In the light of several lanterns, fine snow danced like butterflies. Huang Xiaotong eagerly unfolded two silk paintings for Chen Caozhi to see. One showed two adorable, snow-fair infants lying like little frogs on a brocade couch, straining to prop themselves up on their hands and lift their little heads. Both had lips as red as vermilion and eyes like dots of lacquer, their gazes lively and endearing, as though they were twins-
The other showed two little infants in red bellybands sitting face-to-face, leaning forward and holding hands, their heads tilted as they laughed, their expressions vivid-
Huang Xiaotong said, "Young Lady Run'er specifically instructed me to ask you to guess which painting was hers and which was Mistress Xie's. And of the two infants in the paintings, which is the little master born to Mistress Lu, and which is the little lady born to Lady Xiao Chan?"
Joy surged and leaped in Chen Caozhi's heart like boiling water. Now that he knew Wei Rui, Xiao Chan, and their children were all safe, however, his long-anxious heart finally settled firmly, like a stone coming to rest on the ground. Seeing the snow fall ever harder, he feared it would wet the silk paintings, so he put away the letters and both paintings. "I'll examine them closely in a moment-Xiaotong, thank you and the other four for your efforts. I have generous rewards for you. Go and eat first, then come to my study to report."
Chen Caozhi returned to his quarters at Ice Well Terrace, sat down in his study, and took out the family letters to read closely. He learned that Lu Weiwei had given birth on the twenty-ninth day of the fifth month, and Xiao Chan three days later. Lu Weiwei had chosen the childhood name Bozhen