"Each of the three times I went to the capital, it was during winter."
The Fishing Tax Office was brightly lit. Liang Qu stood under the eaves, stretched lazily, and gazed out at the Great Marsh.
The stars and moon were bleak, the cold wind biting.
In the town, fishermen wearing conical hats hurried back and forth, setting out in boats to fish under the stark night sky.
Winter had begun, and the temperatures were dropping. In early November, there were still traces of fish schools.
By the end of November and the beginning of December, the real cold of winter set in. Fish would sporadically run into deeper waters. A day's outing might yield little, and with the strong winds on the river, falling in and catching a cold was a real danger.
Winter was ultimately bleak, everyone holed up at home, unwilling to step outside.
The south was cold enough, let alone the north.
"I wonder when I'll get to witness the grand sight of the elephants bathing at Accumulated Water Pond."
