1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 425 Wrong Script!
Ronan took a flashlight and went outside.

There are no cicadas or frogs chirping this season; instead, the mournful 'whooshing' sound is even more pronounced and clear.

However, the 'source' of that sound didn't stop in one place, but came from all directions, appearing every few tens of seconds, making the atmosphere even more eerie.

"Is it flying and calling out at the same time?" Ronan shone his flashlight around looking up.

Besides the 'whooshing' sound, he could occasionally hear the faint flapping of wings, which led him to conclude that the thing was most likely a bird.

When Ronan upgraded his Hunting skill to level 3, the system granted him an ability—to judge the general meaning of an animal's words and actions, though he couldn't get the specific details, but he could discern its emotions.

Ronan deduced that the owner of the voice had only one emotion throughout: anxiety, and extreme anxiety at that.

"What on earth happened to make this bird so anxious?" Ronan muttered to himself.

Perhaps because he'd watched too many movies, Ronan worried that the bird was asking for help, so he tried to follow it somewhere.

But the bird kept circling around Ronan's house. At its furthest, the sound came from near the dense forest; at its closest, it was right above Ronan's head. Several times, the flashlight caught a glimpse of its form, but only a fleeting glance, clearly because the thing was flying too fast.

If it doesn't stop, Ronan can't make the next move.

If it were hunting season, things might be a little better; firing a couple of shots into the sky would surely scare the birds away. But the hunting season was over in April, and Ronan didn't know what to do.

Just as he was at his wit's end, Luo Tianhai's head appeared behind a window on the second floor:
"What is it?"

Ronan replied loudly:

"I can't see it clearly, but it's definitely a bird."

Looking at the dark vineyard outside, Luo Tianhai asked:

"Didn't it stop?"

“It doesn’t seem so. It’s been moving, flying and calling out.” Ronan turned to his father and said, “It’s alright. You go back and look after my mother. I’ll think of another way.”

A cry even more piercing than a whimper came from inside the window:
"Luo Tianhai! Come back quickly! That thing is coming to the bedroom! Close the window and come back right now!!"

Feng Zhen is afraid of animals with beaks. She would stay far away from chickens, and owls were something she wouldn't even dare to think about.

Luo Tianhai glanced back awkwardly and closed the window.
"Don't stay outside for too long either. Your mom has gone 'crazy' and keeps telling me all sorts of scary stories. She says if you stay outside alone for too long, it might not be you who comes back."

Ronan's eyes suddenly lit up.

Hey, what if I bring two dogs with me?

Ronan first went back to comfort the "frightened bird" Feng Zhen, and then took the two dogs out to continue searching for the "suspect".

Marseille was already eager to try while it was in the room. The moment Ronan opened the door, it rushed out and sped towards the direction where the last sound had come from.

What happened next was that birds flew in the sky while dogs chased them on the ground.

He and Xiao Hei could only see a gray afterimage appearing back and forth in front of them, barking warily.

"Good dog, Marseille!" Ronan cheered for Marseille.

Then he looked down and touched the little black dog crouching at his feet, its ears perked up, warily looking around, and said:
"You're a good dog too."

Ronan's two dogs have very distinct personalities.

Marseille goes without saying; he's an award-winning actor, but he's also an excellent hunter with plenty of stamina.

Little Black has never liked being away from people since it was a child. Although it didn't go out to look for birds, as long as that thing dared to attack Ronan, Little Black would definitely rush up at the first moment.

Of course, it will also strike if Marseille is in danger.

The tug-of-war between the bird and the dog lasted for half an hour. In the end, Marseille was defeated due to exhaustion. He lay down at Ronan's feet, panting heavily, his eyes full of resentment.

Birds are very afraid of the barking of dogs, and I've heard that even eagles are no exception.

But the bird showed no sign of leaving, circling continuously within a certain area, and becoming increasingly anxious.

Ronan sensed something was wrong and led his two dogs away.

inside the house.

"Still haven't found it?" Feng Zhen asked, her face pale.

Ronan poured water for the two dogs:

"We couldn't find it. I think it might have encountered some trouble or problem. Let's just leave it alone."

Feng Zhen's voice instantly turned to tears as she buried herself in Luo Tianhai's arms, sobbing softly:
"It's not that I'm being dramatic, it's just that this bird's call is so scary, I'm frightened, Tianhai. Let's move to the restaurant tomorrow, there's just a mattress there, okay?"

Luo Tianhai, with his arm around his wife, said with a silly grin:

"Okay, okay, I'll have someone move the bed over there tomorrow. We'll stay there for a couple of days, and maybe it'll leave in a couple of days."

Luo Tianhai and Feng Zhen planned to lay low for a while, but there was nothing upstairs in the restaurant; it was just finished being renovated and not yet ready for occupancy.

Ronan felt sorry for his parents and didn't want them to suffer. After returning from the market in Mena village in the morning, he took his two dogs out again to catch the 'suspect'.

That bird probably lives in the area near Ronan's house; it's active here at night and naturally rests here during the day.

It keeps moving at night and can't find its target, so it must be less vigilant when it's resting during the day, right?

Ronan planned to raid its lair with his two dogs, and Marseille raised his four feet in welcome.

Last night's humiliating defeat left Marseille so angry she couldn't eat, and she was eager to avenge herself today. Without barking to guide her, Ronan could only lead the two dogs to carefully scan every area.

"Be careful, don't miss any area." Ronan first took the two dogs to the backyard.

During the day, the vineyard in front of my house can be seen at a glance, with low grapevines that don't hide any birds.

Ronan guessed that the bird either lived in the distant woods or in the area in his backyard.

The backyard has many trees, complex buildings, and lots of construction materials—making it an ideal hiding place!

He also hoped that the bird would live here; if it lived in the dense forest, it would truly be like "finding a needle in a haystack."

Marseille walked at the very front of the procession like a vanguard. Without Ronan saying anything, it wouldn't miss any area, even sniffing out Zoe's kiln.

Little Black always stayed by Ronan's side, but if Marseille found anything suspicious, Little Black would rush over immediately to check it before Ronan, protecting his younger brother well.

If it turns out to be a false alarm, it will immediately return to Ronan's side and continue to be vigilant about its surroundings.

"Zoe is helping you build a playground." Ronan looked at the two dogs, feeling a sense of pride that his son had grown up.

Although neither dog is perfect and each has its own problems, Ronan is obsessed with the idea that they are the best babies in the world!

Previously, when Zoe wanted to build something for the two dogs in the backyard, Ronan's attitude was 'anything goes,' but now he's changed his mind and supports it—it must be built, and built thoroughly!
Suddenly, the horse in front let out a low growl indicating alertness, while lowering its forelegs, and the little black horse also adopted the same attack stance.

This situation had never happened before, and Ronan's first thought was that the 'suspect' was about to be caught!
Ronan looked in the direction the two dogs were facing and saw that it was an outdoor recreation area that had been built last year.

Marseille and Xiao Hei switched positions and slowly circled around, their target being a group of low cabinets.

For moisture protection, some gaps were left at the bottom of those cabinets.

Ronan followed silently behind them, carefully lowering his body to see if there was anything in the crevices below.

But in the blink of an eye, a gray figure suddenly rushed forward, accompanied by a fierce bark. A black afterimage then overtook it, crawling to the front of the low cabinet and barking wildly inside.

Xiao Hei's reaction means there must be something inside!

"Be careful, don't let it scratch your face," Ronan shouted warily from behind.

The gap under the low cabinet was only big enough for a dog's head to peek in.

What a cunning enemy! They actually found such a terrain that is both offensive and defensive!

Strangely, Xiao Hei only barked once and then stopped.

Marseille is making quite a lot of noise, but not as fiercely as before.

"What's going on?" Ronan knelt down beside the two dogs and lowered his head.

Instead of the ferocious-looking bird of prey or owl I was expecting, I found a strange creature, only the size of a beer can, with big yellow eyes and pretty little ears, huddled in a dirty corner against the wall.

It's neither a bird nor a chicken; its feathers haven't even fully grown in.

The little creature hugged itself tightly with its two bare wings, trembling as it looked at the two dogs and one person outside the gap. Its small brown mouth was slightly open, and you could see its pink tongue trembling inside, but it didn't make a sound.

However, Ronan could probably guess what it wanted to shout.

"Help! Three strange things are coming!!"

"Were the cries from the other day its mother looking for it?"

Ronan rescued the little creature and brought in the ornithologist Zoe.

Zoe said it looks like a baby owl called a long-eared owl, and judging from the month, it should still be in the stage where it cannot feed itself, and may have gotten separated from its mother for some reason.

Zoe nodded:

"It must be. Its mother must be so worried."

"It seems it's been hungry for at least two days?" Feng Zhen made a comfortable little cushion for the little long-eared owl, just like she would for a child. Ever since she brought it home from Ronan, she had been sitting not far from it, constantly observing its condition. "What does it eat? Insects? Luo Tianhai, don't just sit there, go out and catch a couple of insects."

Feng Zhen is afraid of owls, but she is not afraid of this little creature and even describes it as 'cute'.

She's not moving house for now, but she's not going to work either, because Ronan and Zoe don't know how to take care of the kids, so she has to stay home and keep an eye on them.

Zoe said apologetically:

"I don't know the eating habits of this owl. It would be best to call an animal protection association. But since its mother is nearby, the best thing to do is to send it back to her."

“But it can’t bark,” Ronan said, looking troubled. “I don’t know if it’s an individual problem or if it’s just too small. Look, it can’t make a sound at all. Will its mother be able to find it?”

Zoe considered it for a moment:
"Place it in a prominent location so its mother can smell it."

Feng Zhen imagined an even more terrifying scenario:

"There are eagles around here. What if its mother doesn't come, and an eagle comes and snatches it away? That's too dangerous!"

Zoe was probably the animal lover among those present, and she firmly stated:
"I will protect it in a safe place tonight, and if any other birds of prey come, I will chase them away."

“I’ll go with you!” Feng Zhen slapped her thigh and shouted to her husband Luo Tianhai, “Luo Tianhai, make something suitable for dinner. Zoe and I will take the ‘child’ tonight.”

Luo Tianhai glanced helplessly at Luo Nan:
"Let's go together."

Ronan smiled and got up to help his father prepare things.

The battle against the owl has turned into a 'tadpole looking for its mother' scenario. Who would have thought?
(End of this chapter)