Volume One: Youthful Days

Chapter One: Poisoned

One day in October 1978, in an ordinary household in a small mountain village in central Hunan.

“He’s born, he’s born! It’s a big, healthy boy!” said the village barefoot doctor, Dr. Carter. At that moment, a man walked in from outside.

Dr. Carter: “Congratulations, Mr. Bennett, it’s a big, healthy boy.” Mr. Bennett beamed, rubbed his hands together, and came over to hold the baby, walking into the inner room. With a broad smile, he said to the woman on the bed, “Wife, look, our son is finally born! Haha, thank heavens!” The woman on the bed, exhausted from childbirth, also broke into a smile. “Let me hold him, let’s see if he looks more like you or me.”

“Samuel, be careful, don’t run around.”

“Got it, Mom,” answered a child of about three years old.

By now, it was 1981. Our protagonist was also three years old, but these three years hadn’t been easy. Less than three months after birth, his whole body broke out in red bumps, worrying the entire family sick. His mother carried him everywhere seeking medical help—big and small hospitals nearby, barefoot doctors, wandering healers—they tried them all, applying herbal medicine every day. At the time, they almost thought he wouldn’t make it, but the little life was tenacious and pulled through in the end.

Now he was three, the illness was gone, but he was very mischievous—a real troublemaker, running around everywhere, playing soldier behind others, never missing a chance to play. Usually, he was nowhere to be found at mealtimes.

Let’s get to know this family! The man of the house is named Kevin Bennett, a contract teacher at the nearby middle school, who’s been teaching for over a decade. The villagers all call him Mr. Bennett. The woman of the house is a true farm wife—busy year-round with fieldwork, and only going to the market to buy daily necessities. She rarely visits neighbors and is recognized in the village as a virtuous wife and loving mother.

They have three children. The eldest daughter is already 10 years old, named Samuel Bennett. The second daughter is 7, named Megan Bennett. The youngest is our protagonist, named Samuel Bennett, who is three this year. In 1978, the country began implementing the family planning policy. Since they already had three children, if they had another, Mr. Bennett would lose his teaching job, so Samuel Bennett had to remain the youngest at home.

Their living standard was only average for the village. They had a few acres of land, and since Kevin Bennett also earned a salary, they managed to get by.

Life went on day by day—until something unexpected happened!

“Samuel, let’s go play,” called a five- or six-year-old boy, Samuel Bennett’s cousin.

“Alright! Let’s go, big brother!” As soon as Samuel Bennett heard someone call, he ran out.

“Come back early for dinner,” his mother called after him. “Got it!”

There was no kindergarten in the mountain village, only a preschool class, and you had to be six to attend. The village kids had no entertainment, so they wandered around every day. Children are naturally curious about everything—even a rock could keep them entertained for ages.

“Where should we play?”

“Let’s go to the back hill.” They meant a small hill next to the village. There weren’t many places to play—there was a railway by the village, and a small station five or six li away; behind the village was a small hill, only a few dozen meters high, but it counted as a mountain here. Usually, they played with rocks by the railway, or climbed trees, played hide-and-seek, or pretended to be soldiers fighting on the hill.

Today, a group of kids went up the hill together. “What should we play today?” Little Samuel shouted excitedly when he saw so many people.

“Hide-and-seek, how about it?” Someone suggested. It didn’t matter what they played, as long as they could play. “Okay,” everyone agreed. Next, they had to pick the seeker—usually one person searched while the others hid, and if you found everyone, you won.

The usual way: rock-paper-scissors!

“Alright,” everyone agreed. They started—rock, paper, scissors… Haha! David Bennett, it’s your turn to seek again! Come on, I’ll blindfold you.

Start! At the signal, everyone scrambled to find a hiding spot.

There weren’t many places to hide—usually up a tree, in a small hole, behind a rock, in a pit, or in the bushes. As soon as the game started, Samuel Bennett ran off. He was too small to climb trees (couldn’t even if he tried), so this time he aimed for a big bush and dove right in, holding his breath and staying silent.

At that moment, David Bennett pulled off the blindfold and started hunting for “prey.” They’d played so many times that he quickly found two kids, and soon he was heading toward the bush where Samuel Bennett was hiding. Little Samuel watched him get closer and closer, his heart pounding so hard he could barely breathe. Oh no, he’s coming! But the bush was big, and David Bennett glanced in, saw no one, and ran off. Little Samuel let out a silent sigh of relief—let’s see how you find me now! He crouched inside, not moving a muscle.