Night was deep and snow heavy, with crosswinds but no sound.

The lantern light beneath their feet was like a layer of thin yellow mist, and also like the magnificent evening glow of Falling Plum Peak at dusk.

Lu Tong spoke softly.

“Yunniang died by my hand.”

After saying this, it was as if she had unloaded the last burden. That corner which had always been heavy suddenly became completely light.

Actually, thinking about it now, some things that happened were really quite sudden.

She had stayed on Falling Plum Peak for seven years, day after day, year after year. At first she always thought about trying to escape, but gradually she became numb. Like a puppet confined on stage, repeating the same play every day.

One day, she and Yunniang went down the mountain to buy herb seeds and encountered a poor woman at the entrance of a Sunan medical shop.

The woman wasn’t local to Sunan, speaking with a country accent, tearfully pleading with the shop owner.

She stood at the entrance listening for a long time, learning that this woman had traveled a great distance to buy medicine for her son’s illness. However, upon arriving here, she was still three copper coins short. The journey was dozens of li back and forth. The woman wanted to buy on credit or purchase a smaller amount, but the shopkeeper refused no matter what.

Lu Tong made up those three copper coins for her.

The woman was extremely grateful, thanking her profusely before leaving. She watched the woman’s departing figure with some distraction.

The woman’s features resembled her mother’s.

When she turned back, she saw Yunniang standing at the medical shop entrance, looking at her with a knowing half-smile.

After returning to the mountain, Yunniang scattered the newly bought seeds under the plum trees, glancing at her sitting by the medicine furnace and suddenly spoke.

“Little Seventeen,” she said, “do you want to leave here?”

Lu Tong was stunned.

The plum trees were in bloom, red penetrating the cold forest. Under the trees, the woman’s silk dress and jade ornaments, her beautiful makeup surpassing the red plums.

“You’ve lived on this mountain for so long, and secretly read so many of my medical books and notes. You usually make antidotes quite well, but you haven’t made poison yet.”

Every time Yunniang had her test medicine, Lu Tong would follow the medical books she had read to detoxify herself. Sometimes she could resolve some poisons, sometimes not.

“Let’s play a game,” Yunniang said, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at her.

“What game?”

Yunniang thought for a moment: “You learn to make a poison for me. If you can poison me to death, you can go down the mountain. If it’s the opposite…”

The woman’s eyes curved: “You’ll stay on the mountain and be my drug tester for life, alright?”

Lu Tong said nothing.

Actually, even if she didn’t agree, Yunniang could still keep her on the mountain as a lifelong drug tester.

“Still don’t dare?” Yunniang seemed disappointed, patting her head. “Such a pity. I thought you really wanted to go home.”

Go home.

She looked into the distance.

Falling Plum Peak’s snowy plum forest concealed the small path leading down the mountain. She remembered the woman who resembled her mother that she had seen at the medical shop entrance. She hadn’t returned home for so long – she didn’t know how her mother was now, whether like that woman, half her hair had turned white.

Seven whole years she had been away, seven whole years, and perhaps the separation would last even longer. As long as Yunniang didn’t die, she had no way to return home.

“Alright.”

The woman was somewhat surprised.

Lu Tong looked at her and repeated: “Alright.”

She was stunned for a moment, then smiled with delight: “I’ll wait for you, Little Seventeen.”

On the mountain, she had made many medicines, all using poisonous plants from Falling Plum Peak, but those were all for saving people. She had read many of Yunniang’s poison texts, but this was her first time making poison to harm someone.

Yunniang watched her struggle with great interest.

She divided the finished poison into two parts – one for Yunniang to take, one for Yunniang to analyze. She waited for the outcome with apparent calm but inner anxiety.

Yunniang took it with a smile.

From taking the poison to its onset took seven days in total, perhaps because Yunniang’s constitution was different from others. Otherwise, this poison should have taken effect on the third day.

The woman lay on a chair under the plum tree, looking at her with increasingly strange eyes: “Little Seventeen, what did you put in this medicine?”

Yunniang prided herself on knowing all the world’s poisons, yet couldn’t identify what the final ingredient was.

“Can’t you tell?”

“So, what’s the antidote?”

Lu Tong shook her head: “There is no antidote.”

Yunniang was stunned.

“I added my blood to the prescription,” Lu Tong said.

Her blood – during seven years of drug testing, her blood had absorbed hundreds of poisons and had itself become poisonous. Those poisons mixed together, impossible to distinguish which was which, even Yunniang couldn’t do it.

The tool Yunniang had once used for drug testing had ultimately become a problem even she couldn’t solve. Such was worldly cause and effect, such was karma’s cycle.

The woman listened with astonishment for a moment, then laughed, looking at her with eyes full of approval and satisfaction.

“I see,” she sighed. “You really are good material.”

“But I have no antidote,” Lu Tong looked at her, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremor. “I can’t make an antidote either.”

It was her blood, her poison. If she couldn’t even cure her own poison, how could she cure Yunniang’s?

Yunniang glanced at her sideways: “What are you afraid of?” She smiled faintly: “I was going to die soon anyway.”

Lu Tong was stunned.

Gradually blood began to seep from Yunniang’s lips, which she carelessly wiped away.

“After I die, Little Seventeen, remember to burn all the medical books and notes in my room and bury them with me. Put me with the previous sixteen.”

“Those notes and poison texts would be wasted on the world anyway. Better to leave with me. Falling Plum Peak is big – I’d be lonely.”

Lu Tong listened in a daze.

She looked at Lu Tong again, her smile both eerie and loving: “Little Seventeen, you’re really amazing. I didn’t expect you to persist on Falling Plum Peak for so long.”

“You’re my last drug tester, and also my first disciple. I’m very satisfied with you.”

“I’m the first life on your hands, Little Seventeen. From today on, you’re the same kind of person as me.”

She smiled slightly: “Congratulations, you’ve graduated.”

Lu Tong looked at her in confusion, her eyes somewhat sore but completely dry without a single tear, just somewhat at a loss.

More and more blood flowed from the woman’s lips. She sighed gently and slowly closed her eyes.

Yunniang was dead.

Dead from the poison mixed with her blood.

Lu Tong no longer cried loudly while holding the deceased like she had when Wu Yun died. She numbly rose to prepare Yunniang’s body and change her clothes. It was then that she saw the scars on Yunniang’s body.

Yunniang had large burn scars. Given the severity of those wounds, she shouldn’t have survived this long. Lu Tong gradually understood that perhaps for the past seven years, or even more, Yunniang had been using poison to sustain her life. But drinking poison to quench thirst would eventually reach its end.

So before she died, she had to personally witness Lu Tong’s “graduation.”

Flames consumed the thatched hut where Yunniang had lived. Those carefully collected medical books and pharmaceutical knowledge turned to ash in the fire. Lu Tong knelt before the grave mound. When about to carve the epitaph, she suddenly stopped.

What exactly was her relationship with Yunniang?

She had stayed on Falling Plum Peak for seven whole years. Yunniang permeated those seven years, causing her to become a different person. She had hated Yunniang, and had also been grateful to Yunniang. In those snowy cold days, at certain moments, she had perhaps also experienced the woman’s loneliness.

She finally carved “Benevolent Teacher” on the epitaph.

Regardless of the initial purpose, all her medical skills, poison knowledge, and pharmaceutical understanding came from those seven years on Falling Plum Peak. Yunniang had shown her many things she had never seen in childhood: gambling fathers who sold their daughters’ corpses for silver, scoundrel sons who secretly poisoned their bedridden fathers just to shed the burden, women who spent heavily seeking sons to win back their husbands, scholars who poisoned their brothers to seize family property…

She had seen much.

So she gradually understood that not everything in the world was bright. Human hearts were more treacherous than mountains and rivers, harder to know than heaven. Heaven still had the cycles of seasons and day and night, but humans had deep feelings behind thick facades.

Principles she hadn’t understood in childhood books became clear as she moved through the marketplace.

Life taught her patience, taught her ruthless decisiveness, taught her to protect herself. So after returning to Changwu County, she could decide to resolutely go to the capital.

If she hadn’t been taken by Yunniang, perhaps when encountering such matters, her first reaction would have been like Lu Qian’s – to appeal to officials for justice. But precisely because she was taken by Yunniang, those medicines reluctantly drunk on Falling Plum Peak nights, the corpses in mass graves, tears and fear, finally transformed her into a different Lu Tong.

She only wanted revenge.

By strange coincidence, as if destined by fate.

In this mortal world of joy and sorrow, ups and downs, Yunniang’s relationship to her could no longer be explained by simple love and hate.

“Actually, I… was very scared,” she spoke softly. She had killed someone, killed for the first time. A human life was in her hands. Yunniang’s dying words were like a curse, constantly lingering in her heart.

“From today on, you’re the same kind of person as me.”

“Congratulations, you’ve graduated.”

She guarded this secret fear, but tonight, suddenly tired of hiding, she allowed herself to be honest before him.

The long night stretched on. Lantern light reflected on the pristine white snow. There was a faint hint of moonlight in the clouds, shining on the two people under the tree.

“Don’t be afraid.”

A hand reached out, gently cupping her face.

Lu Tong raised her head. The person before her lowered his eyes, raising his hand to wipe away the tears at the corner of her eyes.

She belatedly realized that at some point, she had started crying.

Pei Yunying stroked her head, slightly bending down to embrace her.

His voice was very gentle.

“Dr. Lu is not a bad person.”

Lu Tong was stunned.

He could always see through her at a glance – her panic and worry, unease and anxiety. Whether when they were at odds initially or later when they had an unspoken understanding.

The mire entangled people, pulling them deeper, but there was always a hand extended from the shore.

She had grasped that hand now.

The warmth of his cloak and embrace drove away all the cold. Lu Tong smelled that faint, cool fragrance that had awakened her in dreams. She cherished this scent, just as she cherished the weak winter sunlight.

She buried her face in his embrace and held him tightly.

“I know.”

…

Half a month after the snow stopped in Sunan, the sun came out in the city.

The improved weather was even more beneficial for treating the epidemic.

The emperor issued orders, and red wood vine and golden mushrooms from various regions continuously flowed into Sunan. The new epidemic relief prescription showed remarkable effects. The city reorganized medicine distribution centers. Besides patients at the epidemic shelter, the people of Sunan voluntarily went daily to the distribution centers to receive epidemic prevention medicine.

Sunan gradually regained its vitality.

No new corpses were buried in the execution ground behind the broken temple. After the epidemic stabilized, the court issued documents stating that after the New Year, other epidemic relief physicians would be sent to Sunan to handle follow-up matters. After the new physicians arrived, the original group would depart for the capital.

In this gradually improving situation, Sunan welcomed its first New Year after the great epidemic.

Early in the morning, firecrackers were set off at the physicians’ quarters.

Red “full house fortune” fragments scattered throughout the courtyard. The smoke from firecrackers diluted the medicinal odors, adding much liveliness to the courtyard. Chang Jin went to ask someone for two red lanterns and had Ji Xun write spring couplets to paste at the main gate of the quarters. Seeing this, Lin Danqing said: “Chief Physician, we’re returning to the capital in a few days. Why go to the trouble of putting these up?”

“Young people don’t understand,” Chang Jin directed Ji Xun to paste the couplets properly. “This is ceremony. Besides, won’t it be a few more days before the physicians from Pingzhou arrive? What would it look like all bare?”

Lin Danqing was helpless: “You’re really particular.” Turning her head, she saw Lu Tong emerge from the room and immediately beamed: “Sister Lu!”

Lu Tong walked over.

Chang Jin heard and turned around, habitually checking her pulse first, then withdrawing his hand and nodding with satisfaction: “Good, good, better each day.”

Lu Tong’s health had improved considerably.

Perhaps Lin Danqing’s ancestor’s prescription was ingenious. Since that night when she vomited black blood, it seemed to have carried away some of the accumulated toxins in her body. Afterward, Ji Xun performed acupuncture on her daily, along with new prescriptions prepared by Lin Danqing and Chang Jin. Her originally weak pulse was now much stronger than before.

Most gratifying was that some medicines were beginning to take effect on her body.

Even though the effects were much weaker compared to ordinary people, having any effect meant everything was developing in a good direction.

“Sunan still lacks abundant medicinal materials,” Chang Jin sighed. “When we return to the capital, I’ll get a few medicines from the Imperial Pharmacy to prepare prescriptions that should be better than now.”

Lu Tong thanked Chang Jin and looked toward the quarters’ entrance.

Outside was noisy with faint sounds of bargaining, mixed with one or two crisp firecracker sounds.

“Those are selling window flowers and New Year decorations,” Lin Danqing explained. “Today is New Year’s Eve.”

Lu Tong suddenly realized.

Another year had already passed.

Since the epidemic in Sunan had improved, it was no longer the deathly appearance it had when they first arrived. There were pedestrians on the streets again, and some shops and businesses had reopened. Though not as bustling as before the epidemic, it was gradually returning to its former state.

This made this post-disaster New Year even more precious.

“County Magistrate Cai said tonight Sunan city will set off fireworks. The chief physician originally planned to have New Year’s Eve dinner together at the quarters tonight, and we could watch fireworks together then.”

“New Year’s Eve dinner?”

“Yes,” Lin Danqing said. “We’ve fought desperately to combat the epidemic in Sunan. Even without merit, we have effort. I heard that in previous years before New Year’s Eve, everyone at the Imperial Medical Academy would gather together early. Eat, drink, listen to the academy director envision the academy’s future. It’s just that this year the location changed to Sunan.”

Lu Tong was speechless, then remembered something as her gaze swept past the entrance.

Lin Danqing rolled her eyes and leaned close: “Are you looking for Commander Pei?”

“No.”

“What do you mean no,” Lin Danqing scoffed. “You two might as well have your thoughts written on your faces. Who could you fool?”

Lu Tong: “…”

“He went out with County Magistrate Li and County Magistrate Cai,” Lin Danqing explained helpfully. “We have to return to the capital in a few days, and Sunan city has too few guards. He needs to leave some people here, so he’s probably very busy these days.”

Lu Tong nodded.

Actually, it wasn’t just Pei Yunying who was busy – the physicians were busy too.

In a few days, physicians from Pingzhou would come to take over, and various previous epidemic matters in Sunan needed to be handed over. After Chang Jin finished putting up the couplets, he went back to organize handover documents with the physicians.

When busy, time always passes imperceptibly. When Lu Tong and Lin Danqing finished organizing the last epidemic treatment document, the sun had set.

The lanterns in the quarters lit up.

Li Wenhu and Cai Fang had people arrange long tables in the courtyard ahead of time and prepare food. Sunan had just passed through a great epidemic, unlike the capital. Though there was now relief medicine and grain, frugality was still needed. The food was all simple, with a pot of sweet dumplings in the center, reportedly with coins inside some.

Lin Danqing pulled Lu Tong to sit in the courtyard. Chang Jin specially opened tusu wine, but only allowed each person a small cup to avoid mishaps. Because Lu Tong was taking medicine, she only got a cup of hot water.

“Everyone has worked hard,” Chang Jin stood up holding his wine cup, quite emotional. “Coming to Sunan these days, all colleagues have been of one heart and mind, sharing sweet and bitter together, combating the epidemic together. Now that Sunan’s crisis is resolved, everyone present is a hero. I’ll toast everyone first, wishing that when we return to the Imperial Medical Academy in the future, no matter what positions we reach, we’ll always remember this time we fought side by side in Sunan, never forgetting our original intentions, supporting each other. Also wishing Sunan, after this epidemic, to turn misfortune to fortune, with all things going well!”

Before he had even drunk, he seemed already drunk, saying a long speech in one breath.

Lin Danqing leaned close to Lu Tong’s ear and whispered: “See, the old physician was right. Chief Physician Chang really is going to envision the future.”

Lu Tong: “…”

The next moment, Chang Jin pointed at Lin Danqing: “Physician Lin performed excellently this time. When we return, your administrative evaluation can skip three levels!”

“Really?” Lin Danqing stood up joyfully, sweeping away her previous disdainful expression, holding her wine cup seriously: “Thank you, Chief Physician. I toast to you!”

The physicians burst into laughter.

Amid the noise of toasting all around, Lu Tong seriously used her spoon to poke at the sweet dumplings in her bowl.

The large pot of sweet dumplings in the center of the table had been divided into small bowls for everyone, four per bowl, symbolizing peace in all four seasons.

Lu Tong slowly ate all four and found not a single coin.

She stirred the empty porcelain bowl with her spoon, feeling somewhat disappointed, when she heard a voice: “Are you looking for coins?”

Lu Tong turned back to see Ji Xun pushing his bowl toward her.

She was stunned. Ji Xun coughed lightly and explained: “I saw you kept looking… I haven’t touched my bowl. You eat them.”

He had noticed Lu Tong showed little interest in other foods and hadn’t touched her chopsticks much all evening, but had eaten her sweet dumplings clean with an expression of wanting more. After a moment’s thought, he understood that Lu Tong was probably looking for coins.

Legend said that eating sweet dumplings with coins brought good luck in the new year.

“No need.” Lu Tong thanked him and pushed the bowl back to Ji Xun. “I’m already full.”

Perhaps influenced by Lin Danqing, she had recently come to believe in luck. However, though she wanted more good fortune, Ji Xun’s gesture was inappropriate. If his bowl also had no coins, having eaten eight sweet dumplings in a row, she would probably be uncomfortably stuffed tonight.

Ji Xun paused, about to speak, when Chang Jin’s voice suddenly came from behind: “Young Master Pei.”

The two turned back to see the young man enter through the quarters’ gate, his eyes bright with smiles as his gaze swept over everyone at the table.

“I’m late. Sorry,” he said.