Chapter 565: System of the Spirit Spring in a Qing Dynasty Transmigration (16)

In a blink, Xie Yang had already been transported to this plane for half a year.

It was the depths of winter, and heavy snow was falling.

Vast, white snow soon piled up on the rooftops and the ground.

The snow was too thick for carriages to pass, so Xie Yang was given an early winter break.

On the first day of her break, she habitually woke up early; since she was already up, she simply dressed warmly, went to the back half of the Ear Room to check on the growth of the Immortal Grass as usual, and then, crunching through the snow, went to Li Shi's courtyard to visit her cheap mother and two younger brothers.

"Why come out in such thick snow?"

Seeing her enter, Li Shi hurriedly brushed the dry snowflakes off her heavy cloak.

The room was heated by an Incense Cage and was very warm; she was worried that the melting snowflakes would dampen her clothes.

"It's a rare break, so I came over to see Mother and my younger brothers."

"The three of us are doing just fine. Since it started snowing, I've heard that many of your uncles' sons have caught colds and fallen ill. Your father was worried that Hongyun's health was weak, so he suspended his lessons and hasn't let him go to the front courtyard these past few days, just having him practice calligraphy and recite books in his room."

"Big Sister, look at the characters I wrote. Have I made progress?" Hongyun took a piece of calligraphy over to show Xie Yang.

Xie Yang nodded approvingly: "Great progress! Keep it up! Tomorrow, Big Sister will make something delicious to reward you."

Hongyun grinned and ran back to the desk to practice calligraphy even more enthusiastically than before.

Xie Yang chatted with Li Shi for a while, left two jars of Autumn Pear Paste infused with Spirit Spring, and took advantage of the snow letting up to head to the Main Courtyard.

Hearing that she had arrived, Si Fujin hurriedly invited her into the Warm Pavilion to talk.

The Warm Pavilion was indeed much more comfortable than an Incense Cage or a Fire Kang; the warm air circulated evenly indoors, giving one the feeling of being in the warm, melting spring.

In the entire Fourth Beile Mansion, only the front courtyard and the Main Courtyard had a Warm Pavilion each; these were built when the houses were originally constructed.

Now that Li Shi had been promoted to Side Fujin, it wasn't that she couldn't use a Warm Pavilion according to the regulations, but because the houses hadn't been built with pre-installed fire flues, renovating one would require vacating an empty courtyard for Li Shi to transition temporarily. Li Shi was timid and afraid of trouble, so she stated that an Incense Cage was enough and she didn't need a Warm Pavilion.

Si Fujin then allocated her more smokeless Silver charcoal and added a multi-layered Incense Cage.

Xie Yang was actually quite keen on having a Warm Pavilion; how comfortable it would be to have floor heating! Even though she practiced cultivation and had better internal heat than the average person, the level of room temperature made a huge difference in the body's comfort.

However, a renovation was indeed a major undertaking. She would wait until she had a house that truly belonged to her in the future before making a fuss; by then, she could design the whole house as a Warm Pavilion and no one would say a word.

Honghui was also practicing calligraphy in the Warm Pavilion at this moment.

Xie Yang likewise presented two jars of Autumn Pear Paste: "This is pear paste candy I boiled using the stove at the Taiyi Shu a few days ago. If younger brother Honghui takes a spoonful after reading every day and mixes it with warm water, it can promote fluid production, soothe the throat, and moisten the lungs to stop coughing."

"Big Sister, Hui'er also has a gift for you." Honghui put down his brush, scrambled onto the kang in one breath, and pulled an oil-paper parcel out from the kang cabinet.

Si Fujin was amused at the sight and said to Xie Yang: "It must be the plum blossom cakes he sent Xiao Fuzi to queue up and buy at Longsheng Gaoji a few days ago. I was wondering how such a big parcel disappeared in the blink of an eye; it turns out he had hidden it away."

Honghui's face fell: "Mother, I hadn't even let Big Sister guess yet, why did you give it away?"

"Hahaha!" Si Fujin couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, alright! Next time, Mother won't give it away and will let your Big Sister guess to her heart's content."

Xie Yang couldn't help but laugh too: "Thank you, younger brother Honghui."

"Big Sister, hurry and taste it, these plum blossom cakes are delicious." Honghui opened the oil-paper parcel impatiently and was just about to give one to Xie Yang to eat when he discovered that the plum blossom cakes, having been hidden for two days, were already dry and crumbling.

"Ah?"

He was dumbfounded.

Si Fujin was both annoyed and amused: "Pastries don't keep long to begin with, and you hid them in the kang cabinet; of course they'd get dried out."

"It's fine." Xie Yang couldn't bear to see Honghui's disappointed expression; seeing that they hadn't spoiled and were only dry and hard, she had Shao Yao send the plum blossom cakes to the small kitchen to be heated, "They can still be eaten if steamed soft in a pot."

"Then we'll have them as tea snacks." Si Fujin had the small kitchen send over a pot of milk tea as well.

"Mother, we drink milk tea every day; why not drink the Autumn Pear Paste Big Sister brought today?" Honghui suggested.

Si Fujin had no reason to disagree and smilingly consented; she ordered the maid to bring over a few sets of bowls and spoons. There was warm water on the kang table, so according to the ratio Xie Yang mentioned, she scooped a spoonful of Autumn Pear Paste into a bowl, poured in a bowl of warm water, mixed it, and gave the first cup to Honghui to drink.

"It's sweet, it's really good!"

Xie Yang smiled and patted his head.

"What are you drinking?"

The sound of maids and matrons offering greetings came from the outer room, and soon, the heavy door curtain was lifted, and Si Ye stepped into the Warm Pavilion, carrying a chill with him.

"Why has Master come at this time? Have you had breakfast?"

Si Fujin immediately stepped forward to serve Si Ye by removing his heavy cloak.

Xie Yang and Honghui rose to offer their greetings.

Si Ye nodded: "Sit, all of you. Have you eaten?"

Hearing this, they knew Master hadn't had breakfast yet, so Si Fujin hurriedly ordered the maid to notify the small kitchen to boil a bowl of noodles or prepare a hot pot; whichever was faster, they should serve it.

"Father, do you want to drink pear paste sugar water? Big Sister boiled this Autumn Pear Paste herself; it tastes much better than what the main kitchen boils!"

Honghui presented the pear paste sugar water he had only taken a small sip of like a treasure.

Si Ye had gone out early in the morning and, let alone hot food, hadn't even had a chance to drink a drop of water; he had been famished for a long time. He didn't refuse his son's good intentions, took the bowl, and drank two sips to pad his stomach.

The warm pear paste sugar water went down his throat, and he instantly felt his body warm up, his stomach no longer felt uncomfortable, and his internal organs felt soothed.

"It is indeed quite good."

Looking at his sensible pair of children, Si Ye's brow and eyes softened.

He first checked Honghui's progress in his studies over the past few days, then asked Xie Yang: "Did Imperial Physician Chang give you a break?"

"Yes, Master said that since the weather is cold and the snow is thick, if there are no special circumstances, I should wait until the snow melts after the New Year before going again."

That was what Imperial Physician Chang had said.

Xie Yang also thought she would mostly be staying home until after the New Year.

Unexpectedly, the next morning, just as her biological clock woke her, she heard the Main System say that the houses in many villages outside the city had been crushed by the snow, causing many casualties.

【Every imperial physician at the Taiyi Shu who isn't on duty has gone to provide free medical consultations, even your Master has gone.】

Upon hearing this, Xie Yang hurriedly finished her breakfast, dressed warmly, changed into waterproof deerskin boots, and put on her fur cloak when she went out.

She instructed Shao Yao to carry the medical kit Imperial Physician Chang had given her; inside the box were the Gold Needles she was accustomed to using and the medicinal pills she had made in her spare time.

She also had Haitang fill all the existing sheepskin water bottles with concentrated hot ginger tea brewed with Spirit Spring, and hurried to the front courtyard.

"Father!"

Just as she arrived at the front courtyard, she saw Si Ye walking out with hurried steps.

She hurriedly stepped forward: "Father, has something happened? Daughter will go with Father; perhaps I can be of help."

"How did you know?"

Si Ye looked at her attire for going out, his expression slightly surprised.

But there was no time to say more: "Very well, since you are already prepared to go out, then come along."

He sent someone to inform the Fujin and Li Shi, then took Xie Yang and hurriedly boarded the carriage.