Chen Yi found Iron Abacus by the archway of the Spring Bright Gate.
Spring Bright Gate is the middle gate among the three eastern gates of Chang'an, constantly bustling with carriages and pedestrians. The massive archway resembles the mouth of a giant beast, swallowing and spitting out streams of people and goods.
On both sides inside the archway, at the base of the wall, is a gathering place for those resting temporarily, waiting for work, or doing small businesses. There are sellers of large bowls of tea, shoe repairers, and letter writers. More often, there are groups of three or five carriage drivers or porters squatting or leaning against the wall.
The sounds of shouting, bargaining, crude jokes among acquaintances, the dull rattle of wheels on cobblestones, and the impatient snorts of mules and horses echo off the arched walls, buzzing noisily. It's a corner of Chang'an, not much different from any larger county town.
