Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

June 6th, Grain in Ear (芒种).

Grain in Ear, Grain in Ear, a time for both harvesting and sowing. The vegetables in the garden have grown to a lush, green expanse, a delightful sight. Qin Huairu got up early, took her small hoe, and cut the ripe greens, stacking them in a basket to give some to her neighbors.

Nian'an squatted down beside them to help, her little hands gripping the vegetable roots and pulling them out. She pulled one out and held it high: "Mommy, look! Nian'an pulled this out!"

"Nian'an is really capable." Qin Huairu took it and put it in the basket.

Nian'an pulled up another one, this time using too much force, and landed hard on his bottom, covered in dirt. He didn't cry, got up, dusted himself off, and went to pull more.

Ding Qiunan came out of the east wing, holding a book in her hand, a "Formulas for Decoctions" prepared for Lin Zhiyuan. Lin Zhiyuan was already up, reciting the text in the courtyard, his voice soft but earnest.

"Ephedra has a pungent taste and is used to relieve exterior syndromes and induce sweating. It is used for fever, headache, and wind-cold...

Nian'an ran over, looking up at him with her little face: "Brother Zhiyuan, Nian'an can recite it too!"

Lin Zhiyuan squatted down: "Then Nian'an, carry one on your back."

Nian'an thought for a moment, then recited in a childish voice, "Angelica... Angelica nourishes blood, Astragalus... Astragalus nourishes qi..."

He couldn't memorize it anymore, so he scratched his head and chuckled.

Lin Zhiyuan laughed too: "Nian'an is still young, she'll learn when she grows up."

"Nian'an isn't a little kid anymore!" Nian'an puffed out her little chest. "Nian'an is three and a half years old!"

Ding Qiunan walked over and patted his head: "You're still too young at three and a half. When you're five, your aunt will teach you."

"Pinky promise!"

"Pinky promise."

With their little fingers, one tall and one short, hooked together, Nian'an smiled so hard her eyes curved into crescent moons.

Breakfast consisted of millet porridge, pickled vegetables, and scallion pancakes made by Qin Huairu. Nian'an ate half a pancake and drank a bowl of porridge, leaving her little belly round and full.

After finishing his meal, Chen Yu went to work—he was back at the steel rolling mill, but not as a worker; he was working as a technical consultant, occasionally going to the factory to provide guidance, and spending most of his time at home.

Nian'an followed Ding Qiunan to the pharmacy. Lin Zhiyuan had already gone there and was cleaning and organizing the medicinal herbs.

Not long after the pharmacy opened, a patient arrived. It was a young woman holding a child who was crying loudly, and the child's face was flushed red.

"Dr. Ding, please take a look at my baby. He's had a fever for two days, and the medicine hasn't brought it down."

Ding Qiunan took the child and placed him on the examination bed. She first examined his tongue and then took his pulse. The child cried incessantly, but she patiently soothed him while conducting the examination.

"Don't worry, it's roseola infantum. The rash will clear up on its own." She wrote out a prescription and asked Lin Zhiyuan to get the medicine.

Lin Zhiyuan followed the recipe, carefully scooped out each ingredient, weighed them, wrapped them up, and handed them to the young woman.

"Three doses of medicine, one dose per day, decocted in water. Give the child plenty of water and don't bundle them up too much."

The young woman left, expressing her deepest gratitude.

Nian'an lay on the edge of the table, watching all this with admiration on her little face.

"Auntie is amazing."

Ding Qiunan smiled and picked him up: "Nian'an has grown up to be amazing too."

Several more patients arrived, all with minor ailments like headaches and fevers. Ding Qiunan treated them one by one, while Lin Zhiyuan watched from the side, occasionally helping to fetch medicine. Nian'an wasn't idle either, helping to hand things over; although she couldn't offer much help, her attitude was attentive.

At noon, Qin Huairu brought lunch. Today she made zha jiang mian (noodles with soybean paste). The noodles were hand-rolled and very chewy; the zha jiang was made with diced meat and fermented bean paste, and it smelled incredibly delicious.

"Zhiyuan, eat more." Qin Huairu put some food on his plate.

"Thank you, Aunt Qin."

Nian'an ate with great relish, her little mouth covered in sauce.

After dinner, Lin Zhiyuan insisted on washing the dishes. Nian'an followed, standing by the sink, her little hands reaching into the water to help rinse the dishes.

"Nian'an, don't get your clothes wet," Ding Qiunan called out.

"No!" Nian'an's sleeve was wet as soon as she finished speaking.

Qin Huairu quickly pulled him over and helped him change into dry clothes.

In the afternoon, there were fewer patients. Ding Qiunan taught Lin Zhiyuan how to read a pulse. She placed her fingers on Lin Zhiyuan's wrist and let him feel it.

"This is a superficial pulse, which can be felt with light pressure, indicating a superficial syndrome."

Lin Zhiyuan was deeply moved and attentive.

Nian'an also came over and stretched out her little wrist: "Auntie, Nian'an wants to have her pulse taken too!"

Ding Qiunan smiled and placed her fingers on his wrist. Nian An felt ticklish and giggled.

"Auntie, what is Nian'an's pulse?"

"Nian'an's pulse is a healthy pulse, beating very strongly."

Nian An nodded in satisfaction.

In the evening, Chen Yu came to pick up Nian'an. Nian'an ran over and threw herself into his arms: "Daddy, Nian'an helped Auntie with chores today!"

"Nian'an is great." Chen Yu picked him up.

The family returned to their courtyard. He Yuzhu came to visit, carrying two fish, saying that his brother-in-law had brought them from Baiyangdian.

"Chen Yu, here's some fish for you. We'll stew it for dinner tonight."

"Brother Zhu, I've made you spend money again."

"It's no trouble at all, it's not like we bought it." He Yuzhu sat down, looking at the lush green vegetable garden in the yard. "The vegetables are growing really well this year."

"Yes, Huairu took good care of her," Chen Yu said.

Qin Huairu came out of the house and took the fish: "Brother Zhu, let's eat here tonight."

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."

In the evening, Qin Huairu cooked braised fish and several other dishes. The whole family, including He Yuzhu, sat together, enjoying a lively meal.

After taking a few bites of fish, Nian'an suddenly asked, "Uncle, where did the fish come from?"

"From Baiyangdian, a very, very large lake."

Nian'an wants to go and take a look.

"Okay, when summer comes, Uncle will take you there."

Nian'an clapped her hands happily.

After finishing their meal, He Yuzhu said goodbye. The family sat in the courtyard enjoying the cool air. The moon rose, round and bright.

Nian'an lay on Chen Yu's lap and fell asleep in no time.

Qin Huairu carried him into the house.

Chen Yu and Ding Qiunan were still sitting in the courtyard.

"Qiu Nan, how is Zhiyuan doing in his studies?" Chen Yu asked.

"Good, he has a good foundation and is willing to work hard," Ding Qiunan said. "In another six months, we'll be able to let him try treating patients."

"So fast?"

"It's a minor ailment, a common problem. He can handle it," Ding Qiunan said. "I'll be watching from the side; nothing will go wrong."

Chen Yu nodded.

"Brother Chen," Ding Qiunan suddenly said, "I'm thinking of... expanding the pharmacy a bit."

"expand?"

"Yes, I want to rent that empty room in the back and use it as a decoction room," Ding Qiunan said. "Now that there are more patients, we don't have enough space to decoct medicine."

Chen Yu thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll ask the landlord for you."

Ding Qiunan smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Chen."

As night deepened, the two went back to their respective rooms.

In the east wing, Lin Zhiyuan was still reading under the lamp. He closed the book and looked out the window; the moon was hanging perfectly on the pomegranate tree.

He thought of his father, who was alone in Tongzhou, and wondered how he was doing.

"Father, don't worry, I will study hard and make something of myself in the future, and then I will bring you to the city," he said softly.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

The courtyard was quiet.