BANG! BANG!
Zhao Youcai fired two consecutive shots with the semi-automatic rifle. The first shot grazed the lynx's back and missed. The second shot blew its short tail clean off.
The impact of the shot sent the lynx's body twisting.
Just as the lynx regained its footing and tried to flee again, another gunshot rang out.
Zhao Youcai, who was aiming his rifle and had just found the lynx again, saw a spray of blood erupt from the creature's neck the instant he heard the shot.
Looking at the lynx again, he saw its head had been severed from its body. The head flew forward another meter, while the headless corpse collapsed to the ground.
"Who's there?" Zhao Youcai swung the muzzle of his rifle toward an empty spot to his side, then turned to face the direction of the gunshot.
The sight made Zhao Youcai blink in disbelief.
But no matter how many times he looked, there was no mistaking it—it was his son, Zhao Jun.
Just then, a tall young man came running down the opposite slope. He ran up to Zhao Youcai, called out, "Uncle," and then immediately dashed over to where the lynx lay.
When Zhao Jun walked up to Zhao Youcai, he was met with his father's extremely hostile gaze.
Zhao Jun's face was calm, but inside, his heart was pounding with anxiety. 'Knowing Dad,' he thought, 'if there was anything handy to use as a weapon around here, I wouldn't even have to wait until tonight for this beating.'
"Uncle, look!" Just then, Li Baoyu ran over to Zhao Youcai's side, holding the lynx's head in one hand and its body in the other.
Li Baoyu called out to Zhao Youcai, but he placed the lynx's head and body at Zhao Jun's feet.
After setting them down, he turned and ran off again.
A moment later, he returned, carrying a lynx tail.
This time, however, Li Baoyu placed the lynx tail in front of Zhao Youcai's feet.
Zhao Youcai was speechless.
'What's the meaning of this?'
'Is he mocking me?'
Just then, Li Baoyu added, "Uncle, is this the tail you shot off?"
"Get lost, you little brat," Zhao Youcai said, kicking Li Baoyu in the shin and making him hop.
Zhao Youcai slung the rifle over his shoulder, shot Zhao Jun a harsh glare, and then kicked the lynx tail away before starting to walk off.
'This is bad.' Zhao Jun groaned inwardly, cursing Li Baoyu. 'That damn kid is so unreliable.'
'If I let Dad walk away angry like this, isn't he just going to take it all out on me tonight?'
'If that happens, I probably won't be able to get out of bed for a week.'
At this thought, Zhao Jun had a flash of inspiration and called out, "Dad, what should we do with the Lynx Fur?"
At Zhao Jun's words, Zhao Youcai stopped in his tracks. He turned around, shot his son another fierce glare, and then took the rifle from his shoulder and tossed it to him.
Zhao Jun caught the rifle and quickly stepped aside to clear a path for his father.
When Zhao Youcai reached the lynx's corpse, he kicked the head away, as if to vent his frustration.
Seeing this, Li Baoyu didn't dare to act smug anymore. He scurried to the side and pretended to stare at the sky.
In front of the lynx's headless body, Zhao Youcai took a small knife from his pocket, squatted down, and began skinning it, starting from the neck.
The lynx wasn't very big to begin with, and since Zhao Youcai was a cook, he skillfully used the short knife to peel off the Lynx Fur in no time.
This Lynx Fur was headless and tailless, but its real value was that the torso had no bullet holes. Zhao Youcai put his knife away, rolled the fur into a cylinder, and then pulled a folded, square, white linen sack from his pocket.
He shook the sack open; it was over a meter long.
Zhao Youcai stuffed the rolled-up Lynx Fur into the sack and said to Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu, "Come on. Follow me back to the farm."
"Huh?"
Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu exchanged a glance. Seeing Zhao Jun give him a look, Li Baoyu quickly asked, "Uncle, can't we just go straight home?"
"Go home for what?" Zhao Youcai stared at Li Baoyu, his eyes full of malice. "Your dad went to borrow an ox to drag the bear. Aren't you going to go lend him a hand?"
Hearing this, Li Baoyu was on the verge of tears. What was he supposed to say when he saw Li Dayong?
'What if Dad can't control his anger and thrashes me right there at the Forest Farm in front of everyone? How could I ever show my face again?'
"Let's go!" Zhao Youcai didn't care what Li Baoyu was thinking. The little brat had just made him lose face, and with Zhao Youcai's personality, he was definitely going to get it back one way or another.
And so, Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu reluctantly followed Zhao Youcai toward the Forest Farm.
The location wasn't far from the Forest Farm. After walking for just over half an hour, the trio arrived at the Yong'an Forest Farm.
Li Dayong had already been waiting for a good part of the day. But when he saw Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu trailing behind Zhao Youcai, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
"What are you two doing here?" Li Dayong was very suspicious. He knew Zhao Youcai had left that morning.
And when he'd left for work, his son, Li Baoyu, had still been at home, sleeping with his head under the covers.
Faced with Li Dayong's question, Li Baoyu didn't dare to speak, dodging behind Zhao Jun instead.
Fortunately, Li Dayong's attention wasn't on Li Baoyu at that moment. His gaze was fixed on the cloth sack in Zhao Youcai's hand.
"Big Brother, you got it?"
Zhao Youcai didn't say a word, simply handing the sack to Li Dayong.
Li Dayong took the sack and glanced around. Seeing that no one was paying them any attention, he opened the white cloth sack and felt the fur inside. He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "No wonder this stuff is worth as much as a bear's gallbladder. It feels incredible."
After speaking, Li Dayong handed the sack back to Zhao Youcai.
Just then, Zhao Youcai said, "Brother, your family gets a share of this Lynx Fur."
"What?" Li Dayong was stunned for a moment, but then he quickly said, "Brother, everyone in the surrounding villages knows we're close, but you can't just do this."
That's right, Li Dayong was refusing the offer.
His relationship with Zhao Youcai was, one could say, closer than that of actual brothers.
But this Lynx Fur was different from their usual sharing of food and drink; it was far too valuable. More importantly, Li Dayong hadn't participated in the hunt at all. Even if Zhao Youcai was willing to give it, Li Dayong was unwilling to accept.
Watching the two elders talk, Li Baoyu, who was hiding behind Zhao Jun, suddenly had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, he heard Zhao Youcai say, "I'm not the one who shot it. Your boy and my Zhao Jun did."
"What?" Li Dayong was even more surprised. He looked to the side and finally noticed his son, who was cowering with a guilty conscience.
Still unwilling to believe it, Li Dayong's eyes suddenly fell on the hunting rifle on Zhao Jun's back.
Li Dayong sniffed, then turned his head to ask Zhao Youcai, "Big Brother, did you beat them?"
"Nah." Zhao Youcai suddenly grinned. He then shot a quick glance at Li Baoyu and chuckled. "Baoyu here said that I, his 'Uncle', fired two shots and only managed to hit a tail.
"He said the two 'little brothers' were the ones who killed the 'Tiger cub'. How could I dare hit them after that?"
Li Baoyu was speechless.
When Li Dayong heard this, the fire in his heart flared up, and he could no longer suppress it. He took a step forward, reaching out to grab Li Baoyu, who was hiding behind Zhao Jun.
"Uncle, Uncle, don't! There are too many people here at the farm," Zhao Jun hurriedly intervened. 'A beating is unavoidable,' he thought, 'but he can't get beaten here. We're men in our twenties now, don't we have any dignity to protect?'
"Alright, brother," Zhao Youcai said. "Let them go with you to haul the bear back. Whatever you have to deal with, you can deal with it at home."
Li Dayong glared fiercely at Li Baoyu for a long moment before finally replying, "Fine, Brother. We'll head over then."