The back alleys behind Zha Xinrou's pharmacy were lined with low-slung, tile-roofed houses, crammed tightly together without courtyards or even much sunlight.
Laundry had to be hung right outside the doorways. As the group followed the steward into the narrow lane, the fluttering clothes under every eaves were the first things that met their eyes.
The sun had not yet risen over the mountains, and there were no lamps lit in the alley. It was dark, claustrophobic, and reeked of unpleasant odors.
Chapter 173