Twelve Li Back to the Creek

In the city of Yujing, the twelve-mile Guixi district is famous far and wide. The first and second miles honor benevolence and filial piety. People rent homes and settle down, seek guidance, buy coffins, look for doctors and medicine, or pursue quiet cultivation and rest. The third and fourth miles gather goods from everywhere: southern delicacies and northern treasures, eastern dishes and western flavors. Chinese and foreign cultures meet, and merchants from every province flock here. The fifth and sixth miles brim with wealth: pawnshops and exchanges, houses full of riches, dazzling pearls and jade, and a constant stream of distinguished visitors. The seventh and eighth miles house the great market, open by day and closed at night. Goods are plentiful and affordable, crowds come and go, and all their needs for food, clothing, shelter, and travel are met. The ninth and tenth miles are lined with teahouses and taverns, where tea is poured and wine is served, cups clink, and guests laugh and chat. Wandering travelers and men of letters gather here. The eleventh and twelfth miles revel in splendor: entertainers, variety acts, strings and pipes, music and song. Here people lose themselves in pleasure, making the most of the word “romance.” The people of each district make their own livings, keep their own worries, and have their own stories. Listen as the storyteller opens the book and spins, in careful detail, a dream of Guixi. ◆Side Story Summaries◆ (I, I decided to sum them up in one sentence OTZ) *Each side story is fairly independent, but I recommend reading them in order ^_^ It makes the hidden plot easier to follow.* [Nanke Alley] (gentle): A disabled carpenter too poor to afford medical care moves in right next door to a sharp-tongued doctor who bullies his patients... [Huaiying District] (glamorous): The slow road to remarriage for a pawnshop owner and a goldsmith who divorced ten years ago... [West Dian Great Market] (shady): A demoted police officer becomes a market inspector and runs into a nasty street vendor (pfft, probably?)