It wasn't winter, so there was no snow on the ground. That meant they couldn't use a sled.
Oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages were too bulky. The mountain paths were rugged, narrow, and overgrown with trees, making it impossible to navigate with a cart.
To drag the Black Bear out of the mountains, they could only rely on the strength of an ox or a horse.
And so, Li Dayong herded Elder Huang, the old ox, up the mountain. He then fitted the ox with a harness, tying the other end of the ropes securely around the Black Bear's limbs.
Then, they would use the ox's strength to drag the Black Bear out of the mountains, little by little.
Of course, if they had to drag it all the way back to the village, that would probably take until tomorrow morning.
But that wasn't necessary. As long as Elder Huang could drag the Black Bear to the logging road cleared by the Forest Farm, things would get much easier.
It was the road the Forest Farm used for hauling timber down the mountain, wide and flat enough for two trucks to drive side-by-side.
While Zhao Jun and the other two herded the ox toward the Black Bear at Jumping Stone Pond, Zhao Youcai had gone to find the Forest Farm's driver, Lin Xiangshun.
All it took was a word from Zhao Youcai. Lin Xiangshun immediately got in his truck, and with Zhao Youcai beside him, drove out of the Forest Farm.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jun, Li Dayong, and Li Baoyu were urging Elder Huang onward, slowly dragging the Black Bear out of the forest.
This Black Bear, weighing nearly four hundred and fifty pounds, was no lightweight. Besides, anyone with a basic knowledge of physics knows about the force of friction.
The path was covered in rocks, dirt, and dust. Trying to move the Black Bear with brute force alone was incredibly strenuous.
If this were any other object weighing nearly four hundred and fifty pounds, even a diligent ox like Elder Huang might have tried to slack off along the way.
But this was a Black Bear.
Whether an ox or a horse, the moment they smelled a black bear, their first instinct was to flee.
When the three men dragged Elder Huang to Jumping Stone Pond, the old ox fought them tooth and nail as they approached the Black Bear. It tried to bolt several times, but the three of them held it fast.
The moment they tied the Black Bear to its harness and let go, Elder Huang took off at a run, following the man leading it.
It was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey to make it run.
Except in this case, the lure was in front, while the threat was from behind.
With the Black Bear always right behind it, the constant, terrifying scent kept the old ox running without pause.
Although it was exhausted, Elder Huang was giving it everything it had.
By the time Elder Huang had dragged the dead Black Bear onto the logging road, the green truck was already waiting for them a short distance ahead.
Since they all frequented these mountains, Zhao Youcai and the driver, Lin Xiangshun, knew exactly where Zhao Jun's party would emerge.
They might not be able to pinpoint the exact spot, but they were sure to be within five hundred meters.
Sure enough, when Zhao Youcai heard a commotion not far behind them, he glanced back, gave a wave, and Lin Xiangshun began backing up the truck.
By this point, Zhao Jun, Li Dayong, and Li Baoyu had already unhitched the old ox.
As the truck drew near, the driver, Lin Xiangshun, and Zhao Youcai climbed out.
They all worked at the same Forest Farm and saw each other daily, so there was no need for formalities between Li Dayong and Lin Xiangshun. Still, Li Dayong gave his son a subtle nudge.
Li Baoyu immediately understood. He stepped forward and greeted Lin Xiangshun politely, "Brother Shun."
"Baoyu, you're getting taller every time I see you," Lin Xiangshun replied with a laugh, then turned his gaze to Zhao Jun.
Zhao Jun grinned. "Second Brother."
Lin Xiangshun roared with laughter. "Heard you're in for a beating tonight, kid?"
Zhao Jun laughed too. "In that case, Second Brother, why don't you stay over at my house tonight?"
Why was Lin Xiangshun willing to skip work and drive out with Zhao Youcai on his word alone?
The lax rules at the Forest Farm were one thing, but Lin Xiangshun's willingness wasn't because Zhao Youcai was the head chef in the cafeteria, and he feared getting his portions skimped on.
Nor was it because the Zhao Family were in-laws with Farm Director Zhou.
It was because Lin Xiangshun had once lived with the Zhao Family for three years, sharing a room—and even a kang—with Zhao Jun.
Lin Xiangshun's mother and Wang Meilan had been as close as sisters. His mother passed away young, and his older brother, Lin Xiangsheng, had married and established his own household early on.
That left Lin Xiangshun all alone. And when his father remarried, his new stepmother had no room for him.
The story sounded somewhat similar to Zhao Jun's own experience in his past life. Only, back then, Lin Xiangshun had neither a job nor any money.
So he moved in with the Zhao Family. Wang Meilan was a kind woman and treated him like her own son, and the rest of the family was good to him, too.
It was Zhao Youcai who pulled strings to get Lin Xiangshun his driving job at the Forest Farm. Back then, the Zhao and Zhou families weren't yet in-laws, and Zhao Youcai had incurred many personal debts to make it happen.
With a bond like that, Zhao Jun and Lin Xiangshun were as close as blood brothers.
Thinking back on the three years Lin Xiangshun had lived with his family, Zhao Jun recalled how Lin Xiangshun would always take the fall for him whenever he got in trouble. And if he couldn't take the blame, he would plead his case.
Thinking back, Zhao Jun realized he had definitely gotten far fewer beatings during those three years than in the years before or since.
Later, once Lin Xiangshun had a job and had slowly saved up some money, he built his own house, got married, and moved out of the Zhao residence.
But even after all these years, the two families remained just as close.
For instance, Zhao Jun's family dog, Da Hua, was one Lin Xiangshun had brought him.
Simply because Zhao Jun liked dogs, Lin Xiangshun, without a second thought, had given him the best dog in the entire Yong'an Forest Farm.
Today, however, upon hearing Zhao Jun's invitation to stay over, Lin Xiangshun inwardly shook his head.
'If it were anything else, it would be fine. But that kid Zhao Jun stole a gun, went into the mountains, and hunted a bear of all things. If I plead for him and something goes wrong later, even if Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan don't blame me, I'll never be able to live with myself.'
So, Lin Xiangshun said with a smile, "I can join you all for dinner, Second Brother, but I'll have to head back right after. Your little nephew has a cold, so I need to get home early to check on him."
'That was obviously an excuse. Just this morning, Zhao Jun had seen the little guy running all over the village, as energetic as a little piglet. He didn't look like he had a cold at all.'
But since Lin Xiangshun had put it that way, Zhao Jun couldn't press the issue.
Just then, Zhao Youcai chimed in from the side, "Shunzi will eat with us, then."
At this, Zhao Youcai turned to Li Dayong. "Brother, why don't you all come over today as well? It'll be a perfect chance for your wife and mine to butcher this Black Bear."
Li Dayong's expression didn't change, but inwardly, he was grateful to Zhao Youcai.
'Now that Li Baoyu was grown, Li Dayong and Jin Xiaomei were anxious to find him a job. But the Forest Farm had no openings—every position was filled. Even Zhao Jun was still waiting for a spot, so what chance did someone like Li Baoyu, who had no connections, possibly have?'
'During the three years Lin Xiangshun lived with the Zhaos, he had also become friendly with the Li Family. That's what gave Li Dayong and his wife the idea of having Li Baoyu learn to drive from him.'
'According to a reliable tip from Zhao Youcai, the Forest Farm was getting two new trucks next year. More trucks meant they'd be short on drivers.'
'If they could have Li Baoyu learn first, it would be much easier to pull some strings and get him a position when the new trucks arrived, right?'
'After all, being a driver was considered a skilled trade back then, and not many people knew how to drive.'
'Though it wasn't a huge matter, it was still a favor they were asking. The Li Family needed to show the proper respect. Today's chance meeting was the perfect opportunity, so Zhao Youcai wanted to arrange a dinner. It was always easier to talk things over at the dinner table with a few drinks.'