Chapter 44: Could This Rabbit Be a Fool?

Unlike Fang Bo Song and the others, Fang Mingxi and Tang Yao carried their baskets and headed toward the southern side of Maple Leaf Mountain.

The main reason was that Fang Mingxi had noticed a pattern: for some reason, perhaps because it was the first actual release in the south, the output there was always far greater than in the north.

Although the northern side had yielded ginseng, in the south, she had more than once seen game animals like wild chickens and rabbits on the interface.

Unfortunately, she had never been able to catch a wild chicken before and had always had to give up.

By contrast, in the north, Fang Mingxi had only seen wild chickens spawn yesterday. Despite visiting so many times, she had never seen them before.

That was why she had dragged Tang Yao to the southern side, regardless of how many people might be there. As long as they kept their foraging within a hundred meters, they could secure rare food.

Fang Mingxi was also eager to try. Her grandmother’s technique for catching wild chickens had been impressive, and she wanted to see if she could manage the same. With a bit of luck, maybe they could catch a wild chicken. If not, at least they could boldly pick up eggs. Either way, it was better than subsisting on mushrooms and wild vegetables all the time.

Tang Yao, too, felt a newfound confidence compared to previous trips to the southern Maple Leaf Mountain. With the Brigade Leader’s permission, she felt her backbone straighten. She no longer trembled all over; she had a little courage when facing outsiders.

It was the first day of the lunar year, and fewer people were on the mountain than yesterday. Fang Mingxi finished her release and did not see any red dots appear on the interface.

Luck was on their side today. Although Fang Mingxi did not encounter any wild chickens, they did find a gray wild rabbit.

It was the first time the sisters cooperated: one holding the basket and approaching the rabbit, the other hurling stones.

The rabbit’s agility rivaled that of a wild chicken. Yet, by sheer misfortune, at the moment the stone passed by, it perfectly dodged the danger but collided with a large tree behind it.

It spun around and smacked straight into the tree, knocked out cold.

“Wow, that actually worked!” Fang Mingxi was stunned. She had not hit it with the stone, yet the rabbit ran into the tree on its own.

There was no way this rabbit was stupid, right?

Fang Mingxi grabbed the rabbit by its ears, checked that it was still breathing, and the two of them stared at each other in disbelief.

This kind of luck was absurd; the rabbit ran into a tree. Could it be that Fang Mingxi herself was the real lucky charm?

After catching the rabbit, they came across a patch of small garlic shoots. The lush green field immediately brightened their eyes.

Garlic! While not as potent as mature garlic, it was still great for stir-frying with eggs or seasoning fillings.

Fang Mingxi started pulling them up. The small garlic shoots were tiny, essentially the same as wild onions, and she could pull up a large bunch at once.

Both sisters happily filled their baskets with the small garlic, and Fang Mingxi secretly slipped half of hers into her backpack.

Half an hour later, reality set back in.

As they moved to another patch of forest, a man carrying firewood appeared from the opposite direction.

Seeing him, Tang Yao immediately huddled close to Fang Mingxi.

He Daixing froze for a moment. Was he really that intimidating?

Carrying a bundle of firewood and a handful of wild cress, he forced a smile to appear less frightening.

“You two are heading up the mountain alone. Don’t your elders worry?” he asked.

Tang Yao replied, “Grandmother and the others went to gather firewood. My younger sister and I came up the mountain to pick wild vegetables.”

He Daixing glanced at their baskets, filled with small garlic, and smiled. “Be careful. The mountain paths are slippery. Don’t go too deep into the forest.”

Fang Mingxi and Tang Yao nodded quickly. They were not foolish; they knew venturing deep into the forest was dangerous. Still, why did everyone assume they would run amok?

After giving his warning, He Daixing suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Standing there awkwardly, he patted his pockets, realizing he had nothing else to give.

Just then, a small figure came running from behind.

“Grandpa! There you are! I couldn’t find you anywhere. Grandma said I should call you back quickly, Aunt is home.”

He Ruoruo had candy in her mouth and sprinted to He Daixing, looking up to see the two sisters and confidently waving at them.

“Happy New Year! New Year’s greetings!”

Fang Mingxi and Tang Yao replied in unison, “Happy New Year!”

He Daixing’s eyes brightened when he noticed the candy in Ruoruo’s mouth. He reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of sweets.

Grandchildren’s pockets were always stuffed with little treats. Today, he found a handful of candy.

“Happy New Year! After you finish picking wild vegetables, come down the mountain quickly. Don’t worry the elders.”

He Daixing split the candy between the two sisters and, unseen by Fang Mingxi, slipped ten yuan into her coat.

Having finished his instructions, he took the bewildered Ruoruo away, leaving the sisters frozen in place.

Only when the grandfather and granddaughter were far away did Tang Yao regain her senses. Holding a large White Rabbit candy in her hand, she felt both surprise and delight.

She was surprised that the Brigade Leader would give her candy and delighted to actually have candy to eat.

Fang Mingxi glanced down at her candy, noticing a note tucked into her collar. Her eyes flickered; she seemed to realize something.

…

He Daixing and He Yu hurried home. On the way, He Ruoruo, still upset about earlier events, ran after him.

“Grandpa, that candy was specially brought for me from the county by Aunt. I barely had any, and you took it all!”

Ruoruo was used to being pampered at home. It was not about being stingy; she simply did not understand her grandfather’s actions.

She had managed to keep a pocketful of candy to share with friends. Now she had only eaten one, and Grandpa had taken the rest. Could she not be angry?

Especially since Big Brother Gao had not eaten any yet; now her pocket was empty. How was she supposed to go play with them this afternoon?

He Daixing stopped, looked at the sulking Ruoruo, and said with amusement, “Grandpa didn’t have anything on him. How about I go to the supply store another day and buy you a pound of candy?”

Ruoruo’s frown eased. “Then I want White Rabbit candy too.”

“All right, all right, Grandpa will buy it for you,” He Daixing agreed immediately.

Her mood lifted, and she happily followed him home, though still a little puzzled by her grandfather’s unusual behavior.

Usually, children in the brigade said Grandpa was scary; they would cry just seeing him. Today, however, he was so excited, unlike how he behaved with the others.

“Grandpa, why do people in the brigade say those two sisters aren’t good?” Ruoruo asked.

That day, when Liu Damazi had snatched Fang Mingxi’s wild chicken, she had brought a group to seek justice from Grandpa. Many had seen this, and some even came to warn her not to play with bad people.

Ruoruo could not understand how the younger sister could be bad. Seeing the two together had made her curious. After all, if they were bad, would it not be a shame to waste candy on them?

He Daixing’s expression suddenly darkened. “Who told you that?”