Before them stood a mansion built against the hills, yet standing independently; no neighboring houses were to be seen within a mile or so, just a few similarly large courtyards that were also apparently built here by wealthy families from the city.
The mansion covered an extensive area; one could neither see the corners of the walls at a glance nor the end of the estate. What lay inside could be partially surmised from the intricate carvings of carps playing with pearls on the rows of green tiles atop the vermillion gate.
This residence not only astonished Xin Er but also the others. Zhenzhen looked at the towering gate, barely containing his excitement, "This yard is indeed very large; who knows, maybe there's even enough room to gallop horses inside!"
Xin Er slapped her brother's shoulder, gloating, "Master punished you to copy the Book of Rites, and you still have the mood to think about playing; it seems your punishment wasn't severe enough!"
