On the third day of the first lunar month, it was unexpectedly not snowing. Bahu got up early in the morning and shoveled the snow in the yard. He also boiled water on the stove and prepared a bucket of butter tea, which he placed on the stove to cool. Then he went inside to catch the little siblings who were crawling in and out of the blankets.
“It’s time to get up,” he said to the person still lazily lying on the kang.
Mi Niang responded with a sound but didn’t move, then suddenly said, “I want to drink sour milk.”
“Can’t you drink goat’s milk?”
“Goat’s milk doesn’t have the taste of cow’s milk.”
“Then get up and go to the sheep pen to milk. Leave it on the stove for two or three days, and it’ll turn sour.” At this time, sheep’s milk was the best. Even Qiqige and Jiya didn’t like cow’s milk anymore.
Mi Niang got up and changed into new clothes. She was worried about getting her clothes dirty, so she decided to wait until she came back to milk the sheep. She grabbed Qiqige, who had already put on his clothes, and stepped out of the bedroom first. Washing the children’s faces in winter had always been a difficult task. After coaxing and disciplining them, she finally wiped their faces with grease and gave them each a half bowl of boiled sheep’s milk. “Drink slowly, don’t dirty your clothes.”
The little girl was still upset, muttering, “I’m going to get dirty.”
Who was she threatening? Mi Niang gave her a sideways glance. “Whoever gets dirty will stay home and guard the door today, instead of going to visit relatives.”
Qiqige pouted and didn’t dare to say anything, but she lifted her eyelids to sneak a peek at her father.
Bahu received the plea and suppressed a smile, saying, “You go milk the cows, I’ll prepare the meal for them.”
“Come back and milk later, I don’t feel like eating now.” Mi Niang asked him to place the iron plate on the stove, heat it, spread butter on it, and put six beef pastries on top. “Did you boil the salted duck eggs?”
“I did.” He threw them in while boiling water. There were four salted duck eggs, one for each person. Any leftovers the children couldn’t finish would be his treat.
Qiqige was forgetful. As soon as she saw the golden egg yolk, she immediately came over asking to eat. Mi Niang couldn’t possibly argue with her. She poked the runny duck egg yolk into her mouth, and the egg white she didn’t eat was tossed into her father’s bowl.
Bahu was feeding Jiya and saw the mother and daughter reconcile. He chuckled and asked, “Now you have an appetite for sour milk?”
It wasn’t because of Qiqige. “I’m afraid of dirtying my new robe.” She had spent nearly half a year making this robe, embroidered with colorful lotus flowers on the wool felt, with lingering bees on the flowers, which was both laborious and consuming.
It was indeed beautiful, and Bahu also felt it would be a pity to dirty it. After dinner, he washed the dishes and tubs. When Mi Niang urged him to change clothes, he took a ladle and went to the sheep pen.
“I’m not that greedy. It’s okay to wait another day.”
Bahu’s steps didn’t stop. It was only after he went out of the door that his voice came back in, “No rush, take your time.” He was wearing old clothes, not afraid of getting dirty or needing a wash.
When he brought the ladle of milk in, Mi Niang was standing at the door holding his new robe. Qiqige was leaning against her leg, touching the small bees, and mimicking the buzzing sound of bees with her mouth. He poured the milk onto the cotton cloth, strained it, and then poured it into the copper pot. He lifted his foot to go to the bedroom to change into new clothes.
“And also, the pair of deer leather boots you gave me.” Bahu still remembered.
Mi Niang was also wearing deer leather boots. She had taken out Bahu’s for him, but their son blocked the way. “Jiya, bring the shoes to your father.” She called out as she leaned against the door.
Bahu’s boots were taller than Jiya’s legs, so he couldn’t lift them. Before he could take more than a few steps, his father ran over barefoot, feeling sorry and taking the boots himself, albeit thanking his son half-heartedly.
Everything was packed up, and the milk on the stove had boiled. Bahu poured it into the bowls and instructed Uncle Muren to skim off the cream in the evening. “Make sure to feed all the dogs well. Don’t come back tonight; just sleep in Ajima’s room.”
“I’ve got it all noted. Will you be back tomorrow?”
“It should be tomorrow.” Bahu opened the Lele cart door and took Qiqige and Jiya in, followed by Mi Niang. ” Where Big Spot and Little Spot? They were still there when they were fed just now.”
“I’ll go find them.” He stood at the door and called out several times before two ferrets came running back from the snowy area to the west. They must have been rolling around somewhere, as their brown-gray fur was covered in snow.
“Get in the car.” Bahu gestured, and upon seeing it, Big Spot and Little Spot jumped onto the shafts of the Lele cart They were used to sitting on the Lele cart’s shafts. As they entered the Lele cart just as he was about to close the door, Da Huang leaped up onto the Lele cart’s shaft without a sound, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
“Da Huang, get down. You stay home and guard.” Mi Niang had already noticed, and Da Huang squeezed in straight away, lying down next to Big Spot and Little Spot, ignoring all calls from outside.
“Oh, are you angry?” The man crossed his arms and watched the scene, ignoring the glare he received and adding fuel to the fire, “We’re going to pay New Year’s visits, and they didn’t invite dogs. You should just stay home and guard.”
Mi Niang reached out and pushed Da Huang, but he didn’t budge. When she pushed him again, he closed his eyes pretending to sleep, with a sulky face and his muzzle buried at the base of her legs.
“Mom, Da Huang is sleeping,” Jiya innocently reminded.
“Hahaha,” Bahu laughed loudly, “Forget it, let’s bring him along. Otherwise, it would be unfair to the act he’s putting on.” Truly cunning like a dog.
“Asyl’s family also has a dog. I’m worried that if we bring him along, he might get bitten,” Mi Niang’s main concern was this. The dogs in the Mobei wilderness were tall and strong. If they got into a fight, one swipe from them and Da Huang wouldn’t be able to get up.
“It’s okay. If they don’t get along, we’ll just keep Da Huang in the room where we sleep.” Bahu closed the car door. Fortunately, he used two oxen to pull the Lele cart; otherwise, when they encountered uphill slopes, he would have to shoo both the dog and the ferrets off.
As soon as the door closed, Da Huang’s dog ears twitched, and he immediately perked up, although he kept his eyes closed, pretending to sleep. This also conveniently allowed Mi Niang to manage the children, “Da Huang is sleeping, so don’t disturb him.”
Qiqige moved her feet from Da Huang’s back to Big Spot’s belly, leaning on it. Covering her mouth and lowering her voice, she said stealthily, “Da Huang is sleeping, no talking.”
“Yeah, no talking.”
The Lele cart stopped at Baoyin’s house, where the family of five was already waiting. Mi Niang opened the window to greet them but was reminded by Qiqige not to speak.
“Then let’s go. Bahu, stay close on the road, don’t get separated,” Baoyin’s father instructed. He waved to his parents, “If it snows heavily tomorrow, we’ll stay an extra day.”
Bahu wasn’t familiar with the direction, so he could only squint and follow behind the Lele cart in front. Staring at the gleaming white snow on the ground for too long made his eyes dizzy. He could only focus on the hooves of the two oxen, sinking into the snow and then rising again, with the snowflakes they kicked up quickly being swept away by the wind.
The wind blew away the loose snow, leaving only the packed snow. The cow hooves and Lele cart wheels pressed against the snow surface, emitting a crisp squeaking sound, followed by a rustling sound. If it weren’t so cold, he would have wanted to close his eyes and sleep.
“Is Da Huang still asleep?”
Mi Niang glanced down and saw Da Huang open his eyes upon hearing the question. He quickly closed them again when he met her gaze. She responded with a nonchalant “Hmm,” and added, “Still asleep.”
Eventually, even the dog and ferrets were truly asleep. Even Jiya and Qiqige, bored from not being able to talk, lay in Mi Niang’s arms claiming they wanted to sleep. Mi Niang untangled the blankets and covered the two children. “Sleep now. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”
After who knows how long they had been traveling, voices could be heard in the wind. It was Asyl riding over to talk to Bahu. “Brother, everything okay on the road? I was worried you might have lost your way.”
“Today’s weather is good, no snow. If it snows, we might lose our direction,” Bahu replied, glancing up. From here, he could see continuous mountains, with patches of green peeking through the snow-covered peaks. There was also a large lake below, much bigger than the Wali Lake where he used to fish with nets.
“You have such a large lake here? Fishing must be convenient. Right outside your door,” Asyl remarked.
“Our ancestors deliberately chose this place,” Asyl waved his whip casually, pointing, “When I returned in the autumn, wild animals were coming down to drink water at the foot of the mountain. The deer I provided to your family last year was caught by me at the lake.”
Upon hearing this, Mi Niang also pushed open the Lele cart window. They had entered the village, and the houses here looked somewhat aged, occupying large plots of land, with considerable distance between each household.
The Lele cart stopped, and there were voices outside from other people, both men and women. Today, Asyl’s elder and second sisters had also returned. Before Mi Niang could step out of the cart, she heard a woman’s voice expressing sympathy, “It must have been cold all the way. Bringing children along, you must have suffered on the road.”
Mi Niang opened the car door and first greeted her sister, “It’s only the Lele cart drivers who feel the cold. We inside the cart didn’t freeze. We have blankets in the Lele cart, and both of my children are asleep. It’s no different from being at home.” She noticed that Qiqige and Jiya had woken up, so she untied their cloaks, wrapped Qiqige up, and handed her to Bahu. “Take her inside and then unwrap the cloak. Then come back to carry Jiya.”
She then asked, “Sister, are the dogs at home aggressive? We brought a dog and two ferrets with us, and I’m afraid they might get into fights.”
“Asyl already tied up the two dogs early on. I heard he said you were bringing the ferrets. You just need to release them. By the way, I’m Asyl’s second elder sister. The eldest sister is busy helping our mother cook and couldn’t spare a moment to come out.”
“You’re too kind.” Mi Niang saw Bahu coming out. She handed Jiya, wrapped in a blanket, out to him. Then she picked up a basket and jumped down from the Lele cart. As soon as she got down, Da Huang followed closely behind, while Big Spot and Little Spot stayed behind.
“These two ferrets your family raised seem to be doing well.” But she didn’t dare to approach, keeping her distance, as she could tell they still had their wild instincts.
Baoyin’s mother was also carrying things. When she saw Da Huang, she exclaimed, “Oh, Da Huang came along too?”
“That’s right. When we got on the Lele cart in the morning, it followed Big Spot and Little Spot onto the Lele cart. No matter how much we tried to shoo it away, it wouldn’t leave, so we had to bring it along,” Mi Niang said with a helpless smile.
Under the eaves, Bahu was also explaining to someone, “This dog of ours has been following Mi Niang to the Mobei Wilderness. Wherever she goes, the dog follows. It probably sensed that we were going on a long journey, so it followed us onto the Lele cart as soon as we got on.”
“Well, this dog seems quite understanding.”
Although Da Huang didn’t care much for him, Bahu admitted this fact proudly when talking to others. “Da Huang is capable. It can guard the house, herd sheep, and even look after our child since we had children.”
On the other side, Mi Niang followed Baoyin’s mother into the house. Qiqige and Jiya had been standing beside Wan’err holding some snacks, but as soon as they saw Mi Niang and Baoyin’s mother, they immediately ran over, trying to hold hands but settling for tugging at their clothing instead.
“Where’s your mother-in-law? Let me say hello to her,” Mi Niang asked Wan’er. As soon as she finished speaking, an elderly woman entered the room, warmly calling out greetings. Behind her was Grandma Zhao.
“Auntie, if anyone should be called hardworking, it’s you. We were dozing off on the Lele cart, while you’ve been busy at home all morning. Is there anything else you need to do? I can lend a hand.” Mi Niang handed the basket to her. “We have some bees at home and made some honey ourselves. I brought a jar specially for you. When dissolved in water, it’s just like butter tea, good for digestion.”
“That’s indeed a good thing.” She vaguely felt like she had heard someone mention it before, but before she could think much about it, she was startled to see the melons in the basket. “Where did these come from at this time?” They were still green, obviously freshly picked today.
Others also gathered around. “Are these fresh? Not bought in the capital?”
“They’re home-grown, but it does take some effort.” This year they only produced six melons, with two still small and left on the vine, and two ugly ones already eaten at home.
She didn’t say much more, and the others didn’t inquire. She and her daughter went to the kitchen to busy themselves, while Wan’er and Grandma Zhao stayed in the hall to greet people. The two of them were all smiles. “Mi Niang, you’ve honored me today,” Waner hugged Mi Niang’s arm. Although her in-laws knew her situation, having her family visit with such a generous gift showed genuine care. Her face was also radiant in front of her sister-in-law.
“Our livestock is being looked after by the servants. You can stay a few more days at my place. We have mountains and lakes nearby. If you want to go ice skating, Bahu can take you. If you want to go hunting in the mountains, Asyl can take Bahu. It’s safe in the mountains too. People from the tribe are arranged to patrol at the foot of the mountains every day, so even wild wolves and large insects don’t dare to come near.”
“It depends on your third sister’s arrangements. We’ll follow her family.” Mi Niang turned her head and asked Grandma Zhao how she was doing staying here.
“It’s all good. Asyl’s family are all good-natured people.” The old lady lifted Jiya. “There’s an old saying that goes, ‘Like father, like son, and daughter follows father.’ Your two children seem to be getting more and more like their father.”
“Their eyes are just like Bahu’s, deep-set.”
The door was pushed open, and Bahu stuck his head in. “Mi Niang, a few of my brothers and I are going out for a stroll. Do you want to come?”
Mi Niang waved her hand, “Don’t go too far, don’t miss mealtime.”
Bahu acknowledged and closed the door, hearing the people inside telling him not to remove his cloak.
“Well, their relationship is really good,” Asyl commented sourly, and Wan’er didn’t even admonish him.
Bahu smirked and purposely lifted his cloak to reveal his deer skin boots as he walked. Asyl noticed and asked, “Brother, did you make these shoes yourself? You’re quite skilled. What kind of leather is this? Deer skin?”
“Yeah, it’s deer skin. I wish I had such skills, but I didn’t make them. I bought them in the capital.” Bahu added casually, “They weren’t cheap. Your sister-in-law sold honey to buy shoes for me, and there wasn’t much left afterward. We couldn’t even buy gifts for the children.”
Asyl: “…” Why does he feel so sour?
