Zhulan held a hand warmer. "They shouldn't have been delayed, since it's already snowed near Lizhou Province."
Zhulan had already made inquiries; she was worried someone might have gotten sick on the way.
Liu Ya came in joyfully, "Mistress, Dong Zhi, who was on watch at the city gate, has returned to report that the Second Master and his entourage have entered the city."
Zhulan thought to herself that one really cannot resist worrying. Ah, how she truly missed Yushuang and Ming Rui. "Hurry and boil some hot water. Right, stoke the fires in both courtyards a bit more, and the kitchen too. Have the kitchen start cooking right away."
It was past lunchtime by now, and the Second Master's group surely hadn't eaten yet.
