This year's winter arrived exceptionally early. The first early snow fell fast and fierce. Zhao Yan, who got up while the sky was still a hazy gray, quickly felt the bone-chilling cold. He shivered as he put on his clothes, and the sleepiness that had still been narrowing his drowsy eyes was instantly chased away by a gust of cold wind. Forced to open his eyes, he saw that the courtyard had already been dyed in endless white, and he knew at once that winter was here.
On the early morning streets, there were only a scattering of people, mostly officials rushing off to morning court. The Capital was a place where every inch of land was worth a fortune, and wanting to settle an entire family there required no small expense—relying solely on that meager official salary was far from enough. Many officials of ordinary means had to rent houses in rather remote locations, which meant they had to set out in advance, traveling while it was still pitch black, and could only return home at night after the sun had already set.
Every time, Zhao Yan felt incomparably grateful that the house he bought was in a good location, allowing him to have enough sleep to recover his energy. Being responsible for high-intensity work would crush him sooner or later.
Chapter 629