The winter solstice in Dali was not only a time for sending gifts to relatives and friends but also for important ancestral sacrifices.
In Zhaojia Village, under the leadership of the clan elder, all the men of the clan gathered at the Zhaojia ancestral hall to perform the family sacrifice.
However, the Shen family were newcomers and did not have a place in the family tree, nor ancestral tablets, so they could not perform ancestral sacrifices.
Only after Shen's father's accident did Zhao Shi erect a cenotaph and a memorial tablet for him.
Therefore, the Shen family's winter solstice sacrifice was not grand. Led by Shen Yun, the head of the household, they simply offered three sticks of incense to Shen's father's memorial tablet.
Su Xiaoqi glanced sideways and saw the inscription on the memorial tablet again: Memorial Tablet of the Late Husband, Shen, courtesy name Zhongwen.
Su Xiaoqi's mind buzzed again.
Shen Zhongwen, Shen Zhongwen.
This name struck her brain once more.
But this time, she still could not recall who he was.
After all, he was not the protagonist, so Su Xiaoqi had not paid much attention when she looked at it.
However, she vaguely remembered that Shen Zhongwen mentioned in the novel was a living person, not yet dead.
So, she suspected it was someone with the same name.
After all, she couldn't just go to the Shen family and talk about it based on a guess.
Thinking about Shen Yun, who later became a powerful minister, did not seem to have any connection with the person she remembered.
"Sister-in-law, it's time to eat." Seeing Su Xiaoqi in a daze, Shen Xiaomei reminded her softly.
Su Xiaoqi quickly came back to her senses, then quietly looked up at Shen Yun.
She was surprised to find that his eyes were also fixed on her.
Su Xiaoqi quickly lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
But she could still clearly feel Shen Yun's gaze on her.
Feeling uncomfortable, she quickly picked up a rib with her chopsticks and placed it in his bowl, softly saying, "Husband, eat quickly, it will get cold."
Shen Yun smiled lightly and reciprocated by picking a piece for her.
Meanwhile, Zhao Shi glanced at the two of them once. Noticing anything unusual, she simply assumed they were a loving young couple.
She was happy to see her son and daughter-in-law getting along well.
However, Old Mrs. Yu was somewhat displeased.
Although she herself had not studied, she had been with Zhao Ci for a long time and felt that their behavior was not solemn enough.
But the situation was special today, and she could not say much, so she pretended not to see.
The meal was uneventful.
After tidying up the kitchen with Zhao Xiaozhu and Guo'er, they returned to their room.
Su Xiaoqi saw Shen Yun standing by the window, holding a brush under the dim candlelight, drawing something.
Upon seeing Su Xiaoqi, he waved her over: "Wife, come here."
Su Xiaoqi leaned in to look.
She saw Shen Yun drawing a branch of plum blossoms on Xuan paper, with eighty-one petals.
"Oh, is this the so-called 'Nine-Nine Cold-Counting Picture'?"
Su Xiaoqi was curious and looked down with great interest.
Shen Yun nodded, then reached out and took her right hand, leaning close to her ear and softly saying, "This branch of plum blossoms has ninety-nine petals, eighty-one in total.
Today is the winter solstice, the beginning of the "counting of the nines." Each day we color one petal. When all petals are colored, the ninety-nine days will be over, and the harsh winter will pass, and spring will be deep."
This meant that the weather in Bashu would improve.
Su Xiaoqi thought this was quite elegant and had often seen it in books but had never done it. She was very enthusiastic and let him embrace her from behind as they colored together.
With a dab of vermilion, one red petal appeared on the plum blossom.
Su Xiaoqi found coloring it fun and couldn't help but want to finish all the petals.
As her fingertip reached for a second plum blossom, Shen Yun stopped her. He lowered his head, leaned on her shoulder, and said gently, "Wife, don't be impatient."
Su Xiaoqi flexed her fingers and had to put down the brush.
She suddenly felt that this was quite a taxing activity.
Coloring a little bit every day, yet only being allowed to add a tiny bit.
Su Xiaoqi thought to herself, if she found an opportunity, she would definitely color all of them for him one day.
Su Xiaoqi secretly made this decision.
The period around the winter solstice is an excellent time for water conservancy projects, basic farmland construction, and accumulating fertilizer.
At the same time, it is important to apply winter fertilizer and take measures against frost.
Clear ditches for drainage, mound soil around the roots, and quickly plow the compacted winter soil that has not yet been turned to loosen the soil, enhance water storage capacity, and eliminate overwintering pests.
Three days after the winter solstice, Su Xiaoqi heard from Steward Li that they were going to use oxen to plow the fields with the farmhands.
However, the manor only had one old, weak ox.
They hoped to buy another one.
Su Xiaoqi was never stingy with such matters. She directly took out money and let Steward Li handle it himself.
In the afternoon, two strong water buffaloes were brought back.
Su Xiaoqi happened to want to check on the progress of the second batch of wood ear mushrooms cultivated from cottonseed in the back.
So, she changed into a light, short jacket, grabbed a basket, left Guo'er to look after Zhao Shi and Old Mrs. Yu, and headed out of the manor.
She thought she would go to the fields to take a look, then wander around the back mountain to see if she could collect some medicinal herbs.
She had some ideas for both Old Mrs. Yu's paralyzed leg and Zhao Ye's ear, but she was lacking the necessary herbs.
As she walked out of the courtyard gate, she happened to meet Shen Yun. Upon hearing that she was going to the fields, he said he would go along to see.
Su Xiaoqi knew that ever since he returned from the Gu family after the winter solstice, he had been locking himself in the study at the front of the house, reading.
Except for eating and sleeping, he never went out at other times.
She had felt for a long time that this was not good for him.
In fact, the reason she suddenly decided to wander around the back of the manor was also to bring him along.
She just didn't expect that after lingering near his study door, before she could even persuade him, he would speak up first.
He even took Su Xiaoqi's basket from her and carried it on his back, walking ahead.
Su Xiaoqi followed him, watching his tall figure carrying the basket, dressed like a rural young man, and couldn't help but laugh.
It was hard to imagine that Shen Yun's hands, which were used for writing and painting, could also carry a basket with such ease.
Hearing her laughter, Shen Yun turned his head and glanced at her sideways: "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, nothing." Su Xiaoqi, though stifling her laughter, had to maintain a serious expression. Her delicate face became more lively, appearing exceptionally charming.
Shen Yun saw her gaze fixed on the basket behind him and knew the reason for her amusement.
He deliberately put on a stern face: "My wife wears her hair up and wears sleeves, yet you are always running to the fields. I am merely imitating you, and you laugh at me. If anyone should be laughed at, it should be you. I am merely following my wife's lead."
Shen Yun's words made Su Xiaoqi unable to laugh anymore.
She felt as though Shen Yun was teasing her.
She put on a serious face and said, "Hey, don't talk nonsense. You are the top scholar of the imperial examination.
I only know how to do farm work, and I dare not compare myself to you, the top scholar."
Hearing Su Xiaoqi say this, Shen Yun's face darkened. He felt that her words had a deeper meaning, so he stopped walking and turned around to block Su Xiaoqi's path, raising his eyebrows: "Is this how my wife perceives herself?"
Su Xiaoqi hadn't thought that deeply.
She just knew that Shen Yun was going to be a high-ranking official in the future, and yet he was dressed like a rural boy now. The contrast was too great.
Moreover, in her modern life, she was indeed studying agriculture.
Besides attending theoretical classes every day, most of the time she was buried in the experimental fields located in a remote rural area of the academy.
Conducting experiments with various crops, recording data, and then adjusting...
It was a repetitive cycle.
However, it was clear that Shen Yun did not like to hear these words. She blinked her eyes and awkwardly changed the subject: "Well, well, I need to walk faster, otherwise I won't be able to see them plowing the fields."
But Shen Yun seemed to have something to say to her. His eyes locked onto her, and he grabbed her arm with his right hand, saying meaningfully:
"I hope my wife will never forget at any time that you are the wife whom I married through formal proposal and arrangement."