"Mother!" Meng Ling'er eagerly dismounted, the cloak on her back fluttering with her joyful movement.
Pei Ying smiled warmly as her daughter approached. "Have you had your midday meal yet?"
Meng Ling'er: "We have."
Pei Ying led them inside. "There are many courtyards here. Go and choose the ones you like."
The Western Suburb Villa covered a vast area. Many years ago, it had been the estate of a powerful magnate. Later, that magnate backed the wrong side in the struggle between Huo Tingshan's father and another faction. His family was thoroughly ruined, and this Western Suburb Villa was lost along with them.
However, at that time, the Huo family had neither the inclination nor, one might say, the spare resources to renovate the villa, so it was left empty in the not-so-prosperous western outskirts.
It wasn't until the beginning of this year that Huo Tingshan, who planned to bring Pei Ying here after their wedding to enjoy the hot springs, ordered the estate to be rebuilt.
Besides the main courtyard, two other courtyards had their own hot spring pools.
In ancient times, there was Kong Rong giving up the bigger pear; now, Huo Mingji similarly yielded the two courtyards with springs to his younger brother and sister, choosing a smaller courtyard elsewhere for himself.
However, Huo Zhizhang didn't think the concession was necessary and had a better suggestion: "Elder Brother, why not stay with me? We can share a bed, and that way it would be convenient for you to use the spring as well."
Huo Mingji refused promptly. "No, thank you. I'm accustomed to sleeping alone."
His younger brother followed the path of a military officer. He likely had developed some careless habits during his time in the army, and coupled with his generally easy-going nature, his socks and shoes were particularly... fragrant.
Huo Zhizhang tried to persuade him further, but his elder brother remained immovable as a rock. In the end, he had no choice but to give up.
Pei Ying took her daughter to the new courtyard she would be staying in. The pavilions, terraces, and courtyard were elegant, with slender bamboo swaying gracefully. Inside, the floors were paved with white marble, and the side chamber housed a small, round-mouthed hot spring pool.
Geothermal heat surged, causing warm mist to rise slowly from the hot water, shrouding the entire side chamber in an ethereal, fairyland-like haze.
"Mother, it's so warm in here." The temperature inside was noticeably different—cozy and warm. Meng Ling'er took off her cloak.
As she moved, the wolf-tooth necklace around her neck swayed slightly.
Pei Ying's attention was once again drawn to her daughter's necklace. This era had no machinery, hence no mass-produced crafts. All items were made by human hands, so she had no doubt about the authenticity of these wolf teeth.
The three northern provinces of Great Chu indeed had a rugged folk culture where hunting wolves and tigers occurred, but few used wolf or tiger teeth as jewelry.
Firstly, a small wolf pack wouldn't yield many usable teeth. Secondly, young ladies of the time considered wolf teeth too coarse and wild, far less attractive than gold, silver, or agate.
But in the Northern Lands, it was different.
The Northern Lands revered the wolf deeply; some tribes even worshipped it as a totem. They believed wolf teeth could ward off evil and imbue the wearer with the wolf's courage and tenacity.
Pei Ying's gaze lingered a little too long. Meng Ling'er followed her mother's line of sight down to her own necklace.
The young girl straightened her posture, a note of pride in her voice. "Mother, isn't my necklace beautiful?"
Pei Ying smiled. "It is. Each wolf tooth is so uniform, truly a rare find. Did this necklace come from one of the two chests your father brought back from the Northern Lands?"
When Huo Tingshan left the royal court, the newly ascended chieftain, Teng Gaoyao, had given him two chests of treasures filled with precious items from the Northern Lands.
"Not at all. Commandant Chen gave it to me," Meng Ling'er corrected. "I haven't touched anything from those two chests father brought back."
Pei Ying was surprised. "Commandant Chen? Chen Yuan?"
"Yes." Meng Ling'er nodded. "Before he left with the army for the northern campaign, Commandant Chen told me that upon his return, he would check my studies. If I passed everything, he would reward me with a small gift."
As she spoke, she hooked one of the wolf teeth with her finger, a look of satisfaction on her face. "Mother, this is a badge of honor. Proof that your daughter has been diligent in her studies."
Pei Ying suddenly understood and promptly praised her daughter. "Ling'er has always been diligent."
"Because such an opportunity is rare, and I should cherish it. After all, how many young ladies in this world have as many tutors as I do? Mother, while you were on the northern campaign with father, Elder Brother took me to a banquet. I met some other young ladies there, but..."
Her voice trailed off towards the end.
Pei Ying could guess what followed the "but."
They likely couldn't find common ground. Some were already married, others awaiting marriage.
Their conversations revolved around needlework, gossip from the inner courtyards, or perhaps focused on some young gentleman. They certainly wouldn't discuss merchants from the Western Regions who might arrive on camels, or the signs that precede an earthquake.
Pei Ying pressed her lips together, momentarily at a loss for words of comfort.
Fortunately, the young girl's spirits dipped only for a moment before her smile returned. "Never mind that. Let's not talk about those things. Mother, shall we play a game of chess?"
Ever since that day when the family of five had each been busy with their own tasks in the small hall, Meng Ling'er had inexplicably taken a liking to Chinese chess. She later had an extra set made for her own room.
Although Pei Ying's trip to the Western Suburb Villa was somewhat sudden, they had certainly not packed lightly. When her daughter expressed a desire to play chess, she asked Xin Jin to fetch the board. Mother and daughter sat around the table, passing the time with a game.
Inevitably, the conversation turned to recent days. Pei Ying told her daughter about the quite fruitful winter fishing expedition.
That day, a single net cast had caught several dozen fish, resulting in a grand feast of all manner of fish dishes.
There were fried, boiled, grilled fish, and more. There was also fish soup. First, the fish was pan-fried in an iron wok until the surface turned golden and crispy, then it was stewed to make soup. Prepared this way, the fish soup turned a milky white.
Adding a few slices of ginger made it even better. A bowl of that soup warmed one from the inside out; the flavor was simply superb.
The young girl listened with wide-eyed amazement. "Mother, will you go winter fishing again? I want to go too."
"That's easily arranged. Tomorrow afternoon, or even today would work." Pei Ying recalled the day of the winter fishing.
They had gone in the morning and returned before noon; it didn't take too much time.
It was just past noon now, leaving a whole afternoon for such activities.
There was plenty of time.
Meng Ling'er exclaimed excitedly, "Why wait for another day when today is perfect? Mother, let's go winter fishing today."
Pei Ying naturally agreed.
The preparations for winter fishing weren't extensive: fishing nets, a few long spears and halberds, chicken livers for bait, horses, and some strong men to help haul the nets.
With the winter hunt not yet begun, winter fishing served as a pleasant diversion. Before setting off, Pei Ying sent someone to ask the father and sons if they wished to join. She received affirmative replies from all three.
Thus, a second winter fishing trip was scheduled, this time with the entire family of five participating.
It was now past mid-December, and the weather was much colder than before.
Pei Ying wore more layers than she had that previous day. She sat in the carriage holding a hand warmer, a fluffy rabbit-fur scarf wrapped around her neck. Half her face was buried in the soft, white fur, leaving only a pair of dark, gleaming eyes visible.
The curtain beside her was occasionally lifted slightly by the wind, letting in chilly drafts. Each time this happened, Pei Ying would lean away slightly to avoid the cold air, then move back to the window to look outside once it passed.
Outside, the daughter and her second brother were racing horses. Chasing each other, they treated the biting cold wind rushing towards their faces as nothing, their laughter and cheerful chatter continuing along the way.
Huo Tingshan wasn't riding a horse today; he was sitting in the carriage with Pei Ying. Seeing her constantly looking outside, he asked, "Does my lady feel like riding now?"
"Not at all. I was just thinking how wonderful it is to be young, so full of vitality," Pei Ying sighed.
Huo Tingshan immediately teased her, "What does that have to do with youth? If my lady would just gather up her lazy bones, she could still go out riding."
Pei Ying: "..."
This man's mouth was starting to cause trouble again.
"Why aren't you riding today?" Pei Ying asked him deliberately.
Huo Tingshan leaned lazily against the soft seat. "As the saying goes, two people in the same bed share the same habits. I've been infected by my lady's lazy bones now."
Pei Ying was speechless.
When they reached the frozen river, Huo Tingshan got out of the carriage first and then helped Pei Ying down.
Over there, the three siblings who had arrived earlier were already busy.
Huo Zhizhang, holding a long halberd, tested the hardness of the ice surface before stepping onto it. He looked here and there, quickly finding a suitable spot for ice fishing. "Brother, little sister, come over here."
Huo Mingji, carrying a long spear, walked towards his younger brother.
Meng Ling'er wasn't in a hurry to join them. She took a fishing net and, with Chen Yuan's help, first tied one end of the net to a horse.
After calling the others, Huo Zhizhang got to work, gripping the halberd with both hands and thrusting it hard into the ice.
The halberd's head had a half-"well" design. Once the tip pierced the ice, he placed his foot on the crossbar of the half-"well," pushed down forcefully, and the already half-buried halberd head completely drilled into the ice layer.
The main workforce for today's winter fishing were the three youngsters and Chen Yuan's group. Pei Ying and Huo Tingshan just stood by watching, not participating.
They watched as the three siblings, full of energy, finished chiseling the ice hole and cast the net, waiting quietly.
Huo Tingshan thought of the fish soup from that day. "The fish soup my lady made that day was quite good. Let's see today..."
Before he could finish, they heard an "Ah!" from over there.
It was Huo Zhizhang.
He had been standing by the ice hole. Seeing that some time had passed since the net was cast, he thought to pull up a small section to see if any fish were caught.
But as soon as he reached out and pulled, a terrifying force came from below. Caught off guard, he was pulled forward. Two more steps and he would have fallen into the ice hole.
Fortunately, Huo Zhizhang had practiced martial arts since childhood. After the initial panic, he spread his feet and quickly stabilized his stance.
Pei Ying was startled by the commotion and instinctively moved towards them, but Huo Tingshan grasped her wrist. "It's fine. Let the boy handle it himself."
Pei Ying turned to look at him. Seeing his expression unchanged, not worried in the slightest, that strange feeling surfaced in her heart again. "Huo Tingshan, your way of raising children is quite... changeable."
The man raised a long eyebrow. "What does my lady mean by that?"
Pei Ying studied him. "Before, when our daughter said she wanted to go to the market, you told her to focus on her studies. Now Zhizhang almost fell into the river, and you say it's fine."
Huo Tingshan paused, then explained, "My lady, that boy followed me onto the battlefield before he was even fifteen. I know very well what he's capable of. That little situation just now couldn't cause any trouble."
Pei Ying remained silent.
Huo Tingshan continued, "As for the little girl, she's always been eager to learn and is well-liked by her tutors. During the Northern Campaign, many scholars in the army missed their clever student. I only said that because I heard Gongsun Liang and the others mention it so often. If there's a next time, I won't restrict her."
Pei Ying's delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Was that really it?
On the river surface, after steadying himself, Huo Zhizhang said to the other two, "Brother, little sister, there's a big catch down below. I think we can pull up the net."
"Then let's pull it up," Huo Mingji said.
Meng Ling'er stood further away. Hearing the order, she immediately led the horse forward.
The Youzhou army used fine horses, each strong and sturdy. But now, the horse with the fishing net tied to its saddle only managed to take one step forward before it couldn't move any further.
Meng Ling'er was shocked. "One horse isn't enough?"
Chen Yuan quickly brought over another horse, divided the net between the two horses, and had them pull together.
This time, it moved.
But...
After successfully dragging a small section of the net out of the ice hole, Huo Zhizhang, with sharp eyes, saw a tear appearing in the net that had just left the water. "Not good! The net is going to break!"
Everyone near the ice hole was alarmed.
As if confirming Huo Zhizhang's words, Huo Mingji, standing beside him, also saw the original tear in the net rapidly widening with a "creaking" sound under the opposing forces.
"Never mind, pull up as much as we can, quickly!" Huo Zhizhang was already pulling the net by hand.
Time was tight; there was no time to harness more horses. Everyone nearby rushed over and started pulling the net by hand.
Pei Ying also stepped from the riverbank onto the ice. However, she and Huo Tingshan had been standing far away initially, and coupled with her lack of experience walking on ice, she didn't dare move too fast. By the time she arrived, the net retrieval was already over.
The latter half of the net had torn; only a small portion was pulled up. Still, it wasn't a complete loss—several fish were tangled in the front section that was dragged ashore.
Huo Zhizhang let out a long sigh but still felt deeply frustrated.
He had cast this net with his own hands, hoping to show off his skills in front of his parents and sister. Instead, he didn't catch the big fish, and the net was ruined.
Was today simply not suitable for winter fishing?
Seeing his dejected expression, Pei Ying comforted him, "It's all because this net isn't good enough. Another day, with a better net, we'll definitely catch fish."
Huo Zhizhang's ears turned red, the blush spreading from his earlobes to his cheeks. "Mother, it's not the net's fault. It's just my bad luck."
The net he was using now was a silk-thread fishing net, the best kind available. If this were a battlefield, he already held the sharpest blade. To still be defeated like this, how could he blame the weapon?
Feeling ashamed, Huo Zhizhang was also deeply moved. Mother treated him so well. To keep him from being discouraged, she'd even say such nonsense.
Pei Ying, reading his expression, guessed his thoughts and felt helpless. "What I said just now wasn't untrue. Actually, there are fishing nets better than silk-thread ones."
Silk was expensive, so silk-thread nets were only used by wealthy families. Ordinary people typically used nets woven from hemp or grass vines. Compared to the former, the latter was low-cost, but hemp nets were far less flexible and resilient than silk ones.
During the rapidly developing fishing industry of the Ming and Qing dynasties, another type of net appeared: the keel net.
The keel net was so named because its material included small wooden sticks. Woven with a mix of silk and small wooden sticks, it combined flexibility and sturdiness.
Not only did the material of fishing nets evolve, but their designs also advanced significantly, far surpassing those of a thousand years ago.
Pei Ying's tone was casual, but to Huo Tingshan, it sounded familiar. Before the soap appeared, before the fine wine and sugar were produced, she had spoken in just this way.
Unlike Huo Zhizhang's complete disbelief, Huo Tingshan asked directly, "What material does Madam suggest for crafting the fishing net you mentioned?"
"Silk and wood will suffice." Pei Ying then asked, "Are there any soldiers in the army skilled in fishing and net-weaving? I can roughly explain the weaving method to them."
"There are! Commandant Chen knows how," someone immediately chimed in.
Pei Ying turned to look at the person who had spoken, her eyes meeting her daughter's. The latter blinked innocently.
