Day Thirteen.
Chen Ji's days suddenly calmed down.
Every morning, he woke up and marked a tally on the wall to note how many days he had been detained at the Imperial Supervision Office. Then he would squat in the courtyard to brush his teeth with willow twigs and salt brought by the clerk, before leaning against the door frame waiting for lamb buns.
Lord Bai Long arrived as expected every day, bringing a newspaper, winning forty games of chess, no more, no less, before leaving.
Day Twenty-One, Chen Lizun came again on behalf of Xiao Man, bringing him a change of clothes and a lacquered box. The box had three layers: one with snacks, one with candied fruit, and one with melon seeds and pine nuts.
