Chapter 2: We Caught a Rabbit

As the two of them searched the forest, every step sank into the snow, the crunch of packed ice echoing beneath their feet. Lin Yiyi, still so young and dressed lightly, was trembling from the cold, but she said nothing, quietly following behind Lin Xing.

After they had walked for over ten minutes through the woods, Lin Xing suddenly glanced toward the base of a large tree. Beneath it lay several black pellets. He picked one up and brought it to his nose, immediately recognizing it as fresh rabbit droppings.

Fresh rabbit droppings meant rabbits often passed this way, making it the perfect spot to set a trap. Without hesitation, Lin Xing took out his trap and began to set it.

“What are you doing, brother?” Lin Yiyi asked curiously.

While burying the trap, Lin Xing replied, “I’m setting a trap. See, if we place it here, when a rabbit comes by and steps on it, it won’t be able to escape.”

“You’re amazing, brother! You can even make traps!” Lin Yiyi’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

“This kind of simple trap isn’t hard to make. If you want to learn, I can teach you later,” Lin Xing said with a smile.

“Sure, I’d love that!” Lin Yiyi nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at grains.

Within minutes, the trap was ready. Lin Xing led Lin Yiyi to hide behind a nearby tree, waiting.

All they could do now was wait for the rabbit to come to them, hoping it would step right onto the trap. But standing motionless in such frigid weather was pure torment.

The temperature in the Greater Khingan Mountains must have dropped to nearly minus twenty degrees; spit would freeze on the ground instantly, and both of them were dressed so thinly. Lin Xing had grown used to extreme cold in his previous life, but even now he shivered, his limbs numb with cold. Lin Yiyi was worse off, curled into a ball, her cheeks and ears flushed red from the cold.

Lin Xing felt a pang of sympathy and whispered, “Yiyi, why don’t you head back first? It’s too cold here—you won’t be able to stand it.”

Lin Yiyi shook her head stubbornly. “No, I want to stay with you and help hunt!”

Lin Xing sighed inwardly. He knew his little sister’s temperament well—young as she was, she was stubborn; once she made up her mind, nothing could change it.

He didn’t bother persuading her further. All he could do was catch something quickly and head home.

Nearly half an hour passed as they waited behind the tree, snow piling thickly atop their bodies until, from a distance, they looked like two snowmen. If they waited any longer, they might freeze alive from the imbalance in their body temperature.

Lin Xing was just about to give up when, unexpectedly, fortune smiled upon them.

Lin Yiyi pointed ahead, whispering excitedly, “Brother, look over there—is that a rabbit?”

Lin Xing immediately followed the direction of her finger. Something was moving in the snow. Looking closely, he saw it was a plump rabbit, its fur nearly the same color as the snow, making it hard to spot.

“It really is a rabbit,” Lin Xing grinned. “All this waiting wasn’t in vain. Yiyi, don’t make a sound—we might scare it off.”

Both held their breath, peeking from behind the tree with just half their heads exposed, eyes fixed on the rabbit. The rabbit, unaware it was being watched, hopped about the snow, searching for grass roots to eat. As it nibbled, it slowly made its way toward the trap Lin Xing had set.

Seeing this, Lin Xing’s heart leapt—success was close! The rabbit soon came within three meters of the trap, just about to step onto it.

But then, something changed. The rabbit suddenly lifted its head, nose twitching as if it had caught an unfamiliar scent, then turned and slowly walked away.

Lin Xing realized the rabbit must have smelled the foreign odor at the trap and chose to avoid it. Wild animals have keen senses of smell, especially small creatures like rabbits, which rely on scent to detect danger.

In his previous life, Lin Xing would smear animal urine on himself to mask his scent while hunting in the jungle. He hadn’t been able to do that here, so the rabbit had detected his presence.

“Brother, why isn’t the rabbit going toward the trap?” Lin Yiyi whispered anxiously.

“My scent must be on the trap. The rabbit picked it up and changed direction,” Lin Xing explained quietly. “We need to drive it toward the trap. Yiyi, I’ll need your help.”

“Okay! What should I do?” Lin Yiyi asked quickly.

“We’ll circle around from different directions and chase it toward the trap,” Lin Xing said. “I’ll go east, you go west. We’ll split up.”

“Alright!” Lin Yiyi agreed at once.

The two crept through the woods, positioning themselves on either side of the rabbit.

When the time seemed right, Lin Xing suddenly jumped out from behind a tree and shouted loudly.

“Ah!”

The sudden noise startled the rabbit, sending it fleeing in the opposite direction—straight toward Lin Yiyi.

Lin Yiyi leapt from her hiding place and, imitating Lin Xing, shouted.

“Wow!”

The rabbit, terrified, tumbled on the spot, scrambled up, and changed direction again, this time heading directly toward the trap.

Lin Xing and Lin Yiyi followed at a measured pace.

With its timid nature, the rabbit darted across the snow at a speed so swift they could barely see a blur.

Lin Xing had placed the trap cleverly between two trees; the only way through was over the trap itself.

Now, panicked and frightened, the rabbit dashed ahead, paying no heed to any strange scents, and stepped right onto the trap.

Snap!

The trap triggered instantly, a sturdy vine sprang forth and locked tightly around the rabbit’s neck.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak!” The rabbit kicked frantically, shrieking in alarm.

But the vine was so strong that escape was impossible. Not even a monkey could break free if its neck was caught.

Lin Xing and Lin Yiyi hurried over.

Lin Yiyi was beside herself with joy, bouncing with excitement. “Brother! We caught it! We caught a rabbit!”