After hauling the bamboo back near the boulder, Du Lai began measuring and sizing the poles — they needed to be cut to matching lengths before the roof could be properly assembled.

Fu Miaoxue circled around him, helping to steady the poles one moment and passing him vine cord the next, wishing she could just do everything at once so they could go catch birds immediately!

“When are we going to catch the birds?” she asked Du Lai eagerly, her face shining with anticipation.

Du Lai found a natural fork in a tree and used it as a support point, resting one end of the bamboo pole there, the other end against the boulder, then lashing it in place with vines.

He glanced at the sky and said: “Let’s go now.”

“Great!” Fu Miaoxue was beyond excited. Then she looked at the half-built roof frame and hesitated: “But… what about the shelter?”

“We’ll take our time with that.” Du Lai smiled at her. “Tonight, let’s go find the nest first. If we’re lucky, we could have a steady long-term supply of bird meat.”

Fu Miaoxue was vibrating with anticipation. She tugged at him: “You already have a plan, don’t you? How are we going to catch them? Tell me! Tell me!”

“Grab some water first,” Du Lai said, bending down to secure the palm bark around his trouser leg, his tone teasing. “It might be a long walk. And don’t you dare start whining about being tired.”

“I definitely won’t!” Fu Miaoxue slung the bamboo tube over her shoulder, bouncing like a young student on a field trip. “Let’s go let’s go! Come on, we’re going to catch birds!”

Du Lai surveyed the surrounding area and pointed in one direction: “That way.”

Fu Miaoxue immediately fell into step beside him.

……

One hour of walking — Fu Miaoxue said nothing.

Two hours of walking — Fu Miaoxue still said nothing…

Du Lai heard the audible sound of labored breathing behind him.

He stopped and turned to smile at her: “How are we doing, Miss? Tired?”

Fu Miaoxue stopped too, braced her hands on her knees, and panted heavily — then shook her head without a word.

Du Lai said with a smile: “If you’re tired, we can rest here for a bit.”

Fu Miaoxue picked up the bamboo tube and tipped her head back to drink — but the tube had long since been drained dry. She shook it; only a few drops trickled into her mouth.

Fu Miaoxue set the tube down dejectedly, her voice lacking all energy: “I’m not tired.”

Du Lai’s lips curved into a smile. “Quite stubborn, aren’t you.”

This route was anything but flat — it went up and down, hill after hill, and the physical exertion was enormous. Even he was feeling it. Yet Fu Miaoxue flatly refused to admit she was tired.

After a few days together, Du Lai had gotten a general feel for her character. This woman responded to both kindness and firmness based entirely on her mood. Since she insisted she wasn’t tired, he didn’t press the matter.

By now, the night was deep, but the moon was bright, and there were no tree shadows in this open stretch — so it hadn’t impeded their navigation.

Du Lai stopped at a rocky slope and bent down to pick up a few stones.

Fu Miaoxue came up beside him: “Why have we stopped? I really am not tired — let’s go catch birds. If we wait until daybreak, they might all have flown away.”

Du Lai sorted through the stones, picking and choosing without urgency. “Look at the ground. What do you see?”

Fu Miaoxue blinked and looked down. There were rocks, dry grass, and scattered dark splotches.

“What am I looking at?” she asked, puzzled.

Du Lai said: “Bird droppings.”

Fu Miaoxue: “…”

She wrinkled her nose with distaste. “What’s so interesting about bird droppings…”

“The bird droppings in this area are noticeably more concentrated.” Du Lai tossed aside two stones and picked up another, better-shaped one. “There’s probably a nesting site just a little further ahead. From here on, let’s keep our movements quiet — and no more talking.”

Fu Miaoxue listened attentively and gave a solemn nod.

The two of them moved on.

The rocky slope rose higher and higher. The droppings underfoot grew thicker and more frequent — until they arrived at a cliff edge, and beheld, spread before them in breathtaking spectacle:

An enormous colony of birds!

—