The dog days of July could change on a dime.

The sky had been clear, but now a sudden storm had swept in with torrential rain.

Zhang Xiaofan remembered that there was a cave about a hundred meters ahead, so he ran towards it.

There were vines and grasses growing around the mouth of the cave; upon entering, Zhang Xiaofan wiped the rainwater from his face.

"Ouch, that hurts!"

A woman's cry suddenly echoed in the cave, startling Zhang Xiaofan.

He turned to look towards the depths of the cave.

Through the dim light, he could make out a silhouette deep inside the cave, which seemed to be a woman judging by the contours.

"It hurts so much!"

The woman let out a pained groan and called out to Zhang Xiaofan, "Young man, save me!"

Zhang Xiaofan hurried further inside.

And indeed, he saw a woman.

She was very beautiful, with fair skin, delicate features, and a well-proportioned figure; her clothes were completely soaked through.

At that moment, she was clutching her pale leg, which bore two small holes oozing with blood, her expression one of pain and fear.

A brown and triangular-headed snake was slithering beside the woman.

"A five-pace snake!"

Zhang Xiaofan recognized this type of snake.

The "five-pace snake" was just a local name; scientifically, it's called the lance-headed pit viper, and it's extremely venomous!

He had to quickly treat the woman who had been bitten by the poisonous snake!

Seeing the snake slip into a small hole, Zhang Xiaofan took a quick step to the woman's side.

"Young man, please save me, a snake has bitten me!" she pleaded through her tears.

She too had entered the cave to seek shelter from the rain, intending to air out her soaking wet clothes by taking them off. But as soon as she had taken off her pants, Zhang Xiaofan came in, so she hid deeper inside, never expecting to be bitten by a poisonous snake.

Only then did Zhang Xiaofan notice that the woman wasn't wearing pants, her bare thighs exposed to the air, pale and round.

Zhang Xiaofan's heart rate involuntarily quickened, but he had no time to think about that now.

"Don't panic; the venom of this snake is very potent, and getting agitated will make it spread faster," he said.

"I've learned some medicine, let me help stop the bleeding first," Zhang Xiaofan reassured the woman.

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaofan's words, the woman stopped crying.

Zhang Xiaofan set down his bag on the ground and quickly took out a packet of silver needles.

In this situation, acupuncture was the only method to seal off the spread of venom in the leg.

Zhang Xiaofan located the acupoints and precisely inserted the silver needles.

Watching Zhang Xiaofan's skilled needling technique, a look of surprise appeared in the woman's beautiful eyes.

"Don't move; I need to suck the poisoned blood out," he said.

Zhang Xiaofan then grabbed the woman's tender, fair leg and put his mouth directly on the wound inflicted by the snakebite.

The woman's body shivered slightly.

"Spit!"

"Spit!"

Zhang Xiaofan sucked out three mouthfuls of poisoned blood.

Afterward, he took out an old thermos from his bag.

He poured some water into his mouth quickly and rinsed it out.

Sucking out poisoned blood with one's mouth carried certain risks, because if there were any breaks in the mouth, the snake venom could enter the body, but despite the risk, it was also the most effective method.

"It's all set, when the rain stops I'll go out and pick some herbs to apply to the wound. It should heal within a day,"

Zhang Xiaofan pulled the silver needles from the woman's calf, then tore the sleeve of his shirt to bandage the wound simply.

Although the poison was sucked out, it wasn't possible to get it all.

Normally, this would be the time to inject serum for detoxification and antitoxin, but given the current situation, there was no serum available. Not to mention here, Zhang Xiaofan guessed that even the hospitals in the county probably did not have this kind of serum.

"Young man, you're so amazing, my leg doesn't hurt as much anymore!"

The woman looked at Zhang Xiaofan's handsome face, which was delicate and attractive, with admiration sparkling in her beautiful eyes.

Zhang Xiaofan's calmness in the face of danger, as well as the medical skills he exhibited, gave her a different feeling.

"Little brother, my name is Sun Qian. What's your name?"

The woman initiated a conversation with Zhang Xiaofan.

"My name is Zhang Xiaofan. Which part are you from, sister?"

Hearing Zhang Xiaofan call her "sister," Sun Qian showed a smile, "I'm from Stone Village."

"You're also from Stone Village?"

Zhang Xiaofan was astonished; he didn't recall any beautiful women from Stone Village.

"Little brother, are you a fellow villager?" Sun Qian's face lit up with joy, "I married into Stone Village just over a year ago, my husband's name is Zhao Tieniu."

"Ah, no wonder I don't recognize you, sister. I've been studying away from home these past few years."

Zhang Xiaofan hadn't returned to Stone Village for two years.

"Zhao Tieniu?" something seemed to jog in Zhang Xiaofan's memory, "Sister, is your husband that Zhao Tieniu who served in the army?"

Sun Qian smiled and said, "Yes, little brother Xiaofan. Do you know Tieniu?"

"I do."

Zhang Xiaofan knew Zhao Tieniu; they used to play together as children.

He never imagined that the average-looking Zhao Tieniu had married such a beautiful woman, arousing envy.

As they chatted, Zhang Xiaofan didn't dare to look directly at Sun Qian too much. First, because Sun Qian's clothes were soaked through, emphasizing her voluptuous curves, and second, because she hadn't put her pants back on, leaving her legs bare and exposed, a sight both alluring and provocative.

Sun Qian seemed oblivious to the inappropriateness of her attire and enthusiastically sought out topics to converse with Zhang Xiaofan.

"Sister Sun, the herbs you've picked, they seem to be for men's health, right?"

Zhang Xiaofan suddenly noticed the medicine basket next to Sun Qian.

He recognized these herbs, their uses were for regulating men's bodies, with the main effect being "Nourish Vitality."

Usually, they were for instances when a man's sexual performance was inadequate, or if there were issues in that regard.

Speaking of these herbs brought an unusual expression to Sun Qian's face, as if there were unspoken complexities; Zhang Xiaofan felt it wasn't appropriate to probe further.

The rain finally stopped outside.

"Sister Sun, wait here for me. I'm going out to pick some herbs to apply to your wound,"

Zhang Xiaofan turned, ready to leave.

Sun Qian immediately said, "That, Xiaofan... I'm scared."

They didn't know where the banded krait had slithered off to inside the cave, and Sun Qian was indeed feeling afraid.

"Then I'll help you up to the cave entrance."

"Mhm!"

Sun Qian nodded.

Zhang Xiaofan stepped forward to take Sun Qian's arm, lifting her to her feet.

The weather was hot and muggy, and Sun Qian's shirt was thin and damp. As he helped her up, Zhang Xiaofan felt the warmth and silky smoothness of Sun Qian's skin.

And Sun Qian, whether intentional or not, leaned heavily against Zhang Xiaofan, stirring a restless heat in his youthful body.

Finally having assisted Sun Qian to the cave entrance, Zhang Xiaofan all but fled the spot.

Watching his retreating figure, a seductive haze and daze appeared in Sun Qian's beautiful eyes, and she whispered to herself, "A college student, skilled in medicine, kind-hearted... such an outstanding man!"