After changing into new robes and boots, the chaotic scene finally ended early in the morning, and the family sat at the table to have breakfast.
“Wow, the braised meat is really delicious. You can tell it’s my mom’s craftsmanship with just one taste.” Qiqige exaggeratedly praised, trying to ingratiate herself.
Jiya glanced at the man who had been beaten for her and her sister, and also joined in the praise, “The noodles are also delicious, not too soft or too mushy.”
Following the template, Qiqige forgot to add a line.
Mi Niang and Bahu ignored them, focusing on eating noodles and chewing meat. The noodles were topped with braised soup, with a few greens at the bottom of the bowl, both meat and vegetables, just right in flavor.
“Let’s eat breakfast like this in the future, it’s both filling and tasty.” Bahu spoke to Mi Niang, “In the evening, just throw a couple of chunks of beef into the pot, and in the morning, just roll out the noodles, it’s no trouble at all.” Cooking breakfast usually involved making porridge, frying pancakes, boiling eggs, and stir-frying vegetables, which was much more troublesome than rolling out noodles.
“Then in the afternoon, I’ll simmer a pot of broth with beef bones and chicken bones. The longer it simmers, the more fragrant the broth will be.”
Qiqige and Jiya looked at each other, then looked at their parents speaking with smiles on their faces, and they both had the same question in their minds: they were just fighting, why aren’t they angry now?
“Dad” the little girl tentatively called out.
“Eat,” Bahu didn’t bother to respond properly.
After finishing the meal, Bahu consciously picked up the bowls and chopsticks, threw the dishcloth to let the siblings wipe the table. Ajima looked around, went outside to bring in a bucket of dog food.
“I’m going to the sheep pen.” After tidying up the house, Bahu went out to check the sheep pen’s condition. Before turning around the corner, he saw Pandi coming out from her house and nodded in greeting.
“Hey, Bahu, do you and Mi Niang have any plans for today? If not, come to my house for lunch.” Pandi asked.
“No, we don’t have anything planned. We’ll bring the kids over for lunch.”
Pandi smiled, “Okay, then I’ll start preparing the food.”
She scooped snow into the bucket, dug out the frozen sheep bones under the courtyard wall, and took advantage of the thawing time to go out to inform Mu Xiang and Bai Mei, asking Bai Mei to bring Chaobao and telling Mu Xiang not to bring Zhong Qi.
“I probably won’t be able to make it for lunch. How about in the evening?” Mu Xiang honestly replied, “Zhong Qi will be having dinner with someone else tonight, so he won’t be available. I don’t want to argue with him just for one meal.”
“Okay, that works too.” Pandi nodded. She then turned to Bai Mei to inform her, made a round to inform Ying Niang, and finally went to Mi Niang’s house to tell her not to cook dinner.
After seeing off Pandi, Mi Niang took out fifteen small silver fish from the tub to thaw. She planned to make sour fish stew with rice for lunch.
The small silver fish were tender, lightly fried on both sides until golden brown. Ginger, chili peppers, and a handful of peppercorns were sautéed in oil, then hot water was poured in until covering the fish, and sour vegetables were added.
“When eating fish, be careful, no talking, no pushing or shoving,” when serving the meal, Mi Niang took a chicken feather duster and placed it by her side, emphasizing to Qiqige and Jiya not to misbehave.
The little girl pouted again, “Both my brother and I are obedient kids, Mom, you bring out this thing to scare us, you don’t trust us.”
“Do you want to eat fish?” Mi Niang raised the chicken feather duster, not bothering to argue with her. “If you want to talk, move your chair farther away. Finish talking first, then come back to eat.”
Both she and Bahu didn’t want to pick fish bones for the children anymore. They were already three or four years old and could learn to eat fish by themselves. But Qiqige was a chatterbox, talking this and that during meals. She wouldn’t notice a fishbone stuck in her throat until she had eaten enough to feel it.
This was the quietest meal since Qiqige and Jiya had learned to talk, with only the crisp sound of chopsticks tapping on bowls and the popping sound of removing fish bones.
“I don’t like eating fish anymore.” As soon as she put down her chopsticks, Qiqige’s expression changed. “I can’t even eat enough when you won’t let me talk.”
Jiya pushed aside the fish head on her plate. “Sis, you’ve eaten two fish, half a bowl of rice, and a spoonful of fish soup. Saying you’re not full is just fooling yourself.”
Mi Niang tapped her on the head, picked up the yawning little one, and went inside to feed and put him to sleep. After changing into a pair of boots, she went out, instructing Bahu, “Keep an eye on your son. I’m going to help Pandi.”
Since Qiqige and Jiya were born, whenever they held a banquet at home, Pandi, Ying Niang, and Bai Mei would help clean up after the guests left, washing dishes, wiping tables, sweeping the floor, and doing everything else.
“Okay, I won’t go anywhere this afternoon, I’ll just watch over him.” Mi Niang fed the dog and went back inside, sitting by the window and picking up the shoes from the basket of needles and thread, continuing to sew along the stitches Mi Niang had started. With five people in the family, shoes wore out quickly, and Qiqige and Jiya were growing taller every day. They never seemed to have the right size of shoes. In her spare time, Mi Niang never let go of the soles and uppers of the shoes. But she had less strength, and Bahu’s stitching was sturdy and easy, so she was happy to see him do it. As a result, half of the shoe soles in the house were sewn by him.
Once a shoe sole was finished, Bahu opened the window a crack to take a break and look outside.
The front door was wide open, and Da Hu, covered in snow, sneaked in with a mischievous look, his chubby body bulging with fat but still focused on eating. He approached the kitchen door and lifted his front paws, trying to push open the door latch with the slanted stick inserted in the door ring.
“Hey.” Bahu tapped on the window to remind him. Without waiting for a response, Da Hu twitched his ears, darted out the door faster than chasing a rabbit.
“Everyone’s going to get a beating,” Mi Niang grunted. People get beatings, and so do cats and dogs. He closed the window and sat back down. Just as he settled in, he saw the chubby little one on the kang stretch and yawn, then stir awake.
“Do you need to pee?” He quickly spoke up. If the youngest woke up and didn’t see anyone, he would cry a few times, and if he kept hearing no response, he would start bawling. Bahu picked up the child and changed his diaper. “It’s just us today, your mother’s not here, so it’s just you and me chatting.”
The shoe sole Bahu had just stitched was intended for Jiya’s shoes. He brought it over to compare it to his youngest son’s feet. “Your brother’s shoes are all being kept for you. You’ll be able to wear this pair in three years.”
Habul already had a small millet tooth and wanted to bite everything he saw. He grabbed the shoe sole and tried to stuff it into his mouth.
Bahu was glad to see something in his mouth to keep him quiet. Biting the shoe sole was better than crying for Mi Niang to hold him.
…
As the sky began to darken slightly, Mi Niang came back to feed the little one. Taking the child, she asked, “Did he cry?”
“No, he’s been very good.” Bahu stuffed the shoe sole, wet from drool, into the basket of needles and thread. “Is dinner almost ready?”
“Almost.” She kicked off her boots and had Bahu help her put on slippers. The leather boots had wooden soles, and standing in them for too long made her feet ache.
“Didn’t you go over after feeding him? Why change your shoes?”
“There are still three side dishes to fry. We need to wait until everyone arrives to cook them. Mu Xiang sent her son over first, saying she still had things to do and would be a bit late.” Mi Niang sat with the child in a chair with a backrest. “Bai Mei and Ying Niang are helping out there. If I go too, it’ll be too crowded. We’ll go over after dinner’s ready.”
“By the way, you need to keep an eye on our dogs. They often go to Pandi’s house begging for food. When it’s mealtime, go around and check. If you see any dogs trying to enter someone else’s house, give them a good beating to teach them a lesson. We don’t starve them at home, so if they’re out there eating random things, it’s annoying.”
“Alright, I’ll go check tomorrow.” Bahu held his youngest son’s hand, his eyes darting back and forth. It was getting late, so he couldn’t afford to mess around. He had to find something to distract his attention. “Oh, and in three days, Hu Wen Yin is getting married.”
“Yeah, the day after tomorrow, go over and see if they need your help. They’ve been calling your senior brother for help all these years, so it’s time you ran some errands for them.”
Running errands, doing heavy lifting, moving things around, as long as he didn’t engage in idle chatter with guests, he was useful in any capacity.
…
As the dark clouds descended and the wind whipped up the floating snow, Mi Niang wrapped Habul in a small blanket, and Bahu carried him out. Chaobao stood outside the front gate, wearing fresh clothes.
“Has everyone arrived?” Bahu asked.
“You two are the last ones. We’re just waiting for Mu Xiang now,” Chaobao teased Habul. “It’s either women or children inside the house. As a man, I feel uncomfortable sitting inside, so I came out.”
Qiqige and Jiya had arrived earlier, along with Ajima. They were also accompanied by the sons of Mu Xiang and Bai Mei. As soon as the three of them entered the house, the children inside ran out, clamoring for their parents.
Mu Xiang’s son stood under the eaves, gazing blankly at the dark doorway and twisting his fingers, saying he wanted to go back. “I want to find my mom.” He was only familiar with Bai Mei’s child and was playing with Qiqige and Jiya for the first time. It was dark, and he was scared, especially since the other children had both parents.
“Mu Xiang doesn’t know what she’s busy with. She’s so busy she’s forgotten to eat,” Pandi came out to coax the child, pulling him into the kitchen to scoop him a bowl of bone soup.
Only Ying Niang still lived in the relief house, so she knew a little more. She said that Mu Xiang was in charge of the relief house and dealt with trivial matters like missing chickens, arguing cows and sheep, and family quarrels.
“She’s quite powerful. She and Zhong Qi handle all the big and small matters in our area together.” She didn’t say much in front of the children, but she had seen Mu Xiang and Zhong Qi arguing a few times, blushing and angry like enemies.
After waiting for another fifteen minutes, Chaobao and Bai Mei went to Mu Xiang’s house together to check. They came back and said the house was dark, and no one was home.
“Let’s eat first. We won’t wait for her anymore. The soup in the pot is almost dry.” When the hostess Pandi spoke, the dishes were brought to the table one by one: lamb and radish soup, pan-fried small silver fish, sour cabbage and beef blood sausage, soy-braised chicken pieces, fish ball soup, a bowl of egg soup, and a pot of butter tea.
“These dishes are really delicious. After finishing this meal, I’ll eagerly await your next move,” Chaobao said, flattering.
“They’re just ordinary dishes. Your family isn’t lacking in anything. It just takes a bit of effort,” Pandi’s face was filled with happiness. In her fifth year in the Mo Bei, she finally had a home.
At that moment, footsteps were heard at the door. The children in the house were the first to notice. Without waiting for the figure to appear, they eagerly ran outside. “Mom, I thought you forgot about me.”
“I didn’t. I’m here now,” Mu Xiang picked up the child and walked into the house. “Sorry, sorry, I’m late.”
“It’s okay. The food has just been served. We can wait a little longer for you,” Pandi took what she handed over, pulled out a chair for her to sit, and said, “Let’s start the meal.”
“Here, let’s all raise our butter tea bowls for a toast, congratulating Pandi on moving into her new house,” Mi Niang raised her bowl.
“Congratulations! Moving into a new house brings new joy. May the days ahead be even more prosperous,” Mu Xiang finished a bowl in one gulp, her expression relaxed. It was a congratulation meant for Pandi but also for herself.
“Try the sour cabbage and beef blood sausage. Despite its appearance, it tastes pretty good. I had it for dinner last night,” Pandi invited.
“Mom, scoop me a ladle of fish ball soup,” Jiya handed her bowl and told her brother beside her, “This was made by my mom. Try it. It’s especially chewy.”
“Don’t you have enough of your mom’s cooking at home every day?” Bai Mei scooped some soup for her son and then handed Qiqige and Jiya each a big chicken leg. “This was made by me. You two try it and see if it’s as delicious as what your mom makes.”
As everyone was enjoying their meal, the dog lying at the door suddenly barked loudly.
“You go out and take a look,” Mi Niang took Habul and asked Bahu to go out.
Before he could step out into the courtyard, the person outside had already reached the door. “Is Mu Xiang here? I heard she was having dinner at Pandi’s house. Is this Pandi’s house?”
Mu Xiang had already heard and smiled humbly. “It’s really unsettling even to have a meal. You all go ahead and eat. I’ll go out and see.”
“What’s going on? Is something wrong? Why come at this late hour?” she asked as she walked.
“Zhong Qi had an accident. He got a hole in his head, and the situation doesn’t look good. We need to take him to Mao County. Hurry and come with me,” the man outside lowered his voice, but Bahu, being close by to shoo the dog, heard it clearly. He also heard Mu Xiang’s surprisingly calm voice, “Bahu, don’t say anything when you go in. Don’t ruin everyone’s meal.”
She then turned back into the house, using the excuse of an incident at the relief station that she needed to deal with, patted her son’s head and thought for a moment, then told him to sleep with Pandi tonight. “You sleep first. Mom will come back and take you home later.”
After she left, Pandi pulled the child over to her side to take care of him. “This Mu Xiang, she’s really capable. Who would have thought four years ago when we first met that she would be like this today, no less than a man.”
Seeing Bahu’s expression not quite right, Pandi asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Bahu shook his head. “Just got a chill from the cold wind. Let’s eat.”
