Chapter 1: Picking Up a Girl

After a day of clearing land, John Thunder shouldered his hoe and headed down the mountain, thinking about the hunting traps he had set a few days ago. He took a turn towards the direction of the first trap.

The first trap was empty, so John added some dry leaves to cover it up and moved on to the next spot. This trap was a success; it held a plump rabbit that looked to weigh at least six or seven pounds. A slight smile creased Johns usually stern face as he jumped down to tie the rabbits legs and hang it on his hoe.

He walked over to find some dead leaves to cover the trap again when he noticed a person lying on the ground not far ahead, unconscious or worse.

John observed the person quietly for a while, making sure they were unconscious before approaching. It was a young girl, her eyes tightly closed, her face covered in dust, making her appearance indistinguishable. She had various cuts and bruises, with the most severe wound being a wide gash on her left leg that was still bleeding profusely. It seemed she had fallen from the mountain.

He checked for breath and found a faint sign of life. The severity of her injuries made it uncertain whether she could be saved.

John didnt want to get involved, but looking at the girls pitiful state, he found himself unable to walk away.

If someone had been willing to help when his father fell from the mountain, would his father have survived? Would his mother not have followed in grief, leaving him an orphan at a young age?

John closed his eyes for a moment, then hoisted the girl onto his shoulder, grabbed the hoe with the rabbit, and headed towards the clinic.

"Dr. Qi, someones injured," John called out as he arrived at the clinic, dropping his hoe and knocking on the door.

Dr. Qi Lang was inside analyzing medical cases. He put down his work and went to open the door, startled by the sight that greeted him.

John had a girl slung over his shoulder, her clothes tattered, and her leg dripping with blood.

"How did she get hurt so badly?" Dr. Qi quickly moved aside.

John shook his head, "Found her at the foot of the mountain, probably fell from up there."

There was no time for talk; Dr. Qi began treating her wounds without delay.

After all the wounds were tended to, Dr. Qi was sweating profusely. "Shell be fine, but the leg injury is severe. Shell need to rest for about ten days and keep it dry."

John nodded, "How much will it cost?"

"Ten cents."

John took out a cloth bag from his pocket, which only contained three cents. He put the coins back in the bag and said in a deep voice, "Put it on my tab, Ill settle it next month when I get my work points."

It was common practice to put medical expenses on account at this time, and Dr. Qi nodded, taking out a ledger from his desk drawer to record the debt.

He also teased, "The other day when the brigade sent you to clear land, your arm was smashed by a rock and bled all over the place, but you didnt come to see me. Yet, youre willing to pay for a strangers treatment."

"The ladys injuries are severe," John replied succinctly.

Dr. Qi didnt believe him; his gaze drifted towards Xu Mingyue, who was still unconscious. When he was treating her wounds, he noticed her delicate skin, hands without a single callus, and the fabric of her clothes looked better than the most expensive ones sold in the citys department stores. Her feet were also well-dressed in white socks and black leather shoes, indicating a very good family background.

John, who was poor and could barely afford meals, probably wouldnt have been so kind as to save someone unless he saw the ladys attire and thought to exploit the favor for a profit.