Chapter Twenty-Seven: First Encounter with a Practitioner of Ancient Martial Arts and Acupoint Techniques

Lai Min’s home was quite far, and it took more than forty minutes to reach it by bicycle. When the two of them set out, neither spoke a word. It was the first time He Zhixing had carried her on his bike, and he found the experience rather pleasant. After riding for more than ten minutes, he felt himself gradually relax, and tried to lighten the mood with conversation, asking her questions about her studies. Each time he asked, the girl replied simply.

Eventually, their talk turned to her hometown. “Is your hometown beautiful? Is it prettier than mine?”

She answered, “Of course it’s more beautiful than yours. There are many lovely mountains in my hometown, and they’re very tall—the tallest in all five towns. Every year, crowds of people come to climb them.”

“Oh, really? I’d like to see for myself if they’re truly so tall and beautiful.”

“You’ll know when you see them.”

He Zhixing glanced back at her and saw her beaming. “By the way, your brother treats you so well, like you’re the family’s precious treasure. I’m so jealous.”

The girl seemed to relax, shaking her head and smiling with delight. “Naturally, I am his precious sister.”

The two of them chatted and laughed along the way, and forty minutes passed in a flash. Soon they arrived at her door, where her mother was waiting. He Zhixing quickly greeted her, “Hello, Auntie.”

The girl called out, “Mom,” and her mother responded warmly, “Welcome, you’re our guest. Her brother told me you take good care of Lai Shucheng. Come in, though our rural house is simple—I hope you don’t mind.”

“No problem, Auntie. I’m used to all sorts of places, I’m certainly no young master,” He Zhixing replied.

The girl added, “Mom, just treat him casually. If you’re too polite, he’ll feel awkward, haha…”

He Zhixing realized Lai Min was teasing him and chased after her, pretending to strike her. “So you’re mocking me, eh? You deserve a beating!”

Lai Min turned and ran, giggling, “You won’t catch me!” Her mother watched their antics with amusement, shook her head, and walked into the kitchen. “Ah, these children. Go ahead and play, Auntie will cook.”

Not long after, her father and brother returned as night fell. They had been working for a private boss, digging for black sand. Today’s harvest was a small bag, five or six pounds worth.

There was little choice—family needs must be met, and without this work, there’d be no food on the table. In these times, many people took risks. With the mountains so remote, the government couldn’t oversee whether the mining was legal; everyone just came quietly to dig.

The next day, Lai Min’s father and brother went off to dig sand again. Her younger sister took He Zhixing around the area, even up to the highest peak in the five towns. There were many illegal miners here; the mountain rocks were gray-black, pale yellow, and yellowish-white, rich in rare minerals.

He Zhixing secretly used his carved wooden beauty, channeling energy through it to see if he could sense spiritual energy sources. He managed to detect a small mineral deposit, though he couldn’t tell whether it was black sand or some other rare metal. When Lai Min’s brother returned, He Zhixing took him up the mountain the next day and showed him the spot he’d found.

That day, Lai Min’s brother didn’t join his father for sand digging; instead, he had seven or eight pounds cleaned up from yesterday’s haul, which could sell for a few hundred yuan. He took He Zhixing by bus to HN City to sell it. HN was a border city between the five towns and another province; their village was right at the boundary, so sometimes they shopped in HN. The dialect was different, customs varied, but otherwise things were much the same.

His sister came along too, like a little angel, delighted to be out. At the market, she touched and examined everything she liked; even if her brother hesitated to buy, He Zhixing was willing, making her very happy.

For the next few weeks, He Zhixing always took her home. Lai Min’s brother had stopped attending school; he entrusted his letters of apology to He Zhixing for the headmaster. He refused to involve his parents, standing firm in his principles.

Sometimes, He Zhixing would accompany her sister to spend the night at Lai Min’s home, share a meal with her grandfather, stay overnight, and the next day take her sister back to school. In the next semester, Lai Min entered middle school, and their routine continued. She had long since regarded him as a brother—aside from her real brother, He Zhixing was the one she liked and admired most.

Lai Min had a wonderful deskmate, another girl, who invited her home. That week, the three went together; the girl lived in a mountain village high up. The villagers were simple and hospitable, welcoming them warmly and offering treasured cured meats and delicacies. The girl had a mischievous little brother, eight years old, a notorious troublemaker, fearless and always stirring things up.

That day, a traveling peddler arrived, carrying goods to sell—an older man with a missing hand, the other severed at the wrist. These peddlers roamed the mountains and villages, selling wares. The village children loved the excitement and flocked to him; the girl’s brother was among them.

Somehow, the peddler and the girl’s brother got into a dispute. The boy was shoved aside, accused of stealing, though he insisted he'd merely looked at the item and put it back.

He Zhixing rushed over and helped the boy up. They left the scene without buying anything. At first, He Zhixing didn’t realize the boy had been struck at an acupuncture point. The child said nothing and felt no discomfort at first, but after an hour or two, his energy began to reverse, and he complained of pain.

He Zhixing checked his pulse, channeling energy, and found the acupuncture point had indeed been struck. The sister wanted to find the peddler, but he had left an hour earlier, so she returned home in frustration.

He Zhixing was at that moment channeling energy, tapping the boy’s lower back to clear the blocked point. After a few minutes, the child said the pain was gone. He Zhixing withdrew his hand, checked the pulse again, and said, “It’s all right now.”

“Oh, where’s that man?” the child asked.

His sister replied, “He left an hour ago.”

“Which way did he go?”

“Probably toward the lower village, or maybe another settlement, or perhaps headed back to the five towns.”

He Zhixing said, “I’ll go after him. Xiao Min, stay here at your friend’s house; later, please go to school together and look after each other. Help me ask for leave—I may not be able to attend classes for a while.” With that, he mounted his bicycle and sped off.

“Brother, don’t chase him. My little brother’s fine now, there’s no need to fuss,” the girl said.

Lai Min knew He Zhixing’s temperament; once he set his mind, nothing could stop him. “Brother He, be careful. Don’t force it!”

“Understood.”