The man led the ox-cart around a building and into a courtyard. This courtyard was much tidier and cleaner than the large, messy one outside. It was quiet all around, and the occasional chirp of a bird only emphasized the solitude.
Xiao Man looked around. The surrounding buildings reminded her of the granaries at her village's grain station. They were built with stone halfway up, then with fired bricks, topped with blue-gray tiles, and finally plastered. The ground was... Huh? Xiao Man looked down and realized the ground beneath her feet was paved with bluestone bricks!
