“Back, finally back,” Wan’er heard the voices outside the door. She lifted the door curtain and stood beside it, asking, “How much game did you catch?”
“One roe deer, six rabbits, nine wild chickens,” Mi Niang said. She was still holding live rabbits with their legs tied, throwing them under the eaves. As soon as she spoke, she heard the children inside the house shouting “Mom” repeatedly at the top of their lungs.
“Hey, don’t come out. Play with your older siblings. Mom will come in after washing her face.”
“We’ve been looking for you and Bahu for an hour. Every time we play for a while, they come running to ask where their parents are and when they’ll be back, afraid that we’ve hidden you to sell you,” Wan’er chuckled. The earnest and worried looks of the two children were quite rare.
Mi Niang smiled, took the broom handed to her by Bahu, swept the snow off her boots, washed her hands, and was about to go inside.
“Mi Niang, aren’t you going to wash your face? There’s hot water,” Baoyin called out.
“I said it for my children to hear. Those siblings of ours don’t like to wash their faces. If I didn’t say so, they’d probably come running out. Sister-in-law, I’ll go in first for a turn, and I’ll come out later to help you,” she said, letting Bahu wipe down Big Spot, Little Spot, and Da Huang. Their fur would stink terribly if it got wet, so it was unpleasant to smell.
“You don’t need to help. We have plenty of people and don’t need you. Sit inside and rest,” the mountain raccoons and the dog chuckled. They wouldn’t let anyone else touch the rabbits and roe deer they caught. They would growl if anyone touched them even a little.
“But if you don’t come, Bahu will. He’ll need to handle the roe deer and rabbits,” Mi Niang said. As soon as she lifted the curtain and went inside, she was hugged by the legs. After being away for half a day, Qiqige and Jiya were particularly affectionate. They would sit close to her and listen to her talk, refusing to move even when Baoyin came to call them to see the rabbits.
“Go play with your sister. The rabbits were caught by Big Spot and Little Spot, and Da Huang is outside too,” Mi Niang squatted down and assured the children that she wouldn’t leave. Only then did Qiqige take Jiya’s hand and go out with Baoyin.
“Fortunately, the two siblings have each other as companions. If there was only one, they would cry for half a day this afternoon,” Grandma Zhao watched the two little ones chattering out the door, then shifted her gaze to Wan’er’s belly and said, “Jiya and Qiqige take after Bahu. Even a child over a year old is catching up to Wan’er’s size when she was two or three years old. As for Asyl, he’s not much shorter than Bahu. Children tend to take after their father’s height.”
“We in the Central Plains also have tall men, it’s just that the men from the Mobei are sturdy. When they were young, their height didn’t stand out, but when they grew up, they reached that height,” Mi Niang has grown a bit taller in the past two or three years. The robe Bahu’s mother gave her when she got married was still two inches too short. “Wan’er isn’t short in stature, and Auntie, you’re not small either. Whether the child in her belly takes after the father or the mother, they will turn out fine.”
Wan’er’s forced smile finally broke out, “It’s much nicer to listen to you, Mi Niang. Unlike my aunt, who secretly whispers about how the children of Asyl’s two older brothers are. She always finds something to complain about. Everyone in my husband’s family doesn’t mind, but she keeps nitpicking.” She muttered with a sense of grievance, “She’s the only one who’s never satisfied. It always makes me uncomfortable to hear.”
“You poor thing, how could I ever find fault with the children you bear? I just want our children to be good-looking and tall,” complained in front of outsiders, the old lady felt uncomfortable.
“The children are all in the belly, do you think they’ll grow as you say? They can’t hear, only I can,” Wan’er walked over and took Mi Niang’s arm, pleading, “Mi Niang, can you tell us who’s right and who’s wrong?”
Mi Niang didn’t want to act as the judge. She just said, “The hedgehog praises its child, while the weasel scorns the fragrance of the fox. Each parent cherishes their child. As long as the child is healthy and safe, even a thousand pieces of gold wouldn’t exchange for it.” Even the old lady’s nagging was annoying, and Mi Niang had been pregnant before. If someone picked on her during her pregnancy, she would be anxious too. She winked and said, “Next time your grandma says something about you, go find Asyl. Whether the seed grows well or not depends on the seed itself.”
“All right, all right, I won’t worry about it. I don’t want people saying I’m meddling,” Grandma Zhao waved her hand and walked out. “You two girls talk, I’ll go out and have a look.”
Wan’er snorted and ignored her, holding her belly and complaining softly, “My grandmother keeps saying, both directly and indirectly, that I’m carrying a son in my belly. What if it’s a daughter? It makes me feel uncomfortable to hear that.”
“What about Asyl? What does he say?” Mi Niang asked.
Wan’er said she hadn’t asked him, “We haven’t discussed this.”
Mi Niang told her to ask him tonight, “The child is yours together, whether it’s a boy or a girl is also your joint decision. If you feel uncomfortable, talk to him about it. If you don’t say anything, even if you’re restless at night, he won’t know. I used to chat with Bahu about everything.” Perhaps because there were too many female elders, Wan’er had many people to talk to. She had overlooked the most critical person. Mi Niang reminded her of how she had interacted with Bahu during her pregnancy, “If you need him, wake him up at night when you’re thirsty, hungry, or need to use the bathroom. Sneak into the kitchen together and heat some rice to share. If you can’t sleep, lie on the kang and talk. Do whatever feels natural, don’t hold back.”
Wan’er listened, feeling somewhat stunned. Her grandma didn’t say this. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.” Then she changed the subject and asked about their trip up the mountain today.
…
It was another lively and bustling dinner. Two new dishes were added to the table, deer meat and rabbit meat. Everyone said this meal benefited from the efforts of Da Ban and Xiao Ban. Even the children, upon hearing that the deer and rabbit were caught by the mountain ferrets and the dog, made sure to eat these dishes during the meal.
“Hey, it’s snowing outside,” Asyl’s eldest sister-in-law came in from outside, smiling. “Snowy days mean guests should stay. A third sister and Mi Niang, you can stay one more day and go back tomorrow.”
“Let’s go back up the mountain tomorrow!” Asyl shouted, it had been quite a while since they had such a lively time.
“Can’t say for sure if it’ll stop snowing by tomorrow morning,” Baoyin’s father said.
“If it stops snowing, does that mean we can’t stay? I want to stay for another day, whether it snows or not,” Baoyin’s mother retorted, dismissing his dampening comment. “If you want to go back, you can go. Anyway, I’m going to stay for another day with the children.” This was the only time of the year she could spend a few extra days at her parents’ house.
“What’s the point of me going back when both you and the children are here?”
“Hahaha, that’s a good point,” she replied, earning some teasing remarks. Laughter echoed through the courtyard, mingling with the light snowflakes, adding a warm hue to the cold winter.
After cleaning up the dishes together and drinking a bowl of butter tea, Asyl’s elder and second brothers’ families were preparing to leave. “Eldest sister, second sister, third sister, and Bahu, you can all stay home and rest. No need to see us off, we’re not strangers. Honestly, don’t leave tomorrow. Let’s go back to the mountain for another stroll or go ice skating on the lake. Mi Niang, you still don’t know how to skate, right? Let Bahu teach you here before you go back.”
Mi Niang exchanged a glance with Bahu and agreed, “Alright, then we’ll bother you for another day.”
“Don’t say that, it’s rare to have such a lively time. We’re all happy you’re here.”
After bidding farewell to the two families, Mi Niang and Bahu were also going to take the children to bed. Qiqige and Jiya had been running around behind the older children all day, and they were yawning during dinner.
“Asyl and his siblings get along quite well, they’re all lively people,” Bahu said as he lay in the blankets, holding Mi Niang close, one hand twirling her shiny black hair, cool to the touch.
“It’s quite rare. In my family, there are only four siblings, and we’re always trying to outdo each other,” Mi Niang replied, reflecting on the dynamics in her own family. She believed it was mainly due to the influence of the elders in the family who instilled such behavior. The tendency to outdo others stemmed from a desire for more and a lack of contentment. For instance, her grandmother, Zhao , probably spent too much time in the inner courtyard, resulting in her having many twisted thoughts. Even with just one child still in her belly, she wanted everything to be superior to the children of other families.
“In the future, we must teach our children well, we cannot be biased. What the older brother has, the younger sister must also have. If they do something wrong, both should be disciplined. If the parents are not biased, then the siblings’ relationship will be good,” Mi Niang said as she rolled over. The candlelight from the outer room hadn’t gone out yet, but Bahu’s sturdy frame blocked the light, casting his face into darkness. She reached out and touched him, pressing her lips against his mouth.
As soon as she kissed him and withdrew, the man followed suit, kissing and caressing her, his hands placed neatly by her ears, twirling her slightly cool earlobes. From the corners of her mouth, he moved slowly upwards to her nose, eyes, forehead, and ears again, returning to his starting point.
As the last drop of oil burned in the outer room’s lamp, the entire room fell into darkness. Mi Niang hugged the man’s arm next to her, burying her head in his warm neck. At this moment, she felt particularly at ease, thinking that if they could live like this for the rest of their lives, she would be content.
Sleeping early and waking up early, whenever the children moved, Mi Niang and Bahu would also open their eyes. They lifted the covers to let the two children crawl in, feeling their little pants to see if they were dry.
“Mommy—” Qiqige stretched her throat and leaned in to act cute.
“Yes,” Mi Niang kissed her little cheek and then turned her head, saying, “Jiya, come here and let Mommy kiss you too.”
The little one immediately smiled, showing her small milky teeth, and climbed over her father’s stomach to kiss her mom before quickly crawling back.
“You’re going to crush your old man.” Bahu grabbed the kicking little feet, using his stubbly chin to tickle her.
After a bit of family fun, the yellow dog outside, who hadn’t seen anyone for a long time, began scratching at the door. As it scratched, Big Spot and Little Spot also climbed up, their rough voices letting out barks that were strangely cute but louder than Uncle Muren’s.
“Get up, get up,” Mi Niang called out, getting up from under the covers to get dressed. The adults got dressed first before dressing the two little ones.
As soon as the door opened, the dog and two cats rushed in. Bahu took the chamber pot outside to empty it. The snow had stopped, leaving a thick layer in the courtyard. Some people were already shoveling the snow in the front yard—Asyl and his three brothers-in-law, along with a few nephews.
“Up already? Did you sleep well last night?” Asyl grabbed a shovel and headed out, pointing to a dung heap for Bahu. “After we eat, we’ll go to the lake to dig a few holes and set up some poles for a tent. We’ll sit on the ice, light a fire, and grill some fish. We’ll bring the kids too. What do you think, brother?”
Bahu emptied the chamber pot first, then took the shovel and cleared two shovelfuls of snow. After repeating this process a few times, he brought the chamber pot over and looked at Asyl up and down. “Want to take your wife out to play?”
Asyl’s eyes widened, and he lowered his voice, flattering, “Impressive, you guessed it right away.” He had coaxed and shed two tears to him last night, saying he wanted to go out for some fresh air.
It wasn’t hard to guess that Asyl had a great time playing on the mountain yesterday. He wouldn’t have thought about the kids at home, especially since they weren’t his own. Suddenly bringing up the children today, he must be making excuses for someone.
“Auntie keeps a tight rein on Wan’er. She definitely won’t allow hunting on the mountain or skating on the lake. If we take all the kids to grill fish on the ice, with so many people, she definitely won’t object,” Asyl explained.
Bahu had no objections. Once they set up the tent, he wasn’t worried about the children catching a cold from the cold wind. “It’s also a good opportunity for our siblings to have some fun. After we finish eating, I’ll go with you. Once it’s set up, I’ll come back to fetch them.”
Bahu went inside, and Mi Niang had already helped by washing the faces of the two little ones with the assistance of Baoyin’s mother. “Come wash your face quickly, we’re waiting for you.” She held a towel and stood aside, waiting.
“There’s still water in the pot, pour some clean water for Bahu.”
“It’s okay, he doesn’t mind us. At home, he uses the water we three mothers have washed with.” Water was scarce in winter, especially with so many people, so they tried to save as much as possible.
Bahuer rubbed his hands, took the towel, and obediently reached for the face cream, also mentioning Aser’s plan.
“After we eat, we men will head over. Once the tent is set up, we’ll come to fetch you.”
“Okay, okay, okay,” Mi Niang said three times in a row. Setting up a tent on the ice to grill fish was such an elegant and refined activity.
With plenty of reeds by the lake, every household had mats made of reeds. After dinner, the seven men carried pillars and mats. Asyl carried tools for cutting ice. Then they set off.
Early in the morning, Wan’er was full of excitement. Seeing this, Grandma Zhao understood everything. She wanted to talk to her but Wan’er stuck close to her sister-in-law and aunt, so she could only sigh secretly. She was still young, full of playful nature, how could she endure the cold on the ice while pregnant? It was slippery on the ice as well.
Asyl was also prepared. He retrieved the mats used by Big Spot and Little Spot yesterday. He took two trips to pull those who couldn’t skate and the dogs over. The mats were spread inside the tent like carpets, and the chairs and tables brought along were placed on them. “Wan’er, you sit and watch, don’t walk onto the ice,” he instructed.
Mi Niang and Bahu each carried a child to see the ice fishing. Qiqige and Jiya’s mouths were wrapped with towels, so they weren’t worried about catching a cold.
There were more types of fish in the lake than in Wali Lake, and they were bigger. One net would be enough to catch fish for a meal. Children who grew up by the lake were all skilled at skating. Even Baoyin learned after being pulled around by her older cousins.
Jiya and Qiqige watched with envy. Bahu couldn’t bear to see it and said to Mi Niang, “You take Qiqige inside to warm up by the fire first. I’ll take Jiya for a quick skate and come back to switch with Qiqige.”
“Okay,” she agreed, but she didn’t go in. Although she was good at cooking, she wasn’t good at grilling fish. It would be inconvenient for her to go inside, so she pulled Qiqige outside to watch others skate. Asyl’s older brothers’ children were experienced at skating. While others skated standing up, they squatted, skated on one foot, or held hands and made circles.
Qiqige couldn’t resist the urge and took a few steps, but ended up sitting on the ice.
“Don’t follow my lead,” Mi Niang murmured. When Bahu returned, she took the bright-eyed Jiya from him. “Was it fun?” she asked.
“It was fun!” Jiya replied excitedly, like a little lamb-tasting salt for the first time.
Having fun outside for too long wasn’t advisable. One big and one small person stayed by the tent. Mi Niang supported the pillar while pulling Jiya inside. He was reluctant, so she had to trick him into going inside by saying they would only go in to drink water and then come back out.
“Look at your little face, all red from the cold. Let me apply some face cream before we go back out,” she said.
“Auntie, the fish is grilled and smells so good. Let’s eat some fish before we go out again,” Baoyin suggested.
Before they could finish eating, Bahu returned with Qiqige. After feeding them hot water, applying face cream, and having them eat fish, they finally managed to settle the two little ones down.
“Mi Niang, do you like it here?” Wan’er asked.
“It’s a great place, with mountains and water,” Mi Niang replied. The freshly grilled fish was delicious, tender, and not at all fishy.
“Why don’t you just move here? Our place is much better than where you currently live,” Asyl suggested.
“With you guys living here, we can just come over whenever we want to play. It won’t even take half a day,” Mi Niang said, without hesitation. With the Hu family around, her family wouldn’t go anywhere. Besides, although there were mountains and water here, there were also wild animals in the mountains, and the lake was too close to the village. She was afraid the children might drown.
Just grilling fish wasn’t enough. Asyl went back with his older brother and brought back a lamb leg and a rack of lamb. Mi Niang suggested brushing honey on the meat while grilling, so they also brought two spoons of honey.
The tent on the ice emitted a delicious smell for most of the day. After eating their fill and skating, they would come back to drink butter tea when thirsty and sit inside to chat when tired… By dinner time, Qiqige and Jiya were already exhausted and fell asleep on the way back.
…
“Leaving already? When will you come to my house?” Mi Niang asked from under the eaves.
“In a few days, when we take Grandma Zhao back, I’ll bring Wan’er to stay for a few days,” Asyl replied.
“Okay.” Mi Niang turned to the other families. “Big brother, big sister-in-law, second brother, second sister-in-law, and three sisters and brothers-in-law, when you have time to visit Baoyin’s house, come to my house as well for a meal and to become acquainted. Next year when we come back, we’ll look for you to play.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll come to your house when we go to Baoyin’s,” they assured.
“Haha, I won’t run away. It’s settled then. Let’s go back while the weather’s good.” Mi Niang patted Wan’er’s hand. “Take good care of yourself and don’t overthink things.”
Getting on the horse carriage, Mi Niang opened the window. “Brother, sister-in-law, you don’t need to see us off. We’ll leave now.”
The wheel tracks from two days ago were gone, replaced by fresh cow hoof prints. The cold wind blew southward, while the spring wind should be heading Mobei.
