The eastward-flowing water passes by, and it's another season when everything revives.
"Nanny Gong, how long has it been since Pan'er and Qi'er left?"
Nanny Gong was holding a plate, a small silver fork in hand, pierced a slice of apricot and handed it to Song Ci. Upon hearing the question, she silently counted and replied, "In the blink of an eye, it's been five or six years."
It is now the 29th year of Shengping, Song Ruqi went to Jiangnan in the 23rd year, and Niu Pan'er left the capital in the 24th year. Calculating on fingertips, isn't it indeed five or six years?
Song Ci took the silver fork, squinting her old eyes at the Hai Tang flowers planted in the courtyard and said, "It's been this long."
Calculating thus, she's been in Great Qing for nine years now.
It's truly unexpected that she has stayed this long; yet, perhaps she can't stay much longer.
