Chunqing

The rain fell for two full days, and finally on the third morning the sky cleared up. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the sun was exceptionally bright, sweeping away the days of gloom and dampness.

The land soaked by rain exudes a fresh scent of earth, the wild grass beside the field is covered with crystal water droplets, and everything seems full of vitality.

Chen Bozhou was thinking about the medicinal fields, so he went out at daybreak. The air was still chilly after the rain, but he walked briskly, his heart full of fire.

When he reached the Yun family compound, he found the gate ajar and heard a slight noise from inside. He pushed it open and saw Yun Wu squatting beside the herb garden in the corner of the courtyard, carefully examining the newly emerged seven-leaf lily seedlings.

"So early?" Chen Bozhou walked over lightly and squatted beside him.

Yunwu looked up at the sound and saw it was him, a flicker of relief in her eyes. "See if the rain has damaged them," he pointed to a few seedlings with yellowing leaves. "These might have damaged their roots."

Sunlight filtered through the sparse bamboo fence, dancing on his long eyelashes. Shen Bozhou noticed that his fingertips were stained with mud and his cuffs were wet with dew, and a wave of pity suddenly surged in his heart.

"Let me see." He moved closer, carefully examining the roots of the seedlings. "The roots are still there, but they're a little soft. Don't rush to move them. Let them get some sun. When the earth warms up, they'll naturally recover."

He spoke confidently, his warm breath brushing against Yunwu's ears. Yunwu tilted her head slightly and hummed softly.

"Have you had breakfast?" Chen Bozhou stood up and naturally reached out to pull him up.

Yunwu looked at the hand stretched out in front of him. The joints were distinct and the palms had thin calluses from years of labor.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally put his hand on it. Shen Bozhou's hand was warm and strong, and he pulled him up with a gentle push.

"Not yet." Yunwu answered softly, pulling her hand back without a trace, but her ears turned red.

"That's perfect. I haven't eaten either." Chen Bozhou smiled and took out an oil-paper bag from his arms. "My mother baked these pancakes. They're still hot. Want to eat some together?"

The two of them sat down by the millstone in the courtyard, sharing the still-warm cake. The warm sunlight shone on them, dispelling the early morning chill.

"The rain has stopped, so we need to quickly drain the fields," Chen Bozhou said as he ate. "And check on the newly transplanted seedlings. If the ground is too wet, we need to spread some wood ash to absorb the moisture."

Yunwu nodded. "I was just about to tell you this. The drainage ditch needs to be dug deeper, especially in the low-lying area. Also..." He paused and looked at Chen Bozhou. "I want to plant a circle of mugwort around the edge of the field."

"Mugwort?" Chen Bozhou was puzzled. "Isn't that used to repel mosquitoes?"

"Mugwort has a well-developed root system, which helps stabilize the soil and retain moisture," Yunwu explained. "Also, its scent repels some pests, which is beneficial for the growth of medicinal herbs."

Chen Bozhou suddenly understood, his eyes full of admiration: "You are really thoughtful! Then let's go to the back mountain to dig some mugwort and plant it today?"

"Okay." Yunwu nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her lips.

This smile in Shen Bozhou's eyes was brighter than the spring sunshine.

He finished the bread in a few bites, stood up and patted the crumbs on his hands: "Let's go, while the sun is not too strong, let's drain the water in the fields first."

The two men, carrying hoes and shovels, came to the edge of the field. After two days of rain, the field was indeed quite waterlogged, and the newly transplanted seedlings looked particularly fragile in the mud.

"There is indeed water accumulation." Chen Bozhou frowned, rolled up his trouser legs quickly and prepared to go to the fields.

"Wait." Yunwu pulled him back and took out the fox fur knee pads from the cloth bag he was carrying. "Put these on. The water in the fields is cold."

Chen Bozhou was stunned, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. He hadn't expected Yunwu to even remember this. He took the kneepad, his fingertips accidentally brushing against the back of Yunwu's hand, and both of them shuddered slightly.

"Thank you." Chen Bozhou whispered, with indescribable tenderness in his voice.

He carefully put on his kneepads before stepping into the field. The cold muddy water instantly flooded his ankles, but his knees were well protected by the fox fur kneepads, which gave him a warm feeling.

"You go clear the canal upstream," Chen Bozhou said to Yunwu, who was standing on the edge of the field. "I'll divert the water from the fields to the drainage ditch. Let's split up and act quickly."

Yunwu nodded and walked upstream carrying the shovel.

The sun gradually grew warmer, shining on the busy figures of the two people.

Chen Bozhou dug the drainage ditch spade by spade, sweat dripping down his forehead. From time to time, he looked up at Yunwu not far away, and seeing that he was also concentrating on clearing the silt and debris in the ditch, he felt particularly at ease.

"Moor the boat," Yunwu stood up and called towards him after a while. "The canal is open. How's it going over there?"

"It'll be done soon!" Chen Bozhou shouted, his hands moving faster. The last shovel of dirt was dug, and the accumulated water in the field finally found an outlet, gurgling into the stream below.

Watching the water level gradually drop, revealing the moist soil, Chen Bozhou breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeves.

At this time, Yunwu also came over from upstream, his hair was wet with sweat and stuck to his smooth forehead.

"Is everything cleared?" Chen Bozhou stepped forward and handed over the water bag naturally.

"Hmm." Yunwu took the water bag and drank from it in small sips. The sun shone on his slightly flushed face, and water droplets slid down his white neck and into his collar.

Chen Bozhou's heartbeat quickened as he watched this scene. He coughed lightly and changed the subject, "Shall we go dig mugwort now?"

Yunwu nodded and returned the water bag to him: "I know there's a patch of wild mugwort growing well in the back mountain."

The two packed up their tools and headed back to the mountain. The mountain road was a bit muddy after the rain, and Chen Bozhou walked in front, turning back from time to time to lend a hand to Yunwu.

This time, Yunwu did not refuse. She gently took his hand and used it to cross the mud.

"Look," Yunwu said, pointing to a patch of lush mugwort not far away when they reached the middle of the mountain. "That's it."

The wormwood was half a person's height, with thick leaves that shone silver-gray in the sun and emitted a unique fragrance.

"It's growing so well!" Chen Bozhou exclaimed, picked up his hoe and started digging.

Yunwu squatted nearby, carefully selecting strong plants and carefully preserving their roots. The two of them worked in perfect harmony, one digging and the other sorting.

"This should be enough." After a while, Yunwu said as he looked at the bundle of mugwort that had been sorted out.

Chen Bozhou put down his hoe and wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeves: "Then let's go back and plant the seeds as soon as possible."

On the way back, Chen Bozhou carried the bundle of mugwort, with Yunwu following beside him. The sunlight cast their shadows on the muddy mountain road, clinging to each other.

"When the mugwort grows," Chen Bozhou suddenly said, "we can pick some and dry it, then make it into moxa wool. We can use it to fumigate the house in winter to drive away the cold and dampness."

Yunwu turned her head to look at him, with a faint smile in her eyes: "You also know this?"

"My mother makes it every winter," Chen Bozhou said with a smile. "She said the smell of mugwort can make people feel at ease."

Yunwu hummed softly and said nothing more, but her eyes softened a lot.

Back at the edge of the field, the two took advantage of the moist soil and quickly planted mugwort around the ridge. Chen Bozhou dug the pit, Yunwu planted, and soon a green barrier was built around the medicinal field.

"Alright." After planting the last wormwood, Chen Bozhou straightened up and looked at their results with satisfaction. "Now we don't have to worry about pests anymore."

The setting sun stretched the two figures out of sight. The newly planted mugwort swayed gently in the evening breeze, emitting a faint fragrance.

The accumulated water in the medicinal fields has been drained, and the tender green seedlings are stretching their leaves in the sunset, full of vitality.

"Let's go," Chen Bozhou said to Yunwu with a smile as he picked up his tools. "Come back tomorrow and see if the seedlings are in good shape."

Yunwu nodded and followed him. Their footsteps left a trail of deep footprints on the soft ridge of the field.