The early spring chill still bit.
The year's end was approaching.
Before the old emperor of the previous dynasty had abdicated, Chen State had already adopted the new calendar.
To some extent, this brought it into step with the world's other nations.
There was no helping it.
After all, the world's mandate of heaven had fallen into the Kingdom of Migallon's hands.
But Chen State's traditional festivals
were still calculated by the old calendar.
The Beginning of Spring had arrived today, and the Spring Festival was only a few days away.
The markets of Lin'an were already bustling before day had fully broken.
Stalls of every description lined both sides of the streets.
"Freshly fried radish fritters! Plenty of oil in these, come take a look!"
"Freshly braised pig tails! Pair them with authentic Shao Xing Yellow Wine, and what a flavor! Just three silver coins. Come have a look?"
Vendors selling Spring Festival couplets, window cutouts, and malt-sugar melons called out one after another, their cries mingling with the scent of fried meatballs and braised meat in the cold air.
Several children clutched firecrackers as they darted through the crowd. Adults caught them by their ears and scolded them, but a moment later, they were laughing and running off again.
Trams rattled past with bright paper streamers strung across their roofs and scarlet "fortune" characters pasted on their windows.
Rickshaw pullers in old, heavily patched cotton jackets lined up at street corners for passengers, their white breath rising and dissipating in the morning light.
Whatever state the world was in,
most ordinary people carried on with their lives. If the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up.
Though unrest kept breaking out across Dongjiang and quite a few crimes had occurred within Lin'an itself, the streets were