After Bai Mei’s child turned three, half a month later, it was Wan’er’s child’s full moon celebration. Because they were about to move to the Xia Ranch, Mi Niang didn’t attend, as she had mentioned to Wan’er before. But when she saw Wen Yin bringing Zhong Qi to the door, both she and Bahu thought it would be better to make the trip and enjoy the feast.
“Senior Brother, I came to find you to discuss something,” Wen Yin walked in with a smile. Before entering the house, he glanced at the dog’s den, where a tuft of brownish-yellow fur was visible. “I heard your family’s ‘thieving cats’ got their heads swollen from trying to steal honey. Let me have a good laugh.”
“You’re a bit late for that; the swelling has already subsided,” Bahu brought out two chairs from the kitchen. “The sun’s setting and it’s not hot, shall we sit outside?”
Wen Yin nodded, arranging, “Sister-in-law, you sit too. Don’t bother making tea; I’m not thirsty.”
“The water is almost boiling; it’ll be ready soon, and it’s no trouble,” Mi Niang took out specially bought teacups and rinsed them with boiling water. She also prepared some roasted green tea, both of which were bought to entertain the Hu family father and son. Tea drinking-etiquette was important to the literate. When Wen Yin used to come over, they served brown tea in large sea bowls, and whatever was served remained unchanged even after he left.
The conversation had already begun outside. Wen Yin was mainly speaking, and when Mi Niang brought the tea out, it interrupted for a moment. He took the teacup and continued, “So here’s the thing, Brother, I remember you have a lot of cattle in your hands, which also require a lot of care. Why not rent them out to the people on the west side of the river to earn some money?”
Mi Niang, who was in the kitchen, also heard about it. It was the new pastoralists on the west side of the river who needed to return to the winter pasture early to gather fodder. The journey was long, so they needed some cattle and horses for transportation. They would also need camels to carry back the fodder.
“My family has servants to take care of the cattle and sheep, so I don’t really have to worry much. Besides, with so many livestock at home, missing a couple of hundred heads won’t make much of a difference in terms of effort,” Bahu replied. He didn’t lack money from renting out the cattle, and he didn’t want to rent them out either. The journey back to the winter pasture was long, and the people on the west side of the river had yet to raise cattle before. If they ended up raising them and encountering sickness or death, who would he reason with?
Wen Yin picked up the teacup, skimmed off the foam, and glanced at Zhong Qi, who was silent beside him. He took a sip of tea and smiled again. “Actually, I came here on someone else’s behalf. Zhong Qi told me before that he had some arguments with you and Sister-in-law, but I didn’t believe him. His wife and Sister-in-law have been through hardships together since they left the Central Plains. I remember they used to be quite close, so how did it escalate to not speaking to each other?”
Upon hearing this, Mi Niang stood up and jokingly said, “Young Master Hu, are you finding me sitting here disturbing your business talk? You should have said so earlier; I’ll leave then.” She started to walk out, but after a few steps, she stopped and turned back. “As a young man who hasn’t taken a wife yet, you’re really not suited to talk about women’s thoughts. If you want to meditate, then fulfill your mother’s wish and get yourself a wife first. I’ll only talk to her if she’s willing.”
Wen Yin was taken aback for a moment. After all, he was still young and being indirectly criticized for gossiping about women made him feel embarrassed and annoyed when he came to his senses. His face instantly turned red. But with Mi Niang’s teasing tone, he couldn’t stay mad and could only lift the teacup to cover his mouth and nose, saying with a smile, “I finally escaped from my mother’s watchful eyes and thought of seeking some peace and quiet at Brother’s house, but unexpectedly, I’ve stumbled into a wolf’s den.”
“Well, let me restore your peace and quiet,” Mi Niang said, casting a glance at Bahu, then proceeded to step out, ignoring Wen Yin’s attempts to stop her and explain.
As Mi Niang walked away, the three men inside the house settled back down. The redness faded from Wen Yin’s face, and he set down the teacup, jokingly saying, “Brother, you’ve married a formidable wife. I bet you’ve suffered a lot of verbal sparring from her on a daily basis, right?”
He kept addressing Bahu’s wife as “wife,” which made Bahu feel somewhat unfamiliar. “It’s fine. Her sharp tongue is nothing compared to yours, scholars.”
Wen Yin choked a bit. “Are you and your wife teaming up to annoy people?”
Bahu glanced at him, indicating that he could leave if he couldn’t stand it.
“Bahu, I came here sincerely to discuss serious matters with you,” Zhong Qi couldn’t tolerate their roundabout talk and said directly, “You can do me a favor, earn some rent, and have to take care of a few hundred fewer cattle and sheep. It’s not a loss for you.”
Bahu glanced at him, thinking he was taking advantage of the situation.
“Have you never raised cattle? Even if you haven’t raised cattle, you must have raised sheep. Today, I’ll give you some advice on behalf of Wen Yin. We’re moving to the Xia Ranch for two reasons: First, the grass in the summer pasture is getting old and needs to be rotated, and second, during the mating season, each household’s livestock needs to be separated to prevent fights and trouble. Now go out and ask around. Who at this time is willing to lend you several hundred heads of cattle? How much rent are you talking about? I’ll sell a cow to cover your rent for several years.”
Zhong Qi’s face turned red, and he instinctively looked at Wen Yin. Seeing his natural expression, he knew that what Bahu said was true, which made him feel uncomfortable, both angry and anxious. However, considering that he was asking for a favor, he swallowed his pride and forced out a stiff apology, “I was too hasty. I forgot that autumn is the season for cattle and sheep to mate and reproduce.”
“You can go back now,” Wen Yin dismissed him, “I need to have a chat with my brother.”
Looking around awkwardly, Zhong Qi nodded and got up to leave.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” With Zhong Qi gone, Wen Yin turned to Bahu with a playful smile, “Did you just witness how fierce I am? Have I learned how to argue with my sister-in-law? Before, even three sticks couldn’t make me say a word.”
“Can’t we have a civil conversation?” Bahu retorted. He didn’t understand why Wen Yin was being so sarcastic; intellectuals always spoke in such a roundabout manner.
“…Why are you staring at me like that? Are you satisfied now? You really are… you look rough compared to my father’s students.” Wen Yin lifted the teacup and swirled it around, praising the tea leaves.
“It’s not cheap. If it weren’t for you and your father, we wouldn’t brew this tea.” Bahu pushed the untouched teacup belonging to Zhong Qi toward Wen Yin, “If you like this cup, feel free to drink it to avoid wasting it.”
“…I’ll bring you some another day.” It was just a cup of tea, but Wen Yin’s attitude made him feel comfortable. Small talk aside, there was still business to discuss. “Brother, can you do me a favor? Everyone knows that your family hasn’t sold any calves for the past two years. The young cows and bulls are not yet old enough for mating. Do me a favor and lease them to the people from the west of the river. Although the rental income won’t be much, it can still buy new clothes for your wife and two children.”
“Help you?” Bahu was puzzled. “How did this matter fall on your shoulders?”
” Zhong Qi is a scatterbrain. Although he has a good reputation in the West, he doesn’t have much credibility in front of the locals. Where can he rent cattle and horses for transportation? It’s been dragging on for half a month without any progress, so my old man asked me to meditate. Naturally, I thought of you first.”
“It’s unfortunate to be thought of by you.” After some contemplation, Bahu finally agreed to help Zhong Qi. “If it’s to help you, I won’t hesitate. Since you’ve taken on the responsibility, I’ll take on another one. I’ll lease the cows to you. If any of them get sick or die after I return home in winter, I’ll come to you for compensation.”
“Are you worried that Zhong Qi will cause trouble?” Wen Yin asked. “Is there any conflict between your family and his?”
“He’s not a good person. I don’t trust him,” Bahu admitted frankly. “Today, he embarrassed himself at my house again. I’m worried that he’ll instigate others to harm our cattle.”
“Alright, I’ll lease them to the people from the west in my name. If any of them get sick or injured, I’ll compensate you.” Wen Yin agreed. It takes at least two years for a calf to grow into an adult cow, and with weaning, it takes three years. Most families sell their surplus calves by the end of the year for profit. Even with a surplus, most families only keep around ten to twenty young cattle, and it can be quite a hassle to trade them. It’s more convenient on Bahu’s side.
“Why keep so many cows without selling them?”
Bahu smiled, “I want to have more so that when the children grow up and start their own families, I can give them some.”
Tsk tsk, Wen Yin felt a sourness in his teeth. He left a remark that he would come to gather the cattle tomorrow, then left. Before leaving, he finished the tea and even chewed on the tea leaves for mouthwash.
…
It was already dusk when Mi Niang returned home, leading her two children covered in grass stains. Without waiting for her to ask, Bahu gave instructions first: “I’ve leased them out. I leased them to Wen Yin. He’ll lease them to the people from the west in his name. If any of the cows get sick or injured, we’ll go to him for compensation.”
Mi Niang pondered for a moment, “That works too. It’s just this Wen Yin, whenever he comes to us, it’s bound to be about troubling someone.” She said it nicely and affectionately, but she hardly ever saw him around.
“People like him are better than Zhong Qi. At least he doesn’t look down on you even if he uses you,” Bahu said as he picked up Qiqige and Jiya and placed them on his lap, asking the siblings what they had been playing with Grandpa in the afternoon.
Mi Niang brought a basin and went to water the vegetables. She noticed that the green peppers, which had a tinge of green yesterday, had turned completely red. The red peppers looked like lanterns hanging among the green leaves, truly beautiful. However, they were too spicy, driving away insects. Unlike other vegetables that attracted bugs, the peppers kept them at bay.
The next day, she picked the peppers and put them on a felt mat to dry. Wen Yin happened to come in and see them. “Sister-in-law, are these peppers?”
“You know about them too?” Mi Niang nodded. “When the caravan passed through on their way back to the Central Plains, I asked the merchants. They said they were peppers, not very useful, just for their good color and unique shape. But I found they can repel insects. This year, planting peppers seems to have reduced the number of pests compared to last year.”
“The merchants also gave us two pots. They said wealthy families in the Central Plains like to display these things, but I don’t know if it’s true or not.” Wen Yin took the items from the servant’s hand and placed them on the table. “They’re for my nephew and niece, toys I used to play with my sister when we were kids. They’re quite exquisite.”
“Your mother kept them for so many years, probably intending to pass them on to your children, right? Did she know you sent them over?”
“Forget about it. She kept nagging me every day with these things, so I just decided to send them away. Out of sight, out of mind,” Wen Yin joked. Since Bahu wasn’t home, he exchanged a few more words before stepping outside to watch the sheep being washed. When the 239 cows were driven over, he exchanged a few words with Bahu before leaving.
Qiqige and Jiya rode the cows back home. When they saw their family’s cows being herded away by unfamiliar people, they hurriedly followed, shouting at the top of their lungs, “Our cows, come back, come back!”
The sheep washers burst into laughter upon hearing this, and Bahu went to retrieve them, carrying them on his shoulders back home.
“They’re still our cows, just loaned out for two months,” Bahu said, holding down Jiya’s fidgety leg. He turned to see Jiya still standing by the riverbank, and he called out, “Jiya, come back, your mother is calling you.”
“You liar, she didn’t call me.”
Forgetting he was still carrying Jiya on his shoulders, Bahu chuckled and changed his approach, “If you don’t come back, I’ll spank your sister.”
Jiya immediately turned around and ran back upon hearing this threat. When he saw the items on the table, he exclaimed, “Mom, what’s this?” Instantly forgetting about his sister.
“Nine-linked rings, slingshot…” Mi Niang only recognized two of them and admitted honestly, “You and Qiqige can play with them. Mom doesn’t know what they are either.”
“How come Wen Yin sent tea again? There’s still plenty of brick tea left from the previous batch he sent,” she asked Bahu.
“If he sent it, we’ll just keep it. If he’s sending, we don’t need to buy,” Bahu replied. Yesterday, the intention was to send green tea, but today, he not only sent green tea but also two bricks of tea.
“We’ll pack up tomorrow and head to the Xia Ranch. the day after tomorrow,” he said.
Mi Niang had no objections. She had grown accustomed to the nomadic lifestyle. Once the date was set, she would start packing. After all, wherever they went, they would live together as a family of four with their cats and dogs.
It was Pandi who heard the news of their relocation. She came over in the evening asking if there were any small daggers made from sheep horns. “When we go back to the winter pasture to cut grass, it’s divided by the gates of the almshouse. Each gate has to send someone, Ying Niang is still young, and Lan Niang is busy with the shoe shop, so it’s better for me to go back alone, and they can take care of the sheep for me. Do you still have the sheephorn knife you used before? I’ll take one for self-defense.” The sheep horns were too hard for her to cut, let alone polish.
There was one, a knife Bahu had polished for her. Mi Niang went inside and took it out of the box, handing it to her, instructing, “Whether it’s daytime or nighttime, don’t wander off alone from the group, and don’t walk alone with someone too far away. Be careful of women who suddenly show kindness to you, be wary if they have malicious intentions towards you.”
Pandi nodded, “I understand.”
“Are you afraid?” Mi Niang asked.
Pandi smiled, “Would you believe me if I said I’m not afraid?”
“You still have that thought?”
Pandi bit her lip. “I still want to give it a try.”
