There had never been anyone who picked Cheong up and spun her around. After all, Cheong didn’t typically throw herself into a man’s arms out of sheer excitement (with exceptions for old folks and certain kinds of stands). In the culture of the Central Plains, such a behavior was considered highly improper, especially for a grown woman like Cheong. And Cheong herself was, after all, a fully grown woman, in more ways than one.

But Peng Choryeo was an even bigger woman — in every sense of the word — and cared little for social decorum or appearances.

It was …