The winter snow has been plentiful this year, thankfully not reaching disaster levels, but instead satisfying the snow lovers, resulting in no small number of snowscape poems and verses.
Zhulan could not truly enjoy these poems, but she did feel some sentiment regarding the convenience of snow clearing in the capital. After the roads had been improved, clearing the snow became easier, and the muddiness that came with the melting snow in spring was avoided. Merely thinking about it made her heartache, as in previous years when spring thawed the ice, she tried to avoid going out, as mud was everywhere.
This morning, snowflakes began to drift down. Zhulan didn't plan on studying anymore and decided to refresh her mind with the children, taking out dried flower petals of various colors that had been picked in summer. She brought a few granddaughters to crush them and produce some color.
Her grandsons took basins outside with a young servant to smash ice blocks.
