Chapter 82

“This…” Shu Wanxiu hesitated and raised her head.

"Believe me."

Xun Yi only said three words, but his expression was confident.

"good."

The two agreed that Xun Yi would be the first to try it the next day.

After stating the matter openly and honestly, Shu Wanxiu became shy again.

Xun Yi looked at Shu Wanxiu's face, which was as red as a fruit, and felt quite embarrassed.

"Let's put the things inside first."

Xun Yi pointed to the skinless wild rabbit.

"Um."

Xun Yi accompanied Shu Wanxiu as they strolled from the edge of the woods to the main hall.

The journey wasn't long, but the two of them, in perfect sync, slowed their pace to the minimum.

We didn't actually say much; just sitting quietly like this was enough for me.

Once under the eaves, the last shred of reason in Xun Yi's mind told him that staying any longer would be neither appropriate nor reasonable.

"After you've put the rabbit down, go to bed early."

"Mm," Shu Wanxiu replied, her brows furrowed.

Xun Yi looked at the strand of hair hanging down her cheek and felt an itch to tuck it behind her ear.

But in the end, they didn't do that.

"Go inside, I'll wait until you've closed the door before I leave."

Is this how we part ways?

Shu Wanxiu felt a little reluctant, but she also knew that Xun Yi's seemingly urging words were actually for her sake.

Following Xun Yi's words, she took a step or two, but suddenly turned back.

She mustered up her courage and asked, "Brother Xun, what time will you be coming tomorrow?"

Xun Yi looked at her back with a very gentle expression, never expecting her to turn around.

After his panic partially concealed his feelings, he pondered for a moment and finally replied, "Noon, 3:45."

Shu Wanxiu smiled and her eyes crinkled when she heard this.

There is a specific time to wait, and there is hope every moment.

She likes it this way.

She slept soundly through the night. The next morning, Shu Wanxiu styled her hair and, looking at her reflection in the clear water, carefully tidied up any stray hairs around her temples.

Throughout the first half of the morning, she would occasionally glance at the sky while doing her work.

Under the blazing sun, Shu Shouyi noticed his aunt's unusual behavior today. As she looked up for what seemed like the umpteenth time, he also looked up at the sky. But today, the sky was cloudless, and the only striking thing in the sky was the blinding sun that made it impossible to look directly at it.

He finally couldn't help but ask, "Auntie, what's up in the sky?"

Unable to give a serious answer to this innocent child's question, Shu Wanxiu could only smile and let it go.

When noon arrives, it means that half of the day has passed.

At noon, Xun Yi arrived precisely in front of the Shu family's house.

Shu Wanxiu had already made sure she was in top form. When she saw Xun Yi, she greeted him with a calm smile.

"Uncle Xun!" Shu Shouyi greeted him as well.

The strange Xun Yi is a thing of the past. Lately, Xun Yi has been quite normal, so Shu Shouyi is no longer afraid of him.

Xun Yi nodded to Shu Wanxiu first, then squatted down in front of Shu Shouyi.

"My uncle has come to fulfill his promise today."

Shu Shouyi tilted his head, unable to recall what Xun Yi had promised.

Until Xun Yi opened his palm, he saw two emerald green bamboo leaves placed in Xun Yi's palm.

Seeing Shu Shouyi's exaggeratedly wide eyes, Xun Yi chuckled and teased, "Finally remembered?"

"Yes!! I remember!"

His face flushed with excitement, and he asked almost impatiently, "Uncle, will you teach me now?"

Xun Yi and Shu Wanxiu exchanged a quick glance, as if they had never discussed it the night before, and said very naturally, "Uncle wants to take you to a good place to teach you. Would you like to go with Uncle?"

This put Shu Shouyi in a somewhat difficult position.

He has never gone out alone with Uncle Xun.

"Can Auntie come along?" he asked in a childish voice, tilting his little head up.

Xun Yi shook his head very lightly and slowly.

Shu Shouyi felt instantly dejected.

Shu Wanxiu patted Shu Shouyi's head at the right moment to give him courage: "Go if you want to. If you want to come back when you're done playing, just tell Uncle Xun."

Xun Yi nodded, "Uncle can guarantee that if you want to come back, Uncle will send you back immediately."

Filled with curiosity, excitement, and reluctance to part with Shu Wanxiu briefly, Shu Shouyi left with Xun Yi.

After walking a distance, Xun Yi picked up Shu Shouyi.

Without his aunt by his side, Shu Shouyi felt somewhat uneasy nestled in Xun Yi's arms.

"Don't be afraid, we're going to a good place, but the road is a little difficult. Your uncle can carry you there faster."

Wupai Village is surrounded by mountains. Xun Yi led Shu Shouyi down from the barren mountain, through the village, across layers of decaying leaves, and climbed to the top of a mountain to the west.

This mountain is usually visited by the fewest people because the peaks are steep and climbing up to chop firewood is extremely strenuous.

However, because it is rarely visited by people, this mountain is home to the most numerous and diverse bird species.

Xun Yi led Shu Shouyi to a large, flat rock. "This is it. Stand here for a moment."

He bent down and swept the fallen leaves off the stones with his palm before grabbing Shu Shouyi's arm and lifting him up from the ground, placing him in the clean spot.

Upon arriving in the new environment, Shu Shouyi looked around curiously.

Xun Yi let him look around for a while, and only after his curiosity subsided did he take out the two bamboo leaves.

"It's not difficult to make a sound by blowing on bamboo leaves, but it's difficult to imitate birdsong perfectly."

"There are hundreds of bird species in the world. You have to listen carefully to the calls of those birds in order to imitate them most closely."

Xun Yi handed Shu Shouyi the bamboo leaf he had prepared for him.

"Hold it firmly in your hand; you can clearly hear at least five different bird calls here."

As they passed through the forest and over the rocks, they startled many birds.

Xun Yi's advice to calm his mind also implied that he should remain quiet.

Shu Shouyi listened intently to the wind rustling through the leaves, to the yellowing leaves falling to the ground, and to the sounds of grasshoppers and other small animals moving about in the woods.

They were so quiet that they seemed to blend into the forest. The birds that had just been startled and fluttered into flight finally landed on the branches of the big tree.

The clear, melodious chirping of birds once again echoed through the mountains and forests.

"Guo guo guo guo—"

"Cough cough cough—"

Not everyone has had the experience of sitting quietly and appreciating the sound of birdsong.

Shu Shouyi listened with great interest to the birdsong, one after another. Later, whenever he heard a bird song that had not been heard before, he would look at Xun Yi with great interest, as if to say: Uncle, I heard something different again!

When he was in a lively mood, he began to resemble Shu Wanxiu somewhat.

Because he loved the house so much that he wanted to pat the head.

“zha——zha——”

Accompanied by a rough bird call, something lightly leaped from the tree one after another and landed on the withered leaves on the ground.

"rustle--"

The fallen leaves were trampled under their feet, and occasionally they would flap their wings, stirring up the fallen leaves on the ground and creating a strong smell of decay.

Shu Shouyi smelled it, but dared not cover his nose.

She subtly pursed her lips slightly, furrowed her brow a little, and held her breath for a moment until the unpleasant smell dissipated.

At the same time, I thought to myself: This bird is so lively!

He never expected that these lively birds, hopping, jumping, and playing, would get closer and closer to them.

Shu Shouyi's heart was filled with tension. He gave Xun Yi a pleading look: "They're coming! What do we do?! Uncle?"

Xun Yi reassured him with his eyes: Don't worry, don't be afraid, they won't peck you.

After making sure the message was conveyed, Xun Yi gave Shu Shouyi a look: Keep still and let's see what kind of bird it is.

The two had remained motionless for a long time, as if they were part of the boulder itself.

Under this highly deceptive disguise, the three birds finally landed to their side and slightly in front.

Shu Shouyi took a look and exclaimed in amazement: "So beautiful!"

This bird has a bright red beak, legs, and claws; a black head and neck; a white chest and belly; and white and blue feathers on its back and wings.

What is most striking are their long, gray-blue trailing tail feathers.

Shu Shouyi looked at it carefully and felt that it was as long as his upper arm.

It was absolutely gorgeous! If you were to compare it to a person, it would be like a beautiful and charming girl wearing a long dress.

Shu Shouyi was very fond of them and strained his eyes to look in that direction, not wanting to miss a single movement or pounce.