Encountering a Snake - Chapter 3

The Shen family’s young master had purged the snake venom and regained his senses; the Shen family’s young master could now eat on his own and sit up in bed reading; the Shen family’s young master was once again basking in the sun in the courtyard…

One piece of good news after another came in rapid succession. Although, to Shen Qingxuan, it merely meant he could cling to life for a few more years, it didn’t stop the old steward from burning the funeral supplies to ashes, nor did it prevent Master Shen from sending out a trading caravan to the distant southern wilderness, offering high profits to thank the merchant who had delivered two “miracle antidotes” years ago.

The banquet was laid out, and friends and relatives filled the seats.

The fragrance of wine wafted through the mountains and forests, and the servants, who had been on edge for days, finally dared to speak loudly again.

Shen Qingxuan sat in a wooden wheelchair, draped in a large fox fur cloak, his legs covered tightly with a soft silk blanket. He held a thin booklet in one hand, tilting his head as he quietly read. From the half-opened window, the noise from the outer hall drifted in—the sound of laughter, music, and the clinking of cups and dishes.

But it all seemed to have little to do with him.

After a while, Shen Qingxuan felt a bit thirsty, but the tea had already gone cold. Holding the cold porcelain cup in his hand, Shen Qingxuan recalled the palm that had once rested on his forehead. Though the sensation was entirely different, that hand and this porcelain cup shared the exact same temperature—cold, icy cold, devoid of any warmth.

His thoughts wandered before returning to the matter at hand. Shen Qingxuan shook a brass bell, then grasped the familiar object, one that had accompanied him for many years, and habitually fiddled with it.

A maid soon entered, responding to the bell. Without waiting for instructions, she dutifully poured out the cold tea, refilled the pot with hot water, stirred the coals in the hand-warmer, and placed it back on Shen Qingxuan’s lap.

Once everything was in order, the maid stood aside and softly suggested, “Young master, you shouldn’t drink wine tonight, and you should rest early. Your body has just started to recover, and straining your mind with reading isn’t good.”

Shen Qingxuan nodded slightly, drank a cup of tea, and then picked up his booklet again to continue reading.

Seeing this, the maid lit a few more oil lamps in the room, making the light brighter before quietly closing the door and leaving.

After a short while, the wooden door of the room was pushed open again. Shen Qingxuan looked up and saw a young woman with her hair elegantly styled, hesitating at the doorway, peeking inside.

When their eyes met, Shen Qingxuan paused for a moment before smiling gently. Though unable to speak, he clearly mouthed the words: “Second Mother.”

“Xiao Xuan.” The young woman, though youthful, exuded an air of grace. She relaxed her expression and stepped over the threshold, walking inside. “Are you feeling better?”

Shen Qingxuan nodded.

“Ever since you were bitten by that venomous snake, the whole family has been worried sick,” the woman said, sitting beside him with a soft, affectionate expression. She tenderly touched his face, her concern evident. “Your elder sister has been praying for you in the temple. When she heard you were better, she went to fulfill her vow. She couldn’t make it to see you today, so I brought your younger brother with me instead.”

Shen Qingxuan simply smiled, took up a brush, and wrote on a piece of paper: “Thank you for your trouble, Second Mother. Since my younger brother is here, please let him come and chat with me. How is Mother’s health?”

The woman looked at the note and replied in detail, “It’s getting late, and your younger brother can be a handful, so I told him to wait until tomorrow to keep you company. Your mother is doing well. She even cooked some vegetarian bamboo shoots the other day for the family to taste. However, the news of your snake bite somehow reached her, and she cried for two days. Luckily, you have great fortune, and when your sister found out you were fine, she went to the temple to give thanks.”

Hearing this, Shen Qingxuan felt a pang of sadness. He stared off into space for a long while before picking up the brush to write more. He chatted with her for a bit.

The woman said, “The wild beasts and venomous creatures in these mountains are hard to guard against. Why don’t you come back home with me? It would ease everyone’s mind. Your sister and I, as women, can’t come to visit you often.”

Shen Qingxuan wrote: “Though the beasts are many, they rarely harm people. The servants take good care of me, and this was just an accident. The climate here suits me, and the doctor said I need to recuperate in peace. Going home is good, but it’s not as quiet as the mountains.”

The woman sighed softly when she saw this. Suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly said, “Before I came, your sister asked me to inquire if you have any young lady in mind?”

Shen Qingxuan was taken aback and quickly wrote: “I understand Mother’s intention, but in my current condition, even if there’s a good woman willing to marry me, I fear I wouldn’t be worthy and would only disappoint her. The responsibility of continuing the family line should be left to my younger brother.”

The woman looked at the ink that had not yet dried and sighed again. “You don’t need to say it; the whole family understands. But you’re such a fine young man. You’ve come into this world, suffered so much, and yet you might not even leave behind an heir… Even though I’m not your birth mother, I…” She didn’t finish her sentence, her eyes already welling up with tears. Lowering her head, she choked on her words. 

Shen Qingxuan remained silent, his gaze fixed on the slightly trembling head of the woman. Whatever thoughts crossed his mind were deep and inscrutable, as if his emotions were twisting and turning endlessly.

But in an instant, he returned to his usual self, picked up the brush again, and wrote: “Second Mother, there’s no need to be sad. My fate is such—perhaps I committed too many wrongs in my past life and am now repaying them in this one. As the eldest son, it’s a great shame that I cannot do even the smallest service for my family or country.”

At this point, his brush stroke shifted as he changed the topic, continuing to write: “My younger brother has just come of age. Although he is clever, he lacks experience. I’ve recently heard that he wishes to enter officialdom. The ups and downs of a bureaucratic career are unpredictable, so I must rely on Second Mother to guide him.”

The mention of her son naturally drew the woman’s attention away from her tears. She lowered her voice and said, “I’m just a woman—what do I understand? It would be far better if you, with all your knowledge, could help your younger brother.”

“Second Mother, there’s no need to be modest. My younger brother is extraordinarily gifted, but he’s not yet fully adept in handling situations. With your guidance and Father’s connections, I believe his path to success will not be difficult.”

“You always know how to put my mind at ease,” the woman said, setting down the paper, a faint smile appearing on her face.

Shen Qingxuan smiled as well, picking up the brush once more to write: “But my brother is still young, and now he must take on the responsibilities of both his own and his elder brother’s, serving our parents and the country. It’s a heavy burden for him.”

The woman shook her head and said, “You’re brothers; this is your duty. Don’t speak as if you’re strangers.”

After chatting for a while longer, Shen Qingxuan showed signs of fatigue, and the woman quickly urged him to take care of his health before finally taking her leave.

After she left, Shen Qingxuan sat alone in his chair for a long time, his gaze lingering on the sheets of paper filled with his writings. Whatever he was thinking, it prompted him to reveal a faint, helpless smile full of self-mockery. After a moment, he gathered up the papers, rang the bell to summon the maid, and had her bring an iron basin. He then burned the ink-scented pages to ashes.

By now, night had deepened, and the noise from the outer hall had gradually quieted down. Shen Qingxuan ordered the windows to be opened, wrapping himself more tightly in the fox fur as he leaned back in his chair, gazing at the night outside. The stars and moon that night were faint and thin, and occasional mountain winds would lift and then drop his loose hair across his forehead, over and over again.

After another long while, Shen Qingxuan suddenly moved, pulling his hand from the warmer and wheeling his chair over to the desk. He spread out new paper and wrote: “You’ve come.”

He pushed the paper to the center of the desk for someone to see, but the room remained quiet.

Shen Qingxuan smiled wordlessly, waiting patiently.

Then, something unusual happened in the room, which had been quiet until now.

The white paper on the desk began to move without any wind, and the brush resting on the inkstone stood up on its own, dipped itself in ink, and paused above the paper. Then, ink began to form words on the paper, neatly and clearly, as if answering Shen Qingxuan’s question: “How did you know?”

Shen Qingxuan continued to smile, even winking playfully into the empty space.

The air, just like that day, filled with a sudden fragrance of grass and trees, the scent reminiscent of a forest after rain, carrying a crisp, cool freshness.

This scent had appeared on that day when he was vomiting foul blood, surrounded by the stench of decay, as if a sudden light had broken through the darkness, etching itself deeply into Shen Qingxuan’s memory—never to be forgotten.

Shen Qingxuan suddenly sniffed the air, then, with some surprise, picked up his brush and wrote: “You went to the hot springs at the mountain peak?”

The person still did not appear, but the brush lifted itself again from the brush rack and wrote beside his question: “Yes.”

Shen Qingxuan’s initial curiosity was instantly resolved by this question of his. The unique sulfur smell from the hot springs explained how Shen Qingxuan had so easily detected the presence of the visitor.

The sense of smell was almost like that of a wild animal.

But neither of them pursued this topic further; instead, they began to talk about other things.

Although Shen Qingxuan had been granted mercy and his life spared, he always remembered that this was a serpent demon, not of his kind. He was always on guard.

Yet he never imagined that this demon was like a human, with a name, a personality, and a penchant for enjoying hot springs. Not only that, but he was sitting here, communicating with Shen Qingxuan through writing for a whole hour.

Though his words were few and his tone indifferent, the demon showed a remarkable level of patience.

For a demon of his power, there were certainly simpler ways to communicate, as Shen Qingxuan had experienced before. Yet this serpent demon chose not to use them.

Since losing his voice, Shen Qingxuan had often communicated with people, but never had anyone been so willing to patiently write down every word for him to read. An hour’s time may be short in a person’s life, merely a grain of sand, but it was enough to erode Shen Qingxuan’s wariness and even foster a subtle sense of closeness.

Taking the paper filled with words, Shen Qingxuan set it aside and, still smiling, dipped his brush in ink and continued the conversation on a fresh sheet of paper: “If I help you successfully pass your tribulation, will there be a reward?”

Next to Shen Qingxuan’s elegant handwriting, a neat line of text quickly appeared, as straightforward as ever: “I will grant you full recovery, as if you were never ill.”

Shen Qingxuan’s hand trembled, and the ink-soaked brush made a heavy streak across the pristine white paper.