The Entire Mountain Is My Hunting Ground

At first, he thought it was some wild animal and was about to urge his horse-drawn sled to flee when he heard someone cry for help. When he went over to look, he saw that Hu Guangmin’s lower back and buttocks had been torn to shreds by a wild beast.

Fortunately, Hu Guangmin was still conscious and begged the man to take him home.

By the time Hu Guangmin got back to Yongfu Village, it was already past six in the evening. It was too late to head out of the mountains to see a doctor.

Yang Mantang and Hu Guangjun settled him in the village clinic and had the doctor take a look. Hu Guangmin’s left shoulder had been bitten through by a Black Bear, one of his legs was snapped, and everything from his lower back down was clawed to a pulp.

The doctor used scissors to cut off all of Hu Guangmin’s clothes, applied ointment, and gave him an anti-inflammatory shot. Seeing that Hu Guangmin was still relatively lucid, Yang Mantang asked him what had happened.

Hu Guangmin’s experience was similar to Zhou Chengguo’s from last year. He was out hunting roe deer when he ran into an Elder Mountain Dog. The Elder Mountain Dog led him to an Earth Granary, so Hu Guangmin spent the night in the mountains and went to hunt the Earth Granary yesterday morning.

Hu Guangmin was a very cautious hunter. Although he had initially set out just to stalk roe deer, he was still very well-equipped.

He had a roll of bandages and a small pouch of tobacco powder in his satchel. The gun in his hands wasn’t a semi-automatic rifle, just a 16-gauge shotgun, but he had brought eighteen rounds.

When he reached the Earth Granary, Hu Guangmin fired two shots to draw the Black Bear out. The moment the bear exposed the upper half of its body, Hu Guangmin fired a shot right into its left shoulder.

Injured, the Black Bear leaped out. By the time it emerged from the stone cave, Hu Guangmin had already reloaded and aimed for the Black Bear’s heart, firing another shot.

But when he pulled the trigger, the gun didn’t fire.

This was what Hunters called a misfire.

This could be caused by an expanded cartridge casing or a poorly maintained gun.

For a 16-gauge shotgun, the shells could be reused. After firing, you’d pull out the empty casing, take it home, refill it with gunpowder, and use it again.

But when refilling the gunpowder, you had to get the amount just right. Too little, and it wouldn’t have enough power. Too much, and the casing could easily expand. Once the casing expanded, the gun would misfire.

Moreover, in the freezing winters of the Northeast, when a hunter came indoors, his gun would go from the cold outside to the warmth inside. Condensation would form on the cast-iron barrel, coating it with moisture both inside and out. This moisture had to be wiped clean. Otherwise, if the chamber wasn’t properly maintained, the gun would also misfire.

When the gun didn’t fire, Hu Guangmin knew he was in trouble. He tried to break open the shotgun to reload, but the Black Bear was on him in two leaps.

A bear isn’t like a dog. A dog lunges and bites immediately. A bear will stand up to attack with its paws.

This Black Bear rose up, grabbed the gun barrel with one paw, and then yanked it backward with all its might.

Hu Guangmin was in the middle of reloading and didn’t have time to react. The index finger of his right hand, which had been on the trigger, was still inside the trigger guard.

When the Black Bear yanked the gun, it pulled him along with it.

Dragging Hu Guangmin in front of it, the Black Bear lowered its head and bit down. With that one bite, it tore clean through Hu Guangmin’s left shoulder. Then, the Black Bear grabbed Hu Guangmin’s back with its paw and shoved his entire body under its rear.

Because he had been pulled forward, Hu Guangmin ended up lying face down in the snow after the Black Bear sat on him, and his legs were right in front of the bear’s eyes.

Hu Guangmin knew this was bad and instinctively kicked his legs. The Black Bear immediately bit down on his right leg. With a loud CRUNCH, the Black Bear snapped his leg in two.

Only after his leg was broken did Hu Guangmin realize: when a Black Bear sits on you, you must not move. Otherwise, it will bite whatever part of you moves.

The key was that you couldn’t fight it and win. So, in a situation like this, the only option was to play dead. Let it maul you until it’s had enough, and then it would leave on its own.

So, Hu Guangmin buried his face in the snow, not moving a muscle or making a sound.

The Black Bear didn’t hold back. It unfurled its claws and gave Hu Guangmin’s backside a thorough mauling.

Once it had mauled him to its satisfaction, it finally got up and walked away.

After the Black Bear left, Hu Guangmin tried to get up but found that not only was his leg broken, but his lower back was also unresponsive.

Furthermore, all his wounds were on his back, so he couldn’t use the bandages and medicine he’d brought from home. His only choice was to crawl down the mountain, one agonizing pull at a time.

As he watched the sky in the mountains grow darker, Hu Guangmin’s heart sank further and further. Luckily, someone driving a sled passed by at that moment and saved him.

Hu Guangmin spent the night at the clinic, receiving injections. This morning, the village arranged for a vehicle to take him down the mountain to the hospital in town.

His wife, Sun Juan, and his older sister, Hu Guangli, went with him. Yang Mantang stayed home to look after the children, while Hu Guangjun went to borrow more money from relatives and friends for Hu Guangmin’s future medical expenses.

After all, no one expected Hu Guangmin to die. Based on his injuries, they thought he would, at worst, be left with a permanent disability.

But just as Hu Guangjun had borrowed two hundred yuan from his cousins and was about to go to his relatives on his mother’s side to borrow more, he was stopped by Village Chief Jiang Jianshe, who was coming out of the Village Office.

Jiang Jianshe said the driver who took Hu Guangmin to the hospital had just called from town. He said Hu Guangmin had suffered a tetanus attack right as he entered the hospital gates. Before a doctor could even reach him, he was gone.

Hearing this news, Hu Guangjun completely broke down. Crying and wailing, he ran to find his brother-in-law.

After hearing the story, Zhao Jun felt that his old classmate’s luck was just terrible. He’d encountered a misfire while hunting a Black Bear, and after getting injured, he’d contracted tetanus.

’For Hu Guangmin to get injured yesterday morning and have a tetanus attack this morning, in less than twenty-four hours... that’s incredibly rare.’

’You could only say that fate had dealt him a bitter hand.’

"Brother," Zhao Jun said to Yang Mantang after a moment of thought. "Guangmin and I were deskmates in school. We were good friends. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll speak plainly."

"Go ahead, brother," Yang Mantang replied. He had gradually composed himself. He was, after all, just the brother-in-law. He was fond of Hu Guangmin, but their bond wasn’t profoundly deep.

Besides, he would probably be the one to handle Hu Guangmin’s funeral arrangements. Even though it was a sad occasion, someone had to organize it, and the friends and relatives who came to pay their respects could not be slighted.

Zhao Jun said, "Brother, your family are hunters, so you should know. In a situation like Guangmin’s, the village probably won’t allow his body to be brought back."

"Ah," Yang Mantang exclaimed upon hearing this.

Hearing this, Hu Guangjun, who was standing to the side, quickly asked, "Brother Jun, what do you mean?"

Yang Mantang held out a hand to stop Hu Guangjun, sighed, and said, "Guangjun, go find your Brother Ming and Brother Liang. Have them help us set things up. We’ll need to build a mourning shed outside the village."

"What for?" Hu Guangjun grew more and more confused. ’My brother is dead, so why can’t he be brought back to the village? Why can’t he even enter his own home?’

The moment Hu Guangjun finished speaking, dogs started barking outside, followed by someone knocking on the door.

Yang Mantang quickly got up and went to the outer room to open the door. It was the Village Chief, Jiang Jianshe.

Jiang Jianshe came inside, glanced at Hu Guangjun, and said to Yang Mantang, "Mantang, you’ve heard about Guangmin. If there’s anything you need help with, just let me know."

Before Yang Mantang could reply, Jiang Jianshe continued, "As for our village’s customs... I don’t need to spell it out for you. Should we set up the shed outside the village, or should we build one up in the mountains?"

At these words, Hu Guangjun shot up from the kang, but Zhao Jun pushed him back down. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Hu Guangjun whipped his head around to see Zhao Jun shaking his head at him, then jutting his chin toward Yang Mantang.

He was telling Hu Guangjun that his brother-in-law was there and wouldn’t let him be wronged.

Jiang Jianshe turned his head but didn’t look at Hu Guangjun, merely nodding at Zhao Jun. Like Zhao Guofeng of Yong’an Village, he was both Village Chief and Director of Security. On his own turf, he was the boss.

His coming to Yang Mantang’s house to say this meant the matter was already set in stone. Whether Hu Guangjun understood or not, he couldn’t fight against authority.

Yang Mantang said, "Director, let’s just build the shed outside the village. That way, Guangmin can still be close to home."

Hearing Yang Mantang say this, Jiang Jianshe’s expression softened. He let out a soft sigh and turned to leave.

As Yang Mantang saw Jiang Jianshe out, Hu Guangjun asked Zhao Jun, "Brother Jun, why can’t my brother come back to the village?"

Zhao Jun shook his head and said in a low voice, "Guangjun, Guangmin didn’t die of old age, nor did he die from a normal illness. He was mauled to death by a Black Bear. According to the old customs, his body can’t enter the village."