The rain had fallen without cease for days, and the craftsmen of East Market had long since begun to stir restlessly.
Especially those with families to support.
They had always relied on performing each day to earn a little income.
When the weather was good,
if there were many people cheering them on, they could earn over a hundred copper coins.
Even if fewer passersby stopped, they could still make several dozen copper coins.
Whether they earned much or little, at least it was enough to fill the stomachs of the whole family.
But when the skies darkened and rain fell, forget setting up a stall to perform—even finding a dry place to shelter from the rain was difficult.
Their plight was scarcely different from a leaking roof meeting a night-long downpour.
Thus, as noon approached, quite a few such people had gathered inside Jishi Pharmacy by East Market to take shelter.
Some were all alone.
Like that Fortune Teller, who spread his banner beneath himself and half lay upon it, muttering, "Fewer complaints save effort. I'm not hungry."
Others truly had families in tow—three generations, old and young alike, dressed in ragged clothes.
Perhaps from feelings of shame and inferiority, they only huddled in the corner beside the entrance, doing their best not to affect the Medicine Hall's business.
Others simply set their sights on the Medicine Hall itself.
"Liu from the accounting department, with the rain falling this heavily today, even you gentlemen might have trouble getting lunch. How about I run errands for you?"
A dark-skinned young man in short clothes said with a cheeky grin, "Just give me something to eat."
Liu Quan glanced sideways at him and waved him off impatiently. "Go stay somewhere cool. Don't bother me."
If Chen Yi had not previously said