6 Snow begins
◎Huo Yan: My aunt still hasn't returned home this year.◎
This winter, it snowed in Chang'an, and overnight thousands of trees were covered with pear blossoms.
This was the second time Huo Yan and Huo Qubing had seen snow since they were born, but the first time they could only crawl around and definitely couldn't get out. So this counted as their first time.
The Wei family's children were very wild. When Huo Qubing was almost two years old, he would playfully step on the snow in the small yard as soon as he woke up, leaving a trail of small footprints on the white ground.
Huo Yan jumped and danced with him in the snow, but perhaps that was not enough, so he persuaded Huo Qubing to go and shake the snow-covered green bamboo beside the door.
They were not very strong, and the bamboo branch only shook slightly, making a rustling sound, and the snow on the leaves fell down like powdery ash.
Huo Qubing and Huo Yan found it entertaining and giggled as they shook their bodies.
It was snowing and there was less work going on in Jianzhang Palace, so Wei Qing came back early today.
In addition, he came back in a hurry with the news of Wei Zifu, and went straight into the door without seeing the two little devils. As soon as he entered the door, his hair was covered with three or two green leaves and a light snow.
Wei Qing had a handsome appearance, bright almond-shaped eyes, and his hair was scattered among the white snow. He did not look old at all, but instead had an air of detachment and immortality.
He stopped walking, skillfully brushed off the snow on his body, and looked towards the bamboo. Sure enough, he saw two little nephews shaking the bamboo.
The big one even made a horse-riding posture to climb up the bamboo, and the little one actually helped him by holding the bamboo.
Wei Qing was dumbfounded, his handsome face showing a bit of astonishment.
Where has my good boy A Yan gone? Now he can hardly be recognized by this little brat.
He stood beside the bamboo, and Huo Qubing, who was trying to climb up but kept sliding down, looked up and saw him.
"Uncle is back!"
Huo Qubing turned his head and called out to Huo Yan, who was squatting on the ground holding his legs. Huo Yan was holding him up with all his strength. Hearing what he said, he followed the direction of his finger and saw Wei Qing, whose hair was covered in snow. He immediately smiled and climbed up from the snow pile. Holding Huo Qubing's hand, he ran towards Wei Qing.
When they reached Wei Qian, they threw themselves into his arms like little swallows.
Wei Qing also smiled subconsciously when they came, squatted down, opened his arms, and embraced the two cubs.
Huo Qubing and Huo Yan each occupied one side of his arms. Huo Yan had bad intentions and poked his hand with his cold fingers.
Wei Qing knew very well that he had evil intentions, but he was gentle and open-minded by nature, and he would not even dare to be rude to his enemies, let alone this little boy from his own family.
He moved slightly, blocking the wind from Huo Yan and the others. After rubbing their heads, he slowly asked, "How long have Ah Yan and Qu Bing been playing together? Shouldn't they go back? Be careful not to catch a cold."
Huo Qubing had just started playing for a short time, so naturally he didn't want to go in.
Huo Yan was the weak and sickly kid when he was young, and he just cried out in a milky voice, "Uncle, carry me away!"
Wei Qing chuckled and said yes.
When Huo Qubing saw Huo Yan was going back, although he was unhappy, he also opened his arms to Wei Qing.
So Wei Qing held one in each hand and held them both in his arms. Huo Qubing thought he was playing a game and did not make a fuss and came down. In addition, Huo Yan in his other arm made faces and made them laugh.
"Uncle, charge!"
Huo Yan suddenly stretched out his fist and made a superman gesture. Huo Qubing also smiled and punched
Wei Qing smiled indulgently and walked to the door with two submachine guns in his pocket. Helplessly, he kicked the door lightly with his foot and got in the moment the door opened.
[Uncle, uncle, love tiger oil!]
[Uncle, uncle, slurp, slurp.]
[Uncle, you are my wife! ! !]
[Woo, I want to hug my uncle too.]
[She's got a nice figure when she's naked, and she looks thin when she's dressed. She also has a good temper. This is my long-lost wife.]
[When the breeze blows and the snow falls, you come with Zhenyu. A glimpse of you is so startling that it disturbs my heart.]
[Although Ah Yan has a bad temper, scolds me every day, gives me the middle finger, and rolls his eyes, but my uncle and Bingbing are worth it.]
[No, I'm completely different from the above. I just like the way Ah Yan looks at me every morning and wants to kill me with a knife but can't, and the way his face instantly darkens every time I call him uncle, wife, brother, darling, grandma, or mother, sister.]
[This is just a rebellious son, it won't affect my relationship with my uncle's wife.]
[Yan, no, Mimi. Why aren't you laughing? Is it not funny? Hhh.]
…
Huo Yan had become accustomed to their sudden appearances, and now he completely ignored them.
But when he saw them trying to show off their seniority, his face instantly darkened and he gave them the middle finger in private.
Sooner or later I'll give you all a beating.
Although the Wei family had been freed from slavery, they were once servants and naturally had no permanent wealth. It was already very difficult for them to rent a place to live. As for the things to keep warm, they only had the animal skins poached by Wei Qing on the small bed and the silk cocoons given to Wei Zifu by the prince after she was taken away last time.
Although it was warmer inside the house than outside, it was still freezing cold.
Aunt Wei and Shao'er Wei were sitting by the bed, taking advantage of the good daylight, around the fire pit, sewing small cotton robes with their chilblained hands. The size was probably for the two children.
Wei Shao'er was stuffing some kudzu and hemp into the bed to keep out the cold, when she saw the little kid in Wei Qing's arms, his face red with cold but still grinning. The mother, who often forgot her kids, then remembered her two forgotten older sons. She hurried forward, cooperated with Wei Qing to take off their robes, and then stuffed the two little devils into the bed and wrapped them in animal skins like silkworm pupae. The whole process took no more than two minutes, smooth and flowing, showing her rich experience.
Huo Qubing and Huo Yan tried to come up with the idea, but were patted on the head by Wei Shaoer.
The slap was not heavy, at least Huo Yan and the other boy didn't feel anything, they were still smiling innocently, like good kids, they just looked at each other, and worked together to rub their pupae with their hands, trying to get out.
Just after they were wrapped up, Huo Qubing's two tender white arms came out from the gap with the help of Huo Yan. He struggled to crawl out halfway and then reached out to help Huo Yan. He didn't care that half of his body was exposed. His solidarity and friendship made Wei Shaoer very angry. She grabbed Huo Qubing's hands and wrapped them again, and then pulled out a long hemp thread from the pile of kudzu, tied him up in a few seconds, and directed Wei Qing while tying them up.
"Qing'er, tie up the one over there too."
After these words were spoken, Huo Yan, who was so scared that he was trying to sneak out of the animal skin, suddenly became obedient. He stopped moving his hands and wrapped himself in the animal skin obediently. With his delicate little face, he jumped into Wei Qing's arms.
"Uncle, I'm good."
This sensible attitude made Wei Qing and Wei Ai burst out laughing. Even Wei Shaoer couldn't help but burst out laughing. She gently pinched Huo Yan's little face and asked, "Are you good? I don't know who grabbed a handful of grass yesterday, saying it was edible, and then coaxed your uncle to eat it."
Huo Yan blinked and tilted his head to look at Huo Qubing. Huo Qubing was tied up and was being held in Wei Ai's arms and kissed. He also tilted his head to look at him, blinking his big eyes, hoping that he would be soft-hearted and take the blame for him.
Huo Yan's heart softened immediately. Under his earnest gaze, he said very righteously, "Grass is sweet."
Wei Qing, who had personally witnessed Huo Qubing feeding Wei Shaojun grass, smiled and touched his head, praising him, "Ayan is so young, yet he is full of chivalrous spirit."
After saying that, he tied Huo Yan's body loosely. As he tied it, he said, "Now that Qubing has it, Ah Yan must have it too. Right?"
Huo Yan was struggling, but he stopped after hearing this.
Wei Qing patted his little head and stuffed it back into his pocket.
What else didn't Wei Shao'er understand? Wei Shaojun mistook Huo Qubing for Huo Yan.
She turned her head to look at the culprit and rubbed Huo Qubing's little face hard.
"You were naughty and got into trouble, and you asked your brother to help you!"
Huo Yan knew he was exposed, but still wanted to struggle. He gently nudged Wei Qing with his head.
"It's not Bingbing! It's me!"
Under the watchful eyes of the public, with the culprit already exposed, he still decided to blink his big eyes and look at everyone sincerely in the hope of getting away with it.
Unexpectedly, Huo Qubing was pinched by Wei Ai and Wei Shaoer and laughed so hard that he said directly, "Ayan, let's do it together next time."
Huo Yan's eyes suddenly widened.
Didn't you ask me to help you? Why are you admitting it now?
Brother, can you get better?
His expression was so funny that everyone fell down laughing when they saw it.
The barrage of comments was so funny that it kept falling down.
After all, Huo Yan had a car accident, and they were so happy.
[Mimi is tied up like a piglet, so cute.]
[If you don't obey me, I will eat you.]
[I already know how my uncle plays with my breasts.]
[Uncle: Bingbing has one, and Yan wants one too.]
…
After laughing for a while, Wei Qing took out the silk book that Wei Zifu had asked someone to send and handed it to everyone.
The Wei family members were not very literate, and they just touched the soft brocade carefully one by one, as if they were touching Wei Zifu's face.
"I asked someone to look at it. It says that His Majesty will select and release the old, frail, and useless palace maids next spring."
Wei Qing's smile was still there as he continued in a loud voice, "Third sister may be able to leave the palace and go home."
Wei Ai and Wei Shao'er's eyes lit up, and they murmured to each other, "It's good to come back. Then Qing'er and Shaojun will go to pick up Zifu."
Huo Qubing was tied up and not obedient. He was held in Wei Ai's arms and moved around, trying to get to Huo Yan, asking him to help him untie the hemp thread. But when Huo Yan, who was originally in Wei Qing's arms and ready to take him away, heard that Wei Zifu was coming back, he stopped moving. Wei Zifu's image appeared in his mind, but it was not clear anymore. He tried hard to remember, but in the end, he could only remember her gentle, fragrant black hair and her motherly embrace.
He was too young at that time and his memory was too vague, but he knew that he missed his aunt very much. Even now he is trying hard to learn to read in order to bring his aunt back.
So he raised his little face and said to Wei Qing, "My brother and I will go too!"
Huo Qubing nodded. He still remembered his aunt who would sing lullabies to him because A Yan talked about her every day.
"Ayan and I are going too!"
The elders of the Wei family laughed again, "Everyone go, everyone go!"
This wait lasted until the spring of the third year of Jianyuan, until the flowers bloomed and the willows turned green, and until Huo Yan took Huo Qubing to formally learn to read and write with Wei Qing.
They didn't wait for Wei Zifu to return home.
【Author’s words】
① An honorific title for Marquis of Changping.
②During the Han Dynasty, there was no cotton. The nobility used silk cocoons and animal fur for warmth. The poor used kudzu and hemp.
③ Fire pits. The "fire pits" of the Han Dynasty may have been referred to by various names at the time, but their function was similar to the modern fire pit (or kang, or stove): a heating facility used for warmth, cooking, and daily life. During the Han Dynasty, such facilities were particularly common in northern China, where cold winters necessitated effective heating methods.
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