"Ah?" The steward was taken aback.
Master Du twirled the Buddha beads, "This myna bird’s feathers shine brightly and it chirps crisply, clearly it has been domesticated. Aren’t you afraid its owner will be worried, now that you’ve captured it?"
The steward continued, "I figure this myna must have sneaked out by itself. A bird like this, kept in captivity for a long time and suddenly set free outside, has absolutely no survival skills. If released, it wouldn’t only fail to find its way home but might also face the risk of starving to death."
The myna in the cage, as if understanding the steward’s words, started calling out desperately.
"Son of a bitch! Son of a bitch!"
Master Du nodded, "You have a point, let’s keep it then." This myna was indeed amusing; he had raised many birds, including parrots and mynas, but never had he seen a bird that could curse.
Master Du, with his right hand still holding the Buddha beads, flicked the birdcage, "Be good."
With these two mild words, the previously agitated myna calmed down instantly. Its feathers, which had been standing on end, gradually relaxed as it shrank into a corner, trembling.
But as soon as Master Du turned away, the previously silent bird became fierce again, yelling, "Son of a bitch! Son of a bitch!"
Master Du glanced back slightly, "Starve it for a meal."
"Okay." The steward nodded.
This time, the myna in the cage dared not make a fuss anymore, realizing that preserving its own life was the priority; its expression was particularly aggrieved.
The steward chuckled, saying, "It seems to understand us."
Ni Yang handed over the storefront matters to Gu Lanzhi.
Gu Lanzhi had wide connections in Beijing, and for her, renting a storefront was a minor matter.
After that, Ni Yang discussed some other matters with her, and by the time she returned to the Zheng Family, it was already past eight at night.
It had truly been an exhausting day. Ni Yang took a luxurious rose oil bath and went to bed.
The next morning, the first thing Ni Cuihua said to Ni Yang was, "Yangyang, Duoduo might be lost."
"Duoduo is lost?" Ni Yang frowned slightly.
Ni Cuihua nodded and continued, "I haven’t seen Duoduo since yesterday afternoon. Last night, I specifically left a window open for it, but it didn’t return."
This was quite strange. Although Duoduo was free-range, it used to come home several times a day, and it rested at night in the artificial tree inside the villa.
Ni Yang continued, "Did it go back to Jinghua Village?"
Duoduo was a nostalgic bird and occasionally flew back to Jinghua Village for a visit.
"No," Ni Cuihua shook her head, "I just called your Aunt Ni, and she said she hasn’t seen Duoduo return."
Ni Yang picked up a bun, "Then I’ll go look for it."
"Where will you look?" Ni Cuihua asked.
"I’ll check the nearby park," Ni Yang replied.
Walking out of the Zheng Family, Ni Yang ate the bun while calling for Duoduo.
Duoduo, although a bird, was smart and understood human nature; whenever she called its name, as long as it heard her, no matter the distance, it would fly to her.
But this time, Ni Yang almost shouted herself hoarse and still saw no sign of Duoduo, not even in the nearby park.
Could it really be lost?
Ni Yang’s face turned pale, and suddenly, the bun in her hand lost its appeal.
When she first brought Duoduo home, it was just a little bird with barely grown feathers. She had struggled to raise it, dealing with its mess until it had grown, and now it was lost!
"Duoduo!"
"Chirp!" Just then, a black shape flew toward her from a distance.
It was Duoduo.
Ni Yang breathed a sigh of relief, but as the dark figure approached, she realized it wasn’t Duoduo after all! It was just another myna bird that looked exactly like Duoduo.
Yet, from Ni Yang, the seasoned mother’s perspective, this myna was a bit uglier than Duoduo.
"Is Duoduo in there?" Ni Yang asked. freeweɓnovel.cøm
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