A dozen beams of sunlight illuminated the rough bark of the trees, the smooth surface of the steps and our sweaty hair. We carried on following a stream of people in creeping motion. Halfway up the hill, mother panted with the effort and stopped to rest. Amusingly she said, “How come climbing this mountain feels more exhausting than giving birth to a child?” But after a deep breath, her tone dropped rapidly, “Three years ago, when Mei was giving a diffi cult birth to the second boy and Bing was not there, I climbed many more steps up and down than this, but tirelessly. How come?”