“I met her on the way, and she said that the people from Mao County would set off in five days. She came early to take care of you, and after some thought, I didn’t refuse,” he worried for her, fought for her, and took on a bad reputation for her. It was only right for her to come and take care of his wife and children.
Mi Niang nodded, not mentioning anything else. It was a good intention for her mother-in-law to come and take care of her. “Take the quilt and felt over to make a bed for Mother. She might feel cold sleeping alone at night. Also, make sure to light up the heated brick bed. Just as the words fell, the person who went to put things away came striding over. ‘Bahu, where are the things in my room? I’m almost done packing up the horse-head fiddle on the box. Where did you put them?'”
Mi Niang fell silent, feeling uneasy on her face. Before Bahu could say anything, her ears turned red.
“Burned them in the stove hole,” Bahu said calmly, almost adding that the meat stewed with horsehair at noon that day was exceptionally delicious.
“Burned them?” The woman stared at her son in a daze, only then did she realize that his gaze towards her had changed – cold, indifferent, devoid of concern. It was even more chilling than when his father used to beat her. She instinctively looked at Mi Niang, her eyes filled with helpless bewilderment.
“Go make the bed for Mother,” Mi Niang changed the subject, pushing Bahu into the house to bring out the quilt. Unexpectedly, the mother-in-law came, and all the unused thick quilts at home were wrapped up and packed in boxes.
The woman dared not speak in front of Bahu. Only after he went to the backyard did she ask Mi Niang if her son was angry with her.
“He probably isn’t. After you left, he rarely mentioned you. It doesn’t seem like he’s angry. Besides, if he were angry with you, he wouldn’t have let you come over.”
It’s terrifying when he’s not angry. Bahu’s mother thought Mi Niang seemed genuinely oblivious. She couldn’t tell that Bahu’s attitude towards her had changed. She felt a lump in her chest, but she couldn’t argue with her daughter-in-law and could only dejectedly agree that it was good if he wasn’t angry.
“Um, Bahu burned the horse-head fiddle?” The woman still didn’t want to believe.
“After you left, it was Bahu who tidied up the room. Being heavily pregnant, he wouldn’t let me intervene,” Mi Niang looked at her mother-in-law, who seemed unaware of her expecting twins. She smiled and patted her belly, “Mother, didn’t you notice anything wrong with me?”
Bahu’s mother, in turmoil, casually glanced at her and said, “You look pretty good. What’s bothering you?”
“My belly.” Mi Niang lifted her clothes, “Did your belly get as big as mine when you were about to give birth to Bahu?”
“Huh? Something’s not right.” Bahu’s mother recalled and confirmed she hadn’t remembered wrong, “It’s only been six months, right?”
Mi Niang didn’t tease her anymore, “Two babies. You came at just the right time. Bahu was anxious, afraid something might happen to me on the way.”
“Twins? She’s actually carrying two babies! My son is remarkable.” The woman’s face lit up with a smile, practically sparkling with joy. “I’ve been thinking about coming over since I went back, just didn’t discuss it with his father…” She heard footsteps and immediately swallowed the rest of her words.
“The bed is ready; I’ll heat up the brick bed for you later tonight,” Bahu said as if nothing happened. Their eyes met, and it was his mother who looked away first.
“My mother is here. Do you still want Mu Xiang to keep you company?”
“Take her with you; she can ride in our car.”
“Okay, you two chat. I’m going to the vegetable garden.” Bahu grabbed a shovel and headed out. His mother stared after him, wanting to sigh but resisted when faced with Mi Niang’s curious gaze.
“Are there still things to tidy up? I can help.”
“No, Bahu has pretty much finished cleaning up. If Mother has nothing to do, you can help make some clothes for the children. I’ve seen the clothes you made for Bahu, the stitches are tight and well done.” Mi Niang gave her something to do, preventing her from sighing and bothering people.
When it came to clothes, the woman snapped back to reality, running to the backyard to fetch her bundle. “These are two new robes I made for Bahu last year. When I went back, I made two new outfits for my grandson.” After pulling them all out, she realized there were none for Mi Niang, looking a bit embarrassed. “I didn’t know your size, so I didn’t make any for you. After you give birth, I’ll buy you two nice outfits from the satin shop.”
Mi Niang didn’t mind at all. After all, she wasn’t her biological mother. As long as she didn’t cause trouble or pick on her, she had no objections, even if she didn’t spend a penny on her.
“Well, thanks, Mother.” She said with a happy smile, going along with her words.
After digging in the vegetable garden and sowing radish seeds, the dried beef leg was placed on the tricycle. The stove, bowls, milk bucket, bath bucket, wardrobe, beehive, bee-attracting bucket, felt bag… everything was moved to the yard. On the fifth day, besides three tricycles for people to sit and dogs to lie down, all the other tricycles were filled with things. Those that couldn’t fit were tied to the backs of bulls, stallions, and camels.
“Ready to go?” Bahu locked the door, walked to the tricycle where Mi Niang sat, and opened the door. Three thick mattresses were placed inside. “Is it comfortable?”
“Yes, let’s go.” Mi Niang leaned on a rolled-up mattress. When Bahu left, she asked her mother-in-law if she had ever experienced this situation when pregnant before.
“From conceiving to giving birth, almost everyone encounters this situation around ten months. It just depends on the timing, whether it’s early or late. The later it is the more suffering. When I was pregnant with Bahu, I was on the road during the full-term delivery, in pain, lying in the car, swaying so much that my eyes were blurry and my mind was confused. It took away half my life. I didn’t vomit during pregnancy, but after giving birth, I vomited whatever I ate, which lasted for two days.” Seeing Mi Niang’s pale face, Bahu’s mother lightly patted her own mouth. “Look at me being confused. Don’t be afraid; your pregnancy is not that advanced. You should be able to make it through when you reach the mountain.”
Mu Xiang rolled up the felt mat behind Mi Niang, watching Bahu’s mother speak, not sounding weak or incompetent. Why would she still be beaten by the men in her family?
When returning from Lingshan, there were over a thousand adult cattle and sheep, and after a winter, the number of sheep had doubled. The ground was still damp, and in the distance, the mountain ranges retained quite a bit of snow. The migration route to Lingshan was much slower than the return journey. They set out early in the morning and only reached the fork in the road where they originally turned in the afternoon, with no sign of the people from Mao County yet.
Bahu lifted Mi Niang from the tricycle and said, “Mother, you stay with Mi Niang; I’ll go cook. Do you want to have dumplings or noodles? Dumplings were pan-fried in the morning, and I can knead and cook noodles. A few days ago, I slaughtered two sheep and made two jars of meat sauce.”
“Noodles, and scoop a bit more of the meat sauce.”
“Get me a bowl of noodles too, and make the noodles thinner.” Doctor Huang got out of the car, walked over to Mi Niang, and took her pulse. “Nothing serious, just some stagnation. Take a walk for a bit.” After that, he went to check the pulses of other pregnant women behind. He had been living here for a whole winter and didn’t know there were so many pregnant women.
Bahu’s mother had a large frame and was tall. Though not very active, she had considerable strength. She supported Mi Niang and walked around the flock of sheep twice. Mi Niang felt relieved, and she sweated profusely from the exertion.
“Come, it’s time to eat.” Bahu served Mi Niang a bowl of noodles and handed it to her. “Mother, go and scoop your own noodles. I don’t know how much you want, so I didn’t serve you.”
The woman moved her mouth. During the winter, he served her meals for three months. However, facing Bahu, she felt a bit embarrassed. She could only think about it in her heart and scooped her own noodles and meat sauce honestly.
It wasn’t until dusk that they heard the commotion of people from Mao County. Bahu and the others had already set up the felt bags and lit a fire. As the sky darkened, the cold became intense, and without a fire, people would freeze at night.
“Are you the ones going to Lingshan?” a yamen runner on horseback asked.
“Yes, did Assistant County Magistrate Hu inform you?” Bahu had been waiting for this. “We’ve been here for a while. Do you need our help?”
The other party confirmed the situation and left after reminding them to be careful at night.
Not far apart, Bahu saw his mother enthusiastically wanting to go back and find someone. He coldly said, “Are you here to take care of Mi Niang or to cause trouble for me?”
“Why do you say that? I’m definitely here to take care of Mi Niang.”
“Then don’t go over there, so no one comes looking for trouble with me. I don’t have the mood to fight with them right now.” Bahu held his mother’s wrist, urging her to go into the felt bag to sleep. “Sleep early; we need to wake up early tomorrow.”
Bahu had a lot on his mind, and he couldn’t stay up at night, or he would be tired during the day. So, he slept in the same felt bag as Mi Niang, while his mother slept in another with Mu Xiang.
“Mu Xiang, keep an eye on my mother. If she goes out, call out.”
Mu Xiang looked at the sorrowful woman and felt that being suspected by her son like this unless forced with a knife, anyone with a bit of backbone wouldn’t go out.
In the middle of the night, Bahu woke up once. When he opened the felt bag door, he saw Da Huang lying at the entrance guarding, while Bala and Alse wolves were mixed in with the flock to guard against wolves. He regretted agreeing to give away the two dog pups to his second uncle. Dogs as loyal as Da Huang he would find them too few even if he had twenty.
“Master, nothing’s happening. Go back to sleep; I’ll stay alert.” When he heard footsteps and the dogs didn’t bark, Bahu knew who it was.
“Also, pay attention to the rear. Every couple of hours, take Bala for a stroll.” Bahu tossed him two mountain apples. “If you feel tired, eat something cool to refresh yourself.”
These were precious items, and Uncle Chaolu didn’t have the heart to eat them. He kept them hidden until he found an opportunity to give them to Mu Xiang.
“This is a rare thing. I can’t accept it; you eat it yourself.” Mu Xiang kept dodging. Before her family had any troubles, she didn’t lack mountain apples, and it wasn’t considered a rare item. However, after coming to the northern desert, she couldn’t bear to buy them, nor could she afford them. She only tasted a couple because she followed Mi Niang.
“All of these are things that young ladies eat. Even if I eat them, I won’t be able to taste anything. It’s a waste,” Uncle Chaolu wanted to stuff them again.
“I’ll eat them only when my sweetheart gives them to me,” Mu Xiang said straightforwardly. “If he knew I took things from other men, he wouldn’t feel comfortable.”
Uncle Chaolu was somewhat uncertain and asked shamelessly, “Am I considered another man?”
Mu Xiang nodded, turned, and left the riverbank towards a crowded place. She remembered Uncle Chaolu; he should be casting his net, catching a fish, making a profit. If he caught two, he could pick and compare them. She didn’t like his character.
Heading south, it became warmer, and small green sprouts of wild vegetables appeared on the ground. Not only were the cattle and sheep happy, but people were also happy. Mu Xiang thought that she hadn’t eaten fresh green vegetables for almost half a year. She walked far away to pick vegetables, giving Uncle Chaolu a chance to get closer.
Seeing Mu Xiang walking back with a basket of vegetables, Uncle Chaolu sat on the riverbank, washed the mountain apples, took a bite, and half of it disappeared. He muttered, “Wild boars can’t enjoy fine bran.”
Mi Niang stood under the cart, turned around the bend, and saw Mu Xiang coming back with a basket of small green vegetables, still with dewdrops. Her mouth watered, “How do you want to eat them?”
“Shallow water mix?” Mu Xiang dared to say this because Mi Niang had vegetable oil at home. The cheapest rapeseed oil in the Northern Desert was hard to come by, and Mu Xiang had been eating sheep fat since she arrived in the Northern Desert.
“Sure, add some green peppercorns when frying.” Mi Niang looked at Bahu, who had brought another calf, and walked over to ask, “How many is this?”
“It’s the eighth one.” After walking for more than half a month, calves have been born from cows leaving the herd for the past two days. “I’ll go feed it some warm water. Anything else?”
“I’ve been prepared all along.” Mi Niang pointed in the direction and turned to look at the road behind. There were many people and animals from Mao County, and the team had stretched far. They were separated by four or five miles. Now Bahu didn’t worry about his mother being discovered by his father.
After eating, they continued their journey. Bahu, with the help of the servant, tied the eight calf onto the back of the camel. During the spring migration, it was common for cows to give birth to calves along the way. The newborn calves spent their initial days on the back of camels.
