“Gray, you are really remarkable. You’ve learned so fast,” said Mrs. Yi appreciatively.

“But I don’t think I can be a doctor.”

“It—it doesn’t matter. You’ll get used to it. Most doctors aren’t born to be doctors.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Yi. I think there’s a huge difference between you and me.”

“Don’t take me as a benchmark. I also got where I am through practice, and even now, I still feel inferior. Just do your best. That you like herbs so much is a powerful advantage. I didn’t like being a barefoot doctor at first, either, but I was curious about human birth, so I’ve been doing this work ever since. I have no intention of giving this up.”

While working in the garden, Gray thought to himself, Were the herbs in the garden and those on the mountains growing because they loved the sick? Why did he love herbs but not the sick? Recalling his experience with Old Onion, he felt that he had taken a great interest in the old man, but it wasn’t love, at least not the love that Mrs. Yi had for her patients. It was instinctive fear that had driven him to strike the snake. Had he felt something besides fear? He wasn’t sure. He wasn’t well enough educated to figure out such a complicated question. When Mrs. Yi told him to adapt to this profession gradually, was she pinning her hopes on him? But she didn’t try to come after him when he left last time without saying good-bye. Now he felt a vague impulse to do acupuncture for Old Onion and see what kind of mystery the old man’s body was. Onion complained of pain in his back and legs, but he didn’t seem to be in pain when he was entangled with the python.

Mr. Yi came back from the field. He said to Gray, “Grandpa Onion is going on a trip. He wanted me to tell you that he wouldn’t return for a while.”

“Why tell me?”

“I don’t know. He may regard you as his grandson. This old man knows herbs better than Mrs. Yi! Mrs. Yi learned from him.”

“My goodness! Yun Village is full of hidden talents.”

After work, Gray walked home with his head down. On the way, he suddenly heard Spoon talking: “Some things look good, but they aren’t.”

He raised his head and looked all around. He saw no one.

Was Spoon speaking to him from far away? Was he in a good position now, or not? Spoon hadn’t been gone long, but his memories of her had faded. Gray was surprised: Was he himself a cold-blooded animal? Indeed, only herbs excited him now. After two trips to the mountain, he realized that he was still a son of Niulan Mountain. On the mountain, just a quiet passion was what he wanted most. Now Old Onion was much more important to him than Spoon. Day and night, he involuntarily recalled the adventure with Onion as if he had been possessed. Grandpa Onion wanted him to know that he had left. Did he mean to leave Niulan Mountain to him—a new hand—to deal with alone?