With the roar of an engine, Du Famen and his group departed from Jiang Hai's home.
Before leaving, however, the distinctive shape of his car was still a sight to behold, catching the attention of many people waiting outside to buy lobsters. Several people snapped photos of the vehicle.
"Hey, is the Arab gone?" Bernice, lounging in Jiang Hai's recliner and scrolling through her phone, asked in surprise as she noticed Jiang Hai had returned alone. Hearing her question, Jiang Hai shrugged and took a seat on a nearby stool.
"How do you know someone from the Middle East?" Bernice asked curiously without looking up from her phone. Jiang Hai, deciding to stretch the moment, picked up her unfinished drink and took a large sip. He then slowly spoke.
"Because I'm also a local tyrant!" His words were playfully arrogant, and Bernice nearly tossed her phone in frustration.
"How long are you staying this time before you leave again?" Resisting her anger, Bernice glanced at him and asked in a calm tone. Although her voice was composed, Jiang Hai could sense that she was closely observing him, perhaps concerned about whether he'd be leaving soon.
Chuckling, Jiang Hai realized Bernice might actually care about his departure.
"I shouldn't be leaving for a while. Even if I do, it won't be until next year. During the Chinese New Year, I plan to take Darlene and Marianne back to China. Next year marks the third anniversary of my parents' passing and joint burial, so I want to buy them a plot of land. Darlene and Marianne are my daughters, after all, so I'll need to take them to burn incense for their grandparents," Jiang Hai explained, his thoughts drifting to the mundane tasks ahead. There was really nothing pressing to do at the moment; the manor's development was progressing steadily.
The grapes were nearly ready for harvest, and as the manor owner, Jiang Hai would naturally stay to oversee it. After the harvest, it would be time to make wine—a process that intrigued him. Following that, he'd need to buy a new batch of cattle, tend to them, and prepare their feed. Winter would soon arrive, and Jiang Hai, a northerner, preferred to stay indoors during the colder months.
Bernice nodded at his words, pulling her attention back to her phone.
Seeing her retreat into her device, Jiang Hai smiled and stood up, eager to leave her to her distractions. Stretching his back, he headed for his room. Though he wasn't physically tired from the drive, he felt emotionally drained. After a quick farewell to Bernice, he retreated to his sanctuary.
As he entered his room, he noticed Xiaoya, Darlene, and Marianne tidying up the space. Since Jiang Hai had returned with the two girls, they had taken on the responsibility of maintaining cleanliness in the manor. The girls didn't seem too focused on their studies, though they learned quickly from Cindy Clive's teachings.
Though their academic interests were minimal, they could easily apply what they learned. They showed no inclination toward formal education, and so each morning, they attempted to cook breakfast—though their culinary skills were average. Afterward, they focused on cleaning the rooms, a task at which they excelled. Jiang Hai rarely had to worry about the house being untidy.
In homes with pets, especially those with many like Jiang Hai's, a certain amount of mess is expected. However, Xiao Huang and Xiao Bai were disciplined enough to go outside when they needed to relieve themselves and even bathed in the river when they got dirty. This kept their smell at bay, though their fur did shed frequently—an annoyance for pet owners. But since Darlene and Marianne began cleaning, animal hair was hardly ever a concern.
Xiaoya, who had previously been confined to her room and only ventured outside after sunset, now had more freedom. With the arrival of Darlene and Marianne, Xiaoya had gained a few more friends. Her health had also improved significantly, and now, aside from her midday rest, she could even soak in the hot springs. As her condition improved, she began opening up more emotionally.
In addition to overseeing the meals, Xiaoya was now learning how to clean, though she was still somewhat clumsy.
Jiang Hai watched the girls bustling about but didn't want to interrupt them. He quietly bypassed them and returned to his room. Upon entering, he noticed that Xiao Huang, Xiao Bai, and Ban Ya weren't around, which was unusual for the daytime. Only Jiu Jiu, the eagle, was perched on the windowsill, gazing out at the sky with an expression of confusion.
"Uh..." Jiang Hai paused for a moment, then approached Jiu Jiu.
Sensing Jiang Hai's presence, the eagle turned its head and briefly met his gaze before flapping its wings and hopping into the room. It landed in front of Jiang Hai and looked up at him with an expectant stare.
"You want to fly?" Jiang Hai asked, amused by the eagle's confused expression.
Jiang Hai had considered teaching Jiu Jiu to fly for some time but had forgotten about it amidst his many tasks. Now, seeing how big Jiu Jiu had grown, he realized it still couldn't fly. He crouched down and spoke to the bird, who stared up at him with wide eyes.
"Alright, let's figure this out and see how we can make you fly," Jiang Hai muttered to himself. He gently picked Jiu Jiu up and carried it to his computer, determined to find a solution.
Jiu Jiu gripped Jiang Hai's arm, its talons tight as it quietly observed. Unlike mammals, which were more socially interactive and would often respond to Jiang Hai's words with gestures or sounds, birds were different. Jiu Jiu's small brain likely couldn't understand everything, but it seemed to respond best when Jiang Hai treated it calmly.
Jiang Hai started researching how to teach eagles to fly, but his search turned up little. He discovered that young birds, especially eagles, learned to fly by imitating their parents. After mastering essential movements, the mother would push them off a high place, trusting that their instincts and learned behaviors would take over. Unfortunately, Jiu Jiu had no parents, and Jiang Hai wasn't a flying expert.
Undeterred, Jiang Hai decided to try another approach: watching videos of bald eagles on the internet. As the first video began playing, Jiu Jiu froze, clearly confused by the sight of another eagle. Eagles weren't social creatures, and Jiu Jiu had likely never seen one of its kind.
Instantly, Jiu Jiu spread its wings and screeched at the screen. Jiang Hai, amused but also slightly concerned, quickly tried to calm the bird.
"Jiu Jiu, calm down, calm down!" he said, gently touching the eagle's feathers.
Jiu Jiu turned its head toward him but remained wary of the eagle on screen. "Hey, this is a fake. You need to focus on its posture," Jiang Hai explained after a moment.
But Jiu Jiu only tilted its head in confusion, a gesture that, while endearing, left Jiang Hai exasperated. "You don't get it, do you? What am I supposed to do now?"
After several attempts to get Jiu Jiu to understand, including mimicking the eagle's movements, Jiang Hai was left with an exasperated sigh. He resorted to pulling on Jiu Jiu's wings and pretending to fly, though the eagle didn't resist, it still didn't quite comprehend.
"Practice makes perfect. Let's see if we can make you fly!" Jiang Hai declared. He decided that the best course of action now was to take Jiu Jiu outside and try flying for real.