In Kuhai County, there is a pce called Mandarin Duck Tower, one of only two establishments in the county city known for its courtesans. Located in the east of the city, it not only provides special services for the county's elite but also offers fine food and wine. Storytellers often go there to perform, and some self-procimed schors visit to recite poetry.

  Even if the words they speak are nonsense, a wave of silver or a few strings of copper coins can elicit ughter and appuse from the beautifully dressed girls.

  Apart from these, Mandarin Duck Tower has something special.

  —There is a musician there.

  In this world, those who understand music are not uncommon. However, Kuhai County is located on the southern border of the Qi Kingdom, where the soil is poor and the roads are not good. The route to prosperous towns requires bypassing many mountains, often pgued by refugees and bandits who rob travelers. So, apart from merchant caravans, almost no one comes here.

  Thus, the musician becomes exceedingly precious, adding a unique enjoyment to this pce often overlooked by royal grace.

  And Si Xiaohong is that musician.

  When she was young, her parents died in a severe drought, and she was nearly starved on the streets when Song Chennan, the owner of Mandarin Duck Tower, took her in. Initially, she was kept in the backyard to chop wood and cook, but Song Chennan ter discovered that Si Xiaohong seemed to have a natural talent for music. Seeing her diligence and pitiful state, Song Chennan bought her a cheap ancient zither as a gift.

  After that, whenever Si Xiaohong finished her chores, she would often py with the guqin. Without a formal teacher, she explored and learned on her own. In just a few years, she became the only musician in this remote county.

  She is sixteen this year, and her acquaintance with Wen Chaoshen was a coincidence.

  ***

  Two months ago, Magistrate Liu Jinshi celebrated his fiftieth birthday. Both the West City Zin Courtyard and the East City Mandarin Duck Tower wanted to congratute Liu Jinshi. No one wanted to miss this opportunity to impress him, as it could greatly affect their future fortunes. Both sides were busy preparing and were quite anxious.

  Si Xiaohong had never seen such a scene before. She wanted to create a new piece but became increasingly anxious under the immense pressure, practicing more and more frantically.

  The pressure kept her awake all night. Being the only musician in the county city, she had no one to share her frustrations with. So, on a sunny day, she took her guqin to the outskirts south of the county city, hoping to calm herself with the scenery.

  It was then that she met Wen Chaoshen, who was chopping wood.

  Did Wen Chaoshen know music?

  No.

  But before Wen Chaoshen crossed over, he had been exposed to a lot of music—sad, joyful, passionate, and serene.

  All those tunes were etched in his mind.

  After learning about Si Xiaohong's troubles, he hummed some cheerful and light melodies based on her descriptions. Si Xiaohong then adapted them for the guqin.

  Later, this piece successfully helped Si Xiaohong and Mandarin Duck Tower smoothly get through Liu Jinshi's birthday banquet, allowing Si Xiaohong to shine at the event.

  Now, this bowl of braised meat brought through the snow is Si Xiaohong's way of thanking him for teaching her the tune two months ago.

  Watching the girl's nervous demeanor, Wen Chaoshen opened the food basket, finding the braised meat inside cold and hard.

  But that wasn't a problem; it just needed to be steamed in a pot.

  While steaming the meat, Wen Chaoshen asked the girl: "Are the people in the county city setting off fireworks?"

  Si Xiaohong nodded: "Yes, it's New Year's today. Mandarin Duck Tower is closed, and the county's nobles have hired people to make many fireworks. They're gathered around the Lotus Pond, and even the County Lord is there. It's very lively!

  The sky bursts into countless stars with each firework!"

  After speaking, she looked at Wen Chaoshen, who seemed lost in thought, and suggested: "The wind and snow are strong outside, and it's New Year's. The constables have all left their posts. If you want to see, we can sneak in ter. No one will notice us."

  She knew some of Wen Chaoshen's situation. There were occasional rumors about him on the streets, and during their st discussion outside the county, Wen Chaoshen had shared a bit with her.

  But Wen Chaoshen didn't respond to Si Xiaohong. Instead, he asked: "Xiaohong, would you like some more?"

  Si Xiaohong waved her hand:

  "No, Chaoshen, I'm quite full tonight."

  She said, looking at the frogs boiling in the pot, curiously leaning forward to sniff them. Her small nose wrinkled as she excimed: "…I heard from the sisters in Mandarin Duck Tower that the frogs buried in the mud taste pretty good. I didn't expect it to be true."

  Wen Chaoshen was a bit surprised: "People in the county city eat this?"

  Si Xiaohong's delicate face gradually regained its warm color in the firelight.

  "Most people don't, but that sister likes to cook and make strange foods. She once fried a dozen red centipedes and dipped them in sauce, scaring the sisters."

  Wen Chaoshen chuckled at her words.

  After the meat was steamed, he ate the braised meat and rice clean in front of Si Xiaohong, then drank a bowl of hot soup.

  Having eaten so much for the first time, Wen Chaoshen felt a bit uncomfortable. Once his limbs were warm, he said to Si Xiaohong across the fire:

  "It's getting te, Xiaohong. You should head back to the county city."

  Si Xiaohong agreed.

  He didn't rush to eat the frogs in the pot. Before leaving, he added more wood to the fire to ensure it wouldn't go out soon. Then he took the food basket Si Xiaohong had brought and, with her wrapped in a wool bnket, ventured into the heavy snow.

  The wind and snow were fierce, quickly turning them into two snowmen, one tall and one short, trudging through the deep snow, their footsteps crunching.

  The abandoned temple wasn't far from the county city, just about a mile. As they got closer, they could see the brilliant fireworks exploding in the distant sky and hear the appuse echoing.

  Si Xiaohong let out an excited shout, reaching out her red, frozen hand to pat Wen Chaoshen's back, signaling him to look at the colorful, fleeting stars in the sky.

  But she lost her footing, and as Wen Chaoshen turned, she fell to the ground, her face quickly covered in a yer of snow, looking like a ghost.

  Luckily, the snow was deep, so she wasn't hurt.

  Wen Chaoshen slowly bent down, struggling to pull Si Xiaohong out of the snow pit, and helped her wrap the snow-covered sheepskin bnket around her again.

  The girl didn't speak this time, pouting and carefully watching her steps.

  When they reached the outskirts of the county city, there were indeed no guards.

  The city gate was left slightly ajar. Si Xiaohong pointed at it and turned to Wen Chaoshen with a smile: "See, they've all left!"

  Wen Chaoshen didn't respond to this. Instead, he handed the food basket back to her, advising: "The snow is heavy. Hurry back."

  Si Xiaohong's smile faltered as she looked at Wen Chaoshen, covered in snow, and asked: "Chaoshen, aren't you going to see the fireworks?"

  Wen Chaoshen replied: "No."

  Si Xiaohong: "Then why did you…"

  Wen Chaoshen: "The snow is heavy. I was seeing you off."

  With that, he waved to Si Xiaohong and turned to leave, not looking back.

  Coming and going, his legs were so cold they almost lost feeling. This was serious; frostbite could recover, but if it went deeper, it could lead to paralysis.

  Watch fireworks?

  Ha.

  No matter how lively, what did it have to do with a refugee like him?

  He needed to keep his legs. If he could become a citizen of Qi, they would be essential for his future.

  If not, they would be needed to kill Magistrate Liu Jinshi.

  Si Xiaohong stood at the county gate, wrapped in a sheepskin bnket, watching Wen Chaoshen's figure disappear into the snow, biting her lip for a long time.

  The hazy white obscured her vision. Si Xiaohong stood there, unable to see the distant figure, yet unwilling to leave. Finally, driven by the irresistible cold, she stomped her feet and turned back into the county city…