July, and the heat was sweltering.
On the mountain path leading to Sanhe Village, Zhao Tiezhu felt no heat at all; instead, his heart was ice-cold. He had worked himself to the bone, hoping to save up for a house and marriage, only to be struck down by the threat of sudden death from overwork. The hospital had diagnosed him with a brain tumor, giving him a mere three months to live. His boss had generously fired him, and his girlfriend had turned on her heel to throw herself into the arms of a rich second-generation heir. In just three short days, he had tasted the bitterness of life. Consumed by listlessness and despair, he was returning to the small mountain village to wait quietly for death.
As he walked, he faintly heard a commotion from the small grove nearby.
"No, don't come any closer!"
"Cuilian, scream! Go ahead, scream as loud as you like! No one from the village is out this way; nobody will hear you!"
"Rrrrip..."
The sound of fabric tearing echoed through the air, and the name "Cuilian" instantly seized Zhao Tiezhu’s attention. Wang Cuilian—his cousin’s widow, the woman who had devoted herself to caring for his ailing grandfather. On his cousin’s wedding day, the man had drunk too much and, in his excitement, crashed a motorcycle in a horrific accident that had cost a fortune but failed to save his life.
Zhao Tiezhu’s deepest impression of his sister-in-law was that she was beautiful—not at all like a typical village woman. That face, those clear, luminous eyes, were enough to stir anyone's possessive instincts. Her figure was, without question, the finest in all the surrounding villages. He had always felt a deep pity for her; widowed shortly after marriage, she had then helped care for his grandfather until the old man passed away. In his heart, she held a place of respect far above his own uncle and aunt.
The other voice belonged to none other than the village bully, Zhou Erhu. A notorious scoundrel, he and his gang of cronies had long rampaged through the area, bullying the villagers. Together with the village chief’s idiot son, they were known as the two great plagues of Sanhe Village.
Zhou Erhu was going to lay his hands on Cuilian?
Absolutely not!
There was no time to hesitate. Forgetting the tumor in his brain, Zhao Tiezhu vaulted over a rocky ravine and sprinted toward the grove below.
"Zhou Erhu, I beg you, please let me go..."
"Cuilian, stop struggling! Half the village has had their eyes on you, and now that I’ve finally caught you, don’t you dare hold back! Come here..."
The voice was filled with triumph and excitement. Zhou Erhu reached out, grabbing for Cuilian’s arm. Zhao Tiezhu saw it clearly and delivered a fierce kick to Zhou Erhu’s waist.
"Damn you!"
After the kick, he let out a roar and slammed another blow into the man’s side. Zhou Erhu stumbled and nearly fell, but when he saw the incoming kick, he grabbed Zhao Tiezhu’s leg with both hands and yanked it toward him. Zhao Tiezhu was the first college student the village had ever produced, but he had little experience in brawling and was no match for the village bully. With his leg pinned and his center of gravity lost, he fell backward, his head slamming heavily against the ground.
He lost consciousness instantly.
Zhou Erhu let go, his eyes flashing with a murderous light, and delivered two more kicks to Zhao Tiezhu’s head.
"Thump! Thump!"
The force of the brutal assault made Wang Cuilian shudder in terror. She scrambled to look around, picked up a wooden club, and shouted at Zhou Erhu, trembling, "Zhou Erhu, stop it! I’ll fight you to the death!"
Eyes closed, she swung the club clumsily at him. Seeing her charging in a near-frenzy, Zhou Erhu sneered. He abandoned the unconscious Zhao Tiezhu and growled, "Wang Cuilian, if you won't take the polite offer, you'll take the hard way. Today, right in front of your little brother-in-law, I’m going to show you what a woman is really for!"
With her clothes in tatters and her skin exposed, her pretty face streaked with tears, this famous village widow had ignited all his base desires. He took the blow from the club squarely, lowered his body, and lunged forward, pinning Wang Cuilian to the ground. She clawed at him, struggling with all her might, but Zhou Erhu was too strong. A vicious glint flashed in his eyes as he raised a large, calloused hand.
"Slap! Slap..."
Two heavy, stinging blows connected with her face.
"Your husband is dead, so why act like a saint? You think I don't know that the village chief goes to your house all the time? I’m going to have my taste of you today!"
The slaps left Wang Cuilian dazed, and her strength drained away.
Just as they grappled, the tumor in Zhao Tiezhu’s brain shattered. As it broke, his consciousness shifted into a vast, majestic space. A booming, magnificent voice resonated throughout:
"Shennong tasted the hundred herbs, cast the cauldron to gather their essence, established the order to shake the eight directions, and ensured the peace of the world for long ages."
"Man of destiny, you risked your life despite your terminal illness. I bestow upon you the Shennong Cauldron and the Shennong Classic of Materia Medica!"
"Within the cauldron lies the Shennong Hundred Herb Liquid, which can assist in cultivation and help all the flora of the world to flourish."
"The Shennong Classic of Materia Medica encompasses all things! May you uphold justice, heal the sick, and save the world—never forget your original intent!"
The voice faded, and before Zhao Tiezhu stood a heavy, ornate cauldron. Inside it, a verdant liquid glowed with a faint, ethereal light. It looked extraordinary. A single drop of the green liquid rose into the air and expanded rapidly before his eyes.
Shocked, he suddenly snapped his eyes open and struggled to sit up. The first thing he saw was Zhou Erhu about to have his way with Wang Cuilian.
"Damn you, Zhou Erhu, I'll kill you!"
He didn't care if he was having a hallucination; he couldn't let his respected sister-in-law be humiliated. He rolled to his feet and landed a fierce kick on Zhou Erhu’s shoulder.
"Bang!"
Zhou Erhu had been entirely focused on Wang Cuilian—he was inches away from his prize—when the kick sent him sprawling. The force was so immense he rolled three times on the ground before he stopped. Before he could even stand, he saw Zhao Tiezhu charging at him in a rage. Unable to defend himself, he took another kick to the waist.
"Bang!"
With the sound of the impact, Zhou Erhu’s body flew three meters through the air, only coming to a halt when he slammed into a tree.
Zhao Tiezhu was stunned. When had his strength become so great? He looked at his own hands, then back at Zhou Erhu.
Zhou Erhu had been terrified into submission. His whole body ached, and he trembled as he pleaded, "Spare me, please, have mercy! I won't do it again..."
His gut felt like it was churning; he was terrified of further beatings. A wise man doesn't fight when at a disadvantage, he told himself—he would get his revenge another day. The malice in his eyes, however, was impossible to hide.
Zhao Tiezhu’s rage had not subsided. Seeing the look on the man's face, he prepared to rush forward again, but Wang Cuilian grabbed his arm.
"Tiezhu, don't kill him. Let’s go!"
The woman was timid; though she had been nearly violated and slapped twice, she still didn't dare to escalate the matter. She pulled and tugged until she dragged Zhao Tiezhu away.
Zhao Tiezhu glared at Zhou Erhu a few more times before taking his sister-in-law’s hand and returning to the dirt path. Beneath her torn clothing, glimpses of her skin were visible, making it impossible for him to look away. Embarrassed by the urge to look, he took off his T-shirt and handed it to her.
"Sister-in-law, put this on first."
Wang Cuilian hadn't wanted to take it, but realizing how she looked would only invite gossip, she accepted it with a blushing face. When she saw the muscles on Zhao Tiezhu’s frame, her heart couldn't help but pound.
This man... he was truly robust.
Though she wore the title of widow, in truth, she had never known the intimacy of a man.