The Village Doctor's Daughter

The tenth year of Yonghe, Great Qi Dynasty, Lunar New Year’s Eve

Within the city of Suzhou, lanterns and festive banners were strung up everywhere, filling the air with a joyous and harmonious atmosphere. Though the hour was still early, faint bursts of firecrackers could already be heard in the distance—no doubt the handiwork of mischievous children unable to wait for nightfall.

To the east of Suzhou, nestled a typical Jiangnan-style residence, its spacious courtyards adorned with festive decorations. On the doors hung the character for “blessing,” and the windows were framed with bright red paper cuttings, imbuing the home with a rich sense of the New Year.

At that moment, four boys in the courtyard were setting off the latest style of firecrackers to appear in Suzhou that year. The new design produced thunderous noise and, had it been night, would have lit up the darkness with dazzling flashes. Unfortunately, as the sun had yet to set, only the explosive sounds echoed, with no spectacle of light to accompany them.

Gu Jiaoyan, dressed in a peach-pink gown with a rose-red satin cloak trimmed in white fox fur, her head covered by a hood and hands cradling a hand warmer, gazed longingly at her four spirited older brothers at play. Boys truly were brimming with energy, clad only in thin jackets, yet able to race about the entire courtyard. She looked down at herself, bundled up like a dumpling, and still could not quite shake the chill.

Wasn’t the south supposed to be warm? In previous years, Suzhou had never been this cold. What had happened