Chapter Forty: Good Deeds Are Rewarded

On the high ridge at the village entrance, Old He and Old Mo gazed northward, their eyes following the battered farm truck until it rounded a bend and disappeared behind a grove of bamboo two miles away. Only then did they blink their reddened eyes and look at each other.

Old He cleared his throat and pointed at the set of white Yao clothing in Old Mo’s hands. “Why did you ask that fellow for these clothes?”

“To take home and place on the altar during New Year and festivals,” Old Mo replied in a low voice.

Old He nodded. “I see. That fellow brought us luck and helped us find the great dragon; according to our customs, he’s entitled to such honor.”

Old Mo shook his head. “It’s more than that.”

Old He laughed. “I get it. But don’t forget, I was the one who introduced him to you. There’s still a place for him in our village.” With a hearty laugh, Old He turned and walked down the hill alone.

Old Mo spotted Da Niu, who was still squatting on the ground, crying like a child. Sighing, he walked over and pulled him up. “Come on now, boy. Don’t worry—your old servant is blessed and will be just fine. Good people are always rewarded, I believe he’ll come back someday. Let’s go home.”

Kang Ning, now dressed in jeans and a casual shirt, sat in the cramped cab of the truck with his sports bag on his lap, staring silently ahead. Inside the bag were the silver bracelet from his grandaunt, the spiritual herbs from Uncle Mo, and a silver token about an inch square engraved with strange patterns from Uncle Jinduan. But at that moment, holding the bag against his chest, Kang Ning felt as if he were cradling not just a bag, but a heart full of kinship and Su Fang’s boundless, selfless love.

Soon, Kang Ning noticed a Mitsubishi SUV up ahead that had plunged into a rice paddy and was now stuck across the narrow road, blocking the way. Two fashionable women in their twenties were anxiously calling out beside the SUV. No matter how the wheels spun, the vehicle stayed mired in the mud. Kang Ning was surprised to see a woman behind the wheel as well. Since he couldn’t get through anyway, he decided he might as well help.

After giving a few instructions to the young driver from Lao Village, Kang Ning got out and walked over to inspect the depth to which the front wheels were sunk. Noticing the Sichuan license plate, he shook his head and addressed the female driver in standard Mandarin: “This won’t work—the more you accelerate, the deeper you’ll get stuck.”

The driver, sweating and at a loss, was startled to see a tall, handsome man appear at her window. She quickly flashed a charming smile and asked in a soft voice, “Then what should I do?”

“Do you have a tow rope in your car?” he asked.

The woman shook her head. “No, who carries that kind of thing around?”

Kang Ning turned back to the farm truck to ask the driver, who happened to have a steel cable wound around the fuel tank. Eager to help, the driver jumped out to assist. Kang Ning attached one end of the cable to the SUV’s rear tow hook and signaled the young man to bring the farm truck closer, securing the other end to a solid anchor point.

Watching Kang Ning confidently at work, the two women on the roadside whispered to each other. The younger one, with long hair and a white short-sleeved top, gazed blankly at him. “He’s handsome! Must be around twenty-four or twenty-five, right?”

“He’s got real masculine charm—look at those long fingers, and that little bit of stubble, so captivating! But his eyes seem a little melancholic, maybe he’s twenty-eight or twenty-nine?” the slightly taller, short-haired woman replied, then guessed at Kang Ning’s age.

The long-haired woman grinned. “You’ve got experience, Sister Yi. Now that I look closer, you’re probably right.”

The short-haired woman turned and feigned annoyance. “What do you mean, experienced? Are you teasing me? Just wait till I deal with you, you little imp!”

The two women, ignoring Kang Ning’s busy efforts, started playfully bickering on the road.

Having secured the steel cable, Kang Ning walked to the SUV’s driver-side window. “Check your handbrake and start the engine. When you feel the pull, shift into reverse—don’t step on the gas, just steer as needed.”

“Wait—how am I supposed to steer?” the female driver called after him.

Kang Ning turned back in disbelief. “Really? How did you even drive here?”

The woman blushed, then retorted loudly, “Driving’s easy, but who knew the car would go off into the field? Hehe, how about you get in and drive instead?”

With a helpless nod, Kang Ning agreed and told her to wait while he spoke with the farm truck driver. After explaining what to do, he returned to the SUV, where the female driver had already gotten out to wait. He reminded her, “Please ask your friends to stand farther back—if the cable snaps, it could be dangerous.”

The woman, dressed in a fitted white sports outfit and around thirty years old, was strikingly attractive despite a few faint freckles and slightly thin lips. She walked over to her friends and, mimicking Kang Ning’s tone, called out, “Could you two ladies step back a bit? If the steel cable snaps, it could be dangerous.”

Kang Ning, seated at the wheel, saw the three women retreating to a safe distance, smiling and chatting. He started the engine, signaled the farm truck driver, and as the truck slowly reversed, the SUV was pulled free to cheers from the women, coming to rest on firm ground. Kang Ning beeped the horn, the farm truck stopped, and he reversed the SUV a couple more yards before parking and setting the brake. He jumped out, detached the cable, and washed his hands in a roadside ditch.

The female driver approached, her face full of gratitude. “Thank you so much! I really didn’t know what to do.”

“No problem, happy to help. You should get going, or we’ll never get through,” Kang Ning replied, not even turning as he continued washing his hands.

The driver lingered regretfully for a moment, then called her friends to the car. But after just a few yards, the SUV suddenly stalled and wouldn’t start again, no matter what she tried.

Kang Ning sighed and walked over to ask if she needed more help. The woman, clearly flustered, eagerly opened the door and jumped out. “Thank you again—please, take a look!”

Kang Ning could only smile wryly. “Alright, but you’ll need to get back in and pop the hood when I tell you to start the engine.”

After a thorough inspection, Kang Ning identified the problem and asked for the toolbox, then set to work. The driver chatted amiably at his side, and upon learning the farm truck had brought Kang Ning to Libo, she immediately invited him to ride with them as a way to express her thanks.

Kang Ning agreed, not wanting to take up too much of the Yao brothers’ time. He walked over to the farm truck to inform the young driver of his decision. The young man, however, insisted on staying until Kang Ning was safely on the road, explaining that the chieftain had instructed him not to neglect his duty, no matter how much Kang Ning protested. With no choice, Kang Ning returned to the SUV to finish his repairs. After another ten minutes, the engine roared back to life.

Returning to the farm truck, Kang Ning found the young man waiting with his bag, quietly insisting on seeing him off before finally backing away step by step as Kang Ning boarded the SUV.