“I’ve only known him for less than two days; I’m afraid I don’t have the influence to speak on your behalf,” Mi Niang didn’t promise, but she didn’t completely reject the idea either. “I’ll check it out tomorrow. If he still needs people and is hiring, I’ll come back and let you know.”
“Thank you.” Pandi hadn’t expected to be rejected and felt a bit embarrassed.
“No problem.” Mi Niang patted Da Huang’s head and said, “I need to go graze the sheep. Are you coming?”
“I’ll pass. My grandmother is looking for me for something,” Wan’er waved her hand, glancing at Mi Niang. Her lips moved, appearing hesitant to say something.
“What’s wrong?” Before leaving, Mi Niang walked up to her and asked in a low voice.
“Now that you’re earning money, do you want to rent a small felt tent and move out with us?” Wan’er glanced at the people on the other side who were walking slowly and constantly casting glances in their direction. She vaguely said, “Living together is troublesome. Even sharing a meal makes some people uncomfortable, and saying something privately attracts attention.”
“If you want to move, when my grandmother goes to rent a felt tent later, I’ll pick one for you.”
Mi Niang lowered her eyes. In her sight were exposed toes and the frayed hem of her clothes. “Forget it, I’ll endure for a while longer. Once I have some money, I need to buy clothes and essentials first.”
“Mi Niang, let’s go,” Lan Niang called out on tiptoe.
“I’m coming.” Mi Niang waved her hand in response. When she withdrew her hand, she hesitated for a moment, awkwardly rubbed Wan’er’s head, and said, “Thank you for taking care of me along the way and looking after Zhao Granny. Tell her that I’ve figured things out.”
“Okay.”
Mi Niang ran a short distance, catching up with Lan Niang and the others. Seeing them curiously glancing at her, she pretended not to notice, her eyes unabashedly fixed on the felt tents across the river. Surprisingly, the herders in the Northern Desert were also cultivating vegetables.
Although she said she was grazing sheep, in reality, Mi Niang was digging wild vegetables like dandelions and alfalfa, which the sheep could also eat. She also picked up some dried cow dung to use for cooking fuel. As footsteps approached, Mi Niang turned her head to glance, and it was Lan Niang.”Mi Niang, is Wan’er planning to move out with Zhao Granny?” Lan Niang, seeing the puzzled look in Mi Niang’s eyes, sighed and said, “I didn’t intentionally eavesdrop, but the place is so small, there’s nowhere to hide.” Unlike in their hometown, where there were several rooms with a main hall and bedrooms, here in the North, it was unclear if there were people inside once the door was closed.
“What about you? Are you planning to move out too?” Lan Niang asked anxiously.
Mi Niang shook her head, “I don’t have the money to rent a felt tent.”
“Aren’t you going to work with Bahu?”
“I need to buy shoes, fabric, needles, and thread. I also need a comb, headbands, and a mattress for sleeping. I’ll think about it when I have some extra money.” Mi Niang used a stick to dig up some dandelions from the ground. Oh, she also needed to buy sickles and knives. Currently, she uses her hands to twist vegetables, and after boiling meat, she pieces it out and tears it into shreds to share.
Lan Niang became even more anxious after hearing this. She had planned to follow the official arrangements, focusing on raising sheep. She would have to wait until winter when the sheep grew bigger and could be sold before having extra money to buy things.
“How can I earn money, Mi Niang?” She mumbled anxiously. Before her parents and older brother had trouble, she never worried about these things.
“First, take good care of the sheep.” Mi Niang sighed with considerable pressure. She was only a few years older than them. How could she have the ability to solve these problems? If they were serious, they might as well go ask Zhao Granny.
The next morning, Mi Niang quietly got up early when it was just getting light. She gently took off Da Huang’s leash and went to fetch water to cook. The activity in the felt tent only started after she had finished her meal.
“Awake? I’ve already cooked the meal, and I’ve finished eating too.”Mi Niang opened the door and let her four little sheep out. Waving her hand, she said, “I’m going to work now, see you later.”
“Leave the sheep; I’ll watch them for you. After all, herding sheep just means driving them to a place with grass and water. With four sheep, two eyes are enough, even with eight, it’s not much more effort.” Lan Niang shouted as she chased after her.
“You…!”
“Wan’er, go wash up,” Granny Zhao shouted from outside the door.
“Alright, coming, “ Lan Naing responded and quickened her pace to catch up with Mu Xiang. She snorted, “Jealous.”
Mu Xiang wanted to retort, but upon seeing Granny Zhao, she swallowed her words. This old lady seemed to be able to see through people, making her a bit nervous.
At this time, when the herders were cooking, Mi Niang led her dog and sheep, attracting quite a few glances as she walked along the river downstream. On the way, they encountered a man walking back with a rolled-up felt mat, causing a commotion of barking from the dogs. Da Huang got scared and tucked its tail, sticking close to Mi Niang.
“Tsk tsk, this dog is quite timid.” A man with a big beard laughed. Whistling, he calmed his big black dog, which still stared intently at Da Huang.
“Uncle, your dog is really strong.” This man was probably taller than her when standing up. Without a leash, Da Huang looked at her with weak legs, but she didn’t admit defeat. “Did you bring the dog to guard the cattle and sheep at night? Can it beat a wolf?”
“Yes, we raise it for wolf protection.” The big-bearded man, amused by the girl’s courage, bent down, opened the dog’s mouth, and showed her its teeth. “Look at these teeth; one bite and a wolf won’t survive.”
“It can’t catch up with a wolf, right? It looks quite cumbersome.” Its paws were as thick as her wrist, and the meat on the dog’s head had squeezed its eyes.
“If it really starts running, it might struggle to catch up, but wolves are cunning and greedy. When they come, it’s to steal sheep. They won’t run away at the first sign of trouble.” The big-bearded man glanced at the yellow-haired dog. Indeed, dogs tended to mirror their owners, and people in the Central Plains had slender bodies, so the dogs they raised were also small-framed.
“Why are you herding sheep so early? Are you alone?” The big-bearded man asked.
“Not really, I’m going to work as a short-term laborer at Bahu’s house.” Mi Niang glanced back and could see the last felt bag downstream. She quickened her pace, trying to create some distance, and Da Huang was almost too frightened to walk.
“Bahu? Why did you go to his house? He’s a peculiar one. My family also needs someone to do work, and I find you agreeable. Come to my place instead.” The big-bearded man pointed across the river and said, “The one outside the felt bag with red cloth tied is my house.”
“I’ve already promised him. It wouldn’t be right to break my word. If your family needs people, I can introduce a few to you. They are all nimble workers.” Mi Niang stopped at his words.
“Are they male or female?”
“Thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls.”
“Forget it then, I prefer male workers.” The big-bearded man shook his head, refusing. “I need workers to shear sheep. Girls as slender as you can’t handle sheep. If there are lighter tasks later, I’ll come to you.” He saw Bahu coming out and didn’t say much. Without taking off his shoes, he waded across the river.
Mi Niang didn’t dare to let her shoes get wet. She found a place with a crossbar and carefully stepped across. Da Huang, on the other hand, was carefree. It leaped a few times through the river water in three or two steps, wagging its tail slightly.
“Do you think if I feed it for some time, it will become more attached to me?” Bahu, satisfied with Da Huang’s pleasing posture, couldn’t help but want to establish his reputation as an unrepentant thief.
“…,” Mi Niang couldn’t confidently say no, after all, she occasionally fed it two pieces of honey, and it dared to jump into the floodwaters to save her.
“Am I the only worker? Are there others?” Mi Niang asked about the other workers.
“There are another twenty or so, they haven’t come yet. You can come with them tomorrow; no need to be too early.” Bahu glanced at her and shouted behind him.
“Zhao Lu, he will take you to shear the sheep.” Bahu introduced them to each other, pointing to Da Huang, and said, “Zhao Lu, get a piece of bone for Da Huang. In the future, when Bala and A’erse are eating, prepare a bowl for it. Oh, and, keep the three dogs apart, don’t let Bala bite Da Huang to death.”
“You also have dogs?” Mi Niang jumped over to him and looked at the felt bags behind him. Ten or so felt bags were connected together and the front ones should be where the slaves lived, while the ones behind with exquisite materials should be where Bahu lived.
“Haven’t you seen them before?” Bahu referred to the day when she first arrived on the grassland.
“I thought you didn’t have dogs since you cared so much about mine.” Mi Niang stared at him, her feelings changing rapidly, seeming unsure of what she wanted.
“You’re talking more now.” Bahu clicked his tongue. When they spoke for the first time the day before yesterday, she just responded with a simple “yes” that choked him.
He glanced at Da Huang and reached out to pat the dog’s head, but it turned around with the bone in its mouth and went to the other side.
Very good, it’s still a vigilant dog.
“I have other things to do; I’ll leave first.” Bahu changed his smile from a moment ago, nodded, and walked away quickly.
“Unpredictable.” Mi Niang saw his sudden change of expression, finally understanding the meaning of the big-bearded man’s peculiar temper.
But she seemed to have more to say in front of him.
Mi Niang stood by the river, holding the dog, waiting for the others to arrive. After careful consideration, she tied Da Huang to a safe place. She followed others and continued to walk downstream with Zhao Lu.
“Mi Niang, why are you here too? Weren’t you among those selected yesterday?” A long-faced woman asked with a strange look, “Did you secretly talk to the master?” She glanced at Mi Niang with a weird expression. The figure was good, but the clothes were ragged, and the color had faded by seventy percent. The facial features were also not bad, but on the way to escape, she shared half of her meal with the dog. The face was so thin that there was no flesh left, making the eyes look especially large, with black eyeballs staring at people strangely.
This way, it seems like no man would be interested in her.
“I got the favor because of Da Huang. The master was interested in my dog and wanted to buy it,” Mi Niang briefly explained. Those with doubts would understand most of it.
“Da Huang escaped with you from Luzhou to the northern desert. This is a good dog, lucky and blessed. Don’t sell it for a low price if he doesn’t offer a good one,” someone suggested to her.
“I have no intention of selling him,” Mi Niang explained seriously.
“Come over and see how I catch and shear the sheep.” Zhao Lu shouted ahead, and about twenty people gathered around. There were at least a few hundred sheep here, no wonder they needed so many laborers.
“The overseer, are these sheep all owned by the master? How did you manage in previous years?” In the sound of scissors cutting, someone couldn’t help but inquire.
“In previous years, the master had more than fifty slaves. Last year, many people’s years of indenture were up, so they were redeemed. I’m close too; this year is my third year, and in another two years, I’ll be a free man.” Zhao Lu carefully pointed out the techniques while holding the lambs, “When you catch a sheep, don’t rush to do anything. Let it struggle and bleat for a while. Stroking its nose can make it quiet down. After that, feed it some salt, and at this point, it will basically be obedient. Then tie its four legs. Remember, don’t tie too tightly, or it will struggle again.”
“When shearing, leave about half a finger’s length of wool to prevent mosquitoes and ticks from sticking to the flesh and sucking blood. Don’t keep the wool on the sheep’s tail and buttocks, it’s too dirty and hard to wash.” Zhao Lu quickly finished shearing a sheep as a demonstration for everyone. “Alright, now come with me to get ropes, scissors, salt, and wool bags. If you don’t know, just ask. Don’t injure the sheep, and of course, don’t injure yourself.”
Mi Niang drove her sheep up the hill and chose a relatively small ewe. She approached quietly, then, grabbing the sheep by the neck, she pounced on it, imitating Zhao Lu’s movements to restrain the sheep’s hooves. One hand pressed down on the sheep’s head, and the other touched its nose.
The sheep’s cries gradually weakened, bringing joy to Mi Niang. She released her grip and pinched a handful of salt from the bag. Before she could get close to the sheep’s mouth, it suddenly exerted a great force, tossing Mi Niang aside. She fell, covering her thigh, and as she was about to get up, the sheep, now on its feet, lowered its head, preparing to charge at her with its horns.
“Hey! Get away…” Fortunately, a man heard the noise and quickly ran over to drive the sheep away. “Stubborn beast, with a temper as fierce as ever,” he remarked, realizing how daunting the scene was. The wild temperament of the sheep here was quite strong, and they were retaliatory. If they broke free, instead of running away, they might attempt to charge at people.
Getting jabbed by sheep horns could be serious.
“Are you okay?” Zhao Lu ran over and asked.
“I’m fine, just got kicked by the sheep’s hind hooves.” Mi Niang endured the pain, stood up, and didn’t even bother brushing off the grass on her body. Smiling, she said, “Fell down once, got some experience with one sheep.”
“Wow, you’re too thin. Why did the master let you do this job?” Zhao Lu sighed and said, “The castrated ram is larger in size, but more docile. The ewes with lambs are aggressive, especially those with udders swollen big. Avoid touching them.”
“Okay, I understand. I’ll observe for a while.” Mi Niang rubbed her leg, refraining from complaining. She considered herself fortunate to get equal pay while also getting a free-riding dog. That was already a good deal.
