“Seeing a doctor? What’s bothering you?”
Mi Niang extended her hand to the pulse point. “May I trouble you to check my pulse? From April until now, I’ve only had my menstrual cycle twice.”
“Why didn’t you come earlier after such a long time?” The doctor carefully listened to her pulse while asking if it was regular before April.
“It was regular. Since arriving at Xushui, it has been coming at the beginning of each month.” This was the reason Mi Niang came to see the doctor. Since her family was destroyed, she began her journey as a refugee, and her menstrual cycle stopped. After arriving in the northern desert, it only returned once, with less flow and a shorter duration. After nearly three months, it happened again.
After checking her pulse, the doctor examined her tongue coating and palm. He noticed Mi Niang’s rosy complexion and asked with a frown, “Didn’t you live in the northern desert since childhood?”
“I just arrived in early June this year, Doctor. But is there something wrong with my health?” Mi Niang felt a bit anxious.
With her explanation, the doctor understood her situation. A refugee who experienced hardships, no wonder she had symptoms of blood stasis.
“The issue is not major, mainly requiring careful nurturing. You experienced intense grief and anger, damaging your spleen, liver, stomach, and kidneys. After going through tough times, your body is depleted. After going back today, avoid consuming raw and cold food, and cut down on oily and greasy dishes, especially lamb. Try to eat less of it, and you can drink more butter tea.” The doctor pressed on Mi Niang’s arm, finding a noticeable indentation due to rapid weight gain.
“Do you usually feel stomach distension, especially after meals, as if there is gas blocked in the chest, but after half a day, the discomfort disappears, and you feel hungry and eat a lot, only to experience stomach distension again?”
“Doctor, you’re right. I can’t endure hunger. When I’m hungry, my stomach hurts.” Mi Niang was well aware that this problem arose from being famished during her journey to the northern desert.
“I’ll prescribe medicine for you that will last for half a month. Come back after two weeks,” the doctor handed the prescription to the man behind the young woman, “Go pay for the consultation and pick up the medicine.”
After glancing at Mi Niang, Bahu said, “If you need anything, call me.”
“He can still eat, so what? This is a legitimate clinic. No one will do anything to your wife while you’re away,” the doctor sneered.
“He didn’t mean that. The main concern is that it’s my first time in Xushui, and he’s afraid I might get lost,” Mi Niang explained dryly, pushing Bahu to go out and pick up the medicine.
Once Bahu left, Mi Niang asked in a hushed voice, “Doctor, could this illness affect my ability to conceive?”
“If you follow my advice, avoid cold food, consume less greasy food, stay warm, reduce stress and worry, take the prescribed medicine for a month or two, and pay attention to your diet, you should be fine,” the doctor replied. The dietary habits of people from the Central Plains and those from the Desert North are quite different, and the constant consumption of meat can be hard on the body. “I see your husband is in good condition. For now, follow your previous diet from the Central Plains and buy some rice, flour, and miscellaneous grains. Eat more vegetables.”
“Alright, I’ll follow your instructions,” Mi Niang agreed readily. She then thought of her friends like Mu Xiang and Pandi, who had been eating coarse grains supplied by the government. Although their meat intake was limited, their diet should not be a problem. However, the hardships of the journey might have taken a toll on their bodies, and she wondered if it would have any impact.
Bahu picked up the medicine and a large bundle of herbs, standing at the door and asking, “Anything else to inquire about? If not, I’ll go out for a stroll. I don’t like the way the doctor looks at me as soon as I enter.”
“No more questions,” Mi Niang followed Bahu out. Once they were outside the clinic, she grabbed her husband’s arm and asked, “How much is the medicine?”
“You don’t need to worry about the cost. I can afford any amount if it helps cure your illness,” Bahu freed up a hand to embrace Mi Niang, playfully tugging her ear, “If you feel uncomfortable in the future, don’t delay or endure it. We’ll seek treatment if you get sick.”
“I didn’t think much of it before. It didn’t seem like a big deal,” Mi Niang didn’t press on about the cost of the medicine. She knew from Bahu’s words that it probably wasn’t cheap.
“Wait for me outside for a moment. I’ll go in and ask about something,” Mi Niang turned back and went into the clinic. With a puzzled look from the doctor, she asked, “If I don’t buy the medicine, can I still consult you? You’ve probably figured out that I fled here, and many other girls came with me. Their financial situation is a bit tight…”
“That’s fine. But I charge a consultation fee for checking the pulse, five coins per person.”
“Thank you. I’ll bring them over another day.” Five coins were affordable for Pandi and the others.
However, when Mi Niang excitedly told them about it, only Pandi was at home at the time. She hesitated with a pale face.
“What’s wrong?” Mi Niang asked cautiously. Being a girl she understood the significance of anything related to childbirth. If she had money, she would certainly lend it, but her medical expenses were still covered by Bahu, and she couldn’t easily promise anything.
“Who else knows about this? What if the doctor lets it slip?” Pandi hesitated, then spoke again, “Gossip is fearful. I’m afraid that if we go to see the doctor, even if there’s nothing wrong, rumors might spread that we can’t have children. It’s not something we can easily clarify once such rumors start circulating. Even men who favor us would be intimidated by such talk.”
Mi Niang understood Pandi’s concerns. In a place like Dakang, if a girl went to the clinic for something related to her lower body, once the news leaked, all sorts of rumors could spread.
“And even if the doctor says we have some issues, we won’t be able to afford the medicine. So, is paying five coins to see a doctor worth the worry?” Pandi lowered her head, twisting her wrist. “Mi Niang, forget about telling Mu Xiang and Bai Mei. We’re not too old, and the chances of getting married in the next year or two are not that high. Maybe things will be fine with some care.”
Mi Niang was speechless. Pandi’s words convinced her. If it weren’t for marrying Bahu, she wouldn’t have gone to see a doctor even if she knew something was wrong with her body, mainly due to lack of money, and partly because of the fear of gossip.
“But I think we should still inform Mu Xiang Lan Niang and Bai Mei. They might have different opinions.” Especially Mu Xiang had good ideas, and her likes and dislikes were clear-cut. Such a person might not care much about other people’s opinions.
“Okay, when they come back, I’ll let them know.” Pandi saw Mi Niang off. Mi Niang’s eyes were bright and lively as if she had transformed since arriving in Mobei. Pandi’s eyes felt a bit sore, suppressing a bitter smile and speaking as casually as possible, “Mi Niang, live your life well. We’re not little girls anymore. Don’t just worry about us. I heard that you argued with someone this morning. What happened?”
“Nothing, just couldn’t stand someone tarnishing Bahu’s reputation.” Mi Niang got angry again when she recalled the morning incident. “Let’s not talk about it. The doctor told me to worry less, so I’ll try to get angry less.”
When Mi Niang returned home, Chaolu was also there. She greeted, ” Chaolu is here? By the way, I haven’t seen Mong En for several days. Where is he? Why are you two taking turns guarding the livestock day and night?”
“I sent him back. He only rented ten sheep from me back then, and after working for four years, he’s done enough. Besides, something happened in his family, so I let him go early.” In front of Chaolu, Bahu mentioned the number of sheep rented by Mong En as a comparison to the years, just to avoid any resentment from him.
“He’s a single guy, and he’s the only one in his family. What could happen to him?” Chaolu muttered.
“If a single guy wants to get married, that’s a big deal. Working as a servant here, which girl would be willing to marry him?” The medicinal herbs in the pot started to simmer. Bahu raised his hand, signaling Chaolu to leave when he had nothing to do, not wanting him to be a hindrance.
“Then, during our trip back to Guchuan, it will be just the two of us looking after the livestock? Won’t it be too busy?” With over a thousand head of livestock and not traveling alone, when mixed with the livestock from Lingshan, if one startles, and they all scatter, those on two legs can’t outrun those on four.
“I’ve already sent someone to inform Uncle Muren to arrange for two people to come over. You don’t need to worry about that.” Bahu impatiently looked up, coldly staring at Chaolu. When he finally shut his mouth and left, Bahu turned his attention to the person combing the dog’s fur.
“Do you have anything to say to me?”
“Yes.” Mi Niang immediately put down the comb, walked over with a lowered and obedient expression, and sat across from Bahu, expertly acknowledging her mistake. “I should have told you about my irregular menstruation and shouldn’t have kept my stomach discomfort a secret from you.”
“On the way back, you’ve said that at least five times.” Bahu interrupted her repetitive words, reminding her, “I meant the incident this morning.”
Oh, it was about her argument with someone in the morning. If he wanted to know, why not just ask directly? She feigned ignorance, not following his lead in the conversation. “There were many things this morning. What do you want to know? How much grain did the Youzhou convoy transport? What fruits and vegetables are available? Ask, and I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Bahu didn’t argue with her. “So, tell me about the incident where you argued with someone. Were you bullied, or was someone pressuring you to have a child? No wonder you suddenly came back and wanted to see the doctor.” If it weren’t for Chaolu mentioning it, he wouldn’t have known about this.
“It’s neither of those. Someone is spreading false rumors to sow discord between us.” Mi Niang reiterated the useful parts of the story, asking Bahu if he had conflicts with the people from Lingshan regarding cattle and sheep in recent years. Bahu’s parents lived in Xushui, so if people disapproved of Bahu beating his father, thinking he was unfilial, his reputation in Xushui would be worse. However, the actual situation was the opposite. Bahu, bearing a face that was quite similar to his father, walked the streets without anyone pointing fingers at him.
So, Mi Niang leaned more toward the idea that Bahu might have had conflicts with the herders from Lingshan.
Bahu fell into silence for a while. He genuinely didn’t expect that the reason for the people from Lingshan avoiding him and hating him was due to these false accusations.
“I rarely interact with them, let alone have arguments or fights. If it’s related to cattle and sheep, that might be possible.” Five years ago, Lingshan was designated as a pastoral area. Different from other people who were allocated by the imperial officials, Bahu, who had just been kicked out by his father, took the initiative to bring his old servant and cattle to Lingshan. At that time, his mother had already given him cattle and horses, and after arriving in Lingshan, they gave birth to a group of offspring. There were more lambs than adults. He and Uncle Muren were too busy and could only manage to rent out a large portion of them once the animals were weaned. Unfortunately, in that same year, there was an unusually heavy snowfall in winter, which froze many cattle and sheep to death. In the following spring, disease spread among the sheep, causing more deaths. Many servants, including Chaolu and Uncle Muren, sold themselves into his service that year.
With more servants, many household chores, such as cleaning manure and preparing pasture in advance for autumn, did not require Bahu’s attention. He had the energy to investigate the causes of the cattle and sheep deaths. He found that those who died were mostly ewes that bred too early or ewes that were too rushed to give birth, along with their offspring. The older Rams hardly died at all. As a result, he concluded that the ewes’ bodies did not recover well, and the newborns were weak.
Afterward, he specifically chose eighteen lambkins to raise separately, and it took a year and a half before he allowed them to mate. The lambs born from this group gained weight faster than the others and were more energetic. After that, he changed his approach, raising sheep that were over a year old before allowing them to reproduce.
“With so many servants, my methods couldn’t be kept secret. After that news spread, many people tended to prefer renting cattle and sheep from me. In the last two years, the lambkins and calves from our family are all booked before they are even born.” Some things couldn’t withstand scrutiny. Bahu recalled that when he initially arrived in Lingshan with his old servant, many people heard that his father had kicked him out, and some even sympathized, thinking his old man was ruthless. But he didn’t know when things changed, and people in Lingshan started to curse him as cunning and accuse him of being unfilial.
Even though he rarely interacted with people, spending most of his time tending to cattle and sheep, and any free time was spent learning various skills from the servants, such as felting, coopering, and needlework. Why did they say he had a strange temper and was cunning?
“Before we came to the Mobei, some people said the people in the Mobei are simple and honest. I see that wherever there are people, there are disputes. These people in Lingshan are cunning. They see that your father dislikes you, your mother relies on you for protection, and there’s no elder to make decisions for you, so they gang up to marginalize you. They know their intentions can’t stand in the open, so they act behind your back. If you can’t bear the slander because of gossip, and go mad or die, it has nothing to do with them. Afterward, they will just talk about you being weak and not acting like a man.” Mi Niang was resentful, thinking about the doctor’s advice. She patted her chest to remind herself not to get angry; getting angry would render the medicine useless, and the money would be wasted.
“In your situation, it’s not uncommon in Dakang. People in Dakang judge others based on clans and surnames. Men without sons are cursed as ‘extinct family lines,’ considered a sign of decline. Anyone can step on them, and even if they’re too poor to eat, people will spit on them when they meet. They’re also ostracized and insulted. If a man dies, others will take over his wife, children, house, and land. Fortunately, you were kicked out of the house, and no one came to bother you. Even if they don’t like your way of raising cattle and sheep, no one is sabotaging your livestock.”
“With the County Magistrate present, he is my master. Since I came to Lingshan, he has taken care of me a lot. Even if some people have opinions, they dare not come to me directly.” Bahu’s expression was somewhat stiff. He had been accused of being unfilial for so many years, and it turns out it was all fabricated. In reality, there might not be many who thought he had a problem with his father for defending his mother. However, he carried a heavy burden. In the past, when his mother was beaten, he felt anger and hatred towards his father. But in the past year, he had become almost numb. Sometimes, with too many accusations, he even had a fleeting thought of satisfaction upon hearing news of his mother being beaten, wondering if she regretted it if she wanted to leave the man who had beaten her for over a decade. The feelings of resentment gradually shifted towards his mother, but after regaining clarity, he felt self-loathing, thinking that he truly lived up to being his father’s offspring.
A bad seed.
