The Entire Mountain Is My Hunting Ground

Zhao Youcai had already finished eating and was sitting to one side, wrapping puttees around his calves. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Seeing this, Zhao Jun shook his head and thought, ’They’re all just a bunch of addicts.’

Zhao Youcai glanced up at Zhao Jun and asked flatly, "What are you up so early for?"

Zhao Jun smiled. "I have to go check the gall traps I set before the New Year."

"Hmph." Zhao Youcai snorted, climbing off the edge of the kang. He stomped his feet, then picked up a nearby mug and took a gulp of water.

Just then, the door to the Zhao family’s house was pulled open from the outside, and Li Dayong walked in, bringing a blast of cold air with him.

"Uncle Li."

Li Dayong grunted an absentminded reply, strode into the inner room, and greeted Wang Meilan. "Eating, Meilan?"

"Oh, Dayong! Have you eaten? If not..."

Wang Meilan was just being polite, about to ask him to join them if he hadn’t eaten yet.

But Li Dayong hadn’t heard a word she said. He walked right up to Zhao Youcai and asked, "Ready to go, Brother?"

Zhao Youcai snapped the lid on a nearby lunchbox and handed it to Li Dayong. The aluminum container was packed full of sticky bean buns.

Once Li Dayong had tucked the aluminum lunchbox into the satchel at his side, Zhao Youcai stood up. He walked past Li Dayong to the front door and said to Zhao Jun, who was standing in the doorway, "Move aside."

Zhao Jun quickly stepped aside. He watched as Zhao Youcai closed the door and took a semi-automatic rifle down from the wall behind it.

He held the first rifle in one hand, then took down a second one, handing both to Li Dayong.

After Li Dayong had slung both rifles over his shoulders, Zhao Youcai slung the last one over his own.

With the rifles ready, Zhao Youcai pulled four packs of ammunition from a canvas pouch hanging on the wall. He handed two packs straight to Li Dayong and stuffed the other two into his own coat and pants pockets.

Wang Meilan put down her chopsticks. Looking at Zhao Youcai, she said, "Be careful out there!"

Zhao Youcai didn’t reply. He just pulled open the door and walked out, with Li Dayong following close behind.

Seeing her husband’s silence, Wang Meilan seemed to recall something and let out a sudden laugh. She said to Zhao Jun, "Son, hurry up and eat. Don’t mind him. Your father’s always like this before a hunt."

"Okay." Zhao Jun sat down on the edge of the kang, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and started to eat.

But he had only taken a few bites when the door to his house was pulled open again.

"Brother!"

Hearing that form of address, Zhao Jun knew without a doubt that it had to be Li Baoyu.

Zhao Jun sighed and put down his chopsticks. "We’re just checking the gall traps. What’s the rush?"

Li Baoyu strode over to the kang, greeted Wang Meilan, then turned to Zhao Jun. "My dad and my uncle went up the mountain to hunt the Pig God! Aren’t we going?"

"Nope." Zhao Jun fished a slice of wild boar meat out of a serving dish and stuffed it into his mouth. "After we check the traps," he said, chewing, "we can move them to a new mountain. Wouldn’t it be better to spend our time making some money?"

"Isn’t that the truth," Wang Meilan chimed in. "Baoyu, don’t be like your uncle and the others. What’s the point of hunting that Big Cannon Egg? Its meat is too tough to eat and its hide is worthless. Why bother with it?"

Only then did Wang Meilan seem to remember. "Oh dear, Baoyu, have you eaten?"

"I’ve eaten, Auntie." Li Baoyu still seemed reluctant to give up. He turned to Zhao Jun. "Why don’t we just tag along and watch the excitement? I’ve never seen anything like it. We’re talking about over a hundred boars!"

Zhao Jun shook his head. "If we go, we’ll have to walk for ages. Won’t you get tired?"

"Tired?" Li Baoyu exclaimed. "We can go by car with them!"

"What?"

"You don’t know, Brother?" Li Baoyu said. "Brother Shunzi’s driving. They went by car."

"My God!" Driving into the mountains to hunt these days? What kind of VIP treatment was that? Suddenly, the frozen tofu dipped in chili oil lost all its flavor in Zhao Jun’s mouth.

Wang Meilan was also astonished. "Well, aren’t they making a big production out of it!"