Xiao Chengkang squatted in front of a lush clump of plants, carefully using his small hoe to clear away the surrounding weeds. The plant had emerald green stems and leaves, with several clusters of pale purple flowers at the top. The leaves were palmately lobed with finely serrated edges.

"Ah Yuan," he said gently without looking up, "come and look at this."

A-Yuan was picking some common dandelions and violets in a bamboo basket not far away when she heard this. She immediately put down her basket, walked over quickly, squatted down next to him, and looked carefully at the plant he was pointing to.

“This is Paris polyphylla, also called Paris polyphylla,” Xiao Chengkang pointed to the palmately divided leaves. “Count them, there are usually seven leaflets in a whorl, hence the name. The rhizome is used in medicine. It is slightly poisonous, but it has a strong effect in clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and relieving pain. It is a good medicine for treating snake and insect bites, carbuncles and boils.” As he spoke, he carefully dug away the soil around the roots with a hoe, revealing short, thick, yellowish-brown rhizomes underneath.

A-Yuan counted the leaves as instructed, and sure enough, there were seven. She nodded and memorized the feature: "Brother Kang Kang, are there any special considerations when harvesting them?"

“Take the rhizomes, wash them, slice them, and dry them for later use. Note that this medicine is slightly toxic. The dosage must be strictly controlled when taking it internally, but it is fine for external use.” As Xiao Chengkang spoke, he dug out several plump rhizomes, shook off the soil, and put them into the bamboo basket lined with clean cotton cloth that A Yuan handed him.

As the two were engrossed in their conversation, a burst of rough laughter echoed down the mountain path. It was Uncle Zhao, the village hunter, and several men carrying hoes, preparing to work in the terraced fields.

"Hey! Young Master Kang! Taking Miss Yuan up the mountain to hunt for treasure again?" Uncle Zhao's voice was loud and clear, with a wild rabbit he had just caught slung over his shoulder and a simple, honest smile on his face.

Xiao Chengkang stood up, smiled, and cupped his hands in greeting: "Uncle Zhao, it's just some common herbs. You've had a good harvest today."

"Haha, lucky me! I ran into a silly rabbit!" Uncle Zhao put the rabbit down on the ground, wiped his sweat, and looked at A Yuan's arm. "A Yuan, your injury looks much better now? Young Master Kang's medical skills are beyond question! Back then, a wild boar dug a big hole in my leg. If it weren't for Young Master Kang and his master, I would have been fed to the mountain god long ago!" He patted his slightly lame leg, his tone full of gratitude.

A man carrying a hoe chimed in, "Absolutely! Young Master Kang is a living bodhisattva in our Liuxi Village! It's such a blessing for Miss Ayuan to learn skills from Young Master Kang!" He looked at Ayuan with sincere eyes.

A Yuan was a little embarrassed by the praise, lowered her head slightly, and blushed: "It's thanks to Brother Kang Kang's good teaching, and also to the villagers for their care."

Another man joked, "Ah Yuan is very clever and quick to learn! I saw her helping Aunt Wang dry herbs the other day, and she sorted them very clearly. She's much better than Aunt Wang, who's so careless! Young Kang, you must teach Ah Yuan all your skills. In the future, you two can open a clinic in the village, and it will be much more convenient for us to see a doctor!" This remark drew a burst of good-natured laughter from the crowd.

Xiao Chengkang simply smiled gently and didn't respond to the question. A Yuan's face turned even redder. She secretly glanced at Xiao Chengkang and saw that he looked normal. She felt a pang of inexplicable disappointment and quickly bent down to tidy up the herbs in the basket to cover it up.

"Alright, alright, don't keep Brother Kang from gathering herbs!" Uncle Zhao called out. "Let's go, let's get to work! Brother Kang, Miss A Yuan, be careful going down the mountain!"

The men walked away, chatting and laughing. The mountains returned to tranquility, broken only by the rustling of leaves in the wind and the faint sound of a distant stream.

Xiao Chengkang squatted down again, his gaze falling on a plant with long, narrow leaves and tiny white flowers. He plucked a leaf, rubbed it between his fingers, smelled it, and handed it to A-Yuan: "Smell it, what is it?"

A-Yuan took it, brought it close to her nose and sniffed carefully. A familiar, slightly spicy fragrance wafted over: "Is it... Bupleurum?"

"Yes." Xiao Chengkang's eyes showed approval. "Do you still remember the difference between it and the windproof one?"

“Bupleurum leaves are narrow, while Saposhnikovia leaves are wide,” A-Yuan replied immediately, her voice clear and crisp, with a hint of pride.

“Very good.” Xiao Chengkang’s smile deepened, and the sunlight fell on his handsome profile, softening his sharp features. “In the path of medicine, identifying herbs is the foundation. Only with a solid foundation can one go far.”

As the sun set, it painted the clouds on the horizon a brilliant golden-red. The two carried bamboo baskets filled with herbs on their backs and baskets of wild fruits in their hands, slowly making their way back to the village. Besides the herbs, the baskets also contained many things the villagers insisted on giving them: a handful of tender greens, a few freshly dug radishes still covered in mud, a small packet of dried wild mushrooms, and even two red-skinned eggs that Aunt Wang had secretly slipped to A-Yuan.

The gentle glow of the sunset enveloped the tranquil village, wisps of smoke rose from the rooftops of every house, and the air was filled with the aroma of food and the faint scent of firewood.

Reaching the old, crooked locust tree at the village entrance, Xiao Chengkang stopped. Gazing at the mountains in the distance, edged with gold by the setting sun, and at the peaceful scene before him, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys and the sounds of chickens and dogs, he suddenly asked A-Yuan beside him in a soft voice, "How have you been these past few days?"

A-Yuan was looking down at the red eggs in the basket when she heard him speak. She looked up and followed his gaze, her eyes reflecting the warm glow of the sunset. Her face had a healthy flush from the past few days of work, and a hint of quiet contentment.

“This place… is very nice.” She said softly, her voice filled with an unprecedented sense of relaxation and warmth. “The mountains are beautiful, the water is beautiful, and the people are beautiful. I feel very at ease learning from Brother Kang Kang.” She paused, her voice becoming even softer, as if afraid of disturbing the twilight. “It’s better than… better than many places I’ve been to before.”

He gazed at her silently for a moment, something deep within his eyes quietly settling and dissolving. Finally, he simply nodded slightly, his voice low and gentle, blending into the warm twilight of the mountain village.

"Yes, it's very good."

The two fell silent, walking side by side towards the rising smoke in the afterglow of the setting sun. The wild fruits in the basket exuded a sweet fragrance, the herbs carried a bitter aroma, and the red-shelled eggs were round and lovely—everything was imbued with the most simple and genuine warmth of humanity.