Fu Yunshu, the eldest daughter of the Fu family, first met Shen Muyan under the pear tree in her family's backyard. That year, she was five years old, wearing a brand-new pomegranate-red padded jacket. She was standing on tiptoe to reach the lowest branch when she was startled by a scruffy little boy who suddenly popped out. He was clutching half a hard steamed bun, but his eyes were as bright as fallen stars. "My mother is your family's cook," he whispered. "My name is Shen Muyan. Don't be afraid."
Yunshu was not afraid. Instead, she found the frayed cuffs of his sleeves amusing, and she broke off half of the sugar cake she had just been given and handed it over. That was the beginning of their story, like all cliché childhood sweethearts' tales. In the phrase "well-matched in social and economic status," the "status" on the Fu side was the vermilion gate of the Junior Minister of Revenue's mansion, while on the Shen side, it had once been the famous Shen Silk Shop in the south of the city. Back then, however, the Shen family's silks could still pave an entire street, and on Fu Yunshu's embroidery frame, she could still use the leftover scraps embroidered with intertwining lotus flowers that Shen Muyan had secretly saved for her.
They had climbed the rockery in the Fu family's backyard together; Shen Muyan would always climb up first and then reach out to pull her up, the warmth of his palm carrying the sweat of youth. They had shared shelter from the rain outside the book…
Chapter 143