As the morning bell of Hanzhong City struck the fourth watch, the camel bells of the caravan startled the Ghost-Face Lanterns at the eaves—these were the "city-guarding ghost faces" Huwa had hastily carved the night before, their abacus-bead eyes fixed on the marketplace at the city gate, "watching" foreign merchants and assistants from Shu Brocade House unload their cargo. The collar of Moli's cyan robe was still faintly smelling of the post station's mugwort, but she had no time to tidy herself, keeping her eyes fixed instead on the piles of colorful satin bolts in front of Shu Brocade House.
"Young Master Xiao, take a close look," Zhang Yifan's abacus beads bounced across the bolts of Shu brocade, the pomegranate-red of the fabric making his dimples glow. "Shu brocade is divided into 'Official Brocade' and 'Commoner Brocade'. Official brocade is embroidered with twin lotuses, and a single bolt can be traded for ten shi of wheat." He suddenly pointed to a pile of coarse-textured Shu brocade stacked in the corner. "Commoner brocade is embroidered with ghost-face grain-protection designs, and three qian can buy a peasant woman the fabric for a full outfit—" The abacus beads rolled across the coarse brocade's pattern into the shape of wheat ears. "The wonder of the trade route lies precisely between this adding flowers to embroidery and providing timely help in the snow."
Huwa suddenly rushed toward Shu Brocade House wielding his carving knife, chiseling a ghost face wearing…
Chapter 83