On this day, Mi Niang hadn’t eaten anything for both meals, and Bahu was in a similar situation. He had eaten something hastily in the morning and hurried back. Now that they had relaxed, their stomachs began to growl.
“We have fried rice at home, and there’s also butter. Let’s cook a pot of strong tea and make a half-bucket of butter tea to soak the fried rice first.” Mi Niang got up and walked towards the kitchen. “Tonight, let’s invite Mu Xiang, Pandi, and Chaolu over for dinner. Thanks to them today, or I would have been so worried.”
“Alright, I’ll go slaughter a sheep in a bit.” Bahu followed behind Mi Niang. While waiting for the water to boil, he went to a nearby felt bag and took out a piece of dried beef. He cut it, throwing a piece to Da Huang, and the rest he sliced into thin strips. “Try it. See if you can handle it,” he said, stuffing a thumb-thick strip into his mouth and chewing laboriously.
Mi Niang chose a thin strip. Initially, it had a bit of gaminess, but it wasn’t the raw meat kind of gaminess and bloodiness. After chewing, it started to taste sweet, a pure fragrance that cooked meat lacked, growing more delicious with each chew.
“Can you handle it?” Bahu asked as he saw her struggling to chew. He used the back of the knife to break the beef strips apart before handing them to her.
“It’s quite tasty. The meat is firm, not tough or greasy.”
“We still have plenty stored at home. When we slaughter a cow in winter, there will be more. If you want to eat, just go and cut some. Don’t be frugal.” The water boiled, and Bahu broke a brick of tea into it. After two breaths, he poured it into a milk bucket, using a wooden mallet to pound the butter, blending it with the strong tea. The fragrance immediately filled the air.
“Um, after you caught up with Mandu Ratu, what did he say? Why did he steal your cattle and sheep? Was it a sudden impulse, or was it planned in advance?” Mi Niang asked as she held her bowl.
“He didn’t say anything, not a word. I initially wanted to bring him back, but there were people in the caravan that Yinshi knew, and we were outnumbered. After Mong’en drove the cattle and sheep away, I beat him up, and searched him, and Yinshi voluntarily gave me two gold bracelets. That’s when I came back.”
“It seems they had a purpose for this trip. No wonder he managed to drug Mushen and Mong’en the night before the caravan passed. I was wondering how it could be so coincidental.” Bahu decided to visit Xia Ranch impulsively when he heard the camel bells. He was faster than the caravan, and by the time he arrived, Mandu Ratu and Yinshi had already left with the cattle and sheep.
“Perhaps these two initially came for your father’s cattle and sheep but didn’t expect your father to rise and lock them up suddenly.” The more Mi Niang thought about it, the more this possibility seemed likely. Suddenly, another idea struck her, “Is Yinshi really pregnant? If it’s a pretense, they couldn’t succeed in plotting against your father and changing their target midway.”
Bahu looked at Mi Niang in astonishment, putting aside the butter tea. Frowning, he asked, “Do you think she looks pregnant?”
“I’m not sure. I’d only dare to confirm it if her belly starts to bulge.” Mi Niang pondered. When Yinshi moved in with them, she didn’t show any strange reactions. Drinking milk and eating meat didn’t make her nauseous, and the smell of sheep didn’t affect her appetite.
“One night, we had an argument because of the cow’s milk. It was already pitch dark, and she walked towards a dark area. If she were pregnant, she probably wouldn’t dare to do that. I was afraid of tripping and falling.” Mi Niang tapped the tabletop. “If it’s a false pregnancy, it’s quite scary to think about. You treat them sincerely, but they’ve already targeted you and are planning to deceive you.”
“Mandu Ratu said that the Yin family runs a tavern and brews alcohol, so they shouldn’t be short of money. It doesn’t make sense for a couple to come to the Desert North to steal. If the Yin family is penniless, he wouldn’t have married into it.” Bahu couldn’t understand. When he questioned Mandu Ratu, the latter didn’t say a word and nearly dislocated his jaw when he almost punched him. Yinshi was fidgety and claimed that Mandu Ratu was momentarily confused.
“In Dakang, son-in-laws who marry into a family have no status. The elders of the woman’s family want the son-in-law to support the family, but they also guard against him. If your elder brother wants a say in the Yin family, it’s not difficult to ensure that he’ll use his father, mother, and siblings to give him face.” Mi Niang had seen few cases of sons-in-law marrying into a family, but she had heard a lot about it. Most were pretending to be submissive and obedient with hidden ambitions. Once the father-in-law died, they immediately revealed a sinister and ruthless side, killing their wives, abandoning their children, and seizing the family fortune.
“That old man accidentally hit the mark. Mandu Ratu came back to take his share of the family business.” The more he heard, the more disheartened Bahu felt. He hung his head, “It’s my lack of memory, and I deserve it. I won’t do these thankless tasks in the future.”
Mi Niang didn’t say anything. Her fondness for him stemmed from his kind but misguided heart. Seeing Da Huang in poor condition, he fed it without expecting anything in return. Seeing her in a pitiful state, he hired her for work, and even the sheep she had was a result of his well-intentioned actions.
“Let’s not talk about him anymore. Anyway, he won’t have the face to come back in the future.” Seeing Bahu’s darkened eyes, Mi Niang urged him to go and get some rest.
“I won’t sleep. I’ll go herd a sheep back. We’ll roast two lamb legs in the evening, stew a pot of lamb ribs, and make some stuffed lamb belly. How about that?” The man rubbed his face, scooped water with a ladle, and washed his face, instantly becoming much more awake. At this time, letting him sleep would be futile; he’d rather find something to do.
“Okay, I’ll take Da Huang to dig some basket greens. I’ll also inform Mu Xiang and the others to come for dinner tonight.” Mi Niang willingly made space for him to digest his emotions. His father detested him, his mother was too weak to protect him, and the only elder brother who dared to venture alone and later traveled to Dakang – for Bahu, who had been expelled from home at the age of fourteen to live independently – this elder brother who roamed far and wide was likely the figure he admired and imitated.
However, his elder brother returned after several years and stabbed him in the back.
Mi Niang spent an hour outside. When she returned with Da Huang, Bahu had already slaughtered the sheep. The marinated lamb legs had just been placed on the grill, and he was busy preparing a stuffed lamb belly.
“Welcome back. Come and help.” Bahu’s emotions had stabilized, and he was now interested in Mi Niang’s hometown cooking preferences.
“My family is in Lingshan, with many mountains and tea trees. We often eat meat in clear soup, seldom using Sichuan peppercorns or star anise. Instead, we use green tea leaves to refresh and remove the gamey smell.” Mi Niang shared her experience of buying honeycomb, “Next year, when the bees make honey, I’ll make you some tea snacks from our region. My cooking skills are not bad either.”
“Okay, I’ll be waiting. Tonight, you can taste my cooking first.” The pot boiling with lamb ribs, Bahu lifted the lid and poured the stuffed lamb belly into it. He covered the pot and continued to cook. The aroma of the lamb legs on the grill had already wafted out. The man took a knife, made a few cuts along the thick part of the meat, and brushed it with a mixture of crushed Sichuan peppercorns and grated ginger-infused lamb fat. The lamb dripped into the fire, releasing a rich fragrance along with the sparks.
Mi Niang swallowed saliva and silently took two steps back. She thought to herself whether anyone would eat the green vegetables she had dug up tonight. After all, smelling the aroma of roasted lamb legs, the idea of eating vegetables didn’t cross her mind.
“Do you want to eat?” Bahu stifled a laugh. “Go to the storeroom and find a basket covered with burlap. Inside, there’s butter. Take a piece out.” He entered the kitchen, holding a metal plate in one hand and a bowl of lamb in the other. The metal plate was placed on the grill, and the lamb was sliced thinly. When Mi Niang brought out the butter, the metal plate was already sizzling hot.
“A sizzling sound,” the butter melted on the iron plate, and the fragrant aroma of butter mixed with the milk wafted out. Mi Niang watched as Bahu spread the lamb slices on the iron plate and asked while sitting beside him, “What kind of oil is this? Can it be used for cooking too?”
“It’s made from milk. You find lamb fat greasy, right? Lamb cooked with butter isn’t greasy. Here, try it.” Bahu sprinkled a thin layer of salt on the lamb and handed it to her with chopsticks.
Feed her a piece? Mi Niang raised an eyelid, glanced at him, lowered her eyes, opened her mouth, and took the fragrant piece of meat, “Delicious.” She praised it before even chewing.
Seeing Mi Niang’s lips shining with oil, Bahu also swallowed saliva. Coming back to his senses, he blushed, handed her the chopsticks, and said, “Like this, you can grill and eat it yourself. I’ll check on the fire in the pot.”
Feeding his wife meat made it seem like an illicit affair. Mi Niang muttered, took the chopsticks, sat in his place, flipped the meat, took a bite, and then fed Da Huang a piece.
“Try the one I grilled; is it as delicious as the one you grilled?” Mi Niang took two sizzling pieces of lamb to Bahu’s side, extended the chopsticks to his mouth, and offered to feed him.
The man only glanced at it, then lowered his head to lift the pot lid and stir the meat soup. “I’m not hungry. You eat it yourself.”
Who cares if you’re hungry or not, dummy? “I want you to taste it. Hurry up and open your mouth; the meat will cool down, and the taste will change.”
Bahu felt a bit itchy inside but had a forced reluctance on his face. He leaned over, bit into it, carefully chewed, swallowed, and said, “It’s a bit bland.”
“Then I’ll sprinkle more salt. Want to try it again?”
“Sure, I don’t like it burnt,” he added his preferences.
“A bit salty.”
“There’s too much oil, covering up the lamb flavor.”
“It got a bit dry from grilling for too long.”
Mi Niang looked at him with a squinted smile, took a bite of the meat herself, and directly pressed the other half against his lips. “Don’t you think the meat I fed you is tastier?”
Bahu didn’t say anything and silently took the meat from the corner of his mouth into his mouth. In fact, he couldn’t taste any difference in these pieces of meat; they were just fragrant.
“Pretending to be serious.” Mi Niang glared at him. As expected, a faint blush appeared behind the man’s ears.
“Is the meal ready? I’ll lend a hand and help.” Chaolu shouted, and Mi Niang immediately stepped back from Bahu. ” Chaolu, why did you come alone? Where’s Auntie? Why didn’t you bring her?”
“There’s plenty of leftovers from lunch at home, she’s eating at home.” Chaolu noticed there were only two people inside when he came in. “Did I come too early? They haven’t arrived yet?”
“They should be coming soon. The meal is ready. You can go back and bring Auntie. We’ve prepared a lot of food tonight, and it won’t be enough for her if she misses it.” Mi Niang put down the chopsticks. “I’ll go call them, and check if Mu Xiang and the others are back.”
“If she doesn’t come, don’t bother calling her,” Chaolu stopped Mi Niang. As a servant of Bahu’s family, it was only right for him to do chores and errands. The host graciously invited him for a meal, and he couldn’t be tactless by bringing the whole family along.
“If there are more people, she feels uncomfortable. Even if she comes, she won’t eat enough at home. Don’t call her.” As Chaolu spoke, there were voices outside, and he hurried out, joking, “Just arrived? I’ve already had a round.”
“As long as there are leftovers, we don’t mind.” Three men arrived together, and they also noticed Chaolu coming over and walking in this direction.
As the four men just entered, Mu Xiang, Pandi, and Lan Niang also came over. They were initially a bit reserved and spoke less when they first arrived, but once the lamb was served, they loosened up. The roasted lamb leg was crispy and fragrant, with tender and juicy meat. The lamb belly-wrapped meat was especially aromatic. Taking a bite of the lamb belly, the meat juice splashed out through the teeth. The meat inside the lamb belly was tender and succulent, with a perfect mix of lean and fat. It only took a couple of chews before it slid down the throat. The lamb ribs dipped in garlic chive sauce had a spicy flavor that whetted the appetite. The meat on the lamb ribs came off effortlessly, not getting stuck in the teeth.
After eating half of the meal, their stomachs were half-full, and they finally freed their mouths to speak. Pandi, after hearing from Mi Niang that she might be leaving the day after tomorrow, couldn’t help but speak up, “Mi Niang, your three sheep are still with us.”
“What sheep?” Bahu asked.
“Breeding rams. It’s strange. They are all about the same size, raised together. My four sheep look no different from usual.” Mi Niang turned to Pandi and said, “Leave the sheep with you for now, and later, when we’re done using them, give them to Chaolu.”
“Some sheep go into heat early, and some go into heat late. It’s all normal.” Bahu, seeing that Mi Niang liked the lamb belly, asked, “Which one do you like? I’ll get it for you.” He spoke and gave her another piece.
The meal was halfway through, and their stomachs were only half full when they finally spoke. Pandi, after hearing from Mi Niang that she might be leaving the day after tomorrow, couldn’t help but speak up, “Mi Niang, your three sheep are still with us.”
“What sheep?” Bahu asked.
“Breeding rams. It’s strange. They are all about the same size, raised together. My four sheep look no different from usual.” Mi Niang turned to Pandi and said, “Leave the sheep with you for now, and later, when we’re done using them, give them to Chaolu.”
“Some sheep go into heat early, and some go into heat late. It’s all normal.” Bahu, seeing that Mi Niang liked the lamb belly, asked, “Which one do you like? I’ll get it for you.” He spoke and gave her another piece.
“Are you sure they will have difficulty giving birth? I haven’t heard anyone else mention it.” Pandi was surprised. If possible, she would want the ewes to have more lambs. By next spring, she could also have around ten sheep, and in two years, there could be thirty or forty.
“This is my experience in raising sheep. I mentioned it because of your good relationship with Mi Niang. As for what to do, it’s up to you to decide. In my flock, I let the ewes mate only when the lambs are one and a half years old. The ewes are in good health, and the lambs they give birth to are strong, with very few losses.” Bahu spoke up to this point and thought of the sheep that Mi Niang had raised but died of illness. It had a distended belly for a month or two and eventually died. It didn’t grow well in its mother’s womb.
Pandi glanced at Mi Niang, hesitated for a moment, and didn’t say anything. Before leaving after finishing the meal, she asked again, “If taken care of well, most ewes should be able to give birth smoothly, right?”
Bahu understood her meaning, nodded without saying anything, and left it to her whether to listen or not, out of respect for Mi Niang.
As everyone dispersed, while cleaning up the dishes, Bahu said, “Tomorrow, we’ll drive the flock to the Xia Ranch. Mandu Ratu scattered the cattle and sheep, and I need to separate them as soon as possible.”
“Okay, I’ve packed everything. We’ll leave after breakfast tomorrow.”
That night, Mi Niang was somewhat worried that Bahu would bother her again, but he lay on the bed and consciously kept his distance.
“Don’t look at me. I’m tired.” He hadn’t closed his eyes much in the past two days and had no energy to delve into anything.
No, what does that mean? It’s not like she’s interested in that stuff.
