Before Chen Mo arrived in Yangzhou, a man dressed as a dockworker entered a quiet little tavern in Qinhuai City.
The tavern was empty except for the shopkeeper sweeping with a feather duster.
Seeing the man come in, the shopkeeper set down the feather duster and approached with a smile: "What would you like to drink, sir? We have Peach Blossom Brew, Hua Diao, sorghum..."
"Two taels of Hua Diao and a dish of peanuts."
"Alright, just a moment, please. It'll be ready shortly."
...
Soon.
"Sir, here are your Hua Diao and peanuts, enjoy." The shopkeeper placed the wine and peanuts down, preparing to leave.
The man dressed as a laborer picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, ate it, and said while chewing, "Shopkeeper, those lotus flowers at Guanshan Lake should be blooming soon, right?"
The shopkeeper paused, then said, "They've started to bloom. If you plan to see them, you should go early; if you're late, you won't get a good view because of the crowds."
