sinovels Chapter 1895, Section 644: The Unyielding Zhao Youcai
Chapter 1895, Section 644: The Unyielding Zhao Youcai
Chapter 1895, Section 644: The Indomitable Zhao Youcai
These past few days have been quite lively on this mountain. First, there was a group of people yelling and shouting, then a tiger came yesterday, and today there were gunshots.
Small animals in the mountains still have places to hide, but even large animals like roe deer have run away, let alone wild boars and bears.
Therefore, the Azure Dragon and the Black Dragon can run safely in this mountainous area.
Of course, this was something Zhao Youcai was unaware of, and he was angry at Zhao Jun for not taking good care of the hunting dogs.
"Azure Dragon, come here!" Zhao Youcai tried to summon Azure Dragon to his side.
If it were Zhao Jun, he wouldn't even need to say a word; he could just beckon with his finger and Qinglong would run over.
But when Zhao Youcai called to it, the Azure Dragon wagged its tail at Zhao Youcai and then ran up to him.
Qinglong ran to inform Zhao Jun, with Heilong following closely behind. Seeing this, Zhao Youcai angrily shouted from behind.
"Grandpa, stop shouting." At this moment, Li Baoyu came over and touched Zhao Youcai's arm, saying, "Let's get in the car."
"Damn it!" Zhao Youcai angrily got into the jeep, and the group continued their journey.
When they arrived at the shack, Zhao Jun and Zhang Yuanmin were still carrying ginseng, with Qinglong and Heilong guarding behind Zhao Jun, while Xing San, Zhao Jinhui, and Ma Yang sat not far away.
"Oh!" Seeing Zhao Youcai and the others approaching, Xing San immediately stood up and said, "Second Brother, you've arrived?"
"Brother," Zhao Youcai responded, then walked to the pit. Seeing that Zhao Jun and Zhang Yuanmin had stopped what they were doing, Zhao Youcai questioned Zhao Jun in an unfriendly tone, "You raise a dog, don't you know how to take care of it?"
"Huh?" Zhao Jun was taken aback by Zhao Youcai's question. He felt that he treated the dog quite well, so how could Zhao Youcai say such a thing?
Seeing Zhao Jun's innocent expression, Zhao Youcai became even angrier. Pointing to the side, he scolded, "Big Claw just put his head down yesterday, and you dare to let the dog run out? Aren't you afraid that Big Claw will snatch the dog away?"
"Ah, hehe..." Zhao Jun laughed upon hearing Zhao Youcai's words. His father said this because he never expected that Zhao Jun would be killed by that Siberian tiger.
At this moment, not only Zhao Jun laughed, but Xing San, Zhao Jinhui, and Ma Yang also laughed.
Zhao Jun's smile made Zhao Youcai even more unhappy.
"What are you laughing at?" Zhao Youcai asked Zhao Jun. "Am I wrong?"
“Dad, what you said makes sense.” Zhao Jun said, standing up from the ground, casually brushing the dirt off his clothes, and then said to Zhao Youcai, “But it doesn’t matter.”
Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, Zhao Youcai's small eyes widened instantly. He had been hunting for many years, and most of the hunting dogs he used to keep had died in battle on the mountain; only a few had died of old age at home.
Zhao Youcai could accept the hunting dog dying in battle, but he could not accept the hunting dog dying unjustly.
Therefore, Zhao Youcai wasn't really looking for trouble at this moment; he was genuinely dissatisfied with Zhao Jun's attitude.
But at that moment, Zhao Jun smiled and said to Zhao Youcai, "Because that big claw killed me, Dad."
boom!
"What?" Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, Zhao Youcai was struck dumb, standing there stunned.
"Nephew, what did you say?" Wang Qiang excitedly stepped forward, pushing aside Zhao Youcai who was blocking him and Zhao Jun, and came to Zhao Jun's side, saying, "Nephew, you killed that tiger?"
Zhao Jun nodded with a smile, and then Li Baoyu rushed over and asked, "Brother, where was he killed?"
“It was over there on the riverbank,” Zhao Jun laughed. “We were fetching water, and it followed us. We chased it away, but it wouldn’t leave. I got angry and shot it right there!”
"Oh my!" Li Baoyu exclaimed with delight upon hearing this, "Brother, that's why everyone calls you the Tiger Subduer General, it really is you!"
"Big Brother!" Li Ruhai leaned close to Zhao Jun and said, "It's only been a year and a half, and you've already taken down four big claws. If you keep fighting like this, you could kill forty of them in another ten and a half years."
At this point, Li Ruhai raised his hand and gestured, "Twenty years is eighty, and it won't even take thirty years for you to surpass the Tiger-Slaying General!"
"Hahaha..." Zhao Jun couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing Li Ruhai's words.
Zhao Youcai, standing to the side, had a grim expression. Before today, Zhao Jun had captured two and trapped one, taking down a total of three Siberian tigers. Zhao Youcai, on the other hand, had killed two with a gun and hunted one with a knife, also achieving a record of three.
He had originally hoped that going up the mountain today would add another achievement to his record and allow him to defeat Zhao Jun.
But what Zhao Youcai didn't expect was that Zhao Jun would be the one to add another point to his record. This meant that he, as the father, was once again outmatched by his son!
It's not honorable to be evenly matched with your son, let alone to be weaker than him.
"Hey? Ru Hai!" Zhao Weipeng suddenly exclaimed, "Your calculation is wrong!"
"Huh?" Zhao Youcai thought Zhao Weipeng was going to speak up for him, but Zhao Weipeng immediately said, "If you can beat four in a year and a half, then it would take fifteen years to beat forty, not ten and a half!"
"Huh? Is that so?" The former last place student laughed and said, "That's not important, Uncle Peng."
At this point, Li Ruhai gestured with his chin toward Zhao Jun and said, "My elder brother was young, and he took on forty men in just fifteen years. Before he retired from the military, he had already surpassed Guo Wei, the Tiger-Slaying General."
When people are feeling down, they become unusually sensitive. They unconsciously relate what others say to themselves.
Li Ruhai's words were purely flattery of Zhao Jun, but Zhao Youcai thought to himself, "I'm almost fifty, I'll never catch up with this kid in my lifetime!"
Thinking about this, Zhao Youcai couldn't help but feel disheartened.
"Jun!" Immediately afterwards, Zhao Weipeng held up the camera hanging around his neck and said to Zhao Jun, "Where is that tiger? Take some pictures of your uncle."
"Haha, okay!" Zhao Jun agreed readily, then pointed north and said, "Let's go over there, and then we can carry it over."
After saying that, Zhao Jun led Zhao Weipeng to the north bank of the river. Wang Qiang, Zhang Yuanmin, Li Baoyu, Zhao Jinhui, Li Ruhai, Ma Yang and a group of others followed, leaving only Xing San and Zhao Youcai to guard the shack.
Seeing that Zhao Youcai seemed dazed, Xing San, holding the basin of steamed buns, asked Zhao Youcai, "Second brother, what's wrong with you?"
Zhao Youcai sat on the bluestone where Zhao Jun had sat that morning. His eyes were glazed over, his lips trembled slightly, but he couldn't say a word.
"Second brother, what's wrong?" Seeing Zhao Youcai like this, Xing San was terrified. He even forgot to eat his steamed bun and asked Zhao Youcai anxiously, "What's wrong with you?"
"Brother!" Zhao Youcai's small eyes were almost squinting. He frowned and said with a sad expression, "I've been up in the mountains since I was nine. I'm forty-five this year. I've been hunting for half my life. How can I be inferior to a child?"
Zhao Youcai is a strong-willed man who values his reputation and rarely lets others see his vulnerable side.
His move completely threw Xing San off balance. Xing San's right hand, which was only good for stabbing people with a knife, was now trembling even as he held a steamed bun.
“Second brother, what can you do if you win or lose this? You won’t win the house or the land.” Xing San advised Zhao Youcai, “Besides, you and the boy are father and son, what are you two competing for?”
After saying these words, Xing San sighed heavily and said, "Second brother, you are living such a happy life now. Don't think about anything else. I'm telling you, if my little Qiuzi is alive, I will believe whatever he says."
Xing San lost his wife and children at a young age, and the pain of losing his son in particular caused him unbearable suffering, which led him to go into the mountains alone and become a mountain dog.
The fact that Xing San could use his deceased son to persuade Zhao Youcai shows that Xing San truly cared about Zhao Youcai.
“Brother,” Zhao Youcai sighed softly, “these are two different things. For example, if you’re over forty, can you let your child run the household?”
Zhao Youcai's question stumped Xing San. In those days, when fathers and sons didn't separate the household, the elders were in charge, and the younger generation wasn't allowed to run the household.
Upon hearing Zhao Youcai's words, Xing San understood his meaning. If Zhao Jun had achieved this by the time Zhao Youcai was sixty, Zhao Youcai would only feel proud and honored for his son.
But now Zhao Youcai is in his prime, with both skill and experience, yet he is being steadily outpaced by his son. This is something Zhao Youcai cannot understand or accept.
"Oh dear!" Zhao Youcai sighed heavily and said, "That woman at home is watching me closely. She won't let me keep the dog, and she won't let me train my apprentices."
As he spoke, Zhao Youcai stroked the steel gun beside him and said with a sorrowful tone, "I'm not as good at shooting as that kid... why won't you let me go up the mountain?"
“Second brother…” Xing San frowned, his sparse, graying eyebrows furrowed, and said, “It’s not that your sister-in-law doesn’t want you to go up the mountain, but you always carry a gun and go poke around in the big claws by yourself. Who can trust you to do that?”
Zhao Youcai wanted to ask Xing San, "Who can I lead?", but he was too embarrassed to ask.
"Alright, second brother." Xing San picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, and then mumbled to Zhao Youcai, "It's not hunting season right now. You wait until autumn. The kid's going to Liaoning Province to hunt tigers, so you'll come with him!"
"What?" Upon hearing Xing San's words, Zhao Youcai's narrowed eyes widened again.
After Zhao Jun and his group returned from Fusong, they only mentioned that they were going to hunt wolves elsewhere, concealing the fact that they had accepted Dai Chunhua's invitation to hunt tigers at Liming Forest Farm.
But while they kept it from Zhao Youcai, they didn't hide it from Xing San.
"Second brother," Xing San said earnestly to Zhao Youcai, "I'm telling you this, but you can't run away on your own. If you do, I'll have no face to live with."
"No, no!" Zhao Youcai shook his head repeatedly and asked, "Brother, where in Liaoning Province are they going to hunt tigers?"
"Up...where?" Xing Sanzang, being cunning, said, "I forgot, but it's somewhere in Liaoning Province."
After saying this, Xing San paused for a moment before turning to Zhao Youcai and saying, "That's it, second brother. We won't be going out for a while. Our house is so big, what will we do without you? Right?"
"Then, when autumn comes and the boy wants to go over there, you go with him. When you get there, show them what you've got to do; wouldn't that make you look good?"
"That's a good idea!" Zhao Youcai felt quite hopeful after hearing Xing San's promise.
Just as Xing San was comforting Zhao Youcai, Zhao Jun and his group arrived at the carcass of the Siberian tiger.
During this season, as soon as people come by, hundreds of flies that were clinging to the tiger suddenly rise and scatter.
Zhao Jun and the others raised their hands and waved in front of their eyes, and then Zhao Weipeng walked quickly to the side of the Siberian tiger carcass.
Zhao Weipeng glanced at it and frowned.
"What's wrong, Uncle?" Zhao Jun came over and asked with a smile, "Why do you seem dissatisfied?"
"Tsk!" Zhao Weipeng clicked his tongue and said, "This tiger isn't as big as Old Chu's."
"Uncle!" Zhao Jun said to Zhao Weipeng with a smile, "Being small has its advantages."
As he spoke, Zhao Jun helped Zhao Weipeng by the thick arm to the tiger's tail and said, "Uncle, you pull on this big paw tail, and I'll take a picture of you. When it's developed, it will look like you're walking down the aisle while pulling on this big paw."
Hearing Zhao Jun's words, Zhao Weipeng's eyes lit up, and he said, "That works!"
"That's fantastic!" Zhang Yuanmin exclaimed with a smile. "Uncle Peng, haven't you read 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'?"
"I've read a bit..." Zhao Weipeng wasn't exactly a keen reader, and he sounded a little unsure of himself when he said this.
At this moment, Zhang Yuanmin said, "There was a guy named Xu Chu in the Three Kingdoms who was really fierce. He grabbed an old ox by the tail and pulled it backward forty-five meters. He scared a bunch of highway robbers so badly they were paralyzed with fear!"
"Really?" Hearing Zhang Yuanmin's words, Zhao Weipeng became even more interested. He immediately rolled up his sleeves and began to do a "Zhao Weipeng dragging the tiger's tail backwards" routine.
Immediately afterwards, Zhao Jun took two more photos of Wei Peng fighting the tiger. In the photos, Zhao Wei Peng is sitting on the back of a Siberian tiger with his big buttocks, his left hand grabbing the tiger's ear, his right hand clenched into a fist and raised high, looking fierce, as if he is about to beat the Siberian tiger to death.
Seeing this, Li Baoyu and the others also clamored to take a few pictures like this.
We waited for them to finish taking the photos, and half an hour passed.
After having their fill of fun, the group tied up the tiger corpse by its four paws, pierced it with a large stick, and carried it to the riverbank.
We carried it to the riverbank and cleaned the wounds on the tiger's rear end. This wasn't to prepare the tiger's remains, but rather to haul it out of the jeep later, lest the whole vehicle be infested with maggots.
By the time Zhao Jun and his men carried the tiger back to the shack, Zhao Youcai had already composed himself.
But when Zhao Youcai saw the gunshot wound on Hu's body, he looked at Zhao Jun in surprise and asked, "One shot?"
"Ah!" Zhao Jun nodded with a smile, his eyes showing a hint of provocation as he looked at Zhao Youcai.
He used to lack confidence when facing Zhao Youcai. But after killing this tiger, that feeling disappeared.
Not only did it not exist, Zhao Jun also wanted to find an opportunity to test his skills with Zhao Youcai and see what the "effortless marksmanship" Wang Qiang had mentioned was really like.
Zhao Youcai saw the provocation in Zhao Jun's eyes and immediately scoffed, saying, "This tiger is wounded, so you can hit it if you want."
"Huh?" Zhao Jun was taken aback by what he heard. Li Baoyu glanced at Zhao Youcai, then turned to him and said, "Grandpa, you can't say that. This tiger is injured; it's not something an ordinary person can fight!"
“That’s right,” Zhang Yuanmin chimed in. “Grandpa, I watched as the tiger slithered away without even getting a shot at it.”
"That was you!" Zhao Youcai glanced at Zhang Yuanmin and said, "I fought those three tigers, and only one of them was injured. I even had to stab him to death with a knife!"
As he spoke, Zhao Youcai curled his lip and added, "I wouldn't hesitate to use a gun to kill a wounded tiger!"
Zhao Youcai's words were quite arrogant, which made Zhao Jun and the others quite unhappy.
"Alright, alright." Xing San, who had just calmed Zhao Youcai down, now acted as peacemaker again, saying, "Quickly lift those big paws down, or they'll stink!"
Hearing Xing San say this, Wang Qiang, Zhang Yuanmin, Li Baoyu, and Zhao Jinhui lifted the pole and carried the tiger down the mountain again.
"Dad!" At this moment, Zhao Jun called to Zhao Youcai, "Let's go, let's go too."
Having hunted down the Siberian tiger, Zhao Jun, as the leader of the forest protection team, had to return to the forest farm to report his success, and there should be a reward for his merits afterwards.
"You guys can go now," Zhao Youcai waved his hand and said, "Your third uncle and I will stay here and watch the shack."
Zhao Youcai could imagine that when Zhao Jun and his men brought the Siberian tiger carcass back to the forest farm, another group of people would praise Zhao Jun.
Zhao Youcai wasn't jealous of this; he was just afraid that someone would ask him why he, as the father, wasn't the one who hunted the tiger.
“That works too,” Zhao Jun said. “Then when we get back later, you can ride back in the jeep with my uncle.”
Zhao Youcai waved to Zhao Jun, who then led his men away, leaving Zhao Youcai, Xing San, Li Ruhai, and Ma Yang to guard the shack and the ginseng king.
"Oh!" Not long after Zhao Jun and the others left, Zhao Youcai suddenly thought of something.
This Siberian tiger is clearly a juvenile; tigers this size shouldn't be old enough to survive independently. So the question is, where is its mother tiger?
One more chapter, it'll be a little late, everyone go to sleep first, I'll continue writing. Tomorrow, I'll definitely finish writing this ginseng.