When Chen Ji stood in Shaojiu Alley, panting heavily, white mist puffed out from his mouth and dispersed in front of him.

He rubbed his cheeks and then pushed the door open: "I'm back."

In the courtyard, Xiao Man was sitting dazed on the stone steps in front of the main house door, the little monk was reciting scriptures with his head down, Brother Pao was sulkily smoking a pipe, and Er Dao was squatting at the kitchen door peeling garlic.

Hearing Chen Ji's voice, Xiao Man suddenly lifted his head and rushed in front of Chen Ji: "Master... Master, you're finally out!"

Originally, Xiao Man was full of joy, but seeing Chen Ji's disheveled hair and beard, along with his thin figure, her eyes immediately reddened.

She turned sideways and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand: "How could they keep you locked up for so long!"

Chen Ji said with a smile: "It's alright, I'm out, aren't I? It's just that I lost the title, but there was no danger."

Xiao Man turned and rushed into the kitchen: "You go inside and warm up, I'll boil some water for you."

As soon as she entered the kitchen, Xiao Man's wailing cries came from inside, she cried as she added firewood.

Brother Pao got up and looked Chen Ji up and down, then grinned after a moment: "It's good you're out, I'll go get two pots of good wine, let's have a drink at noon."

At this moment, Xiao Man rushed out of the kitchen again, sniffing while fetching two silver ingots from her waistband: "Two pots are not enough, Brother Pao, buy more, get the best Stone Frozen Spring from Bianyifang Restaurant. Slice up two catties of donkey meat, half a catty each of pig ears and pig tails, and get some sweet garlic from Lubiji... Anyway, get some snacks that go with wine, don't save the Silver."

Brother Pao laughed heartily: "Rarely does Xiao Man act so generous, today we must drink to our heart's content."

After speaking, he tapped his pipe on the sole of his foot and braved the wind and snow as he headed out with Er Dao.

The water in the kitchen boiled, Xiao Man dragged a chair and pressed Chen Ji down under the eaves, helping him apply a hot water-soaked cloth to his chin: "Master, your beard has grown so long, let me tidy it up for you."

Chen Ji sat comfortably on the chair, wrapped in a bedsheet, letting Xiao Man use a razor to shave off his beard bit by bit.

While shaving, Xiao Man muttered: "Everything at home is fine, Sister Axia came several times and brought a lot of things. But it's obvious that she's quite angry with you, Master, since you're out, find a chance to apologize to her..."

"The big master also came twice, left five hundred taels of Silver, and said if there's anything, go to the Imperial Inspection Office and find him..."

"That little eunuch named Changxiu also came, but he just looked and said nothing..."

"Lord Jin Zhu also came, left eight hundred taels of Silver..."

"Jiao Tu and Yun Yang also came, Yun Yang waited outside the door unwilling to come in, Lord Jiao Tu gave five hundred taels of Silver, she's pretty good. But this woman is very indiscreet, always pinching my cheeks..."

Chen Ji sat motionless under the eaves.

Quietly watching the heavy snow fall outside the eaves, he felt the world was incredibly peaceful.

Once everything was ready, Xiao Man held up a mirror in front of him: "Look, is it clean?"

Chen Ji praised: "Xiao Man has good skills... Why haven't Brother Pao and Er Dao come back yet?"

At this moment, a palm-length Bone-piercing Nail flew in from outside the courtyard, nailing straight into the main house's door beam, a letter was tied to the Nail.

Chen Ji didn't look at the letter; he immediately tore off the bedsheet wrapped around him and rushed outside, shouting before he moved: "Xiao Man, Whale Blade."

Xiao Man tossed the Whale Blade leaning against the wall to Chen Ji, who unsheathed it mid-air and split the falling snowflakes in half as the blade emerged.

But when Chen Ji charged out of the courtyard with the blade, Shaojiu Alley was already empty.

Chen Ji turned back to Xiao Man: "What does the letter say?"

Xiao Man pulled out the Bone-piercing Nail, unfolded the letter, and her complexion turned grim: "Master, the letter tells you to go to the Qi family to receive your bride tomorrow, or they will kill Brother Pao and Er Dao."