After the rain, sunlight slanted through the small courtyard, spilling into the garden's golden-threaded nanmu trees.
It rendered one half of the grove bright and sunny, the other cool and serene.
A Glazed Triangular Cup rested beneath the corner of the eaves, and Li Zijun knelt on a rush cushion.
One delicate hand gently supported her head. She quietly watched the crystal-clear raindrops fall from the roof's eaves, then roll, perfectly straight, into the cup.
There was no one else in the room. It was so silent one could hear the maidservant's breathing.
And the PLINK of each water droplet.
CRISP—
With every drop that fell into the cup, the smile on her face widened by a fraction.
The maidservant watched her mistress silently, not daring to speak, lest she shatter the beautiful tranquility.
Li Zijun gently set aside the cup collecting the rainwater. After the rain, the courtyard was utterly tranquil, as if one had stepped into an ink wash painting.
