A Hairpin of Snow Extra 7

Winter turned to spring, and the seasons cycled on. This was the ninth year since Prince Ning ascended to the throne.

Prince Ning was known for his benevolence and kindness. Everywhere, there were stories of his diligence and love for his people. His accession to the throne was the rightful decree made by the late emperor before his death. The throne came to him legitimately, leaving no room for dissatisfaction among the other royal princes.

In the theater, the stage resounded with the clangs and clatters of the performance. Coincidentally, the play being performed was about Prince Ning’s ascension to the throne. As the play involved the late emperor, it naturally depicted the scene when the emperor took his place.

Ji Yuluo sat in the most central position, initially watching casually. But when a performer in a red costume with a green face and fangs appeared, she realized it was Huo Xian. She couldn’t help but glance at the person in question.

Despite being hidden for many years, the rumors about him in the streets had only grown more intense, with all sorts of tales of demons and monsters.

Ji Yuluo thought this was just another play vilifying Huo Xian. Unexpectedly, halfway through, the mask on the red-clad actor’s face suddenly fell off, revealing a majestic and heroic face. He waved his hand and beheaded “Zhao Yong” with a single slash.

The audience erupted in cheers, clapping and shouting, “Good, good!”

“This play is quite novel, the twist is surprising, I like it.”

“Distorting the facts, the script is entertaining for a moment, but it can’t be taken seriously.”

“But who knows what’s true or false? We haven’t seen Huo Xian. Where is he anyway? How did he just disappear?”

“Probably dead. I heard he was executed by the court in Dongxiang County.”

“No, no, he was brought back to the capital and secretly executed.”

“That’s not right either. He was innocent, why would they kill him? Accusations need evidence, speaking without proof is slander! Back then, even the court couldn’t provide evidence…”

While the stage was still bustling with the performance, the audience had already started arguing.

The main characters were already used to this. Over the years, as they traveled, they had heard these stories countless times, in all sorts of versions. But today’s play was a bit interesting. Although some details were off and Ji Yuluo’s presence was erased, it was quite close to the truth, such as the cannon fire incident, which many people didn’t know was caused by Huo Xian back then.

Ji Yuluo grew curious and asked the waiter to bring the script. On the title page, it was signed by “Scholar Yan Dong.”

Yan Dong…

Scholar…

Ji Yuluo and Huo Xian exchanged a glance, their minds immediately identifying a person. Before she could speak, a bold voice called out, “Bring a pot of good tea, a plate of melon seeds, and perform that play again for this old man!”

The waiter, draped in a towel, went over and cheerfully served him tea.

Nine years had passed, and Lou Panshun was already old with white hair. But probably due to his martial arts practice, his posture was still straight and vigorous. His voice still carried the grandeur of a general. However, over the years, he had left the capital, writing to Ji Yuluo that he was going to wander the world, and then disappeared. Ji Yuluo had gone to the bamboo house to look for him, but it was indeed empty.

Suddenly meeting again, this rough old man had actually written a script and given himself the title of a scholar.

Ji Yuluo thought to herself, “It’s true that the older you get, the thicker your skin becomes.”

Seeing her conflicted expression, Huo Xian couldn’t help but laugh, “Respect the elderly and love the young. Just pretend you don’t know and give the old man some face.”

The three of them exchanged glances, and Lou Panshun was very surprised but extremely delighted. He sat at the table, looking at Ji Yuluo on his left and Huo Xian on his right, feeling quite emotional.

Lou Panshun had spent his life in military campaigns and never married or had children, so he knew nothing about romantic relationships. He had never noticed any affection between Ji Yuluo and Huo Xian, and he even worried that their bad tempers would make them incompatible, not knowing who would get the upper hand in a fight.

It wasn’t until Shen Qingli told him about it that he was genuinely surprised. But now, seeing them again, he thought they made a fitting pair, with their good looks complementing each other.

He had also heard that they had a pair of twins, now about eight years old.

Lou Panshun asked about their lives over the years and shared his own experiences. When he mentioned Huo Cong’s son, he sighed, “Huo Cong is a smart man. He became the top scholar in his year at the age of 20. How could his son be so stupid? It frustrates the Marquis greatly. The boy can’t memorize a few lines even under the whip, let alone understand military strategy. Unfortunately, Huo Cong is weak and has trouble with heirs. This is his only child, and the Marchioness dotes on him excessively. I don’t think he’ll achieve much.”

Then he asked, “How is your son doing?”

Ji Yuluo and Huo Xian exchanged glances at this.

Two years ago, Wei Rao took over most of the affairs at Cuixue Tower, and the couple had left their two children with him, enjoying their freedom. They had just returned to Jiangzhou today and hadn’t even set foot in Cuixue Tower yet, so they knew nothing about the children’s studies.

However, the children had learned to read at the age of three, so they shouldn’t be as dull as Huo Cong’s son. They had the best tutors, so how bad could they be?

Upon learning the situation, Lou Panshun immediately wanted to get up and see the children.

On the way, he grumbled, “How can parents like you exist, enjoying yourselves for two years without being home? You’ve probably forgotten what they even look like!”

He sighed again, “Poor children. How could they not miss their parents?”

Ji Yuluo rubbed her ear and stepped into the courtyard of the waterside residence.

Since they had two children, the number of people in the courtyard had increased. They had even brought back Nanny Liu, who had retired to her hometown. Seeing the couple return, Nanny Liu was very surprised, “Master and Madam, what brings you back?”

Her question indicated just how irresponsible these parents were.

Lou Panshun stood beside them and huffed heavily.

Huo Xian asked, “Where are the young master and miss?”

Nanny Liu replied, “They’re in the house doing their homework. Shall I call them out?”

It was almost dinner time, and they were still studying diligently. This showed their hard work, unlike the young master of the Marquis’ household. Lou Panshun felt very relieved, “No need, I’ll go see them myself.”

A maid led the way.

Ji Yuluo and Huo Xian followed closely behind. As they walked, Ji Yuluo asked, “Are they still well-behaved?”

Nanny Liu, her face full of kindness, started speaking enthusiastically as soon as the two young masters were mentioned: “Of course they are well-behaved. This old servant has lived half her life and never taken care of such obedient children. The young lady is growing more and more like her mother, graceful and elegant, well-versed in literature and etiquette. Even the noble daughters of aristocratic families in the capital can’t compare to her. As for the young master, there’s no need to say more. He’s eloquent and can even compose poetry. Young Master Wei has been diligently teaching him martial arts for the past two years, and he has quite the talent for it, showing a lot of promise, just like the master in his younger days.”

Hearing Nanny Liu’s description, Lou Panshun was even more eager to meet them. If the child was indeed a good prospect for martial arts, it would be best to impart some techniques while he was still alive.

However, upon entering the study, they saw two exquisitely carved children sleeping on a long bench. The twin siblings looked very much alike, but the nanny had mixed them up. The girl resembled Huo Xian more, with strikingly beautiful features that were quite eye-catching. The boy, on the other hand, had a calm and gentle handsomeness, looking kind and well-behaved.

On the desk lay an essay. Though the handwriting had some clumsy aspects, it was neat and dignified, signed with “Little Xiao.” The beginning lines even quoted poetry, giving it an air of authenticity. However, the middle part became a jumble of narrative, resembling more a letter, which read:

“I have two elder brothers. The older one is called Wei Rao. He is my parents’ disciple and a ruthless demon feared by everyone in the martial world, except me. Because he loves Little Xiao the most, whenever something displeases me, he avenges me, openly or secretly. Brother Wei Rao said that people can do bad things, but must never be caught.

My twin brother has great ambitions. He aspires to be a powerful minister like our father, manipulating power and gathering all the rare treasures of the world. He wants to leave a name in folk tales that makes people tremble. Little Xiao believes that with my brother’s talent, he will surpass our father.

Our teacher once taught that the wise foresee things before they sprout, and the intelligent avoid danger before it manifests. Yet, for a minor fault, he punished Little Xiao by making me copy poetry, which is not an act of wisdom. I hope our teacher will reconsider.”

“…”

The room was quiet.

If the previous parts were still shrouded in mystery, the last paragraph was a blatant threat. Was this the well-behaved little lady Nanny Liu spoke of, comparable to the noble daughters of aristocratic families? What noble daughter would dare to threaten her teacher?!

And a twin brother who aspired to surpass their father as the greatest villain in the world!

This was even more outrageous than Huo Xian in his youth; at least back then, his wickedness wasn’t as clear-cut.

Unbelievable! These twins were practically treading back and forth on Lou Panshun’s landmines!

Ji Yuluo raised an eyebrow, seemingly able to hear Lou Panshun snorting in fury.

He forcefully threw down the densely written letter, gave a cold snort, and lowered his voice, saying, “So these are the well-mannered children you’ve raised! I, an old man, originally aimed to live a life of leisure among mountains and rivers. It seems that’s impossible now. Starting tomorrow, I’ll take over teaching these two children. Also, get a female teacher for Little Xiao to learn proper etiquette!”

When the twins woke up from their nap, everything had changed.

Their father and mother had both returned home, meaning their days of carefree mischief were over. Moreover, they brought back a stern-looking, white-haired warrior who was said to be their parents’ master.

At this moment, the old man was sitting cross-legged in the garden, looking very serious, quite different from the timid and foolish teachers they had before. He seemed quite formidable.

So, Huo Xiaoxiao nudged Huo Linting, who nudged Huo Xiaoxiao back.

“You’re the older brother, you go.”

“I’m only older by a moment; you go.”

“But yesterday, because you were born a moment earlier, you got an extra bowl of almond porridge!”

“You didn’t drink it?”

“I only had one bowl!”

Huo Linting smiled, “I’ll tell Brother Wei.”

“You—”

Huo Xiaoxiao had a cold constitution. Though it was only spring, Wei Rao was strict and didn’t allow her to drink anything icy. If he found out, he’d punish the nanny in her courtyard again!

She knew she had fallen into Huo Linting’s trap once more.

Huo Xiaoxiao didn’t doubt for a moment that Huo Linting would grow up to be an unrivaled villain!

Fuming, she took a step forward but quickly changed her expression, approaching Lou Panshun with a tearful face, sobbing, “Grandpa Lou, you’re finally here…”

Huo Linting followed behind her, quietly watching her performance.

The little sister cried so pitifully, gasping between sobs, “Father and Mother have been away from home for so many years. Everyone else says that my brother and I are children without parents, that no one cares about us…”

Telling blatant lies with open eyes—those who said such things before were already buried in pits by Huo Xiaoxiao’s traps and fed to snakes, scared out of their wits. After that, no one dared to say such things again.

Moreover, Huo Xiaoxiao didn’t actually want their parents to return home. With them back, he and Huo Xiaoxiao had to restrain themselves, which was quite unpleasant.

However, Huo Xiaoxiao’s crying was too pitiful. Lou Panshun hesitated, deeply moved. If Ji Yuluo had this ability to endure humiliation when she was young, she might not have suffered so much under Lou Panshun.

For a girl, tears were the most effective weapon.

Lou Panshun’s expression softened suddenly, and he cast aside the harsh words he was about to say, remarking, “You don’t need to worry. Now that your wayward parents have returned, no one will dare to be disrespectful again!”

Huo Linting lowered his eyes. His eyebrows and eyes inherited Ji Yuluo’s expressiveness, naturally revealing a sense of sorrow when he looked down. His calm tone was no less pitiable than Huo Xiaoxiao’s, “It doesn’t matter if they come back; they have no intention of looking after us. Look, Grandpa Lou.”

He extended his arm, showing a scar.

This scar was two or three years old. Back then, Ji Yuluo and Huo Xian were still around, but they let the young child get hurt and scarred. Fortunately, it was a boy. If a girl had gotten a scar, it would have been a bigger problem.

And he knew very well his two disciples’ temperaments. They didn’t have a good childhood themselves, so how would they know how to raise children? Just keeping them alive was already an achievement.

Huo Xiaoxiao, wiping her tears beside him, thought that Huo Linting was setting up another trap, deliberately misleading people.

This was clearly two years ago when their father and mother had a quarrel. Their father, refusing to sleep early in the morning, insisted on making them read and write. After several days, their young bodies and minds were exhausted. Huo Linting then coaxed Uncle Shen to get information and added aphrodisiac incense to their parents’ room.

Huo Xiaoxiao didn’t know the exact effect of aphrodisiac incense, nor did Huo Linting. He only asked Uncle Shen for something that could quickly reconcile men and women. The next morning, their parents indeed made up, but Huo Linting hadn’t had time to be happy before he was hung up and beaten.

After being taken down from the tree, he was scratched by branches and, scratching the wound in his sleep, left a scar.

The siblings, one crying with head down and the other sorrowful, indeed aroused Lou Panshun’s sympathy.

No wonder they didn’t learn well; it turned out everything had a reason.

Lou Panshun sighed lightly, “Forget it, rest for today.”

The siblings obediently said, “Grandpa Lou, we’ll take our leave then. See you tomorrow.”

As they turned around, their expressions changed instantly.

Their tall father stood behind a stone screen, arms crossed, coldly laughing, “Go on, keep acting. How about this, don’t learn anything else; I’ll start an opera troupe for you both, how about that?”

Huo Xiaoxiao was scared, calling softly, “Mother…”

Huo Linting wanted to say, what’s the use of calling Mother? Sure enough, Ji Yuluo smiled and gently wiped her tears, then said, “Go on, the trunk of that sycamore tree is thick, hang yourself there.”

“…”

Huo Xiaoxiao pouted, ready to cry again, but Ji Yuluo and Huo Xian didn’t buy it.

Huo Linting, smarter, obediently walked to the back like a fish on a chopping block, not struggling at all. He asked Uncle Nanyue, who was binding his feet tightly, “Uncle Nanyue, remember to remind Father to let me down at night; I’m afraid he’ll forget.”

Their skillfulness was heart-wrenching. Nanyue stifled a laugh and said, “Understood, young master.”

Huo Xiaoxiao also walked over slowly, sorrowfully saying, “Hang me on the side without sunlight; I’m afraid of getting sunburned…”

“Alright, young lady,” Nanyue replied.

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you for sticking with me through A Hairpin of Snow. 🌸 It’s been such a journey, and I’m so happy we could experience the story together!

Thank you for all the love, comments, and support. You all made this so much fun, and I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did.

On to the next one! 😉