With more things in the house, Qiqige was the first to notice. At night, when it was time to sleep, she hesitated to go out, lingering in front of the dressing table. By the dim light of the oil lamp, she pinned a pair of butterfly hairpins into her hair.
“I’m going to bed,” Mi Niang reminded lazily from the kang (heated brick bed). “Go to sleep with your brother next door.”
“I’m not sleepy.” Indeed, she wasn’t. Her voice was full of energy. The little girl said affectionately, “Mother, you go to sleep if you’re tired. I won’t disturb you.”
Mi Niang glanced at the man waiting with folded arms, pulled up the blanket, and urged, “If you’re impatient, just take her to bed by the ear.”
“Don’t stir up trouble. I’m not impatient. My eldest daughter is so beautiful. I can look at her all night without getting tired.” Bahu deliberately teased, turning back to the sweet smiling little girl, “Only my daughter is this beautiful. Another person wouldn’t have such a beauty.”
As soon as the words fell, he received a light kick on his leg. Pretending to be disgusted, he shifted away. “Don’t try to force me to change my mind. I’m telling the truth.”
Qiqige was especially satisfied, swinging her head full of pearl hairpins as she walked over slowly. Tilting her head, she asked, “Daddy, am I beautiful?”
“The most beautiful little lady in the Mobei.”
Qiqige couldn’t help but burst into laughter, shyly leaning against his legs. The hairpins on her head scattered, and she sweetly said that daddy was the best.
Mi Niang sighed at their sweetness. Before she could exhale, she heard Bahu gently say, “It’s dark now. Time to sleep. You need to sleep more to grow taller. Only when you grow up can you wear these pearl hairpins.”
“When I grow up, you’ll give them to me?” Qiqige changed the subject sneakily, glancing at her mother guiltily.
Bahu vaguely agreed, “Daddy will buy you what you like.”
The little girl finally managed to get the promise she wanted, immediately obedient and well-behaved, she called for her brother Jiya, who was flipping somersaults at the foot of the kang, to go to sleep.
Bahu didn’t give the siblings a chance to dawdle. He took one in each hand and escorted them back to the neighboring room.
“It’s snowing. It’s so cold,” Qiqige and Jiya reached out to catch the falling snowflakes. Once inside, the cold snowflakes melted in their palms, leaving two marks on the kang, which quickly disappeared.
Mi Niang heard footsteps approaching. Shortly after, the door opened and then closed. She opened her eyes and asked, “Are they asleep?”
“They are. It’s time they slept. They yawn as soon as they get into bed.” The man took off his outer robe and soft boots, lifted the blanket, sat down, and blew out the candle on the table, plunging the room into darkness.
“Oh, why did you pinch me?” There was a smile in his words.
Mi Niang snorted lightly. He understood what she meant. Before he could speak, she covered her ears and said, “Shh, don’t talk. I want to sleep.”
…
The next morning, Qiqige came again, calmly pinning various hairpins onto her head without causing any trouble. She didn’t clamor to go out to play in the snow, which was quite reassuring. It seemed like things had turned out for the better.
“At noon, shall we have beef hot pot or mutton hot pot?” Bahu asked while shoveling snow. Winter was the best season for nourishing the body.
“Mutton hot pot, a bit spicy. If you can’t handle it, we’ll stew two pots. I want to gnaw on some mutton scorpion.” Mi Niang, draped in a wolf fur cloak, stood under the eaves watching him clear the snow. When she saw Ajima coming in from outside, she suddenly remembered that she needed to go to school. Feeling a bit deflated, she waved and said, “Ajima, help me go to the relief center, find Pandi or Lan Niang, and ask when the private school will start this year.”
“Okay,” Ajima turned around and went out again. After a short while, he hurried back. “Auntie, they said it seems like there won’t be any private school classes this year. When I came back, I saw Mr Hu leaving the yamen. I asked him, and he said they won’t be holding classes anymore, not now, not in the future.”
Mi Niang was first surprised and then delighted. She couldn’t help but smile, which Bahu promptly caught and teased her about.
She asked in confusion, “It’s been running smoothly for three years. Why stop now?” Were they also canceling the assessments they had talked about before?
“After a while, people get lazy. Plus, with every household expanding their sheep herds, everyone’s focused on sheep farming. Who would want to spend a whole year learning a few useless sentences in Mongolian?” Bahu spoke from experience. In his opinion, what the private school taught was only somewhat useful for sheep farming and herbal medicine. After more than three years, those who were going to learn had already learned, and those who couldn’t learn wouldn’t learn even if they spent another three years.
For Qiqige and Jiya, they occasionally picked up a few Mongolian phrases from the elders while playing outside. When they returned, they would share what they learned with Bahu and Mi Niang. On the other hand, Mi Niang, who was supposed to be studying seriously, aside from calling people’s names, Bahu had never heard her utter a word related to Mongolian.
The heavy snow continued for five days. On the sixth day when the snow stopped, Bahu took three male servants to chisel ice at Wali Lake. After he had left for a short while, Pandi, Lan Niang, and Ying Niang came. They brought a confirmed message: the private school was no longer in operation.
“We are all alone, raising seventy to eighty sheep each. Those with larger families have two to three hundred sheep combined. They have to clean the sheep pens in the morning before breakfast, clear away the snow, melt it, mix salt for the sheep’s drinking water, and chop grass for them. After all that, women still have to deal with household chores, cook meals, melt snow for water, wash clothes, and mend shoes. Who has the time to learn to read or listen to scripture?” Pandi counted on her fingers. “And how many people can afford a wolf fur cloak? Most wear sheepskin coats or felt rain capes. Going in and out in the snow, the melted snow on the rain capes turns into ice, freezing their hands and faces purple. Who has the leisure to study?”
“Since Bahu is not at home today, why don’t you stay for dinner? I’ve come up with a new way to cook the beef we slaughtered a few days ago. Give it a try,” Mi Niang said, winking lightly. “Consider it a celebration of not having to listen to the shaman’s scriptures anymore.”
“If anyone should treat us, it should be Lan Niang,” Pandi nudged her. “Come on, spill.”
Before Lan Niang could speak, she blushed. “In ten more days, I’m getting married. Mi Niang, you must come and see me off.”
“Wow, congratulations! Is the groom the young master from the shoemaker’s shop?”
Surprised, Lan Niang looked up. “How did you know?”
“I’ve met him, but I didn’t go to say hello,” Mi Niang said.
“It’s him. When he came with his parents to formally propose during the time near the mountain, I accepted. The date was set a few days ago. I won’t be having a dowry banquet. On the day of the wedding, both his family and mine will prepare feasts, so that should make up for it.”
Listening to this was quite nice. It seemed like the groom valued Lan Niang greatly. Mi Niang congratulated her once again. “I’ll definitely be there on the day.”
Truly, the ways of the world were unpredictable. Mi Niang and Lan Niang had some deep-seated conflicts before, but over the years, they had reconciled. On the other hand, her relationship with Mu Xiang, once quite close, had gradually drifted apart. Pandi’s relationship with Mu Xiang had also experienced both closeness and rupture, but after three years, they had reconciled.
The girl who was once the smoothest in temperament had entertained thoughts of remaining unmarried and childless. The person who was once the sharpest had softened their edges, traversed a rough path, and developed ambitions for power.
“Have lunch at my place, we’ll have beef bone soup and sliced beef for hotpot,” Mi Niang said once again.
“I’ll treat. Let’s go buy some fresh beef for the hotpot,” Lan Niang suggested. “We’ll have it at our place.”
“No, it’s just a meal, no need to go to such lengths. Besides, it’s not convenient for me to go over there, I still have three tails trailing behind me,” referring to the meat hanging in her house, she couldn’t let Lan Niang spend money to buy meat again.
As they spoke, Mi Niang took Pandi to the backyard to fetch the beef bones and beef. There was hot water heating on the stove. They washed the beef bones and beef with hot water, then put the beef bones in the pot to stew, and soaked the beef in water.
“Mi Niang, are we having hotpot again for lunch today?” Uncle Muren noticed and walked to the kitchen door, nodding to the people inside. “Prepare some extra water. When the beef bone soup is ready, we’ll take a pot of it, and also blanch the beef to eat.”
He asked again, “Do you have spicy beef oil?”
“I was just about to simmer another bowl of beef oil. If you like it too, I’ll make an extra bowl for your side.”
“Alright, alright,” the old man repeated three times, his wrinkled face filled with smiles, making the creases on his face even more prominent.
Before simmering the beef oil, Mi Niang sent Ajima to buy a bowl of fermented black beans. After the beef oil was completely melted in the hot pot, she poured in the fermented black beans. The fermented black beans were fried until crispy along with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and cinnamon. When the dish was ready, chili peppers were placed at the bottom of the bowl. As soon as the beef oil was poured in, the fragrance of the chili peppers mixed with the crispy aroma of the fermented black beans made people sniffle and sneeze uncontrollably.
“It’s so pungent,” Pandi, who was sitting by the stove, said, choking on the smoke. She forgot about the fire tongs and ran out into the courtyard. The dog that had been lying in the doghouse had disappeared without a trace, leaving only large and small patches of fur buried in the crotch, snoring soundly.
After scooping up the beef oil, Mi Niang washed her hands and went outside, still chewing on the crispy fried fermented black beans, which were slightly hot and slightly spicy.
“Is this the new way of eating you mentioned?” Lan Niang asked, puzzled.
“You’ll know when we start the hotpot later. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll love it,” Mi Niang replied. The four of them returned to the room where Qiqige and Jiya were sleeping. The siblings had found some paper from before for writing, and today Ajima was teaching them how to hold a brush and write.
“Mom, look at what I wrote,” Jiya proudly held up the crumpled paper. “Brother said I wrote really well.”
Mi Niang glanced at Ajima, who scratched his head uncomfortably, his ears turning red.
“Much better than when I was learning to write,” she praised with her eyes closed, encouraging him to continue writing. Then she handed over some melon seeds for Pandi and the others to snack on. The four of them chatted as they pleased, waiting until the beef bone soup was ready before starting to cut the beef.
Before adding the beef oil, the four adults and three children each had a bowl of rich white beef bone soup. The beef bones were chopped with an axe, and each child held a piece of bone, using a spoon to scoop out the marrow oil to eat.
The adults and children split into two pots. Mi Niang scooped two spoonfuls of beef oil and stirred it into the soup. The thick white bone broth changed color, and with the simmering sound, the cooked beef was soaked in a layer of red oil when scooped up.
“So delicious!” Pandi exclaimed in surprise. “The flavor is so rich, spicy, and fragrant.”
“Go ahead, eat as much as you want,” Mi Niang said, feeling sweat bead on her nose. She felt a tug at her clothes and glanced sideways to see Qiqige, looking pitiful with puppy eyes.
With Bahu not at home, no one was looking after her. Mi Niang scooped a bowl of meat from the pot and poured it into their pot. “Eat first, and when you’re done, Mom will serve you more.”
Qiqige pouted her oily lips, leaned over, and gave her a kiss, then uttered a perfunctory remark, “Mom is the best.”
Mi Niang remained indifferent to the remark, wiping the oil off her face. “You’ve said that to your dad, your brother, your grandpa, and even to Ajima.” She pinched the chubby cheeks of the little girl. “Be good, next time say something more sincere.”
“You two have an interesting way of talking,” Lan Niang said, looking envious.
“A bit annoying,” Mi Niang said with a hint of disdain, though she wore a smile on her face.
After finishing the meal, Pandi and the others helped clean up the stove and were about to leave. They had played enough; otherwise, the sheep in the pen would go crazy. As for the beef oil they had cooked, everything else was easy to find, except for the bright red chili peppers, which they had never seen before. They knew it was something good, although it made delicious dishes, none of them asked to take some back for making soup.
…
Bahu returned in the evening and as soon as he entered the house, he smelled the spicy fragrance. The aroma was rich, and he poured the fish into the tank and went to the stove to wash his face with hot water. His gaze fixed on the covered bowl of rice, and when he lifted the lid, he saw the reddish-brown beef oil, even more enticing than the earlier spicy beef oil.
That night he ate the sliced beef alone, while Mi Niang and the three children ate the fresh sour fish soup. “In ten days, Lan Niang will be married, and her in-laws own a shoe shop,” Mi Niang chatted with him.
“Oh, another feast,” Bahu said absentmindedly, then continued to scoop beef from the pot to eat. Sweat beaded on his forehead from the spiciness, and he drank water while removing his clothes. “Eating this in winter is so refreshing.”
“It’s all thanks to me, isn’t it?” Mi Niang was extremely pleased and found fault again. “I wonder who it was, back then, acting like it was poison when I mentioned eating chili peppers.”
The man chuckled twice, then turned to look at Qiqige and Jiya. “Did you two also eat spicy beef for lunch?”
The two little ones couldn’t keep it a secret and gave themselves away. Their eyes turned to Mi Niang, which spoke volumes without words.
Now it was Mi Niang’s turn to stay silent, bowing her head to eat the Sichuan peppercorns in the sour fish soup.
…
On the day Lan Niang got married, Mi Niang, being pregnant, didn’t go to block the door. She stood outside waiting for the groom’s family to take away the new bride. She walked slowly with Bahu and the two children towards the center of the village. As they entered the gate, a man came out of the house, his face full of beard, reminding her of the past.
The bearded man was also taken aback because he had intentionally avoided meeting them. Over the past two years, the two families rarely crossed paths. He lowered his eyes and nodded, passing by the family at the door and heading to the neighboring house.
“Is that Suhe’s brother?” Mi Niang wasn’t entirely sure.
“Yeah, it’s him,” Bahu nodded, supporting her as they walked into the house. “It’s been a few years since everything happened. What’s done is done. If we happen to meet, don’t dwell on it.”
“Yeah, it’s just a bit startling to run into old acquaintances,” she added. In a few more years, if they met again, she might not even recognize them.
Lan Niang’s in-laws were well-off, with many relatives. At dinner, a whole roasted lamb was brought in. Bahu cut off a few pieces and put them in Mi Niang’s and the children’s bowls. “Qiqige, Jiya, here’s the roasted lamb you’ve been longing for. Eat more.”
But as soon as he took a bite, he grimaced and muttered under his breath, “Not as good as my cooking.”
“Nonsense,” Mi Niang rolled her eyes at him, indicating the two children gnawing on the meat. She took a bite herself. “Only you think so.”
“For the New Year’s Eve dinner, I’ll roast one for you to taste. Or maybe we should wait until the Asyl family arrives before I roast it,” he quickly changed his tune, avoiding further argument.
After dinner, the guests chatted in the groom’s house. In the afternoon, Lan Niang changed her clothes and appeared. Her husband followed her, carrying a horse-head fiddle. He chuckled, “There’s little entertainment in winter. Let me play a tune for everyone.”
“Is it for us or for the new bride?” someone shouted loudly, causing laughter all around. The newlyweds blushed.
Bahu felt a sense of unease and immediately looked at the person next to him, seeing a hint of resentment in their eyes. “I’ll make it up to you. When we get back tonight, I’ll play for you too.”
As the resentful gaze subsided, Mi Niang tapped her foot in time with the music played by the man inside, song after song, new tunes replacing old ones, until the evening banquet began. The melodious and spirited tunes came to an end, and the noisy atmosphere returned to the winter night as snowflakes started falling again.
Walking through the snow, Bahu carried, supported, and held onto Mi Niang. When they opened the door, the dogs inside and outside the house greeted them together. Countless dog legs seemed like fighting grasshoppers, hopping and clinging to people’s legs.
Bahu was entangled and couldn’t walk. He bent down, put Qiqige and Jiya down as bait, and then he and Mi Niang entered the house smoothly.
After rinsing their mouths, washing their faces, and washing their feet, Mi Niang hummed a made-up tune as she sat on the kang, waiting for Bahu’s performance.
Bahu cleared his throat and, feeling at ease, retrieved the horse-head fiddle that had been stored on top of a box for two years. He wiped the strings and played the fiddle according to his mood.
Except for him, no one else present noticed, but when the song ended, it won the applause of the audience.
