The kitchen was deep into the night, bathed in warm yellow lamplight. The fire crackled in the stove, and the aroma was so rich it seemed ready to condense into glistening beads of oil in the air.
The braised pork in the copper pot had stewed to perfect tenderness, its thick sauce shimmering with an amber glow. The glossy skin quivered faintly, carrying the steamy essence of star anise, cinnamon bark, ginger, and scallions. The bold, irresistible fragrance burrowed straight into Shen Jiujiu’s nostrils.
Fragrant! So fragrant!
Elder Lin crept quietly to the pot’s side, casting a quick glance at the door with the corner of his eye. Seeing no one, he deftly picked up a large wooden spoon, his movements practiced and sure as he scooped the fattiest, most aromatic chunks from the pot’s edge into a bowl.
“Jiujiu!”
Shen Jiujiu alighted on the stove top, his head stretching greedily toward the pot. His little bird claws gripped the edge, his plump body extending and contracting in eager probes, tail feathers held high.
His bright black eyes locked onto the braised pork being lifted by the spoon, the reflection of the stove fire making them sparkle like tiny embers.
Elder Lin chuckled, placing a piece in a small dish. He fanned it gently with his hand and murmured, “Not yet, let it cool first. Otherwise, it’ll burn Little Bird’s beak, understand?”
Elder Lin was the sort who could never sit still. In the past, he had gone to the academy every day, but ever since he’d started feigning illness to avoid going out, he spent his days tinkering around the house.
After his wife had shooed him away for fussing over the orchids, osmanthus, and other flowers, he’d turned to his old trade.
Elder Lin had only one wife and three daughters, all left behind in Chang’an. To keep the clan elder’s home lively, relatives often sent their children over for him to tutor.
A few days earlier, the steward who’d been watching the docks had returned, reporting that he’d spotted someone remarkably like the portrait of the young cousin master. Elder Lin had promptly sent the children home.
“Jiujiu~”
Little Bird knew better than to eat hot meat. He obediently drew back his claws and curled up beside the dish like a fluffy ball, waiting patiently.
Elder Lin brushed the top of Little Bird’s head gently with the back of his finger. “What a clever, obedient little bird.”
The old man’s voice turned soft and coaxing, the tender tone one might use with a small child.
“Whose little bird is this—so cute and clever?”
Elder Lin’s demeanor was worlds apart from the man Shen Jiujiu had encountered during the day. Standing beside the steaming, fragrant braised pork, Shen Jiujiu tilted his head and stared.
Elder Lin noticed the almost human intelligence in Little Bird’s gaze, as if he were pondering something deeply. But the notion of a bird turning into a person was too outlandish, too steeped in the supernatural. Having studied the classics for most of his life, the old scholar would never entertain such a fanciful idea.
Elder Lin cradled his bowl of braised pork and blew on it to cool.
Little Bird turned his head and blew on his own piece.
His sharp beak turned the exhalations into a series of soft, whistling chirps: cheep-cheep.
The little sound drew a hearty laugh from Elder Lin, who had been fixated on his pork.
Shen Jiujiu let out a huffy chirp and leaned in closer, guarding his portion with single-minded focus as he continued to blow.
Elder Lin reached out and slyly hooked the dish away from in front of Little Bird.
Shen Jiujiu craned his neck, waddling after it in a tipsy little bird stagger.
Elder Lin first prodded the meat in the dish with his fingertip, then carefully lifted it out with chopsticks onto the cutting board. He chopped it into tiny pieces, blew on them meticulously, and once he was certain they were cool enough, slid the dish back.
“There you go—try it now. It’s not hot anymore.”
Shen Jiujiu had been drooling all night from the temptation and waiting so patiently; he had no time for birdly decorum. He plopped down right there on the stove top, reached in with a claw to pinch off a small piece, and popped it straight into his beak.
The motion looked far more human than avian.
Elder Lin had never kept birds, but plenty of sparrows frequented the household, foraging by pecking at the ground with their beaks. He’d never seen one eat like this.
Still, they said birds were clever creatures. No doubt this one had been raised by humans long enough to pick up their habits.
Elder Lin eyed the long-tailed little bird with fondness for a moment before picking up his chopsticks to attack the delicacy in his own bowl.
Shen Jiujiu ate until his claws were slick with grease and his belly was bulging, but his beak never paused for a breath.
He was no stranger to fine foods, yet this pot of braised pork was—simply too delicious!!
After polishing off his piece, Shen Jiujiu flopped onto his back atop the stove, claws paddling lazily at the air.
Elder Lin ate slowly.
Snacking in the dead of night was hardly proper to begin with; best to savor it languidly to avoid indigestion.
Hearing the commotion, he glanced down.
There lay the Little Bird Dumpling, sprawled flat, emitting contented chirps from his beak. His tail swept back and forth across the stove top, his blissful expression enough to melt anyone’s heart.
Elder Lin, who had lured Little Bird into this midnight conspiracy, had fine lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes. “All full up?”
Shen Jiujiu: “Jiujiu~”
Little Bird flicked up one wingtip.
Stuffed to the brim~
Elder Lin set down his bowl and used a cloth to wipe Little Bird’s greasy claws clean.
The familiar gesture stirred memories of home and hearth in Little Bird—memories of sneaking away.
Wait a minute…
What had he slipped out of his room to do in the first place?
Shen Jiujiu jolted upright with a pork-scented bird belch.
Little Bird fluttered to the door and poked his head out, peering into the pitch-black night.
Hiss.
Er…
How had the sky turned so utterly dark?
Little Bird stood on the threshold, lost in thought.
He racked his brains, desperately searching for a way to salvage the situation.
Meanwhile, the irresistible aroma from the braised pork continued to drift from the stove.
…Grandpa couldn’t possibly finish it all by himself, right?
Shen Jiujiu smacked his beak, his beady eyes gleaming with inspiration.
Little Bird whipped around and flew back to the stove, perching boldly on the pot’s rim. He fixed Elder Lin with an imploring stare, begging for just one more piece.
Elder Lin blinked in surprise. “More? With that tiny body of yours… you can still eat?”
Didn’t birds have tiny appetites?
Shen Jiujiu bobbed his head vigorously. “Jiujiu! Jiujiu!”
Of course he could!
Elder Lin hesitated before scooping out a somewhat smaller chunk and placing it in the dish.
Shen Jiujiu circled the dish once, inspecting the meat’s shape closely before dipping his beak in to test the temperature.
Perfect—not too hot!
Little Bird ducked his head, parted his beak, and stabbed the sharp tip precisely into the chunk. With a triumphant flap of his wings, he jerked his head high, meat securely impaled.
Elder Lin’s chopsticks froze midway to his mouth. His eyes bulged in utter astonishment as he stared at the brazen takeout bird before him.
Shen Jiujiu couldn’t open his beak, so he shook his tail feathers to greet his grandfather before spreading his wings and flying determinedly out the door.
Elder Lin: “…”
The little old man standing by the stove held a plate of steaming, fragrant braised pork, forgetting to take a bite for a long moment.
~~~
Shen Jiujiu flew in a straight line, enduring the irresistible aroma of the braised pork as he made a beeline for Pei Du’s courtyard.
The chunk of meat blocked his view, so he couldn’t clearly see Pei Du standing there. But instinct honed over many days allowed the little bird to pick out the familiar pear scent on Pei Du amid the overpowering meaty fragrance.
Pei Du had finally waited for their appointed little bird and let out a breath of relief. He reached out to catch him, only to look up and see a furry slab of meat hurtling toward him at breakneck speed.
Pei Du instinctively took a step back.
But the little bird was faster, shoving the braised pork right up to Pei Du’s mouth.
Oh ho.
Your little bird delivery service has arrived~
Pei Du: “…”
The upright and dignified Lord Pei, ever composed under any circumstance, had never encountered such an outrageous method of feeding.
Yet the little bird persisted, determined to stuff the braised pork into his benefactor’s mouth.
Come on, just try it!
Little Bird already tasted it and found it delicious. He brought it back especially for Benefactor~
Pei Du fell silent for a moment before yielding to the little bird’s insistence. He took a bite of the meat slab Shen Jiujiu had somehow procured.
The braised pork was still piping hot—the Lin Family home wasn’t large, and the little bird had flown swiftly.
The flavors were rich and savory, the meat tender and melt-in-your-mouth.
…It really was quite tasty.
Pei Du reached out to catch Shen Jiujiu as he folded his wings and landed, his little face brimming with eager anticipation for praise.
No wonder the little bird had forgotten all about his sweetheart in his rush to eat.
“Chirp chirp chirp~”
It’s good, right~
Lord Pei wiped the reddish-brown meat juices from the little bird’s beak and face with a handkerchief, then gave the delivery bird lavish praise: “Delicious. Thank you, Jiujiu.”
Shen Jiujiu rubbed affectionately against Pei Du’s palm. Without waiting for him to move, he spread his wings and flew into the room.
Pei Du raised an eyebrow in surprise and followed at a leisurely pace. There, behind the screen, he saw Shen Xinian hurriedly pulling on his clothes.
“It’s so late. Are you heading out?”
“Mm-hmm!”
“I saw it—that pot of pork was huge. Grandfather can’t possibly finish it alone.”
Shen Xinian quickly finished dressing and dashed toward the door while tying back his hair. “A bird’s stomach is too small. I’m going for another round. I’ll be right back!”
The two sentences carried a staggering amount of information. Pei Du’s lips twitched. “You…”
But Shen Xinian, lured away by the braised pork, had already bolted like a streak of smoke, his voice echoing back through the moonlit courtyard.
“Aaah, I’m off! What if it’s all gone by the time I get there?!”
Pei Du stepped out the door and gazed thoughtfully at the moon.
Only then did the lingering flavor of meat register on his tongue.
It really was pretty good.
Perhaps…
