On the day of the Harvest Festival, the news of Fuzhou City's richest young master, Xu Shaoyou, marrying the only illegitimate daughter of Duke Jianing spread like wildfire throughout the city. People flocked to the luxurious wine tower to attend the celebratory feast, and the grandiose ten-mile-long red wedding procession became a legendary tale. The extravagant and lavish wedding ceremony was the envy of all the nobles.

  At the time of the wedding, the young master's gentle words like water were: "In this life, I have obtained what I wanted, and having you as my wife is enough. I swear to heaven and earth that I will not take a concubine or raise a mistress, and I will cherish only one person in my heart until we are old and gray." This oath completely stunned the people attending the ceremony, and from then on, it was compiled into a legend and spread far and wide.

  The bright crescent moon hangs gently on the treetops, and the hazy moonlight shines through the lush leaves to the ground, rendering all things in a faintly bright and dark contrast. It also playfully casts a reddish glow on the swaying shadows, as if reluctant to disperse the lingering excitement that follows the wind, sweeping away the withered lotus flowers from the pond, and ruffling the sparkling green water.

  He Le'an, wearing a red hood, sat alone in her familiar bedroom, listening to the faint sound, suddenly felt a bit tense, and then heard a smile saying, "An'er, I'm back." In an instant, she was all tense.

  When the thick wine fumes rushed into his nostrils, he saw the familiar faces of these days. With a dazed and gentle affection, he lifted her red hood, and his pleasant voice was full of unstoppable excitement, "Wife, An'er's wife."

  Four eyes met, Xie lifted her chin and lightly kissed her lips. "Don't be nervous, I'm not going to eat you."

  He Lian's face turned redder than a red silk fabric, "You you, I'm doing it for the first time!"

  "I've thought about marrying you thousands of times, but tonight, seeing your lovely expression under the red veil, I'm certain that my wish has come true." Xū Xié pulled her into his arms, grasping this warm and real body, "It's great, being able to marry you as my wife, it's great."

  He Le An's heart was full of joy and satisfaction as she hugged him back, her lips curling up uncontrollably. She silently pouted and whispered "Hubby..." Her murmurs trailed off into a sly smile, as if she had picked up some rare treasure. She blushed and rubbed her face against his chest, lost in her own little world.

  To avoid unnecessary trouble, I'll leave out some details and let you imagine them for yourself.

  Early in the morning, the refreshing fragrance of lotus flowers evaporated in the humid air. He Le'an, who had been tossed about all night, was drowsy under the soft golden light. Xi Ye's spirit was high as he gently kissed her face, which couldn't hide its fatigue. "Don't sleep yet, I'll have the maid bring over some hot congee, and after we eat, we can take a nap."

  He Lan'an snuggled softly into his arms, lazily humming a weak "Hmm" from her nose.

  The Xifu household had no elders, so the newlyweds dispensed with many formalities and made merry all night long. If not for the open window letting in a gentle breeze that carried away the thick atmosphere of love, the whole room would have been filled with an air that would make people blush to the point of wanting to bury themselves underground.

  They slept together until late afternoon, and Xiè felt that her casual glance was a tease to him. He wanted her twice more before he was satisfied enough to let her get up. When she got out of bed, her legs were so weak that they trembled, almost falling down when he caught her with ease, smiling as if it was the most natural thing in the world and said: "An'er niángzi (wife), shall we take a bath together?"

  He Lian's whole body was flushed with a captivating red, "You you you, don't make me so flustered that I can't even get out of bed!"

  "Who made An so delicious? I've been starving for a long time." Xie Ye picked up He Le An and walked steadily towards the large bathtub prepared by the maids outside, before getting in the water, he couldn't help but kiss her lips, and because of the soft feeling, gradually deepened...

  To avoid unnecessary trouble, I'll leave out the details and let you imagine them for yourself - this is the last dividing line.

  When the first snow of early winter arrived, two pieces of news came to the capital: one was that Cheng Shuwei was pregnant, and the other was that the frail and often ill Princess Xuanqin had been poisoned by her concubine and died. The wedding scheduled for next year would have to be postponed due to a three-year mourning period.

  Just as Xue Huiyu in the Xue Mansion heard the news, she subconsciously let out a sigh of relief, but immediately afterwards, she frowned in self-loathing, "I actually feel a little happy. Am I too wicked?"

  "It wasn't you who poisoned, and before this, have you ever wished for the downfall of the Wangfu?" He Le Wei said, "The imperial edict for marriage cannot be taken as a joke, you will spend your most precious three years of youth on it. Think about how many three-year periods a woman has, even if you are slightly malicious, what's the harm."

  Xue Hui's lips trembled as she said, "Ordinary girls are either waiting to get married or thinking about getting married, but since his passing, my heart has been like a pot of cold water that can't be heated up no matter what. Since the engagement was set, I couldn't help but think that if Wang Shizi were even slightly similar to him, it would be better." Although selfish, this thought allowed her to catch her breath and momentarily alleviate the suffocating feeling.

  He Le'an saw her being sad and his heart was burning, he wanted to tell her the 'truth', but couldn't bear to ruin their future reunion, so he bit his lip and went through the promise he made with Shi Jinghuai before she left the city word by word in his mind. Just as he was about to speak, Xing Yu said, "Young Madam, Ninth Miss has arrived."

  He LeYing rushed in, sobbing uncontrollably. Without needing to be asked, she already wiped away her tears with a scowl and said: "Sixth sister, HuiYu sister, my father... he's really too much! He actually..."

  "Alas, in a drunken stupor, I promised me to the only son of Governor Yu, woe is me!"

  "Today someone came running over to offer their condolences, and only then did he remember that this thing had indeed happened. Waaahhh! I'm going to cut off all ties with my daughter!"

  He Le'an and Xue Huiyu stared at each other for half a moment, both seeing the word "unbelievable" in each other's eyes. Then He Le'an said: "I don't want to marry that little white face Yu Ansi, waaahhh... Don't think that just because he has an 'An' character, I'll like him waaahhh..."

  He Lan had no idea how to comfort her for a while.

  Xue Huiyu said, "Yu Xun is a strange person, I think his only son will not be bad..."

  "Waaaah!" He Leiyin suddenly wailed, her voice piercing as she cried: "You don't know the whole story! Two days ago, he pointed at my nose and said that he'd rather marry a chicken or a duck than me. I thought he was just talking nonsense because of his illness, but... Waaaah!!"

  He Le'an said with a smile, "Then when you see him, tell him. Marry a pig, marry a dog, or even marry a fish, just don't marry him, at least take back one city..."

  "Waaahhh!" He LeYing cried her heart out, "But I don't want to marry a pig or a dog or a fish waaahhhh!"

  He Le'an and Xue Huiyu looked at each other without a word, seeing her crying uncontrollably, Xue Huiyu asked: "Ninth sister, you're so resistant to being married off to Yu Ansi, do you have someone in your heart?"

  "Wu wu wu, it's not that." He Le Yan interrupted with a sob, "I just don't like Yu An Si. I once beat him in public, and he doesn't like me either. He has such a big opinion of me... Wu wu. Growing up in the streets, I really don't care if my future husband is a noble or not. I just want him to at least like me. He doesn't have to be handsome, as long as he's kind and has good morals. He doesn't have to be rich either, as long as he's polite and courteous."

  Xue Huiyu whispered to He Le'an, "Apart from liking this one, the others are quite suitable for Yu Ansi."

  "Although I've only met him once, I think he's a good person, similar to Ninth Sister in temperament. I think it would be great if the Governor were to decide on this marriage quickly, as he seems very satisfied with Ninth Sister as his daughter-in-law. In the future, she won't have to suffer mistreatment after marrying into their family." He Lian replied in a low voice, thinking that Yu An had lost both parents since childhood and the Governor's household only had grandfather and grandson, so this marriage was acceptable from all angles.

  Xue Hui nodded in agreement and patted He Le's back, "Then what do you want to do now? Cancel this engagement..."

  "What's the point of canceling such a good marriage?" Suddenly, a careless laugh floated in from outside, interrupting Xue Huiyu's question. He Le'an turned his face and couldn't help but burst into joyful laughter:

  "You're back."

  "Hmm." Xie Ya walked over to He Le An's side, put his arm around her shoulders, and naturally kissed her cheek.

  After they got married and no longer had to worry about etiquette, Xue Huiyu was used to this intimate scene. But He Le'an still blushed shyly, as if she were made of honey, pouring a cup of tea at the right temperature for Xi Ye, but not looking at him, instead turning to He Le'yan:

  " Ninth sister, you're only twelve this year, and next spring after your birthday, you'll be thirteen. It's still two years before you get married. If during that time you find someone you like, we can discuss it with grandma. If not, but An Si has changed his ways, then it's perfectly fine to let things develop naturally."

  Xie Dao said, "Lei Xiang, you have to believe in your sixth sister's vision. Just look at her and she'll find a husband as good as me."

  He Le Yuan saw their sweet and sticky appearance, and felt the importance of mutual affection. After crying tiredly, she said: "Sixth sister, sixth brother-in-law, I...I don't want to go home, can I today..."

  He Le'an interrupted her, "Of course you can, Huiyu, why don't you stay too? I'll make something delicious for you guys."

  In the Langya House, in front of the three-in-three-out fully solid wood structure, in the Canglian Garden where he entertained relatives and friends, Xu Xie specially built a large luxurious kitchen for He Le'an. Three girls were making a racket in front of the recipe book, and He Le'an, under their expectation, carved out the twelve zodiac animals from gourds and fruits, vividly lifelike, and pinched many new and strange sweets to comfort their sorrowful hearts.

  He Le'an made a big plate of three-colored dumplings, heated up a pot of wine and fried some small dishes. She instructed Li Yun to send them over to Langui Residence, passing on the message at the same time. When Xie Ye heard from Li Yun that she would be sleeping with He Le'yan tonight, he felt suffocated and heartbroken. But the thoughts of a young girl are always like grinding people's poetry, so he didn't want to interrupt them and make his own wife unhappy, so he just went along with their noise.

  The small snow of flower rain is still continuing, and it seems like there's no rest tonight.

  **

  On the day of Winter Solstice, He Le'an and Xie Ye were invited by Old Lady He to return to the Hou Mansion's side courtyard for a small family gathering.

  Xiao Si Niang's younger sister, Xiao Shi Er, was also present. It seemed that the Xiao family had recently been involved in a dispute over dividing up the family property, so Xiao Si Niang had especially invited her sister to stay at their residence for a short while, in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Fortunately, she was well-behaved and normally didn't go out of the house or get involved with outsiders, showing courtesy to everyone, and there hadn't been any clashes.

  At the banquet, somehow, they started talking about school-related things. He Le Xuan furrowed his brow and said: "I heard from my classmates that He Yi went to the border to fight a war, but General Wei Wu still insisted on him marrying Shao Yingyuan. However, General Wei Wu's wife disagreed, and they quarreled until they packed their bags and left for Beijing to find her sister and daughter. He Er also made a fuss about going to Beijing, and since the middle of the month, he hasn't been back to school."

  In the late autumn, He Shi had been executed in public, and Shao Yingxiu was exiled. The Zhuo Yibo Mansion was messed up by He Shi, but she died and still wanted to harm the Weiwu General's Mansion. That selfish and self-interested heart from beginning to end really makes people sigh endlessly.

  He Le Ying said, "I went out to attend a banquet yesterday and heard the thousand jin of various fu say. Originally planned to set up Shaoying Xue's Qininghou Fu, now set up Wen Yibo Fu's Cheng Mari, I don't know which eye is blind in Qininghou Fu, wanting Cheng Mari this disaster that is not inferior to He Shi, it's better to wait for Shaoying Xue three years honestly."

  "It's probably because of her background, being from the Wen Yibo Fu household behind Cheng Mari. " He Le'an smiled and said that some people always think that since they are from the same household, they should have some affection for each other, but she knew that if Cheng Mari were to seek out Cheng Shu Hui, Cheng Shu Hui wouldn't even bother with her - in the past, she was already cold and harsh towards others who tried to get close to her, let alone someone trying to climb up the social ladder.

  He San Shu said, "By calculation, after next year, if the Qi Ning Marquis Manor still does nothing, it will be downgraded to a Earl Manor."

  They chatted about all sorts of things until the gathering dispersed, and then Old Lady He kept He Lian in her bedroom to have a heart-to-heart talk. Later on, she also said: "Your father has betrothed Po'er, who is the same age as you, to the young master of the Prime Minister's estate. Last time he came to visit, he asked about you and sent some gifts through someone, which you can take with you when you leave later. They're all tokens of his thoughts, so just accept them casually and thank him. Your grandmother will express your gratitude in her reply letter."

  "Thank you, Grandma," He Le'an said. "Your body can't take the cold, I've given all the medicinal recipes to the mothers, maybe some of them don't taste very good, but they're only beneficial for you and won't harm you, don't be disgusted."

  Old Lady He smiled and said, "I'm not particular about anything, I just want to take good care of myself and wait for the day when I can hold my great-grandchildren in my arms." She pulled over He Le'an's hand and said, "Year after year, I've been looking forward to your safe growth, marrying into a good family, whether rich or not is unimportant. Now seeing how well you're being treated like a treasure, your mother can rest in peace knowing this."

  It's good if I can make up for some of the losses in this life.

  **

  He Le'an came out of Old Lady He's bedroom, Xi Ye was playing chess with He San-shu in the pavilion in the courtyard, next to them were He Le-xuan and He Le-yuan, Xiao Si-niang and Xiao Shi-er were also there, it wasn't clear whether the game was intense or not, except for Xi Ye, no one else noticed her coming out, but her unintentional glance caught Xiao Shi-guang staring at Xi Ye in a daze.

  That was an unconscious gesture of admiration, perhaps even Xiang Shi herself didn't realize it until Xiè Yā lifted his head from the chessboard and smiled at her. Xiang Shi suddenly came to her senses, quickly lowering her head, while she also seemed not to have noticed, returning a faint smile to Xiè Yā, saying: "Blowing cold wind to clear your mind? Leaving the warm and cozy flower hall unoccupied, you're actually playing chess in the cool pavilion."

  "I just wanted to wait for you, Third Uncle said that even if we're idle, it's better to play chess, so I can see you come out as soon as possible." Xū Xié turned and said to He San Shu, "Third Uncle, we have other things to attend to, let Le Xuán take over and continue playing with you."

  He San was taken aback by his mature and composed demeanor. Not afraid to decline politely, he surprised everyone with his bold attitude. Looking at him again, all he saw in his eyes was He Le An, and he immediately smiled and said, "Alright, be careful on your way."

  In front of the Hou Mansion, He Le'an instructed the young servant to load the gifts sent by his father onto the horse carriage. Then he let Xing Yu and a few other maids who followed them return to the mansion first. Hand in hand with Xu Ye, they strolled slowly to the gold and silver shop in the market, picked up the previously ordered items, and headed towards the Rich and Noble Wine House.

  Cao Zhāngguì saw that they had come out to welcome him personally. As it was already long past dinner time, there were not many guests in the hall at present.

  He Le'an handed the brocade box to Cao Zhuanggui with a smile, "It's the Winter Solstice gift I've prepared for everyone. Have it distributed, one string per person, a small token of my wishes for our wine shop to sail smoothly and have great luck in all things."

  When the people in the wine building received this small gift, they were all stunned - it was a real gold and silver decoration made up of six dumplings and ingot-shaped gold and silver, as well as a small sailboat, which was as long as two palms. The exquisite degree is not too much to be passed down as a family heirloom in the future. When Manager Cao led them to thank the boss's wife, they found that this smiling boss's wife looked quite familiar.

  "Ah!" Uncle Xiong couldn't believe his eyes and exclaimed: "Xiao Ke!"

  As soon as this was said, everyone burst into a frenzy like boiling water. "It's really Xiao Ke!!"

  He Le'an playfully blinked her eyes and smiled brightly, saying: "Thanks for everyone's concern in the past."

  "I always thought you weren't just a simple servant of the aristocratic family, I didn't expect that you would be a woman, and still the daughter of Duke Jianing!" Xiong Shu picked up his jaw that had dropped to the ground.

  The people around nodded in deep agreement, even the storytellers in the market didn't dare to say such unbelievable and absurd plot, a dignified young lady from a wealthy family was reduced to doing chores for them!

  "I'm really sorry for hiding my true identity due to various reasons, especially from Master Xiong. It wasn't intentional deception, but as a member of the nobility, there are many rules and etiquette to follow, and I had to be mindful of some things. Now that I'm the mistress of Riches and Honor Wine House, I can dress however I want." He Le'an smiled and said, "You all work hard to make Riches and Honor Wine House prosperous, and every year you'll have silver, gold, gifts, and whatnot."

  Uncle Xiong lived to this age and wouldn't fail to see that He Le'an treated people with sincerity. As for her identity, there was no need to pursue it further. Moreover, this young lady had already helped him a lot as his master. If he were to deny everything about her just because of her identity, it would be unworthy of being a man. He smiled first and said: "Since Little Ke is the boss's wife, some of your invented dishes can also be added to our Rich and Noble Restaurant's menu..."

  Light snowflakes fluttered, He Le'an felt that her days after marrying Xié Yè were truly happy and joyful. After the twelfth month passed, it would be the first month of the new year, which was their second New Year together and also their first as a married couple. Everywhere in the mansion could be seen festive red decorations, she had cut out the paper flowers herself, and he had personally put them up.

  He Le'an was busy in the kitchen, and Xi Ye leaned against the door to watch her busily cooking for him, just like when she struggled to get to the Qianqin Wangfu, carefully making dishes as usual. The memory was distant but clear, he still remembered the small, thin, and weak her curled up in the corner with a pitiful appearance, at that time, his heart had already moved.

  She turned around, and he was smiling brightly at her. She thought to herself that there couldn't be anything sweeter than this, and she couldn't help but curve the corners of her eyes as she said, "I hid small ingots in the red date rice cakes. According to ancient customs, whoever gets a small ingot will have their wishes come true next year."

  "What wish does An'er have?"

  "Some." He Lian said slowly and clearly, word by word, "Together with you for a lifetime, never to be parted until our hair turns white."

  He gazed at her with a gentle and affectionate look, as if she were an immortal fairy who had descended from the heavens, and said, "This doesn't require asking gods or Buddha, it was already decided when we got married. I promised you for this life and all eternity, that even when our hair turns white, we will not be separated. No matter how time passes, I will never let go of you. You can only be mine, even in the next life, I still want to meet you again, still want to marry you, and still want to spend every moment with you like this."

  He Le'an fell into a honey jar and was satisfied with drowning in it for this life.

  **

  When the early spring arrived, the story of Shifu's deputy bravely rushing into the dragon's lair and taking down the enemy's head spread everywhere, and the city of Fengzhou was filled with more and more incredible rumors about this strange general. At He Le's birthday banquet, many young girls in the boudoir talked about it with a secretly admiring expression, and when they mentioned the most important marriage in a woman's life, one girl pouted and said:

  "A few days ago, wasn't Cheng Mari getting married? But she's marrying the son of a declining noble family, the Marquis of Qi Ning. On her wedding day, she was so arrogant and pretentious. I heard from friends in neighboring towns that the Qi Ning Manor is not as upright as it seems on the surface. In the past, the young master Wang had an illegitimate child, but unfortunately, the child died young. He's particularly fond of playing with those beautiful maids."

  Another girl sneered, "She's lost face in our town. Her mother couldn't find a good family for her here, so she sent her to the neighboring town, and it just so happens that the young master of the Hou estate is willing to take her. It's as if she burned incense in her past life, but have you seen the kind of people she usually hangs out with? Her temper is really terrible, she looks like she wants to bite whoever she sees."

  Chirping for half a moment, no one knew who started talking about the Zhi Yi Bo Fu. A young girl said: "I saw Dongfang Wu, who was married to Beijing, yesterday. She came back to visit her relatives, but it seemed that her husband didn't come with her. I don't know if it's my illusion or not. Her whole person exuded an inexplicable sense of fatigue, and even the delicate makeup couldn't cover it up. I thought I had mistaken her for someone else."

  At this time, a young girl mysteriously said: "I heard that my cousin in the capital city said that she had a miscarriage at a banquet two months ago and was framed by Tai Ning Hou's concubine. This time she returned to Fengzhou City, probably to give birth to her child. The capital is far from Fengzhou City, and some things are intentionally concealed by others, so we can't know the truth. Tai Ning Hou's son is not a good person."

  "Looking at all the married women, she is now living the best. Every time I see her, it's always He Liu sister." A young girl sighed with admiration, "If one can win someone's heart and have mutual affection, this life is enough, whether it's a noble or a merchant or a commoner, what does it matter?" The vow that Xi Shao made on the day of their wedding ceremony has now spread to the capital city, who doesn't sigh and say 'He Liu is so lucky'!