"Squeak squeak squeak." Lazy human, get up and look, it's snowing outside, a very, very big snow.
Xiao Bai, afraid the human wouldn't get up to watch the snow with it, kept squeaking exaggeratedly.
Disturbed from its sweet dreams by Xiao Bai, the person finally came back to their senses and sat up in bed.
"Squeak squeak squeak."
In the darkness, Xiao Bai stood on the windowsill, its little chubby paws tugging at the curtains, urging Fu Xin Ci to come and look quickly.
Perhaps afraid Fu Xin Ci wouldn't believe it, Xiao Bai repeatedly lifted a corner of the curtain with force, showing Fu Xin Ci the vast expanse of white outside.
Fu Xin Ci sat by the window, wrapped in her quilt, watching the snowflakes dance in the sky. She murmured to herself, "Glass windows are so good. You can watch the snowscape while staying indoors."
"Squeak squeak squeak." Yes, indeed.
Xiao Bai agreed. It also thought these transparent glass windows were wonderful, allowing one to see everything outside while sitting in a warm room.
Even though it was small and had to stand on the windowsill to see the scenery, it was still much better than standing in the icy, snowy outdoors and enduring the cold wind.
"Squeak squeak squeak." I want to play in the snow.
"It's the middle of the night. If you want to go, go by yourself. Don't drag me along."
"Squeak squeak squeak." It's boring by myself. You said it's perfect to play with friends.
"Playing with friends is indeed immensely enjoyable. But have you ever seen a normal person stay up all night and go out to have a snowball fight?"
"Squeak squeak squeak." There are always exceptions, aren't there.
"That's not an exception, it's an accident, and most likely a sign of madness. If you want to be crazy, go be crazy. I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning and have everyone look at me with strange eyes."
"Squeak squeak squeak." Don't humans often say "a true friend is willing to face death with you"?
"Tsk, you seem to have forgotten, you are not a noble person, and neither am I. So where does the 'willing to face death' come from?"
"Squeak squeak squeak." Not a noble person, so be it. You even added 'even more' to it, how uncivilized.
"Tsk, that's not uncivilized, that's just stating facts."
"Squeak squeak squeak."
"Shush!"
"Squeak?"
"Look, the pure white snowflakes are slowly falling from the sky. The world between heaven and earth is serene."
"...?"
"Such a beautiful scene, how can you bear to spoil it?"
Xiao Bai: It seemed to be its fault.
The person and the sable lay on the windowsill, lost in thought, watching the endless snow outside, even their breathing becoming shallow.
For a moment, the room was utterly silent.
Xiao Bai: Honestly, this atmosphere is quite nice, just makes one sleepy.
After an unknown period, sleepiness overcame Fu Xin Ci, and she could no longer resist. She pulled the quilt over herself and drifted off to sleep.
Fu Xin Ci woke up again. It was already dawn, and the snow had stopped.
She heard the sounds of the two heartwarming sisters sweeping snow in the courtyard, and the laughter of Yu Er and Qi Ge.
After washing up and getting dressed, she went to the front courtyard and saw her grandfather and her "cheap" father standing in the yard, talking.
"The first snow of winter is so heavy. It looks like there will be a lot of snow this winter."
"Father, don't worry. No matter how strong the wind and snow, we are not afraid. The provisions at home, whether firewood or grain, are abundant."
"Mm." Grandpa Meng thought of himself and his granddaughter, loading cart after cart of grain onto the donkey cart and bringing it home. The smile lines around his mouth couldn't be hidden.
"Grandfather, Daddy."
"Ah."
"Ah, Xin Ci is awake. It's cold today, why aren't you wearing more?"
"Grandfather, I'm wearing enough."
Since the family was still in mourning, Fang Shi had asked Liu Shi and the others to make plain colored clothes for Fu Xin Ci.
Because it was snowing, Fu Xin Ci had deliberately put on this newly made sky-blue padded jacket and skirt today, and a matching light blue cloak.
Fu Yu looked at his daughter, who appeared refreshed, several times before saying with a look of pleasant surprise, "Father, look, doesn't our Xin Ci's complexion look fairer and more delicate than a few days ago?"
"Mm, our Xin Ci was always fair and delicate. It was the wind and sun on the journey to Liaodong that made her a little darkie."
Fu Xin Ci: Grandfather, your honest words are quite hurtful.
"But it doesn't matter. After this winter, I guarantee our Xin Ci will return to her original appearance."
"Mm." Her "cheap" father was also confident.
Fu Xin Ci: She herself was also confident.
It was this sudden heavy snowfall that officially marked the beginning of winter in Liaodong.
Some villagers in Mengjia Village, who hadn't had time to prepare winter clothes, shivered at home, afraid to go out.
In Wujia Village, some people gathered in small groups, muttering, "Looking at this situation, this year might not be easy."
"Easy? Haven't you heard what the people in Mengjia Village are saying? They passed through drought-stricken areas on their way from the capital, finding it hard to even get a drink of water."
"It can't be that bad, can it?"
"Not that bad? They're all as dry as turtles, you just wait and see, how many families will run out of food this winter?"
"Then what are we going to do? The grain we get from the garrison every year isn't much."
"The garrison shouldn't be short of grain this year." The speaker looked around, and seeing no outsiders, lowered his voice and said, "I've seen Second Master Meng and his granddaughter deliver things to the garrison twice. The first time it looked like little clods of earth, I don't know what they were. The second time, it was proper grain, all packed in sacks, several large sacks."
"I saw it once too. Second Master Meng is truly benevolent."
"Benevolent, why doesn't he help out his own brothers and nephews?"
"How else can he help? Aren't those few old men visiting Second Master Meng's mansion every few days?"
"How do you know?"
"Do you need to pay attention? The mansion is so conspicuous, can't we just see it when we look up?"
"That's true."
The few people were talking animatedly, none of them noticing that inside the贺 family's courtyard wall, someone was eavesdropping.
He Liushi had asked her daughter to fetch firewood to start the cooking fire.
Alas, thinking about it made her angry. Their family was also reduced to eating two bowls of thin congee a day.
But she had been waiting in the kitchen for a while, where had the child gone with the firewood?
When He Liushi came out of the kitchen, she saw her daughter standing by the wall, staring blankly with a dark expression.
"Xiao Ni, hurry up and get the firewood."
"Alright." He Xiao Ni responded, then reluctantly went to the woodshed.
She had heard everything those people had just said.
Fu Xin Ci's family had surplus grain and sent it to the garrison, while her family had surplus grain that her mother had bought and hidden as silver.
The more He Xiao Ni thought about it, the more upset she became. Unconsciously, she grumbled, "Hmph! It's always your family showing off. Look at you, so capable."
"Xiao Ni, who are you talking to?"
"N-nothing, just talking to myself."
"You wicked brat, if you weren't talking to anyone, why are you so slow? What time is it?"
"I'm coming right away." He Xiao Ni replied verbally, but felt very wronged in her heart. Why did she have to work at home, while Fu Xin Ci didn't have to do anything?