The Entire Mountain Is My Hunting Ground

Chapter 274: Chapter 235: The Militia’s Spring Hunt

Up ahead were three people. An old man walked at an unhurried pace, his hands clasped behind his back. Flanking him were two middle-aged men, each carrying something.

Just then, Jiang Jinyou was about to shout for them to make way, but before he could get a word out, Zhang Yuanmin stopped him.

"Stop, stop!" Not only that, but Zhang Yuanmin also told him to stop the sled.

"What’s wrong?"

Zhang Yuanmin said nothing, instead reaching out to help Jiang Jinyou rein in the horse.

"Whoa!" Although he didn’t know why Zhang Yuanmin was acting this way, Jiang Jinyou still pulled on the reins and brought the sled to a halt.

The moment the sled stopped, Zhang Yuanmin jumped off. He didn’t recognize the old man or the limping middle-aged man, but he did recognize the third person: Zhao Guofeng, the Village Chief of their very own Yong’an Village.

The trio had heard the sound of hooves and the driver’s calls. Zhao Guofeng turned, and seeing Zhang Yuanmin, he was momentarily surprised but paid it little mind. The old man, however, immediately spotted the four large Bear’s Paws on the sled.

"Well now, they hunted a Black Bear! This one’s a Cannon Shooter!" the old man said to the limping man beside him, glancing over at Zhang Yuanmin.

When the limping man didn’t respond, the old man actually walked over to Zhang Yuanmin himself. "You’re the one who hunted this bear?" he asked.

"Yep," Zhang Yuanmin replied. He pointed to the Bear’s Paws on the sled and said to the old man, "Stabbed a Black Bear to death in the mountains today. Aren’t the paws right here?"

"Stabbed to death?" The old man’s face filled with surprise. "You can stab a Black Bear to death?"

"Of course," Zhang Yuanmin said. "I can’t even shoot. I just took my knife and stabbed it to death."

The old man grew even more astonished. But at his side, Zhao Guofeng laughed. "Uncle Tao, don’t listen to his bragging. His skills..." At this, Zhao Guofeng simply shook his head.

This old man was none other than Elder Tao, Tao Fulun, whom Zhao Jun had once met in the mountains. The limping man beside him, carrying gifts, was his eldest son, Tao Dabao—the very person Wu Feng had described as the Yong’an Brigade’s Director of Security and leader of the Civilian Militia Squad.

Tao Dabao had joined the army at the age of twenty and had repeatedly distinguished himself in battle. He was honorably discharged after being wounded in a battle in 1980.

During the more than twenty years he served as a soldier, Tao Fulun was cared for by his second son, Tao Xiaobao. Still, there was no denying that Tao Dabao was a truly filial son.

The day Zhao Jun told Wu Feng about Elder Tao going into the mountains to hunt wild boar, Wu Feng had brought the old man home to a family frantic with worry. Tao Xiaobao, having spent all day searching for his father to no avail, had started blaming his wife. His wife, a dutiful daughter-in-law herself, was crying nonstop from a mixture of anxiety and self-reproach.

It wasn’t until Wu Feng brought Tao Fulun back that the Tao Family’s worry turned to joy. They thanked Wu Feng profusely, but he insisted that the person they truly ought to thank was Zhao Jun.

Then, Wu Feng recounted the bits and pieces of the story he had heard from Zhao Jun to the Tao Family.

Upon hearing that Elder Tao had been gone all day because he’d gone into the mountains to hunt wild boar, the whole family was both shocked and terrified.

’The old man is at such an advanced age,’ they thought. ’If a wild boar had gored or tossed him, would he even still be alive?’

After Wu Feng left, Tao Dabao pressed Elder Tao for details. After hearing the embellished story from the old man, Tao Dabao concluded that the Zhao Jun whom Wu Feng had mentioned was, without a doubt, his father’s savior.

So, the next day, Tao Dabao sought out Wu Feng again and quickly learned that Zhao Jun’s family lived in Yong’an Village.

Tao Dabao had wanted the two brothers to pay a visit with gifts the very next day to express their gratitude, but the old man insisted on coming along. However, he had twisted his ankle in the mountains, and it was swollen the next morning. They had to wait for the swelling to subside before they could come.

Wu Feng only knew that Zhao Jun’s family lived in Yong’an Village but didn’t know the exact address. This didn’t faze Tao Dabao, however. Upon arriving, he headed straight for Zhao Guofeng’s house.

He was a leader in the Brigade, and Zhao Guofeng was the Village Chief; the two had met at a meeting In the Town the year before last.

After hearing the whole story, Zhao Guofeng personally guided the Tao father and son over. Unexpectedly, not far from Zhao Jun’s family home, they ran into Zhang Yuanmin hauling the Black Bear.

When Elder Tao heard this was a formidable man who could kill a Black Bear with a knife, his eyes instantly lit up with admiration.

’Others might not know this Zhang Yuanmin, but how could he, Zhao Guofeng, not?’

Never mind anything else, just take the incident right after the Lantern Festival. If he and Xu Changlin hadn’t conned Qin Qiang and Zhang Laibao into grabbing their guns and dogs to go rescue him, Zhang Yuanmin would have likely been trampled to death by Xiong Ba long ago.

Zhang Yuanmin knew he couldn’t keep bragging in front of Zhao Guofeng, lest the Village Chief let the truth slip out. So, he just gave a sheepish laugh and fell silent.

But Jiang Jinyou didn’t know any of this. He was not only blunt and outspoken but also sharp. Unwilling to let his coworker be looked down upon, he turned to Zhao Guofeng with a solemn expression and said, "This Big Black Bear really was stabbed to death by Elder Zhang. A few quick stabs, WHACK, WHACK, and it was done for."

Jiang Jinyou had thick brows and large eyes, giving him an honest and trustworthy face. His words carried an air of credibility.

Hearing this, Zhao Guofeng and the other two men instantly fixed their gazes on Zhang Yuanmin. Elder Tao, in particular, looked at him with a peculiar glimmer in his eyes.

’But looking at Zhang Yuanmin’s build, he shouldn’t have that kind of skill unless he’s had some training,’ he thought.

Tao Fulun took two steps to stand before Zhang Yuanmin and asked, "Were you a soldier, or something like that?"

"No, no, not me," Zhang Yuanmin said with a chuckle. "I wanted to join the army about ten years back, but my father’s health was poor, so I stayed home to look after him."