Volume One, Chapter 16: Catching a Snake Barehanded

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Peachblossom Village was surrounded by mountains on three sides, shaped rather like a gourd.

Standing halfway up the rear mountain, one could take in the entire village at a glance.

Even the courtyards of other people’s homes were visible from there!

The rear mountain had beautiful scenery, yet few people ever came.

Strange incidents often occurred there, and wild beasts or snakes occasionally appeared as well.

Only a bold fellow like Guo Dong would come here so often.

There was no helping it. Traditional Chinese medicine had been passed down through his family, and his grandfather had often taken him into the mountains to gather herbs. It was a skill he had inherited.

Sitting beneath a great tree, he watched the busy villagers below.

The tree resembled a welcoming pine, its branches stretching outward to form a cool patch of shade beneath.

A large stone lay there as though it had been placed specifically for visitors to rest upon.

Guo Dong suddenly spoke.

“When I was little, Grandpa often brought me here. Whenever I was happy or unhappy, he would bring me here.”

Meng Xiaohan bit her lip, unsure why Guo Dong had brought her to this place.

Although she was the village official, she seldom came to the rear mountain.

She was not the only one. The villagers rarely came here either.

That was why the surrounding fields had all gone to waste.

The only path leading up the mountain had also been swallowed by weeds.

Unless one looked carefully, it was impossible to notice.

“Peachblossom Village used to be called Gourd Pass. You know that, don’t you?”

Meng Xiaohan sat down on the stone, tidied her windblown hair, and imitated Guo Dong as she gazed down at the village.

Hearing his words, she nodded instinctively.

As the village official of Peachblossom Village, with her father serving as the village chief, how could she possibly not know its history?

“This place used to belong entirely to the Guo family. Your Meng family only moved here later.”

At this point, Guo Dong suddenly gave a bitter smile.

“During my great-grandfather’s generation, bandits attacked the village. Only a handful of people survived. It was later that your Meng family moved here.”

“What are you trying to say?” Meng Xiaohan asked, unable to understand his meaning.

Why had he suddenly brought up this matter?

Not many people knew this part of the village’s history, but as a village official, she was aware of some of it.

Back then, Guo Dong’s great-grandfather had been one of the survivors. Someone had rescued him, and that was how Peachblossom Village eventually came into being.

“My grandfather once told me that I’m the only descendant of Gourd Pass. I have a responsibility toward the village’s development as well.”

With that, Guo Dong suddenly rose to his feet and looked toward the villagers in the distance, who were still helping his family pick peaches.

“Do you remember something I said as a joke when we were children? I said that when I grew up, I would make money—lots of money—and let everyone live a good life.”

Meng Xiaohan curled her lips.

Of course she remembered. Precisely because she remembered, she had worked so hard all this time.

But Guo Dong had forgotten.

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“When you came to find me this morning, I thought about it too. After all, when my father died, it was your Meng family who helped us through those difficult times.

“But sometimes, wanting something isn’t enough. These peaches of mine may look as though they’ve made me a fortune, but the villagers can’t simply copy what I’m doing.”

At last, the conversation had returned to the subject at hand.

Meng Xiaohan let out a long breath and looked at Guo Dong.

After a long silence, she asked, “Are you having some kind of difficulty?”

Guo Dong shook his head and answered a different question.

“Not yet. We’ll have to wait at least another two years.”

“What do you mean?”

Guo Dong still paid no attention to her. He seemed to be talking to himself as he pointed toward a stretch of barren land below.

“I want to lease this entire area.”

Meng Xiaohan froze for a moment. Following the direction of his finger, she asked, “You want to plant peaches everywhere?”

“No. I’ll plant other things. In any case, I want to make the best use of every inch of it.

“Once I’ve sold all the peaches I have, I should have enough capital. I’m going to turn this place into a paradise and fulfill the dream we had as children.

“By then, the villagers will still be able to live comfortably, with plenty of food and clothing and money to spend. There’ll be no need for them to follow me in planting peaches.”

At that moment, Meng Xiaohan suddenly smiled.

This was the Guo Dong she knew. He had not changed at all.

“This morning, I misunderstood you,” she said softly, somewhat bashfully.

Guo Dong chuckled, not minding in the slightest.

“Now that you’re reassured, can we head back?”

There was no reply.

Meng Xiaohan’s expression suddenly changed. She kept staring at something behind him.

“What is it?”

Guo Dong had not yet realized what was happening.

Meng Xiaohan stood perfectly still and suddenly said, “There’s a snake!”

Guo Dong’s heart tightened. He immediately turned to look behind him.

A large snake was coiled around a branch, flicking its tongue at him.

He slowly stepped backward until he reached Meng Xiaohan’s side.

It was venomous. If it wrapped itself around someone, the consequences would be disastrous.

When a snake assumed this posture, it did not necessarily mean it intended to attack. It might simply have been resting there and had been startled by the two of them.

If they became too tense and made any sudden, exaggerated movements, the snake might mistake them for an attack.

Guo Dong remained fairly calm. At least when it came to dealing with snakes, he had his own special methods.

Meng Xiaohan, however, was different.

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She was a young woman, and faced with such a situation, her legs had long since gone weak.

When she saw Guo Dong approach, she grabbed hold of him almost instinctively.

“Don’t move!”

Afraid that Meng Xiaohan might react violently, Guo Dong hurriedly warned her.

But his warning came too late.

The large snake suddenly lunged at them, moving as swiftly as a bolt of lightning.

Meng Xiaohan screamed in terror and squeezed her eyes shut.

After a long while, she heard no sound.

When she opened her eyes again, she was so frightened that she stumbled backward repeatedly.

Guo Dong was standing there with one hand gripping the snake by the neck and the other holding its tail. He was even smiling at her.

“Remember this next time. When you encounter a snake like this, don’t be afraid. The more frightened you are, the more likely it is to attack.

“The best thing to do is remain calm and avoid making any noise. Once it realizes that you mean it no harm, it will leave on its own.”

Holding the snake, Guo Dong walked toward Meng Xiaohan.

“No! Don’t come any closer!”

Guo Dong stopped where he was.

Seeing Meng Xiaohan retreating in terror, he had no choice but to halt.

“All right, I won’t come over. Don’t get so worked up. This is a valuable thing. If my grandfather saw it, he’d treasure it beyond measure.”

As he spoke, he took two steps back and glanced down toward the village.

“Hey! Isn’t that your father?”

He was trying to distract Meng Xiaohan from her fear.

It had no effect.

Instead of looking down the mountain, Meng Xiaohan seized an opening and bolted.

No matter how loudly Guo Dong shouted after her, it did no good at all.

Still holding the snake, Guo Dong could only follow closely behind her.

From a distance, it looked as though Guo Dong were deliberately frightening Meng Xiaohan with the snake.

“Hey, it really is your father. He seems to have gone to my house!”

His words received no response. If anything, Meng Xiaohan ran even faster.

Guo Dong could not help laughing.

Since graduating, this was the first time he had ever seen Meng Xiaohan’s vulnerable side.

“Hey! You’re going the wrong way. That isn’t the path down the mountain!”