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Fei Xi felt a shiver down his spine as he was closely scrutinized, replaying Shen Yuan’s words in his mind over and over again.
But…
It did seem like it was indeed him who had been talking incessantly, while Miss Shen hardly interjected a few sentences.
The longest speech was still the one where she implored the master for help in finding someone.
Fei Yanchen’s gaze grew increasingly piercing, and he couldn’t help but notice that this deep winter was indeed getting quite chilly.
However, at this moment, his forehead was covered with a thin layer of sweat.
Suddenly, Fei Xi felt a spark of inspiration in his mind.
He quickly spoke up to remedy the situation, “Miss Shen said… she said that she’s concerned about how the master has been lately, and she asked what the master has been up to recently. She mentioned that the cold weather requires the master to keep warm, and she said…”
As he watched the tension in Yanchen’s expression gradually ease, Fei Xi felt as if he had unlocked a hidden reserve of energy.
He rambled on and on, not caring whether Shen Yuan had actually said those things or not.
After finishing this lengthy explanation, Fei Xi was left gasping for air, feeling more exhausted than if he had spent the entire day running around outside.
Fei Dong looked at Fei Yanchen, whose expression had improved considerably. Taking the opportunity, he said, “Master, you should bandage the wound on your arm first. If Miss Shen knew that you’re not taking care of yourself like this… she might become displeased.”
Fei Dong pondered for a while, unsure of the most effective way to persuade him. They were about to leave for another place soon, and it was not advisable for the master to have injuries.
Fei Yanchen’s injury was caused by encountering the royal guards during the day.
Those people weren’t likely here to search for Fei Yanchen; they had other business to attend to.
So, when those guards saw Fei Yanchen, they were quite surprised. They didn’t intend to confront him but rather aimed to leave and spread the news that Fei Yanchen was still alive.
They had a significant number, and the guards around the master were assigned elsewhere for tasks.
In order to stop them from leaking the information, they engaged in a fierce battle.
The injuries on Fei Yanchen’s body were from that encounter. He had only wrapped them briefly and didn’t pay much attention afterwards.
However, it was evident that Fei Dong’s words had an effect.
He instructed Fei Dong to fetch a doctor to help him dress his wounds, while he remained in place to continue inquiring about the Shen family’s matters.
……
The fireworks burst into the sky for a while and gradually subsided, plunging Longxian Village into silence.
Occasionally, the sound of a dog barking could be heard.
Early the next day, while the sky was still dark, the crackling sound of firecrackers echoed through the village.
The twenty-ninth year of Da Wei had arrived on this day.
Accompanying it was the first snowfall of the winter.
Snow rarely fell in the south, but on the first day of the year, heavy snowflakes drifted down gracefully.
Sanlang cheered in the courtyard, “It’s snowing!”
His voice was loud and joyful, waking up even those who were still snug in their beds.
Now, like a gust of wind, everyone hurriedly donned their padded clothes and dashed outside.
The surroundings were pitch dark, with the light of kerosene lamps in each house casting a faint glow through the windows, illuminating the snowy courtyard.
When they had gone to bed in the early hours, there was no snow yet. Now, the snow had accumulated to about two fingers thick, making a crisp sound as they walked on it.
As they emerged, no one had even washed their faces; they just cheered and ran around the courtyard.
However, the snow was still thin, too insubstantial to build a large snowman.
Shen Yu’an led them to build small snowmen, using red beans and small pieces of red cloth to make the snowmen’s eyes and scarves.
In the end, the small snowmen were placed along the wall, forming a row.
The auspicious snow promised a bountiful year ahead; this snowfall was indeed a good sign.
Although the Shen family didn’t have relatives in this area, there were quite a few people who came to visit on the first day of the lunar new year.
Mostly, it was village women bringing their lovely daughters to socialize, or bringing their sons along.
All in all, the Shen family members were busy throughout the day, constantly receiving and entertaining numerous visitors.