In the blink of an eye, autumn had arrived, and the entire village was plunged into a frenzy of activity as the farmers harvested their crops.
It should have been a season of joy, but this year the heat seemed to be lingering far longer than usual. Though autumn had come, the scorching weather had barely changed, as if summer had simply been extended.
During the height of summer, the fields were not so busy, and people naturally did not go out into the blazing sun unless they had to. Though it was hot, it was still bearable.
But once autumn arrived and the grain ripened, there was far more work to be done, and no one could afford to shirk it. They had to work in the fields, with the sun beating down on their bodies like venomous bees stinging them again and again. It was almost unbearable.
During the autumn harvest, farmers certainly hoped for more clear weather. That way, they could gather the crops in time and dry this year’s grain thoroughly, keeping it from rotting in the rain. But the weather was simply too hot—even the people themselves seemed liable to be dried out by the sun.
In the mornings, people in the fields were still chatting and laughing together, but as noon approached and the sun climbed high, they would suddenly collapse in the middle of their work. This year, because of the heavy labor and oppressive heat, cases of heatstroke occurred one after another.
With people repeatedly collapsing in the mountains and fields, there was a great demand for medical treatment. Song Fengsui could hardly find a moment’s rest. He spent nearly every day visiting one farmstead after another, making the rounds of the three estates belonging to the Duan family.
At the Duan family’s estates, at least one large pot of the heat-relieving soup prepared by Song Fengsui was brewed every day. Once the sun grew fierce, it would be sent out to the fields as tea for the tenant farmers.
Duan Yan also ordered the estate managers to adjust the tenants’ working hours. They were to go out earlier in the morning and finish later in the evening, avoiding the fields entirely during the hottest part of the day.
With this work schedule, together with the heat-relieving soup, none of the tenants on the estates suffered heatstroke again.
When the villagers saw this, they crowded onto the Duan family’s estates to buy packets of the medicinal mixture and boil them at home. The drink truly was quite effective at dispelling the heat from the body, and it was not expensive either.
There were also plenty of people under the Qian family’s employ who suffered heatstroke. Old Man Qian had seen Old Man Duan basking in his success and did not want to buy medicine from him. But watching his workers collapse from the heat was no solution either. They suffered physically, and then had to rest instead of working—neither side benefited.
After hesitating for some time, he finally decided to go to the Duan family and ask for some packets of the heat-relieving medicine. However, just as Old Man Qian had finally swallowed his pride and prepared to go, Third Son Qian heard that his father wanted to buy medicine from them and immediately objected. He refused to let Old Man Qian go, no matter what.
“We’ve already adjusted the work hours. They barely spend a few moments under the sun each day. I say they aren’t really suffering heatstroke at all—they’re using it as an excuse to shirk work! How can there be so much heat for them to suffer from every single day? Why didn’t we see this kind of fussiness in previous years?”
“If they can work, then let them work. If they can’t, then next year we shouldn’t lease the land to this bunch of tenants. I say it’s all because Father has spoiled them.”
Third Son Qian clutched his abdomen and cursed in the room. The few angry words tugged at the flesh around his injuries, sending waves of pain through him. The moment he thought of how he had gotten hurt, his anger grew even stronger.
He had already been recuperating for more than half a month, yet his usually quick-healing body still had not fully recovered. That damned Duan Yan—who knew when he had acquired such skills? He had beaten Third Son Qian until his body was covered in internal injuries.
Third Son Qian could not bring himself to complain, and to anyone without medical knowledge, he did not appear seriously injured. He had truly swallowed a bellyful of silent resentment. All he could do was secretly stay in the village and recuperate, while telling outsiders that his husband was ill and needed to be cared for.
Old Man Qian knew that his son was on bad terms with the Duan family, but after hearing him speak, his brows drew together.
“This year really is hotter than usual. People aren’t made of iron or steel. With so much work to do in the fields, it’s hardly strange for them to suffer heatstroke. How can you go around saying they’re pretending to shirk work?
“You can complain about it at home, in front of your own family, but don’t shout those words outside. What will people think if they hear you?”
“You’re annoyed that I talk too much, but you’re also afraid people will think badly of us? Then don’t go begging the Duan family for anything. There’s no point letting them laugh at us, or giving them something to hold over our heads. What kind of miracle medicine is it, anyway? Why must you go and plead with the Duan family?”
Third Son Qian said, “I’ll go to the city and buy some heat-relieving medicine. It’ll be better than his, guaranteed!”
Hearing his son say this, Old Man Qian stopped mentioning the idea of buying medicine from the Duan family.
Third Son Qian really did go to the city’s medicine shop and buy some heat-relieving medicine. Unfortunately, because the weather was hot and the work heavy during the autumn harvest, many people were buying such medicine, and the price had been driven up.
At the Duan family’s estates, a packet of heat-relieving medicine cost only five or six copper coins. In the city’s medicine shop, one packet cost ten. Third Son Qian felt that even if it was a little more expensive, the difference was only a few coins. Was he really short of that amount?
With a grand wave of his hand, he bought several dozen packets and had them brought back for use. Who would have thought that the city’s medicine was not only more expensive than the Duan family’s, but also completely ineffective? After taking it, one might as well have drunk a bowl of cool boiled water!
The tenants, unaware of the truth, naturally could not imagine that the Qian family would spend good money on useless medicine. Surely no landowner would do something so foolish? In private, they began whispering that the Qian father and son were stingy.
At the Duan family’s estate, five coins could buy a packet that would make an entire vat of soup. Yet the Qian family refused to buy it and instead went looking for inferior medicinal ingredients. Wasn’t it obvious that they were trying to save money by buying cheaper medicine?
A few careless remarks eventually reached the ears of Old Man Qian and his son. They had spent the money and done the deed, only to end up with a bad reputation as well. It infuriated them beyond measure.
While the village was in an uproar over one trivial matter after another, Duan Yan was so busy in the city that he barely had time to set foot away from his post.
The autumn harvest was the busiest time of year, but it was also the season when grain theft, robbery, and disputes over water became especially frequent.
A few days earlier, a band of thieves had set its sights on a grain shop south of town. They had used a diversionary tactic, setting a fire in the west of town. At a time when the weather was dry and everything was tinder-dry, even the smallest flame could become a disaster. Just as the fire here was finally put out, people came crying and shouting from the other side of town that the grain had been stolen.
The yamen already had more cases than it could handle, and now this incident had been added to the pile. The city therefore increased its patrols, and clerks like Duan Yan were naturally dispatched to help maintain order.
After working on duty for four or five days in a row, Duan Yan finally got a day off. He saddled a horse at once, intending to head to the family’s estate in the countryside.
He had been on duty in the city day and night, unable to get away for even a moment, while Song Fengsui had been busy making his medical rounds and had not had time to come into the city. The two of them had not seen each other for several days.
However, before Duan Yan could leave the city, Commissioner Qin called him over and asked him to help deal with a troublesome merchant who was refusing to pay his taxes. As a result, Duan Yan ended up working for another half-day.
It was not until the afternoon that he finally finished.
Tax Officer Qin summoned him privately and discreetly slipped him a box of pineapple cakes that had been sent to the county. He also warned Duan Yan not to mention it to anyone. There were not many of them—not even Kong Youhua had received any.
Duan Yan found it rather amusing, but decided not to hold the “overtime” against him. He thought he would bring the cakes back for Song Fengsui to try.
He rode straight to the Liuyu Village estate. The moment he dismounted, Duan Yan asked, “Has Young Master Song come to the estate today?”
The tenant guarding the gate hurried over to take his horse.
“Young Master Song happened to come to our farmstead this morning and spent the whole morning treating patients. In the afternoon, the younger brother from Herbalist Ye’s family came over to tend the newly planted medicinal herbs, so Young Master Song went with him to the herb fields.”
Duan Yan’s face lit up. He acknowledged this and immediately headed for the herb fields.
“The weather’s so hot, yet it’s truly remarkable that these little thistles can still sprout. And as if the drought weren’t enough, they’ve had to deal with pests too. Look how clever these aphids are—they’re already crawling all over the tender new leaves!”
Song Fengsui was crouching in the herb field, using a small hoe to pull weeds. He turned over the leaves with his fingers and pinched two aphids off the tender shoots.
Ye Xingzhi was crouching at the other end of the field. As he loosened the soil and cleared away weeds, he inspected the seedlings for pests. “Once insects appear, it takes even more effort to tend the plants. The thistles my father used to grow suffered plenty of pest infestations too. He was patient, though—he could crouch in the fields catching bugs for several hours at a time.”
Song Fengsui frowned. “I knew growing herbs wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t expect it to be this arduous. If the plot were small, pests would still be manageable. But with such large-scale cultivation at the farmstead, even with more hands, we couldn’t endure this kind of trouble.”
“What else can we do?” Ye Xingzhi said with a smile. “If medicinal herbs weren’t so difficult to tend, more people would grow them to earn money. Many herbs sell for far more than grain.”
“I was thinking, if we could use some kind of medicine against these insects and simply kill them all, wouldn’t that be easier than catching them one by one?”
“These young leaves are extremely delicate. How could we dare spray them with medicine recklessly? If we get the dosage even slightly wrong, the aphids might survive while the seedlings die from the medicine.”
Song Fengsui pondered for a moment. “Then we must be very careful indeed.”
He furrowed his brow. “But the medicinal properties of thistles shouldn’t conflict with themselves. If we took mature thistles, extracted their juice, and sprayed it to drive away the aphids, do you think it might work?”
Ye Xingzhi’s eyes brightened. “The mucilage-rich juice of thistles can block the aphids’ breathing openings and suffocate them. Since it won’t harm the thistles themselves… How did I never think of this before?”
“Doctor Song, that’s an excellent idea. I’ll take some mature thistles and try it as soon as I get back.”
Seeing that the idea had promise, Song Fengsui grew even more enthusiastic.
“I only know a little about medicine and happened to think of it from that angle. Young Master Ye is skilled in cultivating medicinal herbs and understands pests as well. If you’re willing to research pest-control solutions, I’d suggest trying thistle juice mixed with chinaberry bark. Books say that chinaberry bark has properties that can paralyze insects. It may increase the effectiveness of the insecticide.”
Ye Xingzhi added, “We could also try mixing in the common lime!”
The two grew more and more animated as they spoke. If they could develop more pest-control solutions, it would not only increase the yield of medicinal herbs—even the crops could benefit.
Song Fengsui stood and scooped up a handful of sweat. A thought stirred in his heart. It seemed he shouldn’t immerse himself solely in treating people. Perhaps he could branch out, widen his path, and learn to treat insects as well.
The benefits that would bring might not be any less than those of curing the sick and saving lives.
At the thought, a hopeful light rose in his eyes.
Once Duan Yan finished his work in the countryside and returned, he would have to tell him about this.
Thinking of that man, Song Fengsui unconsciously glanced toward the farmstead. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, he caught sight of a familiar figure on the distant field ridge.
Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, long legs—that man could be none other than Duan Yan.
Song Fengsui instinctively wanted to call out to him, but he opened his mouth and no sound came out. He watched the man’s back as he walked away, puzzled.
There was only one proper path from the farmstead to the herb fields. Since Duan Yan had already reached the field ridge, there was no reason he hadn’t seen Song Fengsui here. He wasn’t walking quickly, either, and didn’t look as though he were hurrying back for some urgent matter.
What was wrong with him?
“Doctor Song, speaking with you today has been immensely enlightening!” Ye Xingzhi’s words interrupted Song Fengsui’s thoughts. “I can’t contain my excitement at all. I want to hurry back and start testing the solution!”
Song Fengsui came back to himself and looked at Ye Xingzhi. Suddenly, he understood something.
With a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he said, “Good. I was just thinking of going back myself. Young Master Ye, go ahead. I’ll return to the farmstead and let the others know you’ve taken your leave. It’s no trouble.”
Ye Xingzhi thanked him, hoisted the small basket he had carried over his back, and hurried away.
On the village road, he happened to run into a distant cousin from his family. The young man greeted him, but Ye Xingzhi merely gave him a perfunctory reply and hurried on. The young man was so annoyed that he sliced the head off a cabbage with his sickle, then glared furiously toward the herb fields.
Song Fengsui knew nothing of this. The moment Ye Xingzhi left, he hurried back to the farmstead as well.
After entering the farmstead, he didn’t even wash his hands. He set down the small hoe and crossed the threshing ground toward the inner courtyard.
“You’re back already?”
Duan Yan had been returning with his thoughts elsewhere. He had only just arrived at the farmstead himself, and now Song Fengsui had already appeared before him, which caught him by surprise.
“How do you know when I left? And why are you asking whether I’m back quickly or not?”
Song Fengsui said, “What’s this? Are you accusing me of slacking off in the fields and not working long enough?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Duan Yan coughed awkwardly. He naturally didn’t want to mention that he had just made a special trip to the herb fields. He hadn’t expected himself to let the truth slip so easily—one sentence, and Song Fengsui had already caught him out.
Seeing the dried mud covering Song Fengsui’s fingers, leaving them gray and grimy, he quickly seized upon the excuse. “You went to tend the herbs again? Your hands are filthy. I’ll fetch some water so you can wash them.”
Song Fengsui didn’t refuse and gave a soft hum, watching Duan Yan leave with great interest.
That man’s thoughts were sometimes so easy to guess. From just two sentences, he had already exposed the truth. He had clearly gone to look for Song Fengsui on purpose, yet had silently turned around and left on his own, brooding all the way back.
Before long, Duan Yan returned with some warm water. Song Fengsui didn’t press him about what had happened earlier. He slowly rolled up his sleeves and immersed his muddy hands in the basin.
Duan Yan called for tea, then brought out the box of pineapple cakes Tax Officer Qin had given him. “I heard from the people at the farmstead that you treated five or six patients this morning, then went to the herb fields in the afternoon. You must have been busy and tired all day. Once you’ve washed your hands, eat something to fill your stomach.”
Song Fengsui dried his hands, leaned toward the pastry box, and gave a light sniff. Then he used his handkerchief to pick up a piece. “This pineapple cake is quite authentic. It doesn’t taste like anything made by the pastry shops in town. Where did you get it?”
“Commissioner Qin gave it to me. I was supposed to have the day off, but he asked me to help him with something again. He specifically brought these as thanks.”
Song Fengsui nodded, then took another piece and offered it to Duan Yan as well. “Tax Officer Qin certainly knows how to show his appreciation. These pastries really are delicious.
“I remember going to Jiangnan with my family one year, where we attended a wedding banquet. The pineapple cakes served there had an especially wonderful flavor. This box Commissioner Qin gave you tastes more or less like those.”
Duan Yan tasted the pastry. It was somewhat sweet, but the sweetness of the cake alone seemed unable to reach the depths of his heart.
“Back then, I must have been only fourteen or fifteen. All I cared about was how delicious the pastries were and how lively the wedding feast was. My maternal grandfather even laughed and said that I was still too young to know when I would ever have a celebration as lively as that one.”
As he spoke, Song Fengsui looked toward Duan Yan. “Time truly does fly. In just a few days, once my birthday has passed, I’ll be eighteen.
“Just the other day, my family was teasing me, saying they should find me a good young man who could look after me in the future. At first, I was a little upset. I wondered why it couldn’t be that the whole family simply looked after one another—why did they have to find someone else for me? But after I calmed down and thought about it, I realized that there aren’t many people of my generation left in the family. If I could settle down sooner, it really might make the household livelier.”
Song Fengsui pressed his lips together, a smile in his eyes as he pictured a harmonious family life. “Besides, I rather like children~”
Duan Yan nearly choked on the pineapple cake in his mouth. Ever since he had met Song Fengsui, he had never sensed the slightest longing in the young man for such a conventional life of marriage and raising children. Hearing him suddenly speak of these things was, to put it mildly, unexpected.
“Why have you suddenly started thinking about all this? You haven’t been in Qianzhou for very long. Besides, in a small place like Yancheng, there probably aren’t any good men who would be a match for you.”
“……Isn’t it still too soon……?”
“How could it be too soon? Ordinary women and gebi usually become betrothed at sixteen and marry by eighteen, or twenty at the latest. The Song family is no longer a prestigious household, and I’m not some wealthy young master either. As long as the man is upright and of good character, how could he be considered unworthy?
“Besides, it’s not as though we have to settle things immediately. We can simply start considering the idea and look around first. There are still plenty of things to take into account. Fate isn’t something you can summon just because you want it.”
After saying this, Song Fengsui lightly pressed his lips together again, his face taking on a shy expression. Lowering his voice, he said to Duan Yan, “My father and my second uncle both praised your looks and your character. They said you’re truly a rare and admirable young man~”
Duan Yan’s entire body stiffened. In an instant, his heart seemed ready to leap from his chest, and even his breathing stopped.
He stared blankly at Song Fengsui. If the Song family had taken a liking to him, then he……he……
“They’re certainly discerning people, then. Everyone in my family trusts you, and you’ve always treated me like one of your own. When the time comes, I’ll have to trouble you to help me judge the candidates.”
The blazing fire that had nearly flared up was extinguished in an instant.
It was as though someone had stuffed a handful of bitter herbs into Duan Yan’s mouth—how could those words be so stifling, and so bitter?
“I……help you judge them?”
Duan Yan felt as though his chest could no longer rise and fall. “Would that really be appropriate?”
“What’s wrong? You don’t want to?”
Song Fengsui blinked. “Why not?”
“I probably don’t have much of an eye for people. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been so terribly betrayed by those around me in the past.”
Duan Yan murmured, “This concerns your entire life. I can’t afford to lead you astray……”
As he spoke, an earlier scene surfaced in his mind: two boys of similar age chatting and laughing among the medicinal herb fields. One was strikingly beautiful, while the other was handsome and clear-eyed.
But what was most remarkable was how well they got along, and how their eyes shone whenever they spoke.
Almost possessed by some unseen force, Duan Yan asked, “Have you fallen for Ye Xingzhi?”
Song Fengsui looked straight into Duan Yan’s eyes. Rather than asking why he had said that, he replied, “Do you think I should like him?”
Duan Yan’s brows drew tightly together, as though an unseen hand had closed around his heart. Every breath felt heavy and constricted.
The strange sensation was not painful enough to make him suffer unbearably, but it was enough to leave him unable to speak.
The inexplicable feeling in his heart made Song Fengsui’s question all the more complicated and difficult to answer.
Song Fengsui pressed him, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I have no right to interfere with whom you like, so I can’t answer whether you should or shouldn’t.”
For an instant, the light in Song Fengsui’s eyes dimmed, as though he had lost his focus. He slowly lowered his gaze, the corners of his mouth lifting in a bitter smile.
“You’re a calm person who knows how to keep your boundaries. Look at me—what am I even saying? I keep behaving so improperly in front of you.”
“I’m sure you won’t hold it against me for acting like such a childish brat.”
With that, Song Fengsui let out a soft breath. “It’s getting late, and I’ve been out all day. I should go back……”
Before he could finish, Duan Yan suddenly seized the corner of Song Fengsui’s sleeve, just as Song Fengsui had tugged at his sleeve earlier.
“I know I shouldn’t say this, but if I don’t, I may never have another chance to speak.”
“Song Fengsui, rationally speaking, I have no right to interfere with you, nor can I judge whether you should like Ye Xingzhi. But……but selfishly, I don’t want you to like him.”
Song Fengsui froze. He could feel the hand gripping his sleeve slowly tighten.
“Why?”
Duan Yan’s heart was in turmoil. He couldn’t sort out why he was acting this way. He had never felt like this before. People naturally felt lost and helpless when faced with situations they had never encountered, and he was no exception.
Yet there was already a vague answer hidden in his heart—indeed, it had been there for some time. At that moment, it was practically pushing its way out. But until he could see it clearly and be certain, he didn’t believe he could rashly say such things aloud.
The words themselves were easy enough to speak, but who would bear the responsibility behind them?
He didn’t want jealousy or some other emotion to make him blurt out something solemn and weighty before he had thought it through.
Perhaps he was afraid that Song Fengsui might reject him, but he was even more afraid of causing the other man needless trouble by acting rashly without understanding his own feelings. What if he felt one way today and another tomorrow? Before he had made up his mind, he couldn’t simply give voice to the first stirrings of emotion and end up hurting Song Fengsui.
Duan Yan looked at the person before him, his gaze almost pleading. “Give me some more time to think about it, all right?”
Song Fengsui looked at Duan Yan. His eyes were gentle, and he offered an exceedingly comforting smile.
“All right.”
He had already waited so long. How could he be afraid of waiting a little longer?
Though he didn’t understand Duan Yan’s hesitation, he respected the seriousness with which Duan Yan treated matters of the heart. If Duan Yan had been frivolous, Song Fengsui likely would never have developed feelings for him in the first place.
Since he loved how earnestly Duan Yan struggled with his feelings, he naturally had to show him more patience and understanding.
Besides, this was already a rare occasion. The stubborn blockhead had finally begun to realize a few things.
