Zheng Fan ate methodically, bite by bite, while Xiao Yibo, beside him, wolfed down his food. For Xiao Yibo, the meal itself wasn't important; the crucial part was dining with his leader.
They had barely finished half a bowl of their small wontons when a second pair of customers approached the stall.
One was an old man in a coarse cloth robe, shivering and sniffling constantly. The other was a swordsman, bundled up tightly in cotton clothes, carrying a sword.
The swordsman appeared to be in his early forties, his face covered in blemishes. It was hard to tell if they were from the cold or if that was just his complexion.
The old man held a long pennant in his left hand. A corner of its flag, stirred by the cold wind, revealed the character for 'Divination'.
"Ten copper coins a bowl, for the two of you," the woman said, waiting to collect the money.
Her husband stood ready by the pot. If she didn't receive payment, his wontons wouldn't be cooked.
