Upon hearing this, Shen Zhao immediately perked up. Forgetting all about eating plums, she stared longingly at An'an, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes sparkling with undisguised anticipation and mischievous gleam: "Sister-in-law! Look! Are they twins? If only they were twins! Giving birth to two at once would save us from this suffering! Ideally, it would be a boy and a girl, making a perfect family!" She became more and more excited as she spoke, her cheeks flushing with excitement. Her previous listlessness vanished, as if she could already see two exquisitely beautiful little babies before her.

An'an's fingers carefully examined her wrist, feeling the smooth, flowing pulse, especially the unusually strong pulsation at the cun-kou point. Her smile deepened, carrying a hint of understanding and a touch of amusement.

"Hmm..." She deliberately drew out her words, looking at Shen Zhao's nervous yet expectant face.

"How is it? Is it? Is it really true?" Shen Zhao anxiously grabbed An An's sleeve and shook it gently.

An'an finally couldn't help but chuckle, and gently tapped Chen Zhao's forehead: "You little rascal, you're quite capable of making your wishes come true. Your pulse is smooth and flowing, like pearls rolling on a plate... especially the cunkou point, the strength is extraordinary. Congratulations, Zhao Zhao, as you wished—it's a double pulse, most likely two little troublemakers."

"Really?!" Shen Zhao exclaimed in surprise, sitting up abruptly. Ignoring whether she felt dizzy, she grabbed An'an's arm. "Sister-in-law, you're not lying to me?! There really are two?!"

“Absolutely true.” An’an nodded with a smile, her eyes filled with joy.

"Lu Qi! Did you hear that! They're twins! Two of them!" Shen Zhao turned to Lu Qi excitedly, so excited that he was incoherent.

Lu Qi was stunned, then a surge of overwhelming joy welled up inside him. He suddenly picked up Shen Zhao, blanket and all, spun her around, and laughed loudly, "Good! Good! Two good things! All done in one go! Saves my Zhao Zhao from suffering anymore!" He put Shen Zhao down, then couldn't help but cup her face and kiss her forehead deeply, "Zhao Zhao is so amazing!"

The warm room was instantly filled with Shen Zhao's delighted laughter and Lu Qi's hearty laugh. An An, watching this bickering couple, also covered her mouth and smiled, her eyes crinkling. The room, which had just been shrouded in the gloom of morning sickness, was now filled with immense happiness and anticipation. Shen Zhao touched her belly, her face beaming with undisguised pride and sweetness, as if she had already forgotten the agonizing discomfort of vomiting just moments before.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze was blowing. Xiao Chengkang slung his light medicine basket over his shoulder and said to A-Yuan, who was drying herbs in the courtyard, "A-Yuan, the Bupleurum on the sunny slope behind the mountain should be sprouting new leaves soon, and its medicinal properties are at their best. Shall we go for a walk?"

"Great!" A-Yuan's eyes lit up. She immediately put down the half-damp herbs in her hand, patted the grass clippings off her clothes, and ran to his side like a light-footed deer. "I was just thinking about it! Aunt Wang said there seem to be a few wild raspberries on the cliff behind the mountain. Maybe we can pick some!"

The two walked along the familiar path towards the back of the mountain. The mountain path meandered, the vegetation lush and green, the newly sprouted leaves gleaming tenderly green in the sunlight. Birdsong hopped crisply through the forest, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and plant sap.

Xiao Chengkang walked steadily, his sharp eyes sweeping over the grass and crevices of the rocks by the roadside. He would stop occasionally, pointing to a clump of inconspicuous green grass: "Look, that's Hedyotis diffusa, a good medicine for clearing heat and detoxifying. It's best to pick the whole plant before the flowers bloom." At other times, he would part a vine: "This is Gynostemma pentaphyllum, which benefits qi and calms the mind. The leaves are excellent for making tea."

A-Yuan followed beside him, listening attentively, her eyes sparkling as she tried to memorize the appearance and characteristics of each herb. She would also be pleasantly surprised to discover some that Xiao Chengkang hadn't pointed out: "Brother Kang Kang, look over there! Is that houttuynia cordata? The leaves are so big!"

“That’s right, exactly.” Xiao Chengkang nodded with a smile and walked over to take a closer look. “The soil here is fertile, and the plants are growing exceptionally well. Pick some tender stems and leaves to take home and make a cold salad for dinner; it’ll be the perfect appetizer.”

The medicine basket gradually gained weight. Reaching a sunny, open slope, they indeed found a patch of verdant Bupleurum chinense, its slender leaves swaying in the breeze. Xiao Chengkang squatted down, carefully selecting the tenderest plants, and gently dug up the roots with a specially made small medicinal hoe.

A-Yuan's gaze was drawn to a patch of bright red berries not far away. She nimbly ran over, parted the leaves, and sure enough, it was a clump of wild raspberries, the ripe berries like rubies adorning the branches. Carefully avoiding the thorns, she picked the largest and reddest few, cradled them in her palm, and ran to Xiao Chengkang like a precious treasure.

"Brother Kang Kang, try it! It's so sweet!" She picked up a plump raspberry and held it to his lips. Her fingertips carried the coolness of the mountains and the sweet fragrance of the fruit's juice.

Xiao Chengkang had just dug up a Bupleurum chinense plant, his hands still covered in dirt. He looked up and met A Yuan's clear eyes, brimming with smiles and anticipation. That bright red was so close, the girl's fingertips so white. He paused slightly, then naturally leaned forward and opened his mouth to take the raspberry in. The sweet and sour juice instantly filled his mouth, carrying the purest taste of the mountains and fields.

"Mmm, it's very sweet." He looked at her, a warm smile spreading across his eyes, like the first thaw of spring.

A-Yuan smiled happily, popped one into her mouth, and squinted her eyes contentedly. She carefully wrapped the remaining few in a handkerchief: "Take them back to the little girl at the edge of the village; she loves these the most."

On the way back, the setting sun cast long, overlapping shadows of the two. Their medicine baskets were filled with freshly picked bupleurum, houttuynia cordata, and several other herbs, along with a small packet of raspberries carefully wrapped in broad leaves. Passing a villager's vegetable garden, Aunt Li was bending over picking newly sprouted green beans. Seeing them, she straightened up and greeted them warmly, "Young Master Kang, Miss Yuan! You're back? Wait here!" She deftly picked a large handful of bright green, tender beans and, without a word, stuffed them into Yuan's bamboo basket. "Take these home and stir-fry them! They're so fresh!"

"Thank you, Auntie!" A-Yuan quickly expressed her gratitude, her smile warmer than the sunset.

Back in the courtyard, smoke quickly rose from the kitchen again. A-Yuan deftly started a fire, picked and washed the green beans, and chopped them into small pieces. Xiao Chengkang, on the other hand, processed the freshly picked herbs, sorting and drying them. The salty aroma of cured meat, the fresh scent of green beans, and the smoky fragrance of burning firewood once again mingled in this small courtyard.

On the table, a bowl of stir-fried green beans was crisp and refreshing, a dish of cold houttuynia cordata salad was tangy and appetizing, and the leftover soup of cured pork and bamboo shoots from lunch was simmering hot. Simple, yet full of the comfort of home.

A-Yuan picked up a green bean with her chopsticks, then suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Xiao Chengkang, who was serving soup, "Brother Kang Kang, is the angelica root... almost used up? I see that the little cloth bag in the medicine box is almost empty."

Xiao Chengkang placed the bowl of soup in front of her and nodded upon hearing this: "Yes, there isn't much left. Angelica is good for replenishing blood and regulating menstruation, and it's often used by several elderly women in the village who are weak and anemic. If we have time tomorrow, let's go to the more distant western slope. Master said that there might be some good wild angelica in the shady mountain valley there."

"Okay!" A-Yuan replied, taking a sip of hot soup. Warmth rose from her stomach and spread to her limbs. She quietly raised her eyes and looked at Xiao Chengkang's profile as he ate quietly under the lamplight. His features were gentle, and his expression was focused.

The flickering fire in the stove cast the peaceful shadows of the two people onto the mottled mud wall, like a painting capturing the tranquility of time.