Zhao Jun took the cloth bag containing the Bear Gall from Zhou Chengguo’s arms. The gall, from a brown bear weighing nearly eight hundred pounds, was two sizes larger than Zhao Jun’s fist.

Through the thin white cloth, he could see the Bear Gall’s surface gleaming with a bronze luster. This was a so-called "Copper Gall."

It wasn’t that Zhao Jun coveted Zhou Chengguo’s Bear Gall. He just wanted to hold onto it for him.

After all, given Zhou Chengguo’s injuries, he would surely be rushed into treatment the moment they got to the hospital.

Before treatment, a nurse would definitely help him out of his coat and pants. It would be a problem if the Bear Gall got lost in the process.

And even if a kind nurse put the Bear Gall aside for him, that wouldn’t work either. An unprocessed Bear Gall wouldn’t fetch a good price.

In Zhou Chengguo’s current situation, this Bear Gall was undoubtedly very important to him.

So, Zhao Jun decided to hold onto the gall for now and hand it over to Zhou Chengguo’s family when they arrived.

After stowing the Bear Gall, Zhao Jun placed Zhou Chengguo’s Type 56 semi-automatic rifle in the truck’s cab.

This was a hospital, after all. What kind of impression would they make walking in with a rifle?

Only then did Zhao Jun and Lin Xiangshun carry Zhou Chengguo into the hospital.

Once inside, Lin Xiangshun shouted for help, and medical staff immediately rushed over. From that point on, there was nothing more for Zhao Jun to do.

As for Lin Xiangshun, he was an official employee of the Yong’an Forest Farm.

He used his work ID to vouch for Zhou Chengguo, allowing the hospital to begin treatment without any payment upfront.

Zhao Jun and Lin Xiangshun chatted idly in the hospital corridor. After waiting for nearly two hours, they finally heard a clamor of footsteps from the far end of the hall.

Zhao Jun looked up to see a middle-aged woman in a blue floral padded jacket and a man in a gray padded jacket jogging toward them.

"Eldest Sister-in-law!" Lin Xiangshun stepped forward to greet the middle-aged woman.

This woman was Zhou Chengguo’s wife. Zhou Chengguo was only five years younger than Zhao Youcai but was a generation below him, making him a contemporary of Lin Xiangshun and Zhao Jun.

Because of the significant age gap, Lin Xiangshun and Zhao Jun had to address Zhou Chengguo as "Elder Brother" or "Brother Zhou," and his wife as "Eldest Sister-in-law."

"Shunzi, you’re here." Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou replied, then turned her gaze to Zhao Jun. "You must be Zhao Chun’s brother from her maiden family, right?"

"Ah, yes, I am."

The words had barely left Zhao Jun’s mouth when Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou hurried forward two steps and dropped to her knees before him.

"Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou, you mustn’t do this!" Zhao Jun quickly caught her arm, insisting, "Please, you mustn’t!"

Tears instantly welled up in Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou’s eyes. Clinging to Zhao Jun’s arm, she said, "Brother, I heard everything. If it weren’t for you today, my husband would have died on that mountain."

As she spoke, her tears fell like rain.

Zhou Chengguo had told his wife he was going into the mountains to hunt roe deer yesterday. Even when he didn’t return by nightfall, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou hadn’t thought much of it.

It wasn’t that she didn’t worry about her man; it was that she trusted his skills. She believed that no Black Bear, wild boar, or even a Northeast Tiger could stop Zhou Chengguo.

If he didn’t come home, he must have run into some good prey and decided to stay the night in the mountains.

That was until Village Chief Qi Shengli came to her house, telling her that Zhou Chengguo had been scalped by a bear in the mountains. Thankfully, he had been saved by Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu from Yong’an Village and was being rushed to the hospital In the Town for emergency treatment.

Hearing this, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou was overcome with anxiety. She grabbed the family’s money and ran out with the Village Chief.

They had rushed all the way here by horse-drawn cart.

On the way, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou had asked who Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu were. Although the two boys were of her generation, the age difference was large, and they rarely crossed paths. It was no surprise she hadn’t heard of them.

Qi Shengli wasn’t familiar with Li Baoyu either, but he knew Zhao Jun very well because Zhao Jun’s older sister, Zhao Chun, had married into their Yongsheng Village.

Besides, Zhao Youcai was a famous figure for a hundred miles around—whether for a good reputation or a bad one, he was well-known all the same.

Just then, Qi Shengli also walked over and exchanged greetings with Lin Xiangshun and Zhao Jun.

Zhao Jun was no stranger to Qi Shengli. Back when his older sister got married, Qi Shengli had accompanied his brother-in-law to his family’s home for the wedding procession.

After calming Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou, Qi Shengli asked about Zhou Chengguo’s condition. Zhao Jun briefly explained his theory of what happened and added, "My Brother Zhou was scalped. He lost a lot of blood, and there was a delay on the road, so he’s still in emergency treatment."

Hearing this, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou’s tears started streaming down again. She grabbed Zhao Jun’s hand and said, "Brother, don’t talk about delays. If it weren’t for you, your elder brother would have been left for dead on that mountain today."

Zhao Jun remained silent. He waited until Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou’s emotions gradually stabilized before he took the cloth-wrapped Bear Gall from his coat and handed it to Qi Shengli, who was standing beside them.

Zhao Jun said, "This is the Bear Gall my Brother Zhou got. I was afraid it would be inconvenient for him to carry it during treatment, so I held onto it. Uncle Qi, could you please see to it?"

Zhao Jun’s actions were quite appropriate. In her current state, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou had no mind to deal with the Bear Gall. Having Qi Shengli handle it was the best possible solution.

Qi Shengli was the Village Chief. In those days, when someone from Yongsheng Village was in trouble, it was his duty as the Village Chief to step up without hesitation.

"Brother!" Suddenly, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou snatched the Bear Gall. Holding it in one hand and grabbing Zhao Jun with the other, she said, "Your sister-in-law has no other way to thank you. You take this Bear Gall. How you sell it for money, I don’t care."

"No, no." Zhao Jun quickly pushed the Bear Gall back. "Eldest Sister-in-law, listen to me. My Brother Zhou needs the money right now. You must keep this Bear Gall. Our villages are practically family; we don’t do things this way."

At this point, Lin Xiangshun also stepped forward to help persuade her. After much convincing, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou finally accepted the Bear Gall.

Then, Qi Shengli took the Bear Gall to the hospital’s reception to borrow some hot water; the gall needed to be scalded with boiling water.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiangshun and Zhao Jun waited with Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou outside the treatment room. After about another half hour, the door opened, and a nurse and a doctor came out pushing a hospital bed.

As soon as they came out, before Zhao Jun and the others could crowd around, the nurse and doctor let go of the bed. The nurse looked at them and asked, "Zhou Chengguo’s family?"

"I am, I am!" Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou shot forward. Before she could even get a look at Zhou Chengguo, she heard the nurse say, "Take him to Ward 105, Bed 4. He needs an anti-inflammatory shot."

Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou knelt by the hospital bed, her tears flowing uncontrollably as she looked at Zhou Chengguo’s pale face.

Just then, Zhao Jun and Lin Xiangshun came forward and offered a few words of comfort to Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou. The two of them then helped move Zhou Chengguo to Ward 105. With the help of family members of other patients, they lifted Zhou Chengguo onto Bed 4.

Afterward, Zhao Jun bustled about, helping to find a nurse to give Zhou Chengguo his anti-inflammatory shot.

By the time everything was settled, it was already past nine at night. When Zhao Jun and Lin Xiangshun were about to leave, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou saw them out of the hospital.

At the hospital entrance, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou held Zhao Jun’s hand and said, "Brother, your sister-in-law won’t say any more. When your Brother Zhou returns to the village, I’ll come visit your family."

"Eldest Sister-in-law, don’t be so formal. It was nothing."

"That won’t do." Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou said stubbornly. "You saved his life. The Zhou family must thank you properly."

"There’s no need for thanks..." As Zhao Jun was speaking, he suddenly remembered something. He quickly turned to Lin Xiangshun beside him and said, "Second Brother, could you get the rifle from the truck for me?"

"Oh, right!" Lin Xiangshun hurried to the truck, opened the door, and returned with Zhou Chengguo’s Type 56 semi-automatic rifle.

Seeing this, Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou felt even more grateful toward Zhao Jun. ’Zhao Chun’s brother is such a good person,’ she thought. ’Not only did he save my husband’s life, but he also returned the Bear Gall.’

Not only did he return the Bear Gall, but he even retrieved the rifle.

She knew that this rifle wasn’t just how Zhou Chengguo put food on the table; it was also worth a thousand or eight hundred yuan. If it had been lost in the mountains, it would have been a huge loss for the Zhou family.

But just as Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou reached out to take the rifle, Zhao Jun intercepted it, taking it from Lin Xiangshun’s hands first.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, there’s something I’d like to ask you."

"Ah?" Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, "What is it? Go ahead, Brother."

Zhao Jun said, "It looks like my Brother Zhou will be recovering for a while. He won’t be able to use this rifle anytime soon, and I was wondering... could I borrow it for a bit?"