Unparalleled medical and martial arts skills, saving the CEO's fiancée at the start.

After the start of summer, Jiangcheng became extremely hot.

Every day when Ye Chen comes home from the company, the first thing he does is take a shower and then sit in the living room with the fan on.

Jiang Ruoxi laughed at him: "Back when you were on the mountain, you used to practice martial arts in the sweltering summer heat, why are you so afraid of the heat now?"

Ye Chen slumped on the sofa and said weakly, "It's cool up in the mountains. It's different in the city. The city is like a steam room."

Jiang Ruoxi then went to the kitchen to bring him a bowl of chilled mung bean soup.

Ye Chen felt alive again after drinking it.

In early July, Mei Changjin called to say that the magnolias in Meixi were blooming exceptionally well this year, filling the entire alley with fragrance.

He chuckled on the phone and said, "If you have time, come back and stay for a few days. I've dried some magnolia flowers; they'll be perfect for making tea."

Ye Chen agreed and turned to discuss it with Jiang Ruoxi.

Jiang Ruoxi said, "Perfect timing, I just finished a project and can take a few days off."

The two packed their luggage quickly, entrusted Big Yellow to the ghost servant's care, and then drove towards Meixi.

Summers in Meixi are cooler than in Jiangcheng.

As the car entered the county town, the plane trees on both sides of the road completely blocked out the sun.

Jiang Ruoxi rolled down the car window, took a deep breath, and said, "It's still more comfortable here."

Ye Chen parked the car at the alley entrance, and the two walked in. The stone path was clean from the rain, and the moss at the base of the wall shone brightly green.

As I walked to the end of the alley, I could see the magnolia tree in the distance. Its crown was even bigger than last year, and its branches and leaves were covered with white buds, the fragrance of which was so strong it was almost overwhelming.

Mei Changjin sat in a bamboo chair under the tree, holding a palm-leaf fan in his hand, slowly fanning himself.

Seeing them arrive, he stood up and took two steps to greet them.

Ye Chen quickly stepped forward to help him up, saying, "You can sit down."

Mei Changjin waved his hand: "My leg is perfectly fine, don't always treat me like a patient."

Jiang Ruoxi walked over, took out a box of pastries from Nancheng from her bag, and handed it to him.

Mei Changjin accepted it, saying "You brought something again," but he smiled happily.

The yard is much neater than it was last year.

Mei Changjin cleared the weeds from the corner of the wall and planted a row of mint and perilla against the wall.

He said the seedlings were given to him by Old Zhang from the next alley, and they grew incredibly fast; he ate them several times that summer.

Ye Chen squatted down, smelled the mint, and said, "This variety is good. The leaves are thick and the smell is strong. I'll take a few back to Baizhi Valley to plant later."

Mei Changjin said, "Dig as much as you want; the more you dig, the more fertile this thing becomes."

At noon, Jiang Ruoxi cooked several dishes.

Mei Changjin assisted her, picking vegetables while telling her stories of Meixi.

It is said that there used to be an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor living in this alley, with a sign hanging at his door that read "Consultation".

He doesn't charge money for his medical consultations; he only accepts eggs and rice.

Later, the old Chinese medicine doctor passed away, and the sign was taken down, but the old people in the alley still talk about him to this day.

Listening to this, Jiang Ruoxi suddenly said, "Uncle, if you'd like, you could set up a table at the alley entrance and offer your services to the neighbors for minor ailments. You don't need to put up a sign; just consider it something to do."

Mei Changjin paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Let's talk about it later. I'll rest first."

In the afternoon, Ye Chen and Jiang Ruoxi went for a stroll in the town.

The street is still the same street, and the shops are still the same shops.

Old Chen, who sells tofu, is still there, but his hair has turned quite white.

Ye Chen bought a piece of tofu from him, and Old Chen recognized him and said, "You're the son-in-law of the Mei family's daughter, right? Old Mei came back to stay last year and kept talking about you guys."

Ye Chen smiled and agreed. Jiang Ruoxi picked out a few kinds of green vegetables and bought a bag of local bayberries.

The two carried their things back, and when they passed the primary school at the entrance of town, Jiang Ruoxi slowed down.

She said, "My mom brought me here when I was little. There was a big banyan tree next to the school, and I always waited for her under it."

Ye Chen followed her gaze and saw that the banyan tree was still there, its shade covering the ground.

He said, "Should we go take a look?"

Jiang Ruoxi shook her head and smiled, "I won't go, I'll just keep it in my heart."

After dinner, the three of them sat in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air.

The fragrance of magnolia blossoms was carried by the night breeze in waves.

Mei Changjin brewed a pot of magnolia tea and poured a cup for everyone.

The tea soup is clear and bright, with a faint floral fragrance when you drink it.

Ye Chen leaned back in the bamboo chair and looked up at the stars. There were more stars in Meixi than in Jiangcheng, densely covering the sky.

He said, "Uncle, it's better here than in the city. There are trees, flowers, and stars."

Mei Changjin said, "Then you should stay a few more days."

Ye Chen said, "Stay until the flowers wither?"

Mei Changjin smiled: "Flowers may wither, but they will bloom again next year. As long as people are still here, we can see them every year."

That night, Ye Chen and Jiang Ruoxi lay in the room they had lived in as children.

The window was open, and the fragrance of magnolia blossoms wafted in, mingling with the scents of mint and perilla from the yard.

Jiang Ruoxi turned over and whispered, "Ye Chen."

Ye Chen hummed in agreement.

Jiang Ruoxi said, "I feel like my mother hasn't gone far. She's in this tree, in this wind. Every summer when I come back to visit, I feel like she's still here."

Ye Chen reached out and pulled her close, saying, "Then come back every year."

Jiang Ruoxi buried her face in his shoulder and didn't say anything more.

The next morning, Ye Chen was awakened by birdsong.

He opened the window and saw that Mei Changjin was already practicing a very slow set of boxing in the courtyard.

The old man was wearing a white cloth jacket. He moved slowly, but every move he made was steady.

Ye Chen leaned against the window and watched for a while, feeling that there was a slight resemblance to the Medicine King Valley in the fist technique.

He went downstairs and asked Mei Changjin, "Uncle, who did you learn your boxing from?"

Mei Changjin stopped in his stance and said, "Your father taught me a couple of moves, but I practiced them on my own later."

Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "Teach me."

Mei Changjin glanced at him, smiled, and said, "Okay, but you have to help me pick those perilla leaves first."

Ye Chen agreed, and the two went to the corner together.

Jiang Ruoxi stood by the second-floor window, watching the backs of two men, one old and one young, picking perilla leaves in the courtyard, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved up.

She knew that some things were passed down from generation to generation in this way.

From Ye Changfeng to Mei Changjin, from Mei Changjin to Ye Chen, and from Ye Chen to people after him.

Like that magnolia tree, it blooms and sheds seeds every year.

If the roots don't move, everything will still be there.

After staying in Meixi for four or five days, Ye Chen learned the basics of the boxing style from Mei Changjin.

The boxing routine is simple, consisting of only seven moves, but each move requires careful coordination of breathing and footwork.

Mei Changjin said, "When your father taught me, he said that this set of boxing techniques doesn't hurt people, it's good for health."

If done properly, it can regulate qi and blood circulation, and is more effective than any tonic.

After practicing for two days, Ye Chen felt his shoulders and back were much more relaxed.

Jiang Ruoxi also followed suit. She had a good foundation and learned quickly. On the third day, she was able to spar with Ye Chen.

Mei Changjin sat under a tree watching them practice boxing, fanning himself with a palm leaf fan, occasionally shouting, "Your steps are too big!" or "Your shoulders are too tight!"

The two stopped to adjust and started over.

The day before he left, Ye Chen dug up a few mint and perilla plants from the corner of the wall, wrapped the roots in a damp cloth, and put them in the trunk.

Mei Changjin packed another small bag of dried magnolia blossoms, saying, "Go back and make tea. Don't put in too many, just two or three blossoms, or it will be bitter."

Jiang Ruoxi carefully put away the flowers and then helped Mei Changjin put the bamboo chair and palm-leaf fan back in their places in the yard.

Mei Changjin stood at the alley entrance to see them off, saying the same thing again: "Come whenever you have time; the flowers will bloom again next year."

Ye Chen nodded and said, "Come again in the fall, and I'll help you harvest the mint then."

Mei Changjin waved his hand: "Why bother collecting mint? I'm happy as long as you guys come."

As the car drove out of Meixi, Jiang Ruoxi looked back.

The old locust tree and magnolia tree at the alley entrance gradually shrank, eventually becoming two blurry green dots.

She looked away and brought the bag of magnolia flowers in her hand to her nose to smell them.

Ye Chen looked at her in the rearview mirror and said, "What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Ruoxi said, "Let's come again next summer."

Ye Chen smiled and said, "Okay, I'll bring Da Huang and Master Su with me. If Guli comes back, I'll bring her too."

Jiang Ruoxi nodded.

Outside the car window, the summer sun shone brightly on the fields.

The cicadas chirped incessantly, their calls coming from the trees lining the road. It was as if someone was singing, guiding them home.