Under Hongxing Building, where they sell bejeweled hair accessories, an aged woman with white hair was calling out to sell her wares in the flower corridor. Fresh jasmine filled a wooden basin of water, clusters of it as white as snow, and their intense fragrance was overwhelming.
Water seeped from the wooden barrel, mixing with sweat as it dripped onto the floor of the gallery, where the shopkeeper selling gold beads frowned and loudly shooed her away. Forced to leave, the old woman trudged a few steps with her head down. Qinghe Street was home to honored guests and high doors, not allowing commoner vendors to hawk their goods. After a few steps, the woman's strength waned, and she slowly sat herself down to rest against a stone wall.
The wooden basin sat at her feet, the delicate white flowers like jade, their scent dispersing the harsh heat of summer a slight amount. People thronged Qinghe Street, none stopping for the flower's fragrance.
