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The next day, Wanqing suggested to her eldest brother that they explore a bit further into the mountains.
After a full day of gathering wild vegetables and mushrooms, she was no longer satisfied with just these common plants. What’s so special about these? She wanted to go big—preferably with something meaty!
However, upon understanding her intentions, Zhiwen sternly refused, “We can’t go deep into the mountains. There are tigers in there.”
Wanqing knew that “big insects” referred to tigers. Hearing this, she quickly dropped the idea—no amount of craving for meat was worth risking her life.
But she wasn’t ready to give up entirely. Tilting her head in thought for a moment, she then proposed, “Then… let’s go where there are wild rabbits.”
Zhiwen assumed his sister was simply craving meat.
To be honest, he hadn’t eaten meat in so long that he could barely remember what it tasted like.
“Alright, if it’s rabbits you want, I do know a place.”
With that, the three siblings set off on their mission to catch a wild rabbit.
The mountainside was noticeably different from the base of the mountain. Wanqing occasionally heard the calls of birds, and there were plenty of wildflowers she didn’t recognize.
Suddenly—whoosh!
A rabbit darted past them.
“A wild rabbit!” Wanqing exclaimed excitedly.
But excitement alone wasn’t enough—they still had to catch it.
“Big brother, can we find a rabbit burrow?” she asked.
“That’s difficult.”
“Then let’s search for one and set a trap outside.”
The three siblings followed the direction the rabbit had run, searching for a burrow. They spent a long time looking but had no luck.
In the end, Wanqing pointed to a spot and said, “Let’s dig a trap right here.”
Zhiwen didn’t ask why. If his little sister wanted to dig a hole, then so be it.
So, he got to work, digging a pit. Meanwhile, Zhiqin foraged for wild vegetables, and Wanqing gathered fresh grass. She carefully washed the tender grass with spiritual spring water. Once the hole was ready, she placed the grass inside, then used thin branches to cover the pit, topping it with dry leaves and twigs to conceal it.
With that, the trap was set.
Zhiqin watched his older siblings’ efforts, full of doubt. “Sister… are you sure this will catch a rabbit?”
“Yes!” Wanqing replied confidently.
Zhiwen, who had been patiently indulging his sister’s “playtime,” suddenly realized—Wait… she’s actually serious?
Oh well.
As long as she’s happy.
The mountainside was abundant with wild vegetables and mushrooms. By the time the three siblings had filled their baskets, Zhiwen even carried a bundle of firewood on his back as they made their way down the mountain. Along the way, Wanqing picked a lot of wild chrysanthemums.
Zhiqin curiously asked why she was collecting flowers. Wanqing explained that they could be used to make tea. Hearing this, both brothers joined in and helped her pick more.
When they arrived home, Wanru was already waiting anxiously at the entrance. Since they had returned later than the previous day, Madam Li had been worried. Seeing them finally arrive, she quickly stepped forward to help with their baskets.
After washing up, the family gathered in the kitchen for their meal. Hunger made everything taste good, and by now, Wanqing had gotten used to the coarse, throat-scratching pancakes. Humans truly have an incredible ability to adapt.
After dinner, Wanru sorted through the wild vegetables and noticed the chrysanthemums, unsure of their purpose. She asked Wanqing about them.
“They’re for making flower tea,” Wanqing replied. “I’ll prepare them in a bit.”
She began processing the wild chrysanthemums, carefully cutting off the flower heads, washing them, and then steaming them over a pot. Once steamed, she spread them out in the courtyard to dry. When fully dried, they would be ready for tea-making.
That afternoon, everyone was busy with household chores. Zhiwen organized the firewood, Zhiqin and Wanru sorted and sun-dried the mushrooms, and Madam Li sat aside making shoes. The atmosphere was peaceful and orderly.
That evening, Lin Heng returned home and handed another 15 copper coins to Madam Li. As they watched the growing pile of coins, everyone felt a sense of hope for the future—
Everyone except Wanqing.
She was about to lose her mind!
As someone from modern times, she simply couldn’t understand why they were so happy over just 15 copper coins a day. At this rate, they were earning money far too slowly!
It was already late August, and the weather would soon turn cold. How were they supposed to survive winter on just Lin Heng’s daily earnings?
The family lacked enough blankets and winter clothes. More importantly, their food supply would only last for three months. Within that time, they needed to stockpile enough grain and warm clothing to make it through winter safely!
That night, after the lights went out, Wanqing lay in bed, unable to sleep as she worried over their predicament.
At least her space provided some relief. She had stored many high-quality mushrooms inside, and just yesterday, she had tossed in some soil along with them. To her surprise, more mushrooms had sprouted overnight! Maybe she could take them to town and sell them…
Early in the morning, the three siblings hurried to the mountain to check the trap they had set the day before.
As they approached, they noticed that the covering over the hole had a small gap. Peeking inside, they saw two plump wild rabbits trapped at the bottom!
Zhiwen was stunned. They actually caught rabbits?!
Zhiqin was equally shocked. Wait… it actually worked?!
“Second Sister, look! Rabbits!”
“Wow, you’re right!” Wanqing’s eyes curved into a delighted smile.
She had only been hoping for some luck, but she hadn’t expected real success.
Could it be the effect of the spiritual spring water? she wondered.
Zhiwen grabbed the rabbits and tied them securely with rope before placing them in his basket.
The siblings then split up to gather wild vegetables.
While they were busy, Wanqing discreetly pulled out the best-looking mushrooms from her space.
Today, she wanted to return home early and share the good news about their rabbit catch with their mother and Wanru. She didn’t want to waste too much time foraging.
With spirits high, the three of them worked quickly. Once Zhiwen finished cutting firewood, they rushed back home.
As soon as they stepped through the door, Zhiqin shouted excitedly, “Mother! Sister! We’re back!”
Hearing the excited voices of the children, Madam Li and Wanru hurried over. “How did it go today? Everything smooth?”
Zhiqin set down his basket with an air of mystery. “Take a look—guess what this is?”
“Wild rabbits!”
The youngest brother, Zhiyuan, squealed in excitement as he rushed over.
Wanru was equally surprised to see two plump rabbits. “How did you catch them?”
Zhiqin proudly recounted how they had dug a pit to set a trap. At first, the family found it hard to believe that such a simple method had worked, but the proof was right in front of them. Even Zhiqin himself wasn’t entirely sure how it had succeeded—he only knew that it had!
Wanqing took out the mushrooms she had collected. “Tomorrow, let’s take these along with the rabbits to the county to sell.”
“The county is too far,” Madam Li immediately objected. “Let your father take them to town instead.”
“No, I want to go with my brother to the county!” Wanqing insisted.
“You two are just children. It’s too far, and you’ve never been there before.”
Neither had Madam Li—she had only ever gone to the nearby town for small purchases.
Wanqing saw that Madam Li wouldn’t agree easily, so she didn’t push the matter further for now. Instead, she turned to check on the drying chrysanthemums before discussing dinner plans with Wanru.
“What do you feel like eating?” Wanru asked with a teasing smile.
“Ahh, I really want to eat meat!” Wanqing gazed longingly at the wild rabbits, her craving for meat stronger than ever.
“Haha, we all want to eat meat.” Wanru chuckled. She had noticed that ever since Wanqing had recovered from her illness, she had become much more lively—talkative, capable, and surprisingly energetic despite two full days of mountain work.
That evening, when Lin Heng returned home, Madam Li told him about the wild rabbits and suggested that he sell them the next day.
Lin Heng hesitated. “I have to work tomorrow. The job has a tight deadline, and I’ll be busy for the next three days.”
Hearing this, Wanqing’s eyes lit up. She immediately started massaging his shoulders, her voice sweet and coaxing. “Father, you work so hard! Why don’t you let my brother and me go to the county instead?”
Selling in the county would fetch a better price, and besides, she was curious to see what it looked like.
The journey from Xishan Village to Qingshan County took two hours on foot. Lin Heng was concerned about the children traveling that far and initially refused. But Wanqing insisted, pointing out that her older brother was already fifteen—surely they could handle it.
Zhiwen, who had never been to the county before, felt uneasy but kept his thoughts to himself. No one asked his opinion, so he could only listen in silence.
When he realized that his father and sister had almost finalized the decision, his anxiety grew.