Snow

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Nanshan Realm, Qingshan Town.
February 13th.
Night descended, the wind cut like knives, and snow fell in thick, swirling flurries.
Snowflakes danced through the air like sprites, their gentle descent casting a faint glow over what should have been an utterly black night.
Down a nameless ancient alleyway.
A few plum branches bloomed alone by the wall, braving the cold.
Only in such moments would these stubborn blossoms bloom resolutely in some hidden corner.
On ordinary days without heavy snow, there might still be vendors hawking their wares along this path, but now it was deserted—even the night watchmen had abandoned their rounds in such weather.
Not long after, the faint sound of footsteps drifted from the end of the street—a couple strolled slowly through the snow.
"I wish I could become the snow, so I could fall softly upon your shoulder, my dear..."
"And what if I were to raise an umbrella?"
"Then I would rest upon your paper umbrella, carried quietly beneath the moonlight, all the way home."
"And what if I brushed the snow away?"
"Then let it be—if I could linger for even a moment in your palm, that would be enough."
"My lady, to have married you in this life is the fortune of three lifetimes."
The man turned, his eyes full of deep affection for the woman at his side.
Indeed, there was a beauty in the north—peerless, standing alone. One glance could topple a city; another, a kingdom.
Her hands were delicate as spring shoots, her skin pure as congealed cream, her neck graceful as a silkworm’s, her teeth as white as gourd seeds, her brows arched, her smile sweet, her gaze enchanting.
Of course, if not for the barely concealed, half-smiling look she shot him, she would be perfect.
"My dear, what do you think of your wife?"
"Naturally, she is incomparably beautiful."
"Like a lovely blossom?"
"Radiant and tender! Elegant and poised!"
"Like a pure white swan?"
"Snowy and graceful! Dignified and noble!"
"Like a jade-like cabbage?"
"Crystal clear! Naturally, she is—she is—?"
Eh????
"What is she?"
"Are you taking a roundabout way to insult me?"
"Yes! Do you have a problem with that?"
"....." Could she be any more brazen about it?
"Haha, my dear, look at the snow—it is beautiful, but if you were the snow, I’d be afraid to hold you, for fear you’d melt in my hands."
"My, aren’t you playful tonight. But you should be glad your wife does not fancy hailstones instead."
She wore the same half-smiling expression, but the gentle upward turn of her brows betrayed her good mood.
"Oh? And what do you mean by that?"
"Otherwise, I’d have to worry if your brains could withstand a hailstorm." Her words drifted by, light as ever.
"...My dear, your husband believes in being humble and low-key."
"Your wife only believes in honesty."
!!!
"My dear, do I truly have no redeeming qualities?"
"You do."

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"Quick, tell me, what are they?"
"You managed to find such a virtuous and beautiful wife."
"...Ahem, humility, humility!"
"A tael’s worth of pocket money."
"My lady is truly a beauty beyond compare—one who puts flowers to shame, the moon to blush, a face to topple kingdoms, graced with celestial charm and delicate allure..."
Several hundred words omitted.
Ah, all those years of reading were not in vain—at last, a tael for pocket money!
Night fell.
The darkness was softened by the snow—the town itself seemed to don white robes in the black of night.
At the far end of the street, the faint scent of plum blossoms drifted on the air, coloring the night with a touch of poetry.
"My dear, do you hear something?" The beautiful woman frowned slightly as she spoke.
"Heh, my love, your husband is not yet deaf," the man replied, half-heartedly.
"A tael of pocket money." She drew a deep breath, her tone calm.
"My dear! You think I would fall for the same trick again?" he protested with righteous indignation.
"Two taels." Her tone remained as placid as ever.
"Ah, old age dulls the ears, unlike your keen senses—let’s go together and see, shall we?" At last, he surrendered to the allure of copper coins.
At the end of the street, beside a heap of fallen roof tiles and bricks, a plum blossom bloomed with stubborn pride, displaying its unique charm.
Plum may lack the snow’s whiteness, but the snow cannot match the plum’s fragrance.
Beside it, a swaddled infant lay with eyes tightly shut, brows knitted in stubbornness, braving the bitter night wind with a strength and resilience all his own—so much like the plum blossom at his side.
"Look, my dear." The woman hurried forward, picking up the child whose frailty was laced with unexpected tenacity, her face etched with compassion.
"Oh, what kind of poverty would drive someone to abandon such a tiny, lovely child here?"
"Can’t you show a bit of backbone?"
"....."
She was the one who always withheld my pocket money, he thought with a deep sigh, then turned his gaze to the child in her arms.
He examined the infant, reaching out gently, as if afraid to disturb him, his fingers tracing the child’s brow, a faint glow emanating from his hand.
The child’s brow slowly relaxed, as if comforted, though his eyes remained closed.
"How is he?" the woman asked.
At such times, a man truly must be the head of the household! He’d only just made a temporary concession to his wife earlier! Money was trivial—this was respect! Definitely not cowardice!
He straightened his back and declared, "He is very weak, but he’s managed to hold on in this bitter cold—" He hadn’t finished before the woman interjected:
"I think Yun’er will love having an older brother!"
????
An older brother? Where did that come from?
What about my opinion? What about my authority as head of the house? She’d already made the decision!
He glanced at the woman before him and at her slightly rounded belly, his eyes filled with resignation and tenderness.
Who else, in the middle of a snowstorm, in the dead of night, would think of going out to admire the snow while pregnant? And to top it off, she somehow managed to return home with a son in tow...
Ah, I truly have no authority as head of this household...
Yun’er was the name of the child she carried in her womb—their son.
"But this child, who knows..."
He hadn’t finished speaking before she asked, "My dear, how was the sunshine a few days ago?"
What did that mean?
"The sun was glorious! I even went to the trouble of cleaning out the guest room—truly wore me out, it did."
"....."

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"All the bedding and pillows, everything is ready."
Woman, you’re playing with fire! Do you think I can’t sleep without you?
"And the few taels of silver you hid inside the guest room bricks."
"Ahem! My wife is absolutely right!"
"I think so too. With an older brother, Yun’er will be so happy."
"Mm, but this child has been exposed to the cold for so long—who knows if he’ll have lingering problems. Really! What kind of people would abandon such a tiny, adorable child here?" Her face was full of sorrow and indignation for the little one, who clearly hadn’t been born long.
"Don’t worry. Now he has a family. Your husband will see that he grows strong—I have my ways, you know." He looked tenderly at the child in her arms, took off his own robe, draped it over the infant, and carefully took the child from her, afraid to startle him.
"In this frozen world, you have endured and survived. Don’t be afraid—though others have forsaken you, we will not. From now on, you are our son." He spoke softly to the baby, to the boy who would now be his son.
Perhaps the child heard him, for he kicked his legs gently and the corners of his lips curved in a faint smile.
After a moment, as if struck by a thought, the man continued to the child, "Remember, you’re to call me ‘Father,’ or at least ‘Honorable Father’—I’ve gained a son for no reason at all, what a thing!"
His mouth curled into a delighted grin.
The woman: "....."
"My dear, let’s hurry home before the child really catches cold."
"My love, your husband is a cultivator—what are a little wind and snow to me?" he said, waving dismissively.
The snow still fell, heavier than before, and yet, if one looked closely, not a single flake touched the child. It was as if a gentle glow emanated from the man’s hands, shielding the stubborn and resilient boy.
"Hmm?" The woman frowned slightly.
"My dear, I suddenly feel that in this bitter cold, the child might truly suffer. Perhaps, my love, you could delay your next snow-gazing adventure and let’s hurry home to care for him." Suddenly feeling the chill, his survival instinct kicked in.
"Mm~ Since you put it that way, I am not one to be unreasonable. Very well, let’s go home first," she nodded, clearly satisfied.
Heh...
"Oh, by the way, my dear, we haven’t yet named this child!" she said as they walked home.
See, when it comes to naming, it still falls to the man! His grin grew foolishly wide.
Their footsteps continued softly through the snow as the couple walked on.
After a while.
"Dao Yi," the man said quietly.
"Dao Yi? My dear, you didn’t just name him after this alley, did you?" She looked at him with open suspicion—she knew perfectly well he was capable of such a thing.
???
My love, is this the extent of your faith in your husband??
Do you really think I’m so uninspired?
.....
How could she see through me so easily? Wouldn’t that make me look uneducated? No, I can’t let that stand! Time to draw on the wisdom of my ten...hours of diligent study!
"My dear, you do me a great injustice. I gave him this name because I hope that, in the future, he’ll walk his own path. Even if we’re no longer by his side, he’ll remain as strong as he is now. In this at least, you should trust me." He shook his head with a look of wounded pride.
"Heh." She still looked skeptical.
Fortunately, she didn’t press further, or he might not have been able to explain his way out. Wait, why am I thinking like this? Have some confidence! Am I not a learned man?
A long, long time passed. Beneath the moonlight and swirling snow, the night was breathtaking.
Yu—the man’s surname.
Dao Yi—the child’s given name.
Yu Dao Yi, that would be his name.
The snow still drifted slowly from the sky, but the fragrance of the plum had faded, its role as companion in the night now done.
The snow falls without remorse, yet seals the plum in jade, taking away its fragrance forever.