Another day on the journey.
The cold wind pierced like knives, and the withered yellow reeds swayed on both sides of the official road.
After days of exhausting travel, everyone carried a bit of the dust-covered look, until the blurry outline of the Capital's city wall appeared under the lead-gray sky, whispers of relief arose within the group.
Beside the official road was a simple tea stall, the wind rattling the reed shelter.
The old man selling tea huddled over, adding charcoal to the mud stove, as billowing steam spewed from the copper pot's spout.
"Rest for a while." Li Yan reined in his horse.
Sha Lifei rubbed his hands and squeezed into the shelter first, plopping down on a bench:
"Shopkeeper, more ginger in the hot tea!"
The tea was scalding, and the rim of the coarse pottery bowl was too hot to touch.
Wang Daoxuan slowly sipped from his bowl, his gaze traveled over the sparse passersby on the official road.
