After three hours on a country bus, Jiang Chen and Wen-xian finally arrived at Peach Blossom Village as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Flanked by towering mountain ridges, the small village nestled quietly in a valley. It was peaceful and remote, situated beside a national road, with trees growing everywhere. Even though it was late autumn, Jiang Chen could still recognize the peach trees scattered throughout the area.
A gravel path wound down from the road, leading toward the center of the village.
Beneath a peach tree at the village entrance, the village chief, Uncle Wen the Second, walked briskly toward them and greeted them with a loud voice,"Welcome, welcome! Welcome to our village, top scholar!"
As he spoke, Uncle Wen deliberately glanced at Wen-xian, clearly trying to read her expression, as if to ask: Is he your boyfriend?
Wen-xian immediately blushed and replied with mild irritation,"Uncle, stop talking nonsense. He's been on the road all afternoon and must be starving. Go make something to eat already."
"Alright, alright. Food first, of course."
Uncle Wen chuckled, already guessing a few things from her reaction, and invited them to the village committee hall for dinner.
After dinner, Uncle Wen handed a key to Jiang Chen."This is the key to the village clinic. From now on, it's yours to use. We won't be paying you a salary, but electricity is free. You'll treat villagers at your own expense and profit."
"Oh..." Jiang Chen felt a bit uncertain.
He had assumed the village committee would pay him. But now, with the risk entirely on him—in a place this small, how many villagers would even come for treatment? Could he really make a living here?
Wen-xian seemed to read his thoughts."Take the key," she said softly, urging him on.
Jiang Chen nodded and followed her to the clinic.
It was an old gray-brick house at the east end of the village. A bit run-down, its roof covered in patches of grass that trembled in the breeze, rustling like a mournful melody.
Standing before the shabby clinic, Jiang Chen suddenly felt a tinge of sadness.
He could've been a doctor in a major city hospital. And yet here he was, hidden away in the mountains.
Sensing his mood, Wen-xian gently tugged his sleeve and said reassuringly,"Take your time. Get through this rough patch first. Opportunities come to those who wait... Besides, I'll be by your side."
She was right.
In truth, Jiang Chen had chosen to come to this remote mountain village largely because of her.
If it meant being with Sister Wen—even a lifetime of seclusion here would be worth it.
With that thought, his mood lifted. He looked at her with warmth in his eyes.
Her chest rose and fell gently as she breathed, the curves of her body outlined clearly through her clothes.
Jiang Chen swallowed hard, his palms itching. He couldn't help imagining what lay beneath those buttons—what kind of breathtaking scenery was hidden there?
If only there were no clothes in the way…
Catching himself daydreaming, Jiang Chen chuckled at his own thoughts.
"What are you laughing at?" Wen-xian asked, seeing him smile for the first time since they arrived.
What was he laughing at? At himself—for not being able to uncover the secret beneath her clothes.
Jiang Chen said nothing, just kept his gaze lingering on her chest, as if his eyes had x-ray vision and could see through the fabric.
Wen-xian was nearly thirty and had lived alone for years without a man in her life. Now, having a handsome young man staring at her so intently—how could she not feel stirred?
Her face flushed, her body heated, and she didn't know where to place her hands. Her eyes grew slightly misty, filled with both grievance and longing.
Why won't he just pull me into his arms already?
Just then, her phone rang. It was her mother calling her home.
She left in a hurry.
Jiang Chen stayed behind and cleaned the clinic—wiping down the tables and chairs, organizing the medicine cabinets, and putting fresh cotton sheets on the bed. He hung the blankets outside to air in the evening breeze. Once everything was in place, he finally felt settled.
He stood at the door, gazing at the mountain peaks in the distance.
The sun had completely disappeared beyond the ridge.
Darkness was falling.
With a sigh, Jiang Chen returned inside, lay down on the bed, and picked up a thread-bound copy of The Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet.
From the half-open window, the sounds of chirping insects floated in.
A gentle breeze passed through the room—and with it, a faint fragrance.
Peach blossoms?
It was late autumn. Where could the scent of peach blossoms be coming from?
Jiang Chen sat up, sniffed carefully a few more times, and confirmed it:
Yes. It really was the scent of peach blossoms, like those blooming in a spring orchard.
Curious, he got up and walked out.
He looked around. The twilight blurred everything into shadows, giving the village a touch of mystery.
He followed the fragrance out of the village.
Soon, he saw where it came from—the base of the mountain.
There, nestled against the slope, stood an old temple.
Intrigued, Jiang Chen walked closer.
The doors were slightly ajar. Above them hung a wooden plaque inscribed with three characters:
Peach Blossom Hermitage.