The laughter was too loud, attracting the three children next door. Hearing the quick footsteps approaching, Bahu stretched out his arms to hold the person who was hitting him, and the two of them sank into the darkness, watching the three small figures appear outside the door.
“What are you guys here for? Have you put on your cotton coats?” He cleared his throat and, hearing the children next door crying, added, “Quickly go back, don’t let your brother fall off the kang.”
When Ajima heard this, he turned around and ran back, but Qiqige and Jiya didn’t leave. Leaning on the door frame, they stepped over the threshold and curiously asked, “Mom and Dad, what are you playing? Why didn’t you light the oil lamp?”
Mi Niang pushed the man away and smoothed out the hair that fell to her ear. “I’ll go check on Habul. You go fetch water to wash their faces and feet.” Before leaving, she didn’t forget to pinch him and mutter a curse.
Bahu heard her laughter and followed her out, grabbing the two clueless little ones. Feeling their bodies, he realized they were only wearing thin cotton coats, and he sucked in a cold breath. He turned them around and slapped each of their bottoms. “Do you want to get sick? It’s snowing, and you dare to run out wearing so little?” He tossed the oil lamp to the ground, picked up one child and ran to the next door.
The chubby boy on the kang raised his head to look outside when he heard the commotion. Seeing his father carrying his siblings inside, he also reached out his hands, wanting to be carried.
Bahu ignored him, propped the two children on the kang, pulled down their cotton pants, and gave each of them two slaps. After crawling away, he pulled them back by their legs. “If you dare to run out without clothes again, I won’t stop until your bottoms bleed. I’m not your biological father if I don’t.”
This wasn’t the first time Qiqige and Jiya had been beaten. They quickly apologized and kicked off their shoes, scrambling to climb into the kang as if running for their lives. Watching the man’s dark face, their laughter slowly faded away, and they hung their heads, picking at their fingers.
Bahu glanced at Mi Niang and saw her enjoying the scene with folded arms, a smile playing on her lips. Turning around, he went out to fetch a basin of water. When he returned to the room, it was still the same as when he left—gloomy atmosphere, quiet children with lowered heads, even the little ones were rolling their eyes around and not making a sound.
“Come down and wash your faces.”
Qiqige and Jiya, unusually obedient, quickly jumped off the kang and stood by the water basin with their faces up, waiting. Bahu continued to wear a stern expression, wiping his face, hands, and applying facial cream. When he put the towel down, without him having to remind them, the three little ones moved the stools themselves, took off their socks, and soaked their feet in hot water.
Jiya glanced at her father’s slightly upturned mouth, nudged her sister, and when Qiqige noticed, her face immediately changed from gloomy to sunny. She coaxed in a soft voice, “Dad, are you still angry? Do you want to slap me and my brother again? Don’t be angry. We’ll definitely wear thick cotton coats before going out in the future.”
Mi Niang also pursed her lips and watched. Seeing the man move his mouth, she knew he couldn’t hold back anymore and encouraged, “Then slap them a couple more times. Don’t disappoint the children’s kindness.”
Bahu forcibly flattened his mouth, coughed, and then spoke, “Okay, it’s necessary to discipline them. Quickly wash up and then go back to the kang.”
Really slap them? Qiqige couldn’t believe it, looking to her brother for help. She was just being polite.
Jiya wiped her feet, climbed onto the kang using a chair, took off her own pants, and saw her father carrying the basin out to fetch water. She quickly rolled into the blanket. “Mom, I’m going to sleep, hurry up and leave.”
Seeing this, Qiqige followed suit and crawled into bed, pretending to be asleep.
Mi Niang glanced outside, knowing Bahu didn’t plan to come back in. Ajima also realized this, so he put on his shoes and grabbed a sheepskin coat. “Auntie, I’m going to sleep too.”
“Alright, the courtyard is already wet, be careful when walking,” she said, carrying Habul out with her.
With light in the neighboring room, Mi Niang pushed the door open and saw two basins of water on the ground. After placing the red robe on the box, she turned to the kang. She glanced at the man and smirked.
“Hurry up and wash, don’t dawdle or the water will cool down,” Bahu urged.
Perhaps witnessing their siblings being beaten, Habul was exceptionally obedient in his father’s arms tonight. He didn’t hide while wiping his face or applying cream, but instead looked at his father timidly.
“I didn’t even hit you, look at your courage,” Bahu chuckled. “Those who got hit weren’t even as scared as you.”
Mi Niang washed her lower body and soaked her feet after taking off her shoes. “The youngest one is really straightforward.” Qiqige and Jiya were full of cunning, even when they were babies, they would pretend to cry and gauge people’s reactions. But this youngest one, when he cried, it was genuine, and he couldn’t stop once he started.
She finished washing her feet and tried on the new robe. Bahu washed himself and then had to fetch water again to wash the youngest one’s bottom. When he came back in, he saw that she had taken out all the new boots she had bought, and he teased, “Do you want to redo your hair bun?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Mi Niang scoffed at him, feeling proud. “It’s only because it’s a gift from you that I’m giving you some face and dressing up nicely.”
“Then I thank you.”
“At least you’re speaking like a human being now,” Mi Niang said as she adjusted the hem of her robe. She took an oil lamp and placed it beside the bronze mirror. Standing on tiptoes, she turned around, but the mirror only showed a blurry reflection, and she could only see her upper body clearly when she leaned in closer.
“You look beautiful,” Bahu said as he walked over, holding the child in his arms. Leaning against the dressing table, he glanced up and down. “Red really suits you.”
Mi Niang was also pleased, most of all with the sentiment. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, with the chubby child between them.
“Let’s go to sleep,” the man’s eyes darkened.
After putting the youngest one to sleep, Mi Niang covered him with a small blanket, took off her coat, and slipped into the man’s arms. Outside, the wind and snow were swirling, covering up all the sounds coming from inside the house.
…
The snow fell all night, covering the eaves and tiles with a layer of snow half an inch thick. When the door was opened in the early morning, the cold wind rushed in, piercing the nostrils and causing them to sting, almost bringing tears to the eyes.
“It’s really cold,” Bahu shivered and quickly ran into the kitchen to stuff cow dung into the stove. As the flames soared, the room warmed up again. He washed his hands and face with the warm water in the pot, sifted rice and beans into the pot, and then went outside to stuff cow dung into the warm beds for the children.
“Uncle, are you already up?” Ajima heard footsteps in the backyard and sat up in bed.
“Don’t get up yet, I’ll warm up the bed first, and when it’s warm inside, then you can get dressed.” He had added firewood once in the middle of the night, but by morning, the cow dung had burned out, causing the temperature in the room to drop again.
Bahu returned to the front yard, took a broom, and swept away the snow piled up under the eaves. The clothes hanging under the eaves were frozen stiff, with ice crystals hanging from the edges of the sleeves and trouser legs. He broke them off one by one and threw them into the yard.
“Dad,” Qiqige called from under the blankets, “Is the snow heavy?”
“Yes, it’s still snowing,” he replied, putting on a straw hat and switching to a shovel to clear the snow from the yard. There was a dog scratching at the gate outside the main entrance, and without needing to guess, he knew it was Da Huang.
“Just wait a little longer, I’ll sweep the snow and then let you all come in.”
…
Halfway through shoveling snow, Bahu went back inside to stir the porridge in the pot and knocked on the wall. “Shopkeeper, it’s time to get up, the porridge is boiling.”
“Alright, I’m getting up now,” Mi Niang replied, waiting for Habul to finish his milk before putting on his thick cotton coat and tossing him into the warm bed. With no doors or windows open, the room was warm like the springtime when the geese fly north. Even when she stepped out of bed without her clothes, she didn’t feel cold.
But as soon as she opened the door, she shrank her neck from the cold. Holding her little son, she hurriedly ran to the next room. “It’s really cold, really cold.” With her hands buried in the warm blankets, the two siblings huddled together to escape the chilly air.
Habul giggled as he was placed on his siblings, having missed them all night. He enthusiastically babbled and even blushed shyly when kissed, his face buried in the covers.
Listening to the lively laughter inside the room, Bahu urged, “Get up, Ajima has come to help me shovel snow.”
“Mom, please put on my cotton pants quickly,” Jiya also urged upon hearing this.
Mi Niang fetched the camel wool pants from the box. “It’s snowing, so you need to wear cotton pants.”
Once the four of them were out the door, the snow in the front yard had already been cleared away. However, the snowfall showed no signs of stopping, and in no time, the ground was covered in white again, with the snow being trampled by the dogs coming in and out through the open gate.
Breakfast consisted of a pot of porridge and leftover lamb pies from the night before. While serving the meal, Mi Niang exclaimed, “Oh dear, I forgot to buy pickled vegetables this year.”
“That’s right,” Bahu said, momentarily stunned. “We also forgot to buy duck eggs.”
“Never mind, I’ll ask around at the people’s houses to the east another day, to see if they have any pickled vegetables. Many people from the Central Plains know how to pickle vegetables.” As for the duck eggs, they could get some from Asyl’s house after the New Year.
Mi Niang went to ask Pandi, who said she had two jars of pickled vegetables. “If it weren’t inconvenient to bring them back, I’d make a big jar.” She handed a plate of pickled vegetables to Mi Niang. “Don’t bother buying them anymore. When you want to cook with pickled vegetables, just come and get a bowl. I can’t finish them all by myself.”
Mi Niang didn’t refuse either. At noon, she stewed lamb with pickled vegetables and had Ajima take a bowl over. The snow was heavy, and the cattle, sheep, horses, and camels were all herded into the pen. Ajima took out his little account book and went to count the animals in the sheep pen. His steps were light and nimble, finally having something to do.
Qiqige and Jiya also ran over to join in the fun, passing by the doghouse to say hello before following a string of dogs.
“Dad, the dogs aren’t wearing shoes. Aren’t their feet cold?” Qiqige asked.
Bahu grabbed a small bucket and sent the two chatterboxes outside to shovel snow. “They’re not cold; they’re wearing fur boots,” he said. Things with fur on the ground weren’t afraid of the cold, and those with fish scales in the water weren’t afraid of the cold either. Only people, without fur or scales, were afraid of the cold and freezing.
It snowed during the day and stopped at night, continuing for five days before finally clearing up. Without waiting to slaughter the cattle, they had to go to the river to break the ice and catch fish. If they waited a few more days, the ice on the lake would be even firmer.
Bahu asked Uncle Muren to help him look after the children for half a day. What he discussed with Mi Niang was taking Qiqige and Jiya to Wahu Lake to see how fish were caught in the winter. Since both Qiqige and Jiya were going, they couldn’t leave out Ajima. With the three of them together all day, if they took two and left one, it would lead to feelings of exclusion among the children. Playing together, it was inevitable that they would be bossy towards Ajima.
“Wear your old boots; your dad is going to teach us ice skating,” Mi Niang reminded them as she stood at the door.
“Ice skating!!” Qiqige jumped with excitement, put on her boots, and ran to hug Mi Niang around the waist. “Why didn’t I know about this? Did my dad tell us?”
“He deliberately didn’t tell you. If you had known, you wouldn’t have been able to sleep last night due to excitement,” Mi Niang said, seeing Bahu return and knowing he had taken care of Habul. “Shh,” she said, “let’s go quickly and quietly, so we don’t let your brother catch us.”
Passing by Pandi’s house, Mi Niang saw her door open and asked Ajima to go down and ask if she wanted to go fishing at the lake with them.
Pandi said she wouldn’t go; she had made plans with someone else.”
His way of addressing people was all mixed up. She was two years older than Pandi, yet he called her “shushu” and Pandi “jie.” Every time Mi Niang heard it, she felt annoyed.
…
On the way to Wahu Lake, there were many tracks, and Bahu drove a carriage with people in it, followed by two more carriages with four servants. When they arrived at Wahu Lake, they also helped break the ice and cast nets. Bahu was focused on teaching his wife and children to skate on the ice.
“Ajima, do you know how?” Mi Niang asked, tilting her head.
“No, I’ve only taken a few steps on the ice in front of our house.” His father was a sickly man, and his mother and sister were strict with him, not letting him run outside much in winter for fear of him hurting his lungs.
“Then later, let your uncle teach you too.” Hearing Qiqige’s screams, Mi Niang stopped talking and stared intently at the three of them ahead. Bahu bent down, holding one child in each hand, slowly guiding them across the ice. Qiqige held onto her father’s wrist tightly, fearing the pain of falling. Her face showed both surprise and fear, as she kept saying, “Dad, don’t let go, hold me steady.”
In contrast, Jiya was more stable and bold. She dared to let go of her father’s arm and take a few steps on her own, then quickly grabbed onto him again, laughing happily.
“Good, that’s it, don’t be afraid of falling,” Bahu said with joy. “With all these layers, plus your hat and gloves, if you fall, will it hurt? No, right? You won’t even feel it.”
Jiya intentionally fell on her bottom, just as her father had said, it didn’t hurt at all. Her courage immediately grew, spreading her arms wide and pushing off with her feet, she slid about a foot before screaming in fear. But when she realized she hadn’t fallen, her scream turned into laughter.
“Sis, let me teach you. I’ll hold you while you skate.”
Bahu handed Qiqige’s hand to him, his back aching from bending over, and his wrist reddened from being pulled by the little girl.
“Ajima, you go skate too. Don’t be afraid of falling. You’re wearing thick clothes. If you feel like you’re going to fall, just fall forward. As long as you don’t hit your head, nothing will happen,” Bahu encouraged him to join in the fun. “Kids are brave and agile. After a couple of slides, they’ll learn.”
Ajima agreed and imitated Bahu’s movements, learning in just a few steps.
“Why are they learning so fast?” Mi Niang raised her eyebrows. “I’m not afraid either.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. They didn’t have anyone to teach them, so they had to learn on their own,” Bahu said, wrapping his arm around her waist and separating her legs. “When your man skates with you, you don’t need to exert any effort. You can just slide along.”
Before the exhaled breath dissipated, the two of them had already skated far away. Amid Qiqige and Jiya’s astonished “wow” sounds, Bahu showed off, spinning around with Mi Niang on the ice for two circles.
“So, you never properly taught me,” Mi Niang teased, laughing and playfully hitting him. “No wonder I could never learn.”
Bahu chuckled, not protesting, accepting this selfish charge. In the first two years of their marriage, they had only been to Wahu Lake to skate twice, totaling less than three days together.
“Fish are coming out!”
Bahu heard the call and asked her as he lowered his head, “Do you want to go pick them up?”
“Yes, bring Qiqige and Jiya.”
Bahu pulled Mi Niang, Mi Niang pulled Jiya, Jiya pulled Qiqige, and Qiqige pulled Ajima. The five of them formed a line and slowly slid to the edge of the ice hole.
The fish were still flapping on the surface of the water as they poured out of the net onto the ice. In a short while, they stiffened. Mi Niang picked up a fish about an arm’s length long and put it in a bag. Qiqige, Jiya, and Ajima each carried a fish, and when they were bagging them, Bahu also lent a hand.
“So many fish!” Qiqige was so satisfied, buzzing around like a little bee, energetically helping to put the fish in the bag.
Another hole in the ice broke open, letting air into the water. The fish underwater squeezed up onto the ice surface. “Qiqige, Jiya, look!” Mi Niang reminded them.
Bahu turned the confused children in another direction just in time to see a flat fish jump out and flop onto the ice before bouncing back into the lake.
“Wow!”
“Fish, fish, fish!”
Qiqige and Jiya stretched out their hands, wishing they could catch it again.
The male servant kicked the fish on the edge of the ice hole farther away. “Young master, come and pick them up quickly. I’ll fish out the one that fell back in for you.”
“Coming, coming.” The fish on this side were no longer needed. Excitedly, they ran to pick up the fish that had just jumped out.
With two nets of fish filling three sacks, the fishing net was thrown back into the water. Bahu continued to teach Mi Niang how to skate, and Qiqige and Jiya followed along. Before leaving, they instructed, “If more fish come out, be sure to call us.”
By noon, Mi Niang finally managed to let go of Bahu’s hand and skate by herself. However, Qiqige’s cheeky mouth muttered, “Mom, you look like Old Adeng walking.”
“Hahaha.” Bahu couldn’t help but laugh. Old Adeng was an eighty-one-year-old woman, hunched over, with bowed legs and an outward tilt. She walked just like Mi Niang did now, with her back hunched, legs crossed, and both arms stiff like branches.
Mi Niang gave him a glare, “Laugh all you want, just wait until we get home, I’ll make you cry.”
Bahu paid no attention, hands on his hips, still laughing, and even came closer to taunt, “Old lady, be careful walking on the ice.”
Fuming with anger, Mi Niang took off her gloves and threw them at him. Seeing him dodge, she gritted her teeth and fake smiled, “Grandson, come help Grandma. Grandma is old and not very steady on her feet.”
Bahu waved his hand, “Grandma, you look like you’re about to bite someone. I dare not help you.”
Laughing uncontrollably, his laughter echoed across the entire lake.
Mi Niang stopped skating, stood up straight, put down her heels, raised her leg to chase him, but walking on the ice was tricky, and she slipped after a few steps. She stopped on her own. “Just you wait, you better hope we don’t go back.”
Bahu stopped teasing her, raised his hands in surrender, “You keep practicing, I’ll go grill the fish.”
Mi Niang snorted and called over the three children, instantly declaring them as three little masters, just to save face.
Bahu grilled the fish while keeping an eye on her. Seeing Mi Niang straightening her back and legs, he applauded and called out, “Well done, you got the posture right.”
Mi Niang didn’t even glance at him, praising the three little apprentices instead: “You guys are much better than him. He turned me into an old lady with his teaching.”
Jiya puffed out her chest proudly, saying, “Mom, don’t worry. I also taught my little sister. You’ll definitely learn.”
When Bahu finished grilling the fish, Mi Niang was able to gracefully spin around on the ice as well. With servants around, she didn’t give him any attitude either. She took the grilled fish, scaled and ready, “It’s been years since I’ve had this. I only had it once when we got married.”
“You didn’t grill it for me the second year?” Bahu handed the fish belly meat to Qiqige and Jiya. The fish belly meat had large bones, but he wasn’t afraid of them choking.
“The second year, your two children were left at home, not even six months old. You rushed back before noon.” Mi Niang calculated, murmuring, “Time flies. It feels like we’ve only been in the Mobei for a short while, but my children are already four years old.” The first time they came to Wahu Lake to fish through the ice, Qiqige and Jiya were still in her belly. Now they could squat beside her, sharing a fish, and even teach her how to skate.
Eating fish on the ice gets cold quickly, so you have to grill and eat at the same time. Bahu took the fish from her hands, “Eat quickly, it’ll get cold again soon.” He only started eating after Mi Niang and the three kids were full.
“Master, now that you have a wife and kids, you can only eat leftovers.”
Bahu glanced at him, “Haven’t got a wife yet, have you?”
The servant took a deep breath and remained silent, bowing his head to continue eating the fish head. After throwing the fish head into the water, he spoke again, “I will, I’m still young.”
Bahu nodded absently, casually tossing the fish bones into the ice hole, “Eat quickly. After you’re done, we’ll catch two more nets before heading back.”
After squatting for a while, Mi Niang still felt cold. She continued to skate with the three kids, and whenever there was a catch of fish, she would run over to pick them up. The lake wasn’t entirely populated by large fish; there was also a type of fish, small-headed and slender-bodied. These fish were no longer than a man’s hand and had few thorns, but tender meat. The majority of the catch from the last two nets consisted of these fish.
“We’ve cast our nets into the old haunt.” Bahu changed to another bag, and after picking up all the fish, it was filled to the brim. In total, there were nine bags of fish, enough to last through the winter.
Bahu and the four servants each carried a bag and placed them on the Lele cart before coming down again. The remaining four bags were carried by the servants, with Bahu holding one child in his hand and Ajima following behind. Mi Niang walked at the back, listening to Bahu instructing the two children in front to walk carefully. “There’s a thin layer of ice here. If someone falls through, they won’t be able to get up.”
Returning home fully loaded and thoroughly entertained, everyone sat in the Lele cart, with Qiqige asking when they could come back again.
“After the New Year, we’ll go to Auntie Waner’s house to pay respects. She has an even bigger lake there, and we can go skating there.” As for Wahu Lake, they would have to wait until next winter to visit again.
On the way back home, they passed by Pandi’s house. As they approached, they heard lively chatter. Mi Niang pushed open the Lele cart window to look outside. “What’s going on out there? What are they selling?”
“They’re selling fish,” Bahu replied. He saw a man taking out a scale and shouted, “How much are you selling the fish for?”
“It’s not expensive, one cent per Kilogram.” The man weighing the fish recognized them. It wasn’t common to see a whole family out skating. He had been catching fish all day and was curious about their haul. “Did you catch any fish? How much did you catch?”
“We caught enough.” Bahu nodded to Pandi and asked her, “Can you handle it on your own? Should I leave someone to help you?” He remembered Ajima saying in the morning that she had made plans with someone.
“Brother, help me move in later,” Pandi said as she saw the face peeking out of the car window. She smiled and pointed westward, “Quickly go back, your little troublemaker at home has been crying for half a day.”
“Is this what you call making plans with someone?” Mi Niang asked.
“Why wouldn’t it count? I paid the deposit yesterday.” Pandi stuck out her tongue and shrugged, urging, “Hurry up, I’ve made arrangements.” Without a man to break the ice and cast nets in the lake, she could pay for it. Buying five hundred catties of fish only cost half a tael of silver, enough for her to eat.
After Bahu’s family’s car passed by, Pandi’s expression turned sour. “You’re not sincere. I told you not to get big fish, but look at the fish you sent over. Each one weighs twenty to thirty catties. With just one fish, I’ll have to eat for several days.”
The man pulled out about ten palm-sized silver fish from the Lele cart. “These fish are hard to catch, it’s all luck. I caught these in half a day, I’ll give them to you as a gift.” If it weren’t for seeing her familiar with the locals, he wouldn’t have given them. Silver fish had tender meat and sold much better than big fish.
As Bahu hurried the cart home, the dogs in the kennel heard the noise and wagged their tails as they rushed over, surrounding the cart and leaving Qiqige and Jiya struggling to stand on the ground.
“Alright, that’s enough. It’s just a gesture. We’ve been out for half a day, not half a year,” Mi Niang said, rubbing the heads of the dogs one by one. Then, she shouted loudly, “Scatter!”
As soon as she finished speaking, a deafening cry echoed from the house.
“Oh, our little third son at home is crying,” Mi Niang squeezed out of the crowd of dogs and saw Big Spot, Little Spot, and their two children coming over without even greeting them.
“Finally back, you’ve exhausted me,” the old man said as he ran out of the house with the child in his arms. After half a day, he felt like he had gained another wrinkle on his face. When he saw Mi Niang, he immediately handed the child over to her, “He cried himself dizzy. He wouldn’t drink camel milk, and when I squeezed out cow’s milk, he still wouldn’t drink it. No matter how I tried to feed him, he wouldn’t take it.” He even got his little jacket wet and dirty.
“I’ll wash my hands.” He hadn’t washed his hands after eating grilled fish.
Habul watched her walk past him into the house with wide eyes. For a moment, he was speechless, then followed by a louder wail. Anyone who heard it could hear his grievances.
“Give him to me.” Bahu put on gloves and took the baby in his arms, carrying him into the house. “Your older siblings drink both camel milk and cow milk, and they don’t fuss. Why won’t you drink?”
Habul buried his head in Bahu’s neck, crying softly. Now, he didn’t mind being held by his own father.
Mi Niang came out after washing her hands and went straight into the bedroom. “Come here, give him to me.” It was fortunate that this pregnancy only produced one child; with one more mouth to feed, she wondered how they would manage.
“You’re a little crybaby.” Mi Niang kicked a chair to remove her clothes and instructed Bahu to fetch water to wipe the baby’s face. “I didn’t put the gloves away properly, they fell on the floor. Go pick them up, or the dogs might take them away later.”
Bahu went out, entered the kitchen, and saw Ajima pouring hot water. Qiqige and Jiya were rolling up their sleeves to wash their hands. As for the gloves Mi Niang mentioned, they had already been picked up and placed on the table.
“Dad, has the little brother stopped crying? Is it because we didn’t take him ice skating?” Jiya asked, looking up.
“He’s just being naughty and hungry,” Bahu handed them a towel. “Luckily, you and your sister behave.”
Praising them for being well-behaved made Qiqige and Jiya even more obedient. They wiped their hands and wiped off the grease, not letting anyone rush them.
In the bedroom next door, Habul was still crying despite having eaten. Mi Niang took the damp cloth and wiped his face and nose before handing it to Bahu. “Give it another squeeze.”
She switched to using her other hand to pat his back. His clothes were damp with sweat on his back. She felt a mixture of pity and frustration—hungry for most of the day, yet refusing both cow and camel milk.
“You’re spoiling him. Alright, alright, I won’t say anything more. Stop crying,” her tears soaked through her undershirt.
Habul wolfed down his food, and once his stomach was full, his mouth became idle, yet he continued to cry. No matter how they tried to soothe him, neither Mi Niang nor Bahu could calm him down. Qiqige and Jiya also came in to cheer him up, but his tears flowed endlessly, like the waters of the Wahu Lake.
He cried until it was dark, exhausted, before finally falling asleep and quieting down.
Qiqige sighed, “Finally stopped crying. The dogs were even annoyed and refused to come inside.”
