Chapter 3: Three Steps

In this era, the density of wild animals in the mountains far exceeded that of later generations. Wild pheasants and rabbits could be found right by the village fields, while the riverbanks and foothills were home to mountain delicacies like hazel grouse and Siberian grouse. Deep in the red pine forests, there were grey squirrels and weasels, whose pelts were highly valuable, and even sables in the depths of the forest—all treasures that could fetch a high price.

Most villagers in this era were timid and conservative. In a time before the market economy had fully opened up, any game they caught was mostly used to improve their own meals; they wouldn't dare take it to the city to sell. Even the most business-minded among them would only go to the local markets to trade for supplies in a half-hidden, cautious manner.

But Yue Feng, having lived a second life, knew that the individual economy in the cities was already in its early stages of budding, and the state’s control over the market economy was gradually becoming a mere formality. In an era where opportunities were everywhere, as long as one had the courage, making money wasn't difficult.

Relying on falconry for small-scale hunting wasn't as thrilling as leading a pack of dogs to hunt wild boars or black bears, but if done well, by the end of the autumn and winter seasons, the money earned would be more than enough to save up for a 16-gauge shotgun.

Once he had a gun, he would have the capital to confront wild boars and black bears. When that time came, he could scout for a few hunting dogs, and the foundation for a mountain-roaming hunting team would be established.

Yue Feng took the "antiques" from the storage shed out into the yard to inspect them. The condition was slightly better than he had anticipated.

The riding cage net used for catching small hawks was well-preserved. Aside from a few threads chewed through by mice at the corners, the overall damage wasn't severe and wouldn't affect its use.

It had only been a few days since the White Dew solar term, the perfect season for birds of prey to begin their southward migration. If he were lucky enough to catch a sturdy-boned sparrowhawk (female), then the small game active around the village—like hazel grouse, Siberian grouse, and grey squirrels—would all be within Yue Feng’s hunting targets.

The net was still usable, so there was no need to weave a new one for now. However, Yue Feng still lacked a few things to set up his nets in the woods by the river.

He rummaged through the storage shed again and found a coil of thin wire beneath some clutter.

Yue Feng untwisted the wire and skillfully began to weave a cage.

The wire cage was cylindrical, only about ten centimeters in diameter but over thirty centimeters long. It looked a bit disproportionate and wasn't exactly beautiful, but Yue Feng was very satisfied with his work.

Once the cage was finished, Yue Feng found a roll of thick cotton thread used for binding quilt covers in his mother’s sewing basket.

His mother didn't interfere with what Yue Feng was busy with, seeing that her son had just recovered from a head injury.

Yue Feng spent a long time in his room, using the cotton thread to weave a complete set of equipment for tethering a hawk.

When it comes to falconry, the equipment requires special explanation.

Falconry culture has been passed down since ancient times, and the tools have undergone countless iterations and improvements. Thus, the inherited equipment, including the methods of production and use, is already highly refined.

This set of equipment for tethering a sparrowhawk includes two leg straps, each over twenty centimeters long, known by their technical name, *liangkai*.

Near one end of the *liangkai*, a loop was left during the weaving process. Below the loop was a flat, leek-shaped section about six centimeters long. Another loop was left at the outer end of this section. This way, when attaching the straps to the hawk, one could loop it twice and use a reverse-locking internal pass to conveniently and securely fix the *liangkai* just above the hawk's talons.

Below these two *liangkai* straps, Yue Feng tied an 8-shaped connector, technically called a *ha-ma-er* (toad). One end connected to a swivel, and the other allowed the *liangkai* to be passed through and reverse-locked, securing the straps to the connection point.

Below the swivel was a round, braided cord over 60 centimeters long, known as the *wuchi* (five-foot).

According to the traditions of veteran falconers, this long cord is called the *wuchi*. It is used folded in half, and when carrying or tethering the hawk, gripping the *wuchi* firmly ensures the hawk remains securely in hand.

There wasn't much thick cotton thread at home, so Yue Feng didn't dare use it all up; he only wove about sixty centimeters, which was certainly enough for a small hawk.

Starting out, there was no need to obsess over details; as long as it worked, it was enough.

It is worth mentioning that even though he hadn't done this for decades, the quality of the three-piece set—the *liangkai*, the *ha-ma-er*, and the *wuchi*—that Yue Feng wove was still incredibly durable.

The leek-shaped part of the leg straps was tight yet soft, and the loops for the reverse-locking were perfectly sized. The latter half of the *liangkai* transitioned into a round shape. Holding the end of the cord, the ten-plus centimeters of hand-woven rope could actually stand upright on its own. Even if a newly caught hawk tried to peck at it, it wouldn't be able to bite through.

After working for half the afternoon, the three-piece falconry set was finished, and the sky began to darken.

The youngest in the family, Jingjing, returned home from school, and the family of four sat down for a quiet dinner at the kang table in the east room.

To be honest, the food at home was truly poor. Yue Feng and his father, Yue Lei, were given a steamed bun made of mixed flour because they were injured, while the others ate cornmeal buns. On the table was a basin of potato stew with barely any oil, plus a dish of pickled vegetables. With a bowl of corn grit porridge each, that was their dinner.

During the meal, the youngest sister, Jingjing, kept glancing at the mixed-flour buns in the hands of Yue Feng and Yue Lei.

Seeing this, Yue Feng broke his bun in half and handed it to his sister.

"Here, eat this so you can grow big! Give me your corn bun!"

"Thank you, brother!" The sister took the bun, thanked him sweetly, and took a big bite.

The so-called mixed-flour bun was steamed with white flour mixed with cornmeal. In this day and age, fine grains were precious. The family's staple food was usually corn, and the small amount of white flour they had was traded for with rice. Aside from making dumplings during the New Year or holidays, they basically never ate it on regular days.

"Jingjing, don't snatch your brother's bun. Your brother has a head injury!" their mother, Meng Yulan, scolded in a low voice.

"It's fine, let Jingjing eat it! I'll just eat the corn bun! I'm not hungry anyway," Yue Feng said, patting his sister's head.

The little girl looked at her mother, then at her brother, and placed the bun back in front of Yue Feng, tears of grievance welling up in her eyes.

Seeing this, Yue Feng felt a pang of heartache.

Resources were scarce in this era, and life at home was hard. It was pitiful that his own little sister was actually moved to tears by a mixed-grain bun.

"Be good, don't cry! You eat the bun! In a couple of days, brother will catch a Siberian grouse for you to eat!" Yue Feng stroked his sister's forehead, coaxing her softly with a pained heart.

"Really?" Hearing "Siberian grouse," Jingjing’s eyes lit up the second after she had been crying.

"Really, within a week at the latest, I’ll definitely get you a Siberian grouse to eat!" Yue Feng said with great certainty.

"Second brother is the best!" Hearing that there would be chicken to eat, Jingjing stopped crying and hugged Yue Feng’s arm, shaking it back and forth.

"But we have a deal: if you want to eat chicken, after you finish your dinner, you have to come to the yard and help me with some work!"