Snow drifted down as the night deepened into silence...
In the small courtyard of Apricot Blossom Village outside Dragon Emperor City, Zhang Tie's avatar drank with Ji Yuelan and Jiang Ruoxin until they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Zhang Tie taught the two women drinking games, and the three played finger-guessing games with great delight.
For a time, the courtyard rang with Zhang Tie and the two women's laughter, cheers, and shouts as they played. In the tranquil apricot blossom courtyard, it carried a warmth and liveliness all its own.
"Four Seasons Fortune..."
"Five Chiefs..."
"Six Sixes, Smooth Sailing..."
"Ah, Zhang Tie, you lost! You lost! Your turn to drink..." Ji Yuelan's voice rang out above.
"Fine, again!" Zhang Tie's voice sounded once more.
In the rooms below, Uncle Qu and his wife listened to the cheers upstairs, smiles on both their faces as they whispered to each other.
"Who do you think likes the young master—Miss Ji or Miss Jiang...?"
"My guess is, both of them do!"
"You men are just greedy. I think Miss Ji is more interested in the young master. I'm a woman—I can tell. But Miss Jiang is pretty too. One look at that face tells you she's the kind who can manage a household, bring prosperity to her husband, and bear children easily..."
"For someone as fine as the young master, having three wives and four concubines is perfectly normal..."
"Hmph, I don't think the young master would be like that at all..."
Though they were no longer eating in the rooftop pavilion, the hotpot Zhang Tie had invented still radiated wave after wave of heat, making the pavilion as warm as spring without the slightest chill. Whether it was the alcohol or the words of Uncle Qu and his wife, Jiang Ruoxin's cheeks had