holding a copy of "Wedding Customs," reading aloud: "On the wedding day, you have to ride on a saddle, symbolizing 'peace'; you also have to eat a cake made with children and grandchildren, and you have to say 'birth' for good luck!"
Xiaoyanzi rushed over and snatched the book from the stool. After flipping through two pages, she frowned. "So many rules! You have to lie about eating a steamed bun? If it's not tasty, do you have to say it's 'raw'?" Yongqi smiled and scratched her nose. "Silly girl, this is for good luck. I'll tell you later." Erkang chimed in, "Ziwei said she learned how to make Zisun steamed buns. Let's try some first. I guarantee it's delicious."
Ziwei blushed and patted Erkang's arm: "Don't talk nonsense, I haven't learned it yet." As soon as the voice fell, Jinsuo came in with freshly stewed white fungus soup, steaming hot and filled with sweet fragrance: "Girls, drink it while it's hot. This is sent by Brother Liu from the guesthouse. He said that red dates and longans were added to it to replenish qi and blood." She was wearing a newly made pink jacket with small flowers embroidered on the cuffs, and a shy smile on her face - Liu Qing had just given her a silver hairpin last night with a small plum blossom on the head, and she wore it all night.
Xiaoyanzi took the Tremella soup, scooped a spoonful and held it to Yongqi's lips. "Try it too, it's sweet." Yongqi opened his mouth to take it, his eyes as gentle as melted snow. Xiao Jian looked at Qing'er holding the Tremella soup and whispered, "Drink slowly, be careful of the heat." Qing'er looked up and met his gaze. They both blushed and hurriedly looked away, but as they looked down, they couldn't help but curl their lips.
The occasional crackling of the silvery charcoal in the stove, mingled with the laughter of the crowd and the chirping of birds outside the window, was particularly warm. Sunlight after the snow slanted into the hall, falling on the spread of brocade, the exquisite dowry, and everyone's smiling faces, as if weaving all the warmth into this winter morning light, gentle and lingering. Little Mosquito bit into a candied haws and mumbled, "Dear, long, long, dong! These good days in Shufangzhai are getting sweeter and sweeter!"
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