The end of the solstice was normally a quiet, sleepy affair. After staying up all night, most people wanted a bit of peace, to laze the day away and then go to bed early. Or perhaps have a midday nap, a small meal of porridge, tea, using this time as one for reflection.

Or at least they normally were Meiling mused. The air outside of her home was energized, and the entire village was abuzz with the events of last night. She smiled at her sleeping brother’s face from her position sitting on the side of his bedroll.

“You did well.” She whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. Even now the warm pride filled her chest. He had passed out less than ten minutes after the dance, and scared everybody into thinking that he had hurt himself.

But he was simply sleeping.

Meiling had had some help from Jin getting her father and brother both into the house, and after that she had put them both to bed after getting some water into them and putting a soothing salve on their arms and legs.

It would stop them from being too sore tomorrow, and they would be sore.

Smiling to herself and imagining the complaints that would fill the house tomorrow, Meiling stood and began to wander around the house. Her empty room still had a few old things of hers that she had left behind. It was still relatively empty, and ready for both her and Jin to sleep here whenever they visited. Somebody had obviously cleaned it... But it was still odd to see it this way. There were still a few marks on the doorway, tracking her height. The little scores were close together, tracking a girl who hadn’t grown very tall. The floor had a slight discolouration on it, where she had spilled one of her experiments… and after that she had been forced to do them outside.

Shaking her head, she searched the house for a moment longer, falling into old habits and looking for something to do. Perhaps a spot that needed to be cleaned that they had missed, or something that needed to be put away.

But the house was spotless. Everything was in order... Though the organization was slightly different from how she liked it. Hu Li had put the cleaning rags on the right side instead of the left, and the broom was hung up instead of resting on the floor.

She paused, wondering what exactly she was doing. She was the lady of this house no longer. She took in a breath after stopping by the kitchen to grab a stick of incense and some of the glutinous rice balls she had prepared at home, she then turned and went outside. The sun was still quite hazy and weak after the solstice. Meiling lifted her head and took a breath of the chilly air.

Scents came to her. The normal, mundane scents of fire, cooking, medicinal plants and people.

What also came to her were more esoteric things. The smell of nothingness. Of fur and mist. Water and steam. A meadow in full bloom. The sun, the moon, a day just before a storm hit; something sharp and spicy. Underpinning it all was the crisp smell of evergreens and the spices of the cookies Jin had made.

She smiled and opened her eyes again to her village. The giant red streamers and flags waved in the winter wind. The little houses were covered in a thin film of snow with their paths cleared. Fifty people sat at tables, murmuring with each other. The hills rose up to the north while the flat land and the snowed in fields were to the south.

Her village always looked great this time of year. If she had married into Verdant Hill, she never would have been able to see this again. It was expected that the wife celebrate with her husband, and few would be willing to make the journey out to Hong Yaowu.

Instead, she got to spend the festivals with her family.

She set a path for the village shrine so that she could pay her morning respects to her ancestors. Her eyes roamed around the village and glanced at where a large communal pot of rice porridge was set up with people wandering over to fill their bowls and add some dried berries and fruits to their meal. Ri Zu, Wa Shi, Pi Pa, Miantiao, Bei Be and Huo Ten were all seated at a table together eating their breakfast. Ri Zu raised a paw in greeting, the little rat in a good mood this morning, while the monkey looked fit to fall asleep in his bowl.

Nearby she saw that some people had entirely too much energy. They were still up and following along with the movements that Xiulan, Xianghua, and Bowu were showing them. One was like the grass swaying in the breeze, the other a flowing current. Yin was with them, the rabbit bounding gracefully in time with the beat and glowing bright like the sun. The kids who had gone to bed early had now risen, and most of the adults were either watching or joining in.

Hu Li was fussing over Gou Ren for not bundling up tight enough in the winter… nevermind that her son couldn’t feel the cold and wouldn’t freeze even if he slept in a snowdrift.

His attempts to explain himself away fell on deaf ears and eventually he had a coat forced on him. Yun Ren just chuckled from beside him and then went back to playing Go with his father. The sly fox dueled the crafty monkey that was Ten Ren. They’d probably be there all day, and Meiling saw the coins that were the customary wager.

She moved past the majority of the people, but she was accosted before she could start up the hill to the shrine.

“Ei! Meimei!” Ty Sho, Ty An’s father, called for her attention.

“Yes?” Meiling asked, venturing over.

“Not to take away anything from that the Little Chief did… but we were having a bit of an argument over here. Is the Little Chief a cultivator too?”

Meiling raised an eyebrow at the sudden silence in the village. It was a valid question. To a cultivator, dancing all night wasn’t exactly impressive.

Meiling shook her head. “Not a hint of him awakening his Dantian.”

She wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about it. Did she want her brother to be a cultivator? In times past, she would have vehemently said no, but now? Well… it wasn’t so bad, was it?

The group exchanged glances, and Tyu Sho’s grin got bigger.

“See? I told you. The Little Chief was practising all summer long, you all saw him!”

There was more murmuring, and Meiling left Ty Sho to lord it over those who had been saying that Xian was a cultivator.

Shaking her head in amusement, she continued on.

She approached the shrine and presented her offerings. She lit one of the incense sticks and stuck it in its bowl of sand. Then she lowered her head to the shrine three times like her brother had done last night.

“I pay my respects to you, Honoured Ancestors. Thank you for blessing this village with life.”

She stayed until the incense stocks burned down more and then backed away respectfully.

She took another breath, finding the sharp, spicy scent of Tigu close. Curious, she set off into the forest.

She did not have long to wait to find her.

“And then he came back with… that girl, you know? How can I compete.” Meiling heard Ty An mutter, her voice full of frustration. A few more steps brought Tigu and Ty An into view.

Tigu was with Ty An in the treeline, snow sculptures of mostly naked men between them. She recognised Rags, Loud Boy, and Handsome Man from Tigu’s previous work. There was also one of Gou Ren that looked half-finished, and of much lesser, amateurish quality. It was still surprisingly good though. Ty An was staring at it forlornly.

Tigu patted her on the shoulder and glanced over at Meiling. She shrugged before turning back to her friend.

“Yes, yes, my Junior Brother is quite the catch. You have a good eye! But Ty An, you are also a fine woman! Your appearance is endlessly appealing! Why, you’ve improved working with Uncle Che! Freckles, muscles, and a tan!”

Ty An, who had turned to Tigu with hope, slumped again. The not so boney, freckled girl stared in horror at her arms, thickening up from helping Che in the forge and around the house. Meihua, damn her, managed to look like a dainty flower despite hauling chunks of iron to her father. Ty An had no such luck.

“For the last time, Tigu, boys don’t like that!”

“Then they are weak and foolish!” Tigu declared. “I guarantee you shall find a man of quality! Listen to your Big Sister, you just need somebody to appreciate your beauty! What about these fine men, my Brothers?” said, gesturing to the other sculptures.

Ty An flushed and shoved at Tigu halfheartedly. “Well, he's not too bad…”

Tigu blinked and squinted.

“Rags?” she asked. “I cannot see it, but he is loyal and brave! When we meet again I shall sing praises of your fine visage!”

Meiling decided to leave them to it.

She went back to the communal rice bowl and got herself some porridge. Three of their number were still missing so she headed out towards the fields.

She found her husband sitting on a rock that was clear of snow. Bi De was upon his shoulder and Chun Ke at his side. He was still in his ceremonial clothes he had been lent. He had been absolutely chuffed to be able to wear them and he had talked her ear off last night now happy he was that her father had let him escort her brother.

It was rather cute how enthusiastic he was about it… Even going and sneaking lessons from her father so he could impress her.

Naturally… it worked perfectly and she fell in love with him all over again.

All of them were staring at the snowy monstrosity out in one of the fields. The Warden that Sends Forth the Flying Ice and Snow was truly a credit to his commandery, rising high into the sky. Yet still absolutely tiny compared to The General that Commands the Winter.

“I still can’t believe father roped the village into building that,” she said as she sat on the rock beside him. It was covered with a blanket that was entirely too warm to be natural heated by Jin’s Qi.

Her husband’s arm moved unconsciously to wrap around her shoulder.

“It’s absolutely amazing.” Jin siad. “I can’t believe they managed to get it so big!”

“As Uncle Che says, 'Hong Yaowu does its best.'” Meiling siad, making her voice gruff.

Jin laughed at the nearly pitch perfect tone, before letting out a contented sigh.

“Man, I love it here,” he said, turning and looking back to the village.

“It certainly has its charm.” She agreed.

They watched on together as the children started up a snowball fight… and then Meiling caught sight of a man coming up the road. He was one of the Lord Magistrate’s men, a messenger to deliver the customary salutations on the Solstice. He was taking advantage of the cleared road, a look of relief on his face that the ride, even in winter, sometimes only took a single day.

Meiling elbowed Jin in the side and pointed. A grin broke out on her husband’s face.

The messenger passed the last bend and came past the hill that blocked most of the village from view.

And came face to face with a massive snow golem. His eyes bugged out comically and he jerked the reigns, causing his horse to rear in shock— until the beast spilled him into a snowbank.

The Warden that Sends Forth the Flying Ice and Snow claimed his first victim.

She stared out into Hong Yaowu. The tiny, insignificant village where things rarely happened.

Now playing host to more cultivators and Spirit Beasts than most places in the Azure Hills had ever seen, let alone gotten to know.

Perhaps its insignificance was its greatest boon? Meiliong didn’t consider herself the philosophical sort... But she couldn’t imagine a city being this loved by the people who lived there.

Hong Yaowu may not have had any grand libraries or interesting things going on… but it was still home in a way.

And she couldn’t imagine growing up anywhere else.