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

After washing the grapes, Li Xiaohua came back and saw the candies on the table, rubbing her little hands together from time to time.

From her bright, sparkling eyes, Li Xiangyang could tell how much his sister wanted to try it.

But after stealing a few glances at her mother, she lowered her head and remained silent.

Children of this age should be carefree, but Li Xiaohua learned to read people's expressions very early on.

Li Xiangyang felt a pang of pain in his heart and reached out to pick up a candy wrapped in colored paper.

“Come here,” he whispered, “let me peel it for you.”

Li Xiaohua hesitated for a moment, then glanced at her mother. Seeing that her mother did not object, she carefully moved over.

"No!" Li's mother suddenly spoke, her voice trembling with emotion, "These things..."

Li Xiaohua's hand froze in mid-air.

"Mom," Li Xiangyang said softly as he deftly unwrapped the candy, "it's just some candy, please let Xiaohua have a taste."

As he spoke, he stuffed the peeled candy into his sister's hand.

Li Xiaohua clutched the candy, but hesitated to put it in her mouth, looking at her mother with teary eyes.

"Eat." Mother Li finally softened and sighed, "You two..."

Seeing that her mother had given in, Li Xiaohua finally put the candy in her mouth.

The moment the sweetness burst on her tongue, her eyes lit up.

"Xiaoyun, you should try some too." Li Xiangyang peeled another one and handed it to Li Xiaoyun.

Li Xiaoyun silently accepted it, but froze on the spot like a piece of candy.

The mink coat was still draped over her shoulders, but its soft touch now felt like an invisible knife, cutting into her heart with pain.

The days passed by in a state of anxiety.

Under Li Xiaoyun's meticulous care, Li Xiangyang's wound scabbed over, and new flesh slowly grew back.

But the tension in everyone's heart only grew tighter and tighter.

Li's mother always shed tears in secret, but Li Xiangyang pretended not to see it.

Li Xiaoyun's smiles gradually faded, and Li Xiangyang couldn't coax her back.

Although Li Xiaohua is young, she noticed that something was wrong at home and became exceptionally sensible, taking the initiative to do a lot of housework.

The mink coat and the other gifts were carefully put away, but their presence grew stronger day by day, like a heavy stone weighing on everyone's hearts.

Ten days later, the winter sun shone lazily into the courtyard. Li Xiangyang was chopping firewood when he suddenly heard footsteps outside the gate.

"Brother Li, are you home?"

He is Dahai, one of Ma Laosan's men.

Dahai stood outside the courtyard gate, rubbing his hands together with a fawning smile on his face.

“Come in and talk.” Li Xiangyang put down his axe and dusted off his hands.

"Mr. Ma said your injuries should be almost healed, and he sent me to pick you up."

Da Hai entered the courtyard, looked around, and said in a low voice, "Everything is ready over there, just waiting for you, the great one."

"Wait a moment, let me get ready," Li Xiangyang said, turning and going into the house.

As if knowing he was about to leave, the black cat was already squatting by the door waiting for him.

These days, Li Xiangyang has been going up the mountain quite often, frequently appearing in strange places. Xuanmao always follows him, guiding him and ensuring his safe return.

Li Xiangyang knew perfectly well that if the evil deeds on Ma Laosan's side were true, guns alone probably wouldn't be enough. They would have to see how Xuanmao was capable.

He took the hunting rifle off the wall and carefully inspected the barrel and receiver.

This Type 56 rifle has been with him for so many days that it has become a part of him.

He loaded five bullets into the gun and packed some dry rations and matches into his satchel.

Li's mother stood at the door of the main room, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back.

"My son," she called softly, wanting to say something, but swallowing it back.

"Mother, don't worry," Li Xiangyang said, trying to sound casual. "It's just a short trip into the mountains; I'll be back in three to five days at most."

Li Xiaoyun pursed her lips, her eyes red-rimmed.

She had been worried a lot these past few days, but she was trying her best to remain calm at this moment.

But the hands that were tightly clutching the hem of her clothes betrayed her inner unease.

“I’ll wait for you to come back,” she said softly.

Li Xiaohua rushed over and hugged her brother's waist: "Brother, you have to be careful!"

"Don't worry, the black cat is with me."

Li Xiangyang ruffled his younger sister's hair, his gaze falling on the jet-black cat. A sense of peace washed over him. "I'll bring you a little rabbit when I get back."

He knew all too well that this mountain road was treacherous and unpredictable.

It's not just the black bears in the mountains, but also those inexplicable and strange things.

But with Xuanmao around, he felt much more confident than others.

After saying that, he slung his hunting rifle over his shoulder and winked at Dahai: "Let's go."

The black cat followed him lightly, its tail held high.

Once he left home, Li Xiangyang didn't look back.

Everything is settled now, and any reluctance is futile.

"Let's go, the car is at the foot of the mountain," Dahai pointed ahead.

Li Xiangyang looked up and, sure enough, saw a military green Dongfeng 140 parked there.

He had seen this kind of vehicle before; it was used by forest farms to haul timber.

The front of the car is raised high, the cabin is open, and it is painted olive green, so it looks quite old.

"Boss Ma has really gone all out," Li Xiangyang said casually.

Gasoline is a scarce commodity these days.

The occurrence of empty trucks is almost nonexistent, let alone the special service of sending a truck to pick up people.

He jumped into the passenger seat, and the black cat nimbly leaped into the car.

Dahai then got into the driver's seat and cranked the handle twice to start the car.

The car bumped along the rugged mountain road, the roar of the engine echoing through the valley.

Da Hai's hands remained firmly gripping the steering wheel, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Brother Li," Da Hai finally spoke after a while, his voice tinged with hesitation, "to be honest, about this matter..."

“Just say what you mean.”

“Then I’ll tell you the truth,” Da Hai sighed, “Several experts have come to investigate this matter.”

"Who are they?"

"They're all renowned hunters. One of them was even brought in from beyond the Great Wall; they say he used to hunt tigers in the forests."

As Dahai spoke, he unconsciously slowed down the car, "But these people encounter strange things as soon as they enter the mountains. Some say they see people hanging from trees, some say they hear someone crying..."

"The results of it?"

"And so," Dahai rubbed the steering wheel, "they all ran away in fear. Now Boss Ma is counting on you."

Li Xiangyang looked out the window at the trees rushing past, remaining noncommittal.

“You might not know this,” Dahai continued in a low voice, “but the last one from beyond the Great Wall was really something. He killed three tigers, and roamed the mountains for over twenty years. But even he couldn’t last a single day after entering the mountains; he refused to go back in no matter what…”

The wheels crunched over the snow.

Li Xiangyang noticed that Dahai's hands were trembling as he spoke.

“I’ll say something I shouldn’t,” Dahai continued, “but if you can resolve this, money isn’t an issue. Boss Ma can even offer more…”