Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

After the house was repaired, Li Xiangyang's family finally had a stable life.

My mother and sister no longer have to endure the wind and rain, and they can finally get a good night's sleep.

The young men hired to repair the house were all satisfied with their wages and agreed to contact them first if they needed any work in the future.

The documents that Captain Zhou sent arrived just in time, saving Li Xiangyang the trouble of going to the county to register.

If Wang Ming really had any ulterior motives, he wouldn't be afraid with this document in hand.

Everything was moving in a positive direction. In the early morning, the sun was shining brightly, and Li Xiangyang packed his gear and prepared to go out.

"Brother, are you going into the mountains again?" Li Xiaohua asked with some concern.

"Yes, our lives have just started to get better, we can't let them stop."

Li Xiangyang smiled and ruffled his sister's hair as he spoke.

"Then be careful." Li Xiaohua tugged at her brother's sleeve, her eyes full of reluctance.

Li Xiangyang knew what his sister was worried about.

Last time, my younger sister went into the mountains with me and saw how dangerous the animals there were.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." He slung the hunting rifle over his shoulder and checked the bow and arrows one last time.

My mother came out of the house, holding a package of oiled paper: "I made you some sweet potato cakes. Eat some if you're hungry."

Li Xiangyang took the oil paper package and said with a smile, "Mom, just stay home and relax, I'll be back soon."

It was very cold, and the snow on the mountain was thicker than in the village.

Li Xiangyang trudged through the snow, walking deeper and deeper into the snow.

The mountains are quiet this time of year; even the birdsong is less frequent.

The tracks of prey are becoming increasingly difficult to find.

This requires more patience.

In the snow-covered grass where animals are most likely to appear, Li Xiangyang squatted down, gently brushed away the snow, and carefully observed the traces on the ground.

The mountain forests are especially cold on winter mornings, and most animals huddle in their dens to keep warm.

But it is precisely at this time that it is easiest to find the den of prey.

He carried a hunting rifle on his back and held a homemade bow and arrows in his hand.

Having hunted for so many years, he knows that while a hunting rifle is good, it is more for saving one's life.

For ordinary hunting, a bow and arrow is still the most appropriate tool.

Not only is it quiet, but it can also be used multiple times.

Following a barely visible path, Li Xiangyang walked slowly forward.

Beneath the snow, patches of soil were exposed, covered with tiny footprints.

"A rabbit," he thought to himself.

These little guys are very cautious; they never forage near their nests, but they always leave traces within their activity range.

Sure enough, not far along, they saw a few black rabbit droppings scattered on the snow.

Li Xiangyang squatted down and touched it; it was still warm, clearly fresh.

Following these traces, he quickly discovered a hidden rabbit burrow.

The entrance to the burrow wasn't large, but judging from the gnawed grass roots around it, at least three rabbits lived there.

Li Xiangyang tiptoed closer.

He drew an arrow from his quiver and nocked it on his bowstring.

Patience is most needed at times like these; the slightest movement will alert the enemy.

He lightly touched the snow at the edge of the hole with his toes.

A wary rabbit poked its head out, and Li Xiangyang held his breath and flicked his wrist.

call out!

The arrow pierced the air and struck the rabbit squarely in the throat.

Before the second rabbit could react, Li Xiangyang fired two more arrows in quick succession.

The three rabbits fell to the ground in the snow, without even a chance to struggle.

This was an archery technique he learned abroad in his previous life—fast, accurate, and ruthless, killing with a single arrow.

It neither wastes arrows nor causes suffering to the prey.

"I'm having good luck today." Li Xiangyang put away his bow and arrows, strung the three rabbits together, and hung them on his waist.

The sun gradually rose higher, but the chill in the mountains had not dissipated.

Li Xiangyang continued to explore deeper, searching for traces of other prey.

Around noon, he stopped beside a thicket of bushes.

Scattered on the ground are pecked-at-the-ground kiwifruit, an unassuming wild fruit that is a favorite of mountain birds.

After carefully examining the surrounding droppings, Li Xiangyang quickly determined that he had encountered a mountain dove.

Although this bird is not very big, its meat is delicious and worth trying.

He quickly wove a simple trap out of branches and placed the remaining wild fruits evenly inside.

A few dry branches were cleverly arranged into a mechanism; as soon as a bird pecked at the food, the cage would fall down.

He had used this old-fashioned trap countless times in the mountains. Although it didn't always catch prey, it was easy to use.

After completing these tasks, Li Xiangyang continued his exploration towards the summit.

As the altitude increases, the snow becomes thicker and the cold wind becomes even more biting.

But he knew that the real prey was often hidden in the most difficult places to find.

Looking at the gloomy sky, Li Xiangyang guessed that it was going to snow again.

The cold wind howled through the mountains, carrying a biting chill.

Li Xiangyang wrapped his cotton-padded coat even tighter around himself.

In such weather, even the most tenacious hunter needs to know when to stop.

Moreover, with three plump rabbits already hanging from his waist, he hadn't gone home empty-handed.

He found a sheltered spot and sat down against a thick pine tree.

He took out the sweet potato cakes his mother had baked from the oil paper package and ate them while observing the surroundings.

This position allows you to see the traps he has set, while also preventing you from disturbing the birds that might come looking for food.

Before long, several spotted doves appeared near the bushes.

These alert little creatures probed the surroundings for a while before slowly approaching the trap.

Li Xiangyang remained motionless, even controlling his breathing, for fear of disturbing them.

Finally, hunger triumphed over vigilance.

A large spotted dove jumped into the trap and began pecking at wild fruit.

The others followed suit upon seeing this.

Just as they were engrossed in foraging, the mechanism was triggered, and the woven cage gently fell down.

As he put away the trap, fine snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Li Xiangyang knew it was time to go back. If it got any later, the mountain road would be covered with fresh snow, and it wouldn't be so easy to get down the mountain then.

When we returned to the village, the snow was falling even heavier.

Li Xiangyang quickened his pace toward home, thinking that his mother and sister must be waiting for him anxiously at home.

However, once the courtyard gate was opened, the house was completely silent.

"Mom? Xiaohua?" Li Xiangyang called out several times, but no one answered.

The fire in the stove inside had gone out, and the room had obviously been empty for a while.

A sense of unease rose in Li Xiangyang's heart. Just as he was about to go out to look for someone, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the courtyard.

"Xiangyang! You're finally back!" Uncle Li Jianguo ran into the yard, panting, with an anxious look on his face.

Uncle, where are my mom and sister?

"You'd better go to the law enforcement bureau right away!" Li Jianguo wiped the sweat from his brow. "A few people from the bureau just came. They said they received a report that you used a hunting rifle without authorization. Your mother and Xiaohua were both taken away for questioning."

Li Xiangyang shuddered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

report?

Who else could it be besides Wang Ming?

"I understand." He took a deep breath, turned around, and strode into the house.

He carefully hid the hunting rifle, took his hunter's license and the rabbit he had just shot, locked the door, and was about to leave.

"Xiangyang, you need to be more careful," his uncle warned from behind. "These days..."

Li Xiangyang waved his hand without turning his head: "Uncle, don't worry."

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the cold wind, mixed with snowflakes, stung my face.

But Li Xiangyang didn't care about any of that and hurried towards the law enforcement bureau.

"So eager to get back at me? I was planning to settle things properly once I was better off. But since you're so eager to get yourself killed, don't blame me. This world isn't just full of people who can write whistleblower letters."