C1 The Top Scholar of the High School Examination Who Had Suspended His Studies

The early morning sun cast its rays upon the land, gently rousing Three-river Village from its nightly slumber. One by one, the villagers emerged from their homes, ready to embark on the day's work.

Among them, a young man named Zhao Lei stepped out of his courtyard, casually shouldering a bamboo basket as he made his way toward the outskirts of the village. He hadn't gone far when a middle-aged woman, who had just stepped outside herself, called out to him. "Zhao Lei, off to gather herbs in the mountains again?"

With a smile, Zhao Lei responded, "Yes, Auntie Wang."

Wang Fang's brow furrowed slightly as she cautioned, "You know, you can't bring the dead back to life. You have to accept it and move on. I'm not trying to lecture you, but..."

Zhao Lei knew all too well that once Wang Fang started a sentence with "I'm not trying to lecture you," she was likely to go on for at least half an hour. To him, it felt like nothing short of verbal assault, almost a form of psychological warfare.

Yet, Zhao Lei understood that Wang Fang's heart was in the right place, and he didn't have the heart to simply walk away. Noticing that she was holding freshly laundered clothes, he quickly seized the opportunity to change the subject. "Auntie Wang, you're already helping Uncle Hu with the laundry this early? You manage the household so efficiently, and your cooking is simply top-notch. Uncle Hu is truly fortunate to have you as his wife!"

His flattery worked like a charm. Wang Fang's mood lifted instantly, and she forgot her original train of thought. Beaming, she said, "You little rascal, you sure have a way with words. I'll set aside some dishes for you at dinner. Don't forget to come by and pick them up!"

"Will do! I'd better get going now," Zhao Lei said, wiping the sweat from his brow as he made a swift exit.

Crossing the stone bridge at the entrance of the village, Zhao Lei overheard a plump middle-aged woman murmuring to her friend, "That Zhao boy is such a fool, taking a whole year off school just to care for his grandfather!"

Her companion replied with a cold laugh, "And after all that, the old man passed away anyway. It's like he threw away a whole year of his youth for nothing!"

The plump woman scoffed, "Exactly. Despite being the top student in the college entrance exams, it seems all that studying did was make him foolish."

Zhao Lei overheard the two women's conversation with crystal clarity but harbored no desire to engage in a debate with them. Having lost both parents, his grandfather was his sole remaining kin. To him, dropping out of school to care for his gravely ill elder was nothing short of his duty. What others thought of his decision didn't concern him in the slightest.

To Zhao Lei, living with a clear conscience was paramount. If he couldn't even manage that, what good would a bright future or wealth do him?

Dismissing the gossiping women, Zhao Lei made his way swiftly to the mountainside near the village, intent on gathering herbs.

Treating his grandfather's illness had drained all of Zhao Lei's savings and plunged him into considerable debt. Thus, he frequently ventured into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs, hoping to earn enough to settle his debts sooner rather than later.

But with the increasing number of foragers, finding a decent haul had become challenging. After scouring two valleys, Zhao Lei had only come across two He Shou Wu plants and a small cluster of Dendrobium.

"People these days just don't have any sense of decency, uprooting everything, not sparing even the smallest sprouts," Zhao Lei grumbled as he unearthed a Gastrodia elata seedling and tossed it into his bamboo basket.

Though the Gastrodia elata was no larger than a finger, Zhao Lei valued it—every little bit counted. Better to claim it himself than leave it for someone else.

Having thoroughly searched the area, Zhao Lei decided to try his luck on the neighboring peak. However, he quickly noticed ominous clouds gathering on the horizon, a sure sign of an impending summer downpour. Not wanting to risk being caught in the storm, he hastened his descent towards the village.

As Zhao Lei sprinted to the mountain's base, the sky darkened ominously, with a deluge imminent. The village was within sight, just beyond a small river. Once across, he would be safely within Three-river Village. Yet, as he crossed the bridge, his path was obstructed by three rough-looking young men.

"Darn it!" Zhao Lei muttered to himself in frustration.

The trio were the local troublemakers of Three-river Village, with Wang Hu as their ringleader. After dropping out of junior high, he loafed around the village, exploiting his uncle Wang Chenggang's position as the village chief to run amok. Petty theft, bullying the weak, and harassing the village's young women were all in a day's work for them. They resented Zhao Lei for his acceptance into a prestigious university and frequently sought to make his life difficult.

Wang Hu, with his shirt collar wide open to flaunt a shiny gold chain and a chest tattoo, gave Zhao Lei a mocking look. "Well, if it isn't our valedictorian off to gather herbs on the mountain again. Had a good haul, did you?"

"What's it to you?" Zhao Lei responded, his voice stern.

"It's our business," retorted Wang Hu. "The boys and I have been feeling a bit under the weather lately. We were hoping to borrow some of those herbs to boost our health!"

Zhao Lei had no intention of handing over his hard-earned pickings. He stepped back and firmly stated, "Not a chance!"

"Hmph, you don't have a say in this!" Wang Hu sneered, grabbing Zhao Lei by the collar and barking at his minions, "Well? Get moving!"

The other two ruffians wasted no time in swarming Zhao Lei, swiftly emptying the contents of his basket. Wang Hu examined the haul with contempt. "This is it? Nothing but rubbish!" he spat, and with that, he callously tossed the herbs into the river, watching as Zhao Lei's morning efforts were swept away.

Enraged, Zhao Lei wrenched free from Wang Hu's grasp and landed a solid punch on his nose.

"Ouch!" Wang Hu, taken aback, stumbled backwards, clutching his bleeding nose. With a vicious grin, he snarled, "You've got guts, kid. You dare to strike me? Beat him to a pulp!"

The two cronies lunged at Zhao Lei, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks.

As an average university student, Zhao Lei was no match for these seasoned thugs. Despite his valiant struggle, he took several blows to the face, leaving him seeing stars and reeling from the assault.

Wang Hu, seething with rage, lashed out. He mustered all his strength and delivered a powerful kick to Zhao Lei's stomach. Zhao Lei's vision went dark as he stumbled backward, flipping over the low railing of the stone bridge and plunging into the river with a splash.

By then, a torrential downpour had begun on the mountain, sending a deluge from upstream that transformed the once tranquil river into a churning maelstrom. Zhao Lei was immediately swept downstream.

The sight startled Wang Hu and his gang. Feigning composure, Wang Hu addressed his underlings, "You all are my witnesses; he fell in by himself. We had nothing to do with it!"

One of the thugs quickly agreed, "Right, right, he slipped and fell on his own. We're not involved!"

Looking up at the darkening sky, Wang Hu grumbled, "Looks like rain. Time to head back. Humph, that kid got off easy!" With that, they left.

Meanwhile, Zhao Lei was fighting for his life in the river. The once peaceful waterway had become a lethal trap, the swift current dragging him relentlessly downstream.

Desperate, Zhao Lei swam with all his might, angling toward the shore with the flow. At last, he clung to a tree root jutting into the water, halting his descent.

Only then did Zhao Lei have a chance to survey his surroundings, and he was astounded. In just a short time, he had been carried to the far end of the village, a testament to the river's ferocity.

Recalling how Wang Hu and his cronies had watched him fall without lifting a finger, Zhao Lei murmured darkly, "Wang Hu... I'll settle this score with you one day."

But for now, Zhao Lei's priority was to reach dry land. The sky unleashed a downpour, and he knew the river would only swell further, putting him in grave danger.

The riverbank, steep and slick with rain-soaked mud, offered little purchase. Each attempt to climb ended with a slide back down. Yet Zhao Lei, never one to concede defeat, summoned his remaining strength and continued his arduous ascent.

As Zhao Lei's fingers sifted through the mud at the river's edge, they suddenly encountered an object. The riverbank was littered with pebbles, so finding something wasn't unusual. But this was different; he quickly realized the object consisted of two spherical shapes, one larger than the other, with a small protrusion on the smaller sphere. Its well-defined shape clearly distinguished it from the ordinary stones.

Driven by curiosity, Zhao Lei unearthed the object. It was a small gourd, caked with mud, obscuring its details. Without time to examine it closely, he pocketed the gourd and continued his struggle to climb up the bank. It was then that he caught sight of a figure rushing along the riverbank in the rain. Desperate, he shouted, "Ms. Lan, save me!"

Chen Lan, hearing the plea, paused and called out uncertainly, "Who's there?"

"It's me, Zhao Lei!" he called back loudly. "I've fallen into the river, just below the left side of the bank. Hurry, help me up!"

Recognizing Zhao Lei's voice, Chen Lan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly approached the river's edge, peering down in astonishment. "How did you end up in the river?" she exclaimed.

"It's a long story," Zhao Lei replied with a wry smile. "Just help me up for now!"

Chen Lan nodded, carefully squatting down. She anchored herself to a tree trunk with one hand while extending the other towards Zhao Lei. He reached up, grasping her hand, and felt a momentary flutter in his heart at the touch of her soft hand. He quickly composed himself and, with her assistance, began to climb up the bank.

Chen Lan, single-minded in her effort to rescue Zhao Lei, was sweating profusely from the exertion and anxiety. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, some falling before Zhao Lei's eyes. Witnessing her determination, he was filled with gratitude. Her kindness stood in stark contrast to those who had mistreated him.

Embarrassed to impose further on Chen Lan, Zhao Lei tightened his grip on her hand and, mustering all his strength, heaved himself up the bank. With her help, he finally made it back onto solid ground.

"Thank you, Ms. Lan!" Zhao Lei, now safely on shore, hastily expressed his gratitude to Chen Lan, though his eyes unintentionally wandered over her figure.

Chen Lan caught Zhao Lei's glance and instinctively lowered her head, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Just then, a thunderclap burst overhead, startling Chen Lan into a loud cry as she instinctively sought refuge by Zhao Lei's side.