The courtyard where Zhao An lived was less than five hundred meters as the crow flies from the Prefectural Academy. Following the eastern academy wall, one simply had to walk down an alley lined with poplars and make a single turn to arrive.
Given such a short distance, Zhao An saw no need to take a carriage, nor did he wish to climb into one of those official sedans that made a man look like a performing monkey. He treated the journey as a casual stroll.
One side of the alley bordered the outer wall of the Prefectural Academy, while the other featured a row of single-story gray-brick-and-tile houses built in a "shop in front, home in the back" layout—where the front served as a business space and the rear as living quarters.
Chapter 92