Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Noble Benefactor

Ler returned to the village and tidied up his house and vegetable garden. His garden was the largest in the village; all of his family’s private plots were here, a little over three mu, and it was right next to his home. In Jiangnan, where land was scarce and people plentiful, it was rare to see a family with such a large garden. This was thanks to his house being located on the outskirts of the village, with all the family’s land conveniently grouped together. It was also due to his grandfather, a man of some renown in the village—an old Korean War veteran, a Party member, wounded in battle against the Americans, decorated for his service, and once the former director of the village security committee. The villagers, including the old party secretary, all respected him greatly. If not for his disappointing son, how could the family have fallen into such decline?

To the south of his home was a sandy road, separated by just over a hundred meters, with a small bamboo grove standing between the house and the road. This bamboo grove, too, was contracted as part of his family’s land. A narrow path ran through the grove right up to his door. Two hundred meters to the west flowed the small Sha River; from the yard, he could see its clear waters drifting by.

Not all of the garden was planted with vegetables—how much could one person eat, after all? Some of the land was given over to sweet potatoes and peanuts. Months of neglect had let weeds run wild, robbing the soil of its nutrients. There was a well in the garden, dug during his grandfather’s lifetime. Such wells were rare in the south, where people usually relied on natural springs; only northerners made wells like this, and Grandfather had learned how during his military service up north.

Watering the garden was now a simple task.

The sun had already climbed a staff’s height into the sky when Ler finished turning over a row of soil. Today, the little golden snake, Jin, hadn’t gone out, but played in the garden with him, its shining body darting through the sweet potato and peanut patches. The yellow dog, too, was frolicking madly, rushing in and out of the rows. The two of them hadn’t been together for a long time, and seemed especially wild today.

“Sha Ler!”

A sweet, clear voice called his name from beside the house outside the garden.

“Who is it?” Ler answered from among the vegetables. A beautiful woman entered the garden in response to his voice.

“Ah, Teacher Feng! What brings you here today?”

“Am I not welcome?”

Feng Shuyah wore a lemon-yellow tracksuit, likely an expensive one, which set off her graceful, willowy figure. Bathed in the morning sunlight, her delicate face was even more strikingly lovely.

“How could that be? Teacher Feng gracing my humble home—my shabby garden is honored by your presence.” Ler replied in a mock-literary tone, which made Feng Shuyah laugh. Ler was delighted; ever since learning from Secretary Tao that she was the daughter of the county Party secretary, he’d hoped to get close to her, but hadn’t found the opportunity. Now she had come to him of her own accord, and he was quietly overjoyed.

“You’re working out here—can I help with anything?” It was rare to hear Teacher Feng using the local dialect.

“No need, Teacher Feng. Your hands are meant for pens, not farm work. Don’t get your clothes and hands dirty,” Ler said with a smile.

“Oh, Sha Ler, you really do know how to tease.”

Unable to refuse, Ler let her pull weeds among the cilantro. Feng Shuyah had never done farm work before and found it all very novel and exciting. Suddenly, she let out a sharp scream.

“A snake… a snake!”

She ran fast, darting to Ler and hiding behind him. Her pretty face was pale with fright, her hands clutching his shirt as she stared in terror at the golden snake slithering toward them. Ler burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“Don’t be afraid, that’s just my pet snake. It doesn’t bite.”

“Your pet?” Feng Shuyah eyed him suspiciously. “It really doesn’t bite?”

The little snake slid onto Ler’s foot, coiling affectionately around his calf and flicking its tongue. Ler stroked its back with fondness. Feng Shuyah stared, eyes wide in astonishment.

“Jin, go play over there, don’t scare Teacher Feng.”

The yellow dog came over, barking at the snake. The snake sprang onto the dog’s back, then darted into the sweet potato patch, with the dog bounding after it.

“Heavens, that scared me to death.” Feng Shuyah patted her chest, still flustered—girls were born afraid of snakes. “How long have you been keeping that snake?”

“Since I was ten—seven years now.” Ler watched the little snake and the dog darting about with pride.

“It’s so beautiful! I’ve never seen a snake like it before,” Feng Shuyah said, watching the snake. “It even has a golden crown on its head. What kind is it?”

“Heh… My snake is a rarity—the only one of its kind discovered so far in the world.”

“You’re exaggerating,” Feng Shuyah said, unconvinced.

“I’m not exaggerating at all.” Ler grinned proudly. “Not long ago, I took it to a snake exhibition in Foshan. Lots of foreigners were there; they all said it was the first time they’d seen this kind of snake. Its photo wasn’t just in the Guangzhou newspapers, but in foreign ones too. I even won a hundred thousand yuan in prize money.”

He said this deliberately. He didn’t want people coveting his money, but he also couldn’t always pretend to be poor—there were plenty of things that needed spending on. But if he spent too much, people would wonder where the money came from. With this story, spending would be easier to explain.

“A hundred thousand?” Feng Shuyah wasn’t particularly impressed by the amount, but was still surprised to hear of such a prize. “My goodness, it really is a golden snake.”

“Heh, some people have even offered me a high price for it, but I didn’t sell.”

Ler recounted how Boss Hong wanted to buy his snake, and how Li Ying told him its true value. If it were sold to a foreigner, let alone a hundred thousand yuan, even a hundred thousand dollars wouldn’t be enough. After hearing this, Feng Shuyah looked at him with new eyes.

A poor farm boy who could resist the temptation of a hundred thousand yuan was certainly someone to be reckoned with. As the only daughter of the county Party secretary, she had her own reasons for coming to teach in the countryside. She was not just a pretty face; raised in a political family, she had set her sights on a political career since university, and her ambitions were not small. With her background, climbing the official ladder would be easy—her father’s support would see her in a safe county or city post with little effort. But she knew that under her father’s wing, she would never truly soar. She wanted to be an eagle in the world of politics.

Her father, though not openly, supported her ambition. To make a mark in politics, connections alone were not enough; she needed her own foundation. With that and her father’s network, success would be within reach.

Her interest in Ler was not because of his looks, but because she saw him as a useful stepping stone.

“With such a rare snake, you’d better protect it well. Don’t let anyone steal it.”

“Hmph, whoever dares, Jin will bite them, and even ten lives wouldn’t be enough.”

“It’s that venomous?”

“According to snake experts in Guangzhou, it’s one of the most poisonous in existence.”

“But you said it doesn’t bite people.”

“As long as no one provokes it, it won’t bite. But if someone tries, it can be fierce.” Ler said, quite pleased. “There’s a snake catcher in Guangdong called Xian Donghai; everyone calls him the King of Lingnan. He tried to catch it in Panyu, and it nearly scared him to death. Now he doesn’t dare catch snakes anymore.”

Ler excitedly recounted the story of Xian Donghai’s attempt to catch Jin, acting out the thrilling details.

“Heavens, this little snake is almost a spirit,” Feng Shuyah said, nervously glancing at the playful snake. “But what are your plans for your future here?”

This was her real purpose.

“What plans could I have? For now, I’ll just do small things. Once I gain experience, I’ll think about expanding.” Ler, eager to build a connection with Feng Shuyah, shared his plans. “In a few days, I’ll start raising some snakes.”

They talked a while longer, and Feng Shuyah affirmed his ideas.

“Can you still get in touch with Boss Hong from Foshan? With his help, you’d be much more likely to succeed.”

“Contact Boss Hong… I probably can. He’s always been good to me.”

Ler blushed and smiled awkwardly. After all, he’d slept with Boss Hong’s woman; if the man ever found out, he’d be lucky to keep his life, let alone get his help. But Feng Shuyah didn’t notice the change in his expression—she was pleased with his answer.

“Contact him first and work out a solid plan. I might be able to help you too—perhaps even secure a poverty alleviation grant for your project.”

With that, Feng Shuyah extended an olive branch. Ler was taken completely by surprise; he felt as if he’d met a benefactor. He knew about the poverty alleviation projects—Shuangqiao’s brick factory was one, and now it was thriving. Ordinary people could never land such a deal; the factory owner’s brother was a deputy county chief.

Could such good fortune really come his way? He hardly dared hope.