After the snow fell, the clear skies came.
An ideal time for brewing tea.
A refined activity indeed.
Though the Jiang Manor did not span as wide as the grand mansions in the Capital City, its living quarters were still quite spacious.
Originally, the layout was designed with three separate residences - one for the Old Lady Jiang as the main house, one for the eldest son Jiang Huaisheng, and one for the second son Jiang Changtian.
Houses were prepared for when they marry and start their own families.
But now, the layout had Jiang Huaisheng occupying one residence, while the Old Lady Jiang resided in the main house.
The remaining space housed the Old Lady's Buddhist hall, tea room, study, guest room, and training grounds - quite a comfortable living arrangement.
Today the weather was lovely.
Jiang Wan brewed tea and enjoyed the scenery of snowfall in the tea room.
In her youth, the Old Lady Jiang was quite the refined lady herself.
But time had passed, and much had changed.
Brewing tea in a foreign land after so many years brought a renewed sense of appreciation.
The water in Ming County was quite hard.
The tea it brewed had a sharp aroma, but if the temperature was not controlled well, it could turn bitter.
Drinking tea on a snowy day had its own unique charm.
Clad in an elegant gown, adorned with a pearl headpiece, the Old Lady Jiang held a small blue-green ceramic cup with a graceful demeanor as she savored the tea.
Despite the snowy weather outside,
The tea room was open to allow viewing of the snow scene.
Yet it did not feel cold inside.
Quality charcoal burned in the copper brazier, emanating warmth without smoke.
Jiang Wan, dressed in a white light cloak, sat gracefully with her wrist gently raised as she brewed the tea.
Snow white, cloak white, her fair skin too.
The warm cloak embraced her slender, porcelain-like neck, showcasing a unique beauty.
At the courtyard entrance, a guard or two stood vigilantly, able to glimpse the scene of the graceful lady brewing tea inside.
Catching a glance, they dared not look further, refocusing their gaze ahead under the trees.
Jiang Wan took a sip of the tea she had brewed.
A hint of bitterness at first, but followed by a lingering sweetness, its aroma rich and full - perfect for snowy days.
This premium green tea was a gift from her aunt.
Light snow, pearl charcoal, fine tea, maiden, and lady.
A picturesque scene of elegance and refinement.
Suddenly, the butler came rushing in, flustered:
"Disaster! The rebels have invaded the city!"
The rebels moved swiftly, seizing the County Government Office and taking control of the entire county town.
Important positions were replaced with new faces.
The city gates and sentries were changed.
They even booked the Qingfeng Restaurant,
Inviting guests for a banquet.
Wealthy and influential families in town all received invitations.
Causing panic and complaints, albeit better than receiving knives.
They couldn't help but curse the incompetence of the County Government for leaving the doors wide open for the invaders.
The invitations requested the presence of wives and daughters, which the families found outrageous - noble ladies would never attend such chaotic gatherings.
If a banquet, they argued it should be separate occasions.
The Jiang Manor also received an invitation.
When the invitation was delivered and the Old Lady Jiang was present, hearing that they were invited to a banquet with wives and daughters to attend, she clutched her belly, face pale, nearly fainting from the shock.
Jiang Huaisheng's expression was grim - his life had been far too turbulent.
His sister had earlier written advising them to enter the Capital City, but the journey was delayed due to his wife's pregnancy, never expecting rebels to now invade their town.
The Old Lady Jiang was also distressed, having just enjoyed her tea in peace that morning, only to learn of the rebel invasion, leaving her short of breath.
Fortunately, a lifetime of hardship had trained her to remain composed in such turmoil.
Of them all, Jiang Wan was the most calm upon receiving the news.
"Where there is a calamity lies the seed of fortune. Did not our aunt advise us to watch and wait? Since the rebels have sent invitations, it means they are not the type to indiscriminately slaughter innocents. We should simply attend the banquet."
Jiang Rong, however, recalling the bandits killing before his eyes, cried out loudly: "I won't go! I won't go! Rebels are nothing but bandits! I won't attend!"
The young grandson was throwing a tantrum.
His daughter-in-law was pale, looking faint.
Without warning, the Old Lady Jiang struck Jiang Rong with her cane.
"Ow!" Jiang Rong cried out in pain.
Never did he expect his doting grandmother to actually strike him.
"Silence. Huaisheng, Wan, and I shall attend tonight's banquet," declared the Old Lady Jiang.
Retreating to her chambers with the help of Aunt Yao, the Old Lady Jiang's aura of authority dissipated as she lazily reclined on the soft bedding.
Aunt Yao knelt down, massaging the Old Lady's knees.
"Your arthritis is flaring up again, my lady?"
The Old Lady nodded wearily, eyes closed.
"Wan had long advised me to enter the Capital City. I should have heeded her words. It was only because that wretched boy was causing a fuss here that I couldn't bear leaving. Never did I expect we would end up in such a predicament - I, a noble lady of distinguished status, having to attend a rebel's banquet."
Aunt Yao's massage became gentler, consoling: "These rebels seem unlike mere mountain bandits. The young master said their conduct has the air of nobility. All will be well. But for the commoners, the rebels did not send invitations - only knives."
...
That noon, Jiang Mianmian had a simple meal with just her parents.
Her older brother trained the village militia and shared their large pot meals.
Her sister's best friend was getting married the next day and had started the wedding banquet celebrations today.
Their mother cooked a pot of noodles.
The broth was made with wild vegetables and meat, the noodles hand-kneaded.
Eating a piping hot bowl of noodle soup with wild chives on a snowy winter day - pure bliss that induced a runny nose from the aroma.
Though lacking many teeth, Jiang Mianmian found the noodles delectable as she chewed carefully to savor the flavors.
She heartily finished one small bowl, then had another.
Normally she might have worried about the day's events, with the rebel visitors arriving.
But seeing how casually her father greeted the rebel representative, the little Mr. Gong, Jiang Mianmian sensed there was no real danger.
And then there was that handsome young rebel man - even when silent, he was quite a sight.
Jiang Mianmian chewed on another strand of noodle, thinking her sister would surely regret attending the wedding banquet if she knew they were having noodles at home - their mother's homemade noodles were more delicious than any outside fare.
That gossipy Cui's Mother was rumored to be a terrible cook.
Sure enough, later that evening, Jiang Yu stormed back home.
Not even leftovers from the banquet in hand, though one would normally pack some to take home.
"Mother! Mother!" Jiang Yu fumed, face flushed red. "From now on, I won't marry out, and neither will my sister! We'll just stay home forever!"
Qin Luoxia was shoveling snow and laughed at her second daughter's tantrum: "What's this all about? If you don't want to marry, that's fine. But why can't your sister marry later on?"
Jiang Yu didn't explain, but it was clear she was upset, eyes reddened.
The young lady seemed distraught over something.
Even little Jiang Mianmian was curious - given her father's current standing in the village, surely no one would dare mistreat her sister?
When she was playing with her older sister in her older sister's room, she took out a small gold bean and said, "Guest, give this to me and my older sister to see."
This was a handful of small gold beans that the little bearded man had slipped to her when he left.
Her mother had confiscated them, leaving her with one.
"Cui's Mother told Cui that when you get married, you belong to someone else's family. If you get beaten, you have to endure it," she said, hugging her younger sister sadly as tears like golden beans fell from her eyes.
Jiang Mianmian reached out to wipe her older sister's tears, saying, "Older Sister, don't be afraid. My father, mother, and older brother are very powerful and will beat him."
Jiang Mianmian struggled to speak in full sentences.
Her voice sounded childishly out of tune.
Jiang Yu burst into loud sobs, crying as she took the gold bean from her younger sister's palm and put it away...
Jiang Mianmian's eyes also turned red.
In the evening, someone delivered an invitation for Mr. Jiang to attend a banquet at the Qingfeng Restaurant in the county town.
It was noted that he could bring his wife and children.
Jiang Changtian looked at the invitation and said to the messenger, "Great, it seems Mr. Gong has taken over Ming County. We must attend."
The guard who delivered the invitation did not leave immediately but respectfully said, "Mr. Gong said since the roads are slippery with snow, we should escort you to the banquet."
Their mother warmly invited the guards to sit down, urging them to take a seat and serving them a bowl of thick, hot noodle soup.
"It's cold out, have something warm before you go. We'll get ready in the meantime."
The guards had delivered many invitations and faced cold shoulders and curses along the way.
Only at Mr. Jiang's manor did they receive a warm bowl of soup.
The snow in the courtyard had been shoveled clean, but the trees outside were still covered in snow.
Under the eaves were a few cracked ceramic pots, with fresh green onion sprouts growing inside.
After the warm soup, the guard felt a little warmth in his body.
He heard a young girl calling from the next room, "Mother, I don't have new clothes to wear."
He couldn't help but smile, thinking that once his lord conquers another city, he would go back and bring his wife and daughter.
Buy his daughter new clothes.
This winter day was truly cold, but this bowl of soup was truly warm.
...
