Entering the front and rear courtyards, due to the warmth of the lo kang, the rooms in the front courtyard were used for cooking and sleeping. The storage rooms were all in the small courtyard at the back. After Bahu brought back the grain from Guchuan with the help of servants, the two rooms were now piled full.
“Is anyone at home? We are from the yamen.”
“Yes.” Hearing the voice, Mi Niang, who was opening the window in the meat-drying room, replied. The four butchered cattle were cut into large pieces, tied with ropes, and hung on the drying rack. This was to prepare air-dried beef for the summer.
Seeing that it was a woman who came out, the man with a beard asked, “Is this Bahu’s house?”
“Yes, are you looking for him? He took the servants into the mountains to cut trees and isn’t at home.”
“It’s fine as long as there’s someone who can make decisions. Whether he’s at home or not doesn’t matter.” It seemed that there was only one woman at home, and the yamen officials didn’t ask to go in. The three of them stood in the doorway and talked. “Here’s the situation: Magistrate Hu sent us down to collect thirty pounds of meat from each household. Because the refugees who migrated north lack meat for the winter, we locals are also donating some grain and meat to ensure they won’t go hungry this winter.”
“Okay, please wait a moment. I’ll go inside to cut the meat.” Mi Niang didn’t hesitate. At this time, she didn’t care much about the meat. She quickly cut a substantial portion of boneless beef.
The yamen official could tell it was more than thirty pounds at a glance. He looked at Mi Niang and said, “It’s more than thirty pounds, isn’t it?”
“I’m also from Dakang, who migrated north. After arriving in the desert, the magistrate Hu provided us with four sheep to graze, and he also arranged a place for us to stay. Magistrate Hu spent a lot of effort to ensure we could survive. Now that my life is better, it’s time to help our fellow villagers who have also experienced difficulties.” Mi Niang placed the beef on the cart. “We caused you a lot of trouble when we came to the desert. Thank you for taking care of us.”
The two yamen officials were taken aback for a moment, and then they smiled at each other. “Little sister-in-law, you’re too polite. This is something we should do.” Some people’s words were truly pleasant to hear.
After the yamen officials left, Mi Niang remembered Zhao A’nai, who was working at Magistrate Hu’s house. She packed a bag of dried fruits, took six hawthorns and six apples, and placed them in a basket before heading west.
When everyone lived near the mountains, they stayed in felt tents, and there was no need for formalities. However, upon returning to Guchuan, they now lived in brick-and-tile houses. Magistrate Hu’s house had gatekeepers, and if you wanted to find someone, you had to announce your visit in advance.
“Mistress, I knew it was you.” Wan’er, wearing a light pink cotton jacket and carrying a goose-yellow skirt, ran out. “I was thinking of visiting your home these days. I heard that your house is the first one to the east?”
Mi Niang grabbed Wan’er’s hand and praised her, “Your outfit is beautiful. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen people from the Central Plains wear such clothes.” In the desert, both men and women wore robes, and when it got cold, they would put on sheepskin coats or thick cloaks.
“I accompany Miss Hu with sewing and needlework, and she rewards me for it.” Wan’er felt a bit embarrassed and pulled Mi Niang to a sheltered corner. “I live in the servants’ quarters of the Hu’s family. It’s not convenient to invite you in according to the strict rules of the Hu family.”
“No problem. You can come to my house to play in the future. Your information is correct—we are the first house to the east.” Mi Niang thought that Wan’er might not be able to stay outside for long. She handed the basket hanging from her arm to Wan’er. “A few days ago, Bahu and I went to Guchuan and bought some dried fruits. I brought them to give to Zhao A’nai for her leisure time.”
“Don’t…”
“Don’t push me around. I’m just showing filial piety to Granny Zhao; you’re just an errand girl delivering things,” Mi Niang said, jokingly.
“Then I won’t be polite with you either.” Wan’er, slightly influenced by Mi Niang’s laughter, blinked her eyes. She worked at the Hu family residence, taking care of eight sheep in addition to her duties. It was challenging to find time to talk to Mi Niang. Noticing Mi Niang’s changes each time she visited, Wan’er found her more lively, and her words were playful.
In the evening, Wan’er returned to the servants’ quarters with Zhao A’nai. The not-so-large room was filled with the fragrance of fruits. Zhao A’nai, having spent a long time with Miss Hu, knew that mountain apples were expensive in the North. Though the fruits Mi Niang brought were not as good as those Miss Hu ate, the pleasant aroma indicated their quality.
“The girl Mi Niang has turned her luck around. She married a good man,” Zhao A’nai said with a tone of gratitude, but her face remained serious.
Wan’er didn’t pay attention to her mistress’s expression, picked a pine nut and tossed it into her mouth, then rolled it onto the warm kang. “Comparing Mi Naing now to before, it’s clear she’s living well after marriage.”
Zhao A’nai remained silent, pondering for a while, before saying, “Wan’er, you should move out of the Hu residence. Go live with Pandi and the others.” Although Wan’er wasn’t an official servant of the Hu residence, she spent most of her time in the Hu residence’s back courtyard, accompanying Miss Hu with needlework, reading, and running errands in the kitchen. Most likely, the servants in the Hu residence didn’t remember whether she was officially a servant or not, and even if they did, they probably didn’t care, as she did the work of a servant.
“You are in the prime of your youth, staying in the Hu residence every day, not getting to know people outside. I don’t want you to end up marrying a servant. Move out and live with girls of your age. Laugh, chat, and when you get married, you’ll have someone to talk to outside,” Zhao A’nai said.
After a moment of silence, Wan’er nodded and said, “I’ll listen to Aunt’s advice.” She also wanted to be like Mi Niang, deciding for herself whom to meet and whom to give things to, rather than having to speak in the favor of Miss Hu all the time.
“Tomorrow, when Aunt sees County Chief Hu, tell him, ask him to arrange for you to stay in the same house as Pandi and the others.” As she spoke, Zhao A’nai sighed and advised, “Pandi and the others have been living together for almost half a year. Regardless of whether they have had disagreements, they must have formed a bond. After you move, go along with them and be modest, don’t think that just because I’m close to Miss Hu, you can pick and choose what you want to do and act like a leader.”
“Aunt, what kind of person do you think I am?” Wan’er grumbled, not satisfied. She turned over, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. It seemed like she had knocked on the door to a temple, spent so much effort to open it, and then realized she might have come to the wrong place.
Madam Hu practiced Buddhism and was a vegetarian. She ate a vegetarian meal before dining with County Chief Hu. While he ate, she sat beside him and chatted.
“We collected more meat than we estimated. What happened?” Madam Hu asked.
“Bahu’s wife set a good example. She was the first to hand in meat. She gave over fifty pounds of boneless beef. The constables adjusted the pretext a bit, and when other families saw that Bahu’s family gave more than thirty pounds, they also gave a good amount,” County Chief Hu repeated what Mi Niang had said to Madam Hu. No one disliked hearing compliments, especially sincere ones. Madam Hu had noticed County Chief Hu’s exhaustion during this period and appreciated people who treated him well and made him happy.
“Bahu, that stubborn fellow, did marry a good wife with a silver tongue. He has indeed turned adversity into prosperity,” Madam Hu remarked, putting aside the account book, and they continued discussing other matters.
Zhao A’nai, who came to deliver things to Miss Hu on behalf of her maid, overheard their conversation and became more determined to send Wan’er away. That afternoon, Wan’er bid farewell to Miss Hu, gracefully carrying her belongings as she left for the relief house not far away.
Mi Niang learned about this news seven days later. Four days after Bahu left, snowflakes began to drift down in the night. By the morning, the entire grassland was covered in snow, erasing any trace of withered weeds. However, Bahu hadn’t returned.
“Could Bahu and the others have lost their way?” Mi Niang asked Uncle Muren. The surroundings were all white, and the snowfall was heavy; once you stepped out, it was impossible to distinguish directions.
Uncle Muren shook his head while cleaning the sheep pen. “No, old horses know the way. Even if people can’t distinguish directions, they can follow the horses and find their way back. Don’t worry; there were times when it snowed, and they hadn’t returned yet.”
How could she not worry? The snow started falling in the middle of the night on the fourth day after Bahu left. When she woke up in the morning, the entire prairie was blanketed in snow. Yet, Bahu had not returned.
“Will they get lost?” Mi Niang asked Uncle Muren and the surroundings were all white, making it difficult to see the direction once outside.
Uncle Muren shook his head as he cleaned the sheep pen, “No, old horses know the way, and people might not be able to tell the direction, but following the horse can still get them back. Don’t worry; there have been times when it snowed, and they hadn’t returned yet.”
How could she not worry? The snow began falling in the middle of the night on the fourth day after Bahu left. When she woke up in the morning, the entire prairie was blanketed in snow, making it impossible to see any trace of withered weeds. Yet, Bahu had not returned.
“Will they get lost?” Mi Niang asked Uncle Muren and the surroundings were all white, making it difficult to see the direction once outside.
Uncle Muren shook his head as he cleaned the sheep pen, “No, old horses know the way, and people might not be able to tell the direction, but following the horse can still get them back. Don’t worry; there have been times when it snowed, and they hadn’t returned yet.”
How could she not worry? The snow began falling in the middle of the night on the fourth day after Bahu left. When she woke up in the morning, the entire prairie was blanketed in snow, making it impossible to see any trace of withered weeds. Yet, Bahu had not returned.
Mi Niang squatted in the sheep pen, contemplating for a while. She went back to the house, found the long pole used for herding cattle and sheep from the backyard, and called Uncle Muren into the house. She tore her wedding dress, the one she wore when she got married, into strips and tied it to the top of the pole.
“Uncle Muren, could you please find someone with good character to accompany me on a trip? I want to place this long pole along the road where Bahu is supposed to return,” Mi Niang said.
Uncle Muren looked at Mi Niang for a long time and nodded, saying, “Old man, I’ll accompany you on this trip. I took Bahu to the mountains a few years ago, and I know the direction.” In his entire life, no one had ever been so concerned about him.
The two of them put on thick wolf fur cloaks, and underneath, they wore sheepskin robes. Even so, they felt chilly as they went outside, causing them to huddle their necks. Mi Niang also took Da Huang, lifting him onto the horse’s back, as a precautionary measure.
Using the direction of the house’s door as a reference, they ran southward, placing poles with red wedding dresses fluttering every segment of the way. They continued until it was dark before returning on horseback.
“Yeah, if Bahu and the others come back, they will see the poles with red fabric,” Uncle Muren understood the meaning behind Mi Niang’s words.
After resting for a night, they set out again the next day, carrying another bundle of poles and running southward. Along the way, they encountered other shepherds who were also searching for people.
“Did you insert these poles?” asked a tightly wrapped man.
“Yes, do people from your family also go to the mountains to cut trees?” Mi Niang asked, her mouth and nose muffled in her hat, speaking in a low voice.
“Sigh, my two brothers both went,” the man glanced at Mi Niang. “You go on with your work, I’ll go back to prepare some things and come over again.”
Mi Niang continued walking south in the direction from the previous night, inserting poles as she went. She kept busy until midday, and only then did she prepare to return.
On the way back, they encountered the man they met in the morning, followed by several others, with bells ringing all the way. They attached bells to the poles, saying, “You don’t need to come in the afternoon; the rest of us will take over.”
“This year, the snowfall is too heavy. We don’t know from which direction people in the mountains will return. With the strong wind blowing, the sound of the bells carries far. Even if someone deviates from the direction, they will hear the sound and come around,” Uncle Muren said.
Smart moves. MI Niang hadn’t expected this.
Bahu returned in the deep night two days later. He came with three male servants, driving four Lelé carts and bringing back eight trees. When he arrived home, his face was frozen, appearing bluish-purple. Sitting on the lo kang, he drank mutton soup, still feeling cold, and later in the night, he developed a fever.
“I originally went the wrong way. After leaving the mountains, I circled in the snow all night. When it was bright in the morning, I heard the sound of bells. Following the direction of the sound, I walked over and saw the poles. I was so happy to see the poles. Mom, I finally came back.” Bahu pulled a piece of red fabric from his pocket and handed it to Mi Niang. Seeing her stern face, he tried to appease her, saying, “I told you it looked familiar. Sure enough, it’s the one you wore.”
Seeing that Mi Niang still ignored him, he sat on the lo Kang and began to scrape the soles of his shoes, continuing to lick his face, “When I get better, I’ll make you a new red wedding dress.”
“Oh, you’re so generous? Not many men like you.” Mi Niang snorted with a strange tone, “When will I wear a new wedding dress? The next time you’re so reckless that you’re almost dead, I’ll wear a new wedding dress and bring the cattle and sheep you left behind to remarry.” People were freezing to death, and he dragged back eight pieces of wood.
The smile on Bahu’s face immediately disappeared, and he lay back without expression. Why bother buying something, too much money would burn your brain. He looked at the piece of red fabric, thinking it looked pretty good.
“When I get better, I’ll go and collect all the poles. Wedding dresses that have been worn have enough festive spirit. After mending and patching them up, we can put them away for our daughter,” Mi Niang said.
“Wait until I’m better. I’ll go and collect all the poles. The wedding dress that has been worn has enough festive spirit. After sewing and mending, we can put it away for our daughter,” Mi Niang said.
