As the lights were just coming on, the moon in the eastern sky had only begun to show its outline and had not yet had time to shine. Yet the chirping of insects and the croaking of frogs in the mountain village were growing louder.
Wu Xiaoyu carried the medicine basket on his back, his head drooping as he stepped out of the door. He wasn't in high spirits. Occasionally, some villagers greeted him, but he only responded with a few 'mm-hmm' and kept walking.
He was heading to the back mountain of the village to collect herbs to treat his father's cough.
For generations, Wu Xiaoyu's family were butchers. His father was the tenth generation, a master in the art of slaughtering pigs and cattle.
His father, Wu Youliang, had originally used this exceptional skill to work at a slaughterhouse in the town, living a life that many envied.
However, after offending the factory manager, he not only lost his job but was also beaten and left with permanent ailments. Though he was only in his forties, he looked like a man in his sixties or seventies and coughed incessantly all day.
If the family had money, they might have cured his illness long ago, and he wouldn't have to venture into the mountains at night. But the family was dirt poor and deeply in debt. They had to rely on the mountain's toad herb to survive.
Though there is a saying that people living by the mountain live off the mountain and people by the water live off the water, Wu Xiaoyu's Daxin Village, though surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one, was still famous for its poverty.
The mountains were barren, the water was foul, and the terrain was steep with frequent dangerous animals and poisonous insects. Even the villagers generally didn't dare to enter the mountains.
A small river wound through the village, but due to an upstream paper mill, it had become unbearably stinky. There were no more fish or shrimp, just a few rotten, stinky frogs hopping around happily.
Even if these frogs were taken to the town to be sold, no one dared to buy them upon hearing they were from Daxin Village, fearing they might fall ill.
In dire poverty, the young people in the village mostly chose to go south to work.
After dropping out of school, Wu Xiaoyu followed a few young villagers to work in an electronics factory in the south. Although it was tough work every day, he could earn five or six thousand yuan a month.
This income was already quite substantial for someone from Daxin Village, and Wu Xiaoyu felt that a better life seemed within reach.
But then his grandmother suddenly passed away, and his father's cough worsened, forcing him to return home to care for his parents and a few acres of poor land.
Fortunately, Wu Xiaoyu had always been bold, having grown up scavenging food from the fields. While others feared entering the mountains, he dared to. By relying on his courage, he daily ventured into the mountains to collect some herbs and wild goods to supplement the household.
Yet venturing into the mountains at night was rare, for it was when the poisonous insects and dangerous animals were most active. Despite his bravery, he wasn't reckless.
The toad herb needed to treat his father's cough had been used up, and his father's coughing was particularly severe that day. So, he had no choice but to carry the medicine basket, take a machete, and enter the mountain.
The toad herb grew under a big tree halfway up the mountain. He often went there and had already worn out a path. Since it was not completely dark yet, he didn't bring a flashlight.
Just as he climbed to the big tree on the mountainside and was about to start collecting herbs, he heard some erotic sounds from behind the tree.
"Dachun, hurry up… faster…"
"You slut, how long has it been since you've been with a man? This…"
From these words, Wu Xiaoyu immediately recognized the voices of Mrs. Zhang and the village chief's son, Niu Dachun.
Mrs. Zhang had only been married to Daxin Village for a few months before her husband suddenly died. Some said he was drained by her, while others said she poisoned him after he discovered her affair.
Rumors were rampant, but they all concluded that Mrs. Zhang was lewd to the core.
She strutted about the village with her two huge melons, always drawing the admiring eyes and comments of the menfolk wherever she went.
This naturally made her the common enemy of the village women, who guarded their husbands closely. Yet still, men sneaking around her house were numerous.
It was rumored she even had an affair with the village chief, but to actually see her with the chief's son was unexpected. Though Wu Xiaoyu was a robust young man without much experience with women, hearing the sounds of their affair made him want to take a closer look.
He slowed his steps and quietly approached the big tree. Looking around, he saw them laboring industriously with their clothes in disarray, and Wu Xiaoyu felt his blood racing.
Mrs. Zhang urged, "Hurry up, before someone catches us!"
"What the hell are you afraid of? At this time, who the hell would dare come into the mountain?" Niu Dachun grunted, his hands not idle.
"Nima! These two are really bold, not afraid of getting bitten by a snake?" Wu Xiaoyu thought, but he couldn't tear his eyes away.
Just as he was engrossed in the scene, he felt something moving beneath him. Long? Thick? Though his own was long and thick, it shouldn't be this cold?
Wu Xiaoyu reached out to touch it, and jumped in fright – it was a snake! He quickly stood up and threw the snake away, which hit the two people precisely.
Hearing the commotion, Niu Dachun instantly went limp and hurriedly pulled up his pants, cursing, "Who the hell is there? Who's standing there?"
By now, Wu Xiaoyu had already run off, thanking his luck, "Nima! Luckily I reacted quickly. If that snake had bitten little me, it would have been the end!"
After running a few steps, he heard Mrs. Zhang's panicked shout, "Snake! Dachun! There's a snake on you!"
"Snake, my ass! It must have shrunk away already! You still..." Before he could finish, Ma Dachun felt a cold sensation around his neck.
When he touched it, he realized it was a big snake. Terrified, he shuddered violently and shook the snake off to the ground, then cursed as he went after Wu Xiaoyu.
Mrs. Zhang, seeing the snake twisting and turning on the ground, was horrified. She hurriedly put on her clothes and retreated, cursing, "Niu Dachun, you bastard, leaving me here alone!"
Seeing Niu Dachun chasing after him, Wu Xiaoyu quickened his pace. But descending the mountain was different from climbing it – one should not rush blindly.
The sky had now nearly darkened completely. If he were to fall into the ravine, it would not be a joke. Wu Xiaoyu regretted not noticing that they were out of toad herb during the day.
Going into the mountain at night was already dangerous enough, and encountering these two shameless people made him even more furious.
Seeing Niu Dachun getting closer, Wu Xiaoyu decided to hide in the roadside grass to avoid being recognized. But as soon as he stepped into the grass, he lost his footing and tumbled down.
Niu Dachun, unable to catch anyone, turned back to look for Mrs. Zhang. No one knew that Wu Xiaoyu had fallen off the cliff. Truly, his life or death was uncertain, and his future unknown.