Folk wisdom says:
"In the first and second 'nines', refrain from action;
In the third and fourth 'nines', walk upon the ice;
In the fifth and sixth 'nines', watch the willows along the river;
In the seventh 'nine', the ice breaks; in the eighth 'nine', the swallows arrive;
Add another 'nine' to the ninth 'nine', and oxen roam everywhere."
Chen Ku, along with the three Shopkeepers from Medicine King Hall, Master Yang Luochen, and Senior Brother Kou Ming, walked towards the most prestigious place of dignity and power in the county: the Baojiao County Yamen.
Along the way, the air was already filled with hints of spring. In the distance, the Dragon River flowed, its waters rushing, the ice long melted—a symbol of spring's return to the land.
