Du Jianshan didn't even look up, his hands never stopping: "I learned a little from my dad before, I've disassembled all the common cars and machines in our factory."
"Oh? So your skills... are they enough?" The person who spoke squatted down, his eyes scanning the engine as if trying to memorize every single screw.
"As long as it's good enough and can be repaired." Du Jianshan twitched the corner of his mouth and continued adjusting the work in his hands, his movements as practiced as flowing water.
"You're quite something, kid." The man chuckled, with a hint of teasing in his voice. "But you've got to promise me that if the car gets up the mountain later, it can handle the mountain roads."
Du Jianshan stopped what he was doing, looked up at him and said, "You don't know how dangerous the mountain roads are, do you? I've repaired engines and off-road vehicles before, I can handle it."
The man snorted, clearly not believing him: "Then you'd better not crash the car. We don't want to carry corpses down the mountain."
Du Jianshan laughed: "Overturned? Ha, with my skills, overturned cars are inevitable, but it's someone else's car that overturned, not the one I repaired."
As they talked, the smell of smoke drifted in the mountain breeze, carrying the scent of damp earth. The silence between the two was quickly filled by the sound of an engine, the clicking and clattering of metal against metal, as if reminding those around them—true skill comes from hands and heart, not words.
The man sat on a rock and rubbed his temples. "By the way, what's your name? I'm called Lao Zhou."
Du Jianshan didn't look up, his voice low: "Du Jianshan."
"Du Jianshan? Interesting. Do you live around here?" Old Zhou asked.
“It’s far away. I repair motorcycles with my dad. I’ve been riding with him in the mountains since I was a kid.” Du Jianshan’s tone was tinged with pride, but mostly with silent indifference.
"Hmm... there are plenty of kids who repair motorcycles, but few who go hunting in the mountains." Old Zhou raised an eyebrow, then paused, seemingly probing, "Have you ever hunted?"
Du Jianshan stopped what he was doing and stared at the engine: "I've shot them before, I'd say quite often. We're from a big mountain area, we've seen and shot as many wild boars, goats, and deer as we've ever seen."
Old Zhou's eyes lit up: "Alright, that's more like a guy. I see you have a good grip, and you're quite efficient. I'll have to see your real skills when we get up the mountain later."
Du Jianshan's lips curled into a cold smile: "I won't disappoint you."
After a moment, Du Jianshan tightened the last screw, and the engine's hum immediately calmed down, like a sleeping snake being gently awakened.
Old Zhou leaned over and touched the car body: "Hmm, it's actually pretty good. It looks more stable than I expected."
Du Jianshan wiped the oil off his hands and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, this car will be more stable than I am when we go up the mountain."
Old Zhou laughed heartily: "Stable? That's good. I don't want to fall off the mountain halfway."
A tense yet excited atmosphere filled the air. Du Jianshan closed the hood, turned around, and slung his hunting rifle over his shoulder. The cloth bag on his shoulder contained the prepared dry food and herbs. Old Zhou also slung his hunting bag over his shoulder, his feet crunching on the wet, fallen leaves, which carried the unique scent of the mountain forest.
"The weather in the mountains is unpredictable, so you'd better stay close," Old Zhou reminded him.
Du Jianshan nodded: "Don't worry, I know this mountain very well, better than anyone else."
Old Zhou raised an eyebrow: "Really? Then let's go for a walk, you lead the way."
Du Jianshan strode towards the mountain path, his steps light and steady, moving like a cheetah through the damp fallen leaves. Old Zhou followed behind, glancing back every now and then at the engine to make sure it was alright.
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