Unuk, a young man, possessed a small wooden carving of the Tree of Life, which his mother had given him with a promise to guide him whenever he spoke his heart's desires. Unuk never knew his father, as his mother would always change the subject when asked about him. They survived by selling herbs and curing illnesses that doctors couldn't treat. Unuk's mother, known for her wisdom, would travel to distant villages for rare plants, while Unuk would run errands for her. As she grew weaker and became bedridden, Unuk had to drop out of school to care for her. Despite his knowledge, the villagers continued to trust his mother's experience, making it harder for them to make ends meet.