Chapter 3: The Motivation to Keep Going

"Yeah, it's a good thing you worked with me, otherwise it would've been hard to catch this rabbit today," Lin Xing said with a smile.

Lin Yiyi instantly puffed out her chest and lifted her chin, looking incredibly proud of herself.

Lin Xing sized up the rabbit.

Wild rabbits weren't as large as domesticated ones. Moreover, it was winter now, and food was scarce in the wild, which made the animals run smaller. Still, this rabbit weighed about six or seven pounds, which was just barely enough for three people.

Lin Xing untangled the rabbit from the trap.

The rabbit was still struggling desperately, its four little legs kicking rapidly like a tiny electric motor.

Lin Xing pinched the back of its neck with his fingers and gave a hard squeeze.

With a faint *crack*, the rabbit instantly went still, its cervical spine snapped clean by Lin Xing's grip.

Back in his past life when he survived in the jungle, Lin Xing had developed a set of methods for dealing with wild animals: targeting the cervical spine yielded twice the result with half the effort.

Lifting the limp rabbit, Lin Xing said to Lin Yiyi, "We've got our prey. Come on, let's head home and eat some rabbit!"

"Yay! We get to eat meat!" Lin Yiyi cheered happily.

Carrying the rabbit, the two of them immediately started down the mountain.

The little girl had never tasted meat before, so she kept her eyes glued to the rabbit, drool practically dripping from the corner of her mouth. If Lin Xing hadn't been there, she probably would have eaten the rabbit raw.

The spot where Lin Xing hunted was only halfway up the mountain, so it wasn't far from the foot. After walking for about half an hour, they successfully made it down.

Below the mountain lay Bianxi Village. It was the only village within a five-mile radius, home to just a few hundred people. Lin Xing's home was located at the eastern end of the village.

As the two approached their front door, they saw their mother, Wu Xiulan, swinging an axe, laboriously chopping firewood outside.

Wu Xiulan had a frail constitution, and because she was frequently beaten, her body was covered in injuries. She lacked the strength to chop wood; logs that others could split with a single blow took her several attempts to break apart. To make matters worse, the wind was bitterly cold, and she wore only coarse, thin clothes, leaving her exposed skin red from the freezing temperature.

A pang of sympathy shot through Lin Xing's heart. He called out, "Mom! We're back!"

Wu Xiulan put down her wood-cleaver and turned to look at them, letting out a sigh of relief. "You're finally back. Are you two alright?"

The deep forests of this era were not like the ones from before; the mountains were teeming with dangerous wild animals like tigers and wild boars. Even experienced hunters risked losing their lives if their luck turned bad, let alone two children like Lin Xing and Lin Yiyi.

In truth, Wu Xiulan had forbidden them from going up the mountain. But Lin Xing was too stubborn. He had slipped away in secret, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

"What could happen to us?" Lin Xing smiled, waving the rabbit in his hand. "Look, not only are we fine, but we also brought back a fat rabbit."

"Yeah, yeah! Brother is amazing! He made a trap and caught a rabbit. We get to eat meat today!" Lin Yiyi added excitedly.

Without even glancing at the rabbit, Wu Xiulan scolded gently, "You are not allowed to go up the mountain again, do you hear me? What if you run into danger?"

"Alright, alright, we got it," Lin Xing said with a smile, waving his hand dismissively. "Mom, go prepare the rabbit first. Yiyi is practically starving for it."

Wu Xiulan rolled her eyes but didn't argue further. Taking the rabbit, she went inside to cook.

Meanwhile, Lin Xing picked up the axe and finished splitting the rest of the wood for his mother.

He was in good shape, so he finished the pile in no time. However, he worked up a sweat, and when the cold wind blew, the chill seeped straight into his bones. Looking down at his coarse hemp clothes, Lin Xing wondered if he should find a way to get some thicker clothing.

After the original owner of his body had separated from his father, he had walked away with almost nothing. All of his old cotton-padded clothes had been left behind. But Lin Xing certainly wasn't going back to his father to ask for anything.

In that case, he would have to make his own clothes.

In this era, making cotton clothes required fabric coupons, and the allocation for each person was strictly limited. Lin Xing's family had already used up their quota for the year. However, even without fabric, he could still use the pelts of wild animals to make clothes. It would serve the same purpose.

When it came to the warmest animal pelts, roe deer was undoubtedly the best choice. Winter was the peak season for roe deer activity. Hunting them would kill two birds with one stone: they could eat the meat and use the hides for clothing.

Lin Xing made up his mind. The next time he went into the mountains, he would hunt a few roe deer if the opportunity arose.

About half an hour later, Wu Xiulan finished preparing the rabbit.

The family gathered inside the house. A large pot of fragrant rabbit stew sat on the table, its aroma making their mouths water.

"It smells so good! So this is rabbit meat! I've never seen such big pieces of meat before!" Lin Yiyi said gleefully.

Back when they lived with their father, she had seen him eat meat. However, the family's financial situation had been poor, so they only ate meat a few times a year, and even then, it was just a tiny bowl each time. A whole pot of meat like this was an absolute luxury.

"You've waited long enough," Lin Xing said, handing one of the rabbit legs to Lin Yiyi with a smile. "Here, little girl, this leg is yours."

Lin Yiyi didn't take it. She shook her head and pushed it back. "Brother, you caught the rabbit. You should eat it. I'll just have the other pieces."

Lin Xing couldn't help but feel touched. Despite craving it so badly, the little girl was still trying to be polite.

Lin Xing placed the rabbit leg directly into her bowl. "There's plenty of meat for everyone. No need to decline. Eat up before it gets cold."

Looking at the rabbit leg in her bowl, the little girl finally couldn't resist. After a moment's hesitation, she picked it up and took a bite. Her eyes lit up with joy as she chewed. "It's delicious! So good! Mom, Brother, you should eat too!"

Wu Xiulan picked up the other rabbit leg and placed it in Lin Xing's bowl. "You eat too, son. You worked hard on the mountain today, you need to build up your strength."

Lin Xing shook his head and placed the leg back in Wu Xiulan's bowl. "I don't really care for rabbit legs, Mom. You have it."

Without giving her a chance to argue, he picked up his chopsticks and dug in.

Wu Xiulan shook her head helplessly, but warmth filled her heart. Her life had been full of hardships, especially after she married. Not only did she have to work like a beast of burden, but she also endured domestic abuse, facing beatings and insults every day. Fortunately, she had been blessed with a wonderful son and daughter. They were the only reason she found the strength to keep going.