The male eagle let out a cry, nodded its head which had been held high, then spread its wings and gently flapped them on Zhuang Rui's shoulder, like a friend embracing him.
"A miracle, a miracle..."
Before anyone knew it, the tour guides Gesang and Jiacuo had knelt down and were worshipping the two golden eagles.
The Tibetan creation song "The Song of the Formation of Siba" says, "Heaven and earth are mixed together, and the separation of heaven and earth is the Garuda." It is believed that the Garuda gave birth to humans from eggs and became the ancestor of the Tibetan people.
In Tibetan Buddhist sculptures, all wrathful Buddha statues have a Garuda bird flying above their heads. Many Tibetans carry Garuda badges with them, believing that this will bring them good fortune, wisdom, and power.
Of course, the Peng is a legendary creature that no one has ever seen, so it's not unreasonable to mistake the golden eagle for the Peng.
Therefore, when the two devout Buddhists, Gyatso and Gesang, saw that the golden eagles were spiritually connected and could understand Zhuang Rui's words, they immediately believed it to be a divine manifestation and performed a full prostration before the two golden eagles.
"Brother Gesang, when you get back, you must tell the people in the village that they are not allowed to shoot them. They are the mounts of Buddha..."
Zhuang Rui was secretly pleased to see Gesang and Jiacuo's actions. Tibet is different from the mainland; almost every herder has a gun. If the golden eagles have no food in winter and come to catch some cattle and sheep, they might get hurt.
"No, no, I'll tell the villagers as soon as I get back..."
Gesang waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes filled with admiration and fear as he looked at the golden eagle. He began to have some doubts about Zhuang Rui's claim that the snow leopard would succeed the snow mastiff and become the new generation of guardian deity of the Great Snow Mountain.
What he was seeing left him no choice but to believe it. Not only was the snow leopard spiritually connected, but even the golden eagle that usually soared through the sky showed goodwill towards Zhuang Rui. In Gesang's mind, who else but Buddha could do such a thing?
"Peng Fei, skin and clean that argali sheep, bring the innards over for the golden eagle to eat, we'll barbecue it, and then go back to the village..."
Zhuang Rui raised his hand to check the time; it was already past five in the afternoon. The sun was slowly setting in the west and was about to be obscured by the snow-capped mountains. It was time to leave.
"Okay, I'll go right now..."
Peng Fei agreed and ran back to the dead argali sheep. He quickly removed its internal organs and threw them to the golden eagle. Jiacuo and Gesang also gathered firewood, and just as it got dark, a roaring bonfire was lit.
"If it's not feasible, let's stay here tonight and head down the mountain tomorrow..."
"Looking at the mountain makes one's horse run itself to death." Although we can see the small mountain village from here, it would still take four or five hours to walk there.
Chapter 758 The Sorrow of Parting (Part 2)
After eating the sheep offal that Peng Fei brought, the golden eagle couple left with a sheep leg, leaving three small creatures in the cave that they couldn't hunt to take care of.
After the two golden eagles left, Gyatso was rather listless. It wasn't until Peng Fei finished skewering the meat that he went to the campfire to start preparing for tonight's dinner.
The golden-brown roasted mutton was constantly turned in Jiacuo's hands, and drops of mutton fat fell into the campfire, making a sizzling sound. The aroma made Zhuang Rui's mouth water.
Although he's been eating barbecue these past few days, Zhuang Rui's skills are clearly no match for those guys who've been eating barbecue since birth. He's still far from mastering the heat and how well he cooks the lamb.
"We've lit a campfire here; the villagers should be able to see it. Let's go down the mountain tomorrow..."
Suo Nan considered that Zhuang Rui and the others had already been walking for a day, and if they rushed back to the village now, it would probably be midnight. It would be better to rest on the mountain for a day and recharge before going down.
Gesang and his group had brought down all the tents that the students had brought, as well as all the discarded mountaineering equipment, so they weren't worried about not having enough gear to set up camp here.
"Anything is fine, I don't mind..."
Zhuang Rui nodded, then fed the little guy, whose head was sticking out, another meat strip back into his backpack, and said, "Brother Suonan, if we're going down the mountain tomorrow, I'll be leaving too. I've stayed here too long; I have some things to take care of when I get back..."
"Okay, I reckon the hospital staff haven't left yet. You can go down the mountain with them tomorrow, while Basang and I will stay for a couple more days..."
Suo Nan nodded in agreement. Firstly, it had been agreed beforehand that Zhuang Rui could leave at any time. Secondly, Suo Nan was also afraid of Zhuang Rui, who had disobeyed orders and acted on his own, disappearing for two whole days, leaving Suo Nan unable to get a good night's sleep.
These past two days, Suonan hasn't had time to think about the reincarnated child. He plans to stay a few more days to observe the child that Zhuang Rui and Basang both think highly of.
With Gesang nearby, it wasn't appropriate to discuss the matter further, so Zhuang Rui nodded and didn't press the issue.
“Brother Suonan, you have to tell me about the snow leopard. And Brother Gesang, you saw the divine eagle, didn’t you? The snow leopard, like them, was helped by Buddha to communicate with spirits…”
While Gesang was still immersed in the memories of the two strange eagles, Zhuang Rui quickly struck while the iron was hot. With Suonan, a government worker, and Gesang, a local, explaining, the villagers would probably be more receptive.
"As long as it doesn't eat cattle or sheep when it comes to the village, I'll believe it..."
Gesang has seen so many strange things today that he can no longer tell whether what Zhuang Rui said is true or false.
However, Gesang believed Zhuang Rui's claim that the snow leopard was psychic, because after spending a day together, the snow leopard had not attacked them, and the food for lunch was caught by the snow leopard itself.
"Okay, then it's settled. Brother Gyatso, is your barbecue ready yet...?"
Zhuang Rui was overjoyed to hear this. Solving this problem would be a great help to the snow leopard, because finding food is extremely difficult when the mountains are blocked by heavy snow in winter. With the help of these villagers, he believed that the snow leopard would be able to survive.
In high spirits, Zhuang Rui accepted the roasted meat offered by Jiacuo and began to eat heartily. Even the barley wine, which he usually found bitter and astringent, tasted exceptionally delicious. Zhuang Rui drank over two jin (approximately 1 kg) by himself. In the end, Peng Fei helped him set up the tent where he slept. ...
"Brother Zhuang, Brother Zhuang, wake up, we're going down the mountain..."
The next morning, Zhuang Rui was woken up by Peng Fei's loud voice. However, Peng Fei could only shout from outside Zhuang Rui's tent, because there were three intimidating guards lying at the entrance of the tent.
"Alright, let's get started..."
Although the barley wine was intoxicating, it didn't have much of a lingering effect. After a good night's sleep, Zhuang Rui felt clear-headed, and all the fatigue of the past few days vanished.
When they stepped outside the tent, Jiacuo and the others had already gotten up and were packing their things. Zhuang Rui took the water that Peng Fei had poured from the water bag and casually wiped his face a few times, which counted as washing his face. The conditions were simple, and he hadn't brushed his teeth or taken a bath for almost four or five days. If this were at home, Qin Xuanbing would definitely not let Zhuang Rui rub his face.
After packing their things, the group headed down the mountain. The white lion and the snow mastiff ran in front, with the snow leopard following at the back. At an altitude of over 4,000 meters, the sun was not very hot, and it felt more like a spring outing in the inland areas in March or April.
"Little thing, when will you grow up...?"
Zhuang Rui put his hand into his backpack and let the fledgling eagle peck at his fingers with its sharp beak. The little guy was very careful and didn't use any force, which made him feel very comfortable.
"Brother Zhuang, have you named this little eagle yet?"
Having witnessed the extraordinary abilities of the two golden eagles yesterday, Peng Fei was incredibly envious of Zhuang Rui. He came over now hoping to interact with the fledgling eagle, thinking that perhaps it would be able to follow his commands when it grew up.
"No, I don't know what name to choose..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. Anyway, the little guy would definitely become spiritually connected in the future after being nourished by his spiritual energy. He could call him whatever he wanted; there was no need for training.
"Hey, Brother Zhuang, what do you think of the name 'Little White'? Look at its white fur all over, I think it's a good name..."
Upon hearing that Zhuang Rui hadn't been named yet, Peng Fei became excited and reached out to unzip Zhuang Rui's backpack a little, revealing the little guy. However, he was immediately pecked again, and Peng Fei quickly pulled his hand back in pain.
"Come on, what kind of name did you come up with?"
Zhuang Rui gave Peng Fei a disdainful look and said, "Didn't you see what color its parents' feathers were yesterday? White, you say? Let me tell you, in less than two months, the little thing will start growing feathers, and they definitely won't be white..."
Smaller falcons typically begin to grow feathers and attempt to fly in just over a month.
However, golden eagles are large birds of prey, and it takes about a month and a half for them to molt and grow new feathers. They can only start flying after two months. Generally speaking, it takes a golden eagle more than 80 days, almost two months, from birth to separation from its parents.
Although the golden eagle can fly for a longer time than smaller falcons, its lifespan is much longer. While an average eagle might live for twenty or thirty years, a golden eagle can live for at least ten years unless it encounters natural disasters or human-caused calamities.
“Xiao Bai doesn’t sound good. I’m telling you, Xiao Zhuang, how about Xiao Jin? Look at the feathers of those two golden eagles yesterday, aren’t they beautiful? Xiao Jin sounds better…”
Upon hearing that they were going to name the fledgling eagles, Gyatso eagerly joined in. Yesterday, when the golden eagles arrived, it was sunset, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the two eagles, making them appear radiant and full of life.
"Little Jin? That's too common. It's better to just call him Jinzi (Gold), it's easier to remember and pronounce..."
Zhuang Rui hesitated for a moment. The name of this golden eagle should include the character "gold," but Little Gold doesn't sound very good. When it grows up, will it be called Old Gold?
"Brother Zhuang, all you care about is gold. You have so much at home, why are you still thinking about it?"
Peng Fei seized the opportunity to also look down on Zhuang Rui. His constant talk about gold could be summed up in one word: vulgar!
"What's it called?"
Zhuang Rui shook his head, listening to the little guy chirping, and said, "How about we call him Chirp?"
However, his suggestion was met with unanimous opposition from everyone. Suo Nan, who had been mostly silent, suddenly said, "The two eagles we saw yesterday both had golden feathers. Xiao Zhuang, how about we name them Golden Feathers?"
"Golden Feather?"
Zhuang Rui muttered it to himself, and it sounded quite natural. Besides, if things were to be easier in the future, the character "Yu" could be omitted, and he could just call him Jinzi. He nodded and said, "Okay, then let's call him Jin Yu!"
"Hey, Zhuang, you're awesome. There's a player whose name is Li... something like Jin Yu."
Peng Fei laughed. The name sounded cool, but it was a bit too human. There were probably quite a few people in China with the surname Jin who had this name.
"It's not uncommon to have the same name, is it? How can we men compete with a beast for a name..."
As for whether giving such a beast a human name would hurt certain people, that was not within Zhuang Rui's consideration.
Upon hearing this, Peng Fei pursed his lips, pondered for a long time, but still didn't dare to say one thing: "Why don't you just let this guy be called Zhuang Rui?"
"Alright, let's call him Jin Yu..."
Zhuang Rui lowered his head with a broad smile and called out to the little guy in his arms, "Jin Yu!"
The little guy's reaction was exactly as expected; it didn't even lift its head. However, after Zhuang Rui called out repeatedly, it finally gave him a couple of "chirp chirps." Zhuang Rui was overjoyed and quickly rewarded it with spiritual energy.
After walking for more than two hours, as soon as Zhuang Rui called out the name Jin Yu, the little guy would raise his head and be affectionate with Zhuang Rui. Peng Fei and the others were amazed and envious, but they had nothing to say. After all, someone else had saved that mother eagle.
By this time, the group had arrived at the foot of the mountain. Some of the herders from the village were herding their cattle and sheep on the grassland at the foot of the mountain. These cattle and sheep were used to Tibetan mastiffs, and when they saw the white lion and snow mastiff running ahead, they were slightly flustered, but were calmed down by the herders.
However, the appearance of the snow leopard immediately threw the world into chaos. Even though the snow leopard obediently followed behind Zhuang Rui, the cattle and sheep scattered and ran around, and the herdsman was completely unable to control them.
"Awooo... Awooo!"
Upon seeing the snow leopard, the two Tibetan mastiffs following the sheep immediately bristled, their eyes flashed with ferocity, and they let out a low growl. Their backs were slightly bent, as if they were ready to fight the snow leopard to the death.
Seeing that a fight between the mastiff and the leopard was about to break out, Gesang quickly stepped forward to stop it, saying, "Bazhu, hold your dog back..."
Chapter 759 The Sorrow of Parting (Part 2)
"Gesang, come quick! Shoot it! That's a leopard! It'll kill all our cattle and sheep..."
In this small village at the foot of the snow-capped mountain, there are many small animals on the mountain, especially in summer. Wild animals such as jackals and leopards that like to steal cattle and sheep are rarely seen. Therefore, Bazhu does not carry guns when herding.
To protect the village's cattle, sheep, and Tibetan mastiffs, Bazhu bravely faced the snow leopard, wielding a large machete.
People who live on the grasslands know that although Tibetan mastiffs are said to be able to fight tigers, wolves, lions and leopards, they can only fight grassland wolves at most. Compared with fierce beasts such as lions, tigers and leopards, they are far inferior.
Bazhu knew that he and his two Tibetan mastiffs alone could not defeat this adult snow leopard, so he loudly called to Gesang to take a gun and shoot the leopard. The people living in this small mountain village naturally did not know what animal protection laws were.
“Bazhu, this is no ordinary leopard; it is the guardian deity of the Great Snow Mountain…”
Gesang grabbed Bazhu, thinking that since he had already agreed to Zhuang Rui's request, he might as well start brainwashing Bazhu.
Compared to the villagers who rarely leave the mountains, Gesang has been to several cities in Sichuan and Yunnan. He is considered a knowledgeable and capable person in the village. Although Gesang doesn't quite believe Zhuang Rui's words, the compensation method Zhuang Rui mentioned is tempting to Gesang.
You see, the cattle and sheep in the village are either slaughtered by the villagers themselves during festivals or exchanged for firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, and other items. Although the outsiders are also Tibetans and wouldn't cheat the villagers, bartering is relatively less profitable than selling them.
After deducting the necessary expenses of the village, the income of dozens of households in the village is only tens of thousands of yuan a year, averaging just over 1,000 yuan per household.
If Zhuang Rui really does as he says, and doesn't need to give it every year, but just a one-time payment of 200,000 yuan, then what's wrong with the village raising this leopard with cattle and sheep?