The sudden throw of rabbit meat startled the five wild lynxes, causing them to jump two feet high. Upon landing, they snarled at the people, their four sharp teeth standing out in the dry leaves of the forest.
Big Spot saw the situation and let out a roar, her ears pinned back, clearly showing her anger. However, the five lynxes on the opposite side didn’t buy it. Their fur even bristled up, showing signs of aggression.
“Alright, alright,” Bahu quickly hugged Big Spot, not daring to let her act aggressive anymore. Although he was grateful for her protection, it was already good enough that she didn’t get beaten up after abandoning her family. How could he allow her to yell and scold at his newly found wife and children? “Listen to me, whether you scold them away or not, you’ll have to go after them and coax them back.”
On the other hand, Little Spot walked over, picked up a rabbit, and walked to the side of the large lynx with the bell hanging from its fur. She gently let out a couple of roars, and the five lynxes on the opposite side calmed down, casting a wary glance before taking the rabbit and walking a little farther away before starting to eat.
“Bahu, did Big Spot and Little Spot make a mistake? I see those on the other side seem to be a family of five,” Chaobao stared at the overgrown trees, vaguely seeing two large lynxes eating together, looking like they were catching an affair. He was excited and slapped his thigh, “That’s right, that’s right, they are indeed a family. Big Spot and Little Spot must have mistaken their target.”
Bahu also saw it. He glanced at Big Spot and Little Spot, then at the lynxes eating while still keeping an eye on them. He shook his head and said, “They should be right. The mother lynx with cubs is especially vigilant. If there’s no connection, it’s impossible for them to follow.” He rubbed his chin and continued to watch for a while, muttering, “Big Spot and Little Spot may have found siblings, or perhaps a mother and her offspring?”
It only makes sense this way. Stray male and female lynxes wouldn’t eat together, and a mother lynx with cubs wouldn’t let unrelated males roam around her offspring.
Chaobao was somewhat disappointed for no apparent reason. “Then what should we do? You can’t possibly coax wild lynxes back, and with two large lynxes on the other side, and the cubs not being small anymore, you can’t retrieve them.”
Bahu gave up the idea of coaxing them back when they showed hostility towards humans. “There’s nothing we can do. We came here to peel birch bark, and meeting them was just a coincidence. We’ll block two rabbit holes later, peel the bark, and feed them. That’s all.”
The four of them hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. After grabbing their bows and axes, they retreated, leaving the area to the seven lynxes. While searching for rabbit holes, they found a pheasant’s nest with six eggs inside.
In this area with many mountain birch trees, the scattered twisted fruits on the ground were particularly liked by rabbits. Rabbit holes weren’t hard to find; wherever there was thick wild grass, there were usually rabbit holes. Finding three burrow entrances, they lit cow dung to smoke them out. Soon enough, there was movement underground, and one by one, the rabbits emerged.
“Are they all out?”
“Should be. I don’t hear any more movements.” Bahu crushed the sparks on the ground. When Chaobao brought water, he first threw the still-smoking cow dung into the holes. “Be careful. Wet this grass thoroughly, and pour two ladles of water into each hole to ensure no sparks fall in.”
“Bahu, you can rest assured. Even without your instructions, I would still be careful. If the forest catches fire because of us, we’ll end up in big trouble.”
In the mountains, the most important thing when cooking over a fire is to find a good water source. The fire should be extinguished immediately after use, burying it in the soil is not reliable, so it should be doused with water.
The scent of rabbit blood attracted Big Spot and Little Spot, followed by five lynxes. Bahu didn’t pay much attention to the two larger lynxes, but only glanced at the three smaller ones. Growing up in the wild made a difference; with just a glance, he noticed the small cub that had been eyeing the rabbit meat, and it immediately bared its teeth at him.
Bahu quickly looked away, cutting open the rabbit skin and feeding the skinned rabbits to Big Spot and Little Spot first, before tossing the remaining ones to the five lynxes behind.
“Let’s catch another nest. We’ll cook and eat it. We’ll have rabbit meat for lunch and dinner too,” he told the male servants, then turned to wash his hands in the mountain stream, his bow and arrows slung over his back, always within reach, and he remained vigilant as he walked, scanning the surroundings.
When he returned after washing his hands, the lynxes were gone.
“They left after eating the rabbit meat. Big Spot and Little Spot chased after them,” Chaobao informed him.
Bahu nodded. “Don’t worry about them. We caught the rabbits, so we’ll cook the meat. The rest of you come with me to cut down trees and peel bark.” In previous years, there were scattered pieces of peeled wood in the birch forest, but this year, they couldn’t find any, probably taken away by the people building houses.
Bahu only intended to take three pieces of wood this time, as they only needed it for the beehives at home.
Cutting trees, releasing trees, peeling bark, and picking birch fruits—twisted fruits—kept them busy until nightfall.
They piled up a heap of fire in an open space, clearing away the surrounding leaves and weeds, and thoroughly wetting the ground. Even if the wind disturbed the fire and sparks flew out, they wouldn’t ignite anything on the ground.
The four of them sat on tree stumps, drinking soup from bowls. It was cold at night, so they added plenty of peppers to the stewed rabbit soup. One sip of the soup made their heads steam from the spiciness.
“You idiot, did you cook with chili peppers instead of green onions?” Their lips were swollen from the spicy meal, and Chaobao cursed at the people around him.
“I didn’t know it would be so spicy. Tomorrow, I’m not cooking anymore, it’s your turn,” someone replied.
Zhao Chao didn’t respond, instead, he looked at Bahu. “Boss, are we going back tomorrow or the day after?”
Bahu glanced into the forest. Big Spot and Little Spot hadn’t returned since they left during the day. “We’ll go back the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’ll peel more birch bark and gather more twisted fruits. We won’t come back next year.” He didn’t bring Big Spot and Little Spot into the mountains this time.
During the night, the four took turns keeping watch. They slept in a tent made of simple felt, tied to the chopped birch trees at the corners, raised to a height of about half a person, just enough to block the wind.
The nights in the mountains were lively, with the distant howls of wolves, the mournful cries of night birds, the heavy pounding of trees, and the unfamiliar sound of digging soil, all carried by the wind. Nearby, there were also the footsteps of wild rabbits coming out of their burrows to forage, and the sound of them gnawing on twisted fruits. Bahu sat by the fire, paying no attention to the passing rabbits. His bow and arrow were within reach, but he didn’t move. The forests at night were full of danger, and the smell of blood would attract even greater danger.
…
The dawn light spilled into the birch forest, leaving only embers in the fire pit. A copper kettle hung over it, still filled with hot water. Bahu emerged from the felt tent, and the bowl left in the grass had a layer of black ash on it. He scooped up some water from a bucket and rinsed it off, then poured himself a cup of hot water from the copper kettle.
“Did Big Spot and Little Spot come back?” he asked.
“No, they didn’t.” The servant dug out six eggs from the fire pit. The eggshells were already cracked, and the white part was covered in ash. After brushing off the ash, the inside was a burnt yellow.
“Come, fill your stomachs. The rabbit soup I drank last night almost made my intestines bleed. I woke up several times during the night.”
Bahu also peeled one, a bowl of water for each egg. At least there was something in his stomach now.
“Let’s go catch a nest of rabbits first, and then we can get busy.” He had seen several rabbit holes last night.
Just as a pot of rabbit meat was freshly cooked, Big Spot and Little Spot arrived again with their family. Their fur was messy, wet from rubbing in the grass, covered in dirt and ash, very dirty.
Bahu pushed away Big Spot and Little Spot who rushed over, asking with a stern face, “What’s the matter? What were you doing last night? When you were at home, you could catch rabbits to exchange for honey, but now that you’re in the mountains, you can’t catch rabbits anymore? And you bring your whole family here, expecting me to catch rabbits to feed you?”
Despite his complaints, he went to block the holes and smoke the rabbits before even eating his meal. By the time he peeled off the skins and fed the seven wildcats, the soup in the pot was no longer hot. Meanwhile, the two families of seven cats, licking the blood off their mouths, walked away contentedly.
“Come back earlier tomorrow morning, and I’ll feed you another meal.” He shouted as he carried the bowl, noticing the servant’s speechless expression. He added, “I’m reminding Big Spot and Little Spot to go home tomorrow.”
“They can’t understand human language either.” They had never seen anyone like Bahu who was so fond of these things. It wasn’t just wildcats; they heard that even before he got married, he liked to talk to cows, sheep, and horses when feeding them grass and salt, and even when milking them. Even when slaughtering sheep and cattle, he would say, “Don’t be afraid, my knife is fast and my hands are quick.”
It seemed like he had a problem in his head.
“They can understand if you say it enough times. It’s like a dog that’s only a month old; it doesn’t understand eating, but if you keep saying ‘eat, eat’ every time you feed it for two or three days, they’ll remember. It’s the same with wildcats; they understand common words like eating meat and going home.” Of course, he believed that Big Spot and Little Spot understood quite a bit.
This day was the same as the previous one: eating, chopping trees, placing trees, peeling bark, picking up quao fruit, eating, and keeping watch until dawn.
While the servant was cooking, Bahu went with someone to catch rabbits. Unexpectedly, they also blocked a mouse hole. By the time the seven wildcats came back, he was already skinning rabbits.
While he was feeding the wildcats, the others loaded the bark and quao fruit onto the Lele carts, and then they worked together to lift three logs onto them.
“Big Spot, Little Spot, come in.” Bahu threw two rabbits onto the Lele cart. When they didn’t respond, he changed his words: “Big Spot, Little Spot, go home.”
“Big Spot, Little Spot, Big Spot, Alse Wolves, Mi Niang, Qiqige, Jiya…”
Big Spot and Little Spot looked back, howled a couple of times, and climbed onto the cart slowly. The door was immediately closed behind them.
Bahu glanced at the five wildcats staring at the Lele cart, but he didn’t say anything. He simply pulled the horses and followed the same path down the mountain.
As the Lele carts moved, the five wildcats looked at each other before lowering their heads to tear into the bald rabbit meat. The skinned rabbits tasted much better than the ones they caught themselves; they didn’t mind swallowing some fur, which would have stuck in their throats otherwise.
Bahu glanced back again, feeling somewhat disappointed but also relieved. If these five were brought back, he didn’t know what to do. His dogs at home probably wouldn’t spare them, especially when they growled at the people. Big Spot was especially protective of his master; sometimes, when he pushed Mi Niang, Big Spot would come over to intervene.
After the three Lele carts descended the mountain, there were marks of wheels on the grassland below, with faint bell sounds in the wind. There should be other Lele carts returning home with bark.
“Master, they’ve caught up!” Chaobao was shocked. He was walking at the end, and when he turned around, he met the gaze of five pairs of wild eyes. He didn’t know when they had caught up; he was terrified.
Bahu jumped off the Lele cart and walked back. Sure enough, it was them, silently following along. Seeing the man turn back, they weren’t afraid at all. They confidently walked past the Lele carts and let out a howl at the front of the Lele cart.
“I didn’t invite them to follow me.” Bahu was at a loss for words, shrugging his shoulders, not knowing who to explain to. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Then are they attaching themselves to us? Master, should I shoot two arrows?” Chaobao hesitated.
“Let’s go a little further; perhaps they’re just coming to escort Big Spot and Little Spot. Let’s consider them as bodyguards.” Bahu hesitated, then looked at Chaobao. In the end, Chaobao didn’t say anything. The master’s affairs were less to be interfered with by servants.
Returning from the mountains to home, they only brought back three logs. The speed of the Lele carts was not slow, and by nightfall, they could already see the poles planted along the road, with faded cloth and rusty bells hanging from them.
Bahu stared at the seven wildcats, which had brought half-dead rabbits for him to skin. If he didn’t move, they just sat five feet away, waiting.
There were also Big Spot and Little Spot, sitting together with them. When they were at home, they never made such a fuss about catching rabbits.
“Let’s have this meal and then head back. We’re almost home, no need to escort them,” he tried to persuade.
But the next morning, when they set off, not one of them ran ahead with Big Spot and Little Spot.
Before noon, the sight of the blue-brick tiled house was already in view. Big Spot and Little Spot ran and barked, leading the wildcats home as if showing off. Along the way, people came out, startled by the wild eyes. “This… This… Bahu, are these yours?”
Bahu didn’t want to admit it. “They followed Big Spot and Little Spot back.”
Before they even reached the front door, a group of dogs came running back from the river, baring their teeth and barking at the five unfamiliar wildcats, saliva flying.
Now, everyone in the neighborhood had come out to watch the commotion. Bahu didn’t have time to speak. He hurriedly ran home. As he ran past, the dogs strangely quieted down, but they remained vigilant.
Mi Niang stood at the door with the two children, and Big Spot and Little Spot rubbed affectionately against them. Compared to the three small wildcats that came out of the mountains, they were much fatter and more tender.
The male wildcat with the bell around its neck approached and sniffed, then let out a roar. The five wildcats that had followed all turned and ran off, but not back towards the mountains.
“Bahu, if they bite my sheep to death, I’ll make you pay for it,” said a man who had come to see what was happening.
“If it’s them, I’ll compensate,” Bahu nodded.
The family entered the house, and Big Spot and Little Spot casually followed along with Da Hu and Xiao Mo, not seeming concerned at all about the five wildcats running away.
“What’s going on? How did they end up here like this? Weren’t they supposed to be on a leash?” Mi Niang asked, frowning.
“I didn’t bring them back. I never planned to bring them back. I didn’t even dare to say ‘go home’. Believe me,” Bahu said, his face sullen, poking Big Spot and Little Spot, “It’s them, they invited them. Those five shameless ones followed without my consent.”
Mi Niang raised an eyebrow, amused. Oh, how surprising, he’s so emotional?
“Regretting it now? Regretting bringing Big Spot and Little Spot to the mountains?”
Seeing that she wasn’t blaming him and wasn’t angry, Bahu breathed a sigh of relief. “Exactly, I’ve even brought back the bark for next year. I was planning not to go to the mountains next year.”
But now that they were back, he couldn’t just ignore them. If they recklessly stumbled into the flock, getting shot with arrows wouldn’t be unjust. Bahu didn’t even bother to drink a sip of water when he got home before riding out on horseback to search.
“Mi Niang, aren’t you worried?” Chaobao brought in some birch bark into the courtyard. “If I shoot a couple of arrows at them on the way, those five probably wouldn’t have followed us back.”
“I know. Don’t be fooled by Bahu’s stern face now; he might be secretly pleased,” Mi Niang chuckled softly. “With his excuses, he can probably fool Quige and Jiya. He enjoys keeping busy and doesn’t let me worry. So why should I be worried?”
