Chapter 24024 Her mechanical bird flew back to her side...
…
"Wood... duck..."
The woman on the bed still had her eyes closed, but she was whispering sporadic words in her sleep.
Ah Huai looked at her quietly, no longer as surprised as he was when he first recognized the word.
He didn't hear it clearly at first, and he suspected that Zhuang Rong'er was calling Jing Huai's name in her dream.
But when he looked carefully, he found that she was muttering "duck".
What duck? He didn't know.
The door was gently pushed open. Xiaoshe glared at him fiercely, holding a bowl of hangover soup, and mouthed, "You should get out now."
Ah Huai glanced at him and left with him.
He went out, but instead of obeying his order, he went downstairs to find Liao Sanda at the counter.
"Dear guest, do you have any instructions?" Liao Sanda looked at him eagerly, his eyes drifting uncontrollably to the Yin Yue Chuan Yun Sword behind him from time to time.
"I want to ask the boss about the Full Moon Night Banquet." Ah Huai answered calmly.
…
There were only a few people left sitting in the hall, including Liao Sanda, whose face was beaming.
He brought Ah Huai to the square table and sat down for half an hour. He was still talking non-stop and even finished two pots of hot tea.
"Although I've never seen that scene, my great-grandfather personally experienced it as a child. What a warm and lively scene it must have been, with everyone living and working in peace and contentment..." He stroked his mustache with a hint of melancholy before continuing, "As for the wooden bird you mentioned, it's probably the mechanical bird heirloom from my Liao family!"
Ah Huai's expression moved slightly.
Liao Sanda continued to explain proudly, "It sounds like just a trivial gadget, but it's been improved by our Liao family ancestors. It's no ordinary wood carving. It can actually fly like a real bird! It can even transmit messages."
The monks might not think much of it, but we common people would certainly find it novel. The clan precepts also record that an old grandfather from a branch of my family was particularly skilled in making this. Every year on the full moon night, he would set up a stall to sell it, and it would always sell out.
“…Is it still on sale now?”
"Alas." Liao Sanda sighed deeply and shook his head, his expression dimming considerably. "The Earth Dragon calamity only spared my traveling great-grandfather. The Liao family's legacy was cut short a century ago... Now, in my generation, although we still have the clan precepts and artifact catalog, it's my fault for being so foolish that I truly can't recreate the wisdom of our ancestors."
Liao Sanda gave a bitter laugh. "To be honest, I have a copy of the blueprints for the mechanical bird, but for years, I've never been able to make one like it. I even disregarded the limitations of inheritance and showed the blueprints to outside craftsmen, but to no avail. Surprisingly, no one in the world can recreate it..."
"Can I take a look?"
Liao Sanda was stunned: "...What?"
"Drawings." Ah Huai said.
Liao Sanda showed surprise on his face. He did not answer immediately, but looked at Ah Huai's hand.
Those really didn't look like a carpenter's hands, or even like a swordsman's hands, even though he was carrying the Hidden Moon Cloud Blade on his back.
Because they really don't have any calluses, they are so beautiful that they look pampered, but they match his appearance just right.
In this case, he should have rejected the offer.
But for some reason, Liao Sanda hesitated for a long time, and then said inexplicably: "...Okay, then I'll go get the blueprint now."
Perhaps it was because this guest's temperament was so special that it made people feel so convinced...
Well, let him see it if he wants. It’s a lost craft, and even top craftsmen can’t restore the essence of it. Liao Sanda even suspects that the drawing is not the complete version. So what’s the harm in letting him take a look?
When he took the drawings back, there were only two people left in the hall.
One was Ah Huai, who was still waiting for him, and the other was the ferocious demon cultivator with white hair and green eyes who suddenly appeared...
He came down from upstairs too? Could it be that he wanted a second bowl of hangover soup?
Liao Sanda was terrified. He stuffed the blueprints into Ah Huai's hands and went up to Xiaoshe to ask, "Dear guest, what can I do for you? Is the hangover soup not tasty enough?"
"Master hasn't had his drink yet." The little snake waved his hand and asked, "Can you make duck in your shop? Wood-roasted ones are best!"
Ah Huai glanced over the drawing and sneered when he heard this.
"This... this is not impossible. The customer wants it now?"
"No, tomorrow morning, I'll come down early and tell you when you can start. What kind of duck do you use in your store? It can't have any meaty smell..."
Ah Huai stopped listening to the conversation between the two about ordering food. He returned the blueprint to Liao Sanda, thanked him, and got up to leave.
The little snake looked sideways at him as he was about to leave, and didn't forget to tell him: "You are not allowed to go back to the master's room. You don't need to watch over her now. I will be back soon! You are not allowed to stay with the master tonight!"
Ah Huai did not stop.
He won't stay with Zhuang Rong'er tonight.
Wood, copper, twine, bowstring, carving knife, charcoal pencil - these were the things he would spend the evening with.
…
The morning glow begins to shine.
When Zhuang Rong'er opened her eyes, she saw the little snake lying on the table, pinching the small teacup in front of it boredly.
As if he had noticed her soberness, he paused, straightened up, turned his head, and then his eyes lit up. He immediately rushed over with a bowl of dark soup and said, "Master, this is a hangover soup. The boss said that mortals drink this after getting drunk..."
Zhuang Rong'er shook her head.
The little snake decisively put the hangover soup back. "Last night, I heard the owner kept talking about duck, wood-roasted duck! I've already informed the boss, and the fragrant roast duck will be served soon!"
There was a look of satisfaction and joy on his face, as if he was seeking praise, but Zhuang Rong'er didn't understand what he was saying.
“I don’t eat duck.”
She denied it again, stood up from the bed, and tilted her head slightly to look at the east wall.
Ah Huai was probably in the room next to hers. If she focused, she could vaguely feel his presence.
Although ordinary people like him have practiced physical skills, there is still a difference between him and monks with spiritual veins. He is not like them who can stay awake for days.
Zhuang Rong'er had a long, unforgettable sleep due to being drunk, and woke up very early. She could not hear any movement inside or outside the building. She guessed that Ah Huai was probably still sleeping, so she did not look for him immediately.
"Huh?" Little Snake's face fell, his shoulders drooped, and he looked quite lost. "...Then I, I'll cancel it."
"No need." Zhuang Rong'er said casually, "If you want to eat, stay."
"Hmm." The little snake scratched its head, a little flattered. "Then I'll go down and see if the chefs at the restaurant have started grilling..."
He pushed the door open and walked out. Less than a minute later, Zhuang Rong'er also pushed the door open and walked out.
She wanted to go into the next room and take a look.
I thought about it, so I did it.
But when she reached the corridor, she couldn't help but stop.
There was an open window at the end of the corridor, and the wind blew in from outside, bringing a refreshing coolness.
There was a young man standing by the window, his figure softened by the faint morning light, his clothes fluttering in the wind. It was... Ah Huai, whom she thought was still asleep.
Zhuang Rong'er was stunned for a moment, and suddenly saw a small wooden bird-shaped sculpture flapping its wings clumsily and flying low towards her.
Before it fell to the ground, she subconsciously reached out and grabbed it in her palm.
It was clearly made of wood, but it felt like fine iron just taken out of a forge, emitting a scorching heat. Her hands couldn't help but tremble as she held it.
"...Mechanical bird?" She was stunned.
...Her mechanical bird flew back to her side.
Why did it come back? Did it really come back? And what about him? What about the man who gave her the mechanical bird?
"Mechanical bird?!" Liao Sanda, who was carrying the roast duck and following the little snake upstairs, overheard something. He took two steps at a time and said excitedly, "Are you guests talking about the mechanical bird that's been passed down from my Liao family?"
He was eager to explain how intelligent and powerful his ancestor was, but just as he swallowed his saliva, he saw Zhuang Rong'er spread out her palm, and there was a mechanical bird squatting on it - almost the same as the one in the drawing!
Liao Sanda's previous joyful expression froze on his face. He looked closely and was so shocked that he almost dropped the roast duck plate in his hand. Fortunately, Xiaoshe's quick eyes and hands prevented him from leaning back, and he impatiently snatched the roast duck away.
"How could you be so reckless..."
The little snake frowned and was about to criticize him a few more times, but he somehow felt the inexplicable surge of emotions beneath Zhuang Rong'er's calm appearance. He held his breath, picked up the plate, stood aside, and said nothing.
"A mechanical bird, it really is a mechanical bird!"
Liao Sanda looked as if he was about to cry. He reached out to take the wooden thing from Zhuang Rong'er's palm, but was dodged before he came to his senses. He put his hands away and rubbed them on the sides of his clothes. Unable to conceal his excitement, he asked, "My dear guest, this is also the thing you bought at the full moon banquet a hundred years ago, right?"
Zhuang Rong'er raised her eyes and looked at Ah Huai.
She seemed to be speechless and could not utter another word.
He caught her gaze and said to Liao Sanda, "This is a replica based on the drawings you provided yesterday. There are some differences from the original."
"..." Liao Sanda's expression changed again and again. Finally, he fixed his shocked gaze on Ah Huai. After a long while, he said in a daze, "You, really made it? Can this mechanical bird fly?"
Ah Huai nodded and said softly, "There is indeed something missing from the blueprint. It's missing the step of embedding the copper sheet."
Zhuang Rong'er was silent, and with her stiff fingers she pressed the tail of the mechanical bird, and it really started to fly low in the air again.
Liao Sanda saw it with his own eyes and his eyes turned red.
He still remembered that last night Ah Huai took his drawings, looked at them for less than five seconds, and then handed them back to him.
Do people like this really exist in this world?
Easily solve a problem that thousands of craftsmen cannot overcome?
His lips trembled, and he asked Ah Huai again: "There are omissions in the drawings. How did you find out?"
“…I don’t know either.”
Ah Huai had no intention of hiding anything. He just looked at the drawings and naturally mastered the production steps.
To add, the copper sheet that was not mentioned in the drawing was just his intuitive judgment.
It would be difficult for him to explain such a profound understanding to Liao Sanda in detail.
The little snake listened for a long time before turning its gaze towards the center of the conversation—the mechanical bird. Its serpentine pupils locked onto the target, analyzing and appreciating it, and coming up with an elemental description: wood, duck…
He realized belatedly that this was what his master was mumbling in his sleep.
Damn it! How could he have thought it was roast duck?
The roast duck in his hand suddenly became evidence of his stubbornness. Even though it exuded a tempting aroma, he lost the leisure to taste it. The little snake opened his mouth in anger and took a bite!
Ah Huai, this brat, is so scheming! So sinister! So evil! He's so good at pleasing his master!
He won this round again! How abominable!
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