"Suzi, do you remember how we first met?" Zijing asked as I brought him a basin of warm water for his evening foot bath.

"How could I forget?" I replied with a smile, helping our daughter Ah Qing assist him in rising. Zijing submerged his swollen, black-and-blue feet in the basin while I wiped his legs and continued, "When my father resigned from his official post and our family returned to Dongcheng. That day, our servant Cheng Zhao went to the Lu estate to collect grain. He was so exhausted from the journey that he didn't notice he'd only taken half the amount. Though I was just a young mistress then, when Cheng Zhao discovered his mistake, he惊慌fully sought my help, hoping the Lu family would listen to me."

"My uncle was ill that day, so the estate manager Lu Xian was busy dealing with the servants," Zijing continued. "Yuan Shu was attacking Liu Bei at Xuyi and Huaiyin, hoarding grain from the Jianghuai region, causing prices to skyrocket. My uncle felt compassion and instructed the servants to distribute grain to the villagers. The servants, not wanting to disappoint him, all consulted Lu Xian about allocations, and one decided to ask me because I was known for being generous."

"I had no idea how to find the servant who had given Cheng Zhao the grain," I admitted. "When they brought me to meet you, I told you my only thought: that servant must have been exhausted to make such a mistake in the morning. To my surprise, you laughed and summoned Lu Xian, who had a vague memory. You asked how much grain he usually allocated to the Cheng family, and he惊呼 he'd been summoned by the servants while still trying to remember. In the end, you didn't blame Lu Xian, and Cheng Zhao left a good impression on my uncle's steward. Everything worked out perfectly." We smiled at each other.

"After returning home, my father happened to return from visiting an old friend with news from the village," I continued. "His friend told him many things about you—how you neglected your family estate,散尽 your fortune, indulged in archery and swordsmanship, and associated with all sorts of people. You even led these companions hunting and training in the southern mountains. All this brought shame to the Lu family, such a wild youth. But I told my father you were actually thoughtful, generous, cautious, and far-sighted."

"My father died shortly after I was born, and I was raised by my grandmother," Zijing recalled. "My uncle took over the family business, intending to return it to me when I came of age. But with the turbulent times, I realized I couldn't just be a landowner. Instead of blaming me, my uncle gave me half the family estates to manage as I saw fit. The village elders who had watched my uncle work so hard to build the family fortune thought my grain distribution was reckless, yet my uncle defended me, believing I understood something he didn't."

"Later, my father visited the southern mountains to observe how you trained those young men and was deeply impressed," I said. "He then proposed marriage to my grandmother and uncle, and so you became my husband." Zijing laughed at the memory. He removed his feet from the basin, and I dried them before helping him back to bed. Ah Qing collected the basin and towels, wishing us good night.

"Suzi, I恐怕 cannot grow old with you," Zijing sighed. I sat beside him and gave him a look,示意 he shouldn't think such thoughts. "Do you think the plan I've proposed to Lord Sun will be realized?"

"The Conqueror also gave us a prediction," I replied, changing the subject. "Do you think that will come true?"

Zijing smiled. "You gave him a similar prediction. It came true, even though he wasn't there to see it."

I responded with an ironic smile, understanding I couldn't avoid the topic any longer. "It will all come to pass," I said sincerely. "I don't know how long we'll have to wait, but it will all come to pass."

"If that's the case, what regrets could I have..." Zijing concluded. He motioned for me to lie beside him and gently embraced me.

Despite the noisy insects outside, Zijing's whispered words echoed in my mind.

"If that's the case, what regrets could I have..."