Chapter Thirty-Six: The Rabbit Has Disappeared

As soon as Gu Xiaoxiao climbed the mountain, she seemed to be injected with a burst of energy, dragging Fubao all over the hills—no one could stop her!

Meng Xuan muttered, “Country bumpkin!”

But Fubao was still remembering what her uncle had said: she had to find a wife for her little bunny! Up ahead, Fubao was rummaging through the underbrush, while behind her the little duckling pecked here and there!

As for Little Black, he was dashing wildly back and forth!

Wait—where was the little bunny? Fubao suddenly realized something: her rabbit was missing!

Meng Xuan managed to catch the overexcited Gu Xiaoxiao and dragged her back, only to start searching for the rabbit again. The rabbit was small but lively, and Fubao always took such good care of it, feeding it well, so it was round and plump!

“Bunny, bunny, where are you? Fubao is looking for you!” Her soft, childish voice cupped into a megaphone as she called out.

“Maybe someone caught the rabbit to cook it?” Gu Xiaoxiao said, poking around the bushes with a small stick she’d found from who knows where, hoping to spot the bunny.

“Can’t you say something nice, you jinx! Maybe you’ll be the one getting cooked!” Meng Xuan retorted, hugging the little duckling. Why couldn’t this girl say something pleasant for once?

Though, to be honest, it wasn’t impossible...

They exchanged glances—hurry and search! What if it really had been cooked?

Meanwhile, Fubao herself... had disappeared again!

Hugging Little Black, Fubao was pawing through the bushes. Not here, not there! Where could it have gone?

Hunter Gu Yun was at that very moment on the mountain, tracking ginseng. He’d come up the night before to hunt—only at night did the good stuff come out! He’d wandered the mountain for half a day without seeing so much as a hair, and was about to give up when he suddenly caught a peculiar scent in the air. Ordinary people wouldn’t notice, but Gu Yun knew! There was treasure about!

Though, the scent was a bit odd...

No matter, the important thing was to find it!

Following the scent up the trail, Gu Yun soon saw a chubby little figure at the riverbank, back to him, bare-bottomed—no, actually, entirely bare (the little ginseng sprite: “Hey! I wasn’t completely naked, I had a little bellyband! Wasn’t it obvious enough?”)—with a cute little tuft of hair tied on top.

And the little sprite was peeing into the river?! Ah, now Gu Yun understood where that strange smell was coming from.

But then he remembered he had just drunk from that river on his way past...

Ugh... he wanted to vomit!

But now was not the time—catching this chubby rascal was more important!

Just as the little ginseng sprite finished his “important business” and turned around, he locked eyes with Gu Yun, who was lurking suspiciously in the underbrush.

Eye to eye.

The ginseng sprite: ...

Gu Yun: ...

Suddenly, chaos erupted in the woods—birds flying, rabbits leaping! The bunny was so frightened it moved house; no wonder Little White couldn’t find a wife.

Gu Yun drew on the skills he’d learned from his master, chasing the ginseng sprite all over the mountain. In the end, it slipped away, but he managed to grab a big handful of ginseng whiskers. Not bad, still a profit.

It was the first time in his life he’d seen such a robust ginseng—clearly a spirit that had escaped from the mountain!

That morning, after stuffing himself with several bowls of rice, he returned to the hunt, hoping to seize his chance and catch it!

It would have been even better without an extra burden tagging along!

The tagalong, Gu Li: “Careful, or I’ll fry you!”

Gu Yun: ...

After fishing his reckless young master out of a trap, Gu Yun tossed him to his attendant and went off to hunt.

Now, Gu Yun was crouched in the branches of a large tree, scanning the area. Not far off, there was a rustling in the underbrush—what was that?

And so, Fubao ended up in Gu Yun’s hands, the two of them staring wide-eyed at each other.

Little Black, in her arms, barked at Gu Yun.

Gu Li, arriving in time, blinked: “So this is the treasure Gu Yun was talking about?”

Gu Yun: “...”

“What’s your name?” Gu Li asked, tilting up Fubao’s dirty chin. Why was Gu Pu taking so long just to fetch water?

Gu Li had barely climbed out of the trap and hadn’t even washed his face when he encountered Fubao.

(Author: Ha! What a memorable meeting! Gu Li: “I’m picking up my sledgehammer—it’s all your fault! I’m going on strike!”)

“Hmm, my name is Fubao—Fu for fortune, Bao for treasure,” Fubao replied sweetly in her childish voice. “Big brother, you look so pitiful without any water to wash your face!”

“Oh? You can read?” Gu Li was surprised. At her age, she knew so much?

“No, my mother taught me! I can recite the Three Character Classic and the beginning of ‘On the Nature of Man’...” Fubao said proudly, hugging Little Black.

Gu Li: “...” So, only the Three Character Classic—but still, not bad.

“By the way, why are you here?” Gu Li suddenly remembered they were deep in the mountains—where did this little girl come from?

“Oh no, I haven’t found my bunny yet! My bunny is looking for a wife and disappeared. I’m looking for my bunny!” Fubao remembered her mission and pouted.

“Your bunny, looking for a wife?” What kind of nonsense was this? Gu Li was baffled.

But when he saw how anxious she looked, he said, “Alright, tell me what your bunny looks like and we’ll help you find it!”

“It’s white, with red eyes, and long ears,” Fubao replied in her childish voice.

Gu Li and Gu Yun: “...” Don’t they all look like that?

“Its name is Little White,” Fubao added.

At that moment, the pouch at Gu Yun’s waist wriggled.

Gu Yun: ???

“Woof woof!” Little Black barked at Gu Yun.

Gu Yun: ???

Gu Li: ???

Fubao: Hmm~

All eyes—two people and a dog—immediately turned to stare.

Gu Yun: ???

Finally, they managed to rescue Little White, the poor bunny who was nearly suffocating in the pouch!

Just then, Meng Xuan arrived, dragging Gu Xiaoxiao, who had a big lump on her head. When he saw Fubao, Meng Xuan nearly burst into tears—his niece wasn’t lost! Thank heavens! Now he wouldn’t have to fear his sister killing him!

“Uncle Meng, how are you here?” Fubao asked, as Meng Xuan hugged her tightly, the three pets crowding around excitedly.

Meanwhile, Gu Li, looking at the filthy Meng Xuan, asked in confusion, “And who are you?”