Chen Shi opened the door and let them in, saying, "I've drawn a Wind Stabilizing Talisman; you don't need to hang any talismans anymore."
The scholars, dusty and weary, entered the temple, thanking him repeatedly.
One person stomped their feet, slapping the dust off their clothes, but was chased outside by a few female scholars who laughed, "Go outside to slap the dust off. Don't you see someone is cooking?"
So, they ran outside the temple to dust themselves off before coming back in.
Chen Shi sized up the scholars, noticing their faces, sunburned and red, their lips chapped and dry, suggesting they had traveled for a long time in the southern province.
"Where are you from?"
Chen Shi smiled, "From your accents, you don't seem to be from the same place."
A female scholar went outside, untied her hair, shook the dust off, and laughed, "We come from several provinces—Zhenzhou, Guizhou, Bisheng. We arrived before the New Year!"
