In the following days, whenever the caravan stopped to rest, women would come riding over to buy honey. Most of them came out of curiosity, attracted by its sweet taste and the rumored health benefits. They wanted to buy some to try.
Mi Niang and Bahu peeked over to see the man writing on the red cloth. When he finished the last stroke, he handed the cloth over, “Is it good?”
Mi Niang nodded. “It’s the best handwriting I’ve ever seen.” Although it looked too sharp, like a cloth banner for selling honey more suitable for hanging knives.
Obviously, the man noticed too. He looked around, then handed it to Bahu after the ink dried. “You can use it for now. The masters all write like this. When you find something suitable, you can replace it.”
Bahu glanced at the two children comparing who could jump higher. He unfolded the cloth banner and shook his head. “No need to change. I’ll replace it when my kids learn to write well.” It was the sharpest handwriting he had ever seen, and he was satisfied that Jiya and Qiqige could write such good words.
While cooking dinner that night, Mi Niang sewed the cloth banner onto a long pole by the light of the stove fire. She planned to embroider the word “honey” along the outline when they returned to Wahu Lake.
The next day, the fiery red cloth banner was flying on top of the Lele cart. Mi Niang rode her horse over to the Xushui Street caravan. From afar, she could see the fluttering banner with the large word “honey” on it.
Mi Niang rode up to the caravan from Lingshan. It wasn’t until she had gone some distance that a woman in one of the Lele carts closed the window. In recent days, people who bought honey would come back and casually inquire, mentioning that the honey sellers seemed to be her second son’s family, asking if she knew anything about it.
“Do you want to go and see? I heard Bahu has another son, they’re almost half a year old now,” Saihan asked.
The woman shook her head. “No, there are too many people on the road.” Besides, it didn’t matter to her whether she looked or not. It wouldn’t make any difference. “In the future, we’ll send an extra gift for Jiya and Qiqige’s birthdays, but not for the younger one.”
She didn’t know what to do now. Her family didn’t recognize her, and all four of her children had broken ties with her. It seemed like everything she did was wrong.
So, she decided to go along with their wishes and not interfere anymore. If the children wanted less contact, she would show up less.
…
“Having a cloth banner makes it much easier to find. You don’t need to ask anyone when you come over.” The woman handed over a pottery jar and asked, “Can you tame bees? Won’t they run away? Do you accept apprenticeships? We can pay you.”
Mi Niang smiled. “I don’t accept apprentices. This is a family tradition.” She glanced at Qiqige. Other people were willing to pay to learn, but this stubborn girl didn’t appreciate it.
“Auntie, here’s ten catties of your flower honey.” She handed over the pottery jar and wiped off the honey dripping from the jar with a cloth. After receiving a silver coin, she weighed it. “Just enough. Take care, Auntie.” She tossed the silver coin to the young shopkeeper.
There wasn’t much honey left from the summer harvest, so Mi Niang scooped the rest into small jars for the cats and dogs to eat and drink. She asked the girl who was shaking the money box, “Have you fed the honey to Jiya and Qiqige? The rabbits caught earlier have been skinned and put in the pot. All the goods have been collected, so we can’t go back on our word.”
“Not yet. The honey in the jar was almost gone earlier, so I couldn’t stir it. I’ll go feed them now.” Qiqige put down the money box, picked up the honey jar, and went to find Jiya and Qiqige. She also called out to Jiya, “Brother, come quickly.” They needed someone to maintain order, or else they would start fighting.
As soon as Jiya and Qiqige smelled the honey, they immediately woke up and stretched lazily. When the honey jar was handed to them, they extended their tongues to take a sip. How much they could get depended on their skills.
“Alright, just one sip.” Jiya pushed Da Hu aside and let it stand aside and smack its lips. They found it too troublesome to stir the honey with chopsticks, and it was messy. So, whenever they fed the mountain ferrets, they would be lazy and let them lick it themselves.
After Da Hu took a sip, Da Hu took a sip, and Xiao Mo took a sip, Qiqige picked up the honey jar and left. Da Hu wanted to grab it again, but Jiya slapped its head. It cried out in embarrassment, then turned around and pretended nothing had happened, shaking its short tail to lick Da Hu and Xiao Mo’s mouths, licking the honey off their fur and noses into its own mouth.
“Mom, I fed them.” Qiqige went to report back. After putting down the honey jar, she ran to Bahu’s side, opened his legs, and sat in his lap, smelling the fragrant aroma and murmuring, “The rabbit caught by Da Hu and Xiao Mo still smells delicious.”
“Is the rabbit I caught not delicious when stewed?” Bahu pushed her away, lifted the lid of the pot, and took a piece of rabbit meat. “Try it and see if it’s salty enough.”
“It’s delicious, cooked just right.”
“How about the seasoning?”
“Just perfect.” Qiqige saw her brother coming over and waved, calling out, “Brother, come to help Dad taste the seasoning.”
Bahu lifted the lid again and took another piece. With two children born from the same litter, even a mouthful of water needed to be divided into two portions during meals, or else there would be complaints.
“How is it?” he asked again.
“Dad’s cooking is delicious,” Jiya replied, taking a deep breath. It was both hot and spicy, the meat was tender, and after eating one piece, he wanted another.
“My son has a good palate,” Bahu chuckled, adding some scallions into the pot and letting it simmer for a while before scooping it into a bowl. He poured the rice he had cooked into another pot. “Bring chairs, grab bowls and chopsticks, and call everyone to come eat.”
Qiqige and Jiya complied, calling out to the others and getting the tableware ready. Bahu took advantage of this moment to change the little one’s diaper, placing him in the small crib next to the table. During dinner, he could entertain him a bit.
Stir-fried rabbit meat is the perfect dish to accompany rice. Even the scallion segments from the vegetables can be mixed with rice for an extra bowl. And not to mention the oil from the dish; drizzled over the rice, it shines brightly, vibrant with red hues. After sweating profusely from the spicy meal and spending some time in the cool breeze, the body finally relaxes, and the neck is no longer tense.
Qiqige and Jiya each had a bowl of meatball soup, not spicy but light. The two of them alternated between bites of rabbit meat and meatballs, sipping soup, and eating rice. They were the busiest ones at the dinner table.
“Hey, my little brother is drooling,” Qiqige said, lifting her head to see the little one staring at her with his mouth open, drool almost dripping onto his neck. She pushed the bowl of meatball soup towards him. “This one isn’t spicy. Give it to my brother; see how eager he is.”
Mi Niang and Bahu turned around and saw that Habul had indeed drooled a bit. Mi Niang wiped it clean with a handkerchief and chuckled, “Just like your siblings, he’s got a good appetite.”
“Why are you talking about him? Why drag us into this?” Qiqige pouted. She even let the meatballs out, and now suddenly they were delicious?
“Your mother didn’t lie. When you and Jiya were his age, you always reached out to grab food when you saw someone eating. Habul is more honest; he just drools a bit, he doesn’t try to snatch it,” Uncle Muren corroborated, pushing the bowl back towards her. “Eat by yourself; Habul still can’t eat solid food.”
“Grandpa, you eat,” Qiqige scooped a spoonful of meatballs into his bowl.
The old man chuckled, “Are you trying to shut me up with food?”
Qiqige didn’t respond, scooping another spoonful for him.
Now Bahu laughed too, admiring her cleverness.
The remaining twenty or thirty kilograms of honey were sold out by the evening, and after that, anyone who came later found it empty. Pointing to the last two Lele carts, Mi Niang pointed out, “The honey from autumn hasn’t been harvested yet. If you want to buy some, feel free to come to my house. We live near Wahu Lake.” She had originally wanted to say the easternmost house but then remembered that they had built another house to the east, so she changed her wording, “Just ask around, you’ll find it. My husband’s name is Bahu, and we have many dogs at home.”
“Don’t you sell in the capital?”
“Not necessarily. People near my home haven’t bought any yet. If they finish buying all the honey, they won’t go to the capital to sell.” Mi Niang paid attention to it; people from Asyl Village hadn’t come, but Baoyin’s mother had brought people over. Since she hadn’t sold any, she sent them back to buy from their home. They always prioritized selling to people from afar first.
Even when they were about to turn onto the road back to Wahu Lake, people still came to inquire. If it weren’t so troublesome to separate the honey from the honeycomb, Mi Niang would have wanted to do it along the way. She could only explain that they lacked experience this year and planned to harvest the honeycomb in Lingshan next year and extract all the honey. They would definitely be able to buy it next year.
“Adults, see you next year.” Qiqige and Jiya leaned out of the window, waving to the people on horseback.
“Safe travels, see you next year.”
Mi Niang had to return with the officials first. Uncle Muren accompanied by a male servant would go back together to drive the cattle and sheep carrying the luggage back first. Without the burden of the sheep, Bahu and the others could return faster after tying up the hay bales.
Qiqige and Jiya each guarded a window, repeatedly scanning the road back home.
“Mom, I remember that tree. We walked from here last year too,” Jiya pointed to a crooked-necked tree in the distance and said loudly.
Mi Niang leaned out to look, “This is my first time on this road, but I remember this tree too.” The first thought that came to mind when she saw it was that this tree would be suitable for hanging oneself.
Continuing westward, they could faintly see the dark blue roof, which stood out on the dry grassland.
“We’re finally home.” Mi Niang found her house and took a quick look. It looked somewhat unfamiliar, with two more rows of houses to the east because their sheep pen was large, but no one lived behind it.
Qiqige and Jiya jumped out of the car one after another and went straight to the east by the riverbank. They remembered that their house was in the far east, but as soon as the door opened and the doghouse under the stove was revealed, they immediately remembered.
“So we didn’t go the wrong way,” Qiqige scratched his head.
Mi Niang lit a fire, opened the doors and windows of the house, and took out thick quilts from the box to spread on the kang (a heated brick bed).
“Qiqige, Jiya, don’t rush out to play. I’ll bring water in, and you can use a cloth to wipe the dust off the windows and doors,” Mi Niang shouted from the kitchen.
The two children, who had followed the dog out the door, then turned back into the house, bouncing and jumping. When they came in, they pinched Habul’s chubby cheeks, making the little chubby face wrinkle and then smile.
Mi Niang brought out the water and pretended not to notice. As long as they didn’t do anything serious, like hitting too hard or pulling too much, she let them be. She found that three or four-year-old children just liked to use their hands and claws on everyone, whether it was pinching the dog’s face, lifting its front paws to walk with it, flicking the ears of the mountain weasel, pinching its short tail, or even suddenly jumping up to slap someone’s butt when she or Bahuer passed by. When asked what they meant, they just giggled and said it was fun.
“Keep an eye on your little brother and don’t let him fall or bump into anything,” Mi Niang instructed, putting a hat on Habul. Then she hurried back to the kitchen.
Lunch was simple, with each person having a bowl of scallion oil mixed noodles. After eating, she boiled water to bathe the three children. Along the way, they just wiped them with a wet cloth, and they didn’t change their clothes often.
Without the burden of the sheep, Bahu returned earlier this year than in previous years. Mi Niang hadn’t finished drying her hair when heavy hoofbeats sounded outside the gate.
The servant unloaded the grass fodder, while Bahu carried the luggage into the house.
“Is it time for lunch?” Mi Niang stood at the door, drying her hair, and asked.
“I’ve eaten. What did you have?” Bahu replied.
“Scallion oil mixed noodles.”
“Then I had a better meal than you. I had meat.”
With more rooms in the house, most of the things brought back from Lingshan were stacked intact in the third courtyard, except for two rooms used for the servants to cook and rest, while the others were used for storage.
It wasn’t until dusk that things inside and outside the house were bustling. Bahu scooped water and sat in the tub to bathe. He heard dogs barking outside and was about to call someone when he heard footsteps running out.
The bailiff held a stick in his hand, unafraid of dogs jumping on him. He first saw four ferrets by the river, two big and two small, and asked the woman who came out with a shovel, “Are these the only four ferrets you have at home? Are there any others?”
“No, originally we only had two at home. The two small ones were born just this year,” Mi Niang replied, puzzled. “Big brother, is there something wrong?”
“No, I just came to take a look. In April, your ferrets came by, but there weren’t just two, there were four. At that time, there were many people building houses, carrying bricks, tiles, and wood. They stood at your door for a while and then got scared away. I knew they were raised by your family. Afterward, I went out to look for them but didn’t see them. I thought they had returned to the mountains, but it turns out they went to Lingshan,” the bailiff looked at the ferrets and nodded in admiration, “They actually found their way there, quite impressive.”
Upon hearing this, Mi Niang hurriedly thanked him, “Thank you so much, big brother. We wouldn’t have known about this if you hadn’t mentioned it. But there are only two ferrets that went to Lingshan, we haven’t seen the other two.”
The bailiff was one to enjoy joking around. He rubbed his chin and chuckled, “Well, then they probably just couldn’t make a deal. The temporary partners they found weren’t willing to endure the hardships of a long journey.”
