Chapter 591: Wang Meilan: I'll Take It All

As the old saying goes, there’s no clear ‘best’ in literature, but there’s no ‘second best’ in a fight.

When it came to hunting wild boars and bears, no one would ever admit they were inferior to anyone else.

But ascending to the level of tiger hunting—that was something else entirely, beyond the abilities of ordinary men.

Xue Liwei knew his Spear Technique still lagged behind his third uncle Xue Baojun’s, to say nothing of comparing it to the legendary tiger hunter, Zhou Chengguo.

As for Zhao Youcai, his Spear Technique wasn’t something Xue Liwei had to look up to. But the moment Xue Liwei walked through the gates of the Logging Camp, he saw eight dogs tethered in a corner.

One look at the condition of Little Bear, Da Huang, and White Dragon, and the scars covering their bodies, was all it took for Xue Liwei to know these three were no ordinary hounds.

And looking at the whole Dog Gang—a full eight hounds—he knew this was more than any ordinary family could afford to feed.

After all, his own large family had to scrimp and save just to keep their five dogs fed.

As for this trip, even if he managed to kill the boar, his profit wouldn’t exceed thirty yuan. And that didn’t even account for the risk of his dogs getting injured or killed.

It couldn’t be helped. The Zhang Guangcai Ridge divided two provinces. To the west was Lingxi in Hei Province. Its mountain Forest Area was dotted with Forest Farms of all sizes, and most of the villagers were employees. They had their “iron rice bowls,” stable government jobs, and tended to their family fields in their spare time. Life was secure, so there weren’t many Hunters.

But to the south was Lingnan in Ji Province. The mountain folk there were mostly farmers who supplemented their income by hunting. Once winter arrived, heading into the mountains was their only way to make money.

That was why Lingnan had so many full-time Hunters.

And unlike Zhao Jun, who would eat his own kills or give them away, they didn’t keep their prey.

After a successful hunt, the Hunters of Lingnan would feed their hounds, and their families would keep three to five pounds of meat at most.

They would butcher the rest, tying it into five-pound bundles with wire to sell at the market. They were willing to do it even if the meat only sold for one cent a pound.

That was why, when Zhao Qingzhu had asked Xue Liwei to come and get revenge for Niu Guoliang, he hadn’t offered a single cent. He’d only told Xue Liwei that if he could take down the Big Cannon Egg, a horse-drawn cart would be arranged to help him haul the meat back to Lingnan.

Xue Liwei had calculated it. ‘A three-hundred-seventy or -eighty pound Big Cannon Egg would yield at least two-hundred-seventy or -eighty pounds of meat. At one cent per pound, that’s over twenty yuan.’

That was why he had made the journey over the mountains.

But now, seeing that both Zhou Chengguo and Zhao Youcai were present, Xue Liwei began to have second thoughts and was ready to head home.

It wasn’t just a matter of skill; he also had to consider his unfamiliarity with these hunting grounds. He could end up earning nothing and wasting several days for his trouble.

‘As for Zhao Qingzhu’s request,’ he thought, ‘as long as someone kills the boar, it doesn’t have to be me, right?’

But Xue Liwei had barely finished speaking when there was a knock on the door. Hong Yuntao, who hadn’t even settled back onto the edge of the kang bed, went to open it. He froze for a second, then quickly called out a greeting. “Secretary Yu, what brings you here? Quick, come in.”

The visitor was none other than Zhou Chunming’s secretary, Yu Quanjin.

The moment Yu Quanjin stepped into the shack, he saw Zhao Youcai sitting cross-legged on the kang. He hurried over to greet him first. “Master Zhao, you’re here as well.”

“Yup,” Zhao Youcai replied with a nod.

Only then did Yu Quanjin turn to greet Lin Xiangshun and Liu Jinyong.

Never mind that one was the head of the vehicle team and the other led the security team; as long as no leaders of the Farm Director’s rank were present, Yu Quanjin would always greet Zhao Youcai first.

“Secretary Yu.” To everyone’s surprise, it was Dou Baoguo who spoke up, greeting Yu Quanjin without a hint of awkwardness.

Dou Baoguo had a rather unique way of thinking. ‘If I wait for him to greet me, I’ll be the one who’s embarrassed. But if I speak first, maybe he’ll be the one left feeling awkward.’

And sure enough, Yu Quanjin looked at Dou Baoguo, momentarily at a loss for how to address him.

“Xiaoyu!” At that moment, Zhao Youcai called out. Yu Quanjin respected the older man, and Elder Zhao wasn’t about to let his in-law’s secretary hang in an awkward silence.

“Yes, Master Zhao.” Given an out, Yu Quanjin gave Dou Baoguo a slight, smiling nod before turning his full attention to Zhao Youcai.

Zhao Youcai asked, “Did you come for something specific?”

“Yes,” Yu Quanjin replied with a nod. “Secretary Zhou sent me over to check on the situation.”

When no one spoke after he finished, Yu Quanjin knew the Big Cannon Egg hadn’t been taken down yet. He continued, “Secretary Zhou also said that whoever manages to take down that boar, the Forest Farm will reward them with two hundred yuan.”

At these words, Zhao Youcai’s eyelids shot up.

“Secretary Yu,” Liu Jinyong said, taking a step forward. “Master Zhao and the others have to work tomorrow. But as it happens, I heard his son is home on leave. I was planning to have him come tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Zhao Youcai was about to speak, but Xue Liwei cut in. “Uncle Zhao, Uncle Zhou, you have to work tomorrow? In that case, I’m not leaving. I’ll stay and help your Forest Farm take care of that boar.”

“Well…” Zhao Youcai hesitated for only a second before saying to Xue Liwei, “It’s no trouble for me. I’ll just ask for a day off from work tomorrow. If you have business to attend to, you should head back. Any later and it’ll be dark.”

“If it gets dark, I just won’t leave,” Xue Liwei said, turning to Dou Baoguo beside him. “Dou Leader, would it be all right if I bunked in your shack for the night?”

Dou Baoguo had adjusted well to his change in status from Farm Director Dou to Dou Leader, but he couldn’t help but hold a grudge against Zhao Jun.

He also knew that Zhao Youcai and Zhao Jun were father and son. If it weren’t for the two hundred yuan, he wouldn’t care who killed the boar. But since the Forest Farm was offering a reward, Dou Baoguo didn’t want the money to end up in Zhao Youcai’s hands.