The snow outside had stopped, but the accumulation was deep, reaching halfway up the knees.
Yingbao and her father stood at the entrance of the inn, gazing into the distance with sinking hearts.
Maybe they could travel on horseback, but and they were traveling by horse cart.
Once the wooden wheels of the horse cart froze, the whole cart would be ruined.
Yingbao went to the courtyard of the inn once again.
Their own horses were all in the stable, and the innkeeper was feeding them shredded forage from a basket.
Xiao Chengjun's horses were also crammed in the stable, with a few standing outside, leaving a trail of horse dung and urine.
The innkeeper's wife was cursing as she shoveled the dung and urine with a spade.
In the kitchen, the innkeeper's two daughters-in-law were cooking, steam was billowing from a large steamer in which something was being cooked.
Returning to the inn, the not-so-large hall was already crowded, as all the guests had gotten up.