Spring Message in the Snow – CH 064

Chapter 64

Helian Song said it could, and it certainly could.

He had never known that Surou also carried so many wishes in her heart. He had always thought she was without desires, calmly facing the life to come, and even without much expectation of him, only that he could meet the standards of an ordinary husband. But today, he understood that she, like all girls of marriageable age, had her worries and dreams. He realized he finally held a place in her heart; otherwise, those three limited wishes would not all be related to him.

He lowered his head, a bittersweet feeling welling up after his overwhelming emotion—a feeling he had never felt so strongly before. Proposing to her was the best thing he had ever done.

The water rippled, obscuring his face. The usually talkative man fell silent, drawing a sidelong glance from Surou.

She leaned down slightly to examine him, then murmured, “Why is Your Highness not speaking? What are you thinking about?”

He paused, then looked at her and said, “I am thinking that I must make all your wishes come true. I cannot let my wife down.”

The lamplight and the reflection in the water mirrored her eyes. She smiled slightly, said nothing more, and stood up, saying, “Let’s go.”

The two returned to the riverbank and walked along the willow-lined embankment. The hustle and bustle of Imperial Street seemed to recede into the distance. After walking for some time, they saw an old man standing by the roadside selling sweet candies. His small red lacquered box contained golden plums and fragrant berries, each fruit dehydrated and preserved in sugarcane juice. When a customer bought them, they would be rolled in frosting sugar, making them look incredibly tempting.

Surou ordered a box, holding it happily in her hands. Helian Song paid, took it tenderly, and, supporting the box with one hand, lifted the lid and offered it to her. “Wife, would you like to try some?”

Surou picked one out and put it in her mouth. The flavor of the fruit immediately spread across her tongue. She truly loved the street food, often encountering the unexpected flavors of life. The rich, layered tastes were incomparable to the rigid formalities of the Forbidden City.

He looked at her eagerly. “Is it good?”

Surou nodded. “Very sweet.” Then she asked him, “Would you like to try some?”

He hesitated, looking down to indicate he was too busy.

Surou understood, picked the largest and plumpest one, and held it to his lips. He smiled gently, looked around, lowered his head, and put the fruit in his mouth.

But that one bite was not so simple. Surou felt something soft and wet brush against her fingertips, and in her daze, she heard his smug and satisfied sigh: “Ah… I do not know why, but the fruit is especially sweet today.”

Surou was annoyed, stomping her foot and complaining, “Why do you always seize every opportunity!”

His smile widened, feigning ignorance. “I was not paying attention…” Seeing her still holding that hand blankly, he simply lowered his head and put that fingertip in his mouth, this time taking advantage openly and honestly.

Surou blushed, quickly pulling her hand away and slapping him, glancing around guiltily, and muttering, “I knew it all along; you are so unserious.”

He, however, was unconvinced: “Who said that? I am very serious when I am doing serious business, but as soon as I see you, I cannot be serious at all.”

Was this a good thing? Perhaps! Someone who could let their guard down and be shameless in front of you must be wholeheartedly wanting to spend their life with you. Surou had always believed that someone as upright as herself would find her future husband to be a true gentleman. But fate had other plans—she stared at the man before her, utterly dejected; it was him!

Helian Song puffed out his chest proudly. A true man knew when to yield and when to stand firm. He had once been an upright man, never known for womanizing in the capital, but he was always impeccably proper in public. Did he have to be the same in marriage?

He said frankly, “Do not misunderstand. If I were forced into marriage by my parents to marry a woman I did not love, I could live a life of mutual respect and harmony with her. But you are someone I chose myself. I like you, and if I like you, I want to be close to you, to be with you. You cannot refuse.”

Surou sighed helplessly, thinking that it was all because of his looks. If it were someone uglier, she probably would have beaten him to death long ago.

His words, however, also jolted her awake. She looked up and asked, “Is this how all men think? Forced to obey their parents’ wishes, they reluctantly marry, only to keep her at home without any genuine connection, just settling for a life together?”

He said that was natural. “They might respect her, elevate her, but they will not love her. If they do not love her, her happiness is unimportant. In the long run, it’s nothing more than a facade, a marriage of convenience, then taking a concubine, having children like a puppet, living a muddled life, and then her life just passes by.”

That was truly a tragic life, for both men and women.

Surou thought of Qingrou and realized that Li Shu’an would likely be such a husband in the future. The thought was terrifying. And for herself, seeing Qingrou enter into such a marriage, it seemed there was nothing she could do. Walking aimlessly forward, she murmured, “All five of us sisters are engaged this year. Aside from Jirou’s fiancé, only Qingrou’s fiancé has not shown up today.”

He turned to look at her, speculating, “Perhaps something came up, and he could not come.”

But Surou said no, “Since the engagement a month ago, that Young Master Li has only visited once. Judging from his attitude towards Qingrou, it’s probably as you say.”

Helian Song knew she was worried, so he could only offer some words of comfort: “These days, arranged marriages are common. Even if there’s no love before marriage, it can be managed well afterward.”

Surou shook her head. An arranged marriage was no excuse. Were Mianmian’s and Zhirou’s grooms not the same? Those two clearly showed a willingness to make their marriages work. Now, even if they did not approve of Qingrou’s marriage, they were powerless to stop it. No family had ever broken off an engagement because the groom had not visited their home enough before the wedding. Besides, her uncle and aunt did not seem to mind, so no one else had the right to complain.

They strolled along the riverbank for a while longer, walking quite a distance, before circling back to Yujie Street. This time, they met Zhirou and Su Runqing, who were returning. The four of them together were even more lively, chatting and laughing as they slowly walked back to Old Caomen Street.

Entering the alley, Zhirou turned around and looked back. “Has not my cousin returned yet?”

Mianmian and Song Mingchi were clearly a couple deeply in love; their night outings must be much more exciting than most.

This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival was perfect, but now that they had been seen home, it was time to part ways. Su Runqing, a scholar, spoke with a gentle and reserved manner when he first met Zhirou. He cupped his hands and said, “The moon is full today, and the lanterns are beautiful. Thank you for your hospitality, Young Lady.”

Zhirou was a little embarrassed and politely declined, saying, “You are too kind, Young Master. It’s getting late; please return home.”

After they said their goodbyes, Helian Song placed some fragrant candy in Surou’s hand and said gently, “I am going back too. I am busy again. I will come see you again after I finish my official duties.”

Surou nodded and, together with Zhirou, watched them leave. Only then did the two sisters step hand in hand across the threshold.

Walking on the wooden corridor, Surou tilted her head and asked Zhirou, “Is Young Master Su good to you? He seems like a very steady person. No wonder the wife of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was so confident when she came to propose marriage.”

Zhirou thought for a moment and said, “At first, I was a little afraid of strange men, but he’s not sharp-tongued, and I feel very comfortable and at ease with him.” Then, she shyly told her elder sister, “I think I might like him a little.”

If there was a foundation of affection before marriage, that was, of course, the best. Surou was very happy for Zhirou. “It must be Father protecting you from heaven that you were blessed to meet such a wonderful person.”

“Is that not true, sister?” Zhirou said. “Brother-in-law’s feelings are written all over his face. Did you not see how his eyes light up when he looks at you? He really likes you. And you, do you like him?”

Speaking of this, Surou felt a little uncomfortable. Having been confined for many years, she had long since developed the habit of not showing her emotions. She always felt she could not say it and dared not admit it, as if it were the last line of defense. Once breached, she would become expectant and would place her happiness in another person.

Seeing that she did not answer, Zhirou became even more determined to pry, clinging to her arm and pestering her relentlessly. “I’ve told you everything on my mind, sister, but you are trying to keep it from me. You two are getting married soon; are you not embarrassed?”

Held back by her teasing, and considering they were the closest sisters, she stopped denying it and said awkwardly, “At first, because of Father, I was annoyed with him and did not want to see him, but the situation forced me to go to Father’s grave to consult the oracle. Since Father agreed, I thought I should…” She should not dwell on breaking off the engagement anymore; after all, marrying someone did not really matter. But as time went on… Who could stand him being so clingy… “He’s always in sight; I cannot ignore him even if I wanted to. I am not heartless; how can I keep him at arm’s length after he treats me like that?”

Zhirou clicked her tongue. “I think my brother-in-law is a very upright person, not at all like a clingy one. I mentioned him to Young Master Su before, and he praised his character. He’s very important and highly respected.”

Surou chuckled, “When I first met him at the temple entrance ceremony, I also mistakenly thought he was an upright person. I guess years in officialdom have made him used to putting on two faces, one in public and one in private.”

Zhirou said, “That’s more like it. If you brought that official persona home, how could the two of you be close? My brother-in-law is destined for great things; he’s the heir apparent now and will be the proper Prince of Wukang in the future. His devotion to my sister is the envy of countless young ladies in the capital.”

The two walked hand in hand, murmuring to each other, and were about to enter the moon gate when they heard footsteps behind them. Turning around, they saw Mianmian had returned, squeezing between them, giggling, and shaking her head. “Look, what’s different about me?”

Surou and Zhirou looked closely and indeed found a phoenix hairpin in her hair, its wings fluttering, its tail feathers cascading down like tassels, exuding even more wealth and luxury than the one Surou wore. Zhirou was surprised. “It’s so late, and you dragged our cousin-in-law to the Tang family’s gold and silver shop?”

Mianmian wrinkled her nose. “What’s wrong with that? I can see very clearly that girls can only be spoiled and capricious before marriage. After marriage and children, who knows? The groom might become like my brother-in-law. Who can say for sure?”

Therefore, Shangrou’s example had somewhat influenced the sisters’ expectations for marriage. Because of Chen Ang, even someone as optimistic as Mianmian had become disillusioned with the world.

However, overall, this Mid-Autumn Festival was quite pleasant. Everyone laughed and joked as they entered through the moon gate, parting ways halfway and returning to their respective courtyards.

The next day, Madam Shen packed her bags, preparing to return to Jiangling Prefecture. Everyone went to Suihua Garden to see her off. The Grand Madam was extremely reluctant to part with her, holding her hand and saying, “You’ve finally come back, and now you have to leave again…”

Seeing her mother’s tears, Madam Shen’s own eyes reddened, but she held back, forcing a smile. “Mother, do not be sad. I’ll come back when Mianmian gets married; it’s only two months, time flies.”

The Grand Madam nodded, then asked the accompanying servant, “Is everything packed? Did you bring enough provisions for the journey?” A mother’s heart was always with her child, no matter how far away.

The old woman smiled and said, “We came by boat, unlike the arduous journey by land. The boat has everything we need, and we’ll even stop at each county for supplies. Grand Madam, do not worry.”

The old lady agreed, then turned to her daughter and instructed, “Regarding those two matters you mentioned earlier, you must act within your means. Remember, excessive rigidity leads to breakage. Leaving room for others is also leaving room for yourself. You and Master Shen have been married for over ten years; what can you not discuss amicably? Why make things mutually destructive? As for his kept woman’s son, I reckon even if you cannot bring him back to raise, Master Shen will not mistreat the child. After all, he’s his own flesh and blood. You must allow him to fulfill his responsibilities as a father. When it’s time to play dumb, play dumb.”

Madam Shen, though still resentful, knew her mother had a point. Marriage was a matter of mutual appeasement; once Husband Shen ended his business in Jiangling and returned to the capital, everything would be fine.

“Mother, do not worry; I am not a child anymore. Having managed the Shen family for so many years, I understand these principles. Mother, please take care. In two months, I will bring him back to the capital to pay our respects.” Madam Shen then looked at Surou and said gently, “You are about to get married. Your aunt cannot wait until the sixth day of the ninth month; please forgive her. Speaking of Jie Ran, I did have some prejudice against him before, but after observing him for so long, I can see his heart for you. Since it’s a good match, hold on tight and do not let go.”

Surou replied, “Yes, it’s a long journey from the capital to Jiangling. Aunt, please take care on your journey.”

Madam Shen nodded, then bid farewell to everyone else. They saw her to the gate, watching Jiezhi and Chengzhi escort the carriage away before reluctantly returning to the garden.

After everyone had left, the Grand Madam sat on the couch, still looking somber. Surou knew she was reluctant to part with her aunt, so she took the incense burner Xianchun had brought and placed it beside her, saying softly, “Grandmother, do not be sad. Aunt will return before Mianmian’s wedding.”

The Grand Madam sighed deeply. “Your aunt has had a tough time. She used to only report good news and never bad news. Lately, she’s been having stomach aches every night when she’s with me. I asked her what was wrong, and at first she wouldn’t tell me. But I had to force her to tell me that a concubine in the inner quarters wanted to harm her. She added a drop or two of heartbreak grass to her food, and she ate it for ten days straight. If it weren’t for the fight between the maid in that concubine’s quarters and the old woman in the kitchen, the matter wouldn’t have come to light. Do you think your aunt would still be alive if she had eaten it for a month straight? Alas, everyone says it’s not easy being a matriarch of a noble family, but it’s not easy managing a merchant’s business either. If you’re weak, you’ll be bullied; if you’re strong, you’ll be hated. The people who make things most difficult for women in this world are still women.”

As Surou listened, a chill ran down her spine. The poison in people’s hearts was probably more deadly than that of heartbreak grass.

The old lady rested one hand on the small table and bowed her head, saying, “I have two sons and a daughter in my life. She was raised with the utmost care, especially by your grandfather. She was once the most outstanding noblewoman at the Golden Duck Banquet, but unfortunately, she was headstrong and would not listen to advice. In the end, she married Master Shen, never living a blissful life with him, and almost lost her life. Looking back now, it was all so regrettable, but it’s too late for regrets.”

The grandmother and granddaughter sat facing each other in silence for a long time. Not far away, a parrot suddenly flapped its wings on the moon-shaped window, the sound pulling everyone back to reality. Surou said to her grandmother, “My aunt said last time that she will gradually bring the property back to Youzhou. Once everyone’s settled in Shangjing, closer to her maternal home, with her uncles looking after her, she will have someone to rely on.”

“That’s why I often tell Mianmian, ‘Do not underestimate your maternal family.’ Ultimately, you have someone to rely on, and your in-laws might not dare to bully you. Loyal men exist, but they are not easy to find. When your uncle married your aunt, he knelt before us and swore to be with her for life… Those who cared for your aunt, what was the result? They only relied on the saying ‘parental orders cannot be disobeyed,’ and still happily accepted those two concubines.”

The Grand Madam finished speaking, then shifted her gaze to Surou, looking at her with affection. “I’ve been worried about something lately. Will you go to Longyou with Jie Ran in the future? The Helian clan has dominated Longyou for over fifty years; their family is large and their population numerous. I am afraid you will be bullied there, without family by your side. What will you do then, my child…”

The Grand Madam often worried about her children and grandchildren; after worrying about her aunt, she now worried about Surou. Surou was not entirely sure herself, but she still reassured her, “The entire Helian clan knows about the connection between our Zhang family and the Heir Apparent. Grandmother, do not worry. If I were to go to Longyou with him, it would be when I trust him completely, and I would never place all my hopes on so-called feelings.”

The Grand Madam was relieved and smiled, “You are a cautious child; I doubt you will cause me any trouble.” She then turned to instruct Nanny Feng, “You’ve been eating too much oily food these past few days; have something lighter for lunch.”

Nanny Feng agreed and went out to instruct the kitchen to prepare. Surou ate at Suihua Garden before returning to her own courtyard. Having not had to teach for the past two days, she felt incredibly relaxed, spending her time tending to the flowers and plants at Qiandui Xue.

Occasionally, she would gather with everyone for tea and conversation. Surou, holding a Jianzhan teacup, leaned against a goose-neck chair, gazing at the clear blue sky outside. The autumn air was crisp and cool; the heat of summer had finally passed, and even the cicadas’ chirping in the treetops was fading. The sixth day of the ninth month would arrive in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, she did not need to worry too much; her grandmother and stepmother were there to prepare, and she could continue teaching the young ladies as usual.

After not operating for half a month, on the first day after the break, she prepared to tell everyone that she would be taking a leave from the next day. However, upon entering, she found all the young ladies had arrived, their gifts piling up on the long table in the main hall. They laughed and said, “We studied under Lady Zhang, and she never charged us any apprenticeship fees. Now that the Lady is getting married, we want to show our appreciation as her students.”

Surou felt extremely embarrassed. “I’ve troubled everyone with such expenses.”

The brocade boxes were all tied with red silk, piled high in the hall, a dazzling display of brocade. The atmosphere of impending marriage suddenly became heavy, and she realized, as if waking from a dream, that in a few days, she really would be getting married.

Translator’s Note:
Heartbreak Grass: Gelsemium elegans is a highly poisonous flowering vine native to Southeast Asia and southern China.