Chapter 78: Extra — Let’s Build a Big Bird Nest Together (6)
The night heron flew far, far away, its crying echoing along the riverbank and startling many birds into coming out to watch.
Yan Yan stood under the bridge, staring at its disappearing figure, and swallowed nervously.
“What should I do?” he looked at Si Jingce. “It’s actually a really nice bird… but I did something really bad.”
Even Si Jingce hadn’t expected the heron to be this sensitive. At this rate, the wetland would soon have another legend—
A brahminy kite that dated a pearl finch and could write “want fish,”
and a night heron that could write “I am a cockroach.”
“Apologize properly tomorrow,” Si Jingce sighed. “We’ll catch more fish these few days and make up for it—cover its meals for a week.”
That was the only way.
At the mention of fishing, Yan Yan perked up. “But big brother can catch fish now! We won’t starve!”
Si Jingce nodded. “We’re still missing one step.”
His human instincts couldn’t accept eating raw fish, and Yan Yan had been spoiled—he couldn’t handle it either.
If they got sick from raw food, it would be trouble in the wild.
“We need to find the staff station and have them cook it for us.”
Since Si Jingce couldn’t fly, Yan Yan thought for a moment. “I’ll scout ahead.”
“I’ll stay safe!”
That was their best option.
After repeatedly reminding him to avoid danger, Si Jingce watched anxiously as Yan Yan flew north.
In less than half an hour, the little bird returned.
“Found it! It’s pretty close.”
By foot, it would take much longer—there was a river in between, so Si Jingce had to detour via a bridge.
Since it was still early, he picked up the fish, let Yan Yan perch on his head, and said through a full beak, “Let’s go.”
The fish was heavy—he had to stop often to rest.
Along the way, they passed a steep cliff.
About eight meters up was a flat ledge, with natural rock overhangs on three sides—perfect shelter.
That would be their new home.
He marked the spot and continued north.
At noon, they finally reached a small house.
White steam drifted out the window, along with the smell of food.
Si Jingce placed the fish at the door and knocked with his beak.
The sounds inside stopped.
He knocked again.
The door opened.
The staff member looked around—no one.
Then he looked down.
A brahminy kite stood at the door.
With a pearl finch on its head.
And a fish at its feet.
Staff: ?
Si Jingce chirped.
Human, can you help process lunch and dinner?
The staff member had worked here for years and had seen animals wander by…
But this?
A kite. A finch. A fish.
What?
He suddenly remembered something his colleagues had said.
During biodiversity monitoring this spring, one kite had stood out—
A kite that couldn’t fly.
They had observed it…
First begging fish from humans.
Then watching finches.
Then bringing seeds to a finch family…
And taking one finch away.
And then—
They fell in love.
Even experts couldn’t explain it.
Now, seeing this kite—with a finch on its head—
The staff member took a deep breath.
“What… do you need?”
Si Jingce pointed at the fish.
“Is this for me?”
The kite shook its head.
Right—this was the one that only ate cooked fish.
“…You want it cooked.”
The staff member hesitated—but took the fish inside.
The two birds followed him in.
He cleaned it, boiled it plain, then cooled it.
Then—
He watched in disbelief as the kite carefully removed bones and let the finch eat first.
…You two are something else.
Hearing about it was one thing.
Seeing it was another.
He took out his phone and sent photos to his group chat.
The two birds finished the fish quickly.
For the rest of the day, they didn’t need food.
On the way back, they could gather fruits for Yan Yan’s evening snack.
Si Jingce felt satisfied.
He could catch fish now.
They had a new home.
And a nearby human station for cooking.
The only thing—
The staff member hadn’t stopped looking shocked since seeing them.
Before leaving, they drank some clean water.
At the door, Si Jingce chirped.
Thanks. I’ll come again tomorrow.
The staff member felt a chill.
…Was he just scheduled into a bird’s routine?
—
By the time they returned, night was falling.
“No time to gather materials today,” Si Jingce said.
Yan Yan flew up to the new home and looked around. “This is much better than the bridge!”
He looked down at Si Jingce climbing up awkwardly.
…Big brother looked so clumsy.
But with sharp talons, the climb wasn’t too hard.
Finally reaching the ledge, the two birds nestled together, gazing out at the distant scenery.
The wetland stretched endlessly, and in the far distance, the lights of the city could even be seen, blending with the stars.
In the darkness, Yan Yan’s eyes shone brightly. He burrowed into the softest feathers on Si Jingce’s body.
“This height is actually good for practicing flying,” Yan Yan said. “Big brother… if you still can’t fly, who knows when our nest will be finished.”
Si Jingce: “…I’ll try. Starting tomorrow, I’ll practice while collecting branches.”
“We’re not in a rush. We can take it slow,” Yan Yan said. “Most birds can’t build a nest in a short time anyway.”
Si Jingce couldn’t help but smile. “But I’m afraid you’ll get cold.”
Yan Yan snuggled deeper into his feathers. “I’m not afraid of the cold at all.”
With such soft feathers and wings like a blanket, no matter how harsh the conditions were, he wouldn’t feel the chill.
…
Early the next morning, Yan Yan flew down from the cliff and watched as the brahminy kite went into free fall, rolling into the grass.
Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt.
The two birds first caught a few fish. Then Yan Yan found a sparrow and asked, “Have you seen a night heron? The kind with two breeding feathers on its head like antennae?”
The sparrow replied, “Yeah, it’s over there catching fish.”
To show his apology, Yan Yan had Si Jingce pick the fattest fish, and they went together to find the heron.
When they arrived, the night heron was standing on the railing of a wooden walkway, staring into the distance in a daze.
“Master Ye.”
Yan Yan flew onto the railing, trying to find the right words—but the heron turned away, leaving him with a desolate back view.
The little finch flew to its front again. The blue-and-white bird turned away once more, clearly unwilling to look at him.
Yan Yan had no choice but to flap his wings and forcibly land on the heron’s beak.
Night heron: …
It tried to shake him off—failed.
“I came to apologize today,” Yan Yan said sincerely. “Misunderstanding you was my fault. I didn’t mean to make you lose face in front of humans. To show my sincerity, my big brother and I will help you catch fish for a while—cover your meals.”
“Do you think this can be solved with an apology?!” the heron cried indignantly. “My kind sneaks into zoos pretending to be penguins to eat fish—and me? I get laughed at as a cockroach! A cockroach!”
Yan Yan didn’t have the heart to tell him that the “cockroach” image had already gone viral…
Seeing negotiations failing, Si Jingce placed the fish on the ground.
“I will never forgive humans—or brahminy kites and pearl finches!” the heron wailed, sneaking a glance at the fish.
Yan Yan pretended not to notice.
“You think one fish can earn my forgiveness? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!” the heron stretched its neck sneakily.
Yan Yan still pretended not to notice.
The heron quickly snatched the fish into its beak and swallowed it whole. “So tasty.”
“Huh? Where did the fish go?” Yan Yan deliberately looked around.
Si Jingce played along. “Yeah, it was just here.”
“Well, no choice,” Yan Yan sighed regretfully. “I wanted to bring a delicious fish to apologize, but it suddenly disappeared… I’ll have to catch another one tomorrow and come see you again.”
“You think I’d forgive you for one fish?! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!” the heron shouted.
…
After delivering the fish, Yan Yan and Si Jingce went to the staff station to prepare their meals, then began gathering materials for the nest.
A kite’s nest required sturdy branches—Yan Yan couldn’t help much, so he focused on collecting soft dry grass for bedding.
Their roles were clear.
But Si Jingce’s progress was slow. Carrying branches in his beak and climbing back up the cliff took time—and every trip, Yan Yan had to watch him perform another “free fall.”
Thankfully, the grass below softened the impact, and Si Jingce had begun to learn how to protect himself while falling.
After who knew how many falls, Yan Yan finally saw him flap his wings and hover in the air for three seconds.
“Wow!” Yan Yan rushed over as soon as he got up. “Big brother, you’re getting the hang of it!”
Si Jingce looked at his wings. Just now… there really had been a feeling.
After all that falling, he had somehow gained experience.
But after all that effort, they only managed to bring back ten branches today.
They decided to make one last trip.
By the time they returned, night had fallen.
The night was full of danger—not a good time to linger outside.
But when they reached the cliff again, the sight before them made both birds freeze.
Several branches had been placed at the base of the cliff.
Yan Yan flew closer—and even inside their “home,” there were more branches.
Looking around, he suddenly spotted two white breeding feathers hastily retracting behind a tree.
…Master Ye really was a good bird.
The heron had secretly gathered branches while they were away, but hadn’t finished delivering them before they returned.
Yan Yan decided they should catch more fish for him in return.
He flew back down and explained to Si Jingce, “The heron brought these. Let’s move them up.”
He counted. “Five branches! Big brother, you can practice flying five more times tonight!”
Si Jingce, already tired from falling all day: “…Alright.”
No rest yet.
Seeing the difference between flying and not flying firsthand, he understood—
The sooner he learned to fly, the sooner they could build a proper nest.
Carrying a branch, he stood at the cliff’s edge, preparing to jump.
How did he hover just now…?
Closing his eyes, he jumped straight down, flapping hard.
This time, he stayed in the air a bit longer—and the fall hurt less.
“That’s even better than last time!” Yan Yan rushed over, rubbing his head against Si Jingce’s. “A few more falls and you’ll be able to fly!”
Si Jingce: “…I’ll try to only fall one more time.”
He carried another branch up, then looked down.
Below, the little finch was watching him closely, ready to correct his form.
“Big brother!” Yan Yan shouted. “Try again! Jump!”
His fluffy feathers were tousled by the wind.
Seeing him like that, Si Jingce’s heart softened completely.
He spread his wings—
Then suddenly noticed movement in the grass beside Yan Yan.
Not grass.
A green snake was slithering forward, its patterns blending into the ground, its tongue flicking.
Si Jingce’s mind snapped tight like a drawn string.
“Yan Yan, fly away!”
Yan Yan shot into the air. Turning back, he saw the snake raise its head and bare sharp fangs—
“Ahhh!” He panicked, flapping wildly. “Big brother, save me!”
Si Jingce’s blood ran cold.
Without thinking, he dropped like a stone.
His wings stirred the air as his hooked talons seized the snake and flung it toward a tree.
The snake’s head slammed, going limp, before being hurled far away.
Yan Yan flew to safety and peeked out, staring blankly at the sky.
…Big brother could fly now?!
