Chapter 505 - 410: Pack of Dogs Crossing the River

The moment Zhang Yuanmin said this, Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu stopped laughing.

They knew that the Zhang Yuanmin of today wouldn’t dream of hunting a Black Bear, not even if he were starving. His wanting to go with them now was purely out of camaraderie.

For a man whose legs turned to jelly just from hearing the words "Black Bear," to voluntarily offer to go along was a truly precious gesture.

"You’d better stay behind, Yuanmin." Zhao Jun said, draping an arm over Zhang Yuanmin’s shoulder. "Wang Dalong is coming with us. Baoyu and I have nine dogs, and with Wang Dalong’s four, that makes thirteen. There’ll be the three of us with three semi-automatic guns. Even if we run into Big Claw, we can take it down."

"Ah!" Since his arm was around his shoulder, Zhao Jun could feel Zhang Yuanmin’s body instantly go limp. He let out a long sigh of relief and said, "Well, if that’s the case, then I won’t go."

At this, Zhang Yuanmin’s face scrunched up as he continued, "Brother, to be honest with you, I’m terrified!"

"Yeah, yeah, it’s alright, it’s alright." Zhao Jun reassured him, but then Zhang Yuanmin jolted. He said to Zhao Jun, "Brother, I just remembered something. I saw your fiancée before I came over. I told her I was coming to find you, and she asked me to tell you that she wants to see you."

Zhang Yuanmin’s words were a little roundabout, but Zhao Jun knew the "fiancée" he mentioned was Ma Ling, and that she wanted to see him.

"Alright, Yuanmin, I get it." Zhao Jun quickly let go of Zhang Yuanmin’s shoulder and said to Li Baoyu, "Baoyu, go on to the Village Office by yourself. Get two guns from the Village Chief—one for you and one for Brother Dalong—and grab plenty of bullets."

"You got it!"

Zhao Jun left Zhang Yuanmin and Li Baoyu and headed straight for Ma Ling’s house. Once he was outside her courtyard, Zhao Jun hid under a large willow tree, pursed his lips, and let out two sharp whistles, imitating a bird.

A moment later, Ma Ling came running out of the courtyard.

"Over here!" Zhao Jun waved from behind the tree.

Ma Ling came behind the tree and immediately asked Zhao Jun, "Didn’t you promise me yesterday you wouldn’t go?"

Ma Ling was furious. Yesterday, after parting ways with Zhao Jun, she had run into Xu Changlin on her way home.

Ma Ling had asked Xu Changlin about it, and after he confirmed her fears, she had been worried sick, terrified that Zhao Jun would go hunt that Black Bear.

Then, this morning, Ma Ling heard that Zhao Jun was taking his dogs to hunt the Black Bear. This terrified her, and she immediately wanted to go to his house to find him.

But in the countryside, there were many unwritten rules, and tongues were always wagging. For an unmarried woman to run over to her fiancé’s house would surely get people talking.

Especially since a notorious gossip lived right next door to Zhao Jun’s family.

Going wasn’t an option. But not going meant she couldn’t stop worrying.

Just as Ma Ling was pacing anxiously on the village road, she suddenly saw Zhang Yuanmin. Ma Ling knew he was good friends with Zhao Jun and, more importantly, that he was tight-lipped. So she asked him to fetch Zhao Jun for her.

Zhao Jun could see Ma Ling was angry, but he knew just how to handle her. He immediately let out a heavy sigh and said, "Do you think I want to go? I don’t want to go either. Our family doesn’t need the money, and I couldn’t care less about some Black Bear gallbladder."

Zhao Jun’s words immediately piqued Ma Ling’s curiosity. It was true that Zhao Jun wasn’t short on money; otherwise, he couldn’t have afforded to build a large, five-room, tile-roofed house.

’Then why does he still have to go?’

In that moment, the simple-hearted Ma Ling was suddenly overcome with curiosity.

Zhao Jun continued to spin his tale, "The Village Chief came to see me last night. He told me Mrs. Elder Jiang is a complete wreck. Think about it, how pitiful is that old lady? They had no sons or daughters, just the two of them. Now her husband is gone. How is she supposed to live on her own?"

As he spoke, Zhao Jun glanced left and right. Seeing that they were alone, he lowered his voice and said, "I have a feeling that now that her husband is gone, she won’t be far behind."

"Mm," Ma Ling nodded, whispering, "My mom said the same thing. They relied on each other for everything. When one goes, the other isn’t far behind."

"Exactly," Zhao Jun said softly. "I was just thinking how pitiful that old lady is. If that Black Bear isn’t killed, I’m afraid she won’t be able to rest in peace when her time comes."

The moment the words left his mouth, Ma Ling said, "So that’s why you have to go."

"Yep."

"You’re so kind-hearted." Hearing Zhao Jun’s confirmation, Ma Ling praised him, then lowered her head slightly and pulled a small, red cloth triangle from her pocket.

The small triangle was a little bigger than a coin. Wrapped inside the red cloth was what looked like folded paper, and a loop made of three twisted red threads was sewn to its top corner.

Seeing this, the smile on Zhao Jun’s face froze. He thought to himself, ’This woman is such a spendthrift!’

Ma Ling, oblivious to Zhao Jun’s thoughts, held the red string loop open with both hands and said to him, "Here, put this on."

"Where’d you get this?" Although he knew perfectly well, Zhao Jun had to feign ignorance.

"Never you mind where," Ma Ling said as she slipped the loop over Zhao Jun’s neck. She adjusted the small red triangle so it rested on his chest, then instructed, "Tuck it into your shirt, and don’t you lose it, you hear?"

"I definitely won’t!" Zhao Jun promised solemnly. He was being truthful, if only because he knew that if he lost it, Ma Ling would just have to spend more money to "request" a new one.

"I’m serious, don’t lose it." Ma Ling, still not reassured, warned him again before whispering, "This cost ten yuan, you know."

"How much?" Zhao Jun was stunned, cursing inwardly, ’That shameless Elder Han! Such blatant price gouging!’

"Don’t worry about the cost." Ma Ling glanced back toward her courtyard, then turned back to Zhao Jun. "All that matters is that you come back safe and sound."