Chapter 153: First Snow

Liao Shuxia felt as if she were suffocating.

In truth, she was faring better than the rest; having transmigrated from the modern world, she had never encountered royalty before and thus lacked the deep-seated dread of imperial power that plagued the others. The rest of the household, however, were already pale with terror, their legs trembling.

"How could this happen?" Lin Beitao asked anxiously. "What if Mother’s embroidery isn't to the Emperor's liking?"

"You foolish boy, what are you saying?" Liao Shuxia rapped him on the head.

"I’m just worried about you," Lin Beitao replied, feeling aggrieved.

Watching the spot where Lin Beitao had just been struck, Xiao Yawen felt her hands itch. She really wanted to hit him too.

"Rest assured!" After the initial shock, Liao Shuxia had regained her composure. "Do you think your mother is an ordinary woman? I have been practicing my needlework for months, and my skills are already masterful. This piece may take some time, but there will absolutely be no errors."

"Exactly," Lin Sangqian added. "And Mother is following the pattern provided by that man; as long as the embroidery is identical, even if the Emperor is dissatisfied, it won't be our fault."

"That’s right!"

Hearing this, the others felt a little more at ease.

Liao Shuxia went to bed early that night, intending to be well-rested before starting her work at dawn. As for the spicy chicken feet business, Lin Sangqian had fully entrusted it to Zhao Lan’er, even hiring a few extra hands to help. Because the spicy chicken feet had become a sensation far beyond the town, many visitors were traveling from afar specifically to purchase and taste them. Bao Mingzhi had not taken the opportunity to raise prices, nor had Lin Sangqian, which only served to further enhance their reputations.

Lin Sangqian had recently been busy with the opening of new branches for her fried chicken and milk tea shops. While she was out scouting locations, she happened to run into Di Qing.

"Miss Lin!" he called out.

"Brother Di!" Lin Sangqian hurried over. "It feels like it’s been forever! You didn't even come to our housewarming when we moved into our new place."

"Don't even mention it! I had pressing matters to attend to those days," Di Qing said, looking thoroughly annoyed. "I missed it entirely."

He hadn't been able to eat Lin Sangqian’s cooking! He had spent several nights tossing and turning over that very fact.

"No worries. Are you free tonight? Come over for dinner," Lin Sangqian said with a smile.

Di Qing’s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. "Yes, of course! I haven't even congratulated you on your new 'McChicken' branch yet. I went yesterday and bought something—what was it called? A puff! My goodness, it was delicious!"

"In the future, just tell them you’re my friend; you don’t need to pay," Lin Sangqian offered.

"How could I do that? I must pay. Oh, right... Miss Lin, that boy named Lin Xiong—he was a relative of yours, wasn't he?"

Lin Sangqian didn't know why he suddenly brought up Lin Xiong, but she nodded. "Yes, I suppose so. Why do you ask?"

"He’s dead," Di Qing said.

Lin Sangqian was stunned. Lin Xiong was dead? No wonder she hadn't seen him bothering them lately. She had assumed he had simply given up, but it turned out...

***

Lin Xiong was a child who had never received proper guidance, leading him to become a delinquent. Hearing the news of his death, Lin Sangqian didn't feel deep sorrow, but she couldn't bring herself to be happy either.

"How could he have died so suddenly?"

"Remember that Mother Xia who lived on Laifu Lane?" Di Qing asked. "She’s the one who killed him."

Lin Sangqian frowned. Mother Xia! She had long known that woman was malicious, but since her attempts to cause trouble had failed and the Lin family had moved, she hadn't bothered with her. She never expected the woman to be so bold as to kill Lin Xiong. But why?

"About a month ago, I received a report from an elderly man on Laifu Lane who kept smelling something foul coming from a dry well near his house. He suspected there might be a body inside. My men and I went over immediately, and sure enough, there was. It was too decomposed to identify, but it was clearly a child."

"We inquired everywhere to see if any local children were missing, but found nothing. I suddenly remembered Lin Xiong, who used to make trouble at your shop. I was about to ask you when Mother Xia’s daughter-in-law came to report that she knew who the victim was and who the killer was—her own mother-in-law."

Lin Sangqian was surprised. "She turned her in? It seems she has a strong sense of justice."

"That, and the fact that after Mother Xia killed Lin Xiong, she became mentally unstable and started abusing her daughter-in-law daily. The poor woman couldn't take it anymore, which is why she reported it."

Lin Sangqian nodded. "In any case, the wicked have finally met their end."

"Mother Xia confessed quickly. She said she had instructed Lin Xiong to steal from your house, but when you discovered him, she was afraid he would implicate her, so she panicked and killed him."

Lin Sangqian was speechless. For something like that, she had committed murder? She couldn't fathom such a mindset. Besides, even if Lin Xiong hadn't said anything, she would have known it was Mother Xia’s doing!

"What exactly was she trying to get from my house?" Lin Sangqian asked, confused. "Was it just money?"

Di Qing smiled. "That goes back to Bao Mingzhi, who has since been beheaded. Before his Wanhua shop fell into ruin, he told Mother Xia that there was a priceless treasure buried in your courtyard. That’s what drove her to try and drive you away—so she could dig for it."

Everything clicked for Lin Sangqian. No wonder Mother Xia had resorted to superstitious tricks; she had been trying to scare them off. It seemed Bao Mingzhi had realized Mother Xia was not very bright and had chosen her as his pawn. As for why he did it—it was mostly to drive them out of town so they couldn't cooperate with Fu Man or continue running the fried chicken shop. He surely would have found other ways to harass them even if they had moved. Unfortunately for him, he was arrested before he could follow through.

The wicked truly reap what they sow.

***

When Lin Sangqian returned to the fried chicken shop, Lin Beitao and Xiao Yawen were bickering again. Xiao Yawen was so furious she turned on her heel and headed to the milk tea shop to help.

"Third Brother," Lin Sangqian said helplessly, "she’s a girl. Why do you always have to argue with her?"

Lin Beitao rubbed his nose, looking innocent. "She’s the one who keeps provoking me! She only ever plays the victim when you’re around."

"You," Lin Sangqian sighed with a smile. "The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up. I was thinking we should do a promotion for the fried chicken shop. What do you think?"

"I’ve already thought of it!" Lin Beitao said proudly. "Leave it to me! I guarantee business will be booming, and we'll be rolling in money!"

Lin Sangqian felt that Lin Beitao had a greater talent for business than she did, so she nodded with confidence. "Very well. But make sure the staff get off early that day so they can go home to celebrate with their families."

"I know! And I’ll give them triple wages for those days, just like you said."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xiao Yawen walked over, holding two cups of milk tea. "Sister Sangqian, I just made these. Give them a try." She handed one to Lin Sangqian.

Lin Sangqian took a sip, her eyes lighting up. "Mmm! This is delicious! It’s your first time, Yawen, and you’ve done a wonderful job. You’re amazing."

"Hehe." Xiao Yawen beamed at the praise and sipped her own tea.

Lin Beitao watched them, feeling a bit thirsty. "What about me? Don't I get one?"

"No!" Xiao Yawen glared at him fiercely. "If you want one, find a way to get it yourself! Hmph!"

"You! Fine, I will!"

Seeing them on the verge of another argument, Lin Sangqian covered her ears and scurried away. Perhaps those two were simply born to be at odds.

For the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lin Sangqian made several flavors of mooncakes and sent some to the Yu residence. The guards who had been with Guo Er had left with Lin Hongda, so Yu Jingxiao had recruited new ones. He complained to Lin Sangqian with great sorrow that he had saved General Xiao only for the man to poach all the people around him. It was truly tragic.

However, after eating the mooncakes Lin Sangqian made, his mood improved. Guan Yanjie was still away from town, so he and Kang Ya spent the festival at the Yu estate. They didn't share mooncakes or admire the moon together, though; after Lin Sangqian left, Yu Jingxiao sat alone in the courtyard, drinking to the moon.

The Lin household was quite lively, though they felt a lingering sense of loss due to Lin Hongda's absence. Looking up at the full moon, Lin Sangqian prayed that the war would end soon and that her father—and everyone else—would return home safely.

Time passed quickly, and she did not see Guan Yanjie again until the day of the first snow. The entire town was draped in a silver-white cloak. Lin Sangqian had just returned from the shop, carrying a letter sent back by Lin Hongda. As she stepped through the door, she saw Guan Yanjie standing in the courtyard. When he lifted his gaze, the falling snow reflected in his eyes, making him look exceptionally striking.