Arriving at the outer courtyard gate, Madam Hui appeared somewhat agitated.
Anning got off the carriage, and Madam Hui waited a moment before disembarking.
She held the hand of her maid, taking several deep breaths to calm herself.
Anning nodded at Madam Hui and said to the attendant behind her, "Knock on the door."
An old woman went to knock on the main gate.
"Who is it?"
Soon, a voice of an old woman echoed from inside the courtyard.
The main gate creaked open, and an old woman, about fifty years old, poked her head out, glancing around.
The people Madam Hui brought pushed that old woman aside, and two attendants opened the gate, inviting Anning and Madam Hui to enter.
With the gate open, the courtyard's scene was visible.
This small courtyard was not large, almost visible at a glance.
The courtyard was paved with bluestone, planted with a big tree, a few patches of flowers and plants, nothing else.
