“Lin Xi! You dead brat! Get your hide out here!”
Li Guilan’s shrill, shrew-like screech sliced through the tranquility of the mountain forest like a poisoned blade. The echoes made her voice sound exceptionally piercing and malicious.
Immediately following was Lin Dajun’s Gruff roar: “Everyone, search thoroughly! Check every cave and rocky crevice! That little brat is definitely hiding somewhere! Whoever finds her, I’ll credit them ten work points and give them two catties of cornmeal!”
Ten work points! Two catties of cornmeal!
In the 1970s, an era where grain was more precious than life itself, this was an irresistible temptation. Lin Xi could clearly hear the sudden surge of excitement and frantic energy in the cacophony of voices.
“Everyone, put your backs into it! We’ll definitely find her before dark!”
“Split up! I’ll take that patch of woods to the east!”
“Let the dogs loose! Have them follow the scent!”
The barking of dogs, the shouting, and the rustling of grass as people pushed through the underbrush came from all directions. It felt like a giant net was tightening, ready to trap her—a tiny prey—completely.
The color drained from Lin Xi’s face instantly, and her heart sank like a stone.
She had underestimated the allure of that 180 yuan and overestimated their meager scrap of conscience. They weren’t looking for a lost child; they were recovering a piece of lost, high-value cargo!
What should I do? Where can I hide?
Although the trees were thick in this area, there weren’t many good places to vanish. No matter how fast a child like her ran, she couldn’t outpace the strides of adults or the noses of hunting dogs!
Just as she was beginning to panic, nearly ready to bolt blindly into the deeper parts of the forest, a lead sparrow on a branch above her head suddenly let out a series of sharp, urgent chirps.
“Chirp! Chirp-chirp!”
Lin Xi snapped her head up. From the bird’s song, she clearly sensed an intent of “guidance.”
『This way! Quick! Follow me!』
Having finished its call, the sparrow flapped its wings and flew toward a steep slope to the front-left, a place overgrown with massive boulders and tangled vines.
Without time to overthink, Lin Xi clutched Hu-zi tightly and followed. Her only path to survival now was to trust these animal allies!
She began to scramble up the rugged mountain path on all fours. the jagged rocks and thorns tore through her already tattered clothes and trousers. Tiny cuts multiplied across her skin, but she felt absolutely no pain. All her senses were locked onto the sounds of the pursuit drawing closer behind her.
“Seems like… there’s some movement over here!” A man’s voice rang out not far behind her.
Lin Xi’s heart leaped into her throat!
She put on a burst of speed and finally scrambled up the small, steep slope. The sparrow circled in front of a massive rock covered in dense vines, chirping anxiously.
Lin Xi pushed aside the thick foliage, and a pitch-black opening appeared before her eyes.
It was a cave!
The entrance to this cave was extremely well-hidden; if not for the sparrow’s guidance, one could stand right in front of it and never notice.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she dove inside.
The interior of the cave was pitch dark, thick with the smell of damp earth and moss. She didn’t dare venture too deep, instead pressing herself tightly against the entrance, peering through the gaps in the vines to nervously monitor the movement outside.
In her arms, Hu-zi also sensed the immense danger. He remained perfectly still, even his breathing becoming faint, though his emerald eyes shimmered with a wary light in the darkness.
Soon, two villagers carrying hoes appeared at the base of the slope.
“I clearly heard something over here just now. How can there be no one?” A tall, thin man scratched his head in confusion.
“Maybe you misheard? The wind is strong in the mountains; it’s probably just the leaves rustling,” a short, stout man said, panting. “Look at this godforsaken place—so many rocks. You think a little slip of a girl could climb up here?”
“Fair point.” The tall man nodded and shouted twice toward the surroundings, “Lin Xi! Come out!”
In the empty valley, only his own echo answered.
Inside the cave, Lin Xi felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her throat. She clamped her hand over her mouth, terrified of making even the slightest sound.
“Damn it, I bet that brat probably fell into some ravine and died, or got dragged off by a wolf,” the stout man spat impatiently. “Running our legs off for ten work points—it’s not worth a damn.”
“Alright, quit complaining. Let’s go check over there. If we can’t find her, let’s call it a day; we can’t exactly spend the night in the mountains.”
The two villagers continued walking, grumbling and cursing as they went until their figures completely vanished into the woods did Lin Xi’s tense body finally relax slightly.
However, before she could even catch her breath, the familiar sound of barking—growing louder as it approached—rang out once more!
It was the Lins’ dog, Black Tiger!
No, wait—that wasn’t just one voice! They had brought several dogs from the village!
A dog’s nose is far more sensitive than a human’s. The scent on her body and the bloodstains she had left behind could all become fatal clues!
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a yellow mongrel appeared at the bottom of the steep slope. Its nose was pressed to the ground, sniffing incessantly; it had clearly picked up the trail Lin Xi had left.
It gave two sharp barks and began to scramble up the slope with excitement.
It’s over!
Lin Xi’s head buzzed, her mind going completely blank.
To be found by the dog meant being found by everyone!
She instinctively clutched the wild eggs and pine cones in her arms, her small body trembling violently with fear. Was she really unable to escape her fate after all?
Just as the yellow dog was about to crest the slope and discover the hidden cave entrance, an unexpected change occurred!
Suddenly, seven or eight gray wild rabbits darted out from the nearby thicket!
These rabbits seemed possessed; completely unafraid of the hound, they scattered in all directions, deliberately leaping one by one right in front of the yellow dog, kicking up clouds of dust and a pungent scent of wild game.
Immediately after, squirrels, field mice, and even a few bold pheasants in the trees and grass all began making an immense commotion at the same time!
“Zhi zhi!”
“Gu gu!”
“Shasha shasha!”
In an instant, the entire area around the slope was filled with the sounds of animals running, jumping, and crying out, and the air became a chaotic cocktail of scents.
The yellow dog’s attention was instantly and completely diverted. Its instincts drove it toward these lively, jumping prey. It abandoned the now-faint human scent and pivoted excitedly to chase after the slowest-running rabbit.
Soon, Lin Dajun, Li Guilan, and the others caught up, panting heavily.
“Why are there so many rabbits here…”
“Look at all these rabbits!” Lin Dajun’s eyes widened as he watched the wild animals scurrying everywhere.
“Forget the rabbits! Where are the dogs? Did they find that dead girl yet?” Li Guilan was far more concerned about her money.
“Look at them—the dogs have gone mad chasing rabbits!” a villager remarked helplessly, pointing at the hounds leaping and bounding through the woods.
Li Guilan burst into a fit of rage, cursing loudly, “You useless brutes! Were you raised to catch rabbits? Get back here!”
But the dogs, their hunting instincts fully ignited by the taunting prey, paid no heed to her shouting.
Hiding inside the cave, Lin Xi watched everything clearly through the gaps in the vines. Her small mouth hung open, her face a mask of shock and disbelief.
She knew this wasn’t a coincidence.
It was these small animals… it was them, protecting her in their own way!
They had used their own bodies as bait, creating a chaotic diversion of noise and scent to provide her cover and lure the hounds and searchers away!
A wave of indescribable emotion and awe surged through her tiny heart. She was a stranger to them, yet in her moment of greatest peril, they had reached out to help her without hesitation.
“It’s getting dark. If we keep searching, we’ll all get trapped in these mountains!”
“Yeah, I think we should just forget it. Most likely, she’s a goner anyway.”
“Let’s go, let’s go. What bad luck!”
The villagers had been searching for half the day and had long since lost their patience. As evening approached, the mountain chill grew heavier; no one wanted to risk their lives for a meager reward.
“A bunch of useless trash!” Li Guilan stamped her feet in fury, but she was powerless. No matter how fierce she was, she too feared the mountain night.
“Damn it, consider her lucky!” Lin Dajun spat bitterly toward the dark depths of the forest. “Let’s go back! I don’t believe a three-year-old kid can survive in these mountains anyway! She’ll either freeze to death or starve! We’ll just be leaving her as a snack for the mountain wolves!”
The group, grumbling and cursing, finally turned around and began their trek back down the mountain path.
The barking and the human voices gradually faded into the distance. Silence returned to the mountain forest once more.
Lin Xi remained motionless in the cave until the last trace of sound vanished into the wind. Only then did she collapse, as if all the strength had been drained from her body.
She… was safe.