Noticing Pei Ying's gaze, Huo Tingshan also looked over, his expression unchanged. "Having gotten used to simple rations in the northern lands, does this now not suit your palate, Madam?"
Pei Ying shook her head. "No."
Tonight's dinner was sumptuous, far from the hasty meals during the military campaign.
Huo Tingshan moved the shrimp balls from his own table to hers. "If not, then eat more. Conditions were poor on the expedition; you've grown a bit thin."
Pei Ying pursed her lips.
Had she lost weight? Probably not. She always put on a little extra weight just before winter each year.
But her thoughts were diverted only for a moment before she returned to her earlier musings.
She still couldn't shake the strange feeling he gave her. It was like the story of the Princess and the Pea from the cartoons. Layer upon layer of mattresses piled up, everything seeming normal on the surface, yet there was an undeniable sense that something was slightly off.
From what she had observed, Huo Tingshan largely adopted a hands-off approach with the younger generation. For instance, when Huo Zhizhang had come to Bingzhou, he had later handed him over to Gongsun Liang to attend lectures and then paid no further mind.
As for how his son was faring in class, his studies, or his post-lecture assessments, this father asked not a single question.
Unless it was a major matter, he let the youngsters handle things themselves.
This time, she had accompanied him to the north, separated from Nannan for several months. Now, finally reunited, Nannan merely wanted to go out with her to the market. At most for a day, no, even just half a day, and yet he had dragged her off to attend lectures.
Since when did he concern himself with such trivial matters?
It was all rather peculiar.
A meatball suddenly appeared in her bowl, snapping Pei Ying out of her reverie.
Huo Tingshan withdrew his jade chopsticks. "Eat while it's hot. The food cools quickly in this cold weather."
Pei Ying gave a soft "Mmm."
The three youngsters seated below were each having their meal. They weren't blind to the small interactions between their parents at the head of the table, but having seen it often, they were no longer as surprised as they had been initially.
After the meal, Meng Ling'er said to Pei Ying, "Mother, shall we play a game of Chinese chess?"
The residence had two sets of Chinese chess. One was the original set Pei Ying had made, now kept in Huo Tingshan's study; the other was made after their marriage and was in the main chamber.
It wasn't out of stinginess that there wasn't a third set; it was simply that the three youngsters showed little interest. Huo Mingji preferred Go, Huo Zhizhang had no taste for board games, and Meng Ling'er, busy with lectures on weekdays, preferred to sleep in or go out on her rare days off.
Thus, the vast Prefect's residence could not muster a third chess set.
Her daughter wanted to play chess. Pei Ying initially thought to take her back to the main chamber. There was still plenty of time before bed, and based on past experience, Huo Tingshan wouldn't return so early.
But just as she rose from her seat, she heard Huo Tingshan instruct a maid nearby, "Go to the main chamber and fetch the chess set from the table there."
Pei Ying was slightly taken aback. She turned to look at Huo Tingshan, who smiled and said, "Madam, not long after our wedding, we were busy preparing for the northern campaign and haven't had much time to spend with the children. There's no time like the present. You and the little one can play chess here. Mingji and I will handle some affairs nearby."
Pei Ying glanced at the two youngsters who had been named. Huo Mingji wore a slight smile, offering no objection, but her daughter seemed somewhat nervous.
She was aware that Nannan still seemed a bit afraid of Huo Tingshan.
"That's fine. We'll play in the adjacent sitting room," Pei Ying said.
He was her daughter's father in name, after all. It wouldn't do for her to always be like a mouse seeing a cat in his presence. What if one day Pei Ying happened to be absent and her daughter needed to seek out Huo Tingshan for something? She couldn't be too afraid to speak up.
After instructing the maid to fetch the chess set, Huo Tingshan also had a guard bring over some correspondence.
Thus, a short while later, this scene unfolded in the sitting room.
Pei Ying and Meng Ling'er sat facing each other across a low table, with Huo Zhizhang seated to one side of them. Not far away, two more low tables were placed parallel. Huo Tingshan and Huo Mingji each occupied one, both tables stacked with letters.
Here, they played chess; there, they attended to official business.
Since Huo Tingshan had suggested gathering together, Pei Ying didn't intend to remain silent. She spoke to her daughter about the northern lands, describing the vast deserts, the yellow sands, the howling of wolves at night, and the fur garments worn by the Hu people.
Huo Zhizhang wasn't involved in handling official affairs, so he technically had no business here. But in this setting, he didn't want to be left out, which is why he came to watch the mother and daughter play. And when Pei Ying later spoke of the north, he had much he wanted to add.
Especially since Meng Ling'er was quite the enthusiastic audience. Hearing him describe how wolf packs attacked the camp at night and he led soldiers out to hunt them, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Second Brother, you're amazing!"
Huo Zhizhang modestly said it was nothing, but the corners of his mouth kept curling higher. He told her other stories of the north and finally said, "...Now that the north is pacified, if you're truly curious about it, how about I take you there someday?"
Meng Ling'er agreed immediately: "Wonderful! I thank you in advance, Second Brother."
While the chess game buzzed with lively conversation, the area where official business was being handled was quieter. Father and son rarely spoke, and when they did, their exchanges about official matters concluded in just a few sentences.
Huo Mingji held a letter, unable to resist glancing over once more, his eyes quickly sweeping the nearby scene.
He saw the smiling faces not far away: his brother's grin nearly reaching his ears, his sister looking at him with admiration, and the beautiful woman who had recently become his mother gazing at them with amused warmth in her eyes.
Huo Mingji's gaze then shifted to the side. His father sat nearby, his brow relaxed, a slight smile on his lips, clearly in excellent spirits.
In that moment, Huo Mingji suddenly experienced a strange, long-overdue sense of warmth and coziness.
Wrapped in this feeling, it was as if he were soaking in a hot spring, warm and comfortable. Even the sound of the night wind howling outside seemed more pleasant than usual.
This must be what they call peaceful, tranquil days.
Time flowed slowly. Outside the window, the night deepened, and the moon climbed higher. It was time to retire.
Pei Ying gathered the wooden chess pieces from the table into their box. "It's getting late. You two should go to bed."
Meng Ling'er smiled a little sheepishly. "Mother, may I join you for breakfast tomorrow?"
But then, Meng Ling'er suddenly remembered their schedules wouldn't match. She had classes tomorrow, needing to rise early, and lunch would be rushed. Their timings likely wouldn't align.
So, Meng Ling'er corrected herself, "Mother, I misspoke. Not breakfast, dinner."
Pei Ying could easily see she had deliberately changed her request. Ordinarily, barring major events, the family of five would have dinner together in the main hall.
Pei Ying: "Alright. We'll have dinner together tomorrow."
Only after her daughter and Huo Zhizhang had left did Pei Ying turn to look at the father and son not far away. The pair rarely conversed, only occasionally did Huo Mingji hand some processed letters to his father.
They had played chess for how long, and this father and son had handled official business here for just as long.
Pei Ying's brow moved slightly.
Another newly processed letter was placed on the table beside him. This time, Huo Tingshan did not pick it up. Instead, he said to his eldest son, "Let's stop here for today. You should go and rest."
This signaled the end.
Huo Mingji, upon hearing this, quickly gathered all the letters, bowed to the two elders, and took his leave.
With the younger generation gone, Huo Tingshan walked towards Pei Ying. "My lady, let us also retire for the night."
The full moon hung high. Outside the winter window, it was silent, with even the chirping of insects scarce, making it perfectly suitable for rest. Yet, once Pei Ying lay on the bed, she found herself unable to sleep.
For no particular reason, the events of the day replayed in her mind one by one. Details she had overlooked during the day resurfaced in the deep night.
That day, she and Huo Tingshan had separated from the main army and entered the city alone through the South Gate.
When Huo Tingshan had initially suggested this plan, his reasons were: he had experienced such welcoming ceremonies too many times and had grown impatient with the formalities; furthermore, his reputation among the people of Xuantu Commandery was already firmly established, so it was fine to give his subordinates a chance to shine.
He had also said that the common folk would likely all gather near the North Gate, so by taking a detour and entering from the South Gate, they might even return earlier than Zhizhang and the others. At the time, wanting to see Nannan sooner, she had agreed. It turned out the detour didn't save much time; the journey took about the same.
Besides the detour upon entering the city, there was also the matter of urging Nannan to focus more on her studies during the evening meal, and just now...
He usually handled official business in his study. Tonight was the first time he had done so elsewhere, and with the children present too.
Just then, a low male voice sounded beside her: "Why aren't you asleep yet, my lady? If you're not tired, we could find something else to do."
A long arm reached over, pulling Pei Ying close. The temperature had dropped in winter, and the nights in Youzhou were especially chilly. Nestled in his embrace, Pei Ying felt very warm.
But upon hearing the latter part of his sentence, she quickly pressed down his increasingly restless hand. "We've had a long and tiring journey today. I'm exhausted."
"If you're exhausted, why aren't you sleeping?" he asked.
Pei Ying quietly shifted her position, putting a little distance between them.
He hadn't lied to her before; the army had indeed prohibited women during the campaign. Since departing for the northern expedition, he truly hadn't been intimate with her. But now the war was over, and the cage containing the fierce tiger was open.
"I am going to sleep. I was just thinking about something," Pei Ying said, turning over to face away from Huo Tingshan. But after a moment, she turned back again, facing him once more.
The man chuckled softly. "What are you doing rolling back and forth like a wagon wheel, my lady? Perhaps you spent too much time in the carriage today and can't help but imitate it at night."
"Stop talking nonsense," Pei Ying said, slightly annoyed.
She wasn't particularly good at keeping things to herself, and she felt this matter wasn't a big deal anyway, so she decided to ask directly: "Huo Tingshan, you've been acting rather strange today. Has something happened?"
In the darkness, Pei Ying didn't see the man holding her tighten his smile. "Nothing at all. Why do you say that, my lady?" His voice was no different from before, asking in an ordinary tone.
Pei Ying replied, "I feel your actions today were slightly different from usual. Huo Tingshan, if something major has happened, you must not hide it from me."
After a long pause, she heard a noncommittal "Hmm," with no clear "yes" or "no." However, Pei Ying automatically took it as his agreement.
"My lady, as the weather grows colder, how about we go stay at the villa in the outskirts for a few days? That villa was newly built this year and has a hot spring pool inside," Huo Tingshan said. "Also, before the expedition, I promised the three children at home that we would hold a winter hunt upon my return. Going to the villa would be perfect for that."
Pei Ying thought for a moment.
She remembered. Before the northern expedition set off, their family of five had breakfast together, and Huo Tingshan had mentioned the winter hunt at the table.
Hearing there was a hot spring at the resort villa, Pei Ying was tempted.
The distant mountains commandery was out of reach for now, so having a hot spring here was good too.
But...
"Let's wait a bit longer. The juice press will be ready in a few days. Let's wait until we've properly processed all the stored sugarcane before going to the villa. While sugarcane can be stored for a while, it's better to process it sooner if possible," Pei Ying said.
The sugarcane in the earthen pit could probably yield a small jar of sugar. She wanted to make the white sugar first and then bring it along. A winter hunt inevitably involved game; crispy roasted meat dipped in white sugar was an absolute delight.
Hearing Pei Ying suggest waiting, Huo Tingshan pondered briefly. "Alright then. It's only a matter of a few more days anyway."
The night was deep. Pei Ying yawned and soon fell asleep in his warm embrace.
Someone was sleeping peacefully, while someone else remained awake.
The room was quiet, save for the soft breathing beside him. Huo Tingshan gazed at the canopy above, dyed by the night, his eyes as dark as the night itself.
Time slipped by unnoticed. Finally, the man on the bed stirred. He turned his head, closed his eyes, rested his chin in the hollow of his sleeping companion's neck, and drifted into slumber amidst her faint, sweet fragrance.
Pei Ying wasn't particularly fond of strenuous activity, especially now that winter had arrived. With the cold wind blowing outside, she preferred curling up in her room rather than strolling in the back garden or going out to the markets.
Three days passed in a blink.
Shortly after noon, Chen Yuan led a carriage into the Provincial Governor's residence. The carriage proceeded unimpeded all the way to a courtyard named "Qinshui Court."
Several accompanying guards disembarked from the carriage and then worked together to unload a large iron machine from the compartment.
Chen Yuan looked at Guo Dajiang. "Guo Dajiang, go inform the mistress that the juice press she requested has been delivered to Qinshui Court."
Guo Dajiang acknowledged the order.
Upon hearing the juice press had arrived, Pei Ying was overjoyed and immediately wanted to go with him.
"My lady, the wind is strong outside. Please put on the white fox fur cloak first," Xin Jin said, grabbing the cloak from nearby and hurrying after her.
"There's no wind today; it's not too cold. No need for the cloak," Pei Ying said, holding a hand warmer. She then said to Guo Dajiang, "Captain Guo, could you please go to the spot in the back garden where the sugarcane is buried and dig up all... no, first dig up five stalks."
This was the first version of the juice press, and Pei Ying wasn't entirely sure if it would actually work properly; she needed to test it to know. If the press didn't work, it would undoubtedly need revisions and improvements. Digging up all the sugarcane at once would be too rash.
Guo Dajiang acknowledged the order.
Pei Ying, accompanied by Xin Jin, went ahead to Qinshui Court. By the time they arrived, the juice press had already been placed in the clean courtyard.
This large juice press required two people with arms outstretched to encircle it. Its essential components were cylindrical gears. Through the interlocking of several gears, the aim was to crush the sugarcane into pulp.
Sugarcane was hard, and extracting its juice wasn't easy. In modern times, sugarcane presses were either electric or diesel-powered, but neither option existed in this era, so they had to rely on the most primitive method: human strength.
Next to the juice press were two large hand cranks. Turning these cranks would drive the gears.
Pei Ying tried turning one herself.
"Rumble, rumble." The hand-crank mechanism made some noise but turned smoothly. It seemed there were no obvious issues.
Not long after, Guo Dajiang returned, bringing a bundle of sugarcane.
"Mistress, shall we put it in directly?" Guo Dajiang asked.
Pei Ying shook her head. "We need to peel the outer skin off first."
Guo Dajiang was a northerner, and he had only recently come into contact with these crops called "zhe" (sugar cane). They grew like sticks, with no fruit around them, and he didn't know how they were eaten.
Now, hearing Pei Ying say to peel them, he took out his short blade and scraped it against the sugar cane. With one stroke, the sharp blade took off a layer of dark brown skin. Once this skin was scraped away, the yellowish-white flesh of the cane was revealed.
"The inside looks like this?" Guo Dajiang exclaimed in surprise.
A cane was soon peeled clean. Pei Ying said, "Place it at the front opening. Captain Chen, turn the hand crank beside it."
The hand crank was turned, and one end of the cane gradually entered the machine. Just as Pei Ying was about to let out a sigh of relief, the machine made a "crunch" sound and jammed.
Pei Ying: "..."
Chen Yuan tried to use more force, but despite the veins bulging on the back of his hand, the hand crank wouldn't budge an inch.
Pei Ying pressed her fingers to her temples. "It must be jammed inside. We'll have to take the machine apart."
This large contraption wasn't a single piece. After opening several latches, the interlocking gears inside were exposed.
Pei Ying had Guo Dajiang remove the cane, studied it carefully, then took paper and brush. She recorded the parts that needed improvement and drew a new one, instructing the blacksmith to forge it according to the new blueprint.
Forging a single component was far less difficult than building the entire machine. So, by noon the next day, the new part was delivered.
With the new part installed in the juicer, it was put to work again.
This time, it didn't jam. A sugar cane was fed in, and as the hand crank turned with a creaking effort, sugarcane juice dripped down into the earthen basin placed at the very bottom.
Pei Ying beamed with joy. "It's finally working."
"Madam, shall I go and bring the rest of the sugar cane?" Hearing Pei Ying's success, Guo Dajiang was also excited.
Pei Ying: "Yes, please do."
Sugarcane juice could be made into white sugar and brown sugar, with the latter's process being one step simpler than the former's. If selling to the nobility, snow-white sugar would surely be more to their liking.
Guo Dajiang went with several guards, and before long, guards returned one by one, each carrying sugar cane.
For the entire afternoon, Pei Ying went nowhere, staying right there in the Qinshui Courtyard, watching the hand crank of the juicer turn round and round.
A whole earthen pit's worth, over fifty canes, were all juiced, producing a large pile of bagasse as well.
"Sergeant Guo, bag these cane residues in a hemp sack. Make sure not to throw them away," Pei Ying said.
Bagasse was also a treasure, containing 50% fiber. It could be used to make paper or for brewing alcohol; the world-famous rum was made from bagasse.
If that was too troublesome, the residue could be crushed, then steamed and fed directly to livestock.
After instructing Guo Dajiang to deal with the bagasse, Pei Ying turned to Chen Yuan: "Captain Chen, take this basin of sugarcane juice to the small kitchen in the south. The next steps need to be done there."
The Prefect's residence covered a large area with many separate courtyards, so naturally, it had more than one kitchen.
The small southern kitchen she mentioned was specifically equipped for distinguished guests staying at the residence.
With no guests currently at the residence, the small kitchen was idle.
...
As the sun set behind the western hills, Huo Tingshan left his study.
Upon returning to the main courtyard, however, the graceful figure was nowhere to be seen. Huo Tingshan immediately asked a guard, "Where is my wife?"
Meeting those narrow, dark eyes now clouded with gloom, the guard was startled.
