Jiang Yuanman, a modern-day practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, suddenly found herself transported back in time — to the foot of Yunwu Mountain in the Great Xia dynasty, to a quiet little village nestled among clear streams and misty hills.
The village was peaceful, the neighbors kind, and her family close-knit.
In a modest countryside courtyard, they lived a self-sufficient life. With simple meals and plain tea, Jiang Yuanman found joy in the rhythm of everyday life.
But as harmonious as the farming life was, it was still life — and life without money always came with its share of worries.
So Jiang Yuanman set her sights on Yunwu Mountain.
“If we want a better life,” she declared one morning, tightening the straps on her small hunting pack, “we can’t just wait for the heavens to drop silver into our hands. I’ll hunt, I’ll forage herbs, and I’ll sell them for coin!”
Her father tilled the land, her mother cooked the meals, and as for Yuanman—she stepped into the mountains.
