Chapter Fifty-Six: A Small Knife

The poor villagers had long suffered from hunger, overwork, and exhaustion, so naturally, many were ill. For seven days straight in Baiyue Village, Tan Yunxian tended to the sick, and only then did the number of those coming to seek her help begin to dwindle.

During these seven days, since she needed to check on Zhou Shaocheng each day, Tan Yunxian simply ate and stayed at the Zhou family’s home. She led a frugal life, and even the Zhou family’s coarse meals tasted especially sweet to her. Over the course of a week, she found herself in frequent contact with Zhou Zhi, and the bond between them grew ever closer.

Upon discovering that Zhou Zhi was a reader, Tan Yunxian regarded him with new admiration. For a poor farmer’s son to steal moments to borrow and read books was truly remarkable. As a traveling physician, she had wandered through many places, and it was rare indeed to see impoverished peasants so devoted to reading.

The Ming Dynasty valued learning. Regardless of whether Zhou Zhi bore any official title, this alone earned him Tan Yunxian’s deep respect.

It was no wonder, then, that Zhou Zhi, though born to a farming family, possessed such a distinctive bearing.

What astonished Tan Yunxian even more was Zhou Zhi’s ambition to grow fresh vegetables during the bitter winter. Where others wouldn’t dare even dream of such a thing, he had already begun to experiment. Whether or not he would ultimately succeed, his boldness alone was enough to win her profound admiration.

Silently, Tan Yunxian thought to herself that this young man was clearly not fated for mediocrity; surely he would accomplish great things in the future.

That day, Tan Yunxian removed the silk suture from Zhou Shaocheng’s wound. As she had predicted, he was indeed able to get up and walk. Over the past seven days, he had lain on the kang bed, and under her careful care, his complexion had improved greatly.

Zhou Shaocheng took a few tentative steps on the floor, feeling his strength returning. Being a child, he couldn’t help but want to break into a run, but Tan Yunxian quickly stopped him and cautioned, “For the next three to five days, you must not run or engage in any strenuous activity. After that, little brother, you may play as you please, just as before!”

Zhou Shaocheng blinked and nodded eagerly.

Though young, he understood that he had just escaped death. In his mind, it was both Physician Tan who had saved him and his own brother Zhou Zhi, whose persuasion had convinced their mother to let Tan Yunxian treat him. Without that, he might not have survived.

Despite his youth, he was thoughtful and could consider things from multiple perspectives, which was truly rare.

Tan Yunxian’s time in Baiyue Village had come to an end—for a traveling physician, there were always more places to go.

Madam Zhou, Zhou He, had tended devotedly to her younger son these past days, and seeing his swift recovery, her affection for Tan Yunxian had only deepened. On learning that Physician Tan was leaving that day, a pang of sorrow struck her heart. For their midday meal, she instructed Zhou Luyun to pull up a cabbage, added a generous amount of pork fat, and even slaughtered a hen that no longer laid eggs to treat Tan Yunxian.

Though the hen could have fetched several dozen strings of cash at the market in Gaochang Town, Madam Zhou did not hesitate to offer it, a clear sign of her respect and gratitude toward Tan Yunxian.

With her departure imminent, Tan Yunxian herself felt an unexpected reluctance to leave this family, especially Zhou Zhi, with whom she felt a rare kinship after only a few days.

After some thought, she turned to Zhou Zhi and asked, “Brother Zhou Zhi, have you ever been to the Taihang Mountains, some three hundred li to the west of here?”

Before his journey through time, Zhou Zhi had been a northerner, and of course had traveled through many parts of the vast Taihang range. But since arriving in this era, he had been confined to the small Baiyue Village, and who could say if the Taihang Mountains of now were the same as those five centuries hence? Centuries could remake the world.

He paused for a moment, then gently shook his head.

“I have traveled a few times through the Taihang Mountains,” Tan Yunxian said. “There are many resources there, including all manner of rare medicinal herbs. While gathering herbs, I once stumbled upon a strange little fruit that I’d never seen before. When ripe, it is a brilliant, translucent red, round and small, sweet with a touch of tartness—a delightful taste.

“This fruit can only be found deep in the most secluded parts of the Taihang Mountains, and its range is quite limited. At the time, I picked a few out of curiosity and saved their seeds. Today, I thought I might give you some. I know nothing of farming or commerce, but I imagine your hope to raise fresh vegetables in winter is an attempt to improve your family’s lot.”

With that, Tan Yunxian opened her small medicine chest and took out a modest yellow paper packet. She opened it to reveal the seeds she had mentioned, and, generously dividing them, carefully placed half in her hand and passed them to Zhou Zhi.

“Come spring next year, you might try planting these seeds. If you can indeed grow those bright little fruits, I believe they will be a rare delicacy and fetch a fine price,” she said with a gentle laugh.

She truly admired this young man from the countryside, whose manners and ambition set him apart from his peers.

Zhou Zhi took the seeds and thanked her profusely.

Tan Yunxian’s delicate, timeworn face stiffened as she feigned annoyance. “Brother Zhou, you really are too polite!”

One should repay even the smallest kindness with deep gratitude. Tan Yunxian had done so much for him, yet Zhou Zhi had no way to repay her.

But such is fate; all he could do was offer a sheepish grin and say, “In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony with you, Sister Tan.”

“That’s more like it!” she said, her mock anger giving way to joy.

Only now did Zhou Zhi examine the seeds in his hand. From Tan Yunxian’s description—the fruit’s vivid red color and small size—he already had a strong suspicion.

It was most likely the cherry.

As the saying goes, cherries are delicious, but the trees are hard to cultivate.

To grow such fruit would not be easy.

From what he remembered, cherries did not reach the inland regions until the nineteenth century, yet here they were in the Ming era, undiscovered. If he managed to cultivate them, not only could he earn a fortune, but he would also, in his own way, contribute to the advancement of Ming agriculture.

Of course, this was all thanks to Tan Yunxian.

Without uttering further words of gratitude, Zhou Zhi carefully stored away the handful of seeds.

Tan Yunxian then took from her medicine chest a small knife about three inches long. The blade gleamed brightly and was exquisitely crafted, though the tip was chipped, making it unusable in surgery.

“Brother Zhou Zhi, this used to be the knife I most often used for procedures. Unfortunately, I once dropped it on a stone, and it lost a piece of the blade.

“It is of no further use to me, so I wish to give it to you. I have traveled widely, and though I know few officials or nobles, I have met all sorts of people among the wilds and the villages, and treated countless patients. The knife may be ordinary, but it bears my name—Tan Yunxian.

“So, it may prove of use to you in the days to come.”

She had long since perceived Zhou Zhi was destined for greater things, certain he would one day leave Baiyue Village, Qingdu County, perhaps even Baoding Prefecture behind. As a wandering physician, she possessed little of value, and by giving him this knife, she was, in a sense, passing on to him all the connections she had. This was, in truth, the greatest help she could offer.