Eight dishes, all of them substantial, were each split onto two plates. A total of sixteen plates completely covered two large tables in Zhao Jun’s home.

Zhao Jun, Zhao Youcai, Li Dayong, Lin Xiangshun, and Li Baoyu were at one table in the inner room, while Wang Meilan, Jin Xiaomei, Li Ruhai, Zhao Hong, Zhao Na, and Li Xiaoqiao were at another table in the outer room.

Faced with a table full of delicious food, Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu dug in and started stuffing their faces.

’A vicious beating tonight is unavoidable. Might as well eat more meat and stock up on energy beforehand, right?’

But at the dinner table, watching the way Li Baoyu was eating, Li Dayong couldn’t help but narrow his eyes and grit his teeth. ’This little bastard,’ he thought, ’all he does is cause trouble and eat. His old man has to worry about every little thing for him. Just you wait, I’ll beat you half to death when we get home tonight.’

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhao Youcai brought the conversation around to the Forest Farm’s plan to add a new truck next year. After Lin Xiangshun chimed in with his agreement, Li Dayong personally spoke up to make his family’s request.

After listening, Lin Xiangshun glanced at Li Baoyu and said with a smile, "Uncle Li, we don’t need to be so formal, it makes us sound like strangers. Say no more. After the New Year, just have Baoyu come to the farm and learn to drive with me."

Li Dayong and Li Baoyu were both overjoyed. Li Dayong raised his cup. "Shunzi, say no more. Uncle Li toasts you."

"You’re too kind." Lin Xiangshun raised his cup with one hand, and with the other, he nudged Li Dayong’s cup upward until it was higher than his own before he finally clinked them together.

The local spirits of the Northeast, a kind of bulk white liquor, was never low-proof. Northeasterners didn’t drink the weak stuff; the absolute minimum was 56% alcohol.

From the start of the meal until now, Zhao Youcai, Li Dayong, and Lin Xiangshun had each drunk the better part of a half-pint.

At this point, Zhao Jun started to get a little scared. He knew that once people drank too much, they were capable of anything.

If Zhao Youcai and Li Dayong drank themselves dead drunk and passed out, that would be a relief.

If Zhao Youcai and Li Dayong hadn’t drunk too much and were still clear-headed, that would also be good. They would surely show some restraint when it came time to beat him and Li Baoyu.

But the most frightening scenario was if they both got very drunk but didn’t pass out, remaining fully mobile.

Because at that point, a person’s actions are unimpeded, but their thinking is muddled. If they saw red while dishing out the punishment, there’d be no telling how hard they’d hit.

’At this thought, Zhao Jun couldn’t help but feel a pang of fear. Li Baoyu would probably be fine. He was tall and sturdy. If Li Dayong lost his temper during the beating, even if Baoyu couldn’t fight back against his own father, he was definitely fast enough to run away.’

’But what about him? He couldn’t beat Zhao Youcai.’

’The father and son were about the same height and weight. Zhao Youcai might be older than Zhao Jun, but at forty-five, he was in his prime. Plus, he was a chef who spent his days tossing woks and chopping ingredients. His big hands were like a pair of pliers; Zhao Jun stood no chance of resisting.’

Thinking of this, Zhao Jun started shooting glances at Lin Xiangshun. They had lived and eaten together for several years, and Zhao Jun was confident his good brother would understand what he was trying to say.

Sure enough, Lin Xiangshun caught Zhao Youcai’s hand as it reached for the liquor jug. "Uncle," he said, "you still have to work tomorrow. Maybe take it easy on the drinking."

"But I’m not done drinking yet," Zhao Youcai muttered, pushing Lin Xiangshun’s hand away.

"That’s right," Li Dayong chimed in. "Shunzi, you have to drink until you’re satisfied!"

In the Northeast, if you had guests over for a meal, especially in those difficult times, it didn’t matter what food you served. What mattered was making sure your guests had enough to drink.

It didn’t have to be fine liquor, just plentiful. But if a guest didn’t get to drink their fill, the host would lose an incredible amount of face.

This was no small matter. If word got around, the host wouldn’t be able to hold their head high in public.

"Uncle, Uncle." Lin Xiangshun reached out again to hold down the liquor jug. "I’m not an outsider," he said quickly. "We can always drink next time. Besides, you spent all morning out on the scree slope. You should get to bed early tonight."

Hearing this, Zhao Youcai subconsciously looked up at Zhao Jun, and their eyes met.

Zhao Jun’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head.

Zhao Youcai curled his lip, then turned his gaze to Li Dayong. "Brother," he said, "Shunzi isn’t an outsider. Let’s call it a night, then."

"Alright, brother, I’ll listen to you." When facing Zhao Youcai, Li Dayong was surprisingly similar to how Li Baoyu was with Zhao Jun—completely obedient.

However, when it came to his own son, Li Dayong was not nearly as courteous.

He was heard barking at Li Baoyu, "Go get the rice basin."

Hearing this, Li Baoyu quickly got up and went to the outer room. He returned a moment later holding a large red basin filled with steamed white rice.

In those days, there were no electric rice cookers. Rice was steamed in a large basin set over a big pot of boiling water.

Li Baoyu served rice to Zhao Youcai, Li Dayong, and Lin Xiangshun. After the three men finished eating their rice mixed with food and broth, Lin Xiangshun took the bear meat that Wang Meilan had prepared for him, said his goodbyes, and left for home.

Just then, Li Dayong called for Li Baoyu and Li Ruhai to carry half of the remaining bear meat back to their house. He and Jin Xiaomei then took Li Xiaoqiao and climbed over the wall, heading straight home.

After seeing off Lin Xiangshun and the Li Family, Zhao Jun tried to bolt for his room. But Zhao Youcai was ready for him. He lunged forward, blocked the door with his knee, and with a two-handed shove, forced both Zhao Jun and the door open.

"Try to run, will you!" Zhao Youcai’s large hand shot out. As Zhao Jun ducked his head, the hand swept around his neck and snagged his collar.

Zhao Youcai yanked his arm back, pulling Zhao Jun in front of him. With the hand gripping the collar, he shoved down, forcing Zhao Jun’s head and torso to bend over.

Then, Zhao Youcai balled his other hand into a fist and began hammering it into Zhao Jun’s back.

Zhao Youcai landed three heavy blows, beating Zhao Jun until he was powerless to resist. He then lifted a foot, kicked him to the floor, and immediately straddled him, raining backhanded slaps all over his body.

...

The next day, as Zhao Hong and Zhao Na shouldered their schoolbags and got ready for school, the two sisters noticed their older brother hadn’t gotten up for breakfast.

When the two sisters returned from school, they were surprised to find their older brother still lying on the kang.

Although both sisters knew Zhao Jun was lazy, lazing around in bed wasn’t acceptable in those days. Sleeping in and skipping breakfast was unheard of; behavior like Zhao Jun’s would normally earn a beating.

But to the sisters’ surprise, Wang Meilan didn’t say a word about it when she came back from the fields, nor did Zhao Youcai when he got home from work. Instead, he told Zhao Hong to feed Zhao Jun his meal.

And so, Zhao Jun lay on the kang for four days, only getting back on his feet on the fifth day. Li Baoyu, with his sturdier build, had recovered a full two days earlier.

From the moment he could walk again, Li Baoyu was camped out by Zhao Jun’s kang, talking with him every day about their future hunting plans.

Zhao Jun, bored out of his mind, joined in enthusiastically. The two buddies grew more and more excited as they made their plans. But there was one problem: the hunting rifle they had stolen from Wang Qiang’s house had been taken back by Wang Qiang.

Now they had plenty of dogs, but no gun.