The next day, at dawn.
Lu Manor, in a small courtyard of green brick.
Inside the main hall, a large table was surrounded by people.
Ji Wei, her cheeks flushed, was dressed in a turquoise jacket and skirt with a gauze overlay. She brought out large platters of food—braised pork knuckle, white-cut chicken, pork tendons—and placed them on the table.
"Let me give you a hand..."
A boy with a simple, honest face, wearing the uniform of the Wind and Cloud Association, rose from his seat at the far end of the table, eager to lend a hand.
But the young girl's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled back.
"It's okay, Brother Qing. I'm almost done, and besides, I'm not sure everyone would like your cooking."
"Sit down and eat! My brother is in a good mood today, so he's treating everyone to a feast!"
This "Brother Qing" was Zhang Qing, formerly known as Zhang the Sixth, who had been Ji Xiu's neighbor in his old, drafty house.
