Encounter with a snake"

The situation unfolded all too suddenly. With a loud crash, a small porcelain bowl painted with blue flowers fell to the ground, rolled twice, and shattered into several pieces. Simultaneously, an old brass bell, polished by time to a shine, also fell from above, clanging twice in a panicked frenzy before finally coming to rest beside the fragments. “Young Master… Young Master, Young Master… Someone help! The Young Master has been bitten by a snake!” A piercing voice tore through the early spring afternoon, one that was rarely sunny and bright. Following that, the previously tranquil and peaceful mountain villa was filled with hurried footsteps, their rush and panic audible even amidst the sounds of things being knocked over. Shen Qingxuan stared ahead, straining to discern the creature that bit him, but his vision was blurred as if a thin veil of white gauze covered his eyes. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see clearly, his heart terror-stricken by the potency of the snake venom. Yet, he thought to himself that no human plans could match the unforeseen, having imagined countless ways he might die, never anticipating an end by the fangs of a snake. With this thought, his heart steadied, and he closed his eyes, faintly aware of the servants moving him away from the chair, frantically calling for a doctor and shouting for antidote pills. What followed was unknown to him. The news that the young master of the Shen family had been bitten by a snake spread as if carried by the wings of birds through the forest. In no more than a moment, the previously peaceful mountain paths echoed with the sound of galloping horses. Carriages and palanquins arrived in haste, stopping at the entrance of the villa. Riders and distinguished passengers hurriedly dismounted and entered without waiting for anyone to receive them, barging into Shen Qingxuan’s room. The man lying in the bed, his eyes tightly shut, had an ominous purple-black hue at his temples, spreading across his entire face. The deep purple-blackness stood stark against his pale lips, his once handsome appearance now ghostly and distorted. “Xuan!” A graying elder gasped at the sight, his voice filled with sorrow, “My son!” He choked on his words. “Master,” the butler, standing by with hands clasped, quickly interjected to steer his master from his grief, reminding, “Master, we must focus on saving the young master’s life.” “Yes, yes,” the elder, coming to his senses after the reminder, hastily stood up, his voice still choked with sobs, asking the servants, “Have you administered the antidote?” “We always keep medicines on hand for snake bites, and the young master has been given the antidote pills. However, their effect seems minimal.” “What kind of snake was it? Did you see it clearly?” the butler asked urgently. “It was too chaotic; I couldn’t see clearly. It coiled around the vine frame in the courtyard, obscured by the branches. I only caught a glimpse, a thick section as large as the mouth of a bowl…” The servant described, gesturing, only to be slapped on the forehead by the butler, who scolded, “Nonsense talker, full of lies!” Ignoring his cries, the butler explained to the master, “Master, I grew up in the mountains and never heard of a snake that large. Unless it’s a python, but even though they are large, they don’t bite easily, and their venom isn’t usually this fierce. This servant is clearly exaggerating to lessen his punishment.” Overwhelmed, the elder master didn’t dwell on it, simply scolding the servant to leave. “Where was he bitten?” the butler inquired of the trembling maid at the doorway, the personal attendant of Shen Qingxuan. “On the wrist,” the maid said palely, “The sun was nice today, so I moved the young master outside to bask in it. As usual, he wanted to drink some floral tea at this time, so after brewing it for him, I was about to fetch some snacks. Just a few steps away, I heard the sound of the teacup falling, and when I turned back, the young master had already been bitten…” Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke. “Did you see the snake?” “I did. That servant didn’t lie; the snake was indeed as thick as a bowl, coiling on the handrail. When I saw it, it was just retracting its body, and I saw its black scales, only its belly was somewhat golden. I’ve been serving the young master on the mountain for years and seen many snakes killed, but never one that large…” “So it was that big?” the butler still half-doubted. The girl knelt down, crying, swearing, “I wouldn’t lie about such a serious matter. If there’s any deceit, let me suffer a terrible fate!” The butler took the testimony seriously, while the elder master, unable to focus on these details, just angrily commanded the servants to leave. “Where was the bite?” he inquired again, turning his attention to his son’s condition, examining the wrist where the snake's fangs had left a mark, now cut open in a cross to suck out the poison. He felt slightly relieved, knowing someone had acted promptly. But the venom was aggressive, rendering an adult delirious in mere moments, likely infiltrating the internal organs, beyond cleansing. Clasping his son’s frail, pallid wrist, he felt a surge of desolation. His eldest son, the pillar of the family, whom he had only at thirty, suffered a fall into an icy pit at eight, resulting in a high fever and subsequent muteness, along with damaged legs, confining him to bed ever since. He had hoped to provide a peaceful life for his son, not demanding achievements or wealth, relying on the family’s fortune for his well-being. Yet at twenty-seven, his son was now struck by a snake bite. “Wretched beast!” he murmured, wishing he could exact vengeance on the snake. “Master, do not panic,” the loyal butler, who had served the Shen family all his life, comforted him again, “The young master has always been frail, spending years in the villa, surrounded by various rare medicinal herbs. Perhaps there’s still a way.” “What way?” “Do you remember, Master, two years ago during the Mid-Autumn Festival, someone from the South Barbarian lands, with whom the Shen family trades, presented two pills claiming to cure all kinds of poisons?” “I remember, I kept those pills… Could they be effective?” “I am not sure, Master. But considering the abundance of venomous creatures in the Southern swamps, perhaps these pills do possess remarkable effects.” “Then why not fetch them?” urged the elder Shen, rising swiftly. The medicine was quickly brought and dissolved in warm water to be administered. Shen Qingxuan’s jaws were tightly shut, his facial muscles stiff, barely breathing. The room was filled with anxious anticipation, the air heavy. As night fell, servants lit oil lamps, casting flickering shadows. The door to Shen Qingxuan’s room opened and closed repeatedly, people coming and going, yet no one noticed the silently standing figure in the shadowy corner. With long black hair cascading down his back, the figure, clad in a black robe, stood motionless, hands clasped behind him. The robe was embroidered with ancient patterns in gold thread, and his expression was icy, his lips pressed tightly as he stood there, unnoticed for who knows how long.