The winters in this region were quite cold. A heavy snow could fall in a flash, and a single trip outside was enough to frostbite your face.

Vegetable seedlings struggled to survive the winter. When it grew very cold, they had to be covered with blankets woven from straw stalks. If the cold became even more severe, one might even need to buy oilcloth for them.

The snow had to be cleared as soon as possible to keep it from crushing the seedlings. Then, when the weather improved, one had to seize the warmest part of the day at noon to lift the straw covers, allowing the seedlings to breathe. This prevented them from either suffocating or stunting their growth from a lack of sunlight.

All in all, it was a task that required constant care and effort. That was why people could only grow a small amount at home. If the vegetables were planted in the fields, one would have to worry about wild animals coming to ruin the crop, not to mention birds pecking at the sprouts.

It was precisely because it was such an arduous and painstaking process that a single moment of carelessness could wash all one’s hard work away. Consequently, very few people grew winter vegetables. Even those families who did would only plant a small patch in their own courtyards, where they could tend to it at a moment’s notice.

Chen Wanqing could never have imagined that here, in this county town, there was a family capable of growing winter vegetables in their backyard. And not only that, but that there were also wild rabbits that could smell the vegetables, dig a hole, and sneak into the yard to steal them.

Zhao Jing said, "Sister, look at that hole over there. It was probably made by that gray rabbit. We need to patch it up as soon as possible, or I’m afraid this half-acre patch of vegetables will be a total loss."

Chen Wanqing looked in the direction Zhao Jing indicated, and sure enough, she saw a palm-sized hole near the base of the wall. A pile of straw stalks lay nearby, likely kept for covering the seedlings. It was this pile of straw that had kept the rabbit hole from being too conspicuous.

’But since this vegetable patch is here to stay, it has to be managed properly. The little seedlings have already sprouted, after all. It would be a shame for them to be destroyed, and an even greater shame to let a rabbit eat them. That being the case, the only option is to block the rabbit hole.’

’But these rabbit critters are masters of digging. Just blocking the hole probably won’t solve the fundamental problem. The only way is to get rid of the problem at its source—ahem, to catch that rabbit directly. That’s the only way to resolve this.’

"Jing, let’s set a small tra—"

What Chen Wanqing meant to say was that they shouldn’t block the hole just yet. Instead, they should set a small trap beside the entrance, right in the rabbit’s path, to catch the gray culprit.

But before she could finish her sentence, she felt a hot breath ghosting across her cheek.

At some point, Zhao Jing had moved to stand directly before her. The distance between them was so slight it made her feel short of breath.

His audacious gaze fell upon her face. Those eyes, normally so clear and restrained, were now tinged with the light of indulgence.

The afternoon sun blazed down, making Chen Wanqing feel dizzy, as if even her legs were floating.

"Sister, what was that you said? Your voice was too quiet; I couldn’t hear you clearly. Sister, could you say it again?"

They were too close. The scent of paper and ink from his clothes, along with the faint, lingering aroma of Moonlight Fragrance, drifted in wisps to Chen Wanqing’s nose.

The scents followed her breath, seeping into her lungs and spreading through every inch of her body. For a moment, they paralyzed her nerves, leaving her feeling weak and pliant.

It was as if something had lodged in Chen Wanqing’s throat, and she was suddenly unable to speak.

But her eyes could still see. She looked at Jing and saw him lower his head, as if fighting some inner turmoil, his breath falling even hotter against her cheek.

"Sis, why are you two still outside? I’m already done looking at that room. Don’t tell me you haven’t even been inside yet?"

Chen De’an shuffled over, his footsteps loud. The sight that greeted him was Jing staring blankly at a rabbit hole, while his sister—he couldn’t tell if she was frightened or just flushed from the sun—had bright red cheeks. Her dark eyes glistened as if they held the light of a thousand rosy clouds.

Chen Wanqing turned and went into the house. "We were so focused on the rabbit hole, I completely forgot to go inside and have a look. De’an, you and Jing should build a trap. It’ll keep that rabbit from coming back to ruin the vegetable patch."

"Oh, sweet! I’m on it. I love this kind of stuff. Once we catch the rabbit, we can get Mom to make us Kung Pao Rabbit. And hey, let me tell you, that restaurant might be expensive, but it’s for a good reason. Just think about that Kung Pao Rabbit we had today—it was spicy, numbing, and so fragrant. My mouth waters just thinking about it. I wonder if Mom knows how to cook it... and if one rabbit will even be enough for all of us."

Full of excitement, Chen De’an headed over to the rabbit hole. He gestured this way and that, trying to figure out the best place to set his trap.

Once he had worked out a plan, he turned to call Zhao Jing over to give him a hand. But he found Jing looking as if he were possessed, staring dazedly at a single spot, lost in thought.

"Jing, what’s wrong with you? Did that rabbit scare the soul right out of your body? Come on, snap out of it and get over here. I need a hand."

"I’m coming," Zhao Jing replied, his voice hoarse, as he tore his gaze away from the house.

’Sister had walked into the inner part of the house. Now, all he could hear was the faint sound of her footsteps, but he could no longer see her.’

’But her delicate fragrance, like that of a lotus or an orchid, clung to his heart like a spider’s web. Her misty, glistening eyes seemed to have locked him in place, making it agonizingly difficult to break free, to take even a single step.’