In cold places, everyone longs for bright sunshine.

Yan Qi looked up at the clear sky and brought pillows from the bed he shared with Huo Ling to air them out.

The Huo family’s pillows were stuffed with buckwheat hulls. Regular sunning kept them free of bugs, and at night, one could still smell their warm, comforting scent.

Seeing this, Ye Suping also carried out a small quilt belonging to Huo Ying. She hung it on the rope and gave it a few vigorous thumps.

Fearing birds might pass by and soil it, Yan Qi didn’t walk away. She sat below, keeping watch, her sewing basket resting on her lap. Inside lay an unfinished shoe sole.

They say each spring rain brings warmth, and though spring’s warmth came late beyond the Pass, it did arrive. Just as sitting outside now, basking in the sun, no longer made his hands and feet feel cold. Or perhaps it was also due to the tonic he had been taking continuously without interruption.

The tonic prescribed by Bearded Ma still had five or six doses left, enough to last until late in the month. After taking it for so long, Yan Qi had almost grown accustomed to its bitterness. With Huo Ling away, he couldn’t bring himself to eat the malt sugar.

Seeing her aunt sitting here, Huo Ying pulled a small stool over and fiddled with a cloth doll, glancing occasionally toward the open courtyard gate.

Noticing her restlessness, Yan Qi smiled gently. “Are you waiting for Uncle?”

Huo Ying nodded vigorously. “Uncle’s been gone for so many days. I always wait for him in the courtyard.”

After a while, with no sign of him returning, she grew restless. She went inside and brought out a small box, eager to show Yan Qi its contents.

Yan Qi had actually seen them before, but he didn’t want to dampen her spirits. He smiled warmly as he looked through them again, enthusiastically asking what each item was.

Huo Ying liked him and generously brought out the round pinecone from last time, letting Yan Qi choose one.

How could Yan Qi possibly accept a child’s treasured possessions? He was just about to decline when suddenly, everything blurred before his eyes. Dager’s furry head bumped into Yan Qi’s chest before being swept into Huo Ying’s arms.

“Dager, Uncle, you’re back!”

The little girl beamed with joy. Yan Qi hurriedly looked behind Dager and saw Huo Ling, shoulders laden and hands full of various items, smiling as he stepped inside.

“How come Dager got ahead of me? Who do you want more—Dager or your uncle?”

“Both!”

Huo Ying bounced up and down in place while Yan Qi frantically gathered his sewing kit, tugged at his clothes, and hurried over.

After days apart, their eyes met, but with the child present, Yan Qi hesitated to speak.

Huo Ling, however, paid no heed. Using his height as a shield, the first thing he did after setting down his basket and belongings was to take his husband’s hand and squeeze it.

“I’m back.”

Huo Ying received a new gift from his uncle—a small deer bone whistle.

Those who entered the mountains, regardless of their purpose, would hang a whistle around their necks. Some were made of wood, but hunters mostly used bone ones.

If traveling in a group, blowing the whistle could signal one’s location to companions. If venturing alone, it offered a chance to alert nearby passersby in case of danger.

This deer bone whistle was unearthed by Huo Ling while tidying the house, its red cord now faded.

Huo Feng passed by, asked his daughter for the whistle, and examined it closely. “Wasn’t this the whistle Dad used to play with us when we were kids?” he mused nostalgically.

Bone is soft and easily dented. Holding the whistle, one could tell at a glance that it had seen many years.

Huo Ying jumped up, trying to grab the whistle back, but Huo Feng refused to give it. This infuriated Huo Ying, who ran off to tattle to his mother. Ye Suping immediately came out, wielding a broom to swat him.

The courtyard was in an uproar for a while, while Huo Ling had already slipped past his eldest brother’s family and quietly entered the house with his husband.

Yan Qi brought him a bowl of cooled boiled water and a damp, wrung-out cloth for him to wipe his face.

This made Huo Ling’s lips curl into a smile the moment he entered.

“How have things been at home these past few days?”

Yan Qi nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. “All well.”

Seeing Huo Ling’s eager expression, he paused, then began recounting Xiao Mingming’s visit, offering him specially saved sweet potato chips.

“My sister-in-law and Ming-ger helped me finish sewing that new outfit, and she even made me a pair of shoes.”

He took them out to show Huo Ling, who remarked, “Your sister-in-law has a talent for shoemaking. She used to make all the shoes for our family. Since she gave them to you, you should keep them.”

Yan Qi hummed in acknowledgment. “I was wondering when your sister-in-law’s birthday is. I’d like to make her a pair of shoes in return.”

Huo Ling mentioned it was in the seventh month. Yan Qi noted it down, thinking it wasn’t too urgent.

Huo Ling then asked, “When is your birthday?”

“The sixth day of the tenth month.”

Huo Ling silently repeated the date twice before saying, “Then it seems closest to mine. I was born in the sixth month.”

Yan Qi, who had come to understand Huo Ling a bit, smiled more deeply and looked up. “Then I’ll prepare a birthday gift for you too.”

Huo Ling had been waiting for those words. He wasn’t one to be shy—a man asking his husband for a birthday gift wasn’t something to be ashamed of. Even if the gift was just a bowl of longevity noodles, he was sure they’d both eat it as if it were drizzled with honey.

After exchanging a few more words, Huo Ling couldn’t sit still. Feeling sweaty and unkempt, he hesitated to snuggle close to his husband. He grabbed a garment and headed to the small room beside the house, the one connected to the chimney, to bathe.

This room also served as a winter coop for chickens and ducks. The residual warmth from the chimney kept the birds from freezing and allowed them to lay eggs.

A walled-off section served as the family’s bathing area, chosen for its warmth.

The sun hung high in the sky when Huo Ling emerged clean and fresh, letting his hair air-dry in the courtyard.

Dager returned from the mountain covered in dust, its fur tangled with dead leaves and twigs. Yan Qi grabbed a large brush meant for dogs, called it to lie down at his feet, and began combing its coat.

The big dog lay comfortably on its back, facing away from Huo Ling, resting its chin on Yan Qi’s foot. Huo Ling lifted her foot and gave its rear a gentle nudge.

“Brother and Sister-in-law have been bustling about these past few days, arranging everything for the banquet. They invited a chef surnamed Liang from Sanjia Village to handle the cooking, ordered nearly forty pounds of pork from the butcher, and secured the wine.”

Yan Qi added, “Big Brother also mentioned that the river ice has broken up. We can go net a basketful of big fish for the feast.”

He had witnessed the river’s thaw just the other day. The stretch near Xiashan Village wasn’t wide, but the sight of ice floes cracking apart and drifting downstream was mesmerizing.

Huo Ling replied, “That should be sufficient. Add the rabbits and wild hazel grouse I brought down from the mountains, and we won’t need to slaughter the chickens or ducks at home. They’re still in their prime for laying eggs—it would be a shame to kill them.”

Yan Qi had already seen the two cages of game—both still alive, though looking rather dejected.

The family discussed having the cook dice the rabbit for a dish and stew the hazel grouse with mushrooms. That way, they’d stretch the ingredients further and present a more impressive spread at the banquet.

“Yes, I agree—if we can avoid slaughtering them, we should. They lay so many eggs each day.”

He asked Huo Ling if he could accompany her to the market tomorrow. “I forgot to ask when you were home, but I promised my sister-in-law I’d help her sell eggs.”

After asking, he worried Huo Ling might refuse.

But how could Huo Ling refuse? “If you’re willing, come along. Just be prepared to rise early.”

“I don’t mind getting up early.”

Who in the countryside doesn’t rise with the sun? Sleeping until late morning would make you a lazy good-for-nothing.

Yan Qi’s eyes lit up at the chance to go. “Then I’ll go tell my sister-in-law later.”

Had they not been in the courtyard, Huo Ling would have kissed him right then and there.

But with a niece running wild, bone whistle clenched in her mouth, he restrained himself, merely edging closer to the ger.

By afternoon, his hair was completely dry. Yan Qi knelt on the kang, combing Huo Ling’s hair with a ribbon—he couldn’t reach otherwise.

Once all the strands were neatly gathered and tied back, his exposed features radiated a commanding presence, even more striking than when his hair was loose.

Yan Qi stared a little too long, caught red-handed by Huo Ling.

“What are you looking at?”

The man asked deliberately.

Yan Qi, flustered, grabbed the comb and tried to get off the kang, but Huo Ling gently tugged his wrist.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After their little escapade in broad daylight, the ger stepped outside, his lips a fresh pink. He smoothed the wrinkles in his robe, biting his lip in embarrassment, unable to open it.

As night fell, Huo Ling slipped some silver into his pocket and went to find his brother and sister-in-law.

His absence from the village these past days meant his brother and sister-in-law must have spent extra time preparing the banquet. Just the pork and wine alone would cost over two taels of silver.

That Chef Liang was renowned for his skill, charging eighty wen per day to cook for neighboring villages. Thanks to his expertise, his family had built several rooms of blue-brick houses, with a courtyard vast enough to race horses.

Hosting a banquet where one could afford to hire him was a matter of immense prestige.

Moreover, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar would flow like water during the feast. Upon his return today, he noticed several pounds of vegetable oil, a large sack of salt, and two jars each of soy sauce and vinegar added to the kitchen. None of these staples came cheap.

“Sister-in-law, these two pieces of silver together should be about five taels. Take them for now.”

Upon entering, he placed the money on the kang table without a word. Ye Suping didn’t hesitate, grabbing it and slapping it back into his hand.

“You brat! What do you take your own brother and sister-in-law for, keeping accounts like this?”

“How could I let my brother and sister-in-law pay for my own wedding?”

Huo Ling turned and placed the silver down again. This time, Huo Feng pointed at it, signaling him to take it back.

Huo Ling refused. Huo Feng picked it up himself and handed it to his wife, nodding toward the west room.

“Suping, take this for Qi’er.”

Ye Suping immediately tried to get off the bed. Seeing this, Huo Ling had no choice but to stop his elder sister-in-law.

“Xiao Qi hasn’t even formally entered the family yet. What could he possibly understand?”

Huo Feng crossed his legs with satisfaction. He never truly intended to seek out Yan Qi anyway. The matter of the Huo family marrying off their son was no concern for some ger to meddle in and worry over.

“Don’t fuss over this. Your sister-in-law and I have already discussed it. Looking back, I gained an advantage when we divided the family estate. More recently, over the years, both of us—and Ying-zi—have benefited greatly from your generosity.”

Huo Ling was generous with his family. Besides bringing down mountain produce and game from the hills, he often bought various items rarely seen in the village whenever he returned from the city.

Huo Ying never went without snacks, while Huo Feng and Ye Suping both had new clothes made from fabric Huo Ling bought during the New Year.

He insisted, “If your parents were still alive, they’d cover your wedding expenses. Since they’re gone, it’s my and your sister-in-law’s responsibility. Now that we’ve finally settled this matter, we can put it behind us. Let’s not argue over the money—it’s not a huge sum. Your sister-in-law and I can certainly afford this much silver.”

Huo Ying nestled in her mother’s embrace as she untied her braids. Now acting like a little adult, she chimed in to defend her parents, “Exactly! Exactly!”

“What ‘exactly’? Do you even understand what we’re talking about?”

Huo Ling smiled, reaching out to pinch her little nose.

“I understand! You’re just talking about Uncle marrying a husband, right?”

The money matter was set aside for now—arguing about it wouldn’t accomplish anything. Since he was already here, Huo Ling didn’t rush off. He sat on the edge of the bed and discussed the matter thoroughly with his brother and sister-in-law.

They decided to go to the market tomorrow to sell mountain goods, then head to Shuangjing Village the day after tomorrow, the sixteenth, to pick up the finished chests and cabinets. After resting on the seventeenth, they’d be ready to prepare for the main celebration.

“I’ll go to town tomorrow and buy some red cloth to make a sash.”

In the village, specialized bridal dressmakers were rare. Such bright red garments, worn only once in a lifetime, seemed a waste of money. Typically, they’d just cut two red sashes, perhaps adding a red veil at most.

But Yan Qi had already entered the Huo household, sharing the same bed with Huo Ling. By his own reasoning, the veil was unnecessary.

As he prepared to return to his quarters, Huo Ying was already curled up asleep against the wall. Huo Ling quietly closed the door for his brother and sister-in-law.

Worried Yan Qi might also be asleep, he deliberately slowed his pace.