Yu Hezhong stared blankly at the overturned bamboo basket not far away, momentarily stunned.  

Was hunting really this simple?  

No—it seemed that way only for Jiang Le.  

Jiang Le had instinctively yanked the rope tied to the tree branch earlier, and now that he’d snapped out of his daze, even he was surprised.  

Truthfully, he hadn’t held much hope for the so-called “Sweet n Yummy, I Love It” bait the system had given him. He’d just wanted to try it out, figuring there was no harm in testing it.  

But he never expected it to be this effective!  

Guagua gloated: [See? Didn’t I tell you? This system doesn’t lie!]

Jiang Le nodded dumbly before snapping back to reality—More meat to eat!  

Guagua: [Quick, quick! The pheasant’s about to escape!]

The pheasant, which had been motionless under the basket, suddenly began thrashing violently beneath it.  

This pheasant wasn’t small—if it struggled long enough, it might actually flip the basket over. Pheasants could fly and were ridiculously fast. If it got away now, there’d be no catching it.  

Jiang Le wasn’t about to let his hard-earned prey slip away. He immediately rushed to press down on the basket—only to find Yu Hezhong moving even faster.  

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, the other boy shot forward. By the time Jiang Le registered it, Yu Hezhong was already half-kneeling beside the basket, one hand firmly holding it down.  

The bamboo basket, which had been wobbling from the pheasant’s struggles, was instantly stabilized.  

It took Jiang Le a second to process Yu Hezhong’s smooth, effortless movements. He blinked, then gave him a thumbs-up.  

Yu Hezhong pressed his lips together, looking slightly uncomfortable, before reaching into the overturned basket and pulling the pheasant out. He extended a hand toward Jiang Le. “Give me the rope.”  

Jiang Le hurriedly handed over the hemp cord, watching as Yu Hezhong deftly tied the pheasant up.  

Meanwhile, Jiang Le inspected the spot where he’d set the “trap.” When he saw the completely clean ground—nothing but fallen leaves left—his mouth twitched.  

No wonder the pheasant had stayed still at first. The darn thing had been trapped under the basket and *still* managed to gobble up every last bit of the bait before finally trying to escape.  

Jiang Le recalled the system’s description of “Sweet n Yummy, I Love It”: “Even if a predator comes, they’ll keep eating till it’s gone.”  

Turns out, that wasn’t an exaggeration at all.  

Guagua sniffed proudly: [This system always tells it like it is.]

Yu Hezhong placed the bound pheasant in the bamboo basket and handed it to Jiang Le. “Cover it with the cloth you brought. Don’t let anyone see.”  

These days, small-scale hunting wasn’t forbidden—no one really cared as long as it was minor. Unless you were carrying a hunting rifle up the mountain, in which case you’d have to report to the village. And even then, those kinds of hunts were usually organized group trips deep into the mountains.

But it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble—especially since Zhang Xiuhua next door was always keeping an eye on the Jiang family.

Jiang Le nodded and slung the bamboo basket over his arm. Watching Yu Hezhong crouch down to tidy up the trap, he thought for a moment before fishing out two pieces of White Rabbit milk candy and holding them out. “Here, for you.”  

Though Yu Hezhong had never seen this kind of candy before, one glance told him what it was. He averted his eyes. “No thanks. I don’t like sweets.”  

“Liar.” Jiang Le didn’t buy it. “What kid doesn’t like candy?”  

Before Yu Hezhong could argue, Jiang Le shoved the candies into his hand. “Try them. They’re really good.”  

Yu Hezhong held the still-warm candies in his palm, silent for a long moment. But this time, he didn’t refuse.  

Seeing this, Jiang Le grinned and began humming cheerfully.  

On their way back, the two gathered some wild mushrooms. Most of the edible ones near the outskirts had already been picked clean, but there were still a few left in this area.  

For a while, Jiang Le played the part of a little mushroom gatherer, happily humming as he dropped one into Yu Hezhong’s basket. He didn’t dare put it in his own bamboo basket—who knew if the pheasant would peck at it?  

Yu Hezhong frowned. “You can’t eat this one. It’s poisonous.”  

Jiang Le blinked. [Guagua?]  

How would he know which mushrooms were safe? He’d been relying on the system to check for him.  

Guagua chimed in: [According to this system’s analysis, this mushroom does contain trace toxins, but once fully cooked, it becomes harmless—and still edible. Besides, the slightly poisonous ones taste better.]

So that’s how it was. Jiang Le wasn’t well-versed in mushrooms, but back in modern times, every mushroom season would flood the internet with videos of Yunnan locals feasting on wild fungi.  

From what he knew, some of Yunnan’s most beloved mushrooms were technically toxic—but after proper cooking, they became incredibly delicious. Otherwise, why would people risk poisoning themselves for a bite?  

Jiang Le had never had the chance to try them before, but now… He swallowed. So what if it was a little toxic? Just cook it thoroughly.  

Feigning expertise, he said, “Oh, this one? I read about it in a book. It does have some toxins, but if you cook it all the way through, it’s fine. And it’s super tasty—slurp…”  

He couldn’t help but audibly swallow.  

Yu Hezhong: “…”  

He didn’t argue further. When gathering mushrooms afterward, he picked the kind Jiang Le mentioned but kept them separate.  

After descending the mountain, the two parted ways to head home.  

Most villagers were out working at this hour, leaving only the elderly and children at home. Jiang Le deliberately took a less-traveled path back.  

But whether it was bad luck or what, he ended up running into Gou Dan and his gang.

Gou Dan’s leg hadn’t fully healed yet, leaving him with a slight limp. His hair looked filthy, as if it hadn’t been washed in days, and his exposed skin was smeared with dirt. His cloth shoes were barely hanging onto his feet, worn carelessly.  

When Jiang Le saw him, he instinctively took a step back. He didn’t know how the original owner of this body had lived, but ever since transmigrating, he had been meticulous about personal hygiene—always clean and tidy, making him pleasant to look at.  

And perhaps because his nutrition had improved recently, Jiang Le wasn’t as gaunt as before. His complexion had brightened, turning him into a proper, delicate-looking young boy.  

“Jiang Le! My boys saw you hanging out with that bastard from the east side of the village. What’s the deal? You know I got beef with him, right?” Gou Dan said, trying to sound tough but coming off awkward instead.  

The moment Jiang Le heard “bastard,” his brow furrowed, and he immediately dropped any pretense of politeness. “Gou Dan, looks like you were raised without a mother’s guidance. Who’s the real bastard here?”

Gou Dan’s face twisted in disbelief. He clearly hadn’t expected Jiang Le—who had always been a pushover in his eyes—to dare call him a bastard.  

Without hesitation, he rolled up his sleeves and motioned for his gang to rush Jiang Le and “teach him a lesson.” But Jiang Le dodged nimbly, even managing to kick Gou Dan square in the backside as he passed.  

Gou Dan face-planted into the dirt with a yelp. Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Le bolted, hearing curses erupt behind him: “You little shit! Don’t you dare run!”  

Jiang Le rolled his eyes. “Yeah right, like I’d stick around!”

He sprinted back to the Jiang house. No matter how bold Gou Dan and his gang were, they wouldn’t dare barge into someone’s home to start trouble. Left with no other outlet, they kicked a nearby tree in frustration.  

Gou Dan spat out a mouthful of dirt. “Just you wait!” 

Panting, Jiang Le shut the door behind him and exhaled, bragging to Guagua: [Pfft, a bunch of edgy teenagers. You think I’m scared of them?]

Guagua: [Host, you ran faster than a rabbit just now.]

Jiang Le: “…”

Meanwhile, Yu Hezhong stood in the distance, watching Gou Dan and his gang curse up a storm, his expression unreadable.  

Jiang Le had forgotten to take the mushrooms from his basket.  

Gou Dan, still fuming, spotted Yu Hezhong and immediately redirected his rage, charging at him while spewing insults.  

But Yu Hezhong wasn’t stupid—why would he stand there and let himself get beaten?  

Years of trekking through the mountains had made him fast and agile. In contrast, Gou Dan and his gang—spoiled by their families or left unchecked to laze around—were quickly left wheezing in pursuit, completely unaware they were being led around like dogs on a leash.  

Instead of heading back home in the east village, Yu Hezhong dashed toward the fields where villagers were working. The adults took one look at the scene and immediately scolded Gou Dan for bullying again.  

Before Gou Dan could react, he was grabbed by a few villagers and lectured: “What kind of mother raises a kid like this? Always picking on others!”  

“…Your kid’s part of this too! Aren’t you gonna discipline him?”

“I will! Just you watch!”

Some hot-tempered parents even grabbed branches from the roadside and started whacking their misbehaving sons.  

The fields were soon filled with wails of pain. Yu Hezhong glanced back at Gou Dan and his gang—now too busy to chase him—before calmly adjusting his basket and walking away.

…

At the Jiang household, Grandma Jiang and Jiang Huan were stunned when they saw the pheasant in the bamboo basket. “Good heavens, child, where did you catch this pheasant?” 

Pheasants weren’t easy to catch these days.  

Jiang Le: “Up in the back hills. Guess I got lucky.”  

Grandma Jiang tossed some grass into the basket, though she wasn’t sure if the pheasant would eat it.  

Jiang Huan exclaimed excitedly, “Little brother, how are you this good? Even the old hunters in our village say pheasants are hard to catch, yet you got one!”  

Her face was full of “my brother is amazing” pride, making Jiang Le a little embarrassed.  

“Pheasants are rare—we could trade this for a good amount of grain. Let’s keep it for now, and later your parents can quietly ask around to see if we can barter for some food,” Grandma Jiang said.  

Jiang Le, who had been dreaming of pheasant stew with mushrooms the whole way back: “…”  

Would saying he wanted to eat it make him seem too greedy?  

But after fantasizing about the delicious meal all this time, he wasn’t about to give up. Remembering he still had half of the “Sweet n Yummy, I Love It” bait left, he suggested, “Grandma, what if I go back to the hills? If I can catch another pheasant, can we keep one to eat? I really want pheasant stew with mushrooms~”  

Grandma Jiang looked at her two little gluttons and chuckled. “Silly child, pheasants aren’t that easy to catch.”  

Jiang Le had now mastered the art of wheedling: “Pleeease, Grandma~”  

“Alright, alright, we’ll do as you say.” Though Grandma Jiang agreed, she didn’t actually believe he’d catch another. One was luck—two was nearly impossible.  

But under her grandson’s hopeful gaze, the doting grandmother steeled herself and secretly decided: Even if he doesn’t catch another, we’ll eat this one. Pheasant is nourishing—good for the kids.

As for grain… harvest season wasn’t far off anyway.