One horse carried two people as they left, facing the cold wind. Mi Niang and Bahu stared fixedly in the direction where the sun was rising. The hooves lifted ice crystals, shining brilliantly under the sun, reflecting dazzling ice rays.
Bahu crushed the hard ice under his feet, glanced at Mi Niang, then lowered his eyes and walked towards the house. Standing beside her, he couldn’t find the courage to speak. Instead, he simply held her hand, and they leaned against the door together. The door handle made a dull thud against the wooden door.
Uncle Muren had left long ago, and no one else would disturb them without a hint. It was only when Da Huang and Bala swung their tails against people that Mi Niang regained her senses.
From dismounting to entering the house, Bahu’s father, not a single one of the three dogs at home made a sound, which was unusual.
“Your mother never thought about leaving your father,” Mi Niang cleared her throat and spoke.
Bahu leaned against the door, the door handle knocking twice again, accompanying his hoarse voice that was particularly suitable for the bone-chilling cold day. “I’ve also figured that out.”
“Do you think she’s gone mad?” the man asked with a tilt of his head, unable to comprehend. “Should I invite a shaman to expel evil spirits from her?”
“When we worshipped AoBao, your mother went to kowtow as well,” Mi Niang rolled her eyes. “Heaven, Earth, and the Wolf God can’t do anything to her, indicating that there’s something wrong in her own heart.”
Mi Niang thought for a moment and felt that the only lie her mother-in-law had ever told was when Bahu suggested finding her a new husband, and she said she would consider it. Otherwise, her words should be true. Unwilling to let go after investing over twenty years in the old man, she didn’t want to give him an easy way out. After enduring physical abuse, she sought to reclaim her dignity, finding satisfaction when the old man knelt before her and slapped himself.
“Your father won’t die; your mother will never leave him,” Mi Niang shook her head. In her youth, her mother-in-law had severed ties with her family for a man, probably blinded by emotions at that time. Thinking about what she had said before leaving, Mi Niang thought she must regret it now, realizing she had chosen the wrong person. However, facing the reality that this was how her life would be, she had no thoughts of starting over.
If the old man didn’t let her go, she was determined to entangle with him until death. It’s just the way it is, Mi Niang sighed internally. Her mother-in-law probably had truly harbored evil thoughts. If it were her, she would drown him in the water tank while he was drunk. Who would know if he claimed he was thirsty, staggered, and fell into the water tank? They had deviated from the right path, following a dark road, and no matter how they advised, it fell on deaf ears. There was no saving it.
But this was just her speculation. Mi Niang didn’t tell Bahu. Thinking about it this way, her mother-in-law’s advice for Bahu to live well and not to mind her words was at least seventy percent sincere. However, Bahu thought she was concerned about him hitting the old man, thinking she was confused, and believed she had been enchanted by the old man.
“Let’s go inside. This matter is willingly accepted by both parties; we can’t interfere. Let’s live our lives well,” Mi Niang said, holding his hand and placing it on her belly. “You must become a good father.”
Bahu lowered his eyes, looking at his hand. “I also want to be a good father.”
The two entered the house. Bahu took off his long boots and lay on the heated platform, lost in thought. Today, he didn’t want to bother with the cattle and sheep in the pen. He listened to the sound of Mi Niang sitting below, sewing clothes and pulling threads. He heard her footsteps as she walked around the room, heard her opening the door and calling for Da Huang… Bahu’s mind became increasingly muddled. It wasn’t until he heard Uncle Zhao’s loud voice next door and the clattering sound of pot and spatula colliding in the kitchen that he snapped out of it. It was already midday.
Bahu lay there for a while, imitating Mi Niang, rolling around with the blanket on the heated platform. Just as he turned over, he heard footsteps. “If you’re awake, hurry up and get up. Lunch is almost ready.”
“Coming, coming,” his spirits were back. He had a home of his own now, someone who understood him, someone who cared for him.
After dinner, Bahu tidied up everything his mother left behind. The unused items were burned as firewood, the bedding and sheets were taken apart and washed, and the cotton mattress and felt were aired on the heated platform for half a day. In the evening, they were neatly folded and placed in boxes and baskets. The traces of someone living in the rear room for three or four months disappeared within a day of the guests leaving, leaving only a bare heated platform and a fireplace with extinguished embers.
Mi Niang quietly watched Bahu work tirelessly for an entire afternoon. After locking the rear room again, the man’s forehead finally relaxed, no longer furrowed.
Bahu never mentioned his mother again; he had given up on her.
In the evening, lying on the heated platform, they could still hear the faint bleating of lambs from the adjacent room. Mi Niang was about to suggest that Bahu go check when a large hand covered her chest.
“What are you doing? Slept too much during the day and now you’re bothering me at night?” Mi Niang held her breath and spoke softly. She grabbed the man’s ear, pushing his head down. In the past two months, that area of hers had become quite sensitive, and being brushed by a soft tongue was quite uncomfortable.
The scorching breath brushed over the protruding belly, lingering down, causing the quilt to transition from bulging to flat as the two embraced each other on their sides. The warmth from the heated platform seemed to have added a blazing fire from outside, making the temperature inside the blanket rise. Mi Niang’s cheeks turned rosy, sweat dampened her forehead, and she thought of lifting the quilt, but as soon as she exposed a gap, it was pressed back down.
“Don’t catch a cold.” A husky voice sounded from the side of her neck. The furry head turned around the raised neck and came to the front. Mi Niang made a soft sound, raised her hand, and hugged the man’s neck, habitually pinching his scorching ears.
The sound of the little lamb had disappeared at some point. Mi Niang extended one foot to feel the cool breeze and rested it on the man’s chest, poking at the Adam’s apple in front of her eyes. “Hey, are you addicted to milking cows and sheep? Since the cows and sheep won’t let you milk them, you catch me instead.”
“Nonsense,” Bahu chuckled. “Feel it yourself, there’s no comparison.” Milking cows and sheep was not on his mind; he wasn’t like that cunning him.
Mi Niang blushed, kicked him with her foot, and struggled to break free from the quilt, pushing him out. “Obscene.”
Obscene or not, Bahu lay on the heated platform in the cool air, raised his legs, shook them for a while, then got dressed and went to fetch water.
“Shall I assist you, or will you do it yourself?”
Mi Niang wouldn’t give him another chance to take advantage, so she got up and dressed.
“Don’t bother, I’ll go outside to check on the cattle and sheep.” Bahu couldn’t understand how, moments ago, they were intimately unclothed, both enjoying it and now she was shy and didn’t want to be seen. He opened the door, giving her space to wash up.
The first-born lamb was already three months old. Bahu, with Da Huang, entered the sheep pen under the pale glow of the snow. He wandered around, thinking of notifying the people who reserved the lambs to come and pick them up in a couple of days. Considering that the time was about right, he closed the sheep pen and returned to the house. As expected, Mi Niang had already dressed in her inner clothes and lay in bed. There was only a basin of lukewarm water left on the chair, and there were scattered watermarks on the floor.
Bahu casually wiped himself with not-very-hot water, poured some water, and then crawled into bed to embrace Mi Niang. His hands caressed her rounded belly, and he let out a contented sigh. This was just perfect.
When Bahu’s father came yesterday, there was quite a commotion. After entering the house, his wailing cries continued. The next day, curious people came to inquire, but they were dismissed by Uncle Muren and the others, feigning ignorance. By noon, the deputy county magistrate Hu arrived. At that moment, Mi Niang was cooking fish soup and preparing the broth to scald lamb meat, while Bahu was counting the number of little lambs in the sheep pen.
“Your father came yesterday?” The deputy county magistrate Hu followed Bahu into the sheep pen, eyeing the robust little lambs with desire. “Do you have any ewes experiencing difficult births this year?”
Bahu spoke confidently about this, “No, at most, the ewes giving birth for the first time may take a bit longer, but there are no cases where they can’t deliver.”
“At the relief station, over a hundred ewes died from difficult births, crying like they lost their parents. It’s giving me a headache just thinking about it. I even found a doctor to teach them personally, but it couldn’t prevent the troubles caused by too many pregnancies.”
Bahu was aware of this, and it included Pandi, who had cried and sought him out. A small ewe had carried three lambs, and the first two had exhausted their strength during birth. The last one suffocated inside the mother, who did not survive.
“Just say what you want to say, don’t beat around the bush.” Bahu leaned against a post in the sheep pen, watching the Deputy County Magistrate assess his family’s little lambs as if choosing a son-in-law.
The deputy county magistrate Hu smiled, patted Bahu’s shoulder, and said, “You know me well. Tell me the truth, how many of your family’s lambs and calves haven’t been reserved?”
“Don’t play games with me either. What do you want to do with my family’s lambs and calves?”
“Rent them to the people over at the relief station. They lack experience in raising cattle and sheep. Sturdy cattle and sheep are easier for them to care for. The main residence has put a lot of effort into bringing these people here, not thinking about making them all sell themselves into slavery. If we rent out lambs without a clear background this year, raise them for a few months, and they die of illness, it’s better for them to have thoughts and find ways to escape back to the Central Plains. I’m just worried that some might take drastic measures and poison our cattle and sheep. Come winter, those imprisoned will remain in prison, and those serving as servants will continue to serve. I can’t justify this to my superiors.”
Bahu fell silent. Renting out cattle and sheep to anyone was just renting, but renting to herders wouldn’t likely result in all of them being raised to death. “If the next winter is harsh, and they don’t have their own shelter, once they freeze to death, a large number will perish. Just think about how many more servants my family will need the year after next. Cattle and sheep can survive, but people can’t afford to raise them.” Currently, there were nine servants in the household, barely enough to get by. With less than ten people, even if he slaughtered a sheep, it would only last for two days.
This calculation didn’t include the three dogs. Once summer arrived, Da Huang would have more puppies. The demand for meat in the household would increase.
“But if a large number dies, will I still be the County Magistrate Hu?” The Deputy County Magistrate frowned. “Stop talking about negative things.”
“Alright, you guarantee it, and I’ll rent them to them.” Bahu raised a finger. “I’ll rent out this many, up to twenty for each person.” The Deputy County Magistrate was his protective umbrella. Today, coming to him for a favor, Bahu would agree no matter what.
The Deputy County Magistrate was not satisfied and asked Bahu how many lambs he had left. After getting an idea, he asked him to add another five hundred.
“So, all my tenants this year will be people from the Central Plains.” Bahu couldn’t rent out all the lambs; he also needed to expand the flock and divide them into new pens. Throughout the year, many sheep would be slaughtered for their consumption.
“Don’t worry; I won’t make a loss for myself.” The Deputy County Magistrate reassured him once again. “Alright, I’ll go check on the Bilige family again.” Although Bahu had promised a significant number of lambs, there were also many people in the relief station. The 1,500 lambs he promised wouldn’t be evenly distributed among everyone.
“Stay for lunch; today, we’re having fish soup with lamb, exceptionally delicious.” Bahu swallowed and said, “Mi Niang makes excellent fish soup, not fishy at all.”
The Deputy County Magistrate had already smelled the aroma and patted his stomach, changing his words, “Then, I’ll visit the Bilige family in the afternoon.”
