Spring came. Willows outside Dawnlight Town put out new buds. The old locust tree at the town entrance sprouted tender green leaves. The air smelled of earth and fresh grass, and from distant fields drifted the faint tang of manure—the smell of farm fertilizer, sharp on the nose yet somehow reassuring. Shen Ye sat on the stone bench in the Lu family's yard, cradling a bowl of hot tea. His color was vastly better than when he first arrived in Dawnlight Town. A faint flush warmed his cheeks; hi...