More than ten days had passed since the beginning of winter.
In the northern location of Shengjing, a bucket filled with water left in the courtyard would form a thin layer of ice overnight. The clothes that were once suitable could no longer be worn, so Yin Zheng went to Ge Tailor Shop across the street and picked out a few pieces of fabric, planning to make a few new winter garments for Lu Tong and herself.
Because the weather had turned cold suddenly overnight, Lu Tong had caught a cold. With the continuous rain these days, Du Changqing saw how sickly Lu Tong looked and, with a wave of his hand, decided to close Renxin Medical Hall for two days to let Lu Tong recover indoors.
Days in winter darkened early, and a torrential rain poured down, causing nearly all the merchants on West Street to close up. Under the eaves, a row of lanterns swayed violently in the storm, their dim light obscured by the winter rain.
