It would be no exaggeration to call today’s events a complete farce.
In retrospect, the initial plan of the Qin and Tao families was nothing short of delusional. They seed to think every good thing in the world was destined to be theirs.
The result was that the five of them combined couldn’t even last three rounds against Zhao Youcai.
Their original plan—to use public pressure to force Zhao Youcai into submission—now seed like a complete joke.
Thus, Qin Dajiang’s arrival gave the five of them a way to back down gracefully.
Of course, they weren’t the only ones who needed a way down.
There was also Zhao Youcai.
Therefore, Qin Dajiang also had to give Zhao Youcai an out.
But even if he laid this way out at Zhao Youcai’s feet, whether Zhao Youcai was willing to take it was another matter entirely.
And so, after yelling at Qin Qiang and the Tao Family Siblings, Qin Dajiang turned to Zhao Youcai. Cupping his fist, he said, "Brother, the children are just ignorant. As an elder, please don’t lower yourself to their level."
In this day and age, Qin Dajiang’s words might be called guilt-tripping, or perhaps just telling a bald-faced lie.
Let the younger generation off the hook just like that?
Qin Qiang was almost thirty. Could he still be called a "child"?
But in that ti and place, for Qin Dajiang—a peer of Zhao Youcai’s—to say such a thing was tantamount to the Qin and Tao families admitting they were wrong.
In response, Zhao Youcai gave a dismissive wave. "Get your son ho," he said. "He’s in that state, what’s he doing wandering around for?"
Qin Dajiang quickly agreed and led the group away, their tails between their legs.
Zhao Youcai didn’t even bother watching them leave. He just waved to the crowd at his gate and said, "Alright, it’s over. Everyone can head on ho now."
With that, he called for Wang ilan and Jin Xiaoi to pack up their knives and get ready to head back inside.
When Zhao Youcai said this, so of the onlookers were displeased. They had eagerly co from their hos, carrying baskets and basins to the Zhao Family’s gate, expecting to get a share of the bear at to take ho.
But when Qin Qiang and his group had shown up to cause trouble, Zhao Youcai had ordered people to carry the rest of the Black Bear at into his courtyard.
And now that Zhao Youcai had told everyone to leave, it was clear he wasn’t going to bring the at back out.
Isn’t there a saying?
The problem isn’t scarcity, but inequality.
Everyone had co to the Zhao Family for a share of at. So got a portion, and so didn’t. Naturally, those who received at were happy, while those who left empty-handed were resentful.
However, their resentnt was directed mostly at the Qin and Tao families.
After all, Zhao Youcai wasn’t a stingy person, and he had been handing out at continuously before the Qin and Tao families ca to stir up trouble.
Thus, many of those who didn’t get any Black Bear at naturally directed their resentnt toward Qin Qiang and his group.
The Zhao father and son paid this no mind. Zhao Youcai turned and walked into the courtyard, with Zhao Jun right behind him.
As soon as the pair entered the house, they heard Lin Xiangshun ask Zhao Youcai, "Second Uncle, are you alright?"
Zhao Youcai shook his head and chuckled. "This turned out well. We saved a lot of at."
Just as they were speaking, Wang ilan and Jin Xiaoi entered from outside, each carrying a basin. Hearing the conversation, Wang ilan walked over to Lin Xiangshun and said, "Shunzi, make sure you take so extra at ho later."
"That’s right, that’s right," Jin Xiaoi chid in. "Little Yanzi is at ho with the kid. Take a good amount back for the two of them."
The Little Yanzi Jin Xiaoi ntioned was Lin Xiangshun’s wife, Xu Chunyan.
The reason for Jin Xiaoi’s concern over Lin Xiangshun’s wife was simple: she wanted to further improve the relationship between their two families. That way, when they eventually asked Lin Xiangshun to teach Li Baoyu how to drive, it would be an easier request to make, and Lin Xiangshun would be sure to teach him diligently.
Hearing this, Lin Xiangshun didn’t stand on ceremony and readily agreed. He had always considered the Zhao Family to be his own kin, so he wasn’t about to be polite with Wang ilan over a bit of Black Bear at.
However, he took Jin Xiaoi’s words as re pleasantries and didn’t give them much thought.
After all, in his mind, no matter how much Black Bear at he took ho, it was coming from the Zhao Family’s share. He wouldn’t consider himself indebted to the Li Family in any way.
At that mont, both Zhao Youcai and Zhao Jun picked up on the subtle undercurrents. Zhao Youcai secretly shook his head but said nothing, thinking, ’A woman’s hair is long, but her insight is short.’
He had his own way of judging things. He wouldn’t have helped Li Dayong arrange the matter if he wasn’t certain Lin Xiangshun would agree.
So, Zhao Youcai simply said to Wang ilan, "I already told Dayong their family is eating with us today. You and our sister-in-law should whip up a few extra dishes."
"Alright. You all keep chatting, we’ll go cook," Wang ilan agreed imdiately, leading Jin Xiaoi toward the outer room.
anwhile, Zhao Jun called Li Baoyu to go outside and help. The two of them, each grabbing a knife, first cut two large pieces of fat from the bear’s belly and brought them straight into the house for Wang ilan.
Inside, there was only a little water covering the bottom of the large wok, but it was already at a rolling boil.
Jin Xiaoi took the two pieces of fat, diced them into small chunks, and dropped them one by one into the boiling water.
Boiling the fatty pieces like this rendered out the oil. By the ti all the oil had been extracted, the wok was more than half full of bear oil.
The original chunks of fat, anwhile, had transford into golden-brown, crispy morsels, almost like puffed snacks.
These were cracklings.
In those days, these were a favorite snack among children.
Back outside, Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu worked together to detach one of the bear’s legs. Then, from the thigh, they began carving off long, firm strips of lean at.
Once they had cut a heaping platter full, Jin Xiaoi ca out to take it inside. After being blanched, the bear thigh at would be stir-fried with green peppers.
This leg at wasn’t tough at all; it was satisfyingly chewy and packed with flavor. Paired with the peppers, it was the perfect dish to have with both drinks and a al.
Finally, Zhao Jun cut two large strips of streaky at from the Black Bear’s hindquarter.
Compared to a wild boar’s, these two cuts from the Black Bear were a bit on the fatty side, but if made into a red-braised dish, they would be an absolutely exquisite delicacy.
These were three hearty main dishes. Including the wild boar at from a few days ago, and with guests over today, Wang ilan planned to prepare a feast of eight dishes—every single one containing at.
A spread of this caliber was, if not completely unheard of, then at least exceedingly rare for a mountain village in those days.
Of course, this was all thanks to Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu. But at that mont, the two young n felt particularly ek. They weren’t hoping for any praise; they were just praying that after their families had eaten their fill, they might be spared.
But they knew this was a pipe dream.
A beating was inevitable. They’d just have to live with it. It wasn’t as if they’d never been thrashed before.
With the preparations for their own al finished, Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu started cutting up at for the dogs. They didn’t hold back, either, deliberately picking out the good cuts for them.
"Eat up, eat up. Have so more." Li Baoyu squatted in front of Daqing, muttering as he watched the dog wolf down the bear at.
Having eaten bear at for two days straight, Daqing was completely captivated by the delicacy. In its opinion, the bear at was far more delicious than the wild boar it had eaten the other day.
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