Chapter Eighty-Eight: Lovebirds

There were no birds in the sky, yet we had already flown. At times, the outcome is not what matters. What we pursue so desperately is not an ending, but the joy of the journey itself.

An hour later, the few of them, panting hard, reached a wooded mountain slope. Er Pang pointed at the dense grove ahead and said, “We’re here. This is the place. The mountain tits are most plentiful here.”

“Then why can’t I see even one?” Tan Linlin widened her eyes at the tall trees before her, yet she could not find so much as a single feather.

“Heh-heh, it’s winter. They’re all hiding in tree hollows. Don’t worry, I’ll catch one for you right away.” With a broad, honest grin, Er Pang set down the things in his hands. Without another word, he went into the woods, lifting his head as he searched all around for something. Xiao Lin and the others quickly followed.

“Aha, got one. Found a tree.” Er Pang stared at a tree before him, his face lit with delight. He spat into his palm, tugged up his waistband, and began to climb.

In just a few minutes, Er Pang had scaled the tree like a monkey and stopped near the middle, beside a butterfly-shaped hollow. He reached in and took out two mountain tits that were still sleeping soundly inside. Carefully placing them into a cloth bundle, he loosened his legs and slid back down to the ground.

“Sister Yuqing, Sister Linlin, here.” Er Pang held the birds out to Wang Yuqing and Tan Linlin respectively.

Wang Yuqing took hers with obvious excitement and great care, resting it in her palm while gently stroking the feathers. The bird was about the size of a child’s fist, with a yellow belly, gray-green back, and white throat, cheeks, and ear feathers. It was small and dainty. Frightened, it trembled slightly, its tiny eyes shut tight, looking utterly adorable.

The one in Tan Linlin’s hands was a little larger. Its head and throat were black, with a large white patch on the side of the head, and a blue-gray back. Its underparts were yellow. Yet this bird had opened its eyes and was glaring at Tan Linlin, its sharp little beak pecking at her hand.

“This kind of tit is called a yellow-bellied tit. The one in Sister Yuqing’s hands is female, and the one in Sister Linlin’s hands is male. They always stay together in pairs, which is different from other tits, so we call them lovebirds. Whenever someone in the village gets married, they pray for blessings from these birds.” Er Pang explained from the side.

“Lovebirds, huh? Er Pang, go catch two more for us.” Tan Linlin’s eyes gleamed.

Hearing that, the usually simple and good-natured Er Pang waved his hands again and again, saying gravely, “No, that won’t do. They’re protected rare animals. Though there are many here in Snow Village, we still can’t catch them at random. This time, it was only because you’re guests from far away, and Xiao Lin is one of Snow Village’s own, so we couldn’t be rude. That’s why I decided to give you a pair. If it were anyone else, absolutely not.”

“All right then.” Seeing how serious Er Pang looked, Tan Linlin pouted unhappily.

But when Wang Yuqing heard Er Pang call them lovebirds, her eyes lit up at once. She stole a glance at Xiao Lin and quietly made up her mind. Then she leaned close to Tan Linlin’s ear and whispered a few words.

After listening, Tan Linlin shook her head and shouted, “No, absolutely not. I’m not giving it to you. I only have this one.”

“Linlin, this is a pair that lives and flies together. Can you bear to separate them? Besides, Xiao Lin’s ancestors were from Snow Village; these are their sacred birds. I should be keeping it safe on his behalf.” Wang Yuqing put on a look of pitiable delicacy.

“This...” Tan Linlin hesitated.

“Thank you, Linlin.” Seeing her momentarily stunned, Wang Yuqing swiftly snatched the bird from her hands. She joyfully cupped the two birds together and ran off downhill.

“You rotten Yuqing, daring to steal my bird. I’ll fight you!” Realizing the bird had been taken, Tan Linlin let out a roar and charged after her.

“Be careful, don’t fall.” Xiao Lin, Er Pang, and Xu Tong followed helplessly behind.

In the end, no one knew what Wang Yuqing said or did, but she actually managed to make Tan Linlin agree to give her the bird. Xu Tong found this very puzzling. He knew Tan Linlin’s temperament well; taking something from her was almost as hard as reaching the heavens, and that was hardly an exaggeration. Yet Wang Yuqing not only got it, but in the end Tan Linlin’s face was even full of a meaningful smile. It was as if the sun had risen in the west.

What Xu Tong did not know was that Tan Linlin agreed not because she had suddenly changed her nature, but because she and Wang Yuqing had made a trade. As for what they traded, Xu Tong would never have guessed in a million years. Tan Linlin had asked Wang Yuqing to tell her what a kiss felt like. As long as Wang Yuqing described it, she would give her bird away for free. Earlier, Wang Yuqing had been tricked by her into letting something slip, and Tan Linlin became very interested in the matter. Don’t be fooled by her usual recklessness; when it came to matters of the heart, she was as innocent as a blank page. She had never been kissed either, and Xu Tong was her first love. So she chased after Wang Yuqing and made that bargain.

It was astonishing how a woman’s curiosity could change her temperament. One had to admit that women were truly marvelous creatures fashioned by the hand of creation. Wang Yuqing hesitated for a while; she did indeed want to keep the two birds, for they carried special commemorative meaning. But after a struggle in her heart, she finally decided to make the exchange.

After Wang Yuqing finished describing what a kiss felt like, Tan Linlin’s eyes began rolling about mischievously. If Xu Tong had been there and understood her well, he would have known this was the omen of something shocking about to happen.

“Xiao Lin, look, aren’t these two birds beautiful? Lovebirds, hehe.” Wang Yuqing held up the birds as though presenting a treasure, wanting Xiao Lin to look.

“Yes, yes, they’re beautiful. What, are you planning to take them back to the East Sea?” Xiao Lin looked at Wang Yuqing’s excited face and smiled faintly as he spoke.

“Of course I am. I’m going to raise them properly.” Wang Yuqing lifted her lovely face and said with resolve. “Because this is proof of our love.” She added that to herself as well.

Take them back to the East Sea? These birds eat insects and drink dew. Once they’re in the city, what would you even feed them? Looking at Wang Yuqing, who was still caught up in excitement, Xiao Lin moved his lips but in the end said nothing.

“Hey, Xu Tong, come over here with me. I need to talk to you about something.” Tan Linlin said to Xu Tong, rolling her dark eyes.

“What for? If you have something to say, just say it here.” Xu Tong shook his head and refused to go. This fat girl certainly meant no good; he absolutely could not go with her.

Alas, when Tan Linlin saw that coaxing would not work, she went straight to force. She grabbed Xu Tong and dragged him toward a grove at the side, all the while glaring fiercely at Xiao Lin and saying, “None of you come over here, or you’ll bear the consequences.”

Naturally, Xiao Lin and the others had no intention of joining in the excitement.

“Come on, let’s go wait for them up ahead.” The three of them planned to rest for a while farther on. That climb had exhausted them badly.