In the wilderness outside Anyang during the Ming Dynasty stood an inn, now owned by Zhou Yong. In his father's day, there had still been a small village nearby. But by Zhou Yong's time, the surrounding households and vendors had all gradually moved away, leaving only his inn behind. The villagers who had once lived there urged him to move with them and seek a living in a more prosperous place, but Zhou Yong politely refused. He had to wait here for someone to arrive, or perhaps for a group of people. Only after he had finished what he needed to do could he decide whether to stay or leave as he pleased. Fortunately, the inn stood near a trade route, on a branch road beside it
