In the Northern Song Dynasty, he started by marrying the eighth daughter of the Su family.

Liang Garden was very quiet, with only the sound of snow falling from the branches.

The silence was broken by two soft coughs from Wang Qian. Shen Kuo, only then snapping out of his daze, quickly asked, "Is Madam Wang alright? Did she catch a chill?"

"It's nothing, it's just that Mr. Shen's actions this time have truly chilled my heart..."

Shen Kuo's face flushed red, and he hurriedly explained, "Madam Wang, I... I know my own feelings. My affection for you was a spur-of-the-moment thing. It was just that when we first met on the road, the beauty of our encounter truly captivated me."

Seeing Shen Kuo's anxious appearance, Wang Qian's anger subsided somewhat, and she said softly, "Sir Shen, I don't really blame you, but I feel that this matter should not be treated so lightly, and there is no need for such false embellishment."

Shen Kuo nodded repeatedly: "My wife is right."

Just then, the sun came out, and its rays shone directly on Wang Qian's face, making her cheeks rosy. A thought stirred within him, and he said, "Madam Wang..."

"What's wrong? Is there something else you want to say?"

"Lady Wang's beauty surpasses even the snow-covered beauty of Liang Garden. She is knowledgeable and reasonable, truly admirable..."

“Alright,” Wang Qian interrupted Shen Kuo, giving him a reproachful look: “Shen, you only know how to say sweet words. If you had three parts of the heroic spirit of Han, you would save me from the suffering of waiting.”

Even so, the corners of my mouth unconsciously turned up.

"It must be almost lunchtime. Shall we head back now?" Shen Kuo said. "Otherwise, with all this quiet, Brother Han might get worried."

Wang Qian nodded, and the two got up and left the pavilion, walking back along the path. Along the way, Shen Kuo would occasionally brush the snow off Wang Qian's shoulders, creating a somewhat ambiguous scene.

Back at the Marquis of Fuping's residence, Han Zhi's kitchen had already prepared a hot pot. Upon seeing Shen Kuo and Wang Qian, he greeted them with a smile, "You're finally back! I thought you had sent Madam Wang back."

Upon hearing this, Shen Kuo smiled—it was obvious that Su Zhen had told Han Zhi about what happened this morning.

Shen Kuo smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Brother Han. I was so engrossed in enjoying the snow at Liang Garden today that I forgot the time."

"Are you sure it's for enjoying the snow? And not because of... ouch!"

If Su Zhen hadn't pinched him at that moment, he probably would have said something inappropriate again. Han Zhi, on the other hand, revealed a meaningful smile, which was somewhat reminiscent of his father, Han Zhuo.

Wang Qian stood behind Shen Kuo, her head slightly bowed, looking somewhat shy. The blush on her face was unclear whether it was from the midday sun or genuine blushing.

Su Zhen pulled Han Zhi behind him and said to Shen Kuo and Wang Qian, "Young Master Shen and Madam Wang went to enjoy the snow just now, and they must be tired. My husband and I have prepared hot pot, so you two can eat together and warm yourselves up."

"Thank you, Brother Han."

......

It's already the winter solstice, and I don't know if it's due to the solar term, but the snow seems to be even heavier today.

Su Zhen was about to go out, but Han Zhi stopped her. She asked, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong, my lord?"

Han Zhi took another cloak from the clothes rack and draped it over her shoulders, saying, "The snow outside is getting heavier, Eighth Sister needs to wear more clothes."

"I rarely see you so attentive, sir. I have to take care of you myself." She was pleased, but still scolded him playfully.

Han Zhi gently kissed Su Zhen's slightly cold cheek and said affectionately, "Don't tease me, Eighth Sister. I'm just worried that you'll catch a cold. If you get cold while you're out, I'll be heartbroken."

Su Zhen poked his forehead and gently scolded, "My lord, you're such a shameless person, saying such cloying things."

"However, with your concern, my lord, it would be worth it even if I had to walk through the freezing snow. But today is the winter solstice, and I would like to go and see if the servants in the manor have prepared things for the festival, and also bring them some comfort in the winter."

Han Zhi nodded and said, "Eighth Sister is kind-hearted, but the snow is heavy. You should take your maids and servants with you and not travel alone. Shall I accompany you?"

Su Zhen smiled and said, "My lord has not yet finished his morning reading, so there is no need to worry about this. I will take some people with me and we will be back soon."

After saying that, she gave Han Zhi a light kiss on the lips, then turned and left. Han Zhi watched her departing figure, shook his head helplessly, and then turned and walked towards his study, preparing to begin his morning reading.

Su Zhen led Yue Ping and Qian Su through the courtyard, where servants were busy clearing the snow and preparing offerings for the Winter Solstice. Although it was cold, the courtyard did not feel empty.

At this moment, Su Zhen looked at Qian Su's slightly protruding belly and asked with a smile, "Qian Su, how old is the child today? Is it healthy?"

"Thank you for your concern, Madam," Qian Su nodded slightly. "If it weren't for your care and my husband's hospitality, I'm afraid my child and I would be gone. I'm so grateful for the good food and lodging I've enjoyed today; in fact, it's made me a little plump."

"That's good. You've worked hard with me these past few days. If you're not feeling well, just take a rest. I'll talk to my husband."

"Thank you, madam."

"By the way, since you're in charge of the storeroom, have you made a note of the clothes and food to be distributed to the servants today?" Su Zhen asked again.

Qian Su nodded and said, "Everything is ready. We're just waiting for you to take the maids to distribute it."

Su Zhen nodded and went to the front of the family's storeroom. There were already a dozen or so maids standing at the door, each holding something to be distributed.

After a final inspection, she and her maids moved through the courtyards, distributing winter clothing and food to the servants. The servants expressed their gratitude and offered words of blessing, which brought a smile to Su Zhen's face.

After Su Zhen and her maids busied themselves around the mansion, they finally finished distributing the clothes and food. After checking the kitchen, she returned to the main hall, patted the snow off her clothes, stamped her slightly numb feet, and ordered a maid to bring her a cup of hot tea to warm herself up.

At this moment, Han Zhi had finished his morning reading and came out of the study. Seeing her, he reached out and brushed some fine snow off her hair, asking with concern, "Eighth Sister, has everything been taken care of?"

"Yes, they've all been distributed, and the servants are all very happy," Su Zhen replied with a smile.

Han Zhi pulled Su Zhen to the brazier and led her to sit down: "Eighth Sister, you've worked hard. Come and warm yourself by the fire."

Looking at the leaping flames in the brazier, Su Zhen suddenly remembered something and said, "My lord, today is the Winter Solstice. I've asked the kitchen to prepare some extra dishes, is that alright?"

"Of course," Han Zhi nodded, then asked, "By the way, did you prepare the dumplings I taught them to make a couple of days ago?"

Su Zhen nodded and said, "Don't worry, my husband taught me personally, how could there be any mistakes?"