It’s So Noisy, A Friend Gave Me a Pearl Bird – CH73

Chapter 73: Extra — Let’s Build a Big Bird Nest Together (1)

Yan Yan seemed to smell the scent of soil.

Chirping birds filled his ears, disturbing his sleep. Still half-asleep, he turned over, trying to grab Si Jingce’s hand to cover his ears—but caught nothing.

His head sank into soft feathers. Yan Yan rubbed against them comfortably and drifted back to sleep.

Not long after, the little bird suddenly opened his eyes.

He stared blankly at the grayish feathers in front of him, slowly lifted his head, and saw a pearl finch chick tilting its head at him.

It’s big brother.

Yan Yan closed his eyes, rolled over, and went back to sleep in peace.

He actually saw big brother…

Wait—something’s not right??

He shot upright and shouted, “Big brother, why are you here?”

The moment he spoke, it came out as a string of “chirp chirp chirp.”

…Why did it turn into bird sounds again?

Tangyuan’s face immediately fell. “I’m the big brother!”

Yan Yan’s fluff was blown into a dandelion puff by the breeze. He had no mind to argue about who was the big brother. Slowly, he looked around—

Zhima and Momo were watching him. Bird Mom was resting with her eyes closed. Beneath his feet was no longer a soft mattress, but a thick bird nest.

Curtains and lights were gone, replaced by a dark earthen cave. The entrance was partially covered by leaves, though not tightly—cold air seeped in.

Yan Yan stared blankly. “Shouldn’t we be at home eating bird feed with our owners? Why are we in the wild?”

“What’s wrong with you, fourth chick?” Bird Mom opened her eyes, worried. “What owners? We always stay far away from humans.”

Yan Yan: ?

What are you talking about? Just recently I saw you being grabbed by a human grandma and used as a tissue to wipe tears.

He looked at Bird Mom, then at himself, and suddenly a terrifying thought struck him.

His whole body was grayish too.

He had shrunk—back to before molting.

Last time he woke up and his brother had turned into a pearl finch. This time, he woke up in the wild and became smaller.

At this rate, he was afraid that next time he opened his eyes, he’d turn into a giant pearl finch.

For now, Yan Yan couldn’t figure things out. He shut his beak tightly, not daring to speak.

Tangyuan patted his belly. “Now that you mention it, I’m hungry. Why aren’t Mom and Dad back yet?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the leaves at the entrance were pushed aside. Bird Dad returned with food.

Pearl finches usually eat seeds, occasionally small insects from the ground.

The moment Yan Yan saw the wriggling insect still twisting in Bird Dad’s beak, his scalp went numb and he screamed internally.

The other greedy chicks rushed forward to fight for food. Yan Yan quietly stepped back and curled up in a corner.

Something was very wrong.

Their whole family were clearly domesticated pet birds—yet Bird Dad was going out to forage?

Yan Yan stretched his neck and secretly plucked one of Tangyuan’s feathers.

Tangyuan didn’t even notice, still shouting for food.

No pain.

That meant this was a dream.

A strange yet vivid dream.

Once he realized it was a dream, Yan Yan relaxed a little—but he still couldn’t get past eating bugs. He reluctantly swallowed a few seeds.

After eating, Tangyuan and Zhima started fighting again. Yan Yan stayed in the corner thinking, slowly inching toward the cave entrance.

Would big brother exist in this dream?

Since it’s a dream, of course he would! So he had to go find him!

Yan Yan made up his mind and slowly moved toward the entrance.

Wild pearl finches usually lived in underground burrows. Nearby, there were probably many such caves, housing hundreds of birds. He could faintly hear neighbors chirping.

Before he even reached the entrance, his attempt to run away from home was discovered by Bird Dad.

He blocked the entrance tightly. “Fourth chick, we can’t run around.”

Yan Yan tried to squeeze under his wing but failed. He looked at him pitifully. “I want to find big brother.”

Zhima said, “Your brothers are all here.”

Tangyuan grew alert. “What?! You have another big brother?!”

“No, I want to find my partner,” Yan Yan said, gesturing wildly. “He’s a male human with a big house. We’re already engaged and will get married soon.”

Each word made sense—but together, none of it did.

Bird Mom leaned over and nudged him. “What nonsense are you talking? You’re still a child—you can’t even fly. What partner?”

Yan Yan: QvQ

He almost forgot—he was now an unmolted pearl finch chick.

Bird Mom and Bird Dad pushed him back into the nest.

“It’s getting late, don’t go out,” Bird Mom said gently. “Tomorrow Dad will take you out to sunbathe and learn how to fly.”

“I don’t want to!” Yan Yan shouted. “I already know how to fly! I want to find my partner!”

Tangyuan waved him off. “Mm-hmm, go find your partner. Sleep first—everything’s in your dreams.”

Yan Yan: …

Looks like he couldn’t leave today.

Curling up sadly in the corner, Yan Yan listened as Bird Dad said, “It’s been dangerous outside lately. Don’t go alone.”

Bird Mom asked worriedly, “What happened?”

“A strange big bird has been watching us,” Bird Dad said. “It stays far away and stares at birds like us. Everyone’s been frightened these past few days.”

Many large wild birds were carnivorous, especially fond of prey their size.

That truly scared Yan Yan. He immediately burrowed into his siblings’ feathers.

Even if it was a dream, he didn’t want to get eaten!

Tangyuan hugged him. “Fourth chick, don’t be afraid. Big brother will protect you!”

Zhima: “Heh.”

“No need to worry too much,” Bird Dad tilted his head. “That big bird seems a bit… off.”

Lowering his voice, he added, “It can’t build nests. It just waits at cave entrances, staring like it’s looking for someone. It can’t fly either—walks over on its claws. Looks pretty dumb.”

Hearing this description, Yan Yan felt a strange sense of familiarity.

“Anyway, don’t go alone,” Bird Dad said. “Even if it doesn’t seem to eat birds, no one can risk it.”

“Tomorrow I’ll discuss it with other birds,” he sighed. “We might have to move.”

Yan Yan hadn’t even explored the outside world yet—didn’t know where this was, how far from humans—

And now they might move.

His little bird face filled with worry.

What if big brother didn’t exist in this dream?

If he couldn’t find him, he’d create the opportunity!

Yan Yan made up his mind—to sneak off during tomorrow’s outing… while avoiding that strange big bird.

A big bird that couldn’t fly.

Maybe he should first go see what it looked like… what if it was actually his brother again?

With a head full of plans, Yan Yan decided to sleep first.

…

The next morning, Bird Dad and Bird Mom took them out to forage and practice flying.

The parents guarded them from front and back. Bird Dad dug up a seed and placed it before them. “Smell it, observe its shape, then find the same kind.”

Yan Yan recognized it immediately—a rapeseed.

Nearby was a field of rapeseed flowers. These usually grew in southwestern regions, while pearl finches were introduced species—not something found wild here.

Sure enough, dreams were dreams.

Seeing the seed reassured Yan Yan.

It meant he wasn’t too far from human habitation—he could still find his brother.

—Studying really was useful. Otherwise, he’d probably be crying by now.

The chicks began searching in the soil. Yan Yan stared for a few seconds, unmoving.

Soon, his siblings all found seeds. Yan Yan found none.

Tangyuan flapped over. “Why didn’t you find any?”

Yan Yan whispered, “Putting my beak into the dirt feels… dirty.”

Tangyuan glanced at him. “You’re so delicate.”

Yan Yan knew he was being delicate—but he was no longer a pampered pet bird.

No one would clean his food bowl daily or serve fresh feed.

He couldn’t run into his brother’s arms to be wiped clean.

If he stayed this delicate, he would die.

And if he died, he’d never find his brother in this dream.

Gritting his teeth, Yan Yan started digging—and quickly found a rapeseed.

Soon, Tangyuan brought one over and placed it in front of him. “Here.”

Zhima followed, then even quiet Momo secretly added one.

In the end, each sibling found one seed—Yan Yan had four.

Bird Mom immediately saw through it. “Fourth chick, you can’t do this.”

But since Yan Yan did find one himself, she couldn’t say much—she turned to scold the others instead.

A wild bird without survival skills was in great danger.

Suddenly—

“That big bird is here again!” another finch cried.

“Should we run?”
“Let’s see first—”
“No, run!”

Bird Dad and Mom immediately went on alert, retreating with the chicks.

Yan Yan followed their gaze and saw a medium-sized raptor.

Its flight feathers glowed orange in the sunlight. Its head and chest were white and fluffy. It hid among the rapeseed flowers, staring intently at the finches.

A brahminy kite.

It mainly ate fish, but could prey on small birds too.

The kite’s gaze swept across the flock—then locked onto Yan Yan.

A strange sense of familiarity.

After days of watching without attacking, the kite suddenly moved.

It ran toward them—on its legs, like a human. Just as Bird Dad said, it looked ridiculous.

But that sight terrified the flock. Birds scattered, flapping into the air.

Bird Dad and Mom formed a protective barrier, retreating with the chicks.

One round little bird broke away—flying toward the kite.

“Fourth chick!”

Bird Mom was shocked.

Since when could he fly?!

Yan Yan flapped clumsily, struggling due to undeveloped wings—but it didn’t dampen his excitement.

Even in a different form, he recognized him.

That was Si Jingce.

Flapping forward, he cried out, “Big brother—!”

Two gray fluffballs suddenly rushed in front of him, trembling but blocking his path.

Zhima shrieked, “Don’t be afraid, fourth chick! Big brother will save you!”

Tangyuan, who had been scared stiff, suddenly started fighting Zhima while still shielding Yan Yan. “Nonsense! I’m the big brother—he asked me to protect him!”

Yan Yan was just about to dive into Si Jingce’s fluffy feathers—

And got separated by the two chicks like star-crossed lovers.

Wait…

Yan Yan stretched out his wings helplessly.

The “big brother” I’m calling… isn’t you two!

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