Deep autumn had passed, and winter was approaching. A fall rain brought a chill.
After the winter solstice, it rained all night, and the temperature plummeted. The fallen leaves on the ground formed a thick layer, stirred by the cold wind and dancing in the air.
One day, Xu Dafu chased Xu Erniu, cursing her as a "money-loser." Her mother tried to intervene, crying and protecting her. Xu Erniu remained silent, her gloomy expression increasingly resembling her sister's.
"You wretched creature, daring to run away! You're here to collect debts, just like your sister. She ran off, and now you're here to pay."
Yu Tou ran to the fenced yard and found it empty. Judging by Xu Dafu's words, he hadn't waited to find her a husband but had run off herself. He then packed up and moved in.
As the weather turned cold, Xue Niang donned her padded coat trimmed with fur. Xiao Shan also ventured into the mountains less often. On sunny afternoons, they sat in the courtyard, one chopping wood to make stools, the other sewing padded clothes.
Xue Niang's neck was wrapped in a layer of white, long fur trim. When the wind blew, the downy fluff fluttered by her cheeks, making her appear even more delicate and lovely. She sewed meticulously and diligently, distributing the cotton wadding evenly within the padded coat.
A hairband loosely held her dark hair, letting it fall softly to one side of her shoulder. In her hair, she wore only her favorite plum blossom silver hairpin. Her sparse bangs were fluffy and curved, lending her an air of quiet elegance.
Xiao Hu dozed beside her, his ears occasionally perking up to listen before falling back down.
A smile played on Xiao Shan's lips, his tiger-like eyes filled with tenderness.
"Having you by my side makes the years peaceful and life ideal."
The tranquil moment was broken by Xiao Hu's sudden leap. A knock sounded at the door.
The visitor was Du Ling, from Yuan Bufei's retinue.
Dressed in a dusty black official uniform with gray trim, his usually stern face showed a hint of weariness. This time, he had learned his lesson and didn't push the door open directly, but waited patiently.
Xiao Shan's questions were always direct: "What is it?"
"Fengshan and Mingzhou experienced an earthquake," Du Ling stated without preamble. "My lord wishes to know—"
"He doesn't need to know," Xiao Shan replied, his face grim, his voice cold.
"Yes." Du Ling bowed respectfully and took his leave.
Xiao Shan turned back. Xue Niang had already put down her work and stood gracefully. Even in her padded coat, her figure remained slender and delicate.
He never hid anything from her. Facing her questioning gaze, he recounted the news Du Ling had brought.
"So, an earthquake did happen?" Xue Niang murmured.
It wasn't an ordinary dream, but a premonition, a premonitory dream by a goddess.
Earthquakes were natural disasters, and also man-made calamities. Lingxi had been to the altar; the disasters of Jingguo had begun.
"That's just a coincidence," Xiao Shan insisted, still stubborn.
"You know it's not."
"What does it matter if it is or isn't? What does it have to do with you?"
Xiao Shan, uncharacteristically losing his temper, panted heavily, like a fire-breathing dragon. "Don't think of finding excuses to leave. You're already betrothed for a political marriage; no one's life or death concerns you. We promised to grow old together here; you can't go back on your word."
His face was full of accusation, as if she had run off again.
Xue Niang found it somewhat amusing and a little delightful. She hadn't said anything, yet this man was so anxious.
"Your nose is about to spew fire."
"Don't act all casual with me. I'm telling you, if you dare to have any other thoughts, don't blame me for not being gentle."
Xiao Shan spoke harsh words, but his strength was waning, his bluster like a paper tiger.
Xue Niang nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"I forgot to tell you, I had another dream last night."
"What dream?" Xiao Shan's tone tightened noticeably, his thick brows furrowed into a deep line.
She had been so tired last night, how could she still dream? No wonder she was weak. What kind of useless divine ability was this?
"I dreamed that you married someone else."
"Nonsense!" Xiao Shan nearly jumped up. "That's definitely wrong. Besides you, I will never marry another woman!"
Not even in death!
It seemed her ability wasn't so divine after all. Perhaps the last time was just a fluke.
"I didn't say it was a woman. It was a man."
Xue Niang smiled, her eyes curving into crescent moons. Her peerless face bloomed like flowers on a branch, her demeanor playful and teasing, captivating the heart.
Xiao Shan's eyes deepened. His previous anger vanished like a fleeting bloom, completely diffused by her.
"You dare to tease me."
"No, it's true."
Xue Niang didn't know why, but she had such a dream. The man was exceptionally handsome, more beautiful than a woman, but undeniably a man. He wore red and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Xiao Shan. Honestly, they looked quite compatible.
Thinking of this, she became unhappy again and started to find Xiao Shan displeasing.
"Bitch!"
Xiao Shan: "..."
Are you blaming me for your own wild, nonsensical dreams?
Xue Niang didn't take the dream seriously. How could men marry men? She just didn't like the thought of someone being so close to Xiao Shan.
Neither men nor women were acceptable.
"Come inside."
Xue Niang picked up the padded coat she had sewn and entered the house. Xiao Shan watched her sway gracefully as she moved, her padded-coat-clad figure captivating him endlessly.
"Try it on. Let me see if anything needs adjusting."
Huh? He was supposed to try on the clothes?
Xiao Shan quickly shed his undergarments, deliberately flexing his muscles.
"What are you doing, posing like that?" Xue Niang playfully hit his chest.
Xiao Shan: "..."
Why did his display of masculine prowess turn into something else in her words?
But being attended to by his woman felt wonderful.
Xue Niang lowered her head, stretching the garment, pulling here and tugging there. Xiao Shan turned with her movements, his gaze intensely fixed on her face, as smooth as a peeled egg.
He wanted to bite her.
"Xiao Shan, are your arms one longer than the other?"
Xue Niang looked at the sleeves with confusion. She had compared them earlier; they were cut to the same length. What was going on?
"Mhm." Xiao Shan, his senses stirred by the downy fur around her neck, hadn't fully heard Xue Niang's question and casually agreed.
Huh? Is it true? Then he's a freak?
How could that be? She couldn't tell. Xue Niang pulled his arm, turning it back and forth. The more she looked, the more asymmetrical it seemed.
"How did you end up like this? What can be done?"
"What do you mean, what can be done? I was born this way, what can I do?" Xiao Shan wrapped an arm around her, squinting and inhaling the faint lotus fragrance, feeling invigorated and full of energy.
This scent was a great tonic.
"Then, if we have a child, will it be like this too?" Xue Niang was very worried.
"It doesn't matter if it's a boy. A girl, though, it's better if she's like you, fragrant and beautiful like a flower."
"What if a girl is like this?"
That couldn't be, could it?
Xiao Shan fell into thought.
A mental image of a burly little girl, her muscles as hard as stone, punching a rock in half, flashed through his mind. He shivered.
"Perhaps, we should just not have children!"
Really, he didn't like those little brats.