“Did he come to see it then?”

“Yes, several times while you were away.”

“What do you think of him?”

“He’s a promising young man. I’m almost sure of that now.”

Mrs. Yi went to the herb garden in the moonlight to take a break from studying. At night, faint cries came from the village, not from the villagers but from underground. Mrs. Yi thought that in such a large village and among so many villagers, Gray was the only person who showed a particular interest in her work. He was so special!

On the edge of the garden the brocade grass and the pungent white Polygonum gave off faint fragrances. These two herbs clung tightly to the earth. Mrs. Yi felt a little sorry for them because of their pure and cautious nature. Even when she stepped on them, they didn’t complain; they showed their love for her in silence. Under the willows in the distance, two crickets chirped ardently. Mrs. Yi had keen hearing; she bobbed her head, keeping time with their chirps. She saw again the image of herself years earlier: at that time, with a bamboo basket on her back and carrying a two-toothed hoe, she was seeking herbs in the mountains. To her the most beautiful scenes were the herbs which grew in lonely spots for the sick. The invisible link between herbs and people had existed since ancient times. Their calls were soundless, and it was only after trying for a long time that Mrs. Yi could hear these silent calls.

Wasn’t it to cure Chunli’s stomachache that the beautiful clematis showed up? As soon as Mrs. Yi saw it nodding in the wind to her, she knew the girl Chunli would be saved. Touching encounters similar to this one frequently took place on this mountain. In recent years, Mrs. Yi hadn’t climbed the mountain to collect herbs as frequently as before because she could grow many of them in her garden and she wasn’t as strong as she had once been. But the memory of that joy could still warm her heart and brighten her eyes. Seeking herbs on the mountain was quite different from picking them in the garden. The exhilaration of being a barefoot doctor could not be fully experienced unless one had searched for herbs in the mountains. People and herbs tacitly helped each other and shared the happiness of living in this world. It was probably this joyous atmosphere that had drawn Gray to her.

2
Uncle Ma

When Uncle Ma was alive, he often discussed his illness with Mrs. Yi. She loved this kind of discussion. Sitting in the yard where yellow and white chrysanthemums were blossoming, they chatted at intervals. In the sunlight the fat hens murmured in their sleep.

“Today I found the herb you need in the crevices of the earth in a stone cavern,” Mrs. Yi said.

“You mean the mountain cypress?” Uncle Ma asked.

“That’s right.”

“Yes, I think it would help me. I remember the shape of the herb. It looked perfect, like a handsome young man. Ha-ha. Mrs. Yi, aren’t the cypress’s needles and twigs excited when you pick them?” Uncle Ma said as he stood up. He started pacing back and forth in the yard.