The Double

The snow didn’t have the roughness of Yanjing, but fell in gentle, tiny grains, bringing with them a sparkling brightness. Some hung on the branches, gradually layering up to form curtains of crystal. It made this otherwise unremarkable town seem so tender that one could become intoxicated.

Jiang Li was awakened by Tonger.

The pained voice of Tonger still echoed in her ears, "How can you sleep on the desk, Miss? Didn’t you go to bed last night?"

Jiang Li stretched lazily and said, "It’s nothing."

Last night, after she sent Tonger and Bai Xue away, she had been writing all night. Tongxiang had five hundred sixty-eight households, and every one of them had received favors from Xue Huaiyuan. It was impossible for her to visit more than five hundred households by herself in time. Therefore, she had to let some of Ye Mingyu’s people take part of the burden. With these "Books of Favors," Ye Mingyu would be more convincing and perhaps it would be easier to persuade those people.

But as she was writing, she fell asleep on the desk without realizing it. However, it was strange that upon waking up, she didn’t feel too exhausted. Jiang Li stood up, pushed open the window, and a snowflake fluttered in. She gazed at it and said, "It’s snowing, huh."

"Yes, it’s snowing." Tonger also looked outside.

Having lived in Tongxiang for more than a decade, this was the first time she had seen it snow. She didn’t know what it might mean, but perhaps it signified a new beginning.

A smile slowly appeared in Jiang Li’s eyes as she said, "That’s nice."

On the other hand, Feng Yutang arrived at the county government office early in the morning and put on his official uniform.