Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 170: Chapter 95: Catching a Rabbit

They found the first trap and saw that the dead branches and leaves covering the pit were still just as they had left them. The few vegetable leaves were also untouched, just a little dried out.

Zhang Huai said, ”There’s nothing here. Strange. Last time, every trap caught a rabbit. How come they’re all empty this time?” He glanced at Juhua. Qingmu had specifically brought her along for fun this time. If they didn’t catch anything, wouldn’t it be a wasted trip?

Qingmu smiled at Juhua. ”Looks like your luck isn’t so good today. The first one’s empty. Come on, let’s go check the next one.”

Before they left, Zhang Huai bent down and sprinkled some fresh grass on top.

Juhua said, ”It’s okay if we don’t catch anything. We just came out to have fun, right? Maybe the rabbits have gotten more careful, what with you guys digging traps everywhere. Big Mouth Zhao caught and ate a bunch of rabbits at the end of last year. Doesn’t the village chief have any rules about hunting game?”

Zhang Huai chimed in, ”It’s not that there are no rules, it’s that there’s no need for them. Hunting wild game isn’t that easy. Besides, who has the time to always be up in the mountains hunting? People only have some free time in the winter, so there’s no fear of overhunting. In the area closer to the north, the people from Qingbei Village get real greedy. The moment winter hits, they’re all over the mountains.”

Juhua quickly asked, ”Will they come over to our side? Are the mountains all divided up?”

Qingmu said, ”Of course they’re divided. It’s no big deal if they sneak over once in a while. But if they’re constantly coming over to steal trees or hunt, that’s not allowed. If people from the two villages ran into each other over it, there’d be a bloody fight.”

Juhua asked, a little confused, ”You don’t have to pay taxes on the mountains, so how can they be considered our village’s? And what about the villages that aren’t near the mountains? Isn’t that a huge disadvantage for them?”

Zhang Huai and Qingmu glanced at each other, stumped by Juhua’s question.

Zhang Huai thought for a moment and said, ”All the villages around Little Qing Mountain have been allotted a large section of it. As for the villages not near the mountains... well, that’s just their bad luck for not being near the mountains. It’s always been this way, and no one’s ever questioned it.”

Qingmu said to Juhua, ”You live off the mountains if you’re by the mountains, and you live off the water if you’re by the water. Those who aren’t by the mountains wouldn’t come all this way to find things anyway. Wouldn’t that be a huge waste of effort? Who doesn’t have work to do in their own fields? And for those not near the mountains, don’t they still have water? It’s more worthwhile for them to go fishing than to travel all the way to Little Qing Mountain to hunt.”

Juhua couldn’t help but laugh. ’I’m getting caught up in the details again.’

Juhua’s luck really was bad. The next two traps were also empty. Seeing her brother’s disappointment, she said, ”If there’s nothing, there’s nothing. Maybe there will be tomorrow if we come back and check.”

She didn’t really mind. She had only come out for a walk, after all. As she spoke, she let her gaze wander aimlessly.

Suddenly, she spotted a gray rabbit on the slope ahead, nibbling among the dry grass. It seemed to be eating the freshly sprouted shoots. Before she could call out, Zhang Yang was already yelling, ”A rabbit! Whoa! Isn’t that a rabbit?”

By now, even Zhang Huai and Qingmu had spotted it.

Qingmu grinned at Juhua and pulled a slingshot from his shirt. Just as he was about to take aim, Zhang Yang stopped him. ”Let me! That thing of yours is no good. Mine is made with cow tendon. It’s way more powerful than your hemp-string one.” The cow tendon was a special gift from his maternal grandmother, just for making slingshots.

Zhang Huai asked doubtfully, ”Can you really do it? We were lucky to even run into one rabbit. If you don’t catch it, you’ll owe us.”

Zhang Yang, buzzing with excitement, was eager to try. There was no way he would let them interfere. ”Of course I can! Just you watch,” he insisted. He found a good spot, squinted, and raised the slingshot to aim at the rabbit. He tried one angle, decided against it, and shifted his position.

The others stayed silent, watching him fiddle around.

Juhua was both excited and amused to see the rabbit acting as if it hadn’t heard a thing. ’We’re being pretty loud over here, but that little guy hasn’t noticed a thing.’ She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes glued to Zhang Yang’s hands.

Meanwhile, Qingmu and Zhang Huai circled around behind the rabbit, poised and ready to pounce the moment Zhang Yang hit it. Qingmu had even picked up a wooden stick, hoping to land a solid blow.

Zhang Yang fiddled around for so long they were about to lose patience. Then, with a WHOOSH, he finally shot the stone from his slingshot.

Juhua saw the stone hit the rabbit squarely on the head, making it stagger. While it was dazed and confused, Qingmu and Zhang Huai pounced from different directions.

But this rabbit was not an easy catch. A single stone wasn’t enough to seriously injure it. Having been ambushed, it finally came to its senses and fled for its life, though its steps were still a bit wobbly.

Qingmu lunged quickly, but his stick missed its mark, only making the rabbit dart away faster. Zhang Huai lunged for it but missed, nearly face-planting in the dirt. He scrambled up and gave chase. Not to be outdone, Zhang Yang snatched Qingmu’s stick and ran out in front.