Chapter 62: The Deadline Is Approaching

At the mountain foot, Hu Xiaocao and her mother were conducting their usual worship, the woman wiping the shrine.

At this moment she was so thin she was nothing but skin and bone, as if a gust of wind would blow her away, and her complexion was deathly pale.

A year's time had not improved the woman's condition; instead, it had worsened, and even so she still supported her sick body.

Hu Xiaocao's family was poor; kind villagers had helped before, even raising money for the woman to see a doctor in town, but the result was that the disease had been dragged on too long and had worsened.

To cure it, one must go to a big city; the treatment costs were, for them, simply astronomical, let alone the follow‑up treatment.

Villagers' help is a favor; we cannot take advantage of it, and besides, the money previously raised for medical expenses may never be repaid in this lifetime.

If treatment continued, it would basically be a bottomless pit.

The woman decided decisively to stop treatment, merely taking some medicine back; although it could not make her fully recover, it could at least hold the disease in check.

Cough cough cough—

A gust of wind came, and the woman burst out with a heart‑rending cough.

Hu Xiaocao hurriedly rose, a little nervous, saying: "Mom, are you okay? I told you to stay home and not come; I can manage alone."

A year passed. Hu Xiaocao had not changed much; she remained thin and frail, had not grown taller, but her cheeks had filled out a bit, so she no longer looked as gaunt and frightening as before.

The woman covered her mouth, waved her hand, and said: "No, that would be too insincere, and besides, being cooped up at home makes me feel stifled; I also want to go out for a walk."

The human‑trafficking incident that once caused a sensation gradually subsided with the passage of time.

People are forgetful; even the strangest, most supernatural events cannot withstand the scrutiny of time.

Moreover, since that incident the Mountain God has never shown his spirit again, and the rumors about him have faded away.

Although some villagers still came to worship, their numbers had greatly diminished, only occasionally showing up one or two; only the mother and daughter persisted in daily worship and offerings, never interrupted by wind or rain.

"Xiaocao, if one day I am gone, you must remember to always worship and offer to the Mountain God Grandfather, especially during holidays and festivals; we must not be ungrateful wretches."

The woman gave her careful instructions.

Hu Xiaocao's complexion slightly changed, and she anxiously shouted: "Pah pah pah! What nonsense—Mom will surely live to a ripe old age, and the Mountain God Grandfather will bless you."

The woman could only nod, saying: "Good, good, good—May the Mountain God Grandfather bless our Xiaocao with a long life."

As the woman spoke, she felt a fishy taste welling up in her throat, and with a "wah" she spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto the shrine.

Her vision went black and she collapsed to the ground.

Seeing this scene, Hu Xiaocao screamed in fright: "Mom, don't scare me—are you okay?"

She pushed the woman's body, but the woman showed no reaction.

Hu Xiaocao hurriedly went to find other villagers for help, calling: "Uncle Zhang, Uncle Li, something's wrong—my mother has fainted."

The lingering glow of the setting sun bathed the woman's figure and also shrouded the shrine; darkness began to swallow everything, even the blood on it turning dim and ominous.

With the villagers' help, the woman was carried back home; Wu Yuan received the news and rushed over immediately to check her condition.

Hu Xiaocao stood beside them, anxious, saying: "Grandfather Wu, is my mother alright?"

Wu Yuan looked at Hu Xiaocao, feeling reluctant to say more, and said: "Nothing serious—just rest a while and you'll be fine."

After taking the medicine, the woman slowly regained consciousness, looked at Wu Yuan's expression as if she knew what he was about to say, and told Hu Xiaocao:

"Xiaocao, Mom wants to eat some red fruit; could you go pick some for me?"

Red fruit is a common wild berry, and there is a patch of it nearby.

Hu Xiaocao nodded quickly, saying: "Even if it weren't red fruit, if Mom wanted meat now I would find a way to get it."

After sending Hu Xiaocao away, the woman then said: "Uncle Wu, am I about to die?"

As she spoke, her face was calm, her tone unchanged, and her bearing showed no trace of the panic of one facing death.

Wu Yuan's eyes reddened a little, and he comforted her: "Don't lose heart—if we can't raise enough money to send you to the town hospital, we'll try to get you to a big city."

The woman sighed deeply, shook her head and refused: "It's not that simple—treating the illness costs too much; my daughter and I owe the village so much that we could never repay it in this lifetime, and my conscience couldn't bear it."

"I know my own body—it's a bottomless pit; this disease probably can't be cured, so rather than waste your money, we might as well give up."

"All I want now is to spend more time with Xiaocao; Uncle Wu, please don't tell her about this."

Looking at the woman's wan appearance, Wu Yuan felt a sting in his nose and said: "Xiaocao is sharp; she'll probably figure it out, and your condition won't stay hidden much longer."

The woman's voice choked up as she said: "I only wish to stay by Xiaocao's side during the last of my life; this child has suffered terribly."

When Hu Xiaocao came back holding the bright red fruit, both of their expressions had returned to normal, though the woman's eye sockets were still slightly red.

"Mom, have you been crying?"

The woman wiped her eyes, smiled, and said: "No, I haven't cried—I just got some sand in my eye by accident."

Hu Xiaocao held out the fruit like an offering, saying: "Come on, try it—it's sweet and sour, really tasty."

Actually the woman had lost her sense of taste; the red fruit she ate had no flavor at all.

Nevertheless the woman ate one, smiled and nodded: "It really is sweet."

Children are the most perceptive; although the adults were hiding things from Hu Xiaocao, she sensed something and took even greater care of the woman, attending the shrine more diligently.

Even so, it could not stop the woman's body from deteriorating day by day.

Hu Xiaocao devoutly lit incense, kowtowed and bowed, her eye sockets red as she said:

"Mountain God Grandfather, could you show some mercy and bless my mother's recovery? I'm not greedy—I am willing to offer my own lifespan in exchange for my mother's."

At that moment Hu Xiaocao did not know that the Mountain God Grandfather she invoked was also about to face the problem of aging and death.

After a winter had finally passed, and it was the second Spring Festival following his rebirth, Ye Qin still felt nothing, for that year he had sunk into his deathbed.

……

Spring returned to the earth; among the mountains everything was full of vitality, and everywhere one could see lush, thriving plants growing.

The trees strained to spread their branches, even the roadside grass sprouted new shoots, verdant and pleasing to the eye.

Amid this vibrant scene, however, there was a place that was markedly different.

Outside the cave, vegetation covered the ground, insect chirps and bird calls filled the air, and unnamed wildflowers quietly bloomed, sending out a faint fragrance.

But deep inside the cave, a snake over three meters long could be vaguely seen lying motionless on the ground, almost blending with the surrounding gloom.

And beside it, there was also a stark white human skeleton, leaning against the wall, silent and lifeless.

Ye Qin had been lying here for several days, his time spent going out growing less and less, not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.

As time trickled away, it also took away the vitality of this serpent body, all functions of the serpent body are diminishing.

A living being can influence its surroundings; the feeling inside the cave is also deathly still.

(End of chapter)