The Entire Mountain Is My Hunting Ground

Zhao Jun returned, put Cyan Dragon and Black Dragon back in the storage shed, and saw a large pot half-full of whole potatoes simmering on the stove the moment he walked in the door.

This was breakfast for the big dogs in the yard.

Just then, Wang Meilan brought out a small stool and joined Zhao Youcai in washing bedsheets and duvet covers.

There was a huge pile. If they didn’t finish washing it all this morning, it wouldn’t dry by today, and tonight the entire family, except for Zhao Jun, would have no bedding.

"Son!" Wang Meilan pointed to the stovetop. Two iron basins were stacked there, the top one filled with soybeans. She said to Zhao Jun, "Go to the tofu workshop, pick up two blocks of firm tofu, and trade the rest for some soft tofu curd."

In the Northeast, people don’t say they’re "buying" tofu, nor do they say they’re "trading" for it.

You "pick it up!"

"You got it!" Zhao Jun replied, grabbing the iron basin and heading out the door.

In those days, you could trade for firm tofu and pressed tofu at the local workshop, and you could get soft tofu curd, too.

But they only had it in the morning, and it was always savory.

When Zhao Jun returned with the soft tofu curd, he saw that the yard was already filled with drying bedsheets and duvet covers, and the five dogs were already eating their breakfast.

He went inside to find the large pot steaming away; Zhao Youcai was already steaming a batch of buns. Although they had soft tofu curd, there were no fried dough sticks, making the steamed buns a top-tier staple for the meal.

Zhao Jun placed the basin of firm tofu on the stovetop, then carried the one with the soft tofu curd into the east room and set it on the kang table.

Then he came out of the inner room, opened the dish cabinet, and gathered five pairs of chopsticks and a ladle. Gripping them in one fist, he used his other hand to carry five bowls back to the east room.

While Zhao Jun ladled the soft tofu curd into bowls, Zhao Youcai was at the stove chopping pickled cucumbers. He minced the cucumbers from the pickle jar, mixed them with the firm tofu, and drizzled a bit of sesame oil over the top.

Then, he scooped out a small bowlful and set it aside, adding a dash of chili oil to the large portion remaining on the plate. The part without chili oil was for the two little girls, while the spicy version was for the three adults.

By then, Wang Meilan was already washing the two little girls’ faces and braiding their hair.

Zhao Jun came out and carried the plate and the small bowl of pickled cucumbers with tofu into the inner room. Zhao Youcai took the buns out of the steamer, and soon seventeen large, steaming-hot buns were piled into a large basin and placed on the kang.

With the meal ready, the father and son didn’t wait for the mother and two girls; they just grabbed their chopsticks and dug in. The pickled cucumber and tofu dish really whet the appetite.

The steamed buns and soft tofu curd were pretty good, too.

"Dad, did you mix cornmeal into these buns?" The atmosphere was a little awkward, so Zhao Jun asked the first thing that came to mind to break the silence.

"Mhm, your mom added it," Zhao Youcai answered flatly, then lowered his head and slurped his soft tofu curd.

"Brother."

"Brother."

Just then, the two little girls ran into the room, both calling out to their brother.

Zhao Youcai looked up at Zhao Hong.

Although the little girl had gotten a beating yesterday because of him, he was still her father. Zhao Hong quickly called out, "Dad." Only then did Zhao Youcai clear his throat and say, "Hurry and eat before it gets cold."

The two little girls climbed onto the kang and bit into their buns. Wang Meilan came in to eat as well. Strangely, the family of five ate in total silence, everyone just quietly shoveling food into their mouths.

Being so little, she naturally didn’t have a big appetite.

Little Zhao Na was full after a couple of bites. She put the large remaining piece of her bun in Zhao Youcai’s bowl, but she drank all the soft tofu curd left in her own small bowl.

For the little girl, the soft tofu curd was a rare and delicious treat.

"Mom," Zhao Na, having finished her food, sidled up to Wang Meilan and asked timidly, "can I have a piece of candy?"

"Mm," Wang Meilan grunted in acknowledgment, then said, "Wait until I’ve finished eating. I’ll get you one then."

Zhao Na was still too young to understand the concept of pushing one’s luck. Hearing that her mother would give her candy, she pressed on, "Can I have a soda, too?"

At that, Wang Meilan turned and shot a glare at Zhao Youcai. Then she ignored everyone and just focused on her meal.

Seeing this, Zhao Na’s little face instantly fell, her unhappiness written all over it.

Zhao Jun suddenly had an idea. He smiled at Zhao Na and said, "Hey, little sis, those sodas are all for you and your sister. Dad, Mom, and I won’t drink them. We’re saving them all for you two."

Hearing this, Zhao Na immediately scooted over to Zhao Jun, grabbing his arm and wheedling, "Brother, I want to drink it now."

Wang Meilan’s brow furrowed. She turned, about to tell Zhao Na, "Don’t bother your brother while he’s eating," but before she could get the words out, she saw Zhao Jun shake his head at her.

Although she didn’t know what he meant, Wang Meilan kept quiet.

Then, they heard Zhao Jun say to Zhao Na, "Hey, little sis, you wet the bed last night, so you can’t drink any more today."

"Huh?" The little girl didn’t know she had wet the bed because she’d had too much to drink before bed, but Zhao Jun’s words still made her a little embarrassed.

Zhao Jun added, "Listen, sis, you know that boy from the Zhou family at the south end of the village? Everyone calls him the Bedwetting King. You don’t want people calling you that too, do you?"

Zhao Na might be small, but at five years old, she understood enough to be embarrassed. At Zhao Jun’s words, she immediately started shaking her head like a rattle-drum.

Meanwhile, Zhao Hong, who had been sitting on the sidelines watching her little sister lead the charge and hoping to freeload on the treats, shot to her feet. "Brother, you can’t tell anyone about this!" she said anxiously to Zhao Jun.

Then she turned to Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan. "Dad, Mom, you can’t tell anyone either!"

Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan exchanged a baffled look.

Hearing this, Zhao Jun smiled at Zhao Hong. "Dad, Mom, and I are adults. Why would we tell anyone about that? It’s you two who need to keep quiet about it."

"We won’t say a word!" Zhao Hong grabbed Zhao Na. At eight years old, she was terrified of people finding out she’d wet the bed. If word got out at school, her social life would be over.

"Exactly!" Zhao Jun nodded emphatically. He told Zhao Hong, "You two can’t say a single thing about what happened last night!"

The moment Zhao Jun said this, realization dawned on Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan.

Zhao Youcai felt a pang of retroactive fear. The two little girls had witnessed him and Wang Meilan coming to blows last night. If they spread that around, he, Master Chef Zhao, would lose all face.

At this thought, Zhao Youcai gave Zhao Jun a long, hard look. ’That little brat has really gotten sensible!’ he thought to himself.

Zhao Jun felt his ears burn, but he focused on the task at hand, hastily instructing his two sisters, "And you especially can’t tell Li Xiaoqiao. You know what a big mouth your Brother Ruhai has. If word gets to him, every village for miles will know you two wet the bed."

"Mm-hm, mm-hm." Zhao Hong nodded her head like a chicken pecking at grain. She had already made up her mind: she would rather die than say anything about what happened last night. And she had to watch her little sister, Zhao Na, to make sure she didn’t say anything either!

Zhao Jun ate three steamed buns and drank two bowls of soft tofu curd. Once he’d had his fill, he went back to his room to rest for a bit before changing his clothes to get ready for work.

But for some reason, images of the two little black bear cubs at Zhang Laibao’s place kept flashing through his mind.

"Brother!" Just then, someone knocked on the window, and Li Baoyu’s voice followed.

Zhao Jun grabbed his satchel, slung it over his shoulder, called out a goodbye to Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan, and left.