“The old physician can’t save him.” The old physician walked out with blood-stained hands, his face turning pale and bluish. Even with good medicine, he couldn’t extend the man’s life by more than three days.
“I dare not attempt to remove the sheep horn. If he had a bulky physique, there might be a chance, but given his slender figure and the length of the sheep horn described by Bahu, I estimate it has already pierced his internal organs.” The old physician washed his hands and explained the situation to the county magistrate. He then turned to the couple at the door and said, “If you want to save him, take him to Guchuan as soon as possible; there might still be a chance.”
“I won’t save him. He committed such insane acts; if he dies, he deserves it.” The bearded man’s wife said resentfully, with her living children having a younger uncle who had entered prison for a heinous crime. After his death, no one would remember him after a decade or so.
The bearded man remained silent. Smelling the increasingly strong scent of blood in the air, he sighed heavily, bowed to the county magistrate, and said, “He has done wrong; it’s up to you to handle.”
With the situation having developed to this point, the course of action was clear. The man would be dragged back to the prison to await death, and his property would be confiscated, divided into two halves, with one half confiscated and the other half compensated to the victim.
It was already very late, but the small town of Lingshan was still bustling. Mi Niang, accompanied by Pandi and others, followed behind the officials, squeezing out of the medical clinic. She walked among the crowd with her head lowered, her face pale.
“Hey, little girl, are you feeling unwell?” A middle-aged woman grabbed Mi Niang, speaking loudly, “Did something frighten you? Let the old physician give you a few more packets of soothing medicine. You won’t need to pay for today’s medical treatment, and be sure to take a few extra packets of the medicines you might need.”
“I’ve already seen the physician, and it’s not a big deal.” Mi Niang forced a smile in response.
“That’s good. Look at you, so thin and weak. Who would have thought you could bring down a man?” The woman approached and asked, “Where did you buy the sheep horn awl that you used on that scoundrel? I want to get a few for my child for self-defense.”
Mi Niang was surprised by the woman’s reaction. She glanced back at Bahu, who was following her, and replied, “It was a gift from someone else. I’ll ask around for you another day.”
“Sure, I’ll bring my daughter to visit you tomorrow. You can tell her how you managed to take down the thief.”
“This girl is something else. Many men would be scared stiff when faced with a wolf, but she was kidnapped by him and still managed to kill him. If it were me, I probably couldn’t do it,” a woman in the crowd remarked.
Mi Niang heard the comments and lifted her head, meeting the gazes of the people around her. Regardless of gender, there was no malicious speculation or blatant disdain on their faces.
Four years ago, when she walked out of the county office cradled in her mother’s arms, there were many sticky stares fixed on her face. After that, many people in the village talked repeatedly, saying her clothes were torn, her arms and shoulders were exposed, and that she was touched and kissed by men. Some even maliciously claimed she slept with several men. An old bachelor from another village, smelling the scent of scandal, came to harass her, shamelessly wanting her to return and become his wife.
It wasn’t until Mr. Gu, who saved her, came to propose that the gossip in the town lessened a bit. However, she still carried an unclear stigma.
“Don’t overthink it, girl. Go back, take the medicine, have a good night’s sleep, and continue tending to your sheep in the morning. The person who harmed you won’t live much longer. If you’re not afraid of the living, you have nothing to fear from the living dead.” A man with a child on his neck, swaying his head, said, “If you were my child, I’d boast about you for half a lifetime.”
“It’s different from being in Dakang.” Exiting the crowd, Pandi held Mi Niang’s hand and said sincerely, “I was initially worried that your reputation might suffer from this incident, fearing the officials in Mobei would favor her, a local. I never thought you would gain an appreciation for this.”
“Mobei people don’t care about reputation. Men die, and women remarry—there’s been plenty of that. There used to be even cases of abduction for marriage,” Bahu said. He hadn’t expected Mi Niang’s concern to be about her damaged reputation. He frowned and assured her, “The one to be condemned is him. If someone with clouded judgment criticizes you for this, boldly retaliate.”
Mi Niang nodded, and the worry that had been pressing on her heart disappeared. She felt invigorated. Finally free from the burden of her reputation, no one could point fingers at her behind her back.
“Mi Niang, are you okay? I heard you were kidnapped by him; it must have been terrifying,” Wan’er suddenly appeared from somewhere. She glanced at Mi Niang and could tell by her spirited demeanor that She hadn’t succeeded. She sighed in relief. “That damn scoundrel, I didn’t expect he had such intentions when getting close to you.”
Mi Niang pursed her lips and glanced at Bahu. “It’s late; you should go home.”
“I’ll escort you back and leave after preparing medicine for you,” Bahu followed closely behind Mi Niang. He felt that something was off with her emotions. “Is there something you haven’t told me? Or are there other concerns?”
“There is something,” Mi Niang asked Pandi and others to go ahead. “Wan’er, you go back too. I’m fine. Come over tomorrow to hang out.”
“Okay.” The group split into two, and in the pitch-dark night, a man and a woman stood facing each other. Mi Niang’s emotions were hard to discern, but she felt stifled not saying anything.
“Bahu, what deep-seated hatred do you have with her? He behaved improperly towards me today because he thought you were interested in me, and he wanted to retaliate against you, so he kidnapped me, intending to assault and kill me.”
“Because of me?” A buzz echoed in the man’s mind. Apologizing with dizziness, he said, “I’m sorry. It’s my fault.” He had thought her approached Mi Niang because he was interested in her, and he had been behaving well these past few years, so he hadn’t considered this possibility.
“How big is your grudge with him?”
“He misbehaved. About six years ago, I caught him molesting a sheep. I shouted, attracting the owner of the sheep, and he got a beating. Later, his father, feeling ashamed, seemed to have locked him up. I only saw him again in Lingshan about three years ago.” Bahu apologized again. Mi Niang had suffered unjustly because of his involvement.
“Disgusting,” Mi Niang felt nauseated.
“Mm,” Bahu responded, “You’ve rid the sheep of harm.”
“Do you have any other enemies?” Mi Niang stared at his blurred face, hoping that getting closer to him wouldn’t bring further suffering.
“My father.”
“Anyone else?”
“…No.” He wasn’t someone who stirred up trouble; he didn’t make enemies that easily.
“You should go back.” Mi Niang turned around and walked back. If she blamed Bahu, she certainly couldn’t blame him entirely. She had suffered from his actions, and Bahu had gained nothing from it. However, he was indeed the trigger. Moreover, their relationship was initiated by her, and the intricacies of the entanglement were too complicated to unravel.
“I’m here; you go back.” Mi Niang urged him again.
Bahu remained silent. He waited until everyone entered the felt tent before leaving. Halfway through, he realized the medicine bag was still in his hand. He went back, boiled medicine, cooked porridge, and finally cut a piece of dried beef, placing everything in a basket that he carried over.
“How do you feel about it? Do you still plan to be with Bahu?” Bahu heard this sentence as he approached the felt tent. He stood still, wanting to hear what Mi Niang would say.
“He didn’t succeed; instead, he lost his life and wealth. My reputation remains intact, and after the scare, I can get half of his wealth as compensation. Let’s leave it at that.” Because of Bahu, He wanted to harm her, but Bahu also saved her. The sheep horn awl was a gift from Bahu, and he was the one who found and brought her back. The situation was too confusing. However, she was certain that she and Bahu were not at fault; She was the one in the wrong. She couldn’t let his wrongdoing torment her and Bahu.
“That’s it; let’s not discuss it anymore. I don’t care about others praising me. We’ve been hiding in the felt tent, getting caught up in trivial details,” Mi Niang had had enough of being cautious about others’ opinions. This time, she would follow her feelings and act according to her thoughts.
“Cough, Mi Niang, come out. I’ve prepared porridge and medicine for you,” Bahu knocked on the door.
“I’m coming out.” Mi Niang blinked and adjusted her clothes before opening the door. Da Huang had already started eating; no wonder it had been quiet.
“First, have the porridge, and then take the medicine.” Bahu handed her the basket. He didn’t say much, just quietly sat beside her, listening to her slurp the porridge. When the bowl was empty, he passed her the medicine bowl.
“I’ll bring you the medicine again tomorrow morning.” The man asked for her opinion.
“Sure, and while you’re at it, go to the government office to exchange the half of his property he owes me for silver coins. I don’t want to use anything he has touched.”
“Alright.” Bahu smiled. “Go inside and rest. If someone bullies you, remember to tell me.”
He didn’t raise sheep; his property consisted of three felt tents, some tools, and the accumulated silver coins over the years. Bahu informed the county magistrate, and the felt tents and tools were handed over to the government. Mi Niang received nearly fifty taels of silver.
“I didn’t expect my financial situation to change in this way.” Money attracts attention, and in front of everyone, Mi Niang handed over forty taels to Bahu, asking him to help her buy cattle and sheep. The remaining few taels she planned to use to purchase clothing, bedding, and a few wooden barrels. When the caravan brought her the beehives, she would make beekeeping barrels.
“Mi Niang, what’s the relationship between you two?” Someone asked with a sarcastic tone.
“The relationship you see is what it is—unmarried man, unmarried woman. Everything is normal,” Mi Niang responded openly.
“You seem like a reserved girl. First, you get abducted by a man, and then you get intimate with another man. Were you really abducted by him?” An old woman’s eyes were full of disdain as if she were looking at someone indecent.
“Did a sheep kick your head, or did you eat dog feces this morning? Can’t you speak human language?” Bahu’s expression instantly turned cold, his eyes glaring like bull’s eyeballs. “If you want to know, go ask him in prison. Otherwise, you can accompany him lying in the soil and have a good chat with him.”
He finally understood where Mi Niang’s concerns came from. That nosy old woman his sister-in-law, didn’t say a word, yet an unrelated person like her ran over to plead for the unfortunate capon.
