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

Before the summer heat had completely subsided, Shen Bo'an sent a letter.

The letter was written by Shen Jingqiu, saying that Grandpa had set a date to leave on the eighth day of the ninth lunar month and take the high-speed train to Jiangcheng.

The tickets have been bought, and the carriage and seat numbers are clearly written down.

The letter ended with the line: "Grandpa said that Ye Chen shouldn't come to pick him up, as he knows the way."

Ye Chen read the letter twice, then smiled and said to Jiang Ruoxi, "Grandpa Shen is worried that I'm not a steady driver, so he deliberately doesn't want me to pick him up."

Jiang Ruoxi said, "It's good that you have self-awareness, but you still have to go and accept it. Even if he says he doesn't need it, he's definitely hoping for it."

On the eighth day of the ninth lunar month, Ye Chen took half a day off and drove his old minivan to the high-speed rail station.

There were many people at the exit, and he saw Shen Bo'an from afar.

The old man, wearing a light gray cotton coat and leaning on a new cane, stood in the crowd looking around, with a small suitcase beside him.

Shen Jingqiu supported him and also searched for people everywhere.

Ye Chen quickly went to greet him, took the suitcase, and asked, "Grandpa Shen, are you tired from your journey?"

Shen Bo'an waved his hand and said, "The high-speed rail is very fast, much more comfortable than taking a boat back then."

Ye Chen helped the old man walk out, with Shen Jingqiu following beside him, carrying a paper bag in her hand, saying it was a gift of Nancheng snacks for Jiang Ruoxi.

By the time we arrived at Baizhi Valley, it was already getting dark.

Seventh Uncle stood at the entrance of the valley, holding an old kerosene lamp in his hand.

Upon seeing Shen Bo'an, he called out from afar, "Old Shen! You've finally arrived!"

Shen Bo'an laughed and called out, "You haven't let your medicinal herb field go to waste yet, have you?"

The two of them walked into the valley, bickering as they went.

Ye Chen followed behind, carrying the suitcase, feeling that the scene resembled two old trees swaying in the wind.

Dinner was eaten in the small courtyard in front of the medicine hut.

Su Qinghan rushed over from Medicine King Valley and personally cooked several dishes.

Her cooking style is the same as her medicine preparation: she uses very simple ingredients, but she gets the cooking time and temperature just right.

Shen Bo'an took a bite of the steamed yam she made and said, "Qinghan, your cooking skills are much better than when you were at Anhetang."

Su Qinghan said, "Back in Anhetang, all I knew how to do was wash medicine; I didn't know how to cook."

Shen Bo'an smiled and said, "You've certainly honed your skills over the years on the mountain."

Su Qinghan ignored him and added another spoonful of soup to everyone's bowl.

After the meal, everyone sat in the courtyard drinking tea.

The valley was already a bit chilly on this autumn night. Ayiguli brought out a thick coat from the house and handed it to Shen Bo'an.

Shen Bo'an took the phone, glanced at Ayiguli, and said, "You're Guli, girl?"

Aygul nodded. Shen Bo'an said, "Jingqiu told me you're good at growing moonflowers; take me to see them tomorrow."

Aygul said, "Grandpa Shen, okay, no problem. I'll take you there tomorrow. The seedlings are growing well in the greenhouse."

Shen Bo'an said, "I heard from Jingqiu that you also cured a girl's illness with the moonflower?"

Aygul hummed in agreement.

Shen Bo'an nodded and didn't ask any more questions, but his eyes looked at Ayiguli with a more scrutinizing gaze, as if he were weighing a newly transplanted seedling.

The next morning, Shen Bo'an indeed had Ayiguli take him to the greenhouse.

He walked around the shed, squatted down to look at the roots of the moonflower, smelled the leaves, then stood up and said, "This thing can survive in Nancheng and Jiangcheng. You've done a great job cultivating it. You're amazing, girl."

Aygul said, "My adoptive father wrote down the method in his notebook. I just copied it exactly. There's nothing special about it."

Shen Bo'an paused for a moment and said, "Your adoptive father is Su Youdao?"

Aygul nodded, surprised that her adoptive father was highly regarded by many people.

Shen Bo'an was silent for a moment, then said, "I was there when Su Youdao came to Anhetang with Ye Changfeng. He didn't talk much, but the medicinal herbs he brought were always top-notch. You are like him in that respect."

Aygul didn't say anything, and squatted down to continue watering the seedlings.

But Ye Chen noticed that she was watering the plants more gently than before.

Shen Bo'an stayed in Baizhi Valley for three days.

On the first day, he inspected the medicinal herb fields; on the second day, he inspected the warehouses; and on the third day, Ye Chen took him to Medicine King Valley.

Su Qinghan accompanied him on a walk around the valley, where they visited the medicine hut, the scripture pavilion, and the ancestral hall.

When he reached the entrance of the ancestral hall, Shen Bo'an stopped and looked inside.

Su Qinghan said, "Would you like to go in and take a look together?"

Shen Bo'an said, "I think it's better not to. I'll just stand at the door."

He stood there for a while without saying anything.

As he descended the mountain, he said to Ye Chen, "Ye Chen, your master has protected Medicine King Valley well. If your father saw this, he would be happy. This is the legacy of Medicine King Valley."

Ye Chen said, "You've done a good job too. The plaque for Anhe Hall is still hanging there. If it weren't for you, that plaque would have been lost long ago. We should thank you."

Shen Bo'an smiled but didn't reply.

On the day before he left, Shen Bo'an called Ye Chen and Jiang Ruoxi over and took out an old cloth bag from the bottom of his suitcase.

Inside the cloth bag was a palm-sized wooden box, with a plum blossom carved on its surface.

Shen Bo'an said, "This was left to me by my grandfather. When he separated from Yaowang Valley, he took something from Anhetang, and now I'm bringing it back to you."

Ye Chen opened the wooden box, inside was a small bronze plaque with the character "合" (meaning "together") engraved on it.

Shen Bo'an said, "This is a token made when Anhetang and Yaowang Valley partnered to open a shop. Each side gave half, but Yaowang Valley's half was lost a long time ago. I've been keeping this half all this time. Now that it's returned to its rightful owner, you must keep it safe too."

Ye Chen held the bronze medal in his palm and felt that it was much heavier than it looked.

Ye Chen said, "Grandpa Shen, I'll keep this plaque and put it in the warehouse, together with the plaque of Anhetang."

Shen Bo'an nodded and said, "It should have been left there. It should have been back long ago. It's all my fault for delaying it."

On the day Shen Bo'an left, Ye Chen stood at the valley entrance watching the car drive away.

Jiang Ruoxi stood next to him and said, "Grandpa Shen seems to have gotten rid of all his worries on this trip."

Ye Chen took out the bronze medal, looked at it, and then put it away.

Ye Chen said, "Grandpa Shen has repaid everything he was owed and seen everything he was supposed to see. This is him fulfilling his promise."

Jiang Ruoxi asked, "Will he come again?"

Ye Chen said, "Yes, next autumn. I'll bring Jingqiu with me. Then I'll leave all the affairs of Anhetang to Jingqiu, and he can stay longer."

Jiang Ruoxi nodded and took his arm.

The two turned and walked into the valley.

The autumn sun shone on the medicinal herb field, warming the half-withered leaves and newly sprouted seedlings.

Ye Chen suddenly remembered what Shen Bo'an said on his first day: "As long as people are still alive, we can see them every year." He thought about these words in his mind and thought they were really well said.

Jiang Ruoxi nestled beside Ye Chen, enjoying a happy and warm moment.