The next day, the weather was clear.
Just after the hour of the rabbit, the rising sun revealed the full might of the dog days of summer.
Dazzling sunlight shone down.
It bathed Shu Prefecture City in brilliant light.
The bustling East and West Markets, the refined Kanning Street, the solemn Yamen gates on Zhennan Street, and the singing girls of Yanhuaxiang south of the city.
Perhaps because Mid-Autumn Festival was drawing near, commoners, merchants, and officials alike mostly wore smiles.
Xiao Die was naturally no exception.
She rose early today and, after tidying herself up a little, had the coachman bring her to Kanning Street to invite a master from a Mounting Shop.
That mounting master was no outsider. He was the shop owner himself, along with his two assistants.
The owner's surname was Dai, and his given name was Nian.
He was naturally no stranger to Chen Yi, a regular customer.
Xiao Die led him lightly into the study room at Chunhe Garden.
Dai Nian surveyed the study's furnishings, offered a few compliments, and asked, "Xiao Die, which calligraphy copybooks would you like mounted?"
Xiao Die pointed at the stack of Yunsong Paper on the table. "These."
"That's quite a lot. How many pieces?"
"There are... let me count."
As she spoke, Xiao Die counted them one scroll at a time. "One, two... Boss Dai, there are twenty-one in all."
Dai Nian noted down the number, then opened them one by one to measure their dimensions so he could prepare the tools.
For every piece he measured, he recorded it down, casually adding a word of praise for Mr. Qingzhou's fine calligraphy.
Whether it was good or not, there was no need for him to say.
Xiao Die knew perfectly well.
Yet her little face was taut at