HPDBC Chapter 1922 The Zhao Family Gang Descends the Mountain, The Zhao Family Hunting Gang Ascends the Mo
Chapter 1922 The Zhao Family Gang Descends the Mountain, The Zhao Family Hunting Gang Ascends the Mo
Chapter 1922 The Zhao Family Gang Descends the Mountain, The Zhao Family Hunting Gang Ascends the Mountain
In the forest, the four members of the Bai family gang, led by Bai Sanzhi, were searching for the wild ginseng they believed had run away.
"Huff... Huff..." Just then, a beast's roar came with the wind.
Upon hearing this sound, Bai Sanzhi and his three companions were all startled. Bai Sanzhi, the most experienced of them, shouted loudly and then swung his rope and stick at a nearby tree.
"Crack!" Suo slammed the stick against the tree, the impact making Bai Sanzhi's hand numb and painful. But Bai Sanzhi didn't care about that at the moment, continuing to swing the stick at the tree while shouting.
Not far from him, Bai Qingshan and his two companions followed Bai Sanzhi's example, and for a time, shouts and the sound of trees being pulled apart filled the forest.
"Clang...clang..." But the beast's roar grew louder and louder, and it was clear that the sound was coming down from the hillside. At the same time, the tree branches cracked and sputtered.
Looking up, Bai Sanzhi saw that twenty meters above, the lush green branches were arching, as if some large creature was moving through the forest.
In the blink of an eye, the guy rushed down the mountain.
Seeing the tree branches twitching ten meters in front of him, Bai Sanzhi was terrified and shouted to Bai Qingshan and the other two, "Run!"
Then, Bai Sanzhi picked up the rope, grabbed the stick, and ran down the mountain. Bai Qingshan, Bai Zhiping, and Bai Zhijie followed closely behind. The four of them even abandoned the water bottles and satchels hanging on the tree and ran down the mountain as fast as they could.
The Bai family members quickly disappeared on the sled track, at which point Zhao Jun and Wang Qiang emerged from behind a tree.
Wang Qiang smiled and gave Zhao Jun a thumbs up, saying, "Nephew, you're really something."
"What's wrong, Uncle?" Zhao Jun asked. Wang Qiang replied, "You're imitating the sound of a black bear too well."
"Haha..." Zhao Jun laughed and said, "Come on, Uncle, let's pack our things and leave quickly."
When the uncle and nephew returned to the shack, Xing San and the others had already packed their luggage. The group rummaged through the jeep to load their belongings, and it took them two trips to finally get everything onto the Liberation truck.
It was already past 3 p.m., and I didn't get home until 6 p.m.
Ma Yang was about to get out of the car when they arrived at their destination, so Zhao Jun stopped the car and said to him, "Little brother, when you get home, be good at talking, don't always make our dad angry."
“Hey, brother-in-law…” Ma Yang agreed readily, but before he could finish speaking, Li Ruhai said, “Ma Lao Er, if you believe me, then don’t go back.”
"Huh?" Ma Yang was taken aback. Li Ruhai laughed and said, "Even if you go back, I, your Uncle Ma, will have to beat you out."
"Get out of my way!" Ma Yang glared at Li Ruhai, then waved to Zhao Jun and left.
Zhao Jun shook his head as he watched Ma Yang's departing figure, then started his car and drove home.
At this moment, the doors of the Zhao family compound were open, and steam from cooking was billowing out of the rooms.
At this time, everyone has returned from work.
When Li Dazhi entered the house, he first looked at the dishes on the table, and then asked Wang Meilan with a smile, "Miss, did Xiaojun and the others not bring back any meat today?"
"No." Wang Meilan shook her head. Li Dayong, who was standing next to her, glanced at Zhao Youcai's expression before saying to Li Dazhi, "How could they be hitting things every day? What kind of handles do they use?"
Li Dazhi glanced at Li Dayong, smiled, and remained silent. Just then, Lin Xiangshun delivered some good news. Before leaving get off work today, Zhou Jianjun came to the logistics department to tell him that Zhao Jun's application for the forestry security post, as well as the transfers of Lin Xiangshun and Ma Sheng, had all been processed, and they should register with personnel tomorrow.
Hearing Lin Xiangshun's words, Zhao Youcai felt even more uncomfortable and immediately told Li Dayong to pour him some wine.
Everyone sat down at the table, and just as they put down their chopsticks and bowls, they heard barking dogs coming from the backyard, followed by car horns.
"Oh! You're back?" Wang Meilan's eyes lit up. She immediately handed the spatula to Jin Xiaomei and ran outside.
Li Ruhai got out of the car and opened the gate. The jeep and the Jiefang truck drove into the yard and came to the front of the house.
Wang Meilan couldn't stop smiling as she watched the bear bile and steamed buns that the Zhao family had taken off the truck.
Especially that two-meter-long giant baozi (steamed bun), Wang Meilan knew at a glance that her family had struck it rich again.
Zhao Jiabang went up the mountain to make money. These days he has been living in the mountains, enduring wind and rain. How could his family not worry about him?
At this moment, everyone in the house, young and old, came out to greet them, except for Zhao Youcai, who remained seated at the table. Even Li Dayong got up and craned his neck to look outside.
Five minutes later, everyone rushed into the house and sat down together for a lively meal.
“Son.” Wang Meilan remembered Zhang Xudong’s phone call and hurriedly said to Zhao Jun, “Around this time last night, the security chief of Lushuihe Forest Farm called looking for you. I told him you were away on a business trip and not at home.”
"Oh, I see, Mom." Zhao Jun knew what was going on as soon as he heard that. He turned to Wang Meilan and asked, "Mom, you didn't say when I'd be back, did you?"
"How would Mom know when you'll be back?" Wang Meilan laughed. "I just told him it'll be a few days, and then you can call him when you get back."
Hearing Wang Meilan's words, Zhao Jun nodded, and then Xie Chen asked him, "Brother Jun, shall we go wolf hunting?"
"Why bother fighting wolves?" Zhao Jun laughed, then asked Xie Chen, "Aren't you tired?"
"Then we're not going?" Xie Chen seemed to be alright, so he pressed for an answer. Zhao Jun replied, "We'll go, but we'll wait a few days. Let's rest at home."
"Hey? Jun." As soon as Zhao Jun finished speaking, Lin Xiangshun casually asked him, "Didn't you guys camp out last night?"
“That’s right,” Li Dazhi chimed in, “I was asking when we came in, ‘Didn’t you bring back any meat today?’”
"No, I didn't squat yesterday," Zhao Jun said. Li Baoyu, standing beside him, added, "Yesterday, Big Bear was fighting over there, and then my brother wouldn't let me fight..."
“Then why aren’t you fighting?” Li Dayong interrupted his eldest son, saying, “Why aren’t you fighting the bear tyrant? I heard from them that bear bile prices have gone up again.”
“My brother Zhang was originally planning to go, but my brother wouldn’t allow it.” As soon as Li Baoyu said this, Zhang Yuanmin quickly winked at Li Baoyu, but it was too late. Yang Yufeng and Xiaolingdang at the next table glared at Zhang Yuanmin, and then the mother and daughter turned to Zhao Jun and smiled at each other.
"Jun, why didn't you let them go?" Li Dayong asked Zhao Jun. Zhao Jun replied, "Uncle, Xiong Ba is unlike any other; he's even fiercer than a black bear. We're about to go home, and it would be a real shame if anyone got hurt."
"Is that possible?" Li Dayong said, "Didn't you say that the nest is more than 20 meters away from the pillbox? There's a semi-automatic tree there; even an elephant would be killed by it."
During a casual chat, Zhao Jun didn't argue with Li Dayong. Next, Wang Qiang picked up the conversation and told the story of the Bai family gang. From Bai Zhian tearing his crotch, to Li Ruhai faking the scene, to Zhao Jun imitating a bear's roar to scare away the Bai family members, it made everyone, young and old, laugh heartily.
……
Around 8 p.m., after the diners had finished admiring the Seven-Grade Ginseng King, they dispersed. Zhao Jun and Ma Ling had just returned to their room when Wang Meilan came over to bring them a thermos.
"My dear girl, this water is warm, soak your feet in it." After saying this, Wang Meilan put down the thermos and left, leaving the young couple alone.
When Wang Meilan returned to the East House, she saw Zhao Hong and Zhao Na sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), while Zhao Youcai was adding water to the foot bath.
Seeing Wang Meilan come in, Zhao Youcai looked up and grinned at her, saying, "Lan, I've already mixed the water for you, come and wash your feet."
Sitting to the side, Zhao Hong and Zhao Na shook their heads, looking at their father and then at their mother. The two children didn't quite understand, but they sensed that the atmosphere tonight was rather strange.
Wang Meilan smirked, rolled her eyes at Zhao Youcai, and then looked at Zhao Hong and Zhao Na, saying, "Xiao Hong, have you two washed your feet yet?"
"No, Mom," Zhao Hong said. "We haven't washed yet."
Upon hearing this, Wang Meilan looked at Zhao Youcai and said, "If you're not washing the child's feet, what are you doing?"
"Lan'er," Zhao Youcai said with a smile, "You're our manager, you have to wash first."
"Go to the side." Wang Meilan went over, moved the small stool to Zhao Na's feet, and then placed the basin on the stool so that Zhao Na's little feet could be put in the basin.
"Lan'er, let me do it." Zhao Youcai came over and squatted down to wash his youngest daughter's feet.
Although Zhao Youcai often provokes Zhao Jun, he always treats his three daughters very well. This isn't the first time he's washed his two daughters' feet; he's quite skilled at it.
After the two girls finished washing, they went to bed. At this moment, Zhao Youcai smiled at Wang Meilan and said, "Lan, shall I wash you too?"
"Get lost!" Wang Meilan laughed and cursed, then glanced at the grinning Zhao Youcai and said, "I know exactly how many sheep droppings you poop when you stick your ass out."
"Hahaha..." Zhao Youcai sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), side by side with Wang Meilan, and said, "Otherwise, why would we be a couple?"
Wang Meilan pouted and turned her head away, refusing to look at Zhao Youcai. Zhao Youcai, however, was thick-skinned and smiled as he said to Wang Meilan, "Lan, our son said today that he wants to stay at home for a few days before going to Lushuihe."
"So what?" Wang Meilan asked. Zhao Youcai chuckled and said, "Well... I figured since my son's back, I'd like to go out for a stroll too."
Wang Meilan glanced at Zhao Youcai out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing.
Zhao Youcai knew this was a rare opportunity, otherwise Zhao Jun would have left again in a couple of days.
So Zhao Youcai said, "Lan, you guys stay home tomorrow, and I'll go for a stroll up the mountain."
"Where are you going?" Wang Meilan lifted her foot, wiping it with a towel as she said, "Are you going to set off the pestle too?"
“I won’t use a stick,” Zhao Youcai said. “How would I know how to do that? I’ll just look at the stick and dig randomly. I’ll… I’ll go squat in the pillbox.”
As he spoke, Zhao Youcai pointed out the window and continued, "Didn't my sons say they'd go find a big bear in that den? If they won't do it, I will. After I'm done, I'll bring the bear gallbladders back and give them to you."
With her two daughters beside her, Wang Meilan lowered her voice, frowned, and sniffed, asking, "Why are you so smug? Huh? Your sons don't hit you, but you do?"
“Isn’t our son worried that the aid workers aren’t up to the task?” Zhao Youcai said. Wang Meilan turned and glared at him, gritting her teeth as she said, “Yes, they’re not up to the task, but you are!”
After saying that, Wang Meilan added, "Zhao Erdong!"
Zhao Youcai: "..."
Although he felt a little embarrassed, thinking that this was a rare opportunity, Zhao Youcai said again, "Lan..."
"Stop talking about blue and green." Wang Meilan would say this every time she got angry with Zhao Youcai. After saying that, Wang Meilan poked Zhao Youcai and said, "Who's going to go up the mountain to squat in that watchtower in the middle of the night with you? Who's going to go with you?"
"I..." Zhao Youcai had just started to speak when Wang Meilan interrupted him, "Son, Qiangzi and the others have been working on the mountain for days. Do you think they'd go with you? If they could go with you, they would have fought it themselves."
"Well..." Zhao Youcai opened his mouth, but Wang Meilan interrupted him, "Dayong has to go to work, how can he go with you?"
"I'll take my eldest apprentice with me." Zhao Youcai finally said what he wanted to say, "Lan, with my skills and marksmanship, I can take down those bears one by one, right?"
"You're kidding me!" Wang Meilan waved her hand dismissively and said, "Your apprentice wets his pants just hearing the black bear's cries!"
“That was before…” Zhao Youcai wanted to defend Gu Yang, but then he heard Wang Meilan say, “That time when we went up the mountain to buy vegetables, the big boss Black Bear was right in front of me, and I didn’t even wet my pants.”
“You didn’t wet your pants,” Zhao Youcai muttered under his breath. “You were so scared last night that you kept talking nonsense, calling for your father and mother.”
"Get the hell out of here!" Enraged, Wang Meilan smacked Zhao Youcai with her pestle. Then, she ignored the old man and went to get into bed.
No one knows how Zhao Youcai discussed things with Wang Meilan that night, but the next morning, Zhao Youcai went to the large pancake shop and bought twenty catties of large pancakes.
Ever since Ma Ling became pregnant, she has become the focus of protection in the family, and it's impossible for her to do chores like making pancakes.
Zhao Youcai left the large pancake stall carrying a bag of flour for pancakes, but instead of going home, he went to the Gu family's house.
When they arrived outside the Gu family courtyard, Gu Yang happened to run out of the outhouse. Seeing Zhao Youcai, Gu Yang quickly went up to greet him, saying, "Master, where are you going?"
"I've come to find you." Zhao Youcai stood in front of Gu Yang and looked the young man up and down. This tall guy, over 1.8 meters, was quite capable, whether carrying things or doing odd jobs.
"What's wrong, Master?" Gu Yang asked. Zhao Youcai replied, "Pack up in a bit, then come up the mountain with me."
"Up...up the mountain?" Gu Yang looked at Zhao Youcai with surprise and said, "Master, will you lead me up the mountain?"
"Ah!" Zhao Youcai was very satisfied with Gu Yang's attitude and immediately nodded and smiled, "Go back and get a mattress, a cotton-padded jacket and trousers, and then tell your mother that you won't be coming back tonight."
"Yes!" Gu Yang nodded emphatically, then asked, "Master, if we don't come back tonight, shall we go and wait in the watchtower?"
"Oh my." Zhao Youcai smiled upon hearing this and said, "Isn't my eldest apprentice quite clever? Your brother Jun came back yesterday, and there's no one to hold that place, so let's go."
"Alright, Master." Gu Yang grinned so wide his mouth almost reached his ears, and said happily, "Then let's hunt wild boars and big guys too, shall we?"
"Hey, what's that? Let's go fight Big Bear today." Zhao Youcai laughed and said, "
“Big…Bear King.” Gu Yang’s smile vanished.
Seeing Gu Yang's expression, Zhao Youcai frowned and said, "What's wrong? Are you scared?"
After saying this, Zhao Youcai took a step back and looked at Gu Yang, saying, "If you're scared, I won't take you there."
"Master...Master, I'm not afraid!" Gu Yang said, "With you here, what do I have to be afraid of?"
Zhao Youcai was very pleased with the last sentence and immediately laughed and said, "That's right, he's just my apprentice, how can I not surpass your master's wife?"
Upon hearing Zhao Youcai's words, Gu Yang grinned and chuckled.
Having agreed on a departure time with Gu Yang, Zhao Youcai carried the pancakes home.
As he approached his home, Zhao Youcai turned around and looked at the distant mountains, a surge of pride welling up within him.