The snowstorm continued into early February of the following year. After days upon days of heavy snowfall, the flurries finally began to thin, and the sun could occasionally be seen. Only then did the snowpack, which had accumulated for nearly three months, show signs of melting.
Even so, February still brought snow and sleet every few days. The snow that had just begun to melt would disappear a little one day, only to be filled in again by fresh snowfall the next. The cold was no less biting than in the depths of winter.
As the endless snow season dragged on, worry weighed heavily on everyone in the town. Not only had their firewood for heating been used up, but they were also anxious about the coming spring. The fields were still buried beneath the snow, making it impossible even to plow, let alone sow seeds.
The crops had already suffered a poor harvest the previous year because of the drought. With things like this again, it seemed Heaven meant to drive them to ruin.
By March, a late winter cold snap swept in, bringing another two heavy snowfalls. Fortunately, after that, the weather gradually warmed, and the snow finally stopped for good.
After three consecutive days of clear skies, the snow in town had either melted or been cleared away by the townspeople, and things were more or less back in order. Seeing the weather improve and the sky no longer pressed down in a gray haze of snow, Song Fengsui’s spirits lifted as well.
That day, the two of them saddled their horses and decided to take a look at the countryside together.
Outside the town, snow that had once piled as high as a person’s height melted away day by day. The mountains, which had been washed in endless white for months, finally began to reveal their original colors, while the trees slowly changed from a monotonous white back to their natural green.
But after months of being crushed beneath the snow, the trees were bent or toppled over as they shook off their burden. Large stretches of bamboo remained bowed beneath the weight and could no longer straighten themselves.
The forest rang constantly with crackling and rustling sounds. Meltwater poured down from branches and leaves, making it seem as though the mountains were raining arrows. In fact, the woods were even more dangerous now than they had been during the snowy days.
In the nearby villages, patches of land on higher, sunlit ground were the first to emerge. The grass and vegetables that had once grown there had all turned dark brown, lying limp against the earth. One step would sink into a mess like paste—soft, slippery, and nauseating.
Wrapped in thick layers, Song Fengsui rode across the exposed ground. Though his horse did not step into the wet mud, he could still smell the rotting leaves and vegetation. Gently warmed by the sun, the dampness gave off a foul odor.
He frowned. His chest felt stuffy, and his stomach churned uneasily.
Duan Yan’s horse drew alongside his. He withdrew his gaze from a collapsed slope of earth and stone in the distance, then turned to look at Song Fengsui’s unhappy expression and urged his horse closer.
“It may look sunny, but the melting snow is stealing away the heat, and the air is damp. It’s colder than it was while the snow was falling—cold enough to seep into your bones. I’ll take you home first.”
Song Fengsui shook his head. He had spent several months confined indoors beside a charcoal brazier. Now that he had finally been able to come outside and get some fresh air, how could he be willing to hurry home?
“I’m fine. I don’t feel cold.”
After saying this, he let out a long breath. “It’s probably just seeing what the snow has left behind. It doesn’t sit well with me.”
How could it sit well with anyone? The vegetation and soil had been soaked and rotted into sludge. Broken trees and collapsed sheds lay everywhere. The land looked like a battlefield after a fierce war, scarred and ruined in every direction.
The farmers braved the cold winds that followed the snowstorm, clearing roads and repairing their homes. Their figures were hurried, yet desolate.
Duan Yan did not know what comfort he could offer. Seeing the scene outside the town made his own heart heavy, and he knew that it was not yet over.
He gently rubbed Song Fengsui’s head. The two horses were about to cross a water channel when, unexpectedly, they stopped.
As the snow melted, the ice water in the village ditches and streams surged. The roar of rushing water could be heard everywhere. Ice cracked apart, and once the channels opened, broken branches and pieces of wood came down from upstream. At times, even the bodies of pheasants, wild cattle, rabbits, and deer that had lived in the mountains were carried down after freezing to death.
When the horses stopped, both men instinctively looked into the ditch—and were startled.
Duan Yan hurriedly shouted toward the villagers ahead, who were clearing away a landslide that had blocked the road, “Come over here! A few of you!”
The villagers ran over at once. When they stopped beside the ditch and saw what lay within, they were all shocked.
A mass of broken branches had clogged the channel. All sorts of debris from upstream had been caught there: tree roots, frost-damaged crops, a lone shoe, dead chickens, and more, all tangled together.
But those things were nothing compared to the most horrifying sight of all. There was a body lying facedown in the water, bobbing up and down with the current but somehow never drifting away.
Judging from the clothing and build, it appeared to be a man.
Under Duan Yan’s direction, several villagers worked together and hauled the body out.
Song Fengsui quickly dismounted. When they turned the corpse over, a deathly pale face was exposed. In broad daylight, it still frightened the villagers badly.
“With him looking like this, who could recognize him? He doesn’t seem to be from our village.”
“How’d he end up stuck here? I came past this way yesterday and didn’t see anything.”
The villagers could hardly bear to look at the body. It had not yet begun to decay, but it had clearly been soaked in the water for an unknown length of time. It was swollen and bloated, and its condition was far from pleasant.
Song Fengsui forced down his discomfort and stepped closer to examine it. He frowned deeply.
“This man has been dead for some time. It wasn’t just two or three days ago—he must have been dead for at least a month. He probably died somewhere in the snow upstream. No one found him, and the snow covered him, preserving his body in the cold.”
Word that a dead man had been pulled from the stream spread quickly, and nearby villagers came running to see.
Duan Yan asked whether anyone recognized the deceased. Most people shook their heads. Eventually, the village head arrived and said that the man looked somewhat like a villager from Qianxi Village, which happened to lie upstream from there.
The dead deserved proper respect. Duan Yan arranged for the body to be covered with a white cloth and sent word for people from Qianxi Village to come identify him. That afternoon, a household came and confirmed the body was theirs.
The family of the deceased wept as they explained that there had not been enough firewood to keep warm during the winter. The man had gone out to search for some and never returned. They had looked for him for a long time without success, never expecting that he would finally be found in a village downstream.
Everyone sighed over the tragedy. During the snow disaster, many elderly people and children had frozen to death, and quite a few people who had gone out had disappeared.
After that day, as the snow continued to melt, more bodies were discovered one after another. Some were found in streams, others in hollows beneath slopes. They were all villagers who had gone out in search of firewood, met with accidents, and died in the wilderness. During winter, the thick snow had hidden them completely. Once it melted, everything was exposed.
Even stranger, many of the bodies that appeared had no one to claim them. Inquiries throughout the town and all the surrounding villages yielded no matches.
They guessed that the dead had come from beyond Chishan, from villages in the county. They must have been swept down by the streams and rivers.
Although no one came to identify them, Duan Yan still ordered that the bodies be buried. The two towns established public mortuaries on their outskirts to make it easier to deal with and lay to rest the unidentified dead.
He estimated that the area beyond Chishan had suffered an even worse disaster than Chishan and Yanzhen. Otherwise, so many bodies would not have floated all the way to Chishan. The number recovered was greater than the total number of people who had died in the two towns themselves.
For that reason, Duan Yan had someone make a special trip outside to investigate. When the constable returned, he could only shake his head. “There are countless dead and injured. Between the villages, you can find an empty, ownerless house every few steps.
“Using two flatbreads as payment, we learned that they had no firewood to burn during the winter, and the county authorities did nothing about it. Order in the villages has become terribly chaotic. Households with more able-bodied men band together to rob others of firewood and grain. Setting aside those who froze or starved to death, many more were killed in the fighting over supplies.”
“In houses where every member of the family has died, people even strip away the thatched roofs and wooden beams to use as fuel. In the end, only a few bare earthen walls are left standing.”
The officials in the yamen all shook their heads one after another when they heard of the devastation outside.
Natural disasters showed no mercy, and those who lived under their shadow for too long could lose their humanity. If Red Mountain and Rock Town had not had people maintaining order, they might not have fared any better than the places outside. Things could well have been even more tragic.
Afterward, everyone in the yamen exchanged a few words of consolation before dispersing to attend to the spring plowing.
Constable Zhao followed Tax Official Liu back to his office and sighed with emotion. “In the end, it was all thanks to Your Excellency’s decisiveness. When you decided that Rock Town should surrender and had the two towns merged into one, you made the right choice. If Rock Town hadn’t sent us grain and firewood to help us through the winter last year, we truly wouldn’t have survived this snow disaster.”
The clerk who had originally served in Red Mountain’s administrative office chimed in as well. “Rock Town might have managed without our iron, but Red Mountain truly couldn’t have made it without the firewood and grain sent by Rock Town.”
After seeing how chaotic the area outside Red Mountain and throughout the county had become, all of them were shaken to the core.
Tax Official Liu sorted through the documents in his hands and said only, “Now that you know how good Rock Town is, you’d all better behave yourselves, follow orders, and carry out your duties properly according to Lord Song’s instructions. What sort of person is Lord Song? In this world, being able to follow such a kind and virtuous ruler is our good fortune.”
“Yes, yes, Your Excellency is absolutely right.”
The others nodded earnestly.
After leaving the yamen, Duan Yan went to the training grounds. He had just finished drilling the soldiers and was saying that they should make another trip to the villages when, as soon as he left the grounds, he saw one of the household servants entering the clinic.
He followed him over. The servant noticed him and immediately bowed.
“What brings you to the clinic? Are you unwell, or is someone at home ill?”
Duan Yan had always been considerate toward those under him. “If it’s serious, have Young Master Song take a look.”
The servant thanked Duan Yan and said, “Young Master Song asked me to invite a physician to the residence.”
Duan Yan’s brows drew together. “Did something happen? Why would you suddenly need to call for a physician?”
The important point was that there were hardly any physicians in this area whose medical skills could surpass Young Master Song’s. Why would they be asking an outsider to come?
“The young master didn’t say. He only told me to find a physician with plenty of experience and bring him to the house.”
Duan Yan felt a little uneasy. If someone in the household had been injured or fallen ill, they could simply have come to him. The fact that they were inviting another physician from outside suggested, eight or nine times out of ten, that something was wrong with Sui Sui himself.
He thought back over the past few days, trying to recall whether there had been anything unusual about him, but he could not think of anything. After instructing the servant to bring the physician, he hurried back to the residence first.
The moment he arrived, he strode straight toward the room. Before he even reached the door, he called out, “Sui Sui!”
Song Fengsui was lying on a soft couch, with a brazier burning brightly beside the footrest.
His whole body felt limp and weary, yet he was also cold. Ever since he had gone to the countryside that day and felt tightness in his chest and discomfort in his stomach, something had seemed wrong with him.
At first, he had thought it was because the snow was melting and he couldn’t tolerate the stench rising from the rotting earth. Then he had thought it was because he had witnessed so many victims of the disaster. But more than half a month had passed, and his body still felt vaguely unwell. That morning, after eating a plate of rice cakes, his stomach had begun churning again, and he had started to suspect what was happening.
He had examined himself and was already seventy percent certain, but he did not dare to be completely sure. With something like this, there could be no room for error, so he had sent someone to invite a physician to examine him once more.
Hearing Duan Yan’s voice, he sat up slightly. By then, Duan Yan had already pushed open the door and strode in.
“What happened? Is something wrong with you?”
Song Fengsui had assumed the physician had already arrived. Only then did Duan Yan realize that he had summoned the physician and had rushed home in alarm. He tilted his head slightly, but there was no sign of the physician anywhere.
He couldn’t help asking, “Where is the physician?”
Duan Yan sat down beside the couch and half-embraced him, looking him over from head to toe. Other than his small face being somewhat pale, there seemed to be nothing wrong. Even so, Duan Yan’s brows remained tightly knit. “He’ll be here shortly. I happened to run into the servant and heard that you’d asked for a physician. I was worried, so I came back ahead of him. Quickly, tell me what feels wrong!”
How could Duan Yan not be anxious? When he saw Song Fengsui trying to put on his shoes, he crouched down, picked them up, and carefully slipped them onto his feet.
“What is it that you can’t tell me right away? Did you train too hard these past few days and overtax your body?”
“Of course not.”
Song Fengsui said, “I’m not an idiot. How could I train myself into illness? Do you really think I don’t know my own limits?”
Duan Yan was about to question him further when Young Master Song reached out and covered his mouth.
Seeing that his eyes were clear and that he did not look to be suffering from any serious illness or pain, Duan Yan ultimately closed his mouth as requested and did not press him.
They did not have to wait long. Soon, the servant brought an elderly physician to the residence. The old doctor was about to bow to Duan Yan and Song Fengsui, but Duan Yan was so concerned about Song Fengsui’s condition that he had no mind for such formalities. He waved them away and urged the physician to examine Young Master Song at once.
The old physician did as he was told and took Song Fengsui’s pulse.
Song Fengsui extended his slender arm and could not help holding his breath slightly. He did not want to announce the news beforehand and let everyone in the household celebrate for nothing, but neither did he want to get his hopes up only to be disappointed. Thus, his phoenix-like eyes remained fixed intently on the physician as he waited quietly for the answer.
Duan Yan had been watching the physician as well. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the seriousness in Song Fengsui’s gaze and realized that he was equally invested in the diagnosis. His heart jolted as though struck.
He had just said it was nothing. But if it truly were nothing, why would he be so…
The old physician withdrew his hand and smiled at Song Fengsui.
At once, the young master’s heart settled back into his chest.
“Congratulations, Young Master. Congratulations, Your Excellency.”
Duan Yan froze. He had yet to recover from the anxiety of moments before and could not understand what there was to congratulate them on. Then he heard the old physician say, “Young Master is already two months pregnant.”
A burst of fireworks seemed to shoot into the sky and explode with a bang, leaving Duan Yan dizzy all over. It took him a long while to react.
“P-Pregnant?”
The old physician smiled and patiently explained, “Yes, Your Excellency. Young Master’s constitution is somewhat weak. Fortunately, he had been receiving treatment and nourishment these past few months, so his symptoms were not particularly obvious. That is why he only discovered it now.”
Duan Yan’s chest rose and fell slowly and heavily as he took a moment to digest this sudden, wonderful news. Yet the more he tried to process it, the less he could contain his happiness. It might not have been the most fitting comparison, but the news was even harder to digest than the snow that had piled up over several months!
After seeing the physician out, Duan Yan swept Song Fengsui up from the chair and lifted him high into the air. He made no attempt to hide the joy in his eyes and brows as he tipped up his chin to look at him.
“You already knew, didn’t you? And you kept your mouth shut! You just wanted to make me worry myself sick!”
Song Fengsui was startled by the sudden lift. The man who had always been so composed suddenly became as boisterous as a child.
Although he knew Duan Yan would never drop him, now that he was carrying a child, he instinctively cared even more about his safety. He wrapped his arms around Duan Yan’s neck.
“I wasn’t trying to make you worry. I was afraid I might have misread the signs, so I wanted to have the physician come and confirm it before telling you. That way, we wouldn’t get our hopes up for nothing if I was mistaken. Who would have thought you’d come back before the physician? Should I have told you first, or not?”
Duan Yan hugged him tightly against his chest. “Yes, yes. Young Doctor Song has considered everything thoroughly. Excellent!”
He was overjoyed, yet at the same time, he found the whole thing astonishing.
Before this, he had known that a ge’er could bear children, but that knowledge had existed only in his mind. The people closest to him had never included a ge’er husband, and he had rarely seen one carry a child.
The person he had seen most often in such a situation was probably Ji He, the wife of Third Son Qian. The two of them had a child.
Because of that, Duan Yan had never really thought in detail about the possibility that Song Fengsui might become pregnant. But now that Young Master Song was truly carrying his child, the reality of it finally sank in.
Song Fengsui had already been delighted, and Duan Yan’s joy infected him, making him even happier.
He had even begun thinking about names. He said to Duan Yan, “We only learned about this child when the snow had just cleared and the skies had brightened. How about we name him A-Ji?”
“Ji—as in the clouds parting, the mist scattering, and the sky clearing. Wonderful! It’s an auspicious name!”
The two of them laughed and celebrated inside the room for quite some time. When Song Wushen and Song Xuemu returned from work, they could hear the laughter and chatter from outside.
It had been a long time since the household had heard such joyful laughter. Song Wushen chided them, “Those two children—how old are they now? They’ve been married for a year already, yet what could possibly have them laughing like this?”
Mu Linghui was beaming. “You’re already complaining about the children making a fuss? Just wait. I suspect you’ll be even happier when you hear the news.”
“What news, Eldest Sister-in-Law?”
Seeing how pleased Mu Linghui looked, Song Xuemu could not help asking again.
Mu Linghui smiled gently. “You’re going to be grandparents.”
“Oh! Sui Sui is pregnant!”
Song Xuemu cried out in surprise. Song Wushen was likewise shocked and delighted.
The two of them hurried into the room to see Song Fengsui.
Since the wars and natural disasters had begun, this was truly the happiest news the whole family had received.
Amid their joy, they immediately sent the good news to Grandfather Song in Yan Town and the Duan elders as well.
Who would have thought that by the following day, shortly before noon, Father Duan and Old Madam Duan would arrive in person at Chishan, bringing a whole cart loaded with food, supplies, and nourishing supplements.
“We were supposed to return to Yan Town to pay our respects to Father and Mother, yet we’ve made the two elders go to all this trouble and come here first instead.”
Song Fengsui had not expected Father Duan and Old Madam Duan to hurry over so quickly to see him. His heart felt indescribably warm.
Old Madam Duan was beside herself with joy. “It’s no trouble, no trouble at all! When we heard that the two of you were going to have a child, your father and I were so happy that we couldn’t sleep all night. We wouldn’t have felt at ease unless we came to see you ourselves.”
“It’s spring now, and the weather has warmed up a little, but the roads are still difficult to travel. If you’re going to Yan Town, wait until we have several more clear days and the roads have dried out before making the trip.”
“If there’s anything you want or anything you’re craving, just have Eldest Son take care of it. Don’t you dare worry about troubling him. Carrying a child is exhausting enough as it is.”
Surrounded by everyone in the room, with one person praising him and another fussing over him, Song Fengsui had truly become the family’s most precious and fragile treasure. The physical discomfort of pregnancy was eased considerably by all the attention and affection he received.
