During the winter days, Da Huang spent the whole time hanging out with Alse wolves. As long as it didn’t snow, the two dogs never stayed home. They were either in the snowy fields or in the sheepfold. No one knew exactly when the two dogs started being together, just like how Da Huang’s belly, under the increasingly plump figure, only revealed signs when contours emerged. Dogs followed their masters, and even when the master’s belly protruded, they remained lively, capable of walking, running, and cooking. Da Huang, on the migration journey, disliked sitting in the car, preferring to run and herd sheep. When they arrived near the mountains, Da Huang quietly gave birth to puppies.
Bahu firmly believed that this was a good omen. Mi Niang’s childbirth would also go smoothly. After all, dogs followed their masters. This thought, to some extent, relaxed his tense nerves. Towards Da Huang and the puppies, Bala, who seemed ignorant and wishfully guarded them, showed sympathy. He no longer mocked them heartlessly.
When his mood improved, he could even squeeze out a few words of praise, “Good dog, taking turns with Alse wolves? Da Huang allows you into the den to see the puppies. Or not allowed? Don’t be disheartened. Your hard work will eventually move the couple.” At the very least, when the puppies are a month old and crawl out of the doghouse on their own, Bala can seize the opportunity to smell and realize the fact that it is not their father.
Mi Niang laughed until she was speechless, “Enough of it. Before, you made fun of Da Huang, and now you’re making fun of Bala. You should be grateful that dogs don’t understand human language. Otherwise, Bala would be so angry that he might strangle your lamb and bite it to death.”
Bahu didn’t admit that he was making fun of the dog, “I’m just expressing righteous indignation. With Da Huang’s cunning mind, who knows, maybe it’s scheming to deceive Bala and make him believe that the stupid one thinks those puppies are his. Look at how devoted it is, even more than Alse wolves. If it had milk, it would probably climb into the doghouse to feed the puppies.” The more he spoke, the more it sounded like the truth. He seemed to understand dogs even better than the dogs themselves.
Mi Niang couldn’t be bothered with him and asked if he was done with his work. If he was, she wanted him to take her out for a walk.
The two walked downstream along the river. Passing the area where the fishing net was set, Bahu took off his shoes and went into the water to check for fish. The water in front of their house was shallow, and the fish were scarce and small. However, he could still catch a few palm-sized flatfish every day, keeping them in a water tank, and preparing to make fish soup for Mi Niang after she gave birth.
“For these days, I haven’t caught any crucian carp as you mentioned.” The man came out of the water without wearing shoes, holding them in his hands and walking barefoot. Suddenly, he remembered last year when Mi Niang, because of a worn-out shoe sole, lay on the ground with the emaciated Da Huang, basking in the sun. Time flies, in the blink of an eye, both the person and the dog have become parents.
“Forget it. There may be no crucian carp in the far north.” A large flock of sheep came down from the hillside in the distance. From afar, the sheep were not much larger than ants, but their fur was conspicuous, flowing on the green grass, reminding Mi Niang of locusts in the wheat field and tadpoles in the wild stream.
Mi Niang counted the days. It seemed that during her postpartum recovery, she might have to catch up with shearing the sheep. She stopped and asked what Bahu was doing when shearing the sheep last year.
“Tanning sheepskin and cowhide.”
“At home?” Every evening, she helped Uncle Chaolu remove the sheep’s wool, and she never heard any other noises from the felt bag.
“Sometimes at home, sometimes in a deeper part downstream, washing the sheepskin soaked in tanning solution.”
“No wonder I rarely saw you back then,” Mi Niang muttered. Just as she was about to ask whether he planned to tan the leather himself this year or have a servant do it, she heard Bahu chuckling secretly.
“So, you had your eyes on me back then?” The man’s face displayed a smug expression as he put down the bucket containing the caught fish and approached Mi Niang. He asked her which aspect of him had caught her attention first, “Was it my handsome appearance? Or my substantial wealth?”
“Who had their eyes on you? Nasty character.” Mi Niang sneered at him, “Handsome appearance? Your looks don’t qualify for that. When you have a stern face, you even seem a bit fierce.” She touched her own cheek, raised her chin, and said, “I can be considered as having a handsome appearance.”
Whether he was handsome or not, Bahu didn’t care at the moment. He persisted in questioning, “If you didn’t have your eyes on me, why would you care whether I was at home or not? I don’t believe it. You must have been attracted to me back then.” He turned Mi Niang’s face, his eyes filled with a tempting smile. “Admit it, subconsciously looking for my figure means you wanted to see me. Wanting to see me means you were thinking about me. Thinking about me means you were attracted to me.” He was familiar with this psychological process. In the past, whenever he left the felt bag, he would subconsciously wonder if Mi Niang would appear in front of him. Even in a crowd, he could always spot her at first glance.
Mi Niang didn’t admit it, “Whenever I enter your house, I have to look for the owner’s figure first. Besides, Da Huang is still getting a free meal at your place. When I encounter people, I always have to thank you for a few words.” She pushed away the man’s hand, her eyes rolling. Emulating Bahu’s actions, she held his face in one hand and pressed the other on his chest. “I haven’t asked you yet, when did you fall for me?”
The man forced a smile, avoided eye contact, stubbornly refused to admit it, and even turned the tables, “If that night you didn’t suddenly ask me if I was interested in you, I wouldn’t have thought about it. Since you, a young girl, took the initiative, if I didn’t respond positively, you would lose face.” He put on a look of being forced and reluctantly, pretending quite convincingly. It wasn’t until he received a slap on the chest that he couldn’t help but break character. He exaggeratedly bent over with a painful expression, laughing until his gums were exposed.
Mi Niang crossed her arms and stared at him crouching on the ground, shouting about chest pain. The laughter in her words couldn’t be concealed, and the imitation of a frog’s croak didn’t deceive anyone. When he stood up, clutching his chest, Mi Niang, still amused, reminded him, “You covered the wrong place. I patted the chest, not the chest.”
The man’s pained expression froze for a moment. Clumsily, he shifted his hand to his heart, “Is it the right place this time?” deliberately provoking her.
Ignoring his attempt to annoy her, Mi Niang changed the subject, “What’s the deal with staying up late to treat my sheep?”
“I was afraid that the sick sheep would infect my sheep too.” Why did he bring up this matter? Bahu’s heart skipped a beat.
“But when my sheep died, why did you replace it with one of yours? And so thoughtfully dyed the wool the same color, as if afraid I would recognize it.” Mi Niang tapped her foot triumphantly. “You’re really a good person, a silently benevolent one.”
Bahu’s pretense of a twisted expression immediately shattered. His eyes flickered, and he pretended to be clueless, “I don’t understand what you’re saying. What sheep exchange? Your sheep was perfectly healthy.” The hand covering his heart dropped down, clenched into a fist behind his back.
Oh, he still insisted on playing dumb at this point. Mi Niang regretted only that she was married to Bahu. If it were another man, she would make him regret it.
“I tied a knot on the sheep’s horn, maybe you didn’t notice.” Mi Niang instructed him to pull out a grass from the ground. Seeing him not moving, she bumped into his belly with her own, “Look at how guilty you are, tut.”
“Speaking of words is enough, why resort to violence?” Bahu looked bewildered. He really hadn’t noticed the knots on the sheep’s horns. Resigned, he pulled out grass and handed it to Mi Niang, watching as she skillfully tied two live loops together.
“What does the knot you tied look like? If you forget, let me remind you.” Mi Niang raised her hand, pinched his cheek, and looked around to ensure no one was watching. She pressed the man’s neck under his jaw and lightly bit it, a provocative glint in her eyes that made her look charming.
The verdant grass swayed before them. Bahu seemed to have been choked and remained silent. He picked up a blade of grass, plucked it out, and continued to pick more, avoiding eye contact with Mi Niang.
“Didn’t expect that I would find out, huh?”
Indeed, he didn’t expect it, and he discovered it but had been enduring without saying a word.
“When did you find out?” Bahu was curious.
“A few days before marrying you.” Mi Niang handed the grass knot to the man, turned her face away, and looked up at his eyes. “Hey, what were you thinking? Before getting married, it might be understandable to keep it from me, but it’s been a year. You haven’t mentioned it at all. Have you really forgotten?”
Bahu nodded briskly, “I forgot.”
“So, are you admitting that you had feelings for me long before? Aren’t you going to come up with excuses?”
Bahu covered his face that was swaying before him, smiling as he changed the subject, “We’ve been out for a while. It’s time to go back.”
“No way! If you don’t explain clearly today, I won’t go back.” Mi Niang insisted on getting a definite answer from him. “Tell me, when you stayed up late to treat the sheep, did you already have feelings for me? Or was it before that?”
Bahu just nodded without saying a word. He refused to look at Mi Niang’s probing and triumphant eyes, choosing instead to gaze at the sky, clouds, and birds flying above.
It wasn’t easy to get a romantic confession from him. Pouting, Mi Niang exclaimed, “So annoying! I married a mute.” Suppressing her frustration, she turned around and started walking back.
After walking halfway, she suddenly stopped, “Why aren’t you talking? If you’re not talking, don’t follow me.”
“It’s you who said I married a mute.”
“If you have the guts, then just be mute forever.” Mi Niang was really angry.
Bahu observed her expression, reached out to support her, and even though he received a resounding slap, he still insisted on embracing Mi Niang’s waist.
At the doorstep, Uncle Chaolu came out waving his hand. Seeing Mi Niang with a stern face, he was puzzled and surprised. After taking a few more glances, he heard Bahu making noises twice. “Master, following your instructions, I’ve soaked both the sheepskin and cowhide in water and pressed them with stones.” He turned his eyes away.
“Ah, ah.” Bahu nodded to indicate that he understood. Even though he got an elbow on his side and continued to laugh, he was locked outside the door, slapping the door while shouting, “Ah, ah, ah.”
“Master, is your throat okay?” Uncle Chaolu and Bala stared at the man who was still making noises by opening his mouth, wondering why he suddenly seemed to have a sore throat when he spoke so smoothly in the morning.
Bahu waved his hand, telling Uncle Chaolu to scram and do whatever he needed to do without prying. As soon as Uncle Chaolu left, he went into the kitchen to cook. Mi Niang ate a little but got hungry quickly. She needed a bowl of vegetable soup with two eggs, both for brunch and lunch.
“Ah, ah.” The meal was ready.
Mi Niang smelled the aroma of the dishes. She didn’t want to keep sulking, so she opened the door, took the bowl and chopsticks, and began to eat quietly.
“Ah, ah.” Was it to his liking? Bahu gestured with his hands, a mischievous smile in his eyes.
Mi Niang didn’t give him a direct look. She wanted to see how long he could keep up the act.
Not long after, after washing the dishes and changing clothes, Bahu miraculously learned to speak. “I’m going to forage for wild vegetables. Do you want to come?”
“Not mute anymore? If you’re not mute, then tell me clearly.”
Bahu took a deep breath and called Bala over, holding him. “You guessed it right.”
“What did I guess right?” Mi Niang squinted, waiting.
The man opened his mouth, speaking vaguely, “I like you. I’ve liked you for a long time. That’s why I foolishly treated your sheep when they were sick, and when one died, I replaced it with a better one.” Satisfied now?
Not quite satisfied, if he had said this earlier, Mi Niang might have happily pecked him as if she won the lottery. “I asked you to say sweet words, not like it’s a matter of life and death.”
Bahu smiled without arguing and asked her if she wanted to go foraging with him.
“Okay, okay, let’s go.” Mi Niang extended her hand for him to pull her up, still not giving in, “If it weren’t for the doctor telling me to move around more and only you can support me, I wouldn’t accompany you outside.”
“Okay, thank you for accompanying me.” Bahu softly coaxed. Mi Niang’s belly was getting bigger, she couldn’t sleep well at night, and sitting made her back ache. These days, she was anxious and irritable, so he had to find ways to either make her happy or angry, getting a couple of slaps from her to let her vent.
Another half month passed, and Da Huang’s puppies were crawling all over the place. In the morning, when Bahu was making butter, they would wag their tails and crawl over to beg for milk.
“Hey, be careful, I might accidentally step on you again.” Bahu picked up a puppy and placed it back in the doghouse. When he heard faint whimpering from the felt bag, his mind went blank. He picked up the puppy, but it fell again. He hurriedly walked towards the felt bag. Mi Niang was still sleeping with her eyes closed, but she was sweating and had her hand on her belly. Bahu sat on the ground, suspecting either his ears or his mind was malfunctioning.
He waited until he regained his strength to go out and cook. As he reached the doorway, the whimpering sound accompanied by gasps rang again. Bahu furrowed his brow and turned back. It was Mi Niang making the sound this time, and she was awake.
“Bahu, my stomach hurts, it seems like I’m about to give birth.”
The man nodded dumbly, forgetting that he was twisted. He took a step forward to support her, but stumbled, falling hard on the ground. Panicking, he hastily got up and stumbled towards the bed.
“Does it hurt?” Mi Niang laughed, wiping her eyes, “Pat the dust off yourself.”
“I’ll go find the midwife; you wait for me at home.” Bahu saw her hair sticking to her face, wiped the dust off his clothes, and gathered Mi Niang’s sweaty hair, tying it into a bun behind her head.
A drop of sweat fell on Mi Niang’s forehead. She looked up and saw Bahu sweating profusely, his neck wet as if he had just washed. He seemed more nervous than she was.
“Alright, I forgive your clumsy words.” Mi Niang felt relieved. Actions spoke louder than words.
Bahu’s palms were sweaty. After wiping himself, he touched Mi Niang’s face, only managing to say, “You must be okay.” He seemed on the verge of tears, his eyes filled with red blood vessels. Mi Niang suspected that he might cry if he said one more word.
The chaotic footsteps of the man disappeared, leaving behind the trembling feeling in his hands on Mi Niang’s face.
Mi Niang wiped the sweat off her face with a towel. Hearing movement at the door, she saw Da Huang pushing the door open and standing there. Unlike usual, it wagged its tail but didn’t come to the bedside.
“Da Huang, do you know that I’m going to be a mother too?”
