Li Baoyu was only joking. Three semi-automatics and two bundles of Maze... what kind of bandits could they possibly fight with that?

But when Wang Meilan heard this, her anger flared even more.

Just the other day, it was Zhao Youcai who had told Wang Meilan to discipline Zhao Jun and forbid him from hunting in the mountains before the New Year. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

But Zhao Youcai himself? The closer it got to the New Year, the more he liked to strut about.

Moreover, the Zhao and Li families were hosting a banquet for friends and family tomorrow. Some of the meat dishes needed to be prepped today; otherwise, there would be no time to cook everything from scratch tomorrow.

And regarding all this, Zhao Youcai, the head chef, had already laid down the law: nothing was to be cooked until he returned. But instead of coming home after work, he had run off into the mountains to look for wild boars.

How could this not infuriate Wang Meilan?

However, with the three members of the Li Family present, Wang Meilan managed to suppress her anger and not lash out at Zhao Youcai.

Zhao Youcai seemed to know he was in the wrong. He quickly took off his padded jacket and asked Wang Meilan, "Lan, what still needs doing? You go rest, I’ll take care of it."

Just then, Zhao Jun returned after putting away the Maze. Seeing his mother’s dark expression, he quickly asked, "Mom, is it time to stew the pork hocks?"

In truth, that question should have been for Zhao Youcai, but Zhao Jun was trying to give his mother an out.

Sure enough, Wang Meilan replied, "Ask your father."

Standing nearby, Zhao Youcai quickly said, "Stew them. Bring out the pork legs and ribs."

Zhao Jun grunted in acknowledgment and called for Li Baoyu to go with him to the storeroom. They each dragged a burlap sack out from inside. Zhao Jun’s sack contained eight pork hocks. The one Li Baoyu dragged out held two racks of ribs.

The last time Zhao Jun had done a circle hunt, he’d killed three wild boars. The meat from the Big Cannon Egg was gamy, so both families had mostly given it away as gifts.

The meat from the sow and the yellow-haired had been kept. These eight pork hocks and two racks of ribs came from them.

Zhao Jun dragged the pork hocks into his house, while Li Baoyu was stopped by Jin Xiaomei, who was just coming out of Zhao Jun’s home.

"Taking that home?" Jin Xiaomei asked Li Baoyu.

"Huh?" Li Baoyu was stunned. ’What’s going on?’

Seeing her silly son standing there dumbfounded, Jin Xiaomei said, "It’ll be faster with two pots stewing, won’t it?"

Only then did Li Baoyu understand. He shouldered the burlap sack and went home with Jin Xiaomei.

When Li Baoyu got home, he put down the sack and was about to head back to Zhao Jun’s family, but Jin Xiaomei stopped him again.

Jin Xiaomei slammed a cleaver onto the cutting board and said irritably, "Chop the ribs before you go!"

While Li Baoyu was at home chopping the wild boar ribs, Zhao Jun went back inside his house and saw Wang Meilan boiling water. He then placed the pork hocks one by one into a pot of cold water.

"Son!" At that moment, Zhao Youcai’s voice came from the inner room.

Zhao Jun went into the room and saw Zhao Youcai and Li Dayong sitting on the kang, drinking water. He asked, "Dad, what did you call me for?"

Zhao Youcai said, "After the fifteenth, come up the mountain with me."

Hearing this, Zhao Jun found it amusing. ’I never realized Dad’s hunting addiction was this strong.’

Zhao Jun didn’t agree immediately. A smile touched his lips as he countered, "Dad, if we go up the mountain, who listens to who?"

"What?" At this, Zhao Youcai was instantly displeased. His eyes widened as he barked, "You want to be the Leader?"

Zhao Jun nodded. "When Baoyu and I go up the mountain, he listens to me."

At these words, both Zhao Youcai and Li Dayong burst out laughing.

Li Dayong laughed and said, "I’ll go too, then. You listen to your dad, and Baoyu will listen to me."

Zhao Jun laughed heartily. "You guys be one team, Baoyu and I will be another. We might as well split up and work separately."

Hearing this, Zhao Youcai pointed to the three semi-automatic rifles hanging behind the door. "See those? I borrowed three ’stalks’ of guns from the Village Office. One for me, one for your Uncle Li, and one for your second brother."

Among these old Mountain Runners, guns weren’t counted by the ’handle,’ but by the ’stalk.’ Zhao Youcai had borrowed three guns to form a team with Li Dayong and Lin Xiangshun.

As for why he wanted Zhao Jun to join, it was probably because Zhao Jun’s Spear Technique had already earned his approval. Plus, a herd of over a hundred boars in formation was no joke.

But Zhao Jun didn’t seem interested. He smiled and said, "You guys do your thing. Baoyu and I will stick to hunting with the dogs."

"You don’t know anything." Zhao Youcai pointed at Zhao Jun and laughed. "Once those boars get into formation, forget your dogs—even a Tiger wouldn’t dare charge in."

As he spoke, Zhao Youcai made a large shape with his hands. "I went up and looked today. The hoof prints are this big. You think your dogs can corner a beast like that?"

Zhao Jun took a look and, based on his experience, guessed, "Dad, that has to be over a thousand jin, right?"

Zhao Youcai and Li Dayong both nodded. Zhao Youcai looked at Zhao Jun and said, "A herd of over a hundred boars, with at least thirty cannon eggs on the outer ring, right? Once they form up, even a Tiger charging straight in would just be committing suicide. If you ask me, you should just come with us.

"When we get up the mountain, we’ll have Baoyu use the Maze to scatter the herd, and then we’ll block their escape route. Me, you, your Uncle Li, and your second brother—the four of us, in two pairs, with four semi-automatics blocking both sides. No matter how big the boar, it won’t get away."

Hearing this, Zhao Jun finally understood. ’No wonder Dad was so insistent on me joining them. So that was his grand plan.’

When Zhao Jun didn’t say anything, Zhao Youcai grew anxious. "Are you coming or not? Say something!"

Zhao Ergudong!

He was famous for never showing his emotions.

If Zhao Jun remembered correctly, this was the first time in his two lifetimes combined that he had ever seen Zhao Youcai look so desperate.

But he couldn’t agree.

"Dad," Zhao Jun said, "once the Maze go off, the startled herd will scatter. Forget a hundred—what if dozens of them stampede, run right at you, and you get swept up in the middle of them? What then?"