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Jiang Le had no idea that the casual excuse he made to brush off Sun Yulan had stuck in her mind.
That evening, Yu Hezhong came to return the bowls and basin. Jiang Le had guessed he would choose to come at night, which worked out perfectly since he had something to discuss with him. After dinner, he moved a chair into the yard and waited.
Honestly, with no pollution or towering skyscrapers blocking the view, the moonlight was brilliantly clear in the yard, and a cool breeze gently brushed past.
Of course, it would’ve been even better without the mosquitoes. Jiang Le’s face remained expressionless as he swiftly smacked one dead.
With a smack, Yu Hezhong arrived. Seeing Jiang Le in the yard, he froze for a moment before pressing his lips together and saying, “Your family’s things.”
Jiang Le happily took them and casually complimented, “You washed them so clean.”
Yu Hezhong: “…”
He said, “I’m leaving.”
Jiang Le quickly stretched out an arm to stop him. “Wait! I need your help with something.”
Yu Hezhong paused, his eyes wary, like a wolf pup ready to bristle at any moment.
Jiang Le nearly laughed at his own analogy but managed to hold it back, clearing his throat. “Of course, if you don’t want to help, you can refuse.”
Yu Hezhong gave Jiang Le a strange look. The guy clearly wanted his help but emphasized that he could refuse… What a weird person.
With a child’s face but an adult’s seriousness, Yu Hezhong said, “…Speak first.”
“That rabbit… did you catch it in the back mountain?” To persuade Yu Hezhong, Jiang Le piled on the praise. “You’re amazing. I’ve been to the back mountain several times and haven’t even caught a single strand of rabbit fur.”
Yu Hezhong looked slightly uncomfortable but didn’t respond.
Jiang Le grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. It’s just… next time you go rabbit hunting, can you take me with you?”
Yu Hezhong glanced at him and said, “Whether I catch anything depends on luck. And it’s not catching—it’s setting traps.”
Jiang Le nodded eagerly. “Mhm, mhm, you’re so skilled. Can you bring me along?”
Yu Hezhong pressed his lips together and stayed silent for a long time, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Jiang Le assumed he was unwilling and couldn’t help feeling disappointed. So far, he hadn’t come up with any other way to improve his family’s situation, which was why he wanted to explore the mountains.
But Jiang Le was still sensible enough to know the mountains weren’t safe. Without someone to guide him, he wouldn’t dare venture deep inside—at most, he’d linger around the outer edges.
The same areas Xiao Long and Xiao Feng had taken him to. But the outer edges were picked clean by kids who went there daily. There was nothing left.
Ah, looks like he’ll have to think of another way.
Guagua comforted him: [Host, it’s normal for the villain to reject you. He’s encountered plenty of bad people, so of course he’s wary of strangers.]
Jiang Le nodded in understanding.
Just as he was about to say it was fine, Yu Hezhong suddenly spoke: “Fine.”
Jiang Le: “!!!”
He couldn’t believe it and was overjoyed: “Really?!”
Yu Hezhong nodded. “Mm.”
He thought about how Jiang Le had been knocked over with just a shove from Wang Dazhu—clearly not much of a threat.
If this guy tries anything…
Yu Hezhong’s thoughts were ruthless, but his expression remained neutral. “But you can’t tell anyone about this.”
For some reason, Jiang Le felt a chill on the back of his neck. Ignoring it, he immediately mimed zipping his lips shut, putting on an exaggerated *my lips are sealed* expression.
Yu Hezhong: What kind of weird gesture is that?
He told Jiang Le to meet him early the day after tomorrow, then left.
Just as Jiang Le was about to take his chair inside, the Zhang Xiuhua family returned.
Though it was already dark, the moonlight still revealed their exhausted faces.
Zhang Xiuhua, used to slacking off, had been forced to work under supervision all day and now walked with a hunched back.
Jiang Le, already in high spirits, felt even better seeing her like this.
Zhang Xiuhua, fuming, glared at him and gritted her teeth: “You little bastard…”
To her surprise, Jiang Le raised his voice: “Auntie Zhang, are you cursing at me? If I’m a beast, and you understand what beasts say, then what does that make you?”
Zhang Xiuhua froze, then realized Jiang Le was calling her a beast too. She was so furious she nearly lunged at him to tear his mouth apart.
Wang Shitou snapped impatiently: “Enough! Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough today? If you’ve got energy to spare, go cook!”
Zhang Xiuhua: “Wang Shitou, you’d side with an outsider over your own wife?! I must’ve been cursed in eight lifetimes to marry you!”
She turned back toward Jiang Le’s direction: “And you, you little bastard—just you wait, I’m not done with you!”
But Jiang Le had already dashed home, not bothering to waste another word on her.
…
Jiang Le lay on his bed, grinning from ear to ear. “Hehe.”
From the other side of the curtain, Jiang Junqing called out worriedly, “Little bro, what’s up with you?”
Jiang Le cleared his throat. “Nothing, nothing.”
Jiang Junqing sighed inwardly. Over the past few days, his little brother had been burying himself in books, studying harder than ever. While that was a good thing and he was happy about it, he couldn’t help but worry—was his little brother studying himself silly?
Jiang Le had no idea that his second brother was lying in bed, fretting over whether he was losing his mind. Not wanting Jiang Junqing to hear any suspicious noises, he finally reined in his laughter.
Guagua was unimpressed. [Host, is it really that exciting just because the villain agreed to take you to the back mountain?]
Jiang Le chuckled. [You wouldn’t understand.]
Guagua huffed. [Even if you go, there’s no guarantee you’ll catch anything. Actually, scratch that—there’s a 99% chance you won’t.]
Jiang Le’s face fell. [Guagua, am I not your precious little darling anymore? Why so harsh?!]
Guagua coughed lightly and declared righteously, [This system was just trying to remind you. Think carefully—there’s something that can help you~]
Jiang Le perked up immediately. [What is it?]
Guagua grinned. [Hehe, figure it out yourself.]
Jiang Le: […]
Suddenly, it hit him. His eyes widened—rat poison! Wait, no, not that! It was “Sweet n Yummy I Love It!”
To make sure he wasn’t mistaken, he pulled up the item description again:
“No animal can resist its delicious aroma~ Even if they encounter their natural predator, they’ll still gobble it up! Because—Sweet n Yummy I Love It! I LOVE IT!”
No animal can resist it. Even if they meet their predator, they’ll still eat it. Wasn’t this the perfect bait?!
Jiang Le suddenly turned solemn. [Guagua.]
Guagua tensed. [What’s wrong?]
Jiang Le: [Wahhh, I love you so much!]
Guagua: […]
…
At the crack of dawn, Yu Hezhong was already ready.
He glanced at Jiang Le, who was carrying a half-dome-shaped bamboo basket—the kind used for drying things—and a long hemp rope.
Yu Hezhong gave him a strange look.
Jiang Le coughed and struck a mysterious pose. “This is my family’s secret hunting method. Works like a charm for catching small critters.”
Yu Hezhong didn’t seem convinced. “If it’s a secret, you shouldn’t tell me.”
Jiang Le: […]
Maybe I overdid it. He cleared his throat. “Telling you doesn’t count. We’re close.”
Yu Hezhong pursed his lips, feeling slightly awkward as Jiang Le draped an arm over his shoulder.
Jiang Le was older than Yu Hezhong, and despite occasional nutritional deficiencies, he was still better off than Yu Hezhong, so he stood a little taller.
Guagua chimed in: [Don’t worry, Host. Even though Yu Hezhong is shorter now, he hasn’t hit his growth spurt yet. Now that his leg is healed, he’ll grow much taller—taller than you, in fact.]
Jiang Le: [You could’ve stopped at the first part. No need to rub it in.]
Back in modern times, Jiang Le had been 175 cm at eighteen. Since guys could still shoot up in their early twenties, he was confident he’d reach 180 cm.
This body looked just like his old one, so surely the height would be similar too.
Firmly convinced he’d hit 180 cm, Jiang Le happily quickened his pace to keep up with Yu Hezhong.
Yu Hezhong clearly knew the area well, moving swiftly through the terrain. Jiang Le was exhausted but refused to pant—too embarrassing.
Soon, they arrived at a spot noticeably deeper into the woods than where Xiao Long and Xiao Feng had taken him.
This place seemed rarely visited, and Jiang Le couldn’t help but wonder if wild animals lurked nearby.
As if reading his mind, Yu Hezhong crouched near a patch of grass, brushing it aside to reveal a waist-deep pit.
“My dad showed me this place. Few beasts come here during the day, and villagers don’t know about it, so no one comes.”
Jiang Le nodded and peered into the pit, spotting several sharpened bamboo stakes at the bottom. If someone fell in… He shuddered and pulled back.
Seeing the undisturbed grass covering the trap, Yu Hezhong knew there was no prey, but he checked anyway before replacing the camouflage.
When he turned back, Jiang Le was setting his bamboo basket on the ground, propping it up with a forked stick tied to a rope.
The basket was tilted at an angle, one side propped on the stick and the other on the ground. Underneath, Jiang Le scattered small, unidentifiable chunks of something.
Yu Hezhong hesitated but finally asked, “What are you doing?”
“Setting a trap, obviously.” Jiang Le grabbed the rope and tugged Yu Hezhong along excitedly. “Come on, let’s hide and wait for prey!”
Yu Hezhong: […]
This method might work in winter to catch dumb birds, but here in the woods? What kind of idiot animal would fall for it?
He let Jiang Le pull him behind a thick tree, debating whether to say something. But seeing Jiang Le’s enthusiasm, he decided against it—no point ruining his fun.
What happened next, however, made Yu Hezhong question reality.
A crimson-headed bird with long, flowing tail feathers—something resembling a pheasant—landed right under Jiang Le’s basket. It pecked frantically at the scattered chunks as if it hadn’t eaten in days.
Seizing the moment, Jiang Le yanked the rope.
Thump.
The bird was trapped under the basket.
Yu Hezhong: […]
How?!
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Dreamy Land[Translator]
Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying what I'm translating. As an unemployed adult with way too much time on my hands and a borderline unhealthy obsession with novels, I’m here to share one of my all-time favorites. So, sit back, relax, and let's dive into this story together—because I’ve got nothing better to do!