There was hardly any wind outside, the sun was high in the sky, it was a bright, clear day, and the sun shining down was even a bit warm. Lian Manman’s mood was good, and thinking there wasn’t much to do, she decided not to go to the back courtyard.

"Let’s take a stroll in the garden," Lian Manman said, and with that, she led Ji Xiang, Ru Yi, and a group of maidservants toward the West Garden.

Since it had just snowed, although the path had been swept clean, most of the garden was still a vast stretch of white, clad in silver, making the view appear very expansive. Lian Manman led the group along the garden path, walking all the way to the northwest corner, and finally stopped in front of a small courtyard near the wall.

"The young lady wants to see the flowers growing in the warm house, right?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Yes," Lian Manman nodded.

This courtyard was specifically for cultivating plants and flowers in the West Garden. Within a short time, flower craftsman Zhang Cai and Zhang Cai’s wife had heard the commotion and came out to greet them.

Zhang Cai, the flower craftsman, was now over fifty years old and was a craftsman by family trade. Since childhood, he followed his flower-craft parents in this garden. A year ago, when Lian Manman bought the West Garden, she kept Zhang Cai and his family because they were very capable in plant cultivation.

Now this couple, with their three children, were in this courtyard, solely responsible for cultivating the seasonal flowers placed indoors and also for taking care of the plants in the garden.

There is an old saying that each profession is a field of its own, and so it is with the craft of flower cultivation, which has its own mysteries. Cultivating plants in spring and summer goes without saying, but Zhang Cai’s skill was in using warm houses and warm pits to grow fresh flowers year-round. The principle behind the warm house is similar to that used for raising sweet potato sprouts in country hotbeds, while warm pits operate much like cellars for vegetables.

Of course, the warm houses and warm pits used specifically for cultivating fresh flowers have some unique features of their own.

The flower craftsman couple led Lian Manman inside, showing her the warm house and warm pit where fresh flowers were being cultivated.

"...Just now, a young lady sent someone to pick up flowers, selecting four pots of excellent Narcissus, four pots of excellent Chrysanthemums, and two pots of newly forced Pink Sour Monthly Roses..." At the door of the warm house, Zhang Cai’s wife reported to Lian Manman.

Lian Manman nodded, saying she understood.

"The pots of Kumquats that the master brought back, please take good care of them; apart from decorating the house during the New Year, we need to gift the best ones." Lian Manman noticed several pots of kumquats in the warm house, some with small green fruits, and instructed Zhang Cai and his wife.

Zhang Cai and his wife nodded quickly in agreement.

As they were talking, they heard footsteps and voices coming closer.

"Second Master has arrived, and also Ninth Master," a little maid reported to Lian Manman, "They’re also here to see the flowers."

It was Xiao Qi and Shen Qian. Lian Manman thought it over but eventually did not avoid them. Although her marriage to Shen Liu was verbally agreed upon, she had known Shen Qian since childhood, and their families were very close; it was stated that they need not be overly rigid.

In a short while, Xiao Qi and Shen Qian entered.

Seeing Lian Manman, both smiled and greeted her, and Lian Manman hurriedly returned the greeting.

Xiao Qi wore a raven-blue satin robe embroidered with a lone pearl, over it a crimson feather gauze cloak, while Shen Qian wore a goose-yellow satin and purple lambskin robe, topped with a rain-after-sky-blue feather gauze cloak.

Upon seeing their attire, Lian Manman knew they had come directly to the garden from outside.

"What time is it, and you’re already out of school?" Lian Manman squinted slightly and asked, "When did Master Chu become so easy-going? Are you... playing hooky, and I’ve caught you red-handed!"

"Sister, we wouldn’t dare skip school," Xiao Qi quickly smiled and said, "Master Chu had a friend visiting him, they’ve gone out for a drink, and granted us a half-day off."

Xiao Qi was a good child, but also very clever, and sometimes mischievous.

Lian Manman was somewhat skeptical of Xiao Qi, so she looked at Shen Qian.

"Yes, it was the teacher who gave us the time off... Manman, Sister Manman," Shen Qian, after a brief daze, immediately responded, though he was slightly awkward when calling Lian Manman sister.

Shen Liu proposed to the Lian Family, and the Lian Family agreed. This was something outsiders might not know yet, but both the Shen and Lian families knew it well.

Shen Qian, in fact, knew even earlier than others. When Shen Liu decided to marry Lian Manman, he did not consult others, but when writing to the Eldest Master about it, he had Shen Qian present.

At that time, Shen Qian wiped his nose, feeling a bit aggrieved. However, he had been mentally prepared for this. In the past two years, his Sixth Brother’s actions were not hidden from him. And for some reason, he had hardly been able to see Lian Manman.

It was the Eldest Madam who kept a close watch on him. After finding out about his escapade to Jinyang County Town during the Lantern Festival, she hadn’t said much but subsequently kept a particularly tight rein on him. After that, even in gatherings, he could only glance at Lian Manman without a chance to speak a private word.

Of course, even when the Eldest Madam was too busy to keep a close watch on him, for some unknown reason, he still couldn’t meet Lian Manman. Now, the Eldest Madam had finally gone to the post with the Eldest Master, but Lian Manman was soon to become his Sixth Brother’s wife.

If it were someone else, he’d definitely not be resigned. But with his Sixth Brother, he could only wipe his nose, silently blaming the Eldest Madam for holding him back.

Lian Manman was younger than him, and although she would have to be called sister-in-law in the future, right now, he didn’t want to address her as sister. But his Sixth Brother had called him over, particularly mentioning this, and also informed him that the Eldest Master and Eldest Madam wrote back saying they would take him to the post.

...

There will be a second update later; please pink support. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com)