Not long ago, Miao Yin finally gave birth to my elder brother’s daughter, my little niece. Although the process was difficult, mother and daughter were ultimately safe. The little girl was chubby and plump, with eyebrows like my brother’s and a cherry-red mouth just like Miao Yin’s. The child was cherished by our entire family from the moment of birth. Mother, besides her joy, lamented that she had expected to hold my child first.
I felt melancholic inside but maintained a light, unconcerned exterior.
Since the news of Xia Zhichun’s ascension spread, I had been anticipating An Jin’s arrival. However, over a month after Xia Zhichun took the throne, An Jin still had not appeared. I was anxious and began to imagine whether he had been harmed by Yan Or or encountered some mishap…
Perhaps noticing my heavy heart, Jiang Yunqiao mysteriously said after a court session that she would take me somewhere that could dispel my melancholy.
I wondered what miraculous place she meant, only to find it was a tavern. Though a tavern, it was built on a stone bridge spanning a river, with the sound of rushing water creating a unique atmosphere. According to Yunqiao, the tavern was built over the river with the meaning “sorrows flow away like water, never to return”, intended to help people forget their troubles through drinking.
They say one can forget a thousand sorrows with a drink. I’ve never loved alcohol or its spicy stimulation, but the wine here was different – fragrant yet smooth, without bitterness, like drinking flower nectar. Curious, I drank several cups, not realizing the wine, though gentle, had a strong effect, and I soon felt dizzy.
She did not pay attention to my words, pushing open the window with a dazed look, as if immersed in a memory she could not escape. The cold wind carrying river mist rushed in, making me shiver and tremble.
Yun Qiao leaned out the window, half her body exposed, her hair disheveled by the wind, yet wearing a gentle smile. Worried she might fall, I quickly grabbed her. She pointed ahead and said, “I want to find him!”
“Alright, go find him, go find him,” I finally believed she was truly drunk and tried to soothe her like a child. She looked at me blankly, then said melancholically, “No, I can’t do this.”
