He recalled how his mother-in-law had hinted to the Liu Family that the Zheng Family hoped Yunlan would marry in by the end of next year. The Lius hadn't seemed to find this difficult, and although Yunlan was typically poised, she had blushed shyly at the words. The thought warmed his heart.
After their meal, the father and son returned home, urging the oxcart through the heavy snow. That evening, just as he'd hoped, Zheng Changhe ate the acorn tofu and vegetable stew Juhua had prepared.
The biting wind died down by evening, leaving only a vast curtain of snow to drift magnificently down from the sky. It was a spectacular sight, and if one listened closely, one could even hear the faint, whispering rustle of the falling flakes.
