Chapter 292: Chapter 245: A Beast Injures People
Zhao Jun had thought Tao Fulun would be thrilled to hear there was a tiger in the mountains.
But in reality, the moment he heard Tao Fei say there was a stone tiger in the mountains, the hand Tao Fulun was using to hold his mug trembled. Thanks to Tao Fei’s quick reflexes, the whole mug of water didn’t end up spilling onto the heated brick bed.
"For real? Or are you pulling my leg?" Tao Fulun’s face was dead serious as he looked at Tao Fei. "I’m telling you, if you dare lie to me, don’t blame me if I teach you a lesson."
"Grandpa," Tao Fei said with a smile, "I’m not lying. You can go ask around and you’ll find out."
"What’s the matter?" Zhao Jun asked, looking at Tao Fulun curiously. "Old-timer, you’re not thinking of taking on a tiger, are you?"
Hearing Zhao Jun’s words, a flash of sorrow crossed the old man’s face. He shook his head and said, "A Tiger... I wouldn’t dare take one of those on. I can manage a wild boar or a Black Bear, but not that."
"You should just rest," Tao Fei said. "Starting tomorrow, my aunt is going to come over early in the morning to keep an eye on you with my mom."
"Nonsense," the old man retorted, his expression hardening. "I’m not a child. What do you need to watch me for?"
Having dealt with him before, Zhao Jun knew exactly what kind of person Tao Fulun was. ’The Tao Family must have it rough,’ he thought. ’On top of their daily work, they have to rally people to keep an eye on this old man.’
Just then, Li Baoyu asked Tao Fei, "Brother, this stone tiger... did someone actually see it, or what?"
Tao Fei shook his head. "From what I heard, it seems no one actually saw the creature itself, just its paw prints. They said the prints weren’t that big, so it’s not likely a large Tiger."
The term "stone tiger" referred to different animals in different places.
In some regions, a stone tiger meant a large wildcat or a Lynx.
But in the area around Zhao Jun’s family, "stone tiger" meant a young tiger, not a full-grown Northeast Tiger.
These were typically juvenile cubs or smaller female Tigers.
A female Tiger would be one thing, but if it was a cub... ’Doesn’t that mean it should have parents?’
Thinking back to the Tiger he and Zhou Chengguo had faced, Zhao Jun figured the two were too far apart to be related. Still, his curiosity got the better of him. "Xiaofei," he asked Tao Fei, "has the brigade said anything about that stone tiger?"
Tao Fei shook his head. "Brother Jun, if we were to hunt it, we’d need approval from the Forestry Bureau. Right now, the brigade’s official line is to just stay away from that area."
Hearing this, Li Baoyu looked a little disappointed. He muttered under his breath, grumbling that if someone did hunt the tiger, he’d love to watch the show.
Though he spoke quietly, everyone there heard him clearly.
For his age, Tao Fulun’s hearing was surprisingly sharp. He immediately said to Li Baoyu, "Li, you boys should stick to hunting wild boar and Black Bears. Even if it’s just a stone tiger, it’s not something an ordinary person can handle."
"Right," Zhao Jun said as soon as Tao Fulun finished. "You’re absolutely right, Old-timer. You should just stick to hunting a few hazel grouse and partridges. Wild boars and Black Bears... those aren’t something *you* can handle."
He used the exact same phrasing, essentially turning Tao Fulun’s own words right back at him.
"You little..." Tao Fulun was so angry he was speechless, his mustache bristling as he glared at Zhao Jun.
Tao Fei, on the other hand, couldn’t help but smile. Tao Fulun ruled the roost at home; neither his son nor his grandson could ever get through to him.
Zhao Jun tried to reason with him again. "Old-timer, it’s not my place as a junior to say this, but didn’t you sprain your ankle the last time you went into the mountains? At your age, bones don’t heal so easily."
After Zhao Jun said this, Elder Tao seemed to actually take it to heart. He nodded and said, "You’ve got a point."
Hearing this, Tao Fei’s eyes went wide with disbelief. He glanced at Zhao Jun in astonishment, then back at Tao Fulun.
Sensing his grandson’s strange stare, Tao Fulun cocked his head and glared at Tao Fei. "What are you lookin’ at?"
Tao Fei certainly didn’t dare retort with the classic "I’m lookin’ at you, what about it?" to his own grandfather. He just said, "Grandpa, just stay home tomorrow. For the hunt, I’ll go with Brother Zhao and Brother Li."
At his words, Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu exchanged a glance. ’We never said we were taking him with us,’ they both thought.
While they were all chatting, Tao Fei’s father, Tao Xiaobao, came home.
Tao Xiaobao saw the dogs in the yard as soon as he entered and made a point to give them a wide berth, afraid the unfamiliar animals might lunge out and attack him.
But hunting hounds are well-behaved. They don’t bark or cause a fuss; they just find a spot and lie down quietly.
Seeing the dogs, Tao Xiaobao recalled what his elder brother had said upon returning from Yong’an Village a few days prior. He guessed their family’s benefactor must have arrived.
He slid the door open and was greeted by the rich aroma of stewed goose. Tao Xiaobao jerked his chin at Li Yunxiang, who nodded in return. "The young man is here," she said. "Hurry and come inside."
Hearing this, Tao Xiaobao quickly pulled off his thick mittens. By the time he entered the inner room, Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu had already hopped off the heated brick bed.
The three men introduced themselves. Tao Xiaobao grabbed Zhao Jun’s hand and shook it firmly. "Little Zhao," he said, "I’m not even going to try and find the words. You’re a benefactor to our entire family. When you’re here, you’re home."
Zhao Jun exchanged a few polite words with him, and everyone took their seats again. The conversation returned to the topic of the spring hunt.
Tao Xiaobao then said to Zhao Jun, "I heard from Wu Feng that you’re an incredible hunter. Later, I’ll have my big brother get you the semi-automatic. No matter what you end up bagging, we won’t let you go home empty-handed."
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