frightfiction Chapter 350 Visiting the Old Falconer in the Barley Field
Chapter 350 Visiting the Old Falconer in the Barley Field
The two falcons saw the hare darting across the ground and excitedly let out high-pitched, sharp cries.
The rabbit was so frightened that it kicked its hind legs wildly, running so fast that it left afterimages on the ground, instinctively trying to run up the slope.
Rabbits have powerful hind legs, making them adept at running uphill—fast and stable—allowing them to leave predators far behind. However, they are not good at running downhill. Their short front legs and long hind legs cause them to roll several times downhill, making it difficult to shake off predators.
But now, the hare, frantically running up the hillside, has forgotten that its predator is the eagle from the sky. Two falcons raise their talons and reach out to grab the hare as it swiftly swoops past.
A high-pitched cry pierced the air as the first falcon's talons grazed the hare's head, just a hair's breadth away from striking it.
It wasn't that the falcon was deliberately letting the rabbit go easy on it; it was simply that it was its first time hunting a live prey and it couldn't aim accurately.
The second falcon was slightly larger and more robust. With a single, precise strike, it moved like an invincible warrior on the battlefield. Its sharp talons, tipped with fine barbs, easily caught the hare, then it flapped its wings and soared into the sky, the sound of its wings beating echoing through the air.
The falcon's instincts drive it to open its sharp beak and begin tearing and tasting its prey from the clouds.
Chen Xiangqian hurriedly raised his binoculars, his eyes gleaming. After capturing this scene, he was overjoyed and shouted, "We caught them! They've already started eating them?"
Seeing this, Li Ju'an quickly blew his whistle, trying to call back the two falcons that were immersed in the joy of victory. However, the two aerial overlords were currently engaged in an aerial tug-of-war over the rabbit meat and ignored his calls.
Chen Xiangqian looked anxious: "Brother Li, what should we do? This eagle doesn't seem to be the right one."
Falconers train their falcons to ensure they don't hunt alone, but bring their prey back intact. Otherwise, what would be the point of hunters having falcons?
Li Ju'an whistled softly, and as the whistle sounded, two falcons returned laden with their prey, their beaks glistening with grease. He sternly ordered them to stand on their ropes all night as punishment.
The two falcons were still somewhat unconvinced, muttering to themselves as they stood silently on the rope all night. This was a small punishment for their gluttony. Clear rewards and punishments were his consistent principle: mistakes were punished, and good deeds were rewarded.
With rewards and punishments alternating like this, the two walked towards the barley fields. After three or four days, they finally saw the Gobi village ahead. The plains and hills under their feet had turned into brick-red bare rocks, and they officially entered the Gobi Corridor.
A village appeared in the Gobi Desert. The land beneath their feet gradually transformed from the previous plains and hills, becoming covered with a layer of brick-red bare rock, marking their official entry into the vast and boundless Gobi Desert.
Another jumping cat was released by Li Ju'an.
This time, the two falcons were much more agile in their grabbing movements. They skillfully swooped down from the air, decisively seized the hare, and then flapped their wings to land on Li Ju'an's arm.
He checked the rabbit still hopping and struggling on his arm; yes, it was alive.
Chen Xiangqian's eyes gleamed with surprise, and he exclaimed excitedly, "That's it! Brother Li, you're really something. You tamed it in such a short time!"
Li Ju'an secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Falconry was something that couldn't be rushed and couldn't be easily accomplished in a short time. Even for basic skills like catching rabbits and pheasants, ordinary falconers often needed a year or two to get their falcons to consistently exhibit their hunting instincts.
This is why an excellent falcon is worth its weight in gold and its value is immeasurable.
Not far ahead was the barley field that Zhao Pao from Eagle Village had mentioned. It was said that an old hunter, also from Eagle Village, lived there—a highly experienced falconer. Li Ju'an felt a surge of respect and decided to pay this senior a visit.
In this vast Gobi Desert region, it is almost impossible to find any other people. There are no fields to cultivate, and the villages are full of mud-brick houses. There are no young people, only a few elderly people sitting at their doorways with canes.
Li Ju'an knew about these old houses; the young people had all gone to the towns and cities. Only the older generation remained in the village. If the barley fields continued to lie fallow like this, and no quarry moved in to revitalize the area, this village would be gone in another ten years or so.
He found Old Zhao, the falconer Zhao Pao had mentioned, with almost no effort.
Li Ju'an saw Old Zhao sitting at the door of the mud-brick house.
Old Zhao is quite old, probably past sixty. His back is slightly hunched, and he carries a large cloth bag on his back. A weathered canvas bag hangs casually on one shoulder, looking both practical and bearing the marks of time.
Li Ju'an knew perfectly well that this kind of attire was not uncommon among the local elderly, many of whom were passionate about hunting rabbits and pheasants in the mountains and forests. The rabbits they caught were placed in the large bag on their backs. Inside that seemingly inconspicuous canvas bag lay the secrets of their hunt: gunpowder and iron shot.
Recalling his childhood, Li Ju'an's thoughts drifted back to those carefree days, when the Lu family patriarch was also a figure carrying a canvas bag. Back then, the Lu family patriarch hadn't yet retired from his life of crime. He was still playing with Sun Weimin, reciting the rhymes Sun Quande used to tell.
"If you catch a rabbit, the rabbit is happy. If you don't catch a rabbit, the rabbit complains. Rabbit meat tastes delicious."
At that time, he and Sun Weimin were completely unaware of the deeper meaning behind the rhyme. They only learned it from Sun Quande on a whim, and the two of them enthusiastically hummed it. They even ran to the gate of the Lu family to show off their newly acquired "talent" to Old Master Lu. At that time, they completely disregarded the meaning behind it. Every time they shouted it, it would always anger Old Master Lu and his uncles, who would chase after them, scolding and reprimanding them, making quite a scene.
Even now, recalling that incident, he still feels a lingering fear, secretly grateful for the Lu family's magnanimity in not taking the ignorant joke seriously. Imagine if they had encountered someone with a quick temper; they might have already grabbed a homemade gun, and an unnecessary conflict would have been inevitable.
Looking at the large bag and the rabbit meat that Old Master Zhao was carrying, Chen Xiangqian actually started humming a rhyme he had learned from the village.
This terrified Li Ju'an, who quickly whispered, "You old ancestor, stop shouting! You're going to learn Sun Weimin's nonsense too, or you'll get beaten up."
Chen Xiangqian stayed in the village for three days, chatting and visiting neighbors, but he had no idea what the Sun family's rhyme meant.
He asked with a mixture of curiosity and naivety, and Li Ju'an whispered, "That old man Sun Quande made it up, deliberately to disgust the Lu family. Back then, homemade guns were all made with black powder and yellow powder. When they hit the trigger, they would fire, launching iron pellets or steel balls from the barrel. After firing, the area affected was huge."
"These homemade shotguns are the easiest to injure people."