After bidding farewell to his senior brother Qu Yong, He An set out on the journey back to the Knowledge and Practice Institute.
Along the way, the lakes and mountains of Jiangnan unfolded before him like a long scroll slowly unrolling. When he reached the banks of the Qiantang River, he saw a vast expanse of water, its misty waves stretching into the distance. Morning light scattered over the ripples, shattering into countless golden scales. Distant sails appeared and vanished where clouds met water, and now and then a white egret skimmed the surface, its wingtips lightly touching the river and sending rings of ripples spreading outward.
The majestic Six Harmonies Pagoda stood on the riverbank, its vermilion railings and dark roof tiles gleaming in the autumn sun. From its heights, the prosperity of the great metropolis of the Three Wu regions lay spread before his eyes.
Streets and alleys crisscrossed the densely populated city, and vendors' cries, the rumble of carts and horses, and the murmur of flowing water mingled together. It truly was "a hundred thousand households, their rooftops rising and falling."
Continuing onward, he turned onto a mountain path and found an entirely different scene. Maple leaves covering the mountains were changing from green to red in varying shades, like rosy clouds and flames. Here and there, a few ginkgo trees shone a dazzling gold, their leaves rustling in the autumn wind.
He An stopped from time to time. Mountain springs babbled down through cracks in the rocks and gathered into pools so clear he could see fish playing at the bottom. He cupped the cool spring water in his hands to moisten his throat, finding its sweetness refreshing to the very depths of his heart.
He passed a stretch of rice fields at the height of