Chapter One: Survival on the Cliff

In her dazed state, Tang Wei felt as if her head had been used as a punching bag, the pain severe and her mind clouded. Suddenly, a sharp cracking sound jolted her awake, and she forced her eyes open. Dense mist surrounded her, obscuring her view, but she sensed she was near the edge of a mountain. She twisted her body, surveying the environment.

Another crack drew her gaze, and she realized with shock that she was lying atop a tree. The tree grew at a slant from the mountainside, no thicker than an adult's thigh, and its branches were already splitting; it wouldn’t hold much longer. Had the tree not grown so lushly, she would have been shattered to pieces already. The thought of such a fate made her look down involuntarily. Good heavens! The mist below was so thick she couldn’t see the bottom—terror nearly made her lose control.

“Heaven, please don’t torment me like this! I, Tang Wei, may not have achieved much in life, but I’ve done plenty of good deeds. Isn’t it said that good people are rewarded? I haven’t seen much reward since childhood. I just ask for safety this time.” As she finished her prayer, her hand brushed her jeans pocket—her phone was still there. Hope flickered, imagining she could call for help. But when she fished it out, she discovered there was no signal. She tried different angles, but the result was the same. Her heart sank. One can imagine how Tang Wei felt, only for fate to crush her hope once more.

The crack in the trunk widened—this tree wouldn’t last. She decided she must reach the mountainside, dangerous as it was, for waiting here meant certain death. Painfully, she began crawling toward the mountain. She didn’t know how long it took, but she finally passed the most perilous split, inching closer to the rocky face. Vines grew thickly above; grabbing one, she tugged hard, relieved it seemed strong enough to bear her weight. She pulled a vine toward herself and spotted a small ledge, just big enough for one person. Clutching the vine, she moved carefully onto the ledge, her foot landing safely. She didn’t notice the thick layer of moss—her heart soared, thinking, “Looks like there’s always a way out! If I climb down slowly, I might survive.”

Just as she shifted her weight, her foot slipped. The vine in her hand loosened, and she slid downward, her scream echoing. Fortunately, she didn’t fall far before landing with a thud on a small stone platform about a meter wide, hitting her backside hard. The shock, combined with an ache in her abdomen, old and new injuries mingling with recent misfortunes, made Tang Wei burst into tears.

How did all this happen? One must start from Tang Wei’s childhood.

Tang Wei was born in a mountainous village in T County, H Province. It took an hour or two of trekking and a boat ride to reach the nearest town for any purchases. At that time, the villagers’ thinking was still very traditional—every family hoped for a son to carry on the family line. Tang Wei was unlucky; she already had two older sisters. The eldest, Tang Feng, was the firstborn, pampered and strong-willed. The second sister, Tang Jing, caused disappointment upon her birth, though she was cared for, but not as lovingly as Tang Feng. Tang’s mother quickly became pregnant again, neglecting Tang Jing, while the grandparents focused on Tang Feng, leaving Tang Jing quieter and more reserved.

When Tang Wei arrived, she was an unplanned birth, at a time when the one-child policy was strictly enforced. Her mother hid everywhere, managing to avoid detection until Tang Wei was full-term. The whole family hoped desperately for a boy, but when another girl was born, no one showed much interest. Soon, officials came to fine the family; unable to pay, they confiscated their belongings, and forcibly took Tang’s mother for sterilization. The family resisted, still hoping for a son, hiding wherever they could. Those years passed in utter chaos. Tang Wei grew up like a wild weed, barely noticed, so long as she didn’t starve.

When she was nearly four, her mother finally conceived her brother, Tang Jun. When Tang Jun was born, he became the family’s treasure, and Tang Wei was forgotten. Still, Tang Wei craved affection, so she always helped at home, excelled at school, and after going out to work, sent as much money home as possible. Eventually, aside from the special treatment for Tang Jun, the family treated the three sisters equally. The eldest became increasingly authoritative, the second grew more obedient, and the third, Tang Wei, was the most industrious. With a son in the family, life was content—except for money, of course!

All three sisters left to work after finishing middle school. Tang Feng, the eldest, was ambitious from childhood, and by twenty-eight had bought a house and car in the city before marrying. The second married before twenty, settling in the county, and had a son and daughter, the eldest already eight years old.

Tang Wei was the worry of the family. After starting work, her monthly wages barely covered her own expenses, with only occasional remittances home. By twenty-five, she had neither accumulated wealth nor found a husband. Alas, she was merely passably pretty—no one pursued her, and her introverted nature meant she rarely met men. Since everyone wanted her to marry, she hurriedly sought a boyfriend.

Fang Minghui was the man she found in haste, two years her senior and about five foot seven. Tang Wei thought he looked average, though her best friend, Tian Meiling, insisted he was handsome—apparently, Meiling had her eye on him long ago, though Tang Wei hadn’t noticed. Fang Minghui lived in the city, his family modest but comfortable, with only his mother at home; his elder sister had married early. Tang Wei met Fang Minghui through his mother, a friend of hers, so his mother always knew of her and often invited Tang Wei over.

Fang’s mother liked Tang Wei, finding her gentle, honest, and an excellent cook—an ideal wife and mother. She was less fond of Tian Meiling, who often accompanied Tang Wei, and warned Tang Wei to be cautious; Meiling’s lively, straightforward manner masked a calculating nature. Tang Wei dismissed this, believing Meiling was just spoiled—after all, Meiling was beautiful, from a wealthy family, and an only child. It was normal for her to be pampered. Whenever they went out, Meiling was always the center of attention, but she also looked after Tang Wei. Tang Wei never suspected Meiling of ulterior motives.

Three years passed with Fang Minghui, and he never mentioned marriage. Tang Wei wasn’t in a hurry, but recently Fang Minghui became busy, rarely visiting, always claiming work obligations on the phone. Two days ago, he came over and told her they were incompatible, that he wanted to focus on his career and could not waste time in their relationship.

Everyone knows that when a couple of three years claims incompatibility, it’s just an excuse for a breakup. Tang Wei understood, but she couldn’t fathom how he could simply let go after three years. Was there nothing about her worth holding onto? Heartbroken, she locked herself in her rented room, avoiding the internet, crying alone.

A few days later, Tian Meiling appeared, learned the situation in a few words, and suggested a trip to lift her spirits. Her colleagues had arranged a group outing for the May holiday, inviting Tang Wei along, hoping to introduce her to new friends.

These friends often traveled together, preferring unexplored places, experienced in adventure, having visited Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, and always handling dangers with ease. This time, they planned to visit Shennongjia in Hubei. Tang Wei had never traveled like this, nor visited Shennongjia. She thought it would be a good chance to experience adventure, and perhaps recover from her heartbreak. She agreed, prepared her gear as Meiling instructed, and waited for the call.

The group entered the wilderness of Shennongjia in Hubei, and after several days together, Tang Wei felt as though she had known them all her life, her spirits gradually lifting. If not for glimpsing Meiling’s covert actions before falling off the cliff, Tang Wei would have blamed her own bad luck. She couldn’t understand what she had done to warrant Meiling’s hatred.

Once Tang Wei calmed down, realizing crying was useless, she knew she must focus on survival. If she didn’t, she’d starve or worse, be eaten by wild animals after nightfall. Survival was paramount. She inspected herself—her clothes were in tatters, blood seeping from multiple wounds, her hands especially mangled from gripping the vines. With nothing to bandage them, she endured the pain. All around, aside from the life-saving tree, vines grew thick. She would have to rely on them, searching for footholds to slowly climb down.

As she pulled the nearby vines toward herself, those on the stone platform shifted, revealing a pitch-black opening. Tang Wei hurried over, clearing the vines, uncovering a cave just large enough for one person.