Chapter 297: Ski Field

After the meal, Yuan Jiaqi took her hand and led her back to the bedroom; the spacious fire‑kang was warm, and the bedding had been laid out.

Qiao Mai took off her shoes and climbed onto the kang, and Yuan Jiaqi hurried onto the kang as well, kneading her shoulders.

"Are you tired?"

"I'm fine."

"Sleep well,"

"You haven't given the in‑laws' New Year gifts yet, have you?"

"No, I'm waiting for you; the preparations here aren't sufficient, and many of last year's New Year gifts are missing."

"Alright, leave it to me tomorrow."

The next day, Qiao Mai was still asleep, and Yuan Jiaqi slipped up silently, fearing to disturb his wife's rest, and went to attend Morning Court.

"When you grow old, we'll retire to Tianshui Town and let the children take care of this place."

"I did it all in one night."

The only time everyone can gather together is these few days.

"Mother, wife, is it really you who did all this?"

"Snow is wonderful; we all love the feeling of snow, and here we don't see a single snowfall in a year."

"Right here at home, I want to give the children a New Year gift, and I've been working on it all night."

At that moment Qiao Mai wasn't sleepy either, and waved at him, "Put on thick clothes, come, I'll take you to see a place?"

Seeing Yuan Jiaqi sitting at the kang table with a pot of hot tea on it, he was looking at me with resentful eyes.

Only then did he put his hands behind his back and search around the house.

"Wife, what are you doing behind my back for me again?"

Qiao Mai hadn't slept all night; now she was snoring soundly on the warm fire‑kang, and as the head of the household, Yuan Jiaqi arranged the return gifts.

"It's been so long since you came back; we've all missed you a lot."

He then covered the hillside with a Barrier, flew north, and brought back a large expanse of white snow to lay on it.

Watching his wife skillfully ski, sliding from low to high, then charging down from the height, and even performing a flip in the air.

"Whoa, that's really neat!"

There are several paths leading to the back garden, and this forest is large and narrow; she had previously wanted to clear it.

Qiao Mai had a flash of inspiration; now that she has Nascent Soul cultivation, she should be able to roughly summon wind and rain. Even if her cultivation isn't enough, it doesn't matter—she has that Platform, and can create snow without any.

The movement was truly impressive, "Wife, I admire you immensely."

First, practice skiing; Qiao Mai waved her hand, and two pairs of skis appeared on the ground. She stepped onto them, took a ski pole in one hand, and began sliding on the snow.

At midnight, after Yuan Jiaqi fell asleep, she quietly went to the forest edge, waved her hand to fold the forest into a space, then flew to a wasteland outside the city, waved again, and a large pit appeared before her.

"Wife, are you a deity?"

"Now you know where I was all night, right?"

"No, I am a cultivator."

"Where?"

She kept the matter in mind, chatted with them for a while, and then each went off to attend to their own business.

Yuan Jiaqi waved his hands hurriedly, "No, no, I'm not made for skiing; I can still study."

What are you looking for? A place that can make snow. She thought of a Ski Field; although the house isn't large, a small one can still be built.

She led him beyond a wall, standing before a tall, imposing great gate.

She lazily got off the kang, went to the wardrobe and chose a plain, clean outfit, changed, casually tied her hair, and went to the Keting.

"Don't rush."

"Show them the surprise on the first day of the New Year?"

Because Qiao Mai sent someone to deliver the New Year gifts yesterday, the two in‑laws also returned the gifts today.

She used her spiritual power to sweep her gaze, then curled her lips; days when family is waiting are truly wonderful.

She had known it in a previous life; although she felt she hadn't skied before, once she got a hold of it, a familiar feeling immediately surged.

Qiao Mai sat down, and after a while the kitchen served her a Meal; everyone watched her eat.

"Mm‑hmm."

And she chatted with the old master and the old lady, "Sir, don't the Wang Family and Pang Family need to send New Year gifts? Our family still has many."

"Is everything over there fine?"

The old lady rolled her eyes, "We've already sent them long ago; although they don't lack anything, proper etiquette is required. I'm someone who won't fall behind, but I won't meddle in the Wang Family's affairs."

Hearing this, Yuan Jiaqi perked up, quickly jumped down from the kang, threw on a cotton cloak, grabbed Qiao Mai, and rushed out of the house.

"You can do it too; shall I teach you to ski?"

"All good, all good; in just over a month we've had three snowfalls."

She looked around; the servants came and went, but she wasn't in a hurry.

She arrived at a forest where bamboo was planted; it was clean and elegant, with a graceful path that led straight to the back garden.

The sun was scorching her backside, so Qiao Mai finally opened her eyes; at that moment the old master and old lady, with the children, were waiting for her in the Yuexian Pavilion's Keting.

Qiao Mai took a key from her pocket, unlocked the courtyard gate, and led him inside.

A man swallowed, "Wife, you are truly formidable."

"The Wang Family doesn't need to send, but the Pang Family will depend on Grandmother's wishes."

"Mm‑hmm, do you call this a Ski Field?"

When he saw the Snow Mountain before him, he was instantly shocked, eyes wide, unable to…

Yuan Jiaqi opened his mouth, "Did husband remember that we don't have this at home?"

Going back to the forest front, he moved the soil out of the pit, built an earthen slope, and compacted the earth with his spirit.

They had no other relatives or friends in Jingcheng, only the Zhen Guo Gong Residence and the Commander of the Western Pass's family; after seeing the New Year gifts sent out, Qiao Mai let out a long sigh of relief.

"I, I,"

"Yes, just let the children be fine, come here to relax; they all know martial arts, so even Chuan'er need not worry about their safety."

"Otherwise?"

If others want to see inside, they cannot do so without entering the Dameng; she made this solely for her family.

"But in this world, as far as I know, no one can create it."

"Oh, how does one play with this?"

"Alright, it's really nothing; it's just moving something from elsewhere here, not any great divine power."

"You're welcome, it's okay."

"Fine, I've said it all; from now on just know my matter in your heart, don't ask too many questions."

Seeing the barren sides, she moved some trees onto both sides of the big hill slope, making the view much more pleasing.

Like Fengyun's brothers, this year they take turns on duty, one on the first day of the month, the other on the second; fortunately the second is Yun'er, otherwise Mu Shi returning to her Niang Jia would be alone.

"Jiaqi"

Today is the twenty‑eighth day of the twelfth lunar month; Yuan Jiaqi does not need to attend court, as this year's affairs are many, and after the second day of the month he will assume his post.

Qiao Mai waved her hand, and several pairs of snowboards appeared on the ground; she set the snowboards aside, slipped off the ones on her feet, then led Yuan Jiaqi out through the Dameng and locked it behind them.

"The scenery here is truly wonderful; actually I miss the snow of the North, and seeing this scene reminds me of Tianshui Town."

"Mm‑mm, your husband feels the same way."

"Where is it, where could it be?"

"Turn a face is to turn a face; even as a child I wouldn't give them anything."

"Hehe, you're awake?"

She had looked at it on the Platform; instead of using a snow‑making machine to fill this empty ground, she preferred to bring snow over from the North, which is not only faster but also especially authentic.

Yuan Jiaqi looked at his wife's eyes with a complex gaze—admiration, shock, respect, and admiration—all the emotions written across his face.

After finishing everything, dawn was near; Qiao Mai stretched lazily and returned to the house.

She surrounded the area with a Barrier and set up an entrance Dameng around its perimeter; as long as her Barrier remains, the ice and snow will never melt, even in the scorching summer, making this a white ice‑snow world.

Qiao Mai first placed the prepared New Year goods in the East Wing Room, then had someone fetch the Steward and began sending New Year gifts.

"Wang Jiaru's Student is here."

"You are now the Minister of Personnel; you must have a pleasant person by your side to command,"

"What do you mean?"

"I, an old man, see that Lu Ruyi's husband has good character; you should propose to the emperor to transfer him to Jingcheng; after the New Year, Chuan'er and Zihan will also be in the imperial examination."

(End of chapter)