mtl008 Chapter 242 Taming the Falcon
Chapter 242 Taming the Falcon
The chill made the two of them shiver involuntarily.
The two quickly found some dry branches to start a fire.
The fire quickly rose, and the two hung their clothes by the fire to dry.
The young eagle occasionally let out a faint cry, its eyes warily scanning its surroundings.
"That little guy's pretty clever," Wang Ergou said, rubbing his hands together as he moved closer to the fire. "He didn't struggle at all in the water just now."
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "He's probably scared out of his wits."
The fire gradually grew stronger, and its warmth dispelled the chill.
Only then did Li Xiangyang have time to carefully look around and confirm their location.
“We need to find Master Zheng as soon as possible,” Li Xiangyang said. “We can retrieve the equipment from the cave after the mother eagle has completely given up on it.”
Once the clothes were almost dry, the two dressed themselves and carefully put the eaglet back into the net bag.
This time, the eaglet appeared unusually docile, but its spirits seemed much lower.
The two walked very fast along the way.
By the time we arrived at Old Zheng's house, it was almost dark.
"Rushing around so late at night, could it be that you two actually caught an eagle?"
Old Zheng was feeding the dogs in the yard when he saw the two of them and asked with a smile.
"Master Zheng, you were absolutely right!" Wang Ergou eagerly held up the net. "Look, we really caught one!"
Old Zheng leaned closer for a look, and his eyes immediately lit up: "Good heavens, you actually caught us!"
"Uncle Zheng, we've brought you the eagle. Now, the task of taming it is entirely up to you," Li Xiangyang said.
"No problem, leave it to me. But..." Old Zheng looked at the two of them, "There's only one, who's going to raise it?"
“I’ll raise it!” Wang Ergou said immediately, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Li Xiangyang smiled and nodded: "Okay, then let Er Gou raise it."
"Alright, Er Gou, you'll be staying here for the next few days. I'll teach you how to raise it, step by step. You're in luck; this young eagle is at the perfect age for taming."
Old Zheng picked up a small piece of meat and held it to the eaglet's beak. "If it gets any bigger, it'll be harder to tame; if it's too small, it'll be difficult to raise."
The young eagle was initially reluctant, but it was soon attracted by the aroma of the meat and began to peck at it cautiously.
"Er Gou, watch closely," Old Zheng instructed while feeding him, "It's not quite tamed yet, so feed him less frequently to build a bond."
"Once it recognizes people, we can proceed with the next stage of training. And it seems this fledgling hasn't learned how to fly yet; we need to teach it slowly. The trees on the eastern mountain are tall and dense; I think it's a good place. Tomorrow, you can set up a pergola on the mountain."
“Leave this to me,” Wang Ergou said immediately.
"Alright." Old Zheng nodded in satisfaction. "It's getting late. We can talk about taming tomorrow. Let's eat first."
After saying that, Old Zheng pulled the two of them into the house.
Once inside, Old Zheng's wife served steaming hot food and took out a jar of aged wine.
"Come, try this wine, I've been storing it for years." Old Zheng poured a bowl for each of them. "Today is a happy day, we must celebrate properly."
The aroma of the wine filled the air. Li Xiangyang picked up the bowl and took a small sip; it was indeed mellow and rich.
Wang Ergou, however, seemed somewhat distracted, his gaze constantly drifting towards the yard, clearly preoccupied with the young eagle.
"Don't worry," Old Zheng laughed, "with my wife looking after me, it won't fly away."
Hearing this, Wang Ergou finally felt relieved and raised his wine bowl.
“Master Zheng,” Wang Ergou suddenly said seriously, “Don’t worry, I will definitely study hard.”
"That's the spirit," Old Zheng nodded. "But we can't rush it, we have to take it slow. This kind of thing requires a gradual approach. By the way, Xiangyang, you often come by when you're free..."
Looking at the scene before him, Li Xiangyang couldn't help but smile and nod.
We should come often. Even though the eagle only catches one, it's good to learn more and broaden our horizons.
After several rounds of drinks, it was getting late, and Li Xiangyang got up to say goodbye.
Old Zheng and Wang Ergou got up and saw him to the door.
On my way home, the moonlight was cold and clear.
From afar, Li Xiangyang saw Li Xiaoyun anxiously waiting at the door.
"Why are you waiting outside?" Li Xiangyang strode forward.
"How could I not worry if you didn't come back so late?" Li Xiaoyun looked at him, her eyes full of concern. "I'm just worried about you. There's everything in these mountains, what if..."
"Don't worry, there won't be any 'what ifs,' not in this lifetime. I promise you, I'll be much more careful when hunting from now on."
Seeing his wife's worried expression, Li Xiangyang gently pulled her into his arms and said solemnly.
Li Xiaoyun then smiled: "Then you'd better keep your word."
After the meal, Li Xiangyang helped clear the dishes.
Watching his wife's busy figure, he secretly vowed to give her a better life.
"Oh, by the way, your sister wrote today. She said she's doing well in the city and invited us to visit her when we have time. She also said she wants to be an aunt..."
"Sure, when you're free this weekend, let's go to the city. My sister's been really getting impatient, shouldn't we make sure she gets her little wish fulfilled as soon as possible?"
As Li Xiangyang spoke, he pulled Li Xiaoyun into his arms.
"You...you're so annoying..." Li Xiaoyun said coquettishly, hugging him.
Li Xiangyang gently kissed her earlobe, his warm breath brushing against her neck: "Xiaoyun, if we had a child, would you prefer a boy or a girl?"
"I..." Li Xiaoyun's breathing became rapid, "...I'll leave it to fate..."
“I do hope to have a daughter,” Li Xiangyang said gently, “as beautiful as you.”
"You smooth talker..." Li Xiaoyun turned around and looked at him reproachfully, but her eyes became even more tender.
Li Xiangyang looked into his wife's bright eyes, gently lifted her chin, and kissed her soft lips.
As night deepened, the temperature inside the room gradually rose.
Li Xiangyang gently stroked his wife's smooth skin with his large hand, feeling her slight trembling.
Li Xiaoyun's cheeks flushed, and she shyly closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, as she buried herself deeper into her husband's embrace.
……
When Li Xiangyang woke up in the early morning, the person next to him was already empty.
He got up, put on his coat, and went to the kitchen. He saw Li Xiaoyun busy at the stove, her back view graceful, the hem of her skirt swaying gently with her movements.
"Up so early?" He walked over and hugged her from behind.
“You caught a chill in the mountains yesterday, a little more sleep will be good for you.” Li Xiaoyun turned to look at him, her eyes full of tenderness. “I made you some ginger soup.”
Looking at his wife's slightly tired yet alluring face, Li Xiangyang felt a surge of happiness.
"Xiaoyun, once we have a child, you can't work so hard anymore. Leave everything to me."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Li Xiaoyun blushed. "We don't even know if we can..."
“Yes,” Li Xiangyang whispered in her ear, “I believe good news will come soon.”
Li Xiaoyun lowered her head shyly, but couldn't hide the smile on her lips.
Having a man who loves me so much makes my life worthwhile.