“…Please take care of them. Tomorrow morning, a carriage will bring the children over…”

“I can’t wait.” Olivia Clemens held little Susy and waved to her. “Merry Christmas in advance!”

Lin Yuchan beamed with a smile, left Mark Twain’s house, and lightly bounced twice.

She reminded herself to be reserved. She was someone who had met many big shots – this one wasn’t special!

But she still shamelessly asked him for several signed books, planning to keep them forever.

Finding host families for girls couldn’t be as casual as for boys. She inspected each applying family one by one, ensuring middle class or above, with upright and kind male heads of household, high-status wives, and definitely having girls in the family.

The room and board subsidies she provided weren’t as generous as those for government-sponsored students, so the girls would also need to help the host families with some work, essentially a form of work-study. But she repeatedly emphasized to the host families that the children should spend most of their time studying language and culture, not be treated as servants. The study abroad office staff would make regular home visits to ensure that host families kept their agreements.

The Mark Twain couple were young, so to avoid impropriety, she didn’t let Huang He, whom the great writer favored most, move in, but instead chose four youngest girls, including Feilun, giving detailed instructions before reluctantly leaving.

Lin Yuchan envied these little girls so much. Having a great writer guide their English!

The other girls also found placement families, all nearby within a day’s travel.

With such an intensive schedule, Lin Yuchan gradually felt her body couldn’t handle it. Su Minguan took over, sometimes calling on Christmas to run errands and help move things, saving her many trips.

Unable to handle everything personally, she was initially unwilling. But later she came to terms with it. If not for him, she wouldn’t have lost half her fighting capacity. So she used people with a clear conscience.

Chen Lanbin had already arranged the legation’s office location, an impressive Western-style building in downtown Springfield. When newly opened, it was empty inside, furnished with porcelain, tea, books, embroidery crafts and such brought from China. With doors open, citizens occasionally came to visit out of curiosity.

The study abroad office staff had also found relatively stable accommodations. Rong Hong arranged four boys with his former host family, renting nearby himself, often meeting with childhood friends in his spare time, and living happily.

Additionally, Rong Hong memorialized the court, hoping for funding to buy land and establish a permanent, large study abroad office headquarters in America, expecting to continue serving Chinese students for decades to come.

He asked Lin Yuchan to help review the budget. Her first reaction was: “Too expensive. With this money the court might as well buy several cannons.”

But Rong Hong said this was his intention. The more silver the court invested, the more they would value this matter and not easily cancel or change it.

Lin Yuchan was deeply surprised that this man, years away from business, could still skillfully apply the concept of “sunk costs.”

Probably from being close to her – those near vermilion become red, she thought smugly.

She suggested: “Funding could come from both official and private sources. Especially places with students abroad – there are also many merchants and compradors who would surely be willing to contribute.”

As for herself, Su Minguan found them temporary lodging. New England had high living costs; her high income in China, converted to dollars, wouldn’t allow for luxury. So, according to her wishes, he rented on Maple Street in Springfield’s suburban area. Fortunately, Springfield wasn’t large, comparable to Shanghai or Hong Kong. The so-called suburb was only a ten-minute walk to downtown, not even as far as from Boya to Yixing back then.

The small building had a yard and was an old house from colonial times. Its advantage was beauty. Gray-tiled pointed roof with triangular gabled windows, window frames painted light blue, walls covered in ivy having just dropped its last red leaf.

Christmas brought her children and several Black brothers and sisters to help move furniture and kitchenware, then cleaned out dead grass and trees from the garden. Afterward, she firmly refused payment. Lin Yuchan bought beer and treated them to a good drink.

Su Minguan helped her arrange the room, scraping off old wall paint. Standing on a ladder, he pasted the light yellow printed wallpaper she had chosen. Then he went out to cut wood, chopping firewood in the yard and stacking it high in the stable for winter fireplace heating.

Lin Yuchan watched him work up a sweat while she curled up on the sofa, feeling a bit guilty. When she tried to help, he pushed her back without question.

She said it didn’t need to be so detailed, “We’re only renting for a few months anyway.”

Su Minguan’s expression darkened slightly as he reminded her: “At least a year, right?”

Oh, right, she had forgotten her special situation again. Looking down, she smiled sheepishly.

This trip would be quite delayed. At least she wouldn’t be lonely.

Mrs. Olivia Clemens had also promised to give her a cradle and baby bed when the time came.

Material living standards in America weren’t as abundant as in later times. Like in China, baby items passed through many families, and used items carried healthy blessings from previous babies. Lin Yuchan didn’t mind at all, early set aside space in the storage room.

Su Minguan changed out of work clothes back into his robe, embracing her from behind. Seeming to guess her thoughts, he quietly laughed: “What if it’s a boy?”

He had seen little Susy’s cradle, decorated with embroidery and lace, very girly. Lin Yuchan had taken a liking to it.

Lin Yuchan seriously told him, “Then he’ll grow up to be an aesthetically qualified refined man.”

Su Minguan laughed at her response, pinching her ear and saying, “You still prefer girls.”

Lin Yuchan shook her head, saying in a somewhat uncertain tone: “Not really.”

In the past, she had occasionally thought that if she had children in the Qing Dynasty, it would be better not to have girls. Setting aside other issues, she definitely wouldn’t bind her daughter’s feet. This would mean that despite her protection, the child would eventually encounter society and inevitably face endless abuse, hostility, and even persecution. Could such a child grow up healthy?

But now the situation was different. If childhood was spent in America, no one would care about big or small feet.

Moreover, having dealt with orphanage girls for years, she had more experience caring for girls.

But other problems would arise. Cultural belonging, racial discrimination, and such…

Regardless, her child was destined to be an anomaly of the times. If the anomaly’s gender was male, the starting difficulty seemed less…

But if it were a boy, without so many life upheavals and historical opportunities, could he grow up as excellent as Su Minguan? Better not be worse with each generation – that would be a huge loss for her…

Seeing her torn, Su Minguan comfortingly stroked her hair.

“Anyway, you don’t get to choose.”

Having settled herself and the children, Lin Yuchan planned to contact schools. New England was currently the most developed region in America. Other places, even suddenly wealthy ones like San Francisco, California, were just beginning to organize universities, with various public and private schools of uneven quality and high tuition, while New England already had over ten excellent primary institutions, including many excellent girls’ secondary schools, some even receiving government tax subsidies.

Nearby were Springfield’s Mount Holyoke College, New York’s Vassar College, and Elmira Female College, which awarded bachelor’s degrees equal to those given to male students. Slightly farther were the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania and the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, qualified to award medical degrees.

However, with the arrival of severe winter, these itineraries had to be temporarily postponed. When schools and government began holidays, and Springfield families were all preparing for Christmas celebrations, heavy snow fell without warning.

Having lived in southern China for over twenty years, Lin Yuchan had seen thin sleet along the Yangtze River and snow falling on Tianjin’s waters, thinking herself well-traveled. Today, she was stumped by the overwhelming snow of America’s Northeast.

The two-story building on Maple Street had a fireplace burning, windows blurred. She vaguely saw snow outside and excitedly put on thick clothes to push the door—

“…Little White!” she wailed. “Help! We’re trapped!”

The door wouldn’t open! The snow was at least one meter thick!

Su Minguan also found it novel. He pushed hard but only opened three inches. He could only reach out a hand, grab some snow to bring back, very resignedly laughing: “Ancients used snow water to brew tea. Today, we finally get to be elegant.”

He did retrieve several letters from the mailbox, all telegrams from home. The mailman had come yesterday afternoon, showing this meter-thick snow was entirely nature’s overnight masterpiece.

Lin Yuchan sat on the sofa reading letters, laughing as she watched Su Minguan, like an eager young man, nimbly climb out the window and begin shoveling snow bit by bit.

Not just her household. Neighboring houses all mobilized, everyone digging passages for their homes.

Boya Company sent third quarter reports. On the far shore in Shanghai, 1872 was an average year with several subsidiaries performing mediocrely. She calculated her dividends barely covered this trip to America’s costs.

But this was normal. Entrepreneurship wasn’t like getting fixed wages – income growth wasn’t a straight line. Sometimes years of stagnation; sometimes seizing rare business opportunities brought rapid wealth accumulation.

Fortunately, there were railway company dividends and stocks. She had already had traders sell half the stock on the New York Stock Exchange at an average price of $18 per share. Now she had ample cash and didn’t need to transfer money from home.

She read newspapers. She continued subscribing to “Shenbao” and “North China Herald,” having employees select and package them for mailing to stay informed of domestic conditions. Additionally, she subscribed to “The Boston Globe” and “The New York Daily Times,” paying extra postage for regular home delivery.

Reading newspaper advertisements, she suddenly remembered the silk reeling machine promised to Baoluo, so she noted several factory names and addresses, planning to schedule visits.

But looking at the Northeast American climate, this winter travel was unlikely. She’d have to wait for spring.

Stuffing the newspaper in a drawer, she suddenly discovered a strange book hidden in the back – borrowed from the legation library, “Shuowen Jiezi” (Origin of Chinese Characters), with dozens of bookmarks inside…

Lin Yuchan looked up to see Su Minguan still battling snow, covered in white.

She couldn’t help smiling. Flipping through bookmarks, she laughed aloud.

Su Minguan, despite his proper appearance, remained wild at heart, choosing characters both obscure and cool, some even quite juvenile by her standards…

Perhaps making up for a lifetime of being called Little White by her.

Fine, let him fantasize. Naming the child wasn’t urgent anyway – deciding after the full moon and a hundred days wouldn’t be late. Taking a school name when starting school, a courtesy name at twenty… Ancient people had much better cultural cultivation than she; she wouldn’t worry about this.

Outside came sounds of young and old playing. American neighbors knew how to have fun, sweeping snow flat in front of their houses, connecting the whole street, stepping on wooden boards to ski.

Su Minguan was itching to try, asked neighbors, and quickly imitated them, making a pair of skis.

Lin Yuchan stuffed the dictionary back in the drawer, eagerly running to the doorway.

Su Minguan stepped on the skis to test them. Unfortunately, Cantonese people’s racial talents didn’t include skiing. Despite his agility, once on them, he swayed unsteadily, having to tightly grip nearby pine trees like a learning child, inching forward bit by bit.

Suddenly, he gave a short cry of alarm, accidentally entering a downslope where speed suddenly increased, disappearing like lightning behind…

A small hill.

Lin Yuchan laughed heartily, ran out, and pulled him from the thick snow.

Su Minguan felt quite embarrassed, pursing his lips, wanting to try again.

Lin Yuchan smiled as she adjusted his skis: “Maybe the strap is too loose. Let me try…”

Su Minguan saw her dangerous intent and hid the skis behind his back.

“A’Mei, sit inside. I’ll make you tea.”

She looked at him pitifully.

It was just skis! Back in high school, she was also a small expert at skating around Ersha Island!

She circled behind to grab the skis but was lifted off the ground by one arm, just couldn’t reach.

Su Minguan patiently said, “This time next year, I’ll ski with you.”

She naturally knew to avoid such dangerous sports. But maybe due to unstable hormone levels, she wanted to be willful.

“Five more months.” She acted coquettishly.

“Fine, five months from now I’ll ski with you.”

Lin Yuchan was delighted. He forgot to calculate confinement time!

Also forgot to consider how to care for the child!

But she still argued: “It’ll be summer then.”

“I’ll accompany you on trains to the western snow mountains. Or when Northern Railways opens, to Canada. I hear there are year-round glaciers there.”

Slightly satisfied, she made him promise.

But watching others play wildly, her heart still ached. She turned to get a broom from the tool room, slowly sweeping yard snow into a very gentle, small slope.

Su Minguan shook his head, understanding her intent.

“Just once.”

He placed skis at one end of the yard, sat on them, embracing her in front – a small bundle securely surrounded, then carefully began moving, faster and faster—

“Aowu—”

Before Lin Yuchan’s joyful cry ended, the skis at about five kilometers per hour had steadily reached the yard’s other end.

The more adventurous one is, the less willing to waste luck on daily small matters. This was the safety limit both could accept.

Lin Yuchan, unsatisfied, picked up the skis and ran back uphill.

“Catch me below!”

Then at five kilometers per hour, she slowly “rushed” into his embrace, gentle as space station docking.

She laughed breathlessly, somehow couldn’t stop laughing, more childish than a five-year-old.

“Again…”

Su Minguan sternly said, “We agreed just once.”

“Already twice. You didn’t stop me just now, hehe, too late.”

The third time, Su Minguan pushed her from behind, reaching a terrifying eight kilometers per hour. Reaching the yard’s end, perfect braking.

Outside, neighbors were falling in various poses, chasing and playing with snow particles hanging from eyebrows and beards. At the same moment, Chinese students scattered in host families across Massachusetts and Connecticut were also experiencing their first skiing, laughing, and hugging their new Mom and Dad.

Only in Lin Yuchan’s small yard did a kindergarten-version snow train circle round and round, with waves of silly cheering from inside.

“Yay!… One more time…”