She squatted in the furrow, pulling weeds for a while. When she looked up and saw birds coming to eat the cherries, she hurriedly shouted to drive them away. The first shout worked, but when she yelled louder, the crafty birds ignored her. Annoyed, Juhua looked around and found a long bamboo pole at the base of the wall—one used for cowpea and cucumber trellises. She picked it up and swung it at the treetops, finally scaring the flock of birds away.
The birds taking flight were brightly colored and quite beautiful, but right now, Juhua didn't find them cute at all. 'If this keeps up, by the time the cherries are ripe, the birds will have eaten them all.'
As she was angrily trying to think of a solution, she heard a voice calling from the path ahead, "Juhua, Juhua?" The voice grew closer.
Juhua heard it was Yun Ying calling her and quickly answered.
