Taking Little White Hunting

Early the next morning, Zhao Liang quietly slipped behind the house. Seeing that Little White was still obediently waiting there, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He returned to the shelter and found Uncle Tian busy cooking in the kitchen. Zhao Liang said, "Uncle Tian, I've got nothing to do these days. Why don't you let me take over setting the traps on the mountain? That way you won't have to work so hard all the time."

Uncle Tian was moved by his words and replied, "You really have grown up, Xiao Liang, thinking of helping out your uncle. That's good—let you gain some experience. But remember, don't go deep into the mountains, and be very careful on the way."

Zhao Liang readily agreed, packed his belongings, and left the shelter with a bamboo basket on his back.

He walked once around the yard, then went behind the house to the chicken coop, picked up Little White, and placed him in the bamboo basket. Then, with legs stretched wide, he dashed up the mountain.

Once on the mountain, Zhao Liang released Little White from the basket. Little White’s injuries had improved significantly; he could now walk, albeit with a limp.

Zhao Liang found several notoginseng plants and changed the dressing for Little White. After busying himself for a while, he let Little White eat and drink his fill before beginning to set the traps.

Little White watched Zhao Liang with a disgruntled expression, clearly still upset about being injured by a trap the previous day.

Zhao Liang guessed as much from its demeanor, so he quickly stroked its forehead and smoothed its fur in comfort. Little White’s anger dissipated somewhat, though he continued to grumble, refusing to let it go.

After comforting Little White for a while, Zhao Liang noticed the fox was growing more spirited the longer he spoke, so he decided to busy himself and ignore it.

Little White muttered for a bit longer, but seeing Zhao Liang pay him no mind, he lost interest and quietly watched Zhao Liang work.

Once everything was arranged, Zhao Liang hid with Little White behind a large tree.

After about half an hour, a gray rabbit hopped over, glancing back every few steps.

As the rabbit approached the trap, it sensed danger and grew extremely cautious, peering around and sniffing nervously, afraid a single misstep would make it someone else's meal.

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the gray rabbit was still motionless, lying prone.

Zhao Liang was growing impatient behind the tree. He estimated he was only three steps away from the rabbit and decided to attempt a sneak attack.

He crouched low and sprang forward. The rabbit, already on high alert, was even faster than Zhao Liang. In a flash, it ran back, only to find its path blocked by Little White.

The rabbit was startled again; it had thought Zhao Liang was alone and hadn’t expected a fox to suddenly appear. It spun around and darted back.

Zhao Liang was overjoyed and lunged with open arms, but the rabbit reacted quickly, darting under his legs, leaving him face-down in the dirt.

Feeling frustrated, Zhao Liang suddenly heard a snap behind him, followed by the rabbit’s desperate cries.

Turning around, he saw the rabbit had sprung right into the trap and was now barely alive, on the verge of death.

Relief and joy washed over Zhao Liang, and when he glanced at Little White, the fox was squinting contentedly at him, radiating pride.

Zhao Liang quickly praised, "Little White, you’re amazing!" Little White let out a pleased cry, evidently proud of his own skill.

Originally, Zhao Liang had wanted a companion in Little White because of his gentle nature, but unexpectedly, he had gained a skilled hunting partner.

That day, man and fox worked in perfect harmony, yielding a bountiful harvest. Besides the gray rabbit, they caught two large pheasants.

As the sun began to set, Zhao Liang placed Little White in the bamboo basket, gathered the game, and happily returned to the shelter.

He settled Little White first, then hurried to share the good news with Uncle Tian.

Uncle Tian had expected that catching a single pheasant would be a feat for Zhao Liang, but the results far exceeded his expectations. He praised Zhao Liang extensively, saying, "A master raises fine pupils!"

Jiang Ran, overhearing, cast a sidelong glance and said, "Are you praising Zhao Liang or yourself?"

Uncle Tian often said Jiang Ran was sour, always quoting books and saying things like, "Scholars are good for nothing," and loved to spar with him. Seeing Jiang Ran ready to pick another argument, he retorted, "Doesn’t matter who I praise—if you’ve got the guts, don’t eat tonight!"

Jiang Ran, not wanting to provoke Uncle Tian further, walked away, disgruntled.

Uncle Tian instructed the children of the shelter to chop wood and boil water, then began cleaning and preparing the rabbit and pheasants. After nearly half an hour, a plate of scallion-fried rabbit and a pot of aromatic pheasant soup were ready, making the children’s mouths water with anticipation.

During dinner, Zhao Liang remarked that he’d worked hard today and needed a good meal to recover, so he could bring back more rabbits tomorrow. He took two rabbit legs for himself. Since the feast was thanks to him, no one objected.

After everyone finished eating, Zhao Liang excused himself and quietly slipped out. He fetched the two rabbit legs he had hidden and fed them to Little White, watching the fox devour them ravenously before returning to the shelter, satisfied.

From then on, Zhao Liang took Little White hunting on the mountain every day, always coming back with a full basket, much to Uncle Tian’s delight.

The children at the shelter feasted daily and joked that Zhao Liang must have some connection with the Mountain God, for how else could he catch so much game every day?

Zhao Liang merely smiled at their teasing, offering no explanation.