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The cold seeped into her bones. Lingbo An walked through the fresh snowdrifts, pulling her fur qiu tighter around herself. Her whole body ached after a long day — endless cleaning and running errands at the Dowager Empress’s command. Only the thought that she would soon be warm again, sharing an evening meal surrounded by children, urged her steps faster.
Her expression softened at the thought of her restless little charges. They must have been noisy all day, and poor Shi Lian surely had her hands full. Lingbo An let out a quiet chuckle — tonight, Shi Lian would definitely be rewarded with a full bowl of her homemade jiaozi.
Winter was always the hardest season, yet the imperial grounds still looked almost magical beneath the snow. Lingbo An walked on, watching the snowflakes drift slowly down from the sky.
Soon, the outline of the house appeared ahead, warm light spilling from the windows.
The moment her hand touched the door, bright voices rang out:
“Mother is home!”
A heartbeat of silence — then the house erupted into sound: hurried footsteps, delighted cries, laughter.
Lingbo An had barely stepped inside before she was nearly knocked over. Someone stumbled, someone bragged about arriving first, someone clung to her waist, and the boldest were already peeking into her bag in search of gifts.
–“Mother! We learned the alphabet at school today!” Caiwei announced proudly after hugging her.
–“Really? Then tell me what you learned,” Lingbo An replied gently, lifting slow little Shan Jia into her arms.
While Caiwei eagerly recited the characters she had practiced, Lingbo An managed to embrace every small figure reaching for her.
In a noisy cluster, they finally made their way into the main hall.
–“You did wonderfully, my heart,” Lingbo An said when Caiwei finished, kissing her flushed cheeks.
Caiwei beamed and ran off to play with Tao Fan and Hanma. Lingbo An set Shan Jia down, and the little one immediately crawled away.
Watching the children scatter, she removed her outer clothes and carefully folded them into a chest. She cupped her frozen hands to her lips, warming them with her breath.
I’m finally home, she thought — and the feeling warmed her more than even the thickest qiu.
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“She started it!” Xin’er’s sharp voice cut through the room.
“It’s your fault!” Siran snapped back.
Lingbo An paused at the kitchen doorway, catching the tension in their voices.
Two seven-year-old girls sat at the table, glaring at one another. Shi Lian looked at Lingbo An helplessly, cradling a softly sleeping Lin Bu in her arms, utterly unaware of the argument. With a glance, she asked for help.
Siran and Xin’er were called the Heart-Twins in the family — they quarreled often, but made up just as quickly.
“I didn’t mean to…” Xin’er muttered, staring at the table.
“So what?” Siran replied stubbornly, turning away.
“Come on, I’ll give you the doll,” Xin’er said, standing and hesitantly taking her sister’s hand.
Siran snorted — but didn’t pull away, following her instead.
The tension faded, leaving only a faint echo behind.
“I was afraid it would end in tears,” Shi Lian said with relief.
It won’t, Lingbo An thought. For all their tempers, each other’s tears were a line they would never cross.
“You’re my savior, Shi Lian,” Lingbo An said softly, noticing her tired expression and remembering she had given up her rest day to care for the children.
“Oh, please, Mistress—” Shi Lian stopped herself, remembering. “You. Your family is my family too.”
Lingbo An smiled as she watched Shi Lian gently carry the sleeping Lin Bu to her room. Soon, the house filled once more with its familiar noise.
The word family lingered in Lingbo An’s thoughts as she cooked.
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As she chopped vegetables for the salads, she felt curious stares and hushed whispers behind her.
“Well then,” Lingbo An said with a smile, turning to find Shoy Min and Cheng Shu standing there. “Would you like to help?” –The boys nodded almost at the same time — too quickly, as if afraid she might change her mind. She handed them buckets and sent them to fetch water while she finished preparing the food.
“Shoy Min, not so fast!” Cheng Shu clicked his tongue, struggling to keep up.
Naturally, Shoy Min didn’t listen, splashing water as he ran.
Thanking them and taking the brimming buckets, Lingbo An smiled crookedly.
“Darlings, would you please call your brothers and sisters—”
She didn’t finish. Laughing, the boys were already gone.
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Soon, the kitchen filled with footsteps and voices.
The older children rolled out dough, passing it to the younger ones who sat lined up at the table.
Ai Yan and Zhao Xu exchanged conspiratorial glances, watching the little ones shape jiaozi with such seriousness that it seemed their future depended on it.
The jiaozi made by Hai Qiong and Fa En appeared to mesmerize the others — otherwise, it was hard to explain why Wei Long kept trying to sneak a taste.
From time to time, Lingbo An stepped in to guide small hands or fix uneven folds. Each time, the children eagerly showed off their work.
Amid the noise and chaos, the cooking passed quickly. When the final batch of jiaozi slipped into the boiling pot, plaintive voices rose:
“Mother, can we now?”
Lingbo An wiped her hands on her apron and nodded tiredly. Cheers followed as the children scattered.
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Yaw Xing, Rui Xing, and Lei Xing carried a mandarin tree into the main hall, grunting with effort. They barely managed to set it down before nearly tripping over Fei Xue, who had only recently discovered the joy of running at full speed.
Once the tree was in place, decorating began at once. Everything was hung — paper wishes, dried fruits, handmade ornaments.
The younger children were so absorbed they didn’t notice how the hall itself transformed. An Qi carefully arranged flowers throughout the room, grown through patience and devotion in her small garden.
As the branches grew heavy with decorations and the hall filled with color, a large table was brought in, followed soon by chairs.
Warmth spread quietly through her chest.
–––
When everyone finally sat down, the noise softened — but the warmth remained.
Lingbo An only laughed and nudged her playfully.
Plates were passed from hand to hand. The children talked, laughed, interrupted one another, argued and made up again
Family, Lingbo An thought.
And if she had to, she would protect this family until the very end.