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The following days became increasingly fulfilling, and in the blink of an eye, the two newborns of the Shen family had already reached their twentieth day.
The once slightly wrinkled skin that Shen Yuan had criticized had become remarkably smooth.
However, as the New Year approached, not everyone’s mood was smooth.
Sometimes, excessive excitement can have the opposite effect.
Both the Shen and Zhang families watched as the villagers busily prepared gifts for visiting relatives and friends during the New Year, and instead, they found themselves with some leisure time on their hands.
They had neither relatives nor friends here, and as the New Year approached, they would inevitably miss their homeland.
As the New Year drew closer, Shen Yu’an noticed that her mother’s mood became increasingly downcast, often gazing blankly at the lively scene in the courtyard.
Even Song Xiao Ni’s emotions had not been particularly uplifted in these past few days.
When the two of them got together, tears would often be wiped away.
With just a little thought, Shen Yu’an could easily understand what was on their minds.
It wasn’t just the two of them; even Old Master Shen Xingwang would often sit in the courtyard lost in thought.
Even Hua Ling, who had always enjoyed bustling activities, now had a trace of longing to return.
Shen Yu’an sighed and pondered quietly, considering whether she could inquire about whether the Song family had already arrived here.
On New Year’s Eve, Shen Yu’an went to the town.
The winters in the south were not as cold as where they used to live, but as mid-winter arrived, the biting cold wind on her face remained just as piercing.
Shen Yuan tightly wrapped herself in a red dress, her hands clutching a small stove for warmth.
It seemed her current body was quite sensitive to the cold, although this temperature used to be nothing to her.
But as winter set in, she discovered a fine crack on her hand that had developed into a chapped split.
Song Shi took her to the town and applied ointment for several days, slowly nursing it back.
Because of this, she dared not be careless and wrapped herself up tightly.
The ox cart swayed as it arrived in the town, driven by Shen Ming and Zhang Xiangyang. Also joining them were Ji Xun, Hua Ling, Song Shi, Zhao Shi, and Ding Hehua.
Even though their relatives were not here, this was their first New Year in this place.
Naturally, they wanted to celebrate it more festively to ensure good luck for the coming year.
Upon reaching the town, they split into several groups.
Shen Yuan wanted to inquire about the Song family’s news, the others intended to go shopping, and Ji Xun mentioned having something to do, so he left on his own.
After some consideration, Hua Ling decided to accompany Shen Yu’an.
Although she preferred livelier places, she had visited this town many times before and had explored it thoroughly.
She held a silver hollow bell in her hand and followed Shen Yu’an’s footsteps.
There was no county office in the town, so Shen Yu’an naturally couldn’t inquire at the county office.
Holding a copper coin in her hand, she approached the beggars who made a living at the corner of the town’s wall, intending to gather some information from them.
“Miss Shen!”
Just as Shen Yu’an had taken a couple of steps, her progress was halted by a somewhat familiar and pleasantly surprising voice.
Shen Yu’an and Hua Ling halted and turned to see the somewhat plump face of Fei Xi.
Fei Xi’s face had a uniquely amusing charm, and he exclaimed in surprise, “What a coincidence, Miss Shen! To think I’d encounter you in town.”
Shen Yu’an looked behind him but didn’t see Fei Yanchen’s figure.
She redirected her gaze and asked, “What are you doing here? And where is he?”
Fei Xi’s voice remained cheerful as he took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Shen Yu’an.
“The master isn’t here. I came to deliver a letter to Miss Shen. I never expected to run into you here.”
As he produced the letter, Fei Xi’s smile became even more sincere. He extended the envelope to Shen Yuan with both hands.
Shen Yuan accepted the envelope, feeling its thickness, and couldn’t help but wonder what could be inside the letter.
Sensing her curiosity, Fei Xi immediately explained, “Miss Shen, that manuscript you wrote was a great help to the master. This envelope contains the share you deserve from it.”
“The master said that with the preparations for the upcoming New Year being quite extensive, he instructed me to deliver your share for this period to you in advance.”
Shen Yuan nodded gently and stowed away the envelope.
Out of friendly concern, she inquired, “How has he been lately?”
Fei Xi immediately replied with a smile, “The master has been busy with some matters, and he might not be able to make it for the New Year. But I’ve heard him mention Miss Shen and he said that when he returns, he wants to bring you a gift… If Miss Shen encounters any trouble or needs to get in touch with the master, there’s Tranquil Bookstore in town.”
Fei Xi completely ignored the part about Fei Yanchen preparing a gift, something he wasn’t even supposed to convey, and blurted it out directly.
After a lengthy explanation, Fei Xi lowered his voice and said, “If Miss Shen encounters any trouble or has something to discuss with the master, you can send a message through Tranquil Bookstore in town. That jade pendant will notify the person the master left here for you.”
Shen Yuan’s gaze deepened, and she recalled passing by a street where she saw a shop bustling with activity. She lifted her eyes, remembering it was called “Tranquil Bookstore.”
Fei Xi continued to candidly share all he knew about Fei Yanchen’s recent situation.
Watching the talkative Fei Xi, Shen Yu’an couldn’t help but wonder if he was equally chatty when he was with Fei Yanchen.
That should… probably irritate him.
“Thank you.” Shen Yu’an suddenly spoke, expressing her gratitude.
She smiled and added, “There is indeed a matter I’d like to trouble him with. Could you help me convey a message?”
Fei Xi respectfully responded, “Please go ahead, Miss Shen. I’ll make sure every word of the message is delivered.”
……
Shen Yu’an informed Fei Xi about her search for someone and asked him to relay it to Fei Yanchen.
With his skills and abilities, even without his title as the Crown Prince, he would undoubtedly have access to more information than she could gather.
By entrusting him with this task, the likelihood of finding the person would be higher.
After all, the entire southern region was vast, and if they relied solely on their family members to search aimlessly in the sea of people, who knew how long it would take to find the person.
Fei Xi seemed to have other tasks on his agenda, so after delivering the message, he left quickly.
Shen Yuan no longer needed to gather information. She turned around with Hua Ling and retraced her steps, intending to find the others.
Not far ahead, Shen Yu’an passed by the bustling Tranquil Bookstore again.
In front of the bookstore, there was a constant flow of people entering and exiting, including many young servants and maidservants moving back and forth.
Not far from the bookstore’s entrance, several opulent carriages were parked.
Every servant and maid who emerged from the bookstore was holding two booklets without exception.