Zhulan and Zhou Shuren were traveling to Pingzhou to visit some friends Zhou Shuren had made. The day before their departure, Zhou Shuren said goodbye to the Clan Leader and asked him to look after the house.
Before leaving, Zhulan called over her eldest son and his wife and gave them a talking-to, "Eldest, with your father and I not at home, you must take good care of everything. The house is in your hands now."
Zhou Shuren’s eldest son was in charge of the household for the first time, both scared and excited, "Mother, I will definitely take good care of the house."
Zhulan glared at Lady Li, "If you slack off while I’m away, I’ll tighten things up for you when I return. Watch your mouth, and if you can’t do that, watch your feet. Got it?"
Lady Li, already feeling uneasy because her sister-in-law had taken some grain, felt even more so after being chastised by Zhulan. She wouldn’t dare to misbehave, with or without encouragement, "Mother, I’ll behave."
After sending the older couple on their way, Zhulan checked the luggage for anything missing. She and Zhou Shuren took One Thousand One Hundred Taels of Silver, along with over ten taels of broken silver. Fearing it might not be enough, she sewed a hidden pocket inside one of her garments and stashed away a pearl necklace and a pair of Jade Bracelets, which she planned to pawn in Pingzhou if necessary.
The carriage arrived, and only then did the grandchildren learn that their grandmother and grandfather were leaving. Mingyun looked on with longing, but fortunately, Zhulan was sensible enough not to agree. She waved, "Wait for Grandma to come back, and I’ll buy you gifts. Behave at home."
As they saw their grandmother get into the carriage, the children burst into tears. Zhulan signaled to the driver to move quickly. Once they were out of the village, she dared to lift the curtain and look back to make sure the children weren’t following before she let out a sigh of relief, "I wonder if the kids will get into trouble and end up being spanked."
Zhou Shuren glanced at Zhulan, "When have you ever seen them get spanked? Don’t underestimate them; they have more sense than you think."
Zhulan recalled past events and fell silent, realizing she was becoming increasingly grounded and concerned.
Xue Han was beyond excited, for it was her first time traveling so far, and despite the cold, she eagerly peered out of the carriage window.
The carriage first headed to the county to wait for the convoy. The convoy left on time, and Pingzhou wasn’t far from the county—a journey of four hours in winter and three in summer.
There were many people traveling to and from Pingzhou daily, most of them merchants, with the rest visiting family or friends for the New Year.
Zhulan suffered greatly without shock-absorbing wheels to smooth the ride; she couldn’t even muster the energy to complain. Unknowingly, she shifted from leaning on Zhou Shuren to being held by him.
Xue Han lost interest in looking out as well, the landscape covered in snow. Because of the continuous travel with hardly any stops, there was no chance for conversation, and by the second half of the journey, she was drowsy and nodded off.
As darkness fell, they reached Pingzhou. Zhou Shuren checked their travel permits at the city gate, and after being granted passage, they parted ways with the convoy and directed the driver toward an inn.
The inns of ancient times greatly differed from those portrayed in television dramas. The inn Zhulan chose was relatively decent; a second-class room cost one hundred fifty wen per night. Upon entering, she saw the blankets were filthy, realizing why traveling noble families brought their own bedding—hence the several carriages of luggage. Feeling she had already adapted enough by tolerating the dirty bedding, Zhulan called the innkeeper and added one hundred wen for two clean cotton blankets.
Once the blankets arrived, Zhulan was speechless; she wondered why the server lingered only to realize he was waiting to be tipped for the clean blankets.
Zhou Shuren also asked for hot water and a cloth, then, while Zhulan changed the bedding, he commented, "It was a good decision to bring our own covers, wasn’t it? This is all part of my travel experience."
Zhulan thought to herself how television shows had deceived her. She refrained from speaking further out of consideration for her daughter, and simply nodded, "Mhm."
After the hot water arrived, Zhulan wiped down the bed frame, table, and chairs twice over. Once everything was clean, she finally felt comfortable.
Zhou Shuren asked, "What would you like to eat tonight? I’ll go order."
Zhulan was hungry, having not eaten since noon due to traveling and cleaning, and didn’t intend to skimp on herself just because she was away from home. "Order two signature dishes, and we’ll have noodles for the main course—to warm up. Oh, and bring back another pot of hot water."
Zhou Shuren responded, "Alright."
Dinner was served in their room. Zhou Shuren ordered roast chicken, a stir-fried dish, and three bowls of noodle soup with shredded meat. All three had healthy appetites, and they ate everything up cleanly.
When it came time to sleep, Zhulan felt a bit uncomfortable. The bed was small, and her daughter, no longer a child, could not sleep in the middle. It felt safer to all stay in one room in this unfamiliar place. Xue Han was placed on the innermost side, with Zhulan in between.
Xue Han was delighted to share the bed with her mother, quickly changed into her nightclothes, and lay down. Zhulan looked at the two blankets and felt a bit uneasy even though she was just sharing a bed with her daughter.
Zhou Shuren seemed quite pleased. As soon as Zhulan lay down, he swiftly blew out the oil lamp and got under the blankets, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile. The small bed wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Lying on her side as if in Zhou Shuren’s arms, Zhulan’s face began to heat up. They had become quite familiar over the past few months, but they had never been close in that way. Xue Han fell asleep as soon as she lay down, worn out by the day’s travel. Zhulan, her mind whirling with thoughts, eventually drifted off to sleep as well.
The next morning, Zhulan awoke feeling bewildered and didn’t dare move as she opened her eyes wide—how had she ended up in Zhou Shuren’s blanket?