The Entire Mountain Is My Hunting Ground

Li Baoyu was usually a carefree sort, but right now, he was acting all shy.

He walked up to Zhao Jun, head bowed, and muttered, "Let’s hurry and unload the Black Bear. I still have to get to work."

"What’s the rush?" Zhao Jun grabbed Li Baoyu and smiled at Liu Tiezui. "Aunt Liu, my Uncle Li is a cadre at the Forest Farm now. You have to introduce my buddy to a good girl—from a cadre’s family, a teacher’s family... just find one for him."

Except for that certain chaotic period, teachers had always been well-respected figures in the Forest Area. And as it happened, Liu Mei’s father was a teacher at the Forest Farm’s elementary school. Her mother was the head of the Yong’an Village Women’s Committee—a position known as the Director of Families in the Forest Area.

Li Baoyu wouldn’t have been considered a worthy match for a family like that before. It was all thanks to Li Dayong’s recent promotion. If it weren’t for that, the Li Family would never have dared to even think about it.

"A cadre’s family, a teacher’s family..." Hearing this, Liu Tiezui sank into thought. But she had the names of every eligible young man and woman in the surrounding villages stored in her head. After a moment, her eyes lit up. "You know," she said to Zhao Jun, "there actually is someone perfect."

"That’s perfect." Zhao Jun gestured toward the Li Family’s gate. "Mom," he said to Wang Meilan, "hurry and take Aunt Liu to talk with my auntie."

"Huh? Oh!" Wang Meilan was stunned. She had barely said a word, and Zhao Jun had already hammered out the details of Li Baoyu’s marriage.

Wang Meilan knew that Li Dayong and Jin Xiaomei would never turn down such a wonderful opportunity.

Wang Meilan helped Liu Tiezui into the Li Family Courtyard. Meanwhile, Zhao Jun called Li Baoyu over to pull the Black Bear off the truck and drag it into his yard.

When the Black Bear was dragged into the yard, the dogs erupted into another frenzy of barking. Zhao Jun said to Li Baoyu, "Baoyu, you don’t need to help skin this. Go on, get to work."

"Uh-huh," Li Baoyu mumbled, but his feet were rooted to the spot.

Zhao Jun saw this and chuckled. "Go on, get to work," he said. "My uncle isn’t home, so my auntie can’t make the decision alone. What are you waiting around for?"

"Hey, what are you talking about!" Li Baoyu’s face flushed red as he spun around and hurried out.

"Heh." Zhao Jun knew Li Baoyu well. It was clear the kid had taken a liking to Liu Mei. ’That’s good, though,’ Zhao Jun thought. ’As long as he likes her, this wasn’t just me meddling for no reason.’

After Li Baoyu left, Zhao Jun started skinning the Black Bear in the courtyard. He’d removed the entire pelt, but Liu Tiezui still hadn’t emerged from the Li’s house.

Zhao Jun then started butchering the bear. He had already carved up half the carcass before he heard the Li’s door open and Liu Tiezui’s voice.

"Oh, don’t see me out. Stay inside."

"I’ll see you out for Xiaomei." It was Wang Meilan’s voice. "I’m heading home anyway."

Hearing their voices, Zhao Jun quickly picked up a nearby Bear’s Paw and headed out of the courtyard.

The moment Liu Tiezui stepped out of the Li Family’s home, she saw Zhao Jun standing by the gate holding a Bear’s Paw. She immediately laughed. "Xiaojun, why don’t you carry this home for me? Your auntie can’t lift it on her own."

Liu Tiezui wasn’t in good health and couldn’t carry a Bear’s Paw that weighed more than ten pounds. The last one she got, Lin Xiangshun had to drive it over to her house.

"I’ll take you!" Before Zhao Jun could speak, Wang Meilan stepped in, took the Bear’s Paw, and began walking with Liu Tiezui.

Just then, Jin Xiaomei came in through the gate. "Xiaojun," she said, "let your auntie help you with that."

"No, no, I’m almost done." Zhao Jun pointed to the chunks of bear meat on the ground. "Auntie, go get a big basin and fill it up to take home. The weather is getting warm, so take it back and eat as much as you like."

"Heh, you silly boy. ’Eat as much as we like’... how much can we possibly eat?" Jin Xiaomei said with a laugh, but then her tone grew emotional. "For the past six months, you’ve taken Baoyu up the mountain, and our home hasn’t once been without meat. Now we have some savings, so when your buddy gets married, we can afford to build a house for him. Auntie..."

"Hey, Auntie!" Zhao Jun cut in with a smile. "Baoyu is my buddy. We’re all like one big family, aren’t we?"

"You’re right!" Jin Xiaomei smiled and stood up. "Then I’ll go get a basin and come back for the meat."

...

At noon, Zhao Jun had a simple lunch at home. Afterward, he went to his room for a nap.

Meanwhile, Wang Meilan started a fire in the main room to stew a thigh from the Black Bear.

Bear meat has to be stewed for a long time, or it won’t taste good. Wang Meilan simmered the thigh for the entire afternoon. Once it was tender, she stripped the meat from the bone, cut it into large chunks similar to those used for braised pork belly, and then started to braise it.

Zhao Youcai got home early that evening, just as the bear meat was coming out of the pot. Things hadn’t been so busy at the Forest Farm lately, which was why the Zhao Family had been able to schedule a meeting with the Ma Family for the day after tomorrow.

Once the bear meat was on the table, Wang Meilan began to stir-fry some vegetables. A dish of sliced cabbage and potatoes was soon ready, and the family gathered around the table to eat.

Zhao Jun had just poured his father a drink when two knocks sounded at the door.

An instant later, the door was pulled open.

Wang Meilan, sitting on the edge of the kang bed-stove, stood up. Before she could take a step, Zhao Jinshan rushed in. He greeted Zhao Youcai with a "Uncle!" and Wang Meilan with an "Auntie!" before turning to Zhao Jun. "Zhao Jun, come with me, quick. There’s a phone call for you."

Zhao Jun immediately had a good idea who it might be. Climbing off the kang, he asked Zhao Jinshan, "Where’s the call from?"

"They said it’s from Yongxing."

"Dad, Mom, you guys start without me," Zhao Jun said as he got down. "Don’t wait up."

"Alright, go on then." Zhao Youcai waved a hand at Zhao Jun, then called out to Zhao Jinshan. "Jinshan, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Come on, up on the kang. Have a drink with your uncle."

"I can’t, Uncle," Zhao Jinshan said, quickly waving his hands in refusal. "My mom’s waiting at home for me. I should get back."

Hearing this, Zhao Youcai didn’t insist. Instead, he said to Wang Meilan, "Give the boy a nice chunk of that Black Bear meat to take with him."

At her husband’s words, Wang Meilan went to the main room to pack some meat for Zhao Jinshan. Zhao Youcai and Zhao Guofeng were very close; even if Zhao Jinshan hadn’t come over that night, Zhao Youcai would have sent some meat to Zhao Guofeng the next morning anyway.

With Zhao Jinshan here, it just saved Zhao Youcai a trip the next day.

By now, Zhao Jun was already gone. It was just a trip to the Village Office to answer the phone; he could get there on his own.

"Auntie, that’s plenty," Zhao Jinshan said, seeing Wang Meilan fill a gunny sack with meat. She’d already packed at least ten pounds’ worth.

In the past, Zhao Jun used to trade meat with him for bullets, but ever since Zhao Jun had struck it rich, that arrangement had ended.

When Zhao Jun arrived at the Village Office, he entered to find Zhao Guofeng already on the phone, just exchanging pleasantries.

Zhao Jun gave the door a couple of light knocks. Zhao Guofeng turned, saw it was him, and quickly waved him over. "Quick, Xiaojun, come."

Zhao Jun walked up, took the receiver, and said, "Hello?" On the other end, he heard the voice of Tao Dabao.

"Zhao Jun, my boy! You been busy lately?"

"Uncle Tao!" Zhao Jun laughed. "Not too busy. I’m on leave right now."

"Leave, huh? That’s great," Tao Dabao said over the phone. "Since you’re on leave, you should come over tomorrow. We’ve got a leopard here, and it’s been eating our brigade’s sheep!"