Since he had made up his mind to take over Chishan, the rest of the winter month was extremely busy.
Although the two towns were adjacent to each other, there was still a distance of dozens of miles between them. If he really wanted to take control, he had to arrange someone from Yan Town to go there to take charge. Otherwise, relying solely on the messages sent from there for all matters, big and small, would easily lead to delays. In the long run, it might cause trouble.
Now that he had decided to merge the two towns into one, he had to manage them well.
There was no shortage of capable administrators in Yan Town. After discussion, Song Wushen and Song Xuemu were selected to lead some efficient subordinates to take charge in Chishan.
Duan Yan also sent Tie Da and Tie Er to protect the safety of the Song brothers. Although Chishan had voluntarily surrendered, the sudden change of ownership of the town might make some people have wrong ideas and cause trouble. It was always more reassuring to have capable guards.
In addition, the Bai brothers also went to Chishan to manage the salt business, which would facilitate the salt supply for the town in the future.
At the same time, several influential figures from Chishan were selected to come to Yan Town to work. Keeping them under close supervision would disperse the old - time locals and prevent them from banding together in Chishan to oppose the superior's arrangements, which would be difficult to manage otherwise.
Grandfather Song suggested promoting their school in Chishan and recruiting the children of officials and wealthy families to study there. Naturally, if ordinary people were willing, they could also send their children.
On the one hand, this would allow children to receive an education and set an example of treating the two towns equally, thus narrowing the gap between them. On the other hand, it would also have a mutually - constraining effect.
Grandfather Song always thought things through thoroughly.
After these arrangements, the gates between Chishan and Yan Town were wide open. Every day, people were coming and going between the two towns.
People from here were going there with their luggage, and officials from there were coming here according to the arrangements. The residents of the two towns were also allowed to move around. This was the first time since the war and the closure of the gates that they had such a large scope of movement.
Song Fengsui pushed open the window. When he got up early in the morning and saw that it was still snowing outside as usual, his mood was as gloomy as the gray sky.
Duan Yan carried two large bowls of dumplings into the room and shouted for the person standing at the window to come over and eat.
Song Fengsui didn't have much of an appetite. He pushed a few plump dumplings into Duan Yan's bowl and picked the small green vegetables from Duan Yan's bowl into his own. He only ate five dumplings. "Are you going out today?"
He watched as Duan Yan gobbled up the big dumplings one by one.
Duan Yan mumbled an answer with a dumpling in his mouth.
Then he said, "I'm going to Chishan today to check on the soldiers at the drill ground there. The Chishan soldiers we captured before have been incorporated into our troops. We've trained them twice, but they're still in a mess. Their punches and kicks are not up to standard. They only have brute force, and their basic skills are very poor.
These are supposed to be the elite of Chishan. I can't even imagine what the rest of the Chishan soldiers are like."
"I'll go and have a look first. Then we'll dismiss those who are unqualified and recruit new ones."
Song Fengsui's eyes lit up a bit. "Then I'll go with you."
Hearing this, Duan Yan frowned slightly and looked outside. "I just came from the back kitchen. It's snowing again, and it might snow even harder later."
"These days, the road to Chishan has been trampled on by so many people that it's in a terrible state. It's full of snow and mud, with big and small potholes and ice. It's very difficult for carriages to pass. Old Third Qian came from there yesterday and said that two carriages got stuck on the road. People had to push them hard to get them out of the potholes, and the wheels were all covered with thick mud."
Song Fengsui knew that it was windy and snowy, and he was afraid of the cold, so he didn't want to go out on snowy days. But this year's weather was really terrible.
It had been snowing since the beginning of winter and hardly stopped for two days. There were just heavy - snow days and light - snow days. Anyway, he couldn't wait for a better - weather day. He hadn't been out for many days.
"Then I'll ride a horse. You know my horse - riding skills. I won't fall even on a rough road."
If Duan Yan allowed him to ride a horse out, he couldn't say that the carriage couldn't travel well. "It's windy and snowy. The wind blows like ice picks scraping your face. I have to cover my face. You're in poor health. How can you stand riding a horse in the wind? What if you catch a cold?"
Song Fengsui didn't say a word, but he used his chopsticks to poke all the dumplings in Duan Yan's bowl, obviously a bit annoyed.
Duan Yan quickly covered the bowl with his big hand to protect the dumplings and coaxed him, "There are several scholars coming from Chishan today. They are all the children of wealthy families and can't stand the long - distance travel in winter. They are going to stay here.
The yamen has allocated a mansion for the town academy. Don't you want to help your grandfather arrange the accommodation at home?"
Song Fengsui gave a soft snort. "Then what kind of people are coming today?"
"They are said to be the children of two senior officials from the household and rites departments in Chishan, as well as the children of a local gentry and a salt merchant."
Duan Yan said, "We were originally worried that the people from Chishan wouldn't come, but unexpectedly, they were quite enthusiastic."
Song Fengsui nodded and asked, "How old are these students?"
"Sixteen or seventeen. The son of the senior official from the household department is a bit older, almost twenty. I heard that he used to study in the county and is quite knowledgeable. Later, due to the incident, he had no books to read at home. As soon as he heard that your grandfather was offering education, he immediately signed up."
After Duan Yan finished speaking, he suddenly felt something was wrong. "Why do you need to know their ages when arranging the accommodation?"
"Fresh - faced young scholars." Song Fengsui nodded with a smile in his eyes and said "good". Then, with a serious face, he urged Duan Yan, "Hurry up and finish eating and go out. Go early and come back early. Leave the matter to me."
Duan Yan was stunned for a moment. Then he turned to see that Song Fengsui had already got up and gone to the wardrobe. He had half - buried himself in it, opening boxes and cabinets.
"Where is that purple satin robe my mother made for me before?"
Song Fengsui rummaged through the boxes and cabinets and found a cloak trimmed with white rabbit fur. He hugged it out. "Hey, this cloak is nice. I'll tidy it up and wear it out later."
Duan Yan put down his chopsticks and walked over a few steps to block in front of the wardrobe. "The dark - blue cloak you usually wear on the shelf is also quite nice. It's strong and warm. This one only has some rabbit fur and isn't wind - resistant."
Song Fengsui tilted his head and glanced at the dark - blue cloak on the shelf, which was placed side by side with another large cloak. He shook his head. "It's old. I want to wear the new one. The color is so dull and gloomy. It's only suitable for going to the countryside."
Duan Yan snatched the new cloak from his hand. "The old one isn't broken. Why can it only be worn when going to the countryside? This new one is just for show and not practical at all."
Song Fengsui frowned. "If it's just for show and not practical, why did you buy it for me? What's your intention?"
Duan Yan was startled. He looked down at the cloak in his hand again. "I... Did I buy it for you?"
Song Fengsui pulled a long face. "What a bad memory. You've forgotten that you bought it in the prefectural city?"
Duan Yan closed his eyes slightly and quickly said, "We bought so many things at that time. I didn't think of it for a moment. Don't be angry."
"What's wrong with you today? You're acting so strange."
"I said I wanted to go to Chishan, but you wouldn't allow it. I've been following your wishes. When I went to help Grandfather arrange things for the new students, you're here nitpicking about my clothes, saying this one is no good and that one is wrong."
Song Fengsui stopped looking for clothes, folded his arms, and plopped down on the soft couch, pouting.
Duan Yan quickly grabbed a cloak and walked over. "Alright, alright. Just wear this one. Now that you mention it, this one is indeed nicer than the old one. I'll also find that purple - satin robe your mother made for you. You can wear all new clothes, okay?
Once you're changed, I'll take you to Chishan. We'll ride on the same horse there."
However, Song Fengsui shifted his body away, not allowing Duan Yan to get close. "I don't want to go. It's cold. I'll just go to the academy to see the new scholars."
"After we come back from Chishan, I'll go with you to see them. I'll tell Gou San'er to help Grandfather with the arrangements first."
Duan Yan moved closer again. "Come on, let me help you change your clothes. Wear an extra waistcoat inside later. When we're riding the horse, I'll cover you with my cloak, and you won't feel cold."
Song Fengsui originally leaned back to avoid him, but unexpectedly, Duan Yan kept lunging forward. Without paying attention, the two of them tumbled onto the soft couch.
Duan Yan coaxed Song Fengsui to go to Chishan. Song Fengsui grunted a couple of times but finally gave in. He let Duan Yan find clothes for him to change and was about to go out, but once the belt was untied, they couldn't get it tied back on.
The windows were brightly lit on this snowy day.
His delicate skin was as white as snow, but it soon turned a rosy color like the evening glow.
By the time they called for hot water to take a bath, it was almost noon.
The two had been married for more than half a year. Although they were no longer as shy about calling for hot water, which might reveal their marital activities, it was still daytime, specifically the morning. It was still a bit...
Song Fengsui put on his clothes and kicked Duan Yan weakly on the bed. "Enough with the fooling around. How could you not stop? Look at what time it is now."
Duan Yan admitted that he had gone too far. Usually, they would draw the curtain on the bed, and occasionally they would move to the couch, but it was always at night.
This was the first time they had been so playful during the day. Maybe it was because he had never clearly seen Song Fengsui in the daytime before. Naturally, he was overly excited, with all his attention on the person, and didn't notice the time.
"It doesn't matter. We can just go after having lunch."
Duan Yan carefully tied the belt for Song Fengsui and kissed the tip of his nose. "Do you still want to go to Chishan this afternoon?"
Song Fengsui got off the bed, trying his best to steady his wobbly legs. "Why wouldn't I go?"
Duan Yan asked worriedly, "Does it hurt?"
Song Fengsui's ears turned red. They had been married for so long and were intimate every now and then. How could it still hurt so easily?
... However, it did hurt a bit today. It had never been like this before. Usually, he would just feel a bit sore the next day. But now...
He couldn't help but glare at Duan Yan. "Who told you to be so rough? I've told you several times... But you only think to ask me after the fact. You were as deaf as a post before."
Duan Yan was overjoyed to be scolded. He went over to coax Song Fengsui. "Then we'll go there slowly this afternoon. Anyway, there's a place to stay there. We'll stay at the new house where Father and Uncle live for one night. There are pigeons raised in Chishan. I'll make pigeon soup for you tonight."
Song Fengsui said, "I want to eat roasted squab."
"Okay!"
In the afternoon, Duan Yan and Song Fengsui rode on the same horse and led some people towards Chishan.
After passing through the pass of Yan Town, the horse's hooves made a "plopping" sound on the ground. The road was extremely slippery. To prevent the horse from slipping, they wrapped cloth around all its hooves.
Seeing the muddy road and hearing the howling wind even through his hat, Song Fengsui realized that Duan Yan hadn't been exaggerating to deceive him.
He huddled under Duan Yan's cloak, with only his eyes showing. Although they were moving very slowly, every time the horse took a step, his breathing tightened. Fortunately, he had good endurance and was too shy to say anything. Otherwise, he would have cried out.
Suddenly, he saw Duan Yan control the horse with one hand and pull the other hand back under the cloak.
Just as he was wondering if the cold wind had numbed Duan Yan's hand, a glove was suddenly stuffed into his hand. Before he could ask why Duan Yan wasn't wearing it in such cold weather, his face flushed red.
This man was actually holding the place on him that was being jolted by the horse to the point of being unbearable.
Song Fengsui thought that since he was already hiding under the man's cloak, he would have liked to find a hole to crawl into if he could.
Although it was embarrassing, the discomfort was alleviated, and he did feel much better. The man behind him didn't take the opportunity to do anything inappropriate, probably because he had been satisfied in the morning.
That winter, not only was the road difficult to travel, but the nearby and distant mountains were all covered in a vast expanse of white. The once - lush forests could hardly be recognized in their original colors. All the mountains were silent under the snow.
A layer of gray fog enveloped the land. One couldn't see far or clearly. People and the land seemed to be locked in a cage that only snowed.
The trees were bearing the weight of the snow. Day after day, five days, ten days... Finally, many young trees and tender bamboos couldn't bear it anymore. They were broken by the continuously accumulating and thickening snow, making a "crack" sound from time to time.
To make matters worse, the snow kept falling in large flakes without any restraint. What was even more worrying was that it was only the beginning of the winter month. No one knew what it would be like when the colder twelfth lunar month came.
Even the winter vegetables and scallions planted in the fields were covered by the snow. If one wanted to pick them, they had to dig through the thick snow. Most of the scallions had fallen, and many vegetable leaves were frozen and cooked through.
The paths into the mountain were hard to find, and firewood for heating had become a major problem. Things were a bit better in Yan Town. Thanks to Duan Yan's arrangements, they had stocked up a lot of firewood during the summer and autumn droughts, so they didn't have to worry about heating.
But when they entered the area of Chishan, Song Fengsui saw that many families in the villages hadn't stocked up much firewood. Without firewood, they would not only suffer from the cold, but the snow on the roofs wouldn't melt. They had to clean it up manually. It was okay for families with strong labor, but it was really difficult for the elderly, the weak, women, and children. If they let the snow keep getting thicker, not only thatched huts but also brick - tile houses could be crushed.
Duan Yan said, "A few days ago, Father called on people. While the snow hasn't completely blocked the mountain forest, the strong men go into the mountains in groups to collect firewood.
It's definitely not as easy to get firewood in the mountains at this time as it was in summer and autumn, but getting some is better than nothing. Otherwise, during these consecutive cold months, young people can barely endure it, but the old and the weak may not survive this snowy winter."
Song Fengsui sighed. "The world is in chaos. People are afraid of war and death, but even without war, these disastrous natural disasters can still take lives. If things go on like this, the situation will probably get even more chaotic."
"Let's just take it one step at a time."
