After settling in Lingshan, things at home were sorted out, and they received an invitation from the Hu family. The night before, Mi Niang washed Qiqige and Jiya’s hair and bathed them. The next day, they put on new clothes, and Mi Niang wore a jingling bracelet on her wrist. When they arrived at the main hall, they were asked to stay by Mrs. Hu, who said that such fair and festive children should stay by her side to help entertain guests.
With Grandma Zhao nearby, Mi Niang and Bahu left the children behind and sneaked out on their own. Before coming, the two joked that they only brought their appetites to the feast today. indeed, most of the guests at the Hu family’s gathering were officials, either on duty or with some connections, like Zhong Qi.
He flitted around the crowd like a colorful butterfly, pouring tea and water at various tables. When he saw Bahu and Mi Niang, he just smiled and nodded.
“He’s pretty good at swallowing his pride,” Bahu said, peeling peanuts and handing them to Mi Niang. If it were him, he’d rather starve to death than come here to put on a smiling face.
Mi Niang chewed on the peanuts without saying anything, pushing away the peanuts Bahu handed her. “I want to try some snacks and see how the Hu family’s cooks make them. I’ll try making them at home too.”
Bahu tossed the peanuts into his own mouth and whispered, “Zhong Qi has slandered you. You should take this opportunity to vent your anger,” implying that she shouldn’t avoid the issue.
“What’s there to say? If I speak up, won’t I be just as petty as him?” The more she cared, the more she gave him importance, and every time she thought about it, she got angry. She took pride in retaliating against Suhe, and Zhong Qi was probably proud of his networking skills, like a fish swimming in water.
She handed a half-finger-length golden pastry to Bahu. “I don’t know how this was baked, but it’s not burnt at all.”
Seeing that the dishes were about to be served, Bahu quickly hid one. After dinner, when he went to pick up the children, he shamelessly asked Mrs. Hu what kind of utensil was used for baking. Mrs. Hu called for the cook, who brought out a bowl-shaped iron vessel that could be stacked together.
“As for the golden color on the outer layer, that’s from brushing with egg sauce and baking,” the cook explained.
…
Leaving the Hu family, Bahu carried Qiqige in one hand and the baking vessel in the other. Mi Niang said he wasn’t afraid of being laughed at, wondering who would visit someone and leave carrying a pot.
“Zhong Qi isn’t afraid of being laughed at, why should I be? A smile doesn’t affect my benefits,” Bahu justified himself confidently. “Besides, it’s not like they’re strangers. Haven’t you seen Mrs. Hu is quite happy?” He felt embarrassed after saying this, his earlobes turning red. He turned his head away and said, “I just wanted to try it out. Turns out, I’m not cut out for this kind of thing.” He felt awkward extending his hand to people, feeling like his face was burning up.
Especially when reaching out for the pot, he didn’t dare to look the cook in the eye.
No wonder Zhong Qi, after aligning with the former county magistrate, was still being used by the current one. A person like him comes in handy, adaptable and perceptive.
After the children fell asleep at home, Mi Niang wiped her hands and face and placed them on the bed. She took the baking pot out of the felt bag and soaked it in a basin after bringing it back with water. Bahu was cooking for the dogs and the little raccoons, boiling the mutton until it was half-cooked, then scooping it out of the pot, chopping it into minced meat, mixing it with blanched wild vegetables, and pouring it into the trough.
“Big Spot, Little Spot, do you dare to come over and snatch it?” He knocked on the basin, and the two raccoons followed him, licking their tongues. Big Spot and Little Spot were now untied and free-range, and the dogs at home had accepted them. They no longer chased them like they did with rabbits.
But they were not of the same species, and they didn’t accept eating from the same bowl.
“Do you have any customs for celebrating a child’s first birthday here?” Considering that Qiqige and Jiya would soon be turning one year old, Mi Niang wanted to organize a few tables.
“Yes, for more traditional families, they might invite a shaman to chant scriptures.” Bahu was planning to do so. Although Mi Niang didn’t believe in shamanism or in the Longevity Heaven, he just wanted to pray for the children’s safety.
If it were up to Mi Niang, she would never agree to invite someone dressed strangely to chant scriptures she couldn’t understand. But when it came to her children, she preferred to believe that there was something to it.
“Isn’t there a shaman in Lingshan?”
“No, but if you agree, I’ll go look for one.” Bahu rinsed the bowl with minced meat and poured the water into the dog’s bowl. The dogs could still lick a piece or two of minced meat while drinking water.
Mi Niang agreed. While Bahu went to look for a shaman, she pondered the dishes for the banquet. On the grasslands in summer, there was no shortage of vegetables or mushrooms. Riding a horse a little farther could even lead to finding sweet and sour wild fruits. As for meat dishes, there would be chicken, lamb, and beef. Bahu planned to slaughter two sheep and a cow for the occasion. The leftover meat could be stuffed into sausages and hung in the felt bag to dry. Mi Niang could also grill slices of beef to please the children of Lingshan.
“Bahu? It’s really you! I almost thought I was mistaken,” Saihan emerged from the silversmith’s shop, holding a red agate hairpin adorned with a leaf-shaped ornament.
Bahu called out, but only once.
Saihan sighed. “You’re here in Xushui? Why aren’t you heading home? It’s already midday; let’s go grab a meal.”
Bahu had just heard about a shaman sect ten miles northwest and was eager to make the trip, aiming to return home before nightfall.
“I’ve already eaten. I bought some lamb buns on the street and am full. Uncle, you carry on. I’ve got something to do.”
He clearly didn’t want to say more, but Saihan persisted as if he were oblivious. “What’s the matter? Tell me. Maybe I can help.”
“I’m going to find a shaman.”
Saihan understood after a moment’s thought and brazenly asked, “Is it for my grandson or granddaughter’s first birthday?” Without waiting for an answer, he inquired about the date. “I’ll take your mother to see the child. We can’t have the child celebrating their first birthday without us, the grandparents, showing up. Outsiders would laugh if they saw that.”
Bahu didn’t want outsiders discussing his family affairs. He glanced at Saihan, then rode off without a word.
“You little rascal,” Saihan chuckled, unfazed, as he casually walked home, the bright red hairpin glinting. On the way, he encountered Agula, another disrespectful youngster who didn’t show proper respect to his elders.
“Spending money recklessly again,” the woman couldn’t take her eyes off the bright red hairpin, then murmured softly that she was too old to match such a vibrant color.
Saihan placed it in her hair bun and praised, “It looks extremely beautiful. Trust my judgment.” He went on to say that their family was wealthy, and there was no need to save money unnecessarily. Finally finding someone who could make him spend money, he pleaded with her to give him the chance to adorn her.
The woman blushed, biting her lower lip without saying another word.
On the second day of July, Bahu slaughtered all the cattle and sheep. In the evening, after washing the blood off a sheep, he laid it on a clean cowhide since none of the pots and pans at home could contain a whole sheep. He crushed wild onions into a paste, mixed it with water, fried Sichuan peppercorns in oil, added plenty of salt, and two spoonfuls of honey for seasoning. Scooping up the sauce, Mi Niang sprinkled it over the lamb while Bahu vigorously rubbed it in, ensuring every part was coated.
“All set, marinate overnight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll start the fire for roasting,” Bahu wrapped the lamb in the cowhide and placed it in the kitchen.
They slept late and rose early. Mi Niang first mixed rice with sweet and sour fruits and stuffed it into the lamb’s stomach. Bahu then used a needle and thread to stitch up the stomach. By the time Ajima arrived, fires were burning both inside and outside the house, emitting a tantalizing aroma.
“We didn’t cook breakfast this morning. After I finish stewing the lamb, the three of us will each have a bowl to fill our stomachs,” Mi Niang told Ajima. “You’ll be taking care of Qiqige and Jiya today.”
“Not at all,” she replied. And indeed, it wasn’t. There were too many cats and dogs in the house, and all of them had good temperaments. Big Spot and Little Spot accompanied Qiqige and Jiya, playing with yarn balls for a long time. Bala and Alse wolves could carry the children on their backs and run outside to play. There were also seven dog pups almost as tall as Da Huang; with them around, Qiqige and Jiya couldn’t run too far. They could only pick up dirty things from the ground to feed them.
Bai Mei was the first to come. As soon as she entered the kitchen, Pandi, Lan Niang, and Ying Niang also arrived. The shoes, socks, clothes, and hats they brought were quickly glanced at by Mi Niang before she rolled up her sleeves to help wash and chop vegetables, while Ying Niang took care of the fire.
With their help, Mi Niang felt much easier. When Grandma Zhao, Wan’er, Baoyin’s family, and Mu Xiang came over, she still had time to welcome them.
Mu Xiang came alone, without bringing Zhong Qi, to avoid causing any discomfort to the hosts on such a good day.
Pregnant as she was, Mi Niang didn’t let her help and asked her to sit with Baoyin’s mother and Grandma Zhao for a chat.
“I’ll go and watch the children for you,” she said, inserting herself between the two in-laws, who didn’t object.
“Just keep an eye on them, don’t touch them. The dogs and mountain badgers in my house protect the children. You’re a stranger, so be careful they don’t bite you,” Mi Niang cautioned her carefully.
Mu Xiang saw the two children surrounded by dogs as soon as she arrived. As she approached, she realized that Qiqige and Jiya were trying to walk with the dogs, stumbling over the grass and being pulled up by the dogs biting their clothes when they fell.
Apart from the children being a bit dirty, the adults indeed had less to worry about.
…
“So this is Bahu’s home? It’s my first time coming here,” said Saihan as he dismounted from his horse, helping the woman in the carriage down. Seeing Bahu coming out with a greasy face, Saihan chuckled triumphantly. “Nephew, you’re not going to welcome us?”
“Of course, I am,” Bahu put on a smiling face. This was the first time his mother had come to his place in a carriage, and she looked remarkably refreshed, probably due to the lack of exposure to the sun and wind.
“Mother, Uncle, please come inside. I’m still roasting the lamb and don’t have time to attend to you,” he said.
“We’re all family, no need for you to attend to us,” Saihan replied, asking if he could help. Upon learning that he wasn’t needed, he asked about the two little birthday celebrants. He then took out a box bigger than his face and said, “This is a gift from your grandparents for the two kids.”
At that moment, Mi Niang, who had just washed her hands, also came out. “Mother, Uncle, please come inside. And while you’re at it, please help me entertain the guests,” she said before going outside to find the children. Qiqige and Jiya were covered in a mixture of black, yellow, and gray dog hair, so she immediately stripped off their outer clothes and asked Ajima to bring out their new ones.
“Mother.”
“Mother, carry.”
The first one was Jiya, and the second was Qiqige. Both children could walk and talk now, and they were both noisy.
After changing their clothes and washing their hands and faces by the river, as she carried one and led the other back, she called out to Mu Xiang, “Come on, let’s go inside.”
“Was that your mother-in-law and brother-in-law just now?” Mu Xiang asked as they walked. “Your brother-in-law doesn’t look like he’s even thirty.” Her mother-in-law also seemed a few years younger, and the signs of suffering had faded somewhat.
Mi Niang nodded. She had almost failed to recognize them just now; they didn’t look like a new widow or a new bride, but rather like a new bride who had just entered the family.
“This is Grandma Zao, and this is Uncle,” Mi Niang led the children into the house and had them call out to the guests.
Saihan watched eagerly, but when he heard them call him “Uncle,” he felt a bit disappointed. He handed them two fancy golden necklaces and said, “The kids are quite clever.” He had hoped that the one-year-olds wouldn’t be able to twist him around their little fingers, allowing him to enjoy some prestige.
After putting the children inside, Mi Niang went back to the kitchen. After a while, she heard talking outside, thinking that the shaman must have arrived. Mu Xiang then entered the kitchen and asked, “Did you invite two shaman priests?”
“It’s a custom from the Mobei,” replied Mi Niang. Once the shaman priests had finished their chants and meditation, the feast could begin.
“Let’s go and have a look,” Mi Niang said, covering the pot and leading the way outside.
However, the children still couldn’t understand, and they were scared and cried at the sight of the two shamans, who were adorned with bird feathers, animal teeth around their necks, and various bones strung around their waists.
