When the Zheng family mentioned Zheng Yun, every last one of them glowed with pride. And it was not only the Zhengs—the whole of Peach Blossom Village regarded Zheng Yun as a dragon that had soared out from among them, a son who had brought glory to the village’s name.

“What are you two rushing for?” Zheng Yun’s mother scolded with a smile. “Third Son has his own mind about things—he knows what he’s doing.”

“Mother, you don’t know your own youngest son,” the eldest sister-in-law laughed. “He’s quiet—he just buries himself in his work. When would he ever take the initiative? The last time he came back, a girl from the village called Xiang Wei came calling several times, and Third Brother was completely unmoved. Xiang Wei’s family is in good standing, she’s a pretty girl, and she’s been utterly devoted to Third Brother—but he’s a block of wood. The girl practically had to say outright that she fancied him, and he still showed not the slightest reaction.”

“Sister, you just don’t understand.” The second sister-in-law said, “Xiang Wei may be one of the prettiest girls in our village, but how can she compare to girls from the city? Look at Miss Ling—her looks, her bearing—if Xiang Wei stood next to her, she’d be buried in the comparison.”

Ling’ai was suddenly brought into the conversation and felt immediately embarrassed.

“Miss Ling, you haven’t met our Third Brother,” the eldest sister-in-law said, studying Ling’ai with a look of appraisal. Then she smiled and added, “I think Miss Ling and Third Brother would suit each other very well.”

“You’re talking nonsense again,” Zheng Yun’s mother shot her a look. “Can’t you see Miss Ling is blushing?”

Then she turned to Ling’ai. “That one never watches her mouth. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“Just joking, just joking,” the eldest sister-in-law laughed heartily. “Miss Ling probably wouldn’t even want him—he’s so reserved.”

Ling’ai wanted to say: Zheng Yun may appear cold, but when he truly cared for someone, his thoughtfulness was absolute—he gave everything he had.

Like the doll he had sent her—not merely an ordinary doll, but something filled to the brim with quiet attentiveness and love.

When she had left home, she had steeled herself to leave it behind in the room she once lived in. She had wanted to say farewell to the past and sever what was between them, so she could not keep it.

And this trip to Peach Blossom Village was the final stop in all the places that had connected them. From now on, there might come a day when she and he would never meet again—and even if they did, by then he would surely have a wife and children, living in complete happiness.

After returning from the Zheng home, Ling’ai found Doctor Sun sitting in his room warming himself by the stove, with a few sweet potatoes buried in the ash beneath the grate.

“Miss Ling is back,” Doctor Sun waved her over, then crouched down and raked the sweet potatoes out. “I roasted some sweet potatoes for you—they’re nice and hot. Eat them while they’re warm.”

“Thank you, Doctor Sun.” Ling’ai smiled and took them, but found them too hot to hold, and quickly set them on the table beside her.

“Doctor Sun, do you think we might have any of these herbs around here?” Ling’ai handed Doctor Sun the written prescription.

Doctor Sun examined it carefully for a moment, then pointed to two of the lines. “These two we have. These two we don’t. Miss Ling, is this prescription for treating back and leg pain?”

Ling’ai said, “This is a very effective formula that I came across in a rare medical text. It has been tested and refined many times over, and if one persists with the treatment, the results are quite remarkable.”

Doctor Sun stroked his beard and said, “I’m sure it must be excellent medicine, but sourcing the raw ingredients would be difficult. The villagers are all busy tending to their peach trees right now, and likely no one could go out to purchase herbs. The nearest place is the county town where you disembarked—that’s five or six hours by horse cart, which means nearly a full day just to go and come back.”

“I noticed Peach Blossom Village is surrounded by mountains and valleys with rich soil—there are likely some of these herbs growing on the mountain. They’re not particularly rare.”

Doctor Sun nodded. “There are indeed some medicinal plants on the mountain. It’s just that the villagers don’t recognize them, and since the villagers are mainly focused on growing peach trees, when they get busy no one thinks to go foraging for herbs.”

Hearing what Doctor Sun said, Ling’ai quietly made up her mind.

Early the next morning, Ling’ai borrowed some tools from Doctor Sun and headed out the door. She hadn’t gone far when she saw Little Xing come running toward her, cupping something in both hands.

“Sister! Sister!” Little Xing grinned when he saw her, flashing two rows of white teeth. “Here, eat this.”

He placed what he’d been holding into Ling’ai’s hands. “Dried peach.”

The peaches of Peach Blossom Village were large and sweet—one could make delicious dried peach strips with very little added sugar.

Ling’ai smiled and ruffled his hair. “Thank you, Little Xing.”

She tucked the dried peach into her pocket. “How are you feeling today?”

“My tummy stopped hurting ages ago. I ate a big bowl of rice this morning.” Little Xing patted his thin chest proudly.

“Sister, where are you going?”

“I’m going up the mountain for a bit.”

“I’ll come with you!”

Ling’ai quickly shook her head. “That won’t do. The mountain path is long and rough, and your illness isn’t fully healed—you can’t go up the mountain.”

Little Xing let out a small sound of disappointment, frustrated that he couldn’t accompany Ling’ai.

“Sister is going up to find medicinal herbs. When she finds them, Grandfather’s leg pain can be cured.”

“Sister can really cure Grandfather’s legs?”

Ling’ai smiled. “Of course.”

“Sister, you’re truly the great lucky star of our Peach Blossom Village.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Grandmother says that the moment you arrived, it rained in Peach Blossom Village. And it was just the right time for rain—the grown-ups all say this year is going to be a good one.”

It had rained through the night before, and all around was still damp. Ling’ai didn’t quite understand what this rain meant to the village, but seeing how happy Little Xing was, she knew it must have been a rare and welcome spring rain.

Saying goodbye to Little Xing, Ling’ai headed toward the rear mountain.

Because of the rain, the mountain path was not particularly easy to navigate, but it was ideal for digging medicinal herbs—the soil had been softened by the rainwater, making the root and stem varieties much easier to extract.

Peach Blossom Village was rich in natural resources, and there was certainly no shortage of medicinal herbs on the mountain—they simply hadn’t yet been recognized and valued by the local people. If these herbs could be more widely utilized, they could become a source of prosperity for the villagers.

Ling’ai walked slowly along the mountain, stopping here and there, and before long she was rewarded with her first finds.

She placed the herbs she had dug up into the bamboo basket strapped to her back, then continued further into the mountain.

She discovered that the further she walked into the depths of the mountain, the better the quality of the herbs she needed. Without realizing it, she had wandered deep into the forested interior.

It was not until midday that Ling’ai felt hungry and tired, and she finally sat down on a large rock to rest.

She had not brought any food with her when she set out, but reaching into her pocket, she found the dried peach that Little Xing had given her.

Thinking of that child, Ling’ai couldn’t help but smile quietly to herself. The dried peach, when she tasted it, was particularly sweet and fragrant.

After resting for a while, Ling’ai decided to head back down the mountain. She was also worried that going too deep might cause her to lose her way—the forest was large and dense.

She had left markers along the path she had taken on the way up, and by following them, she should be able to find her way back.

But after walking for a stretch, she discovered that the markers had vanished.