Lin Xiaolong’s cherry orchard contained over fifty trees. More than ten of them had been sprayed with Paraquat—that meant a full one-fifth of his harvest had been ruined in an instant.
These were the trees his younger sister had painstakingly tended, and they were currently at the height of their fruiting season, laden with cherries today. To do something like this at such a time was truly heartless.
In the countryside, there were two things that were absolutely intolerable: destroying someone else’s livestock, or destroying their crops and fruit trees. After all, these were the primary sources of income for rural families. Using Paraquat to poison cherry trees just before they were ready to be picked—that was simply not the act of a human being.
The fact that someone would be so vicious, especially given the state of his own family’s situation, caused a surge of fury to rise up in Lin Xiaolong. He examined the trees and discovered traces of the pesticide on the ground, then followed the trail. Though the traces evaporated quickly, they were not impossible to track. Moreover, thanks to Lin Xiaolong’s exceptionally keen sense of smell, he was able to track them all the way to the edge of Wang Yanhong’s field.
Just then, Wang Yanhong emerged from her plot. Seeing Lin Xiaolong suddenly appear startled her.
"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're trying to steal my cherries?" Wang Yanhong’s heart hammered, so she decided to strike first to set the tone.
Lin Xiaolong was now certain that this vicious aunt of his was the one behind it. Though furious, he didn’t lose his head. After all, you need evidence to catch a thief, and he hadn't caught her in the act. However, his gaze was ice-cold, as if it could freeze Wang Yanhong where she stood.
"Your lousy cherries? I wouldn't want them even if you gave them to me for free."
Seeing Lin Xiaolong’s bone-chilling gaze, Wang Yanhong felt even more guilty, and a faint sense of fear began to creep in. *How did this kid find his way here? Could he have discovered some clues?* Regardless, she absolutely could not admit to it. He didn’t have any evidence; if he really made a scene, she’d just run to his house and cause a commotion, accusing him of being a hooligan and demanding compensation for her own emotional distress.
"Since your cherries are so great, why are you trespassing on my land if you aren't here to steal?" Wang Yanhong shrieked like a shrew.
"Open your dog eyes and take a good look—am I on your land?" Lin Xiaolong said coldly. It wasn't that he didn’t respect his elders, but some elders weren't worth the respect.
"Lin Xiaolong, you little brat! Is that any way to talk to your elder? How did your family raise you?" Wang Yanhong felt she had the moral high ground and shouted even louder.
"You? You consider yourself an elder?" Lin Xiaolong sneered. "You’d better go hide your sprayer. If I report this to the police, someone is going to be in deep trouble."
Lin Xiaolong glared coldly at her, then turned and walked back toward his own orchard.
Wang Yanhong was terrified by his words. She had intended to keep making a scene, but she was so scared she didn't dare let out another sound. After all, the sprayer she’d used to apply the Paraquat was sitting right in the shed in her own orchard. If the kid really called the police, she wouldn't have time to move it. If the police caught her, she’d be humiliated beyond repair. Fortunately, it seemed Lin Xiaolong wasn't entirely sure either and didn't press the issue. Naturally, she didn't dare escalate things further, as she was the one with a guilty conscience.
Returning to his orchard, Lin Xiaolong looked at the ten-plus trees. In just this short time, many of the leaves had already begun to turn yellow and wither. It looked like these trees were unlikely to survive. *That damned woman.*
Lin Xiaolong looked at a large water vat in the middle of the orchard. It was filled to the brim with water his sister had drawn yesterday for irrigation. He took out the jade bottle; there was only about ten milliliters of spiritual liquid left inside. Yesterday, he had dripped just one drop into the water, and the cherries on that tree had ripened instantly, becoming large, round, and purple. Today, he couldn't afford to go drop by drop; he would pour all the remaining liquid into the vat, stir it well, and water the trees. That should be effective enough.
He acted immediately, pouring all the spiritual liquid from the jade bottle into the vat. Instantly, a wave of rich spiritual energy made him feel refreshed and invigorated.
*Such potent spiritual energy!* If it dissipated, it would be a waste. He had to water the trees immediately.
Lin Xiaolong began carrying buckets of water to the trees. He specifically chose the ones that had produced the best fruit. With this single vat, he managed to water ten trees. With a small amount left in the bucket, he hesitated, then poured it under one of the trees that had been poisoned with Paraquat. He didn't know if the liquid would have any effect on a tree like that, but it was a case of "treating a dead horse as if it were alive." This tree represented countless hours of hard work from his parents and sister; if they had to replant, it would take at least five years for a sapling to grow to its current size.
After finishing, Lin Xiaolong was drenched in sweat. It was a hot day, and he felt sticky and uncomfortable. He decided to head to the Longyang Reservoir. Seeing no one around, he stripped off his outer clothes and dove in, swimming as freely as a fish.
As a child, he had loved playing in the reservoir, often getting scolded by his parents for it. Ever since he had been beaten into a "simpleton," he had become timid and stopped going into the water. Now that he had recovered and possessed the power of the first stage of the Longyang Formula, he moved through the water like a happy fish, darting up and down, feeling completely exhilarated.
"This is amazing!" Lin Xiaolong surfaced, admiring the scenery and feeling deeply at peace.
Not far away, an old soft-shell turtle surfaced for air. Lin Xiaolong spotted it, dove down, and when he surfaced, he had the turtle in his grasp, tossing it onto the bank. It landed on its back on a stone, unable to flip itself over. *Haha, just in time—Mom and Dad need to nourish their bodies. This old turtle is incredibly nutritious, and judging by its size, it must be decades old. You can't buy something like this.*
He swam to the shore, grabbed the turtle, and prepared to dress and head home. Before he could even put his clothes on, he heard a faint cry for help in the distance.
*Hmm?* Lin Xiaolong followed the sound and saw an SUV parked on the opposite bank of the Longyang Lake, and a figure struggling in the water.
*Oh no! Someone’s drowning!*
He didn't have time to put his clothes on. His legs moved like they were powered by wind-fire wheels, and he sprinted toward the spot. The reservoir was huge, and even though he ran as fast as he could, by the time he arrived, the person was no longer visible.
Lin Xiaolong dove in, heading straight for where the woman had fallen, plunging deep underwater. *Please, be okay. You must be okay.*
Fortunately, the water here was clear, and since he was near the bank, there were no dangerous currents. Underwater, he spotted a figure slowly sinking, long hair drifting in the water. Lin Xiaolong quickly swam over, grabbed her, brought her to the surface, and swam toward the bank.
Once on shore, he laid her down and realized that the person he had saved was an incredibly beautiful, hot woman. She looked to be in her twenties, with a devilish figure and curves in all the right places. But right now, she was blue in the face, eyes closed, and she wasn't breathing.
*I have to save her.*
Although Lin Xiaolong had dropped out of medical school less than a year in, he knew the basics of first aid. He placed his hands on her chest and began chest compressions. As he pressed, lake water kept spilling from her mouth. Still, she wouldn't start breathing.
Seeing that she still hadn't regained consciousness after the water was cleared, he took a deep breath, leaned over, and began rescue breathing. Compressions, then breaths—he worked for over twenty minutes before the woman suddenly gagged, spit out a mouthful of water, and began to cough violently.
"Finally, you're awake." Lin Xiaolong let out a long breath, sweat pouring off him. "I'm exhausted." He plopped onto the ground.
*Slap!*
A sharp sound rang out. As soon as his butt hit the ground, he felt a solid palm across his face.
"You pervert!" came the woman’s scream.
Lin Xiaolong was stunned. He stared at her, seeing her pretty face twisted in fury and humiliation.
"Why are you hitting me?" Lin Xiaolong shouted.
"You... who told you to kiss me?" The woman’s chest heaved with anger.
"Kiss you? Lady, I was giving you CPR! I spent nearly half an hour doing chest compressions and rescue breathing to bring you back, and this is how you treat your savior?" Lin Xiaolong was speechless.
"But... you..."
The woman had only slapped him in her panic. She had felt someone pressing their mouth to hers before she had even opened her eyes. Now, she realized the handsome young man had actually been saving her. But her pride made it difficult to admit she was wrong, and she didn't know what to say.
"Like trying to feed a dog with the heart of a gentleman—you don't know who your friends are," Lin Xiaolong muttered, standing up to leave.
"Hey, you! Stop right there!" the woman shouted.
"Stop? For what? To let you hit me again? I’m not a masochist," Lin Xiaolong said irritably.
"I told you to stop, so you stop!" the woman demanded.
"Tch! Who do you think you are?" Lin Xiaolong was already frustrated, and hearing her arrogance, he dismissed her and kept walking.
"If you walk away, I’ll scream that you’re molesting me!" the woman yelled again.
Lin Xiaolong stopped dead, completely exasperated. *What kind of person is this?*
"Go ahead and scream if you want. If you try to frame me, I’ll throw you back in the water to feed the turtles!" Lin Xiaolong turned and threatened her fiercely. Honestly, he really had the urge to throw her back in.
The woman was taken aback by his fierce expression. "Hmph!"
Lin Xiaolong turned and walked away. *Trying to scare me? I’m not a kid anymore.*
But as soon as he turned, he heard soft sobbing behind him.
"You... you’re bullying me."
"If you walk away, I’ll jump back in and die here."
Lin Xiaolong stopped again. He turned around, sighing, "Lady, are you crazy? If you want to die, can you do it somewhere I don't have to see it? You’re being incredibly unreasonable."
Hearing this, the woman suddenly broke into a tearful smile. "As long as you don't leave, I won't jump."
"Then you won't frame me for molesting you?" Lin Xiaolong asked.
The woman pouted. "You’re so petty! Didn't I just say that because I was panicked?"
"And you're safe now, so why keep me here? Besides," he gestured to his small swim trunks, "this isn't exactly appropriate."
Seeing his embarrassment, the woman giggled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. But what are you doing out here by yourself? And how did you fall in?" Lin Xiaolong asked, confused.
"I was in a bad mood, so I drove out here to clear my head, and I slipped into the water on the bank. If it weren't for you, I’d be fish food today," she said.
"My clothes are over there. I’ll go put them on, then we can talk," Lin Xiaolong said, pointing to the other bank.
"I’ll drive you over there," the woman said, standing up.
"Fine."
The car was a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon—tall and imposing. Usually, a car like that was driven by a man, but the girl looked quite striking behind the wheel. She floored the gas, and the car zipped around the reservoir. To Lin Xiaolong’s surprise, she drove quite aggressively, reaching the other bank quickly.
"Don't peek! I need to change in the car," she said as Lin Xiaolong prepared to hop out.
"Relax. I wouldn't watch even if you paid me," Lin Xiaolong said, jumping out. *I’m not a pervert. Besides, I already kissed you, what else is there to see? And when your clothes were soaked earlier, I’d already seen it all anyway.*
"You!" The woman snorted and ignored him.
After getting out, Lin Xiaolong realized he was sticky again, so he dove into the water, swam a few laps, and climbed back out. By the time he was done, the woman had changed into a skirt, which only made her look even more alluring. Lin Xiaolong felt his heart race, and "Little Dragon" began to stir. He blushed and quickly put on his clothes to hide his embarrassment.
"Hmph! Pervert." The woman blushed slightly, but she was smiling.
"Lady, could you stop calling me a pervert? I’m your savior. I’m not asking you to marry me, but the least you could do is be polite," Lin Xiaolong said, feeling annoyed.
"Alright, alright, Savior. May I ask the name of my savior?" she said with a laugh.
"The number one handsome man of Longyang Village, Lin Xiaolong," he said, not a hint of humility in his voice.
"Hehe, so shameless." She laughed even harder.
"And may I ask the name of the beauty?"
"This young lady is the flower of Linjiang County, Tang Qi," she said with a smile.
"Never heard of you," Lin Xiaolong said, shaking his head.
"Hmph! I’ve never heard of you either," Tang Qi retorted.
"That's fine. Go ask around the village and you'll find out. Even the widows in our village know I’m the most handsome man around."
"Talk about tooting your own horn," Tang Qi laughed.
"Alright, don't wander around here by yourself. It’s dangerous. Go drive back to the county. I’m heading home." As he spoke, he picked up the old turtle from earlier.
"Oh? A turtle?" Tang Qi asked, amazed.
"Not a turtle. This is a soft-shell turtle. Ever heard of Chinese turtle extract? This is the real deal," Lin Xiaolong said.
"It’s all the same thing," Tang Qi insisted.
"It’s not. We only eat soft-shell turtles, not common turtles," he said, and started to walk away.
"Are you going to eat it?"
"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"
"No problem at all. I want to eat, too."
*Wait, really?* She wasn't shy at all.
"I haven't even had lunch," Tang Qi said, pouting and looking pitiful.
"Fine, fine. Come on, let’s go home."
Lin Xiaolong had no choice but to get into her G-Wagon and head toward his house.
At his front door, a crowd had gathered. Liu Erhu, leading Er Lai and Baldy Three, was shouting at the top of his lungs. The two of them had nearly been stung to death by those mountain hornets yesterday; if Liu Erhu hadn't rushed them to the hospital for IV drips, who knows what condition they’d be in. Even so, their faces were swollen like dough buns, their eyes reduced to slits.
Feeling slightly better today, they’d rushed over with Liu Erhu to extort Lin Xiaolong. Their logic was that since Lin Xiaolong had knocked down the hornet nest, the hornets should have stung him, not them. They were taking the fall for him, so he had to pay their medical bills.
"Where’s that little brat Lin Xiaolong? Make him crawl out here!"
"Damn it! He took the nest to sell for money, and now we’re the ones suffering!"
"Look at my face—it’s as fat as a pig’s butt!"
"I think I’ve lost millions of brain cells from these stings!"
"Pay up! You have to pay!"
"Fifty thousand, not a cent less!"
"If you don't pay, I’m moving in here!"
The surrounding villagers watched the spectacle. Though they knew these men were being unreasonable, no one dared to intervene with Liu Erhu, the local hoodlum, backing them up.
Xiaoxue stood there, tears in her eyes. "It was the hornets that stung you, not my brother! Why should he pay you?"
"Shut your damn mouth! If you don't pay, I’ll drag you off to entertain guests!" Er Lai shouted.
"Hehe, or you could entertain the two of us. If you do a good job, we won't even need the money," Baldy Three said, squinting hard to get a look at Xiaoxue.
"You’re being bullies! Get out, get out now!" Wang Ju leaned against the wall, shouting in anger.
"Don't get too worked up, or you might end up meeting the King of Hell," Liu Erhu said with a sinister grin. "Get that little bastard Lin Xiaolong out here. He didn't run away because he couldn't pay, did he?"
Just then, a G-Wagon zoomed up. The crowd scattered, and the car screeched to a halt right in front of Liu Erhu, scaring him into stumbling backward.