Hibiskus als Gemälde

Kapitel 26

“Taiwan…” Dudu replied.

"Taiwan..." Old Ao thought to himself, there were many former soldiers of the 93rd Division of the National Revolutionary Army in the People's Army. He never expected that this big parrot had studied the language in Taiwan. "Then how did you end up here?"

"Looking for... looking for someone," Dudu said.

"Who are you looking for?" Old Ao asked, puzzled.

“Mo…Mo,” Dudu replied.

Chapter 35, Part 3

"Who is this strange man?" Old Ao poured himself another glass of Maotai, inhaling the rich and mellow aroma, feeling extremely content.

"I...I want walnuts." Dudu's eyes glanced at the few pecans on the table.

Old Ao laughed. This big parrot's intelligence was definitely no less than that of some of the central leaders. He tossed a walnut over to it.

Dudu's huge, curved beak deftly caught the walnut, making a crisp sound in its mouth before spitting out a pile of broken shells.

“He’s an old…old beggar,” Dudu said.

"What's his name? Where is he from?" Old Ao asked in quick succession.

"I don't know," Dudu replied readily.

"You don't know?" Old Ao was taken aback and said with suspicion, "You've traveled all the way to the liberated area together, how could you not know?"

“The old beggar never speaks... He said that Elder Anxi brought him from the capital,” Dudu told him.

"Beijing?" Old Ao said with some surprise.

"China's... capital," the parrot confirmed.

Old Ao pondered for a moment and said, "Dudu, then tell me everything you know about this strange man, and all these hazelnuts and walnuts will be yours." With that, he reached out and pushed the table.

"Dudu...I don't know," Dudu answered truthfully.

"Hmph, I bet you don't want to talk, do you?" Boss Ao's face darkened. He slammed his wine glass on the table, grabbed the parrot by the scruff of its neck, and pulled on a long blue feather from its tail. He threatened menacingly, "If you don't talk, I'll pluck all the feathers off your butt. Do you understand?"

"Dudu really...really doesn't know..." Dudu said, her face pale with fright.

"Then don't blame me." With a forceful tug, Old Man Ao plucked the most beautiful blue feather from Dudu's tail.

"Oh my god..." Dudu cried out in pain, for that was its most treasured possession.

"You're still being stubborn and refusing to tell, aren't you?" Old Ao's fingers reached for another blue feather.

"Dudu really doesn't... I don't know..." Dudu cried out in despair.

Old Ao showed no mercy, tearing off another one with a "snap".

Dudu's tears flowed down its face, but this time it gritted its teeth and didn't utter a sound. Its angry gaze was fixed on the vicious and cruel white-haired monster, and a seed of hatred was planted in its heart.

No, we can't be rough with this big parrot. Maybe it really doesn't know? Besides, we'll need it to serve us in the future, so we can't let it get injured and all our efforts go to waste, Old Ao thought.

"Alright, Dudu, think it over carefully... Are you hungry? Here, you can have all these nuts." Old Ao's face was full of smiles as he handed all the hazelnuts and walnuts on the table to the big parrot, speaking in a gentle and kind voice.

The large parrot proudly raised its head, showing no disdain.

Old Ao stood up, ignoring Dudu, and walked to the pillar, beginning to ponder the old beggar.

In the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Burma, Ao Lao was a legendary figure. He was not only skilled in divination, but also proficient in Yin-Yang, Five Elements, and Feng Shui. He had eliminated several spies who had infiltrated the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Burma and senior generals of the People's Army, thwarting the Burmese government's conspiracy.

He stood silently in front of the old beggar, his eyes fixed on his hunched, knotted neck...

Chapter 36, Part 1

Old Ao silently gazed at the old beggar, muttering to himself, "Yin and Yang are the way of Heaven and Earth, the guiding principles of all things, the parents of change, and the origin of life and death. Clear Yang emerges from the upper orifices, turbid Yin from the lower orifices; clear Yang emanates from the skin and muscles, turbid Yin circulates through the five internal organs; clear Yang nourishes the four limbs, turbid Yin returns to the six viscera..." He reached out and touched the purplish-red fleshy bumps encircling the old beggar's neck, shaking his head. "Strange, the Yin energy in this person's body gathers and disperses intermittently, and there's an earthy smell emanating from his pores, similar to the smell commonly encountered when a person enters the intermediate state (bardo). But these fleshy bumps are sometimes hot and sometimes warm to the touch... Heat is Yang, cold is Yin; Yang is male, Yin is female, like a Yang lock, sealing off the channels through which Yin energy circulates throughout the body..."

Old Ao returned to the table, his face full of worry as he downed the wine in his cup. His white eyebrows and beard furrowed, and he sighed deeply, saying, "The world is vast and full of wonders. I truly cannot understand this." He glanced at the large blue parrot, seeing that it still stood tall and proud, looking steadfast and unyielding, which only made him more troubled.

"Someone come here!" Old Ao shouted.

"Yes, I'm coming." A thin, small orderly ran up from under the bamboo building.

Old Master Ao solemnly instructed, "Tell everyone to keep a close eye on the big parrot and this old beggar. I have some business to attend to, understand?"

"Yes, sir." The orderly stood at attention.

Old Ao chuckled, picked up his purplish-red cane, and limped downstairs.

Once the old man was far away, the young orderly looked at the giant parrot with curiosity. After checking that no one was around, he quietly asked, "Hey, I heard your name is Dudu, right?"

Dudu turned her head and stared at the young orderly for a long time before finally saying, "You, you are..."

The orderly said in a low voice, "My name is Nai Suo."

“Nai Suo…” Dudu stared at his face thoughtfully, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

“Have you forgotten? I’m Sunny’s brother, from the slums of Mae Yang Ye in Bangkok…” Nai Soe looked anxiously at the large parrot.

“Oh, I… I remember now, your sister was terribly harmed by the Grand Master. Later, later you and Yan… Yancheng boy went back to the Golden Triangle.” Dudu finally recognized the little boy she had met in Bangkok six years ago.

“It’s me, it’s me…” Naisuo said excitedly.

Dudu, having met an old friend in a foreign land during her time of hardship, was suddenly in high spirits and quickly asked, "Can...can you let me go?"

"Shh..." Naisuo gestured for Dudu to speak softly, "There are other guards outside, I'll let you go right away."

Dudu nodded excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Naisuo drew a small dagger from his waist and gently cut the white tape binding Dudu's claws and wings.

Just then, the sound of thumping footsteps came from the wooden stairs...

Chapter 36, Part 2

Two soldiers in grass-green jackets appeared at the door, with Type 56 assault rifles slung over their shoulders and cigarettes between their fingers, smoking as they walked in.

"Nai Suo, Elder Ao sent us up to guard the prisoners..." a soldier said, yawning. He had been standing guard outside for most of the night and his eyelids were almost too heavy to keep open.

"Hey, Naisuo, what are you doing?" Another soldier asked in surprise, noticing the gleaming dagger in Naisuo's hand.

"I..." Naisuo's face turned bright red as he stammered, trying to use his body to block the large parrot.

"You want to let the big parrot escape?" The soldier said in surprise when he saw Dudu, who had been untied, and the white tape scattered on the ground. "You're going to get us all killed!"

“The big parrot is my savior…” Naisuo steeled his heart and urged in a low voice, “Dudu, fly out the window quickly!”

The two soldiers each took their guns from their shoulders, determined to stop the giant parrot from escaping.

Naisuo pointed his dagger at the soldier, shielding Dudu with his body, and shouted repeatedly, "Run! Run!"

A soldier stepped forward and swung his rifle butt, smashing it into Naiso's left cheek. With a "plop," blood spurted from his mouth, along with two broken teeth.

Immediately afterwards, there was another "thud," as Dudu's huge curved beak struck the soldier's head like a hammer...

The man collapsed with a thud, instantly losing consciousness. Seeing the situation was dire, another soldier quickly raised his gun and fired. Unexpectedly, a flash of blue light appeared before his eyes, and Dudu's strong wings swept across, striking his cheek. The soldier saw stars, his face burning with pain. Before he could react, the large parrot leaped high into the air, its claws gripping the ground, delivering two powerful punches that struck the man's chest and ribs. Finally, the soldier's legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground…

Seeing Naisuo staring at him in astonishment, the big parrot Dudu couldn't help but feel smug. It raised one of its claws and moved it around a couple of times, saying proudly, "He...they don't understand martial arts at all."

Naisuo, clutching his bleeding cheek, said, "Dudu, let's go together... What about that person, what about your companion?" He pointed to the old beggar tied to the pillar.

“No, ignore him. The old beggar isn’t my… my companion,” Dudu replied with a glance.

Naisuo reached out and grabbed a submachine gun, slung it over his shoulder, thought for a moment, then secretly grabbed a bottle of Moutai liquor before leaving the room. Dudu hopped and skipped after him; after being bound for so long, she needed to stretch her muscles before she could fly.

The night sky was dotted with stars, the Big Dipper was slanting westward, and the faint crowing of a rooster could be heard in the distance; dawn was approaching.

There were no other soldiers under the bamboo building. Nai Suo and Du Du successfully left Ao Lao's residence, crossed the deserted old street, entered the dense forest valley, and then walked along a rugged forest path towards the heart of the Golden Triangle.

Chapter 36, Part 3

"Dudu, where is Uncle Hansheng? Didn't he come with you?" Naisuo asked with concern as they walked along the mountain path.

"No, I... I came with Caihua to find Momo," Dudu replied.

“Little Talent, where is he?” Naisuo thought of the naked baby who was inseparable from Dudu six years ago.

“He and a bunch of monks, Shun Enmei, and Jiang Piao, drifted away,” Dudu said sadly. “Nai, Nai Suo, Dudu wants to go find him… to find him.”

“Dudu, aren’t you coming home with me first? My sister Shanni and brother-in-law Yancheng have been missing you all these years. They’ll find more people to help you find Xiaocai,” Naisuo said.

"No, I have to... I have to go." Dudu flapped its wings; it could already fly.

“Alright,” Nai Su said reluctantly, “Dudu, come to my house to play when you find talent. Remember, the address is Mae Salong in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand, in the Golden Triangle. It’s full of the 93rd Division of the National Army. Everyone knows about Sanni. She’s the most beautiful woman in Mae Salong now.”

"Dudu is gone...gone." Dudu flapped its wings and flew up, circling a few times above Naisuo's head before flying straight south, quickly disappearing into the pre-dawn night sky.

"Goodbye..." Naiso, with tears in his eyes, took off his military cap and waved gently into the distance.

Before dawn, the Shan State Plateau in northern Myanmar was pitch black, covered with endless primeval forests. Dudu flew south in the night sky, but because its master had plucked out the two most crucial long feathers from its tail, it kept veering off course.

Dudu finally found a river and flew downstream along it. Shortly after sunrise, it finally arrived over the delta waters where the Nmai Hka and Myri Hka rivers flow into the Irrawaddy River.

A thick fog enveloped the wide river, and there was no sign of the bamboo raft or Elder Anxi and his companions. Dudu was exhausted and thirsty, drenched in sweat, so he landed on the bank to drink water. After resting for a while, Dudu rallied his spirits and continued his search along the wide Irrawaddy River.

More than an hour later, Dudu spotted a bamboo raft floating on the river from high above and plunged in. As it got closer, it gradually saw that Elder Anxi and his group were sitting on the raft, but Chen Caihua was not among them.

Dudu folded its wings and glided down onto the bamboo raft. "Where's...where's Xiao?" it asked impatiently.

"Divine bird!" Elder Peng exclaimed in surprise, "Weren't you captured by Elder Ao?"

"They...they escaped, but where's Xiaoxiao?" Dudu asked anxiously.

"Alas, Amitabha, it's all my fault for being careless for a moment, Xiao Xiao fell into the Enmai River..." Elder Anxi sighed and blamed himself.

"The bamboo raft hit the rocks and capsized. My master and I dived into the water and searched for a long time, but we couldn't find Xiaoxiao. My two junior brothers were seriously injured, so we had no choice but to treat them first. I'm sorry, Divine Bird, Xiaoxiao may have already drowned..." Elder Peng said with great shame. He blamed himself in his heart, thinking that if he had left the child on the shore, he might not have died.

"No! Xiaoxiao won't... she won't die!" Dudu shouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

"This is the thing I regret most in my life..." Elder Anxi closed his eyes and silently recited the Rebirth Mantra.

Dudu silently flapped its wings and took flight, turning back towards the Enmai River. It was going to search every corner of that river. As long as it hadn't found its little master, it would keep searching without stopping, and it would never stop in this lifetime...

Chapter 37, Part 1

Under the moonlight, Old Man Ao walked alone toward the western mountains.

In the quiet forest, fireflies twinkled. Old Ao turned his head and looked around. Seeing that no one was around, he slammed his purplish-red cane on the ground, leaped into the air, and moved forward, jumping two or three meters at a time. He was very fast and soon reached the halfway point of West Mountain.