Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1622 - 827: Narration

Since it was snowing outside, Grandma Shen San smiled and suggested that Lady Zhang and Lian Manman stay.

"If you don’t pay attention for a moment, the snow becomes so heavy!" Grandma Shen San said with a smile, "It’s snowing, with the sky dark outside and the road slippery. The two of you shouldn’t leave. We don’t have anything else in abundance in this estate, but we have plenty of rooms. Why don’t we watch the lights, play cards, and make the night lively? There are only a few festivals in the year, we should gather together and enjoy them!"

"It’s just a few steps away, it’s not a bother," Lady Zhang and Lian Manman replied with a smile.

The winter in Liaodong Prefecture is icy and snowy, and the roads are often frozen. The mules and horses pulling carts generally have horseshoes nailed on their hooves. These are made of iron, and while they protect the hooves, they do not prevent slipping. Therefore, during especially slippery winter days, the coachmen wrap straw or other materials around the hooves of the mules and horses to provide traction, which is quite effective.

Doing so not only prevents slipping but also dampens noise. Now that Lian Manman and her family were headed home, their coachman would naturally handle it this way. There would be no safety issues, nor would it disturb the sleep of residents along the street. In the Prefecture City, there’s a rule that requires carts entering the city in the early morning, particularly those carrying water or vegetables, to have wrapped hooves to prevent disturbance.

Of course, today is the Night of Lantern Festival, and although it’s snowing outside, it hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of people coming to see the lanterns. The lantern market is still bustling with crowds.

It is commonly believed that only after the fifteenth of the first lunar month has passed can the New Year celebrations be considered truly over, and it’s time to prepare for the new year’s livelihood. On the last day of the festival, there’s an inevitable desire to prolong the day.

Grandma Shen San knows well that Lian Manman and her family won’t stay overnight, so she didn’t insist. She called over a young maid, whispered a few instructions, and the maid hurried off. Then Grandma Shen San personally escorted Lady Zhang and Lian Manman downstairs.

When they reached the corner of the second floor, the young maid, previously sent by Grandma Shen San, came rushing back.

"Master Lian and the two young masters have come down from the third floor," the maid said, mentioning that Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi had come down and were now in a study next door, "Sixth Master is talking with Master Lian and the two young masters, and Master Chu is there too. They said it will take a while longer, and requested the lady and the young mistress to go over."

"You take Lady Lian and Miss Lian over and attend to them well," Grandma Shen San instructed another young maid, then smiled at Lady Zhang and Lian Manman, "I’ll not see you off. If you need anything, just instruct the maids."

"Thank you, Grandma Shen San. We’ll have to invite you and the two young ladies to our house another day," Lian Manman curtsied to Grandma Shen San, smiling.

"Alright, alright," Grandma Shen San agreed with a smile, "I’m waiting for it. Even if you don’t invite me, I’ll come over. I heard you have a chef specializing in Suzhou delicacies at your home, I’ve long wanted to try it. My two maids also want to visit and play with you."

With laughter and conversation, they parted in the corridor. Grandma Shen San went upstairs with her entourage, as some guests had left and others stayed to play cards, and she had to return to accompany them.

Lian Manman and Lady Zhang were accompanied by two young maids to the small study on the second floor. This study belonged specifically to Shen Liu, and Lian Manman and her family had been there before. The two maids accompanied Lian Manman and Lady Zhang till the study entrance, then retreated to the stairway, saying they were available should anything be needed.

Four maids stood at the study entrance, and they all curtseyed upon seeing Lady Zhang and Lian Manman. Two of them looked somewhat familiar to Lian Manman, likely seen during visits to Nian Garden. These were attendants of Shen Liu.

Lian Manman glanced sideways and signaled to the maid, Xiao Xi, who took a prepared purse from her sleeve and approached the entrance maids with a smile. The lead maid refused a few times, then accepted it with a smile, and she and the others curtseyed to Lady Zhang and Lian Manman.

The two maids lifted the curtain, inviting Lian Manman and Lady Zhang inside.

Upon entering the study, Lian Manman immediately saw Shen Liu’s eyes, which were glossy and bright under the warm indoor light, looking towards the door.

Lian Manman couldn’t help but smile when her gaze met Shen Liu’s. This wasn’t the kind of obligatory, polite smile, but rather one from her heart. It had been a long time since she last saw Shen Liu, and she was genuinely happy to see him today.