Chapter Eighty-Nine: Serpent Coil Mountain

Page 1/3

Le’er grew anxious. She couldn’t find Luo Yinxian at the hospital and, upon returning to the inn, learned that Luo Yinxian had already checked out, likely having gone home. The evening was falling, so Le’er hurried to the station and caught the last bus to Shuangqiao Town.

When she arrived back at Xiasha Village, most families were already asleep. Rural folks tended to bed early. Quietly, Le’er slipped to Luo Yinxian’s doorstep. Luckily, her house was at the village edge, so there were no dogs barking. The lights inside were still on. After knocking, Luo Yinxian opened the door, her face full of surprise upon seeing Le’er.

Le’er stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Luo Yinxian threw herself into Le’er’s arms, clutching his waist tightly, tears streaming down her face.

“You damn brat, why did you sneak back like this?”

His voice was low; here, unlike at his own home, they had to be cautious. His own house was far from the village, so he never worried about being overheard.

“I didn’t want to burden you with big matters.”

Le’er said no more, letting her cling to him. He thought this woman was truly a little foolish—why was she so devoted to him? He was troubled too, uncertain what their future held. In his hand was a paper package. At the county hospital, he had bought several ginseng roots and Tianqi (panax notoginseng). He had asked an old herbalist what medicine best helped women recover after an abortion, and the old man gave him several remedies, costing over two hundred yuan.

He handed the package of herbs to Luo Yinxian, explaining what they were and how to stew chicken with them.

“Tomorrow, come to my place and catch a hen. You must not let your body weaken.”

Upon hearing Le’er’s words, Luo Yinxian wept openly. She said nothing but held him tightly, burying her head in his chest, her body trembling. Old sorrows surged up, but the present tenderness overwhelmed her. Le’er cupped her face and kissed her gently. After a moment of warmth, he left quietly, slipping back to his own home.

Lying in bed, his mind replayed the past few days. He realized Feng Shuya only used him. But he was just a country boy with no status. To be used by the county party secretary was a great fortune. The county could offer a million yuan in funds; many others would have jumped at the chance to be used like that.

Though naïve, he understood much now. Seizing this chance might mean he could make far more money than Sha Qiang. His old dream was simple: marry, have two children, and live a peaceful, prosperous rural life. But now, it seemed he was swept into a turbulent tide beyond his control.

He didn’t know when he fell asleep. When voices woke him, the sun was already high. His uncle and a few others had been digging a pond for some time.

“Le’er, you little devil, you’ve come back in style, winning first place! This is the most glorious thing our ancestors have ever seen!”

His uncle chuckled. Those digging were his uncle, aunt, eldest sister, and second uncle and aunt. Progress was steady; in two days, it would be nearly done.

Le’er joined in digging the pond.

“Le’er, nothing else to do today?”

His eldest sister Taohua smiled warmly, happy for her capable little brother.

“There’s still something,” Le’er said as he carried a basket of soil to the pond’s edge, smiling. “Later, I’ll go check out Shepan Mountain. I want to lease that land.”

“Lease that barren mountain?” His uncle looked surprised. “Damn it, why lease that wasteland? Plant trees?”

Page 2/3

“No, I want to raise snakes there.”

“Raise snakes?” His uncle frowned. “Don’t you already have a snake farm in the bamboo grove? Why raise more snakes? You damn brat, you made a little money and quit doing real work. You’d better settle down, marry a wife, and farm properly—that’s the right thing to do.”

Le’er smiled, about to explain, when Tao You Neng called out from outside. He had to climb out of the pond and step into the yard. Tao You Neng was with his girlfriend Lili and Xiao Li, standing outside their home.

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be in school today?”

“It’s vacation,” Tao You Neng winked at him, as if sending a secret signal. “Xiao Li said she wanted to come hang out with you, so I brought her. You’re free today, right?”

Xiao Li kept looking at Le’er, smiling silently. She was already very pretty, and today she wore jeans, a beige sweater, and a stylish red coat—she stood out even in the countryside.

Xiao Li was from town. Although Shuangqiao Town was small, its residents felt superior to villagers, especially since she was one of the town’s top beauties. Her family was well-off; her mother ran a small shop, and her father worked elsewhere.

“Xiao Li, anything you need?”

“Can’t I just come visit you if I have no business?” Xiao Li smiled coquettishly. “Just here to hang out.”

“Damn it, I’m not as free as you two. Besides, what’s there to do in the countryside?” Le’er opened the door and led them into the yard. “I have something to do—I’m going to check out Shepan Mountain.”

Xiao Li was visibly annoyed by Le’er’s coldness. As a town girl, she always felt superior to villagers. Despite Le’er’s talents, he was still a country boy and treated her indifferently. Given her looks and charm, she thought Le’er should be more obliging.

Still, she kept smiling.

“Going to see Shepan Mountain, huh?” Tao You Neng ignored Xiao Li’s expression. “Haven’t you seen enough after all these years?”

“If I’ve seen enough, I can see it again, right?”

Le’er ushered everyone inside. Xiao Li’s eyes widened at the sight of the room. The furnishings were impressive—few town families had such well-decorated homes.

“Where’s Shepan Mountain?” Xiao Li asked with curiosity. “Take me there, will you?”

“It’s a barren mountain—nothing to see,” Tao You Neng said, sitting down. “Only grass grows there, barely a tree. It’s not worth looking at; better to play cards at home.”

But Tao You Neng couldn’t resist the two girls’ interest and gave up arguing.

Shepan Mountain lies between Xiasha and Shangtao Villages, at Xiasha’s eastern edge, just past Xiao’s family hill, only about one or two miles from Xiasha Village. The mountain stands out starkly: surrounding hills are lush and forested, but this one is covered only in wild grass. In winter’s slight chill, the grass turns yellow, about the height of a person, so once inside, it’s hard for outsiders to see.

The mountain belongs to the village. Back in the collective farming era, it was the team’s horticultural garden, planted with fruit trees. After forest contracting, it wasn’t allocated to the village. The garden disappeared, but the mountain remained village property, unattended. Some trees were secretly cut down, leaving it as it is today. Occasionally, one might spot a few unfruiting orange trees.

Page 3/3

The yellow dog followed behind, excited as if mad, barking and charging into the grass.

“What a beautiful mountain.”

Xiao Li happily stepped into the grass. The two girls seemed more interested in the grass than the trees.

“Le’er, there aren’t snakes in the grass, right?”

“It’s winter; snakes hibernate by now. No snakes.”

“That’s good.”

The two girls walked ahead, while Tao You Neng and Le’er followed. Tao You Neng smiled slyly, glancing at Xiao Li and then at Le’er.

“So, Le’er, how do you feel? She’s way prettier than Tao Haiying, isn’t she?”

“What feeling?” Le’er feigned ignorance. “What the hell do I care? She’s pretty, so what?”

“Hehe… don’t you want to have some fun with her?”

“Do I have a chance?” Le’er said indifferently. “She’s the town flower; I’m just grass in the countryside. Why bother?”

“You damn fool, haven’t you noticed she likes you?”

Just then, the yellow dog barked wildly and ran through the grass. The girls looked toward the dog’s direction.

“A rabbit... uh... a rabbit!”

Xiao Li exclaimed excitedly. The rabbit was fast; the dog chased it for a while before giving up, returning to Le’er wagging its tail for affection. Then it ran back into the grass, startling two pheasants, which flapped their wings and flew away.

Le’er led the group up to the mountaintop. The mountain was low; he remembered a spring at its base. According to the books, this should be a good place to raise snakes. He imagined how to build fences and where to put houses. Such a large area—building walls would cost a fortune.

“Oops—”

Xiao Li suddenly fell, clutching her ankle and crying out in pain. Tao You Neng and Le’er hurried to her side.