Chapter 48: Clear Sky Day Chapter 27: The Lost-and-Found Little Bird (On-Shelf Seeking First Subscription)

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Shaowei immediately halted her steps, turned her head to search for the source of that sound; at the same time, a yellow-and-white blur pounced from the side, pecking and clawing at the bamboo pole as it chased Jiang Fu who was pursuing Shaowei, while crying out:

"I will defend Shaowei King to the death!"

Jiang Fu shrieked "ah ah," retreating and waving her sleeve to drive away the ferocious bird, and loudly summoned Mo Li to come help.

Mo Li, who was herding cattle to graze not far away, came running at full speed, drew his blade and stood protecting Jiang Fu before him.

The bird chirped and flew toward Shaowei; Shaowei spread both arms wide to shield it, hurriedly saying: "Don't hurt it, this is the little bird I raised!"

"No wonder..." Jiang Fu stepped out from behind Mo Li, craning her neck to examine the bird perched on Shaowei's shoulder, clicking her tongue: "No wonder it's so fierce, pecking at anyone it sees."

It truly takes after its master perfectly.

Shaowei had no mind to listen to whatever Jiang Fu was saying; she joyfully grabbed Zhan Zhan down from her shoulder, cupping it in her hands: "Zhan Zhan... how did you find this place?!"

Shaowei's gaze was practically filled with admiration; this place was at least over two thousand li from Taishan Commandery, yet Zhan Zhan had actually chased her all the way here — it was simply inconceivable.

Zhan Zhan stood in Shaowei's palm, folded its wings back, lifted one thin little claw and bobbed a few times, looking incomparably smug.

Jiang Fu walked over holding the bamboo pole: "It definitely wouldn't be chasing after you; a parrot's sense of smell is not as keen as a civet cat's, yet it fears cold far more than a civet cat — one thinks it likely followed its instinct and migrated south..."

These words were like a basin of cold water, poured over Shaowei's head while she was in the midst of admiration and emotion.

"..." Shaowei, cupping the little bird in both hands, lifted her eyelids to look at Jiang Fu.

Jiang Fu immediately wore an expression of puzzlement and suspicion: "A bird this afraid of cold actually kept living with you in Taishan Commandery all this time? It never left even in winter?"

One must say, this perfectly timed suspicious expression greatly pleased Shaowei.

Shaowei hmphed: "That goes without saying; it spent three winters with me on Tianlang Mountain."

Jiang Fu sighed with emotion: "So contrary to its nature, truly rare — is that not even more precious than traveling a thousand li to seek you out?"

This sentence of Jiang Fu's was indeed the truth.

Shaowei knew nothing of bird habits, only knew Zhan Zhan was truly afraid of cold; therefore every winter Shaowei would meticulously arrange that little wooden house for Zhan Zhan, lining inside and out with warm sheepskin; winters on Tianlang Mountain were bitterly cold, one couldn't do without burning firewood and stoves for warmth; Zhan Zhan never left the house in winter, eating, drinking, defecating and urinating all attended to by Shaowei.

This time, the circumstances of Shaowei's departure were vastly different from last time; at that time her heart was full of sorrow and chaos, she couldn't tell human from ghost, dream from life, stumbling as if treading in an illusion, not knowing where she was headed, so she hadn't managed to bring Zhan Zhan along.

After reaching an agreement with Jiang Fu and formally setting out on the road, Shaowei couldn't help but feel regret and longing.

At this moment that regret was swept clean away, her whole person filled with the joy of losing and regaining.

This was the first time Jiang Fu had seen Shaowei reveal such a vivid, happy expression.

She cupped her little bird and ran a few steps, tossed the bird upward; that pretty little bird flew up, one person and one bird chasing and circling on the grass, person and bird seemingly swapping roles — the girl happy as a leaping sparrow, the bird happy learning human speech, incessantly calling "Shaowei King."

Shaowei heard it so much she came back to her senses, gradually growing somewhat embarrassed.

That year Shaowei picked up Zhan Zhan and saved it, then accidentally discovered this bird could actually learn human speech, was greatly startled, suspected it was a demonic creature, hurriedly threw it out.

But for a person to unilaterally throw away a bird is really no easy matter... Shaowei threw until she was tired, and never discovered any other demonic strangeness in Zhan Zhan — eating a lot, that one point probably shouldn't count? — so she slowly let down her guard and kept this shameless bird.

Over time, Zhan Zhan heard Shaowei's name from others' mouths and learned to call it.

Being called by name directly by a bird, Shaowei always felt a sense of being looked down upon; she determined to think up a more imposing title to display her status.

And the most imposing title eight-year-old Shaowei could think of was the two words "Great King"; Tianlang Mountain was within Taishan Commandery, Taishan Commandery was under Lu State's jurisdiction, the Lu King was Lu State's Great King, mountain bandits often mentioned him.

So Shaowei demanded Zhan Zhan address her as Shaowei King, but Zhan Zhan, having its own opinions and a slight rebellious streak, never agreed to call her as she wished; no matter how Shaowei guided or coerced, it never called her that once.

Shaowei gradually forgot about this matter.

Until this long-separation reunion, Zhan Zhan seemed like a stray puppy long unseen by its master, desperately wagging its tail as it used this title to flatter and please Shaowei.

This overly dense, surging, and ill-timed flattery made Shaowei slowly unable to bear it.

Jiang Fu leaned on the bamboo pole with one hand, casually rested the other on her waist, smiling as she teased: "To tame a flying bird to this extent, Shaowei King truly has brilliant methods and excels at commanding subordinates."

"Shaowei King" thoroughly reddened in the face, grabbed Zhan Zhan whose throat was hoarse from calling and ran to the stream not far away to drink water, hoping to stop up this bird's mouth.

Zhan Zhan was indeed thirsty.

Shaowei scooped stream water into her palm; Zhan Zhan lowered its head to peck and drink, the tuft of goose-yellow feather crown on its head trembling with each drinking motion, utterly adorable.

Seeing it drink its fill, Shaowei shook off the water droplets in her palm, sat down right there by the stream.

Zhan Zhan shook its feathers, stood close beside Shaowei, its two claws alternating stepping a few times, then left only one on the grass, the other lifted and tucked into its feathers, thin eyelids trembling, eyes narrowing — this is the restful posture a bird only makes when feeling at ease.

Zhan Zhan, having rested a while, was truly exhausted; after nodding its head a few times, it suddenly plunged into the grass, simply burying its head in the grass nest and falling asleep.

A breeze blew; Shaowei quietly covered Zhan Zhan with a corner of her own robe; this insignificant little action yet gave Shaowei an extraordinary sense of accomplishment.

Jiang Fu, unknown when she had approached, sat cross-legged beside Shaowei, setting the bamboo pole aside.

Mo Li continued herding cattle, went off to find wild fruit to eat.

The April wind carried the breath of all things flourishing; under Shaowei's robe hem lay the lost-and-found little bird, her mood a long-absent delight, her person unconsciously becoming more easygoing and relaxed; she turned her head and actively asked Jiang Fu: "Didn't you have a story to tell?"

Jiang Fu smiled at Shaowei, then looked toward the twisting, continuous traces of mountain collapse ahead, slowly opening her mouth: "This story is called — 'Peeling'."

Shaowei: "Which 'Peeling', the 'peeling skin and extracting bones' Peeling?"

Jiang Fu lightly nodded.

Shaowei was very puzzled how this one character could form a story; in her heart she guessed this must be a story not lacking in bloody plot, perhaps even a witch-ghost story; therefore a few parts tension, a few parts anticipation, she listened with full concentration to Jiang Fu's continued narration.