1983, Northeast China

Chapter 6 There is a rabbit trail on the leeward slope

Chen Shi folded the birch bark and stuffed it into the hidden pocket inside the cotton-padded jacket.

The hidden pocket was sewn on by Chen Mancang.

Chen Mancang used to say that people going into the mountains should have a place close to their skin, and they shouldn't put matches, salt, or razor blades in the basket.

In case the basket is lost, you have to keep some to save your life.

At that time, Chen Shi only felt it was troublesome.

Before even putting the matches in, they've already said, "Old Nangou, don't touch it."

Zhao Defa called out again from outside.

"Shiko!"

Chen Shi pushed the small wooden box back to the bottom of the cabinet, then picked up the willow basket and went out the door.

Zhao Defa stood outside the courtyard gate, a layer of snow clinging to his leather hat. (Wooden stick)

"Han Changgui is dead," Zhao Defa said.

Chen Shi did not respond.

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

"There's someone shouting outside, saying that if someone dies, they have to go inside. And what about your sister's situation..."

"No." Chen Shi refused without even thinking.

"If we do this, people won't think well of us."

"If you don't like what you hear, you can't come in." Chen Shi closed the door. "If anyone has something to say, let them come and talk to me. My younger brother from my maternal family isn't allowed in. When my father was alive, he didn't like him, so he can't leave through my door either."

Zhao Defa coughed. His grandson had a fever last night, and his wife had asked someone to call him twice, but he hadn't been able to get home to drink a sip of hot water yet. Now his throat was so dry it was cracking.

Chen Shi continued, "My sister just gave birth, and Xiaoman is still a baby. No dead person can enter the house. Han Changgui didn't leave her a hot meal while he was alive, so don't torment her now that he's dead."

Zhao Defa's eyebrows twitched slightly.

The wind blew in from the old Nangou, carrying snowflakes that hit the two people's faces.

"You're not talking like you used to today," Zhao Defa said.

"I was ignorant before, but now there are three living people in the house. We can't risk another one for a dead person."

Zhao Defa looked at him. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Put a door panel down first, and put a straw curtain outside so the dog can't chew it."

"Outrageous!" Zhao Defa poked his foot with a wooden stick. "Here's what we'll do. Go to the brigade first. You need to get there early tomorrow. White cloth, hemp rope, paper money, and a coffin all cost money. The brigade will cover it for you, and we'll put it on the books..."

"Put it on me."

"What will you use to pay me back?"

"I will pay it back."

Zhao Defa wanted to say something more, but in the end he just nodded: "Okay, I'll arrange it."

He had only taken two steps when he turned back, "What if Tian Guizhi comes to cause trouble?"

"Let her make a scene," Chen Shi said. "Who does she think she is, daring to cause trouble? Let her keep quiet about my sister, and let her do whatever she wants."

Zhao Defa stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed: "If Chen Mancang were still alive, seeing you like this would make him smoke two fewer cigarettes."

When his biological father was mentioned, Chen Shi felt a pang of emotion.

"Go ahead and head up the mountain as early as possible. If you do bring something back, don't make a fuss. The villagers who can go up the mountain are all old. The young ones don't know anything. If you really learn even a trick or two from your father, you'll have no shortage of people coming to your door begging for your help."

Before leaving, Zhao Defa gave him some more instructions.

Chen Shi didn't think too much about it; he had to go into the mountains now.

Behind Kaoshantun are mountains.

Although it's called the back mountain, there's actually a stretch of barren slope between it and the village.

In winter, the barren slope is completely covered by snow, leaving only clumps of black branches exposed.

Chen Shi walked forward through the snow.

A crust had formed on the snow. When you stepped on it, your calf would sink in with a crunch, and underneath were snow particles that looked like coarse salt.

This road is difficult to travel.

He hadn't walked far before his calves started to ache.

His body looks strong now, but he hasn't actually suffered much real hardship.

But this kind of snow is very useful for finding tracks. Rabbits, pheasants, and weasels—as long as they've walked through, their tracks are clearly visible.

Chen Shi did not rush to venture deeper into the woods.

Chen Mancang once said that when you first go into the mountains, what's in the mountains isn't important; you have to assess your own capabilities.

One must not be greedy, for greed can easily lead to one's death in the mountains.

He first walked along the leeward slope.

The snow is hard on the windy side, and rabbits don't like to go there. The snow is soft on the leeward slope, and there are grass stubble exposed under the roots of the bushes, which rabbits often come to nibble on at night.

He hadn't gone far when he saw the mark.

Two large and two small.

Chen Shi squatted down and carefully removed the floating snow bit by bit.

The edges of the mark haven't hardened yet, indicating recent activity; it looks like it was active last night or this morning.

There's a chance!

If even God can give him a second chance at life, it's only natural that he'll be blessed with a bit more luck.

Rabbits cannot block the entrance to their burrows.

In winter, rabbit trails are fixed, and when startled, they mostly run along the old trails.

He followed the paw prints for a while and found a fallen birch tree. The rabbit path passed between the birch and hazel trees.

Chen Shi set up the wire loop and then tied it to the bent hazel branch.

After setting the first trap, he felt a little more at ease. Regardless of whether he caught a rabbit or not, at least he was back on the mountain.

The second snare was placed next to the roots of wormwood on the hillside. He adjusted it twice, and the wire cut his fingertips sorely.

The subsequent traps were set off very quickly.

He dared not venture deeper, but instead followed the leeward slope and the roots of the bushes.

When you see a new spot with a narrow path, then place the next one.

He avoided the messy, trampled snow.

In the end, he set a total of six traps.

That's all we have; we don't have enough wire.

After setting the trap, he chopped a few more pieces of dry firewood, selecting the thin, dry ones that could be stuffed into the stove.

It would be too much trouble for him to carry the thick log back; these dry branches would be much more practical.

The willow basket gradually sank.

Chen Shi went back and glanced at the rabbit trap, then looked at the sky.

Waiting for the rabbit to come on its own might not yield any results even by nightfall.

He went around to the back of the slope, a little further away from the trap, tapped the dry branches with the back of his machete, and then stomped twice into the clump of weeds.

I didn't expect there to be a hollow space under the snow. When I stepped on it, my calf sank in.

Chen Shi pulled his foot out and stood up to listen carefully.

There's some movement over by the hazelnut tree.

He knocked twice more before returning to the trap.

From a distance, he saw the hazelnuts on the second snare twitching, and a gray rabbit stuck in the snow, kicking its hind legs vigorously.

Chen Shi quickly stepped forward, pressed down on the rabbit's back, and grabbed its hind legs with his right hand.

The rabbit kicked hard, and its claws scratched the back of his hand.

You're so useless! You're so inexperienced, like a complete novice. You can't even handle a rabbit.

Chen Shi secretly spat at himself.

He gritted his teeth and struck the rabbit on the back of the head with the back of his machete. Only after the rabbit stopped moving did he untie the wire.

Rabbits aren't fat, but they're still meat.

Adhering to the principle of knowing when to stop, he prepared to head back.

He saw a few more withered astragalus stalks on the road. He was familiar with this stuff; he had dealt with it all his life.

Chen used a machete to dig a couple of times, but the frozen soil was too hard. After digging for a long time, he only managed to get out two thin roots. His fingers were already so frozen that they wouldn't obey him.

He wrapped the astragalus root in a rag and noticed a few frozen hawthorn berries nearby, which had been pecked and damaged by birds.

He picked out two good ones and stuffed them into his cotton-padded coat pocket.

Just as he was about to go down the slope, Chen Shi suddenly saw three old pine trees at the bottom of the slope ahead.

I didn't notice it when I was climbing up, but it's quite obvious from this angle now.

The three pine trees are separated by a shallow ditch, their canopies weighed down by snow, dark and heavy, and they stand taller than the surrounding miscellaneous trees.

Chen Shi suddenly remembered the words on the birch bark.

...three pines.

Chen Shi originally only wanted to take a look.

But just as his foot was about to turn, it stopped again.

Below, there is a series of footprints.

Human.

And it's new.