With Mu Xiang helping out, Bahu could free up some time. He rushed a two-year-old ram to the midwife’s house. Along the way, he encountered people who scrutinized him with a complex expression of disdain and envy. He frowned, held his head high, and paid no attention to those idle talkers.
“Bahu, heard you got twin siblings, a dragon, and a phoenix?” A man glanced at the robust ram. “You’re a lucky guy, no wonder you’re willing to send a ram as the midwife’s fee.”
“The midwife did her job well; it’s what she deserves,” Bahu replied when someone asked him about it.
Seeing him amicable, two women laughed and expressed their intention to visit his home to see the children and share some good fortune.
“Wait until the full moon; you can see them when they’re carried out. The kids are small now, sensitive to the wind, and sleep a lot. Nothing much to see,” Bahu explained.
“Bahu, I need two pieces of diapers from you. My son also married a new bride. I want to take them back and put them under the pillow. Maybe next year, I’ll have a pair of dragon and phoenix twins too,” a sturdy woman shouted from the doorway.
Bahu glanced at her, shook his head, and refused, “I remember you. You cursed me for being heartless. I wouldn’t give you diapers even if they were for a dog’s bed.”
His words silenced the surroundings. Feeling uneasy, he quickly changed the topic, talking to others nearby, fearing that this brute might turn around and point at someone, remembering who he was.
“Didn’t say I didn’t give them to you?” another woman who was watching the commotion asked.
“I’ll give them to you. When I’m home, come over, and I’ll give you some clean ones.” As he saw they were nearing the midwife’s house, he stopped talking.
Feeling embarrassed, the stout woman deliberately caused trouble, “If that’s the case, you might as well drive the sheep back. The midwife who came to your house had a lot to say about you. Heartless, lacks compassion, doesn’t understand how to care for people. Your wife is suffering inside, giving birth to a child, and you spend half the day on butter, worse than the dogs she raises…”
Hearing the commotion, the midwife pushed the door open and, upon seeing Bahu, didn’t hold back. She straightened her neck and asked if his mother had come to help the daughter-in-law through the postpartum period.
“No, I’m taking care of it. I brought the sheep to you, and I’ll go back,” Bahu explained. He swung the whip used for herding sheep, clarifying that what he was churning that day wasn’t butter; it was clear water in the milk pail. He did it that way because Mi Niang liked to hear the sound of churning butter.
In the past, Bahu wouldn’t bother explaining. What others said had nothing to do with him. If he had the time, he would rather go cut grass to feed the cows. But now, he had children, and he didn’t want Qiqige and Jiya to misunderstand him when they heard such idle gossip outside in the future.
“A lot of things you guys don’t understand the reasons for. You just scratch the surface and make a fuss, like churning butter. I churned for half a day yesterday, and my arms were swollen. I’m willing to do it, Mi Niang appreciates it, and I don’t think it’s worth you people, who don’t know the inside story, to criticize me and curse me. It’s different when my dad hits my mom; you can curse him as a beast. But I haven’t heard many people curse him. The ones who curse me are plenty.” Bahu laughed mockingly, continuing, “You guys love to meddle in other people’s business. When I hit my dad, no one in the tribe said a word to me. My mom never scolded or hit me because of it. It’s you guys who’ve cursed me like I’m worse than a beast, like a pile of stinking dog shit.”
Bahu scanned the surroundings, “What’s wrong? Are you addicted to bullying me?”
No one responded, but quite a few people avoided the topic, pretending it had nothing to do with them, and went inside. The busier they were entering the house to avoid the situation, the more guilty they seemed. Those who stood still and watched were probably innocent.
Bahu didn’t care whether anyone apologized. If he heard anyone talking nonsense about him again, he would lift them up and ask them clearly. No one should think of him as a soft persimmon to squeeze.
When he got home, he found that Doctor Zhao had come, to check Wood Fragrance’s pulse inside. Bahu went in and came out again. When Doctor Zhao came out, he asked how Mi Niang and the two children were doing.
“The children are a bit small, especially the boy. You can tell from his crying that he’s weak. You should take good care of them. Mi Niang’s body is a bit deficient. Stew more chicken and beef bone soup for her. Add more red dates when stewing. Don’t put too many ginseng slices; just add a piece when stewing chicken. Don’t throw everything in at once, or the children will get nosebleeds from overheating.” Doctor Zhao emphasized the need for gradual improvement. There were no major problems with the children and the mother. They were just a bit weak. Eating well, getting plenty of sunlight, walking more, and moving around would help.
Bahu paid the money for the ginseng slices, saw Doctor Zhao off, and said that he would invite him again when the children reached one month.
“Do you really not need me to pass on a message to your mother?” A girl who hadn’t given birth took care of the postpartum period. A woman who hadn’t given birth was always more considerate.
Bahu declined once again, “Really not needed.” His mother couldn’t cook, wash clothes, and even sweep could raise the dust. If she came, she would just be a big boss ordering people around.
Mi Niang mentioned that in the Central Plains, there was a custom of washing the baby on the third day. On the third day after the children were born, Bahu went to the county magistrate’s house to invite Zhao’s grandmother to handle the baby’s bath. Bahu had the elderly uncle slaughter a sheep and prepare a table full of meals to treat the guests who brought gifts. After that, he refused any more guests and asked Mi Niang to sit quietly for the month.
When the children were half a month old, it was the busy season for shearing sheep. Bahu delegated the tasks of collecting the wool and supervising the hired workers to Uncle Chaolu. Grandpa Muren watched over the cattle and sheep at home. Bahu planned to take a few people to find the camel herd. They hadn’t sheared the camels last year, and it was time to do it this year. The camel wool would be used to make two small quilts for Jiya and Qiqige. Camel wool was the warmest.
“Wood Fragrance, I’ll trouble you these days.” Bahu was well aware of how tiring it was to take care of two children who ate, drank, and soiled diapers. When he said this, he felt a bit embarrassed. He had mentioned paying Wood Fragrance a wage, but she insisted on not taking it, saying that if she accepted a wage, she wouldn’t stay here.
“It’s okay. I’ve gained weight during the half month at your place.”
“You go early and come back early. Once you find the camels, let others shear them. Don’t stay too long.” Mi Niang instructed. She felt awkward about asking Wood Fragrance to work, especially for dirty tasks like changing diapers.
“I’ll be back in at most three days.” Bahu’s main purpose was to check on the conditions of the horses and camels. The gestation period of horses and camels was longer than that of humans, and since they were not always in front of people, it was difficult to determine when they got pregnant and how many months they had been pregnant. Bahu only knew how many newborns there were. Camel milk was nourishing, and if there were camels with newborns, Bahu planned to bring a couple of them back.
Once Bahu left, Wood Fragrance also felt relieved. Having a man at home made her uncomfortable, and to avoid suspicion, she even avoided staying with him for too long. When Bahu went inside to comfort the children, she would find an excuse to go out.
“It’s only been half a month, and Qiqige and Jiya have gained quite a bit of weight. The little red monkey has also changed its appearance, looking fair and tender. Now, you can’t say it’s ugly anymore, right?” Wood Fragrance teased Mi Niang. When the child was only two or three days old, she firmly denied that Qiqige resembled her.
“That’s because I’ve taken good care of them.” While the children gained weight, she lost weight. Chicken soup, fish soup, and beef bone soup never stopped. She was much slimmer now than when she was pregnant, and her belly had shrunk by more than half.
As they chatted, the butcher who brought the beef bones arrived. Soon after his death, someone else had opened a meat shop.
Wood Fragrance went out to fetch the meat, and there was no need to pay. Bahu kept a tab, and they planned to settle it together once the children turned a month old. In addition to the beef marrow bones for stewing soup, there were also large thigh bones and cow hooves for the three dogs to chew on. Dogs from wealthy families ate better than those from poor ones. Wood Fragrance joked as she came back inside, “Looking at what you’ve been eating and drinking during this postpartum period, I’m starting to regret choosing a poor beggar like me.”
“Anyway, you two haven’t made it official. If you regret it, prepare for a backup plan. I’m just afraid you won’t be willing to let him go.” Mi Niang had seen the man that Wood Fragrance was interested in. He had a good appearance, a tall stature carried a refined demeanor but wasn’t a weak scholar type. Even when he looked scruffy, he didn’t appear timid or servile. He spoke at a moderate pace. Wood Fragrance’s taste in men was quite good.
“Ah, it’s just because I’m unwilling that I’m hesitant.” Wood Fragrance sighed. After sighing, she took a deep breath. “Nonsense, I don’t regret it. He’s worth a bit of suffering, although it’s not much suffering.”
“As for making it official, if you’re interested, it’s better to clarify it early on. Don’t let it become a muddle and let others take the lead.” Although they were partners in raising sheep and didn’t meet often, it gave outsiders room for speculation. While Wood Fragrance had no interest in other men on her side, nobody knew what rumors were circulating about Zhong Qi on his side.
Wood Fragrance hesitated. “I’m considering looking at the situation this winter or next spring.”
“If you have a plan, go ahead with what you want.” Mi Niang didn’t say much more. At that moment, Qiqige woke up. Before she could start crying, Mi Niang lifted her to avoid waking up her brother.
Although Wood Fragrance had seen this sight many times, seeing the rounded figure still made her uneasy. She glanced away but couldn’t help stealing another peek. She was also trying hard to gain weight, but her figure was far less shapely in the chest area compared to Mi Niang.
“If you want to look, just look. Sneaking around like a wanderer.” Mi Niang blushed and slapped Wood Fragrance’s shoulder with her hand. The movement was too big, and the baby in her arms began to whine discontentedly, so she had to lean back.
There was no one else in the room, and with a red face, Wood Fragrance sought advice, “Mi Niang, how big were you when you were fifteen? Much older than me, right?”
“No, just a little bit older.” Mi Niang adjusted her clothes. Her bosom had indeed grown a lot, with about half attributed to the meat from beef and mutton, and the other half credited to Bahu He liked to knead.
“When you’re pregnant, it’ll grow even more. Don’t worry; it’s fine as it is now.” Mi Niang spoke sincerely. Before she got married, her chest was too big, attracting pointing fingers and annoying comments when she walked outside.
“I’m not worried.” Wood Fragrance’s feeble defense sounded pale. With a red face, she ran out, saying she was going to stew beef bones.
In the evening, when it was time to prepare dinner, the sound of horse hooves outside caught their attention. Mi Niang thought Bahu wouldn’t return so soon. She was about to get out of bed to peek through the door crack when she heard her mother-in-law shout sharply, “Heavens! Has the child been born? Why hasn’t anyone reported the good news?”
Wood Fragrance walked out from the kitchen and saw Da Huang circling around the woman outside, pretending not to recognize her. “Who are you? We have a child at home. Don’t speak so suddenly.”
“And who are you? Where’s Bahu? Where’s Mi Niang?” How come it didn’t take long for her son to return before he switched daughters-in-law?
“Mom, I’m in confinement. Come in yourself. Bahu is not at home; he went to find the camels.” Mi Niang looking through the door crack, thinking about the incident when Bahu sent his mother away in the evening, wondered if her mother-in-law came before it got dark because she was afraid of being sent back.
So when the woman came in, Mi Niang intentionally asked, “Mom, is everything busy at home? Why did you come so late?”
“Yes, busy,” the woman glanced casually at Mi Niang, washed her hands in the basin, and walked to the bedside. The two chubby children lay on the bed, grinning when they saw someone.
“My eldest grandson, and is this the eldest granddaughter? They look really good, taking after their dad.”
This was just talking nonsense. Both children inherited Mi Niang’s fair complexion, while Bahu had a bronze-like skin tone all over his face and body, even darker on his face.
“When were they born? How come no one sent a message? If I had known, I would have come earlier.” Bahu’s mother hadn’t held a child in her arms for years. She hesitated for a moment before taking out the things she brought, clothes, shoes, socks, and little hats, all sewn by herself and washed clean.
“I thought Bahu told you. But your family is too busy, so I thought you couldn’t come. It turns out he didn’t ask anyone to send you a message. Ask him when he comes back in a couple of days.” Mi Niang pretended to be clueless and pushed anything related to his mother onto Bahu.
The woman paused in folding the clothes. The meaning behind Bahu not sending a message was crystal clear to her. She fell silent for a moment, confirmed Bahu’s return time, and left on horseback early in the morning on the third day before Bahu came back.
She didn’t let anyone accompany her; she went alone. Anyway, she had seen her grandchildren and had already given away the clothes, shoes, and socks.
