Book of a Hundred Lives, Shiqiao Village.
At dawn, Xiao Qing had just opened the door when a gust of cold wind swept past.
The young girl's fair neck tucked into her collar, and she instinctively wrapped her clothes tighter around herself.
It was only the beginning of November, yet the morning wind was already turning bitingly cold.
Compared with usual, this year's winter seemed to be arriving all the sooner.
Xiao Qing turned to look at her sister, who was lying in bed.
Her sister was still curled up beneath the covers.
"Big sister, time to get up. Big sister!"
Xiao Qing went to the bedside and gently shook her sister by the shoulder.
"Mm..." Bai Ruxue answered lazily, but didn't open her eyes. Instead, she buried her head deeper beneath the covers.
"Big sister, aren't you going to the market? If you don't go soon, there won't be any vegetables left."
Xiao Qing was rather puzzled, too.
For some reason, her sister seemed much sleepier this winter.
Although hibernation was in the nature of the snake race,
her sister's cultivation was already very high. By rights, she shouldn't be getting sleepy this early.
Xiao Qing herself wasn't sleepy yet.
"Big sister, are you all right?" Xiao Qing asked worriedly. "Did something go wrong with your cultivation again?"
"I'm fine, Xiao Qing. I'm just a little sleepy. I'll get up now..."
By sheer force of will, Bai Ruxue managed to sit up in bed. A strand of hair brushed across her face, curling against the woman's high, heaving chest.
Though her sister had sat up, she swayed unsteadily, eyes still shut, as if she might lie back down at any moment.
Xiao Qing pulled the quilt off her sister.
Cold air rushed beneath the covers, and Bai Ruxue's delicate body shivered.
This time, the woman really woke up.
As usual, the sisters went to Huang Village's market to buy vegetables, then returned home to sweep the courtyard, hang out the laundry, prepare the ingredients, and light the stove to cook.
When there was nothing else to do, Bai Ruxue would also bring tea and water to Xiao Mo and knead his shoulders.
Bai Ruxue had always done these sorts of things.
But Xiao Qing had noticed that ever since Brother Xiao returned that time, her sister and Brother Xiao seemed closer. Her sister's gaze grew gentler whenever she looked at him—gentler in a way Xiao Qing couldn't put into words.
Before they knew it, the twelfth lunar month had arrived.
As the weather grew colder, Bai Ruxue grew sleepier.
Even Bai Ruxue didn't know what was happening to her. She just felt so tired, even though this hadn't happened in the previous two years.
With the New Year approaching, every household was busy.
The Xiao household most of all.
In previous years, the Village Chief had written Spring Festival couplets for the villagers. But this year, Shiqiao Village had produced a Jieyuan, and everyone hoped Xiao Mo would write a few couplets to bring a little Literary Qi into their homes.
Naturally, Xiao Mo didn't refuse.
He had grown up eating food provided by the whole village. What was the harm in writing a few Spring Festival couplets?
The villagers didn't take them for free, though. They all brought Xiao Mo things like chicken, duck, and fish. He had turned them down several times, but the village aunties and older women were simply too stubborn.
"Ruxue, are you all right?"
One day, while Xiao Mo was writing couplets in the courtyard, he saw Bai Ruxue nodding off as she mended clothes. Her head bobbed up and down like a chick pecking at rice.
Her lovely peach-blossom eyes seemed ready to close.
"Hm?"
At the sound of Xiao Mo's voice, Bai Ruxue shuddered and snapped awake.
"I-I'm fine." Bai Ruxue shook her head. "Ah! Your blue robe! How did I sew it like this?"
Xiao Mo smiled. "It's all right if the clothes aren't sewn perfectly. I saw you nodding off. Just don't prick your hand. Ruxue, go take a nap."
"No, no." Bai Ruxue shook her head. "The New Year is only eight days away. I still have so much to do. I'm not sleepy."
As she spoke, Bai Ruxue glanced at the sky. "How is it already almost noon?"
She quickly set the clothes on the table and hurried into the kitchen. "Xiao Mo, I'll go cook first. I'll finish mending your clothes this afternoon."
Watching the woman's retreating figure, Xiao Mo felt puzzled.
He knew snakes needed to hibernate, but Xiao Qing seemed full of energy. She had even gone with Auntie Wang to gather eggs that morning.
Why was Ruxue, whose cultivation was higher, in such poor shape?
In the kitchen, Bai Ruxue washed her little face again and again.
Drops of water slid slowly down the woman's smooth, tender cheeks.
Looking at her reflection in the water jar, the woman furrowed her willow brows. "What's been happening to me lately?"
Last year, she had grown sleepy in mid-January, hibernated, and woken up after half a month.
But it was only the twelfth lunar month now.
"No, I can't sleep."
Bai Ruxue slapped her cheeks hard.
She had a feeling that this time, her hibernation might be different from before.
Though Bai Ruxue didn't know how it would be different, she couldn't shake the unease in her heart.
"I'll make it through this winter! Once spring comes, I won't feel like sleeping anymore!"
Bai Ruxue clenched her little fists and cheered herself on.
"Once spring comes next year, Xiao Mo will return from the Metropolitan Examination, and he'll marry me..."
For the next few days, whenever Bai Ruxue grew sleepy, she would bite down hard on a red chili pepper.
She didn't like spicy food at all, but one bite was enough to wake her right up.
On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, with only three days left until the New Year,
a letter arrived from the capital.
Magistrate Sun himself brought it to Shiqiao Village.
It was from the court's Hanlin Academy, sent by the highly respected Old Mr. Zhang—Zhang Qianzhi.
After reading Mr. Zhang's letter, Xiao Mo's expression seemed to hold a trace of helplessness.
"Xiao Mo, did Mr. Zhang say anything?" Magistrate Sun asked, seeing the complicated look on Xiao Mo's face.
Xiao Mo put away the letter. "Mr. Zhang hopes I'll set out for the capital after the New Year. He wants to meet me before the middle of the second lunar month."
"That's wonderful!" Magistrate Sun said happily. "I hear Mr. Zhang is going to take up the post of prefect of Beihai Prefecture after the New Year. It should be around the middle of the second lunar month. The fact that he wants to see you before taking up his post shows how highly he regards you. So why do you look so conflicted, Xiao Mo?"
Xiao Mo smiled. "I want to spend more time with my family."
"Ah, Xiao Mo. It's good to value affection, but Mr. Zhang's invitation is something scholars throughout Great Qi dream of. You're still young; you'll have plenty of time to spend with your family later."
"Besides, the Metropolitan Examination is in early March. You'd only be leaving half a month early. It's no big deal. Don't be foolish."
Xiao Mo bowed. "This student understands."
"Good. As long as you understand."
Magistrate Sun patted him on the shoulder.
"I heard from your Village Chief that you want to marry the Bai family's daughter after returning from the Metropolitan Examination.
"Once you pass, you'll ride a red horse with a red flower on your chest, and a grand bridal procession will stretch for ten li, while lanterns adorn the whole city.
"You two, a gifted scholar and a beautiful maiden, will become a celebrated romance throughout Jiangnan!"
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