Chapter 13: The Mountain Dweller’s Ancient Art—The Secret of Bird Taming!
“Zhang Hao.”
A clear, pleasant, and gentle female voice came from behind.
Zhang Hao shivered all over, turned his head, and his pupils uncontrollably dilated as he looked at the incredibly familiar figure.
“Si… Siyu…” he forced a smile.
After a brief moment of surprise, Li Siyu’s lips curved into a smile, her almond-shaped eyes slightly narrowed. “Did you bring your meal?”
Zhang Hao paused.
Was Li Siyu trying not to make things too awkward for him?
He quickly recovered and smiled, “I’ve got everything ready, don’t worry.”
Then, as Li Siyu helped straighten his clothes, she lowered her voice and asked, “What are you doing? Didn’t you say you wanted to stay home and rest?”
Zhang Hao cleared his throat lightly. “I’m planning to go for mountain trekking.”
“Mountain trekking?” Li Siyu was momentarily stunned and looked up at him with some confusion.
“Yeah, the money I borrowed from you before was to prepare for this mountain trek,” Zhang Hao replied.
Li Siyu pondered for a moment, then reined in her smile and nodded.
She had heard from the village women that Zhang Hao had approached Mrs. Zhao to weave a bamboo basket and make straw sandals, along with a long list of other demands that had troubled Mrs. Zhao greatly.
But Zhang Hao was truly generous—just for a basket and a pair of sandals, he had given Mrs. Zhao 300 yuan.
She knew all this but had never told Zhang Hao.
“Well, be careful. If… if it’s too much, come back down immediately,” Li Siyu nodded and gave a simple reminder.
Zhang Hao felt a warmth in his heart, the corners of his mouth lifting. “Alright, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
With that, he placed the red string on the ground and stepped over it.
Then, under the puzzled gazes of the onlookers, he put away the red cloth, picked up the red string, and left the incense burner and incense sticks where they were. He took out three sacrificial fruits, carefully arranging them beside the incense.
“Everyone, please don’t touch the incense burner or the fruits. Those with children, please especially be careful. These are offerings to the Mountain God. The others over there are for Old Zhao.”
The incense and fruits were offerings to the Mountain God, a plea for protection, and must not be disturbed.
The additional offerings were set aside because of Old Zhao’s funeral; they were placed there as tributes to him, a way to dispel misfortune.
After completing these rituals, Zhang Hao slung his backpack over his shoulder, carried the bone-aged basket, and without looking back, headed along the mountain path before him.
Li Siyu watched his departing figure, momentarily lost in thought.
---
Unconsciously, she had spent seven days living with Zhang Hao. During this time, the villagers’ impression of him had shifted drastically—from a good-for-nothing who idled away his days to someone completely different.
He was the one who tidied the house and, as it turned out, borrowed money to keep himself busy with mountain trekking—picking mushrooms and herbs in the forest.
It seemed like a somewhat unreliable endeavor, something only the older generation would do.
Yet, as long as Zhang Hao stopped drinking and idling all day, that was the greatest change of all.
“Siyu, what did Haozi say he’s going to do? Mountain trekking?”
At that moment, Mrs. Zhang stepped forward, first glancing at Zhang Hao already ascending the mountain, then looking at Li Siyu with a question.
The surrounding villagers were equally confused and puzzled.
Li Siyu came back to herself, a faint smile flickering at her lips but quickly fading. “He said he’s going to trek the mountain.”
Mrs. Zhang nodded thoughtfully. “Mountain trekking, huh? That’s not an easy task.”
“Yeah, the mountains are dangerous. Who does that these days?” someone immediately chimed in.
“Exactly. Remember Old Wang at the village entrance? He used to trek the mountain, picking mushrooms and herbs all the time. He barely made any money a year and nearly lost his life several times. Didn’t he run into a bear and lose an eye? He barely made it back!”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
“Who’s talking nonsense? That Old Wang… *sob*…”
Mrs. Zhang hurriedly pulled Li Siyu aside and smiled. “Don’t listen to their nonsense. Siyu, Haozi may be a bit lazy, but he’s smart.”
The situation was special now—Zhang Hao and Li Siyu were engaged. To outsiders, they weren’t quite husband and wife yet, but in the village’s eyes, they already were—just missing a formal ceremony.
If something happened to Zhang Hao now, if he died it would be one thing, but if he were left crippled, it would truly be a hardship for Li Siyu.
Li Siyu nodded slightly. “I’m fine, Mrs. Zhang.”
With that, she lifted her gaze again, still looking toward the mountain, her thoughts swirling.
She hoped Zhang Hao would return safely.
Not just because of the engagement, but more because he was no longer the drunken, idle man he had been.
---
Breathing heavily…
The humid air was somewhat sticky, the slippery forest path beneath.
Thick foliage blocked out the sunlight, leaving only scattered patches of light on the undergrowth and tree trunks.
Leaning on his staff, Zhang Hao greedily inhaled the fresh air.
On his first mountain trek, standing among the trees, he deeply felt the hardship of those who made a living from the mountains.
The narrow mountain path was not for the faint-hearted—overgrown with weeds and surrounded by towering trees of similar height stretching endlessly.
One slight misstep could lead to losing one’s way, never to emerge from the mountain.
Leaning on his staff for a moment’s rest, Zhang Hao pulled out the knife hanging at his waist and, with a sharp blade, struck a small tree beside the path.
The gleaming blade easily sliced into the sapling. Zhang Hao raised his hand and snapped the small tree, tossing it aside casually.
This was basic knowledge for a mountain trekker—to leave markers along the way, indicating the path taken, so the return journey could be navigated safely and adjustments made as needed.
By now, Zhang Hao had made more than a dozen such marks.
As a mountain trekker, one must always remain cautious and vigilant to avoid mistakes.
Chirp… chirp…
In the silent, tranquil forest, the occasional melodious bird call echoed among the trees.
Taking advantage of his rest, Zhang Hao followed the sound with his eyes.
Not far ahead, perched on a tree branch, were several black-throated thrushes with slate-gray bodies, glossy black tail feathers, and creamy white bellies.
These birds, also known as nightingales, had a beautiful, melodious song.
Birds…
Zhang Hao’s thoughts drifted, recalling an ancient skill essential to mountain trekkers described in old texts.
The “Bird Taming Technique.”
As the name suggests, this technique involved taming mountain birds to help trekkers find lost items, detect dangers, and navigate paths.
It was a skill mostly mastered by trekkers from the southern regions.
Ancient texts contained detailed descriptions of the technique, including explanations of various bird habits and methods of taming.
By following the prescribed steps, one could complete the taming in a relatively short time.