Zhao Yang was cycling his tricycle swiftly along a country dirt road, and by a little after seven in the evening, he finally rode into the county.
There were two hospitals in the county, and Zhao Yang found the first one, which, coincidentally, was where his father Zhao Yishan was hospitalized.
Reaching the second floor of the inpatient department, Zhao Yang saw a cute and delicate profile from afar.
Although he hadn't seen that face in three years, and it had changed significantly, Zhao Yang recognized it at a glance.
"Yingtao!"
Zhao Yingtao had just filled a thermos with hot water, and as she was about to head back to the ward, she heard an extremely familiar voice, causing her heart to skip a beat, and she immediately turned around.
Before her, a tall and sturdy figure stood at the top of the stairs.
"Brother?" The light was dim and the distance far, but Zhao Yingtao felt an overwhelming familiarity with the figure, yet she still had a hint of uncertainty.
It had all been so unexpected.
The figure didn't speak, but instead quickly walked towards her, and when Zhao Yingtao clearly saw that face, a surge of excitement swelled in her heart. She immediately dashed over, excitedly shouting, "Brother, you're back!"
Zhao Yang laughed heartily and rushed forward to embrace Yingtao, pinching her nose and giving it a gentle twist.
Hey, this feels different!
Zhao Yang joyfully looked at his little sister, who was already seventeen this year, hardly believing his own eyes!
The scrawny little girl from back then had grown into a young woman, with her figure, her nose, her eyes – she'd turned into quite the beauty!
"Brother, you just got here and you're already teasing me, I won't talk to you anymore!" Zhao Yingtao pouted, pretending to be angry.
"Yingtao, what kind of magic potion did you take to change so much?" Zhao Yang asked with a laugh.
"What magic potion? A woman changes completely as she turns eighteen, don't you know that!" Yingtao retorted coquettishly, her heart as sweet as if she'd tasted honey.
From childhood, the person closest to her had always been the brother in front of her. He seldom praised anyone, and now, hearing his complimentary words, she felt on top of the world.
"If only these eyes were a bit larger, these eyelashes longer, these lips thicker..." Zhao Yang said while gesturing with his hands, causing Yingtao's face to turn beet red as she quickly escaped his teasing hands, "Brother, you're so annoying! Why didn't you tell me you were coming back earlier?"
"Isn't it a nice surprise? Besides, Dad didn't want me to come back. If I'd called in advance and Dad didn't agree, what would I have done?"
Zhao Yang was grinning mischievously. He had always enjoyed playing pranks on Yingtao. Although they were not related by blood, they were closer than true siblings.
"By the way, little sister, what's this about Dad being hospitalized? What's going on?" Zhao Yang asked, dropping his teasing demeanor.
Yingtao suddenly looked up and noticed that Zhao Yang's face had become extremely grave. Her heart skipped, and after hesitating for a moment, she said, "The hospital checked him out. Dad doesn't have any serious illnesses; it's mainly due to anger."
"Anger?" Zhao Yang urgently said, "What exactly happened? Tell me everything!"
Yingtao nodded and began to recount the recent events to Zhao Yang.
A month ago, Li Bingyan from the west side of the village died. The old man was seventy-one years old, suddenly collapsed while eating, scaring the whole family, and even the hospital found his sudden death suspicious.
After seeking advice from fortune-tellers, a Great Immortal claimed that misfortune was befalling their family. They needed to find a spot with good feng shui and bury the old man with dignity; otherwise, disaster would strike again within half a year.
The Great Immortal searched high and low, and eventually set his sights on the burial ground of Zhao Yang's mother on the mountain.
Zhao Yang's mother had passed away six or seven years ago. Although Zhao Yishan was not particularly superstitious, he believed in resting peacefully after burial and felt that the grave should not be disturbed. Li Bingyan's son, Li Xingmao, convinced by the Great Immortal, approached Zhao Yishan, hoping he would agree to relocate his wife's grave and relinquish the land.
Of course, Zhao Yishan refused.
Li Xingmao persisted, visiting every few days, at first pleading good-naturedly, then promising various benefits. Seeing Zhao Yishan's steadfast refusal, he began making threats and offering bribes.
Zhao Yishan was stubborn by nature and wouldn't agree to such matters of principle.
Finally, Li Xingmao, acting like a man possessed, visited Zhao Yishan daily. If he didn't come himself, he sent his sons and daughters, creating constant uproar at the Zhao household, increasingly agitating Zhao Yishan until one more incident sent him straight to the hospital.
Hearing this, Zhao Yang angrily said, "What happened?"
Seeing Zhao Yang clench his fists, his jaw tight, and his eyes ablaze, Yingtao quickly spoke up, "Brother, don't be angry, let me explain. A few days ago, someone from the Forestry Bureau came to our house and told Dad that the area around Mom's grave has now been designated as a resource area and that all the trees can be chopped down and sold off, contributing to the Bureau's funds,
"You say the tree is being chopped down every day; how can Mom rest in peace in her grave by herself? If it's just for a day or two, that's still okay, but if this keeps up every day, what are we supposed to do?"
"Damn bastard!" Zhao Yang clenched his jaw, squeezing out four words through his teeth!
Yingtao grew angrier as she spoke, "Ever since Dad heard about this, he started running a high fever from that night. The doctor said Dad has fallen ill from depression, and if this dragging on continues, it will greatly affect Dad's health."
"Is this Li Xingmao's doing?"
"Definitely. Whether the trees get cut down or not is up to the Forestry Bureau. Li Xingmao is using the Forestry Bureau to bully us. Our mom's grave is deep in the woods; it's difficult to transport the trees once they're down. If we don't relocate the grave, they chop the trees; if we do, they will surely stop. Plainly put, they're forcing Dad to move Mom's grave!" Yingtao said.
Zhao Yang was extremely furious, punching the wall and causing a loud bang. Yingtao felt the whole building shake!
"Yingtao, Dad won't see you right now. You and Dad stay here peacefully for a few days. I'll come to get you after I've dealt with some things."
"Brother, Dad and I can't stay in this hospital anymore. Originally, we had tens of thousands yuan at home, but Liu Lao Si from across the door borrowed it, and these past few days, he's been nowhere to be found. All the money at home is spent; we can't afford the hospital fee. Tomorrow, we will have to pack up and go home..."
"Tomorrow? Tomorrow won't do!"
Zhao Yang immediately gave Yingtao all the money on him, saying, "You stay here for now; I'll come get you after I've handled everything!"
"Okay," as Zhao Yang turned to leave, Yingtao quickly called out to him, asking, "Bro, it's so late, where are you going?"
"I'll just find a random place to crash for the night. Tomorrow, I'll go to the Forestry Bureau," Zhao Yang said.
"Brother, you mustn't do anything bad!" Yingtao urged.
Zhao Yang gave a faint smile, pinched Yingtao's tender cheeks, and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Zhao Yang left the hospital, riding his tricycle around the streets. He had left in such a hurry that he left his backpack at home, with only the twenty or so yuan that was left from buying the ticket on him.
This amount of money clearly wasn't enough to stay at a hotel, not even the cheapest one.
Zhao Yang found a supermarket, bought some bread and sausages to settle his dinner, rode around asking for directions, and finally located the Yong'an County Forestry Bureau.
The gate of the Forestry Bureau was tightly closed. Zhao Yang went up and knocked on the door. An old night-watchman appeared in the hall with a flashlight in hand.
The old man didn't open the door, but just motioned through the glass for Zhao Yang to leave.
"Sir, I'm from Li Family Village here on business, with no money for a hotel. Could you let me in to sleep for a bit?" Zhao Yang said loudly through the glass: "I can just sleep on the floor in the hall."
"No can do. I, an old man, can't open the door for you. If something goes missing, who do I turn to?" The night-watchman shook his hand again, then turned and went back to his room.
"Damn it!"
Zhao Yang cursed, suppressing the urge to smash the glass, turned around, and parked his tricycle in a spot sheltered from the wind. He jumped into the carriage, planning to just rough it through the night.
The wind was strong and the cold intense at night. Zhao Yang woke up shivering, finding the cold hard to endure. He sat cross-legged, quietly practicing the "Dragon Elephant Primordial Technique," and soon felt a faint warmth flowing within him.
Three years ago, forced to leave his village to earn money, Zhao Yang joined a hunting team.
In the mountains, while trying to save a teammate, he fell off a cliff. The hunting team thought he was surely dead, searched a bit, and then left the mountain.
When he regained consciousness, it was already dark, and Zhao Yang realized he had broken a leg. It seemed he could only wait for death.
Crawling with difficulty through the dense forest, he never gave up on his last sliver of hope to survive, until the fourth day. Having passed out from hunger, he woke up again, only to find himself in a hut reeking of strong medicinal herbs with an old man who looked young saving him.
After recovering from his injuries, Zhao Yang stayed in the mountains, apprenticing under the old man.
Zhao Yang could never have imagined the old man was a remarkable figure, born during the previous dynasty, now over ninety years old. He was sprightly and youthful and could easily pass for a young man.
From then on, Zhao Yang spent his days assisting his master in planting herbs and grinding medicine, and at night, learning the master's "Dragon Elephant Primordial Technique." A year later, his master also taught him the "Life Reversal Nine Needles" that had saved his life.
The "Life Reversal Nine Needles" was incredibly potent. It could both kill and save; to save someone, even if the oil was exhausted and the lamp burned out, it could bring a soul back from the brink of death; to kill, it could extinguish life in the blink of an eye.
The "Dragon Elephant Primordial Technique" complemented the "Life Reversal Nine Needles." The deeper the cultivation of the Dragon Elephant Primordial Technique, the stronger the power of the "Life Reversal Nine Needles." Before leaving the mountain, Zhao Yang had reached the second realm of the Dragon Elephant Primordial Technique.
The higher realms of the "Dragon Elephant Primordial Technique" were more difficult to master, and reaching the third level would be difficult within one or two years.
After going through the twelve meridian cycles, warmth flowed from his Dantian throughout his limbs. Feeling somewhat warmer, Zhao Yang quietly continued his profound practice, waiting for dawn.