"Look over here! Yes, you—the one putting on airs!" The scholar turned his head and saw a burly man with a face full of coarse features waving at him.
Next to the burly man was a desk adorned with pens and paper. Behind him stood a cabinet filled with neatly stacked sheets of paper. Beside the desk was a sign that boldly read "Registration Area."
Similar desks were placed along either side of the road near the town entrance, each manned by two or three robust men.
Curious, the scholar walked over and asked, "Does everyone entering Qingming need to register?"
The burly man glared at him, responding gruffly, "Of course. Do you think this place is somewhere you can come and go as you please? Stop wasting time and come register. I've got tasks to complete today."
As he spoke, the burly man slapped a sheet of paper into the scholar's chest and said, "You look like someone who knows how to read and write. Save me some effort and fill this out yourself!"
