When Juhua saw them all chasing after the rabbit, she felt a mix of excitement and anxiety, then suddenly realized she was all alone. A glance around revealed sparse woods, overgrown thickets of withered grass, and a silent, empty landscape. Not daring to look any longer, she scrambled after them. 'If a wolf shows up, I'll be helpless. The wolves around here really do eat people.'
After running for a bit, Zhang Huai remembered her and stopped. Turning around, he saw Juhua catching up and quickly reached out to take her hand. He led her onward, their steps sinking unevenly into the ground as they slowly made their way up.
When they reached the top of the hill, they saw Qingmu hurrying back toward them. He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the two, then glanced at Juhua to make sure she was okay before smiling. "Yangzi caught it," he said. "The kid's ecstatic."
