Chapter 17 ☆ Detoxification (Part 1)

The water gurgled, the wind rustled through the reeds, and cicadas chirped in the trees. Everything was silent, except for Xie San’s ears, which were filled with blood. All he could see was that one swaying white foot.

Beauty lies in the bones, not just in the skin. Cheng Yaoyao’s beauty is intrinsic, from her hair to her toes, all crafted by nature. Her ankles are slender, and her toes are round and delicate, as bright as jade. Water droplets rolled on them like freshly peeled lychee, which would emit sweet juice with the slightest touch.

Cheng Yaoyao’s eyes were red, and she anxiously extended her slender foot to the man, asking him to suck out the venom. Innocence and beauty combined create a powerful allure.

The water droplets rolled down along the arch of her foot, falling onto the man’s knees. The dark army green fabric quickly soaked up the drops, evaporated by the heat of his body.

Seeing Xie San’s indifference, Cheng Yaoyao stepped closer, biting her rosy lips and crying, “I don’t want to die——”

Her babyish voice scratched the most sensitive parts of people’s hearts.

Xie San’s throat felt dry and hot as he saw the water droplets on the snow-white arch of her foot. They were crystal clear, like mango nectar—one drop could quench his thirst, while the two drops of blood were the poison that could kill him.

The snow-white jade foot was held in the man’s rough palm, perfectly fitting. The softness of her skin nearly made it slip from his grasp. The finest white jade could not compare to the exquisite texture of her foot, which tempted him to examine it further with his lips or tongue.

Xie San’s breathing grew heavy as he lowered his head, seemingly possessed.

…

The snake bite wound was small but painful, turning into an itchy and hot sensation. Cheng Yaoyao curled her toes, held her breath nervously, endured the pain, and looked at Xie San with anticipation.

After a long time, Xie San raised his head. There was a trace of blood on his lips, and his eyes were deep and dark.

Cheng Yaoyao, looking at his face, felt a chill. “Did you suck out all the poison?”

Hot sweat rolled down Xie San’s forehead as he stared at Cheng Yaoyao, his chest heaving rapidly.

Cheng Yaoyao’s light-colored pupils and autumnal gaze seemed to pierce through the darkness and lust in his heart. Suddenly, she exclaimed, “You!”

Xie San’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

Cheng Yaoyao grew more anxious. “Oh no! How could you swallow it? Spit it out! Rinse your mouth!”

Desperate, Cheng Yaoyao pushed Xie San away. She wanted him to save her, but she didn’t want him to suffer in the process!

Realizing his mistake, Xie San didn’t dare to look at Cheng Yaoyao. He turned to the water’s edge and splashed some water on his face.

Seeing Xie San by the water, his jacket soaked with sweat, Cheng Yaoyao felt a mix of gratitude, guilt, and worry. “Just rinse your mouth, washing your face won’t help!”

Xie San remained indifferent. After a long while, he quietly walked back, not even glancing at Cheng Yaoyao.

Cheng Yaoyao placed her white, tender feet on the grass and worriedly said, “I can’t feel my feet anymore. Is it the snake venom taking effect?”

“…You’ve been sitting for too long,” Xie San’s voice was frighteningly hoarse. He realized how inadequate his response was and shut his mouth in annoyance.

Cheng Yaoyao rubbed her ankle, looking at the wound on her instep with concern. There was no more blood. “Did you suck out all the venom?”

Xie San struggled to answer, his patience wearing thin. Cheng Yaoyao continued to ask, “Am I really okay? Will the wound rot? Will I need my limb amputated?”

“Xi…xi is clean,” Xie San’s conscience was troubled by her naive questions, and he had no escape from his guilt.

Cheng Yaoyao, fearing for her life and potential scarring, asked, “Do you want to apply some medicine? Will it leave scars?”

The small wound healed by the next day, but Cheng Yaoyao’s dramatic reaction made her seem like a young lady who had never suffered. Her delicate appearance elicited helplessness from those around her.

Xie San looked around, picked a few handfuls of wild mint from a tree, washed and mashed them, then applied them to the back of Cheng Yaoyao’s feet. His face was cold and serious as he spoke seriously, “This is specifically used to dissolve snake venom.”

The wild mint juice emitted a cool aroma, soothing the wound. Cheng Yaoyao’s toes wiggled with happiness, and she laughed, “It really works; I feel much better!”

In the original story, Xie San often went up the mountain to pick herbs and was very skilled. Cheng Yaoyao felt relieved, and she indeed noticed that her feet had regained sensation.

The delicate beauty sat on the grass, looking up at him with unreserved trust in her eyes. Her clear gaze reflected his own darkness and shame.

Xie San pinched his palm hard, forced himself to look away, and said, “You should rest for a while. You’ll be fine.”

Cheng Yaoyao hugged her knees and sat still. Xie San also sat down to rest. After a long, tense period, his nerves finally relaxed.

Cheng Yaoyao suddenly asked, “Where are the mulberries?”

Xie San was caught off guard by her sudden change of topic and looked slightly stunned.

Cheng Yaoyao continued, “I want to eat the mulberries you just picked.”

Cheng Yaoyao, now out of danger, thought about her appetite. Xie San, who had just sat down, said: “…”

Cheng Yaoyao had prepared a lot to say to Xie San, but he remained silent. He rolled up his trouser legs and waded into the water.

The large mulberry tree had grown for who knows how many years, its branches and leaves luxuriant, and its gnarled roots lying across the water. Xie San, standing three feet tall in the water, could easily reach and pick mulberries.

The older the mulberry tree, the sweeter the fruit. These mulberries were large, ranging in color from light red to dark red to purple, like rubies hidden among the leaves. Up close, they emitted a unique sweet and sour aroma that made one’s mouth water.

This mulberry tree was far from the village, or else the children would have eaten most of the fruit already.

Xie San’s hands, broad and skilled, quickly gathered a large bunch of mulberries. He also pulled out a few thatch roots, washed them, placed them under leaves, and brought them to Cheng Yaoyao.

“I haven’t eaten mulberries for a long time,” Cheng Yaoyao said, picking one up with a smile. “Mulberries can be used to make many delicious things. Have you ever had mulberry jam?”

Xie San shook his head.

“I’ll make some for you another day. Mmm, so sweet!” Cheng Yaoyao took a bite of the mulberry, and the sweet and sour juice splashed in her mouth. The tip of her tongue first tasted the sourness, then the sweetness. The thatch root was white and tender, and it tasted sweet when chewed. It was delicious.

Cheng Yaoyao continued to eat the fruits while Xie San half-knelt in front of her, holding the leaves and waiting patiently.

After a while, Cheng Yaoyao finally glanced up at Xie San.

Xie San focused intently on the dwindling handful of mulberries, not even looking at Cheng Yaoyao.

Cheng Yaoyao observed his lips closely. On TV, people’s lips often turned black and purple after sucking out snake venom, resembling the duck-like lips of Tony Leung Chiu Wai in “A Chinese Odyssey.”

Fortunately, Xie San’s lips were neither thick nor thin, and they remained a healthy red.

Cheng Yaoyao’s straightforward and innocent gaze was impossible to ignore. Xie San’s ears grew warm. He handed Cheng Yaoyao the remaining mulberries and stood up, saying, “I’ll go finish the work.”

“What about me?” Cheng Yaoyao hurriedly stood up and stepped on the ground with her injured foot. “There might be a snake here.”

Xie San closed his eyes, his usually cold tone tinged with helplessness. “Aren’t you afraid of the sun?”

Cheng Yaoyao debated between being tanned and being bitten by a snake, then said firmly, “I’m not afraid!”

Xie San retrieved Cheng Yaoyao’s shoes and placed them at her feet. Cheng Yaoyao put her left foot into them, stepped on the heel with her injured right foot, and wore them as slippers. She limped along with Xie San back to the fields, displaying a strong will despite her disability.

A small snake bite wouldn’t cripple your leg… Xie San considered saying this but decided against it.

Xie San quickly finished sowing seeds on the remaining half-ridge of land. Recent rains meant there was no need to water the field.

Cheng Yaoyao placed her hands on her hips and proudly said, “Look, these are all the beans I planted!”

Xie San wiped the sweat off his face with his coat and glanced at Cheng Yaoyao.

“…” Cheng Yaoyao felt a twinge of guilt and changed the topic. “Look, these are the beans we planted! I’m so tired; can we go home now?”

As Cheng Yaoyao spoke, she gathered up a pile of treasures: leftover mulberries, thatch roots, and a few beautiful pebbles.

Xie San picked up the shovel and walked to the next row of the cornfield. “There are seven more rows.”

Under the scorching sun, more than a dozen rows of corn swayed in the wind, seeming to mock Cheng Yaoyao’s naivety.

Cheng Yaoyao sat in the shade of the cornfield, eating mulberries. The mint leaves on her instep dried up. She spread them out and saw that the wound on her instep had gradually healed and turned pink.

Cheng Yaoyao looked at the scorching sun, then glanced at the tall figure sweating in the field. She took a deep breath, wrapped the wound with a handkerchief, put on her shoes, and ran to Xie San.

Xie San’s brown shoulders were covered in sweat. He had already turned over half of the field. Seeing Cheng Yaoyao coming back on her own, he asked in surprise, “Does your foot not hurt anymore?”

“There’s still a little bit,” Cheng Yaoyao said, her voice tinged with coquettishness.

Xie San’s lips moved. After a pause, he said to Cheng Yaoyao’s delicate eyes, “…Hold on.”

“…” Cheng Yaoyao thought it was ridiculous to expect comfort from someone like Xie San. Angrily, she ran away, grabbed a handful of beans, and started sowing them.

Without Xie San’s tall figure to shield her from the sun, Cheng Yaoyao felt like her brain was boiling. Everything she saw seemed double. After working for a while, she complained about her sore feet and ran back to the cornfield to cool off.

Watching Cheng Yaoyao return to the cornfield, Xie San pursed his lips, feeling a bit annoyed.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Yaoyao suddenly turned around and waved desperately at him, her pink lips forming exaggerated shapes: “Come here quickly…”

Xie San was stunned. Was Cheng Yaoyao encountering another snake? He picked up the shovel and strode over. Cheng Yaoyao grabbed him and whispered in his ear, “Be quiet, rabbit, there’s a rabbit!”

Cheng Yaoyao’s breath was sweet as orchids, blowing into Xie San’s earlobes. His ears felt suddenly hot, and his blood raced without an outlet. He grabbed Cheng Yaoyao’s wrist and pushed her away.

Cheng Yaoyao, caught off guard, was pushed to the ground. “Ouch!”

Their noise startled a gray hare not far away. It stood up alertly, ran a few paces, and disappeared.

“The rabbit ran away! My rabbit!” Cheng Yaoyao looked at the fleeing rabbit with heartache. It was so fat!

Turning around, she saw Xie San standing like a statue. Her anger boiled over. “It’s all your fault. Why did you push me? I was just trying to show you the rabbit out of kindness…”

Xie San exhaled a deep breath and came back to his senses. Seeing Cheng Yaoyao’s back turned, obviously fuming about the rabbit, he murmured, “I… I’ll catch one for you tomorrow.”

“Who wants your rabbit? Go away!” Cheng Yaoyao turned her back on him, her anger clear. More than losing the rabbit, she was upset about being pushed. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became!

Xie San didn’t say anything for a long time. Cheng Yaoyao glanced over secretly, but he had already walked away. Cheng Yaoyao grew even angrier, her face reddening with frustration.