In the late afternoon, when she went to the almshouse again, Pandi and the other two were standing in the snow, waiting eagerly. When they saw Mi Niang coming, they all began to talk at once, recounting the aftermath of the noon incident: Mu Xiang and Zhong Qi had a big fight, and at one point, she even slapped him in anger, saying she regretted marrying him.
“Mu Xiang came back with the child, and she’s in the house now,” Pandi said with a grimace. The three of them shared a spacious kang to sleep on, but with her arrival, it became crowded again, especially with a breastfeeding baby, constantly crying and urinating, making the room smell awful. However, they couldn’t complain because Zhong Qi was the one in charge here.
No wonder all three of them came out. Mi Niang listened to a bellyful of complaints and estimated that it was time to go. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “Let’s go in. The master should be here.”
When they entered the house, they saw Zhong Qi outside, leaning against the door and speaking softly inside. By evening, after school, he was still standing at the door, with a pile of things at his feet.
“Mu Xiang, open the door. Pandi and Lan Niang are back. You can’t just leave them outside,” he said, holding a bowl of milk that had frozen into a lump of ice. When Pandi and the others saw him, it was as if they had seen a savior. He was in a hurry; the child had been crying all afternoon from hunger, and the mother cried along with the baby. His tongue was blistered from pleading, but she ignored him and refused to open the door. When he raised his voice, threatening to hold the child and bang his head against the door until they opened, he truly didn’t expect her to become like this because of a few poor relatives who weren’t even worth considering.
Mi Niang stood at a distance and watched for a while. When the door opened, she walked out of the relief house with Ajima waiting for her.
Early the next morning, Mi Niang was eager to go to the relief house, which puzzled Bahu. Had she ignited her passion for studying again?
When Mi Niang arrived, she first looked for Lan Niang, who was indeed waiting. “Mu Xiang didn’t go back last night. Zhong Qi apologized to us, but she’s still relentless. If we hadn’t been there, Zhong Qi might have knelt down.”
“And then?” Mi Niang asked eagerly.
“Then Zhong Qi persuaded her with all sorts of excuses until he warmed the milk and fed the child. When their servant brought the food, he warmed the soup and coaxed Mu Xiang into drinking it before being kicked out. Early this morning, before dawn, he brought more milk, repeatedly asking us to take care of Mu Xiang and the child.” Lan Niang looked proud, whispering, “Mu Xiang is quite formidable.”
“I think you’re quite confused,” Mi Niang teased, poking her. She knew that once a man softened up, it was hard to predict his actions.
Seeing Mi Niang heading in the wrong direction, Lan Niang followed and asked, “Aren’t you going to see Mu Xiang?”
“What’s the point? I wouldn’t know what to say anyway. I’ll pass.”
After that, Zhong Qi and Mu Xiang became a scene at the relief house, enjoying three good meals a day. It wasn’t until the end of the year, when the private school closed, that Mu Xiang finally went back home with Zhong Qi, feeling relieved and assured, and Zhong Qi earned a unanimous good reputation—loving wife, loving child, and good temper.
Even Bahu heard about it and disdainfully scoffed, “With his habit of flattery and disparagement, how can he have a good reputation? When he takes another step forward and starts asking for benefits, those who praised him today will be the ones cursing him tomorrow.”
He then asked, “I heard many people advised Mu Xiang to go back home with Zhong Qi. Did you also advise her?”
Mi Niang fed a lump of fish to Jiya and shook her head. “I didn’t go, and I didn’t get involved.” As someone who couldn’t even sleep peacefully in her own bed, despite Mu Xiang’s loud complaints, she knew she would still go back with Zhong Qi eventually. Although there might be resentment now, in the future, they would still stand united. As someone who openly criticized Zhong Qi, she would be remembered for it forever.
“Not going was the right decision. If you had gone, and she had come, it would have led to more back and forth, causing more trouble,” Bahu said, picking out the fish bones and feeding the fish to Jiya. Once again, he said, “Let’s just focus on living our own lives well, regardless of the chaos outside.”
After both children were fed, Bahu and Mi Niang began to eat. Ajima was taken home by Xi Jil yesterday after school, saying he would celebrate the holiday with him and return after the New Year.
After dinner, the family of four went to the sheep pen. Mi Niang and Bahu scooped out sprouted corn for the cattle and sheep, while Jiya and Qiqige played with a lamb that was only two days old. With Da Huang following along, she wasn’t worried about the ewe harming her lamb.
“Bahu, you have to give us red envelopes for the New Year. When I was not in the Mobei, my father used to give red envelopes to the three of us siblings every year,” Mi Niang suddenly remembered this while idle, not only wanting it for the children but also for herself.
After Bahu understood, he nodded. “Sure, I’ll give you the biggest red envelope. How do you celebrate the New Year over there?”
“On the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, we worship the kitchen god, on the 28th we cook Laba porridge, on the last day of the old year, we worship our ancestors in the morning, have a big dinner in the evening, on the first day of the new year, we visit our immediate family, on the second day, we visit our mother’s family, and then we go to our aunts and uncles to pay respects.”
“Oh, and we also put up couplets and cut paper-cuts.” Anyway, the White Festival in the lacks the festive atmosphere of the celebrations there.
“Tomorrow is the 28th, shall we also cook Laba porridge?” Although Bahu didn’t like porridge, he was willing to go hungry to make Mi Niang happy. She had spent three White Festivals in the Mobei, and if he hadn’t asked today, she wouldn’t have mentioned it.
Mi Niang nodded, dodging the approaching mother sheep, and asked again, “After that, did I still talk nonsense in my sleep at night? It should be gone, right?”
Bahu noticed her hesitant look and nodded, saying, “It’s gone. You slept soundly, couldn’t wake you up no matter how hard I tried.” This referred to the other night when Jiya wet the bed. Both mother and daughter slept on the wet mattress, completely undisturbed. He called for them to get up and change the sheets and clothes, but one curled up in the blanket while the other covered her ears.
Mi Niang smiled at the little girl, unsure of what to say. Just then, they heard footsteps outside. They turned to look and saw Asyl.
“Hey, unexpected guest,” Bahu greeted, puzzled. “I didn’t hear a sound. Even the dog didn’t bark at you.” Not even Da Huang barked.
“The dog doesn’t bite its own family, my friend,” Asyl laughed heartily. “Both kids have grown so much, huh? They change every day.”
“Where’s Wan’er? Did you come alone?” Mi Niang walked over to instruct Qiqige and Jiya to call him.
“Wan’er is with Grandma Zhao. I came to let you know that we’ll be having lunch at my third sister’s place later.” Asyl ruffled Jiya’s hair. “The little girl looks so much like her dad. If I have a daughter, I wonder if she’ll resemble me.”
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. “Is Wan’er pregnant?”
“Yes, she’s three months pregnant.” Asyl’s smile was wider than a sheep’s horns.
“Congratulations, about to be a dad,” Mi Niang called out to Bahu, telling him to stop what he was doing and go change his clothes. It was time to go.
“I’ll go pick up Wan’er and Grandma Zhao first. Sister-in-law, big brother, you come over earlier.” Asyl had ridden a horse here, and it was waiting at the door. He had heard the commotion and walked over after dismounting.
Bahu agreed, telling him not to rush the horse. With one hand holding a child, he turned back to let Mi Niang hold onto the hem of his clothes as they walked, with Da Huang following closely behind.
“What should we do with the beef intestines cooking in the pot? Eat them when we come back tonight? Will they get too soft if they soak in the soup?” He didn’t want to go eat at someone else’s house when the aroma from the kitchen was so enticing. After slaughtering the cow at home, Mi Niang braised the beef intestines in a broth made from the cow bones. He had developed a taste for it. Yesterday, he bought a pair of beef intestines when he ran into someone slaughtering a cow. He stewed them overnight in the beef bone broth, and in the morning, they had noodles cooked in the broth, while the beef intestines had been simmering for half a day.
“How about we eat first and then go? We can bring the dish over. We’ll even add a dish for lunch.” It just so happened that there were some things they couldn’t take with them, like dried meat and fruits, neither of which was lacking in either household. “Let’s also grab half a basket of greens to bring over.”
Bahu was somewhat reluctant, but when he scooped up the beef intestines from the pot, he first picked up one, tore it into four pieces by hand, and as he pulled, threads of meat came apart, tender and elastic.
“Open up.” He fed all three of them by himself, so as not to dirty their hands.
“More.” Qiqige stood on tiptoe and opened her mouth wide, biting off more than she could chew. Juices dribbled down her chin, and Mi Niang took out a handkerchief to wipe it, saying, “Slow down, if you like it, I’ll make it for you another day.” The longer the broth was stewed, the more fragrant it became. It wouldn’t spoil in a day, so as long as there were beef intestines, they could braise another pot for dinner, and they’d have it ready for breakfast the next morning.
“Go cut two carrots and add them to the broth.” Mi Niang took the chopsticks and began to scoop up the beef intestines. They had meaty dishes for lunch, so they’d have something vegetarian for dinner. Besides her, only the dog ate the stir-fried radish, which was cooked in the soup from the lamb and the broth from the braised meat. Only the three of them would touch the radish.
With the children and the vegetables, Bahu hurriedly pulled a cart over and arrived. There was a thin layer of ice on the broth of the beef intestines, which released a fragrant smell when heated.
“Please come and eat. You even brought a dish.” Baoyin looked at her man eating happily and sneered softly. When she cooked the beef intestines, he didn’t even touch them.
“It’s just a coincidence. I stewed it in the morning, and now is the best time to eat it.” Mi Niang picked out the meat from the fish belly for Qiqige and Jiya, asking Asyl and Wan’er how they had come before the New Year.
“We didn’t set a time before. When will Big Brother and Sis-in-law have time to come to my house? My third sister will be coming over on the third day of the New Year. How about you join us then?” Asyl came to pick up Grandma Zhao to celebrate, and he also arranged the time with them.
“Okay, if no one takes us, we wouldn’t know the way.”
