Xiao Ya was the most diligent child in the household. As soon as the sky brightened, she impatiently dragged her brother out to herd pigs. Grandmother, who usually doted on her grandson, surprisingly didn’t stop them either. With no other choice, Yun Ye once again led four pigs out the Yun residence’s main gate.

Xiao Ya’s little pig Hanhan was dressed up beautifully. The leather collar around its neck hung with a bronze bell that jangled whenever the piglet moved. Its body had also been scrubbed very clean. The black and white mottled pattern had something of the yin-yang essence. The pig itself was quite adorable—no wonder Xiao Ya liked it.

Upon leaving, they encountered Wang Cai. It had opinions about Yun Ye leading pigs instead of it, constantly pushing its big head over to wave before Yun Ye, displaying its presence.

Forget it—herding one is herding, herding a group is also herding. Follow along then.

Grazing had to wait until the dew cleared, otherwise livestock eating grass with dew would get upset stomachs. So the siblings slowly proceeded along the road toward the academy.

Wang Cai’s newly changed horseshoes struck the stone path making rhythmic crisp sounds, harmonizing beautifully with the birdsong beside the road.

Yun Ye plucked a wildflower from the roadside and brought it to his nose for a light sniff. It didn’t have an overly strong fragrance, but rather a faint grassy scent.

He tore off several petals and chewed them lightly. Bitter juice immediately filled his mouth. He forced himself not to spit it out, but instead put in several more petals to make that bitterness come even more fiercely. Sure enough, after extreme bitterness, his tongue detected a trace of sweetness. Extending from objects to people, life was probably much the same.

Xiao Ya laughed joyfully as she ran ahead. The pink butterfly bow on her head danced in the wind like a real butterfly resting on her yellowish hair. Hanhan panted heavily while chasing behind. In just a moment, the girl and pig disappeared from view.

Wang Cai proudly showed off its four long legs, stretching its neck. It stood up on its hind legs, pawing the air twice with its front legs, gave a long neigh, and also ran off. The sound of hoofbeats gradually faded. On the quiet path, only Yun Ye remained, leading four little pigs still slowly pacing.

Halfway to the academy was a large grassy meadow—that was Yun Ye and Xiao Ya’s destination. They just needed to release the pigs and let them forage freely on the meadow. When full, the pigs would gather in a circle and choose a shady spot to sleep. You only needed to lead them home by their ropes.

Today there were people on the meadow.

A woman in a blue shirt had a bamboo basket on her arm and held a small shovel, digging wild vegetables from the ground. Beside her was a girl who looked like a maid, similarly carrying a bamboo basket, also crouching on the ground digging wild vegetables.

Xiao Ya, leading her pig, was somewhat curious and shouted loudly:

“Sister, what are you doing?”

The woman looked up and saw a little girl in a pink shirt standing ahead. From her appearance, she was a daughter of a wealthy family, only it was strange that she held a black and white piglet by a rope. On her head was a flower tied with silk—very pretty.

She looked around and, not seeing any servants following the little girl, came before Xiao Ya, crouched down, and asked: “Little sister, how did you come out alone? Is no one accompanying you?” Her clear Sichuan accent was like an oriole’s first song, only Xiao Ya couldn’t understand it.

The woman asked again in Guanzhong dialect. This time Xiao Ya understood.

“I came out to herd pigs with my brother. Brother can’t run as fast as me—he’s behind. Sister, what are you doing?” Xiao Ya looked at the woman’s jet-black hair with some envy. Her own hair was somewhat yellow.

“Sister is digging wild vegetables. Doesn’t your family eat them?” The woman answered with a smile. Finding Xiao Ya interesting, the little maid beside her also came over to look at Hanhan.

“We used to eat them, but not now. Wild vegetables aren’t tasty. Brother grew lots of vegetables in the house during winter. Xiao Ya likes eating them.”

Hearing this, the woman seemed to understand: “Are you a young miss from the Yun family?” She’d known this surname early on from her grandfather’s letters in Sichuan. She’d heard many legends about him but had never seen him in person.

“How do you know? Brother told Xiao Ya not to tell her name to strangers.”

The woman smiled sweetly. Xiao Ya was somewhat dazed and unconsciously said: “Sister, you’re so beautiful.”

The little maid beside her said matter-of-factly: “My young miss is naturally beautiful—the most beautiful beauty.”

“That’s not right. My brother says the most beautiful beauty in the world hasn’t been born yet. In the future, Xiao Ya will also be a very beautiful beauty.” After speaking, she held her head, trying not to let others see her yellow hair. The little maid giggled and said: “Yellow-haired girl.”

“Hush! Don’t talk nonsense. Xiao Ya will of course be a very beautiful beauty in the future.” The blue-clothed woman gently stroked Xiao Ya’s hand as she spoke.

Perhaps the woman herself radiated a power that made people believe in her. Xiao Ya stopped the tears that were about to fall, only feeling that this sister in blue was the third-best person in the world. Except for not comparing to Grandmother and Brother, she was the best person under heaven.

For someone she liked, she naturally wanted to share good things with them. Tasty things were at home—she hadn’t brought any. At present, there was only Hanhan. So Xiao Ya picked up Hanhan and brought it before the blue-clothed woman, letting her hold it too.

The little maid shrieked and ran away, but the blue-clothed woman found nothing strange. Seeing Hanhan’s nose moving up and down, she found it amusing. She took out several stalks of wild vegetables from her bamboo basket and fed Hanhan. Seeing the piglet eat them all without politeness, Xiao Ya took a few more stalks from the woman’s basket and placed them in her hand. Hanhan rooted around wildly in Xiao Ya’s hand. The warm breath made her hand ticklish, and she couldn’t help but giggle.

Yun Ye released the four pigs to forage on their own. Hearing Xiao Ya’s laughter, he followed the sound.

He saw three females—one large, two small—forming a circle, teasing Hanhan and occasionally laughing. Not wanting to disturb them, he stood to the side with a smile, watching the three play.

The blue-clothed woman felt someone nearby. She suddenly looked up and saw a young man wearing the academy’s sky-blue robe standing to the side, watching her with interest. She couldn’t help but blush deeply. Her fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson, but she wasn’t flustered. She raised her hand to arrange a strand of black hair that had slipped down, straightened her body, and graciously performed a salute:

“Xinyue of Sichuan greets Elder Brother Yun.” She performed the salute of equals, also the form of address commonly used by children of official families—not affected, not rigid, open and generous, without a trace of narrow-mindedness. Yun Ye greatly praised her in his heart, but his hands dared not be negligent and he hurriedly returned the salute:

“Yun Ye has been discourteous. Just now seeing Miss extremely compatible with my younger sister and very happy, I momentarily couldn’t bear to disturb them. I hope Younger Sister won’t blame me.”

“Xinyue has long dwelt in the remote lands of Sichuan and doesn’t understand proper etiquette, making Elder Brother laugh.”

Yun Ye scratched his head. He was most impatient with this kind of strict etiquette. Putting on an act once or twice was fine, but if it continued, he wouldn’t know how to speak anymore.

“Yushan gentleman is a senior this one most admires. Yushan gentleman also regards this one as a close junior. If Younger Sister is so formal, it leaves me at a loss.” Yun Ye had long occupied a high position and spent all day mixing with several great scholars. Even by association, he’d picked up some scholarly air. Combined with the pride from his future life that couldn’t be erased, his whole person radiated an extremely carefree bearing.

Xinyue smiled and took her leave, departing with her maid. Xiao Ya was reluctant to part, constantly waving and shouting loudly: “Sister Xinyue, I’ll bring Hanhan to see you tomorrow! My family has lots and lots of delicious food!”

Yun Ye saw Xinyue and her servant walk far away, then spread a blanket on the grass and lay down. Xiao Ya also released Hanhan and pillowed her head on Yun Ye’s belly, saying: “Brother, Sister Xinyue is so beautiful. Do you think I’ll be as beautiful as her in the future?”

Beautiful? Yun Ye didn’t particularly feel so. Having seen all kinds of beauties on movies, television, and computers in later generations, Xinyue had a gap compared to them. He only felt this was an extremely forthright woman—getting along with her would certainly be very pleasant.

“Xiao Ya will of course grow into the most beautiful woman in the future. Brother guarantees it. Whoever says Xiao Ya isn’t beautiful, Brother will break his legs.”

“But my hair is very yellow, not as pretty as Sister Xinyue’s. That maid even called me a yellow-haired girl.” The little girl earnestly told her brother of her grievance.

“It doesn’t matter. As long as Xiao Ya eats her meals well in the future and eats fewer pastries, she’ll grow black hair, even prettier than Sister Xinyue’s. Next time we meet that maid, we’ll break her legs.”

“No! That way Xiao Qiu will become a cripple and Sister Xinyue will be sad. We won’t hit Xiao Qiu…”

While the siblings chatted idly, Grandmother was watching from a hill not far away. Aunts, sisters-in-law, and older sisters chattered noisily without stopping, saying it was too far and they couldn’t see clearly, and didn’t know if she was good for childbearing. Grandmother silenced them with one sentence:

“Today is just the first time Ye’er has met Miss Xin. What are you all babbling about? If because of your nonsense the marriage match flies away, just watch how I deal with you.”

Though Grandmother spoke severely, in her heart she was calculating how to visit Yushan gentleman’s home to pay respects to Old Madam Xin, and incidentally take a closer look at Miss Xin. Old Li Gang’s words truly couldn’t be entirely trusted.