Zao A’nai went around asking and came back, saying, “The herders here let their livestock graze on the pasture, but they arrange for people to sleep outside with dogs to guard them at night. That won’t work for us, so let’s drive the sheep into the felt bag, clean it diligently during the day, and ensure good ventilation.”
“Anyway, the felt bag is big; half of it can be for the sheep, and we can squeeze in,” Wan’er, who had never raised sheep before and found it intriguing, had no objections to living with the sheep. She, with elders to rely on, had no issues, and the other lone and helpless ones had no confidence to complain about the smell of sheep. They all nodded in agreement.
Mi Niang remained silent, following behind Zhao’s grandmother, herding the lambs back.
“Make a clear mark on your own sheep, something noticeable, so you don’t mix them up with others,” Zhao’s grandmother advised. Being older and having experienced much, she had many thoughts. As newcomers to someone else’s territory, these few people, old and young, and all women, could only endure if others stirred up trouble. So, it was necessary to be more reserved and cause as few problems as possible.
Mi Niang understood the reason she said this. She peeled off four thin ropes from the dog leash and tied them to the sheep’s horns. When she went to graze the sheep, she also pulled two handfuls of grass and rubbed them to extract grass juice, which she applied to the lamb’s forehead. Wan’er and Bai Mai followed suit, using grass juice and wildflowers to create green, yellow, and red colors on the lambs.
The refugees lived on the west side of the river, and the felt tents of the local herders were on the east side. Although no one explicitly stated it, invisibly, a river separated the lives of the people on both sides. Lambs nibbled on the grass in the meadow, and the people who came from Dakang identified edible wild vegetables in the grass. Seeing someone across the river picking dried cow dung, they also collected it when they saw it.
Approaching noon, smoke rose from the felt tents on the other side of the river. In the wind blowing over, tempting oil and meat fragrances wafted by. Mi Niang tightened the dog leash, and even Da Huang’s drool dripped from the corners of his mouth. She couldn’t help but feel her mouth watering too.
“I wonder if there’s any meat in today’s lunch.” Bai Mei stared across the river blankly. She was young and spoke whatever came to her mind. “Back home, we only had meat during the New Year. People in the Northern Wasteland seem to eat meat every meal. They even stewed meat last night, living like landlords.”
“When we raise our sheep, maybe we can eat meat every meal like them,” Wan’er said, chin in hand, gazing across the river to smell the meat fragrance.
“Life in the Northern Wasteland is still better,” Bai Mei expressed her satisfaction with the current life, even before tasting the meat.
“The food is here!” Someone shouted, and those who heard quickly ran back. They didn’t even care about the startled sheep.
After over a month of fleeing, the habit of grabbing food was not something easily changed.
“There’s meat!”
“Yeah, there’s meat. Don’t push, line up properly; there’s plenty of food.” The woman serving the food skillfully gave each person two scoops of rice and a scoop of vegetables. “This afternoon, someone will come to deliver grains and vegetables. Starting tonight, you’ll have to cook your own meals.”
Before the afternoon arrived, people from across the river came with ox carts, accompanied by escorting officials.
“Everything seems to be going well. When we go back, we’ll mention it to more people. But if you want more help, send someone to wait on the road leading to Lu County from Yanshan.” The escort official stood aside, watching as the herders received their rations. The refugees were all smiles, quite different from their miserable state during the journey. He added, “We people from Dakang like land. Once we have savings, we immediately buy land. As soon as people in Lu County mention distributing land, seventy percent of them will rush over there.”
“Alright, I’ll send a team of people to go with you,” the county magistrate said. Those who had survived earthquakes and floods were mostly in their prime years, capable of both work and reproduction. Whether in Lu County or the Northern Wasteland grasslands, with vast land and sparse population, no matter how many of these people came, it wouldn’t be enough. Seeing off the escort official, the county magistrate listened to the lively conversation on the west side of the river and then turned back to the county office. He had moved to the Northern Wasteland with his family ten years ago, a poor student during the time of Dakang. After arriving in the Tatars, he initially spent two years teaching at a private school before being promoted to the local county office’s accounting position. This time, he opportunistically ascended to the position of county magistrate.
“Calling it a county office is just adopting the title from the Dakang government. The Tatars don’t have defined counties or jurisdictions. Each Türi and Juqan has its own pasture for grazing. To facilitate the management, they established something called a county office,” said the village head’s wife, a plump and affable woman, smiling. “Although there aren’t many people living near the mountain, and it might not seem as bustling as the townships in Dakang, that’s because this place is too far from the capital. It was designated as a pasture just a few years ago. If you travel west from here, all the way is pastures, and it gets livelier the farther west you go.”
“With us here, it will be lively in the future,” someone chimed in with a jest.
“That’s right,” the village head’s wife glanced at the children in the crowd and continued, “In the Northern Wasteland, there are no strict rules for studying and literacy. As long as you can ride a horse and catch up, you can go to a private school.”
“No strict rules?” A man in the crowd stood up with excitement. His son was still young, just the right age for studying. He eagerly asked, “Do we have a private school in Lingshan too?”
Look at that, immediately it became “our Lingshan.” Honey, hearing Wan’er laugh beside her, couldn’t help but curl the corners of her mouth.
“At Xushui, not far from here, it takes about half an hour by horse. The children of Lingshan herders also ride horses to private schools every morning, return in the afternoon, and have lunch at the school. They can bring lunch from home or buy it from the stalls outside the school,” the village head’s wife achieved her purpose. The most enticing factors for people were a stable place to settle and the future prospects for their descendants. With these two considerations in mind, even those attached to the past wouldn’t easily leave the Northern Wasteland, let alone stir up trouble.
“Even young ladies can go to learn characters, study abacus, and identify medicinal herbs,” the headwoman said. “Don’t be in a hurry. In two or three years, when you have some extra money, you can rent a horse from the herders and go to a private school once you learn to ride.”
Mi Niang couldn’t help but be moved by this. Can young girls also attend a private school? She learned to recognize a few characters from her younger brother.
“All right, from now on, if you have any issues, come find me or my husband. The county magistrate is busy with official duties; let’s not bother him with trivial matters,” the headwoman brushed off the grass crumbs from her pants and continued, “Accommodations and meals are all arranged. The future, whether good or bad, depends on you. All of you came from Dakang, be kind, and live a good life.”
“I’ll walk you back; there are a few things I’d like to ask,” a middle-aged man followed.
“The person in charge here is settled now,” Zhao’s grandmother glanced at the compliant man and then looked at Mi Niang, saying, “After surviving a great disaster, there will be good fortune ahead. Cheer up, and better days are coming.”
…
In the evening, with the sun setting behind the western hills, the herders put in a lot of effort to gather the sheep and count their numbers. The sudden sound of hooves startled the lambs, and Mi Niang, holding onto Da Huang stayed in place watching the lambs. Wan’er and the other five people ran to help the herders catch the scattered lambs.
“Second brother!” A chestnut-colored horse rushed by, and Mi Niang quickly glanced. Her sheep were also scared away, so she hurried to catch them.
“Third Dan has come, Bahu is going to fight with his father again.” The young lad with the whip, who was herding the sheep, was somewhat annoyed but had no choice. Third Dan’s father was a tribal leader, and she always acted domineeringly. She never cared whether her actions would cause trouble for others.
“A son fighting his father?” Wan’er was surprised, and Mi Niang also looked over.
“Yeah, you’ll know after spending more time here,” the young man smiled without explaining further. “Bahu is the most distinctive character in our Lingshan.”
But this time, Bahu didn’t follow Third Dan as usual. He stood by the river and said, “I’ll send someone to take you back, or do you want to stay overnight here?”
“You’re not going back? Dad got drunk again last night and hit Mom.” Third Dan repeated, afraid her second brother didn’t hear clearly.
“What difference does it make if I go back? Have a fight with him, and let Mom be the good one in front of him?” Bahu scooped up a sheepskin soaking in the river water and said casually, “I’ve said it before, if she wants to stay with me, I’ll support her. But she insists on living with him, and I’m not in a hurry to play the bad guy.”
“If you go back and have a fight with Dad, he’ll behave for a long time.” Third Dan wanted to persuade him again. Her mom got beaten up, and she couldn’t bear to see it. If she intervened, she would also get beaten up. When her dad sobered up, he would cry and apologize. She had no way to deal with these two people, so she could only let her second brother go, have a real fight, make her dad feel pain, and remember it for a while, and the family would be peaceful for a period of time.
“Where’s your third brother?” Bahu walked back, carrying a basket, and asked.
“Don’t know where he went, hasn’t come back in six or seven days.” Third Dan, leading her horse, followed behind Bahu and asked, “Can you promise, are you really not going back?”
“Not going back.” Bahu lived downstream by the river, and the nearest neighbor was about seven or eight yards away. He lived on the outskirts of the settlement with more than ten servants.
“I just sun-dried the bedding in your room. Stay here for the night, and tomorrow you can go directly to the private school.” Bahu used both hands to wring out the water from the sheepskin, hung it on the rope, and then went into the felt tent where he cooked. He didn’t care whether his sister stayed or left.
After much consideration, Third Dan decided to stay. She didn’t sleep much last night, and she kept dozing off while studying during the day. Tonight, she would have a good night’s sleep, and tomorrow she could go back and have a good talk with her dad.
That night, Mi Niang was awakened by a sobbing sound. She opened her eyes but didn’t move. In the felt tent, there were twenty-eight little lambs squeezed in, and eight people almost sleeping side by side. She listened, and it seemed like the girl to the right of Bai Mei was the one crying.
Outside the felt tent, the wind was howling, and inside, there was the heavy breathing of the sheep. Once awake, it was difficult to fall back asleep. Mi Niang turned over.
“What are you doing?” Someone walked to the door, and Mi Naing suddenly spoke.
“I want to go outside for some fresh air. Can you come with me?” The girl by the door spoke softly, her voice still carrying a hint of crying.
Mi Niang hesitated for a moment, then stood up, wrapped in her clothes, and followed her outside. Da Huang stood at the doorway wagging its tail.
“Just sit at the doorstep, don’t go too far.” Mi Naing wasn’t afraid of encountering wolves, but she worried that if the girl got carried away by a wolf, it would be troublesome for people to go out looking for her and rescue her.
The two sat side by side at the door, looking at the grassland under the night sky. Da Huang lay next to Mi Niang, ears alert.
“Mi Niang, do you miss your parents? I miss my dad and mom. I have two older brothers, and I’m the youngest in the family. When the flood came, our whole family was washed away. I was lucky to be hung on a broken branch and survived, but I watched the flood pass over their heads and never saw them again.”Mi Niang asked with red eyes, turning her head. During the day, everyone was laughing, happy to have food and shelter, happy to have sheep, but she felt very lonely. She tried to fit in, but at night, she would cry herself to sleep and wake up crying.
“With time, you’ll probably start to forget.” She seemed to have trouble remembering her parents’ faces, but every moment she thought of them.
Mi Niang was about to say something when suddenly, Da Huang stood up abruptly, and in the distance, there was the sound of dogs barking.
“Get inside.” Mi Naing pulled Da Huang and walked into the felt tent. Its skeletal appearance wasn’t enough to withstand a wolf’s bite.
