There's a fitting analogy for the plague: when you wake up in the morning and see a few snowflakes falling outside your window, the world beyond has often already accumulated a blanket of snow.
For the people of Taiyuan Prefecture, their lives had completely changed within just a few days.
You could no longer see enthusiastic street vendors, porters carrying loads, or newsboys holding newspapers.
Many shops on both sides of the street had closed. Only those selling daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt, and the pharmacies, remained open, with long lines forming outside.
Everyone in line wore masks and kept about an arm's length from each other. No one dared to cut in line.
The reason was simple: Government Officials and soldiers from the garrison stood at the shop entrances, maintaining law and order and watching the crowd with stern eyes.
"Make way, make way!"
