After receiving the official notice, the scattered herdsmen hastily packed their belongings. Before dawn, they drove their flocks away from the autumn pastures, and by noon, they began to see people coming from all directions, gradually converging into a single line as they headed west.
In the evening, as Mi Niang cooked dinner listening to the lively chatter, she realized she might have exaggerated the situation. The local herdsmen didn’t seem to be distressed. Perhaps, before she came to the Mobei this year, the people of Lingshan had already encountered similar situations.
During dinner, she asked Bahu, who looked puzzled. “No army but there’s the government, and the officials will take care of it,” he said. “Just like this time, returning to the winter pasture early was arranged by the government after receiving information. They’ll arrange everything, and we just need to follow their instructions.”
He had great trust in the government, much like his trust in Ketun, who had brought them good days—a level of trust that Mi Niang and later arrivals from the Central Plains lacked.
After the lesson of encountering wolves on the migration route in spring, Bahu didn’t relax his vigilance even with more people tonight. The newly born puppies and the spotted dogs were kept in the Lele carts. He and the two servants stayed awake all night, patrolling the herds, with his bow and arrows never leaving his hands.
“Boss, have you noticed there are more wolves this year than usual?” In the month at the Xia Ranch, they had killed thirteen wolves, thanks to the abundance of dogs at home. Otherwise, relying on just the two of them on night duty, they wouldn’t have the courage to chase after them.
“Boss, have you noticed there are more wolves this year than usual?” In over a month at the Xia Ranch, they had killed thirteen wolves, thanks to the abundance of dogs at home. Otherwise, with just the two-night guards, they wouldn’t have had the courage to chase after them.
“Maybe there’s a wolf pack that moved over this way,” Bahu glanced behind him. Through the flickering flames of the fire, the golden fur of Da Huang could be vaguely seen. It was guarding the felt where Mi Niang and the children slept. With it around, he felt a bit more at ease. It was only now that he seemed to grasp a bit of the reason why Da Huang didn’t look at him with respect. Like a household couldn’t have two heads, when a son grew up, he might argue with his father over decisions. He protected the three in the felt, and so did Da Huang. He saw Da Huang as a dog, but Da Huang saw him as a rival. No wonder it looked down on him.
“What are you laughing at, Boss?” It was quite intimidating in the middle of the night.
“What do you think of my Da Huang?”
“Great dog, loyal and clever, can guard the home and herd, and even look after the children.”
“Maybe it sees itself as human,” Bahu chuckled again, now suspecting that Da Huang might learn to work like a person.
What nonsense in the middle of the night? A dog was just a dog. He only thought that Bahu’s dog ate better than some people.
After a night of continued travel, Bahu couldn’t catch up on sleep. He struggled through another day until they reached Lingshan. After unloading their belongings, he collapsed onto the felt where the children sat and couldn’t get up. Glancing at Da Huang, who was sitting beside him watching the children, he rolled over, his hand reaching for its leg. Trusting that Da Huang wouldn’t bite him, he held on tight no matter how it struggled.
“Da Huang, oh Da Huang, you’re living the life while I haven’t closed my eyes for two days and nights.”
“I’ve already boiled the water. Come and take a bath. After the bath, you can eat, and after eating, you can go to sleep. “ Mi Niang spoke from the kitchen. After waiting for a while without hearing any movement, she thought, “Could he be asleep?” When she walked out, she saw Bahu sprawled out on the felt, staring at the sky.
Mi Niang walked over and squatted down. Just as she was about to ask if he wasn’t feeling well, she suddenly felt a tug on her waist, and the next moment, she fell forward, hastily propping herself up to avoid landing on him.
“You have the nerve to laugh! I should have fallen on you and given you a nosebleed.” With one leg kneeling between his legs, she scolded him for being reckless. “You almost got yourself injured.”
The man laughed heartily, causing the free-range chickens to flap their wings and squawk a few times. “I know you couldn’t bear to do it,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her down onto him. “Just lie with me for a while. I want to rest.”
“The fire is still burning in the stove. If I rest, who will take care of your son and daughter?” There was no way she could rest with someone lying on top of her.
Bahu glanced at her sideways, disdainfully curling his lip. “Too dirty. Let’s just have Da Huang take care of the siblings and let them sleep in the dog’s nest every night.”
“Cough cough cough! I guess I came at the wrong time,” Xi Jil chuckled. Seeing Mi Niang blush and retreat into the kitchen, he walked into the courtyard, where he found the children sitting in the dog’s nest, also grimacing in discomfort.
“Why did you come at this time?” Bahu sat up.
“Xi Jil, here’s your payment.” Xi Jil handed him a wooden box. “The account book is inside too. I’ve recorded the prices and quantities of various furs for this year. Take a look when you have time.”
Bahu responded with a quick “Okay,” eager to see him off.
Even without his urging, Xi Jil would have left. He was on night duty tonight, so he had to get ready to go. As he stepped out, he thought to himself how innocent this couple was. They blushed when caught together, even though they already had children. He really should take a walk outside at night to see how many lovebirds were chirping on the grasslands.
Bahu didn’t take a bath at home. He lay down, waiting for the food to be ready. After dinner, when it was dark outside, he said, “I’m going to wash in the river.”
“It’s cold at night. I’ve heated some water,” Mi Niang said, seeing him grab his clothes without hesitation and head out. Despite her advice, he was stubborn. “You’re so stubborn. If you get sick, I’ll have to make you a bowl of bitter melon soup.”
“Mom!” Jiya called out.
Mi Niang responded with an acknowledgment, soaking the dishes in the pot first. She undressed the two children and put them in the tub, letting them play in the water while she washed the dishes before rolling up her sleeves to bathe the children.
Once the children were clean, Bahu returned. Mi Niang wrapped the naked children in a blanket and put them to bed. It was cold at night, and the children wouldn’t wriggle out of bed if they were naked under the covers.
“You put the children to sleep first. I’ll go take a bath,” Mi Niang said hastily, failing to notice the deep gaze and heated breath of the man.
“Close your eyes and sleep,” Bahu said, tucking the children in tightly. As long as they didn’t move around, they would fall asleep in no time.
Once the children were asleep, he put on his shoes and went outside. Listening to the sound of water from the neighboring house, he stood outside, feeling the breeze. He glanced at Da Huang, who was going outside to drink water, but he paid no attention. When the water stopped, he stepped out of the tub, dressed, put on his shoes, and came to open the door.
“Ah!” Mi Niang’s hand was grabbed, and she was so scared that her heart almost jumped out of her throat. “Are you crazy? You scared me to death.” Recognizing the person, she bit him in anger.
“You’re the crazy one. You didn’t sleep at all last night…” Mi Niang bit her lip, then let go and bit the man’s neck, feeling like she was stealing a kiss in haste. Her hands were calloused and thick, making her feel sore.
Before going out, she was too tired to eat, and taking a bath in the river felt like a shock. Mi Niang was pushed into the tub, looking at the person behind her through the not-so-clear water surface.
The storm came swiftly and ended quickly. She sat back into the tub, the water still warm. Bahu stood outside the tub washing himself. “I’ll pour bathwater tomorrow. Wash up and hurry into the house to sleep,” he said, his voice tired but also relieved.
Mi Niang waited until she was lying in bed before she regained her strength. She wanted to ask him what had upset him, but when she looked up, she saw he was already fast asleep, his features relaxed, breathing heavily.
Annoyed by his sudden relief, she felt suspended between frustration and relief.
…
Mi Niang heard the playful sounds of dogs outside and sat up to find Bahu still asleep, and the two children also asleep. She crossed over the sleeping figure on the floor, got out of bed, dressed, and went outside to cook.
In the yard, she saw clusters of bloody rabbit fur and noticed a few dogs with swollen bellies. She also saw some spotted dogs sleeping with their bellies exposed in the doghouse. Did the dogs go hunting with the foxes to catch rabbits?
Mi Niang patted the dogs that greeted her, started a fire, and began cooking. She went inside halfway to check on the children. Qiqige and Jiya were awake and had crawled into Bahu’s bed but were still asleep. Clearly, they were exhausted, and she couldn’t help but think they deserved it. Overextending oneself leads to big cravings.
After attending to the two children and having a meal with them, Bahu was still asleep. Mi Niang didn’t wake him up, leaving a note before taking the two children and rushing off with two Lele carts to collect beehives.
The horses pulling the Lele carts were Dazao and Daheizi. She only drove one Lele cart, and the other followed behind. Qiqige and Jiya sat in one Lele cart while the other was used to transport the beehives.
…
Bahu woke up close to noon. It was eerily quiet outside as if no one was there. After calling out a couple of times, Big Spot and Little Spot led two puppies and barged in.
“Hurry up, hurry up,” he said, putting on his undershirt and grabbing his robe to wear outside. He checked the kitchen, only to find cold pots and stoves. It wasn’t until he entered the house and saw the note on the table that he realized two Lele carts were missing.
By the time he rode the camel to look for them, Mi Niang was already on her way back with the children, all wearing garlands on their heads.
“Innkeeper, did you have a good harvest this year?” Bahu casually responded to the children’s calls of “dad” before hearing the buzzing of bees from one of the Lele carts. “Any stings?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, innkeeper. I’ve been beekeeping for nearly eight years. How could I get stung by bees?” Mi Niang scooted over to make room for Bahu. “When did you wake up?”
“It’s almost noon,” he said with a yawn, “finally got a good night’s sleep.”
She gave him a sidelong glance and spat, “You deserved it.”
Then she asked, “What got into you last night?”
Bahu glanced around the Lele cart, lowered his voice, and muttered, “I ran into a wild goose while bathing. The cold water couldn’t extinguish the fire in my belly.”
“This…this… The wind at night is chilly. Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?” Mi Niang looked around in surprise, then realized it was broad daylight. She wanted to say something but remembered the times she and Bahu had acted recklessly, so she instinctively made excuses, “Maybe the conditions at home weren’t convenient.”
Bahu looked as if he was lost in thought and remained silent. It was Qiqige who slapped him on the back, reminding him of their eldest daughter and son.
When they arrived home, they happened to encounter an official checking the number of people, who confirmed that everyone had returned and they could depart in two days.
“So urgent?” Bahu had wanted to take Mi Niang to the Xushui doctor.
Mi Niang was glad she had brought back all the beehives today; otherwise, all sixteen hives of bees would have frozen to death by winter.
“It’s better to leave early than to be late. By late autumn, the weather changes rapidly. The adults are afraid of being caught in a snowstorm on the road.” Snowstorms are terrifying because you can’t tell which way is which. If two or three thousand people and tens of thousands of livestock get caught, they’ll freeze to death in the wilderness.
Upon receiving the news, Bahu and his men went to find the herds of horses and camels. Fortunately, they had buried the salt blocks nearby this year, so they managed to drive them back in just one day.
The night before they departed, while Mi Niang was cooking dinner, she prepared two pots of dough for steaming mantou in the morning. Bahu had someone slaughter a sheep and stewed a pot of fresh sheep official soup, fried lamb ribs, and fried lamb fat for pancakes. The master and servant, along with the two children, ate dinner early and went back to sleep, getting up the next day before dawn to pack up their belongings.
As the last pot of mantou was taken off the stove, the rumble of wagon wheels and the heavy sound of hooves headed westward. As the people departed, the sky over Lingshan also darkened.
