On a wide hillside laden with heavy fruit, a strange young man was harvesting citrus. His right ear seemed to have been severed, and a large scar marred his right cheek, giving him a somewhat fierce appearance.
His left arm was amputated right at the shoulder, but none of this hindered his diligence. A bamboo-woven basket, secured with a hemp rope, was slung across the youth's back.
He held a pair of shears in his right hand, precisely clipping the stem of a citrus fruit, catching the fruit deftly with the same hand, and then gently placing it into the bamboo basket. The entire sequence of movements flowed as smoothly as moving clouds and flowing water.
Chapter 169