Harvest

As winter turns to spring, the medicinal garden in the corner of the Yun family courtyard, under Yun Wu's careful care and Shen Bozhou's full assistance, presents a vibrant scene.

The herbs planted last year, including the seven-leaf vine that was transplanted with great difficulty, have adapted to the soil and water, are spreading their branches and leaves, and are growing well.

Especially the angelica and astragalus, which Yunwu has poured the most effort into, have thick stems and fleshy leaves, and you can tell at a glance that they are of top quality.

That day, Yunwu meticulously harvested, cleaned, dried, and processed the first batch of mature medicinal herbs, meticulously following every step. Chen Bozhou, who was helping him, felt a warmth in his heart, even warmer than the warm spring sun, as he watched his focused profile.

After the medicinal materials were prepared, Yunwu sorted them into categories, wrapped them with clean mulberry paper, and neatly stacked them in a newly woven medicine basket.

He hesitated for a moment, then said to Shen Bozhou, "Tomorrow...will you accompany me to the town?"

Chen Bozhou naturally agreed without hesitation. He liked the feeling of being needed.

The next day, the two of them set out on the road to town again. This time, their state of mind was vastly different from their first encounter. Yunwu remained silent on the road, but his expression was less cold and more filled with quiet anticipation.

Chen Bozhou was as active as ever, talking about interesting things in the village, planning the future of the medicinal fields, and his words were full of confidence in the harvest.

Arriving at Yongjitang, Chen Bozhou was still waiting at the tea stall at the entrance. He watched Yunwu carrying the medicine basket into the familiar shop, feeling even more nervous than when he first hunted large prey.

This time, Yunwu stayed in the pharmacy longer than ever before. Chen Bozhou drank tea one after another, his eyes drifting to the half-open wooden door of Yongji Hall from time to time, his heart feeling like a kitten scratching.

Finally, the door opened. Yunwu walked out, his steps seeming a little lighter than when he went in. He walked up to Chen Bozhou and said nothing, simply looking up at him. In his clear eyes, a light as bright as the stars shone that Chen Bozhou had never seen before.

"How is it?" Chen Bozhou asked impatiently, standing up and almost getting in front of Yunwu.

Yunwu didn't say anything, but the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl up into a clear arc.

He stretched out his hand and gently placed a heavy coarse cloth purse on the wooden table in front of Shen Bozhou.

The mouth of the purse was not tied tightly, revealing the copper coins strung inside, and even a few small pieces of loose silver, which shone with an attractive luster in the sunlight.

Chen Bozhou was stunned. Looking at the money that was obviously much more generous than before, he was unable to react for a while.

"The shopkeeper said," Yunwu's voice was filled with an irrepressible lightness, like a stream melting in spring, "the medicinal herbs this time are of excellent quality, rare in recent years, especially the angelica and astragalus. He is willing to pay a high price for them. These... are the proceeds from the sales."

Chen Bozhou finally came to his senses, and a huge joy instantly rushed into his heart. He grabbed the purse, weighed it, and was surprised and delighted: "So much? Yunwu, you are amazing!" He was a hundred times happier than if he had made money himself.

Yunwu looked at his genuine excitement and the smile on her face deepened.

He waited until Shen Bozhou's excitement subsided a little before he said seriously, "Here's half. Bozhou, this is for you."

The smile on Chen Bozhou's face froze.

He looked at the purse in his hand, then at Yunwu who looked serious. His brows immediately furrowed. Without thinking, he stuffed the purse back into Yunwu's hand: "What are you doing? I can't take it."

"You must accept it." Yunwu was very insistent. He pushed the purse back and said firmly, "You've put in the most effort in cultivating the medicinal fields. Carrying water, applying fertilizer, and getting rid of pests every day—in which of these tasks could not have been done without you? Without you, this medicinal field wouldn't have the harvest it has today. This is what you deserve."

"I'm helping you because I want to!" Chen Bozhou was a little anxious, and his voice unconsciously rose a few degrees. "I'm not helping you to share your money! You planted these herbs with your heart and blood, you figured out the techniques, and you prepared them yourself. I just put in some effort, how can I share your hard-earned money?"

He looked at Yunwu, his eyes devoid of any greed for money, only sincerity. "Yunwu, what's yours is yours. Seeing your hard work rewarded so well makes me happier than anything else. Keep this money, buy some delicious food for grandma, add some household expenses, or save it for expanding your planting in the future. Anything is fine, just don't give it to me."

Yunwu held the purse that was stuffed back in his hand, feeling its heavy weight. His heart also felt heavy, filled with another kind of hot emotion.

He understood Chen Bozhou's intentions, and because he understood, he felt that this friendship was even more precious.

He was silent for a moment, no longer insisting on dividing the money. Instead, he raised his eyes, looked at Chen Bozhou with clear eyes, and proposed another idea: "Then... how about we use this money to expand the medicinal fields? There is a similar piece of wasteland at the foot of the back mountain. I have seen the soil and it is also suitable for growing medicinal herbs. Let's open up there as well."

When Shen Bozhou heard this, his eyes lit up. This proposal instantly touched him.

It feels completely different to not share money but to invest in the future together.

"That's a great idea!" He immediately clapped his hands in agreement, a bright smile blooming on his face once again, filled with boundless longing. "Let's do it! With your skills and my strength, we can definitely turn that piece of land into fertile farmland. Then, the size of 'our' medicinal farm will double!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "we" and spoke it very naturally.

Yunwu listened to the word "we" he blurted out, and saw the undisguised plans for their common future in his eyes. The burning emotions in her heart finally broke through her usual calmness and self-control.

He lowered his head, hiding his slightly hot cheeks and the corners of his mouth that couldn't help but rise, and said "hmm" softly.

At this moment, the sun is shining brightly, and the breeze is not too harsh. The tea stall's sign sways gently in the wind, and the Yongjitang sign in the distance remains as simple as ever.

Two young men stood at a busy street corner, one of them was planning "our" medicinal field with a hearty smile, while the other one lowered his head and smiled faintly, tacitly acknowledging this common expectation.

The bag of money, which symbolized the first great success, was not separated in the end, but it tied the future of the two people together more deeply in a closer way.

It is no longer just the income from Yunwu's labor, but also the first start-up capital for their common cause, carrying the same hope and pointing in the same direction.

Chen Bozhou thought, money is important, but compared with the smile in the eyes of the person in front of him and the common expectations for the future, what does it matter?

What he wanted was never to share the results, but to participate in the creative process and to be side by side in that process.