The afternoon at the National University was somewhat lively; even without Xu Chuo's classroom, order was not always maintained. The teacher had not yet arrived, and the students gathered in groups of three or five, chatting idly about what they had seen and heard.
"...The dumplings at Zhumaliu are delicious, with thin skins, tender filling, and fresh soup..."
"Let's not go there..."
"Right, I'll tell you, the brushes from the Place of Delight absorb more ink and have a more even color than those from Spring Breeze Studio. I've used about four or five of them..."
"I also found a good bookstore yesterday. Take a look... This book is so exquisitely made, and there are several volumes titled 'Heart exceeds strength but not capacity'..."
"Xu Yang, Xu Yang! I've read the poem you wrote yesterday. Except for two metric errors, it's very well written..."
