Wan Dongyang was now sitting on the large rock beside him, staring silently for a moment at the hand right before his eyes—with its long knuckles and exceptionally broad palm. Then, looking at the beautiful pastry resting quietly in the palm, he couldn’t help but feel that he was not only smelling the fragrance of the pastry, but also the scent emanating from the person.

It was the scent of soapberry—he couldn’t tell if it came from his clothes or his skin.

Wan Dongyang was always very clean; the Wan family was all very particular about cleanliness. As farmers, they had to work the fields, so it was inevitable that they would get mud on their clothes, and Wan Dongyang was no exception. Yet he was never dirty, tattered, or covered in grease and grime, looking disheveled.

Unable to resist, he looked down at his own collar, sleeves, and the two legs of his trousers. Finding that his clothes were still relatively clean—though there were a few large patches on his knees and shoulders—Liu Qishuang felt a little more at ease and took the dim sum from Wan Dongyang’s hands.

The village elders often said, “Laugh at filth, not at poverty.” It didn’t matter if clothes had patches, as long as they weren’t covered in grime.

With the pastries in his hands, Liu Qishuang bowed his head and mumbled a thank you. he had actually wanted to take the opportunity to glance at Wan Dongyang’s face, but she didn’t quite dare.

He didn’t know why—he’d had the courage to push the man into the rice paddy, yet now that he was close, he still couldn’t bring himself to look at Wan Dongyang’s face. If their eyes met, he’d be even more afraid; he felt that his ragged appearance wasn’t something he should show to this man.

He didn’t understand where these feelings came from, and Liu Qishuang never dwelled on things he couldn’t figure out. Now that he had the pastries, he had a new worry: how to hide them so he could take them back to his grandfather. Just as he was racking his brain for a solution, he learned the purpose of their trip from Wan Xiaohua’s somewhat eager words.

It turned out that Wan Xiaohua had been pestering to go out and pick wildflowers, so Mother Wan had called on Wan Dongyang to accompany her. She’d also given the two a task: to dig up some shepherd’s purse flowers and pick some Chinese mahogany leaves to bring back.

It was nearly March now, and the shepherd’s purse in the fields was no longer tender; it had grown tough and gone to seed. Though flowering shepherd’s purse couldn’t be eaten raw as a vegetable, it could be used to boil eggs. Around this time last year, his father had sent quite a few eggs over to the Xu family, saying that the elderly couple there wanted to eat eggs boiled with shepherd’s purse flowers.

As for Chinese mahogany, it’s only in season for about ten days to a fortnight a year. But it has a strong flavor—those who love it adore it, while those who don’t find even the smell unbearable.

In the Liu household, both Grandpa Liu and Liu Qishuang were fond of it, finding the aroma of Chinese mahogany-fried eggs delightful, but Liu Congxiang and her husband wouldn’t touch it—especially Xu Shifan, who felt like he was going to vomit just from the smell of Chinese mahogany.

Liu Qishuang sometimes thought to himself, if only the smell of Chinese mahogany could actually choke someone to death. He remembered his father nearly passing out from the smell several times.

“Brother Liu, what are you doing up the mountain? Looking for Chinese mahogany leaves, too?” Wan Xiaohua leaned forward, tilting her head, and tugged at Wan Dongyang’s sleeve. She found her uncle a bit of an eyesore—why did he have to sit right between them?

Now she and Liu-ger couldn’t talk to each other properly.

Liu Qishuang didn’t dare to look at Wan Xiaohua’s face. He leaned forward slightly, exchanged a smile with the others, and then said, “I’m looking for loquat flowers, but I know where to find Chinese mahogany trees—and there are plenty of wild fruits there too. It’s a shame I can’t eat them now; they won’t be ready until April or May.”

In spring, the wilderness was full of wildflowers and grasses, but wild fruits didn’t appear until summer and fall. Liu Qishuang felt a bit disappointed; he wasn’t interested in wildflowers or grasses—he liked wild fruits, because they could fill his stomach.

“Why are you looking for loquat flowers again?” Wan Dongyang didn’t understand why the boy needed so many dried loquat flowers. If he intended to brew them into tea, the ones he’d just picked from the tree at his house would be more than enough. If he planned to use them as herbal medicine, however, that would make sense.

Loquat flowers are used in traditional medicine; when stir-fried and boiled with honey, they can relieve coughs and soothe the lungs. He’d drunk this remedy several times as a child. But actually…

“I’m going to trade them with Grandpa Jiang for some medicine.” He didn’t even realize how the words had slipped out. Liu Qishuang rarely spoke of such things to others, but anyway, it was pointless anyway. No matter what he said, they’d just accuse him of playing the victim to elicit pity, hoping to get people to send him supplies.

Now that the words were out, Liu Qishuang had broken the ice and mentioned that his grandfather had been coughing for some time.

“Why go to all that trouble? You can just roast some loquat flowers and boil them in water to stop the cough. If that doesn’t work, loquat leaves will do. Or you could dig up some rabbit-ear grass—and if you have some honey, even better. It’s very effective for coughs.” Wan Dongyang had once accompanied his older brother to gather herbs and knew a bit about pharmacology. He was now showing off with a smug air, unaware that his words were making the person beside him feel a buzzing in his head, his eyes even turning red.

Liu Qishuang’s mind was completely consumed by Wan Dongyang’s mention of boiling loquat leaves. He recalled that the medicine Grandpa Jiang had given him last time consisted of several ingredients, all in small pieces that were hard to distinguish, but they looked very similar to loquat leaves.

At the time, he’d assumed it was a packet of loquat leaves, but Grandpa Jiang had explained that many herbs look alike yet have entirely different medicinal properties. Take Chinese mahogany leaves and lacquer tree leaves, for instance—when they first sprout and are at their most tender, they look identical. If it were truly a single loquat leaf, how could it possibly be sold for over a dozen wen?

Grandpa Jiang hadn’t told him that loquat leaves could also relieve coughs, but Liu Qishuang didn’t hold it against him. What did it matter if they were loquat leaves? The Jiang family mostly sold herbs they’d gathered themselves in the mountains. Knowing which herb treated which ailment was their trade secret—how could they reveal that to an outsider?

He just hadn’t expected that the expensive pinellia ternata he’d traded for was merely a handful of loquat leaves. That Pinellia ternata had cost him an entire summer of nonstop labor. As if that weren’t enough, he was now being scolded by the Jiang family for taking advantage of them.

Suddenly standing up, Liu Qishuang wanted to go to the Jiang family’s place immediately. He didn’t care about what had happened before, but he wanted to get back the loquat flowers he’d delivered today and wouldn’t have to waste his time in the mountains.

The impulse lasted only a moment; Liu Qishuang quickly regained his composure, realizing that going to the Jiang household would be pointless.

The Jiang family was village herbalists and were well-liked by the villagers. The doctors at the town clinic, on the other hand, were exorbitantly expensive; even without medication, the consultation fee alone was higher than the cost of medicine from the Jiang family. For those who toiled in the fields, every copper coin was hard-earned—who would be willing to spend a fortune on something as trivial as a headache or a fever?

Having a village doctor was not only convenient but also cost-effective for the villagers. Who in their right mind would want to cause trouble for him? That would mean alienating the entire village.

He knew full well how well-liked he was in the village. If he went to the Jiang household, whether or not he could bring back the loquat flowers from that morning was one thing—but even if he did, within moments, nasty rumors about him would spread throughout the village, and not a single person would speak a word in his defense.

He wasn’t a child anymore; he was of marriageable age, and he couldn’t afford to ruin his reputation.

After that, the three continued on their way. Along the path, Wan Xiaohua chattered away like a little bird. Perhaps to keep her quiet, Wan Dongyang would occasionally slip a piece of candy into her mouth. This also benefited Liu Qishuang, who had been walking quietly ahead. Whenever Wan Dongyang gave his niece candy, he would also slip a couple into Liu Qishuang’s hand.

The first time Wan Dongyang offered him some, Liu Qishuang accepted it without hesitation. He was used to sharing snacks with Saixue and the others when they went out together. But after that, whenever Wan Xiaohua received something, he was sure to get some too, so Liu Qishuang declined.

“I already have some,” Liu Qishuang said, patting his pocket and refusing to take any more. But Wan Dongyang paid no heed and shot him a disapproving glance. “You’re such a child. If you’re given candy, just eat it. Why put it in your pocket? You don’t have any younger siblings at home.”

As soon as Wan Dongyang finished speaking, his gaze fell on Liu Qishuang, as if he were about to shove the item in his hand directly into his pocket. For some reason, Liu Qishuang felt a bit afraid of Wan Dongyang’s touch; startled, he quickly accepted it. Under his intense stare, he unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth.

The moment the candy touched Liu Qishuang’s tongue, a rich, fruity aroma filled his mouth, and his parched mouth was instantly moistened by saliva. With his mouth full of sweetness, his head felt a little fuzzy, but his courage grew.

He made a rather audacious request to Wan Dongyang.

“I’ll give you a cut of the cash from what we sell. How does that sound?” Liu Qishuang had made up his mind: he wouldn’t go to the Jiang family to exchange for medicine anymore. He would find the herbs himself to sell, but while he would gather the herbs, he wouldn’t be the one selling them.

He wanted to ask Wan Dongyang to help him sell them, then slip the cash to him on the sly.

As Liu Qishuang spoke the words, his heart pounded louder than the flowing water beside him, terrified of being scolded or rejected. But to his surprise, Wan Dongyang agreed without hesitation, not seeing it as anything difficult.

“Alright.”

Alright.

He agreed. He actually agreed.

Wonderful! From now on, he could save his cash and wouldn’t have to go to the Jiang family for medicine anymore!

Liu Qishuang’s face, which had been gloomy for a while, suddenly lit up, though no one was as happy as Wan Xiaohua at that moment.

They came upon a maple tree in full bloom. Clusters of vibrant colors—it was hard to tell if they were leaves or flowers—hung from the branches. From a distance, they looked like strands of yellow thread dangling with dazzling rubies. As a gentle breeze swept by, they swayed in the air, dancing like tassels—truly a beautiful sight.

Wan Xiaohua was beside herself with excitement. She tugged at her two braids and began jumping up and down on the spot, pointing at the blossoms on the tree and shouting, “Uncle!”

“Uncle, I want one! I want one! Pick one for me, quick! Pick one for me!” Wan Xiaohua didn’t bear a strong resemblance to Wan Dongyang; she took after her mother, with a cute, round face and a pair of large, almond-shaped eyes.

Whether from exhaustion or excitement, the little girl’s face was flushed with a rosy glow; at that moment, she herself looked like a beautiful flower, her rosy cheeks and delicate features utterly charming.

The trunk of this Norway maple was quite thick, but it looked a bit worm-eaten and wasn’t very sturdy. Wan Dongyang didn’t climb the tree; instead, he found a high spot, stood on tiptoe, reached up, and snapped a branch right off.

There were about ten blossoms on this single branch, so he broke it into two and handed them to the two people who were eagerly watching the flowers.

Wan Xiaohua happily accepted hers and began plucking the flowers to pin them into her two braids. Liu Qishuang hesitated but took his as well, though he simply held it in his hand.

“Brother Liu, why aren’t you wearing one? You’ve got your hair in a high bun—it’d look so pretty if you put one in.” Wan Xiaohua had her hair in two high braids today; with a flower tucked into each, the stamens cascading down from the top now reached her ears, making her look just like she was wearing one of those exorbitantly priced tassel hairpieces from a jewelry shop.

Liu Qishuang shook his head with a smile. While these pretty flowers looked playful and charming on an innocent, adorable child, in his own head, they’d just be an ugly man making a fool of himself—nothing but a source of ridicule.

But the beautiful flowers of spring were by no means limited to those of the maple. The higher they climbed, the more wildflowers they found along the ravine. Before long, Wan Xiaohua had a head full of wildflowers and was clutching a large bunch in her hands. The most eye-catching among them were the oudemansiellas, with their large, vibrant petals—if they could bloom around the house, they would make a lovely sight.

The three had set out around the middle of the fourth hour of the day. Now, more than an hour later, they were far from the village. The surrounding trees had shifted from pines and Chinese sumac to maples, tung trees, and various unnamed dwarf shrubs. The wild grasses on the ground had also changed; to the naked eye, there were now more edible wild vegetables, no longer just a plain expanse of green grass.

As Liu Qishuang gazed at the rows of paper mulberry trees about a hundred meters away, he stopped, placed his hands on his hips, and pointed in that direction with a smile. “We’re almost there. I remember there are quite a few Chinese mahogany trees over there.”

Liu Qishuang’s purpose for this trip had long since changed; what he wanted to pick now was Chinese mahogany, not loquat flowers. He planned to pick the loquat flowers and leaves later from the loquat trees at the Wan family’s place. He had mentioned it earlier, and Wan Dongyang had already agreed, even telling him to go ahead and pick as many as he wanted without asking permission.

Liu Qishuang’s memory had not failed him; the three of them quickly found the Chinese mahogany trees. Wan Dongyang and Liu Qishuang both set to work breaking off the branches, while only Wan Xiaohua sat unhurriedly on the open ground nearby, continuing to fiddle with the various wildflowers in her hands. Judging by her demeanor, she was planning to weave a flower wreath.

Liu Qishuang came out today carrying a back basket. He carefully arranged the Chinese mahogany leaves in his hands inside the back basket, thinking that on the way back, he would cut some pith grass, tie it into bundles once they got home, and be able to sell it directly the next day.

The stream they had been following all the way had a strong current in summer and was quite wide. Although it was spring now, many rocks along both banks remained exposed. The rocky path was naturally more difficult to traverse than a dirt road, and since the terrain in the mountains was far from the flatness of the village, they occasionally had to use both hands and feet to climb upward.

It had taken them quite some effort to reach this point, and by the time they arrived, a light sheen of sweat had formed on their foreheads. Without a moment’s delay, they immediately set to work again; the beads of sweat on their brows didn’t subside for a while, and a gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness.

Liu Qishuang wiped his forehead with his hand and continued working. He was quick and diligent, and in no time had picked all the Chinese mahogany leaves from the lower branches. He then set his sights on the higher branches and was about to climb when Wan Dongyang stopped him.

“Come on, just pick them yourself.”

Wan Dongyang didn’t hesitate. He tucked his curved knife into his waistband, wrapped his arms around the tree, arched his back, and quickly scaled the trunk.

Whether they’re tender buds or fully grown broad leaves, the Chinese mahogany leaves aren’t firmly attached to the branches—much like ripe jujubes—a vigorous shake would send many tumbling down.

Once Wan Dongyang was up in the tree, he simply chopped off the smaller twigs with his curved knife. Then, standing on the thicker branches and shaking the tree vigorously, he managed to dislodge the Chinese mahogany leaves from the tips.

But the Chinese mahogany leaves falling from the tree didn’t simply hit the ground; they seemed to strike right at the heart. Liu Qishuang’s heart was already in his throat, and she didn’t even dare to take a deep breath.

He had heard that Chinese mahogany trees were extremely fragile and brittle—they would snap at the slightest step.

“Ah!”

No, he’d only just thought of it—how could it be so accurate? Could it be that a divine being had passed by?