The Entire Mountain Is My Hunting Ground

Without missing a beat, Han Shang said, "Aunt Yang’s tab is 3.52 yuan, and Zhang Yuanmin’s is 1.43."

"So, 4.95 yuan," Zhao Jun replied instantly. He counted out five yuan from his pocket and handed it to Han Shang. "Give me a roll of bandages with the remaining five fen."

On his last trip to Yongfu Village, Zhao Jun had seen Yang Mantang carrying bandages when he went hunting in the mountains. It made him think that while he couldn’t afford them before, now that he had money, he shouldn’t skimp on his dogs.

Han Shang took the money, tucked it in his pocket, and opened the medical kit on his back. He pulled out one roll of bandages, but then paused, took out another half-roll, and handed them both to Zhao Jun. "This half-roll is on the house."

"Thanks, Doctor Han," Zhao Jun said with a smile, accepting them.

"Well then," Han Shang said. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going."

"Take care, Doctor Han," Yang Yufeng called after him.

Once he was gone, she turned to Zhao Jun with a wry smile. "Brother, what am I supposed to say to that?"

"Don’t say a word, Sister-in-law." Zhao Jun gestured toward the house. "Let’s go inside and talk."

"Right, right, come inside, Brother."

When Zhao Jun went inside, he saw Zhang Yuanmin sitting on the heated brick bed, watching his little girl do her homework.

Zhang Yuanmin had been clawed twice by Xiong Ba during their last hunt, but his thick, padded cotton jacket had kept the wounds from being too deep. After two weeks of resting on the heated brick bed, his injuries had closed up. He couldn’t do any strenuous exercise yet, but he could move around the house just fine.

"Well, look at you!" Zhang Yuanmin’s face lit up when he saw Zhao Jun. He grinned. "My brother’s here! Quick, get up on the bed."

With that, he turned his head and said to Yang Yufeng, "Honey, run to the village store and buy our brother something to eat. It’s a festival today, let’s have him stay for dinner."

"Alright, I’ll go now." Yang Yufeng agreed immediately and turned to leave.

Zhao Jun immediately stopped her. He didn’t have to ask—he knew that if she went to the village store, she would just put it on their tab.

Zhao Jun’s heart warmed as he recalled how hospitably Zhang Yuanmin and Yang Yufeng had treated him just a few days prior. He said to Zhang Yuanmin, "Big Brother, don’t trouble Sister-in-law. They’re already cooking at my place. I’ll just stay for a little while before I head back."

"Alright, then," Zhang Yuanmin said upon hearing this. "In that case, bring Baoyu with you some other day, and your Big Brother will set you both up properly."

At that moment, Yang Yufeng walked to Zhang Yuanmin’s side and whispered, "Doctor Han from the clinic just came by to collect on our tab. Brother paid it all off with five yuan."

When he heard this, Zhang Yuanmin blinked. He pressed his lips together, then turned to look at Zhao Jun. He didn’t say a word, simply offering a smile.

Zhao Jun smiled back. "Let me see how my niece’s handwriting is coming along." He leaned to one side to look at the little girl’s notebook.

Zhang Yuanmin’s daughter was named Zhang Ling, but everyone called her Lingdang. She was a year older than Zhao Hong. At Zhao Jun’s words, the little girl smiled at him and moved the hand resting on her notebook so he could get a better look.

Zhao Jun saw that her characters were neat and orderly, but she was using a tiny pencil stub to write on the back of the used pages.

"Big Brother," Zhao Jun said, looking up at Zhang Yuanmin with a smile. "The price of Bear Gall has gone up again at the big store down in the town."

"Really?" Zhang Yuanmin’s eyes lit up. "Once I’m healed up, I’m definitely going to get me a couple of Black Bears."

"Oh, you just settle down," Yang Yufeng interjected. She reflexively reached out to shove him, but then remembered his injuries and pulled her hand back. "If Brother hadn’t found someone to rescue you, you’d have been a goner up on that mountain."

At her words, a faint blush spread across Zhang Yuanmin’s weathered cheeks. He turned to Yang Yufeng. "I’m talking to my brother, don’t you go meddling. Hurry up and pour him some water."

Yang Yufeng was about to fire back a retort at the first part of his sentence, but the second half made her snap to her senses. She gave Zhao Jun an apologetic smile. "You just stay seated, Brother," she said, heading for the outer room. "I’ll go get you some water!"

Only after Yang Yufeng had left the room did Zhang Yuanmin say to Zhao Jun, "Brother, don’t listen to your sister-in-law’s nonsense. Your Big Brother just had a run of bad luck, that’s all. Otherwise, I would’ve had that thing in the bag."

Zhao Jun was rendered speechless by this and could only offer a weak smile.

Zhao Jun’s silence only seemed to fuel Zhang Yuanmin’s excitement. He glanced toward the door, and seeing that the wet blanket hadn’t returned, he craned his neck forward, waved Zhao Jun closer, and whispered, "Brother, I’m only telling you this. You can’t repeat it to anyone else."

Zhao Jun exchanged a helpless glance with Little Lingdang, then said to Zhang Yuanmin, "Big Brother, you really don’t have to tell me."

"No, I have to." Looking as secretive as a thief, Zhang Yuanmin whispered, "Your Big Brother may have been lying here on this bed, but I haven’t been idle."

Zhao Jun’s eyes widened. "What... have you been up to?"

Zhang Yuanmin said, "Lying on this bed, I’ve come up with several brilliant schemes."

His voice was so low that even with his ears pricked, Zhao Jun couldn’t hear clearly. He asked, "You want to eat several what now?"

"What do you mean, ’eat’?" Zhang Yuanmin said. "Schemes!"

Seeing the blank look on Zhao Jun’s face, Zhang Yuanmin’s eyes glinted. He whispered, "For the past two weeks, all I’ve been thinking about are brilliant schemes for taking on a Black Bear’s Den! I don’t care if it’s a Celestial Granary or an Earth Granary—when the time comes, your Big Brother will lead the way. As soon as we find a den, I guarantee we’ll be able to crack it."

Zhao Jun’s heart skipped a beat. He forced a helpless smile and was about to speak when Zhang Yuanmin suddenly sat bolt upright. His expression shifted to one of utmost seriousness as he pointed at Little Lingdang and said, "My boy, you focus on your writing, you hear?"

In the Northeast, some families without a son like to call their daughter "my boy." There’s no particular reason for it; they just get a kick out of saying it.