During the entire meal, Bahu hardly said a word, and Mi Niang knew something must have happened. After finishing their meal, without waiting for him to speak, she suggested they go back first. “The children need to sleep, so we’ll leave first.”
Then she looked at Ying Niang. “Ying Niang, are you staying at Pandi’s house tonight or going back? If you’re going back, let Bahu take you. It’s dark and snowy outside, and it’s not safe for you to walk alone.”
Ying Niang glanced at Pandi, thinking that it would be fine if she didn’t go back, so she decided to stay. “I’ll help Sister Pandi tidy up and take care of the children together tonight.”
“Bai Mei, you also have children. You and Chaobao should take the children back first, and I’ll tidy up with Ying Niang.” Pandi didn’t let Bai Mei do anything.
“I’ll take the children back and then come back to pick her up.” Chaobao picked up his son. They didn’t have a baby who needed breastfeeding at home, and there were elderly people at home, so it wouldn’t make much difference if Bai Mei left a little earlier or later.
After the lively group dispersed, Ying Niang washed Zhong Xuwen’s face and feet, took off his padded jacket, and put him to sleep. He often went to the relief station with Ying Niang and was familiar with her, plus his mother’s instructions, so he could sleep peacefully and quickly.
In the kitchen, Pandi and Bai Mei were talking about Mu Xiang. “She’s the most spirited among us, and it’s also thanks to her spirit. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to handle things and make people respect her.”
Bai Mei nodded and stacked up the bowls in her hands. “She’s tough, but it’s also hard work. Being busy with things outside the home means neglecting things at home, which is tough on the children. Isn’t Zhong Qi the one in charge? How did she get involved?”
“Mu Xiang sister and her man aren’t getting along too well. I’ve seen them arguing two or three times this winter alone. Sometimes when they meet at the relief station, they don’t even acknowledge each other.” Ying Niang had been holding it in all night, but she finally said it. She sighed deeply. “Xuwen is mostly taken care of by Mu Xiang sister. Wherever she goes, he follows. Compared to Mi Niang sister’s three children, it’s like he doesn’t have a father.” She had seen it during dinner tonight. Except for when Bahu went out, he had been holding the baby while eating and even paid attention to serving the other two.
Anyone who saw this would have to say that Mi Niang was lucky to marry such a good man.
…
On the other side, Mi Niang and Bahu fetched water and washed up. They sent Qiqige and Jiya to bed, and then they went back to their bedroom with Habul
“Zhong Qi got into trouble.” Before Mi Niang could ask, Bahu briefed her. “The messenger said the situation doesn’t look good. He got a hole in his head and needs to be rushed to Mao County overnight.” On a snowy day like this, it would take at least two hours to get from here to Mao County, and it was nighttime. If they took the wrong direction, it would only waste more time, and by the time they reached Mao County, he might have bled out.
Zhong Qi was a rotten person. If he died, he died. Bahu was momentarily shocked to hear the news, but afterwards, he didn’t care much. He was mainly shocked by Mu Xiang’s attitude. Several people had tried to persuade her before, but she was determined to marry Zhong Qi. Now, just a few years later, with their child barely two years old, hearing that the man was in critical condition, she didn’t even panic.
“She told me not to disrupt everyone’s dinner. It felt like her husband’s life wasn’t worth as much as a meal in her heart.” At a time like that, still worrying about whether or not it would disrupt a meal.
Mi Niang felt strangely calm after hearing this news, whether it was about Zhong Qi’s accident or Mu Xiang’s attitude. It was like the disturbance caused by throwing a stone into a lake, as if anything happening between that couple was normal.
“There’s nothing to be puzzled about. With your parents’ example before us, what else is there to be shocked about?” Mi Niang rested her feet on his knees, asking him to wipe them. “No need to overthink it. As long as I have you in my heart, I’ll worry even if you stumble. But in this situation, there’s no need for you to worry.”
Indeed, thinking about his parents, couples who once loved each other turning into enemies was not uncommon. He was making a fuss over nothing. Bahu wiped his feet, put on his shoes, then lifted Mi Niang in his arms and carried her to the bed.
“Let’s sleep, let’s sleep,” he said. Who knew what might happen tomorrow morning.
As he expected, in the middle of the night, the barking of dogs from the west to the east woke Bahu up. He was disturbed by the deafening barking in the house, so he hastily put on his clothes and a wolf fur cloak and ran outside. Just as he opened the front door, there was a knocking on the door next door. He opened it to drive away the pack of dogs.
The snow was still falling from the sky, and the wind was strong, chilling to the bone. There was also a nauseating smell of blood in the air, making him feel anxious and sick.
Pandi and Ying Niang shivered as they came out, walking to the door to confirm again, “Is it Mu Xiang?”
“Yes, it’s me,” Mu Xiang coughed twice. “I’m here to pick up Xuwen.”
Pandi unlatched the door, grumbling about someone coming in the middle of the night to pick up the child. It would have been better to let him sleep at her place for the night. But as soon as she opened the door, the long-awaited smell of blood fiercely assaulted the small courtyard. She covered her mouth and retched, her legs buckling as she instinctively tried to close the door.
Mu Xiang suddenly realized that her front and sleeves were soaked with blood. She reached out with both hands to support herself, only to find her hands dried with blood, even blood ice chips accumulated in the gaps of her fingers. It looked as if she had killed someone, which should be quite terrifying.
“Zhong Qi is dead. Please help me dress Xuwen warmly. I’ll go back to change my clothes and come back to pick him up.”
This statement was like a thunderbolt, causing Pandi and Ying Niang to tremble. Mu Xiang stood there blankly, watching her walk away in the snow. The sleigh outside the door also creaked as it moved, making a dull rustling sound as it pressed against the snow.
Neighbors on both sides were also alarmed and came out of their houses. Smelling the blood, they walked towards Pandi’s door, asking, “Who is it? What happened? Such a strong smell of blood in the middle of the night. Where did it come from? Aren’t you afraid of attracting wolves?”
“The man in charge of the relief station died and was brought back from Mao County,” Bahu replied, closing the doors to block Pandi and Ying Niang. “Go home and sleep, everyone. It’s too cold out here.”
After coming out for a while, they felt chilled all over. Besides feeling cold, there was no other feeling.
“You two lock the door and dress the children warmly. When Mu Xiang comes to pick up the child later, I’ll come back.” He spoke to the people inside the door, and Pandi and Ying Niang looked scared.
Bahu walked into the bedroom, sat for a while until he felt warm, then took off his hastily put on thick coat. He picked up a sheepskin shirt from the pile on the chair and put it on, then whispered to Mi Niang, “Zhong Qi is dead. Mu Xiang came to pick up the child. I’ll go out and keep an eye on things. Although the dogs at home don’t bite, their barking is annoying.”
Mi Niang sighed and touched the child in her arms. What a mess this was, it happened so suddenly. What will Mu Xiang do in the future? She’s still carrying a child. The child is also pitiful, at such a young age without a father. He’s only two years old, and in a couple of years, he won’t even remember what his father looked like.
“What caused the head to break open like that? Did he fall and hit his head, or was he hit by someone?”
Bahu shook his head; he didn’t know either.
Whenever there was a disturbance outside, he would open the door and go out. When the dogs saw their master, they barked a few times and then returned to their doghouse.
“Is there anyone at home taking care of things? Do you need me to help, like moving something?” Bahu asked. If Zhong Qi was beaten to death, he could also help out to avoid her being victimized again.
Mu Xiang took the child and said she didn’t want anyone to come over. “There are people at home taking care of things. Don’t come over, it’s cold at night. If your house has white linen cloth, lend me a few feet. According to our customs in the Central Plains, Xuwen should wear mourning clothes.”
Indeed, they had some linen cloth. It was cheap, bought by Mi Niang to wrap the shoe soles. Bahu went into the house to get it for her. When he came out again, he saw that Pandi and Ying Niang had also finished preparing and were coming out. It seemed they were going to accompany Mu Xiang back.
“I’ll escort you all.” Bahu instructed them not to wander alone outside. The nights in the Mobei region were dangerous for young girls. It was dangerous whether there was anyone around or not, especially if someone was lurking in the dark.
He escorted them to the door, handed the white linen cloth to Pandi, and then went inside to stand for a while. Many of the people living here were from the Central Plains and there were quite a few who came to help when they heard the commotion. When he came out again, he saw that the coffin was already taking shape.
After all the hustle and bustle, when Bahu returned home, the sky was already turning white. He didn’t bother to sleep and instead went straight to the kitchen to cook. Mi Niang, with her mind preoccupied, also woke up early. Just as she finished washing her face, Ajima came in yawning, asking what happened last night and why the dogs were barking so fiercely.
Only Qiqige and Jiya slept like logs, waking up only when it was bright outside. They put on their clothes and came out chatting away. The laughter of the children diluted the lingering smell of blood from the night before, and Bahu felt relieved. He shouted, “Come and eat! We’ve been waiting for you two. There’s pot-stuck beans at the bottom of the pot, do you want some?”
Hot and steaming food is the greatest comfort to ordinary people. With a full stomach, there is no panic in the heart. When they heard the drumming coming from the Yamen to the west, neither Bahu nor Mi Niang made a move. They calmly took care of the children and only went there after they finished eating.
…
“Sir, my husband has passed away. The work he used to do, who do you plan to entrust it to now? When he was still around, most of the work was arranged by the common women. I am familiar with all the ins and outs, even the official documents submitted to you were mostly written by them, he just copied them.” Mu Xiang volunteered, “If you wish, you could appoint a common woman as the scribe. If you’re not confident, you could observe them for a while. If they don’t meet your expectations, you can deal with it as you see fit.”
As soon as she said this, the man standing at the door with his hands behind his back and a smile on his lips suddenly became furious. He stepped forward and scolded her for her foolishness, “Sir, in this world, how can women hold official positions? It’s not like all the men have died and only she can do it.”
“Gu River is the fiefdom of the Qingeleda residence.” Mu Xiang’s face remained expressionless, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes. Once again, she complained to the Lord sitting in the hall, “My husband was straightforward and outspoken. In order to rectify the bad practices, he offended many people during his lifetime. Now that he’s dead, the common women might not survive until next spring. I’m not afraid of death, but I pity my child.”
Standing outside the public hall, Mi Niang and Bahu couldn’t help but carefully scrutinize her upon hearing those words. Indeed, as Pandi mentioned last night, Mu Xiang seemed like a completely different person now, no longer exhibiting the naive and straightforward demeanor she had before.
Mr. Hu agreed to appoint Mu Xiang as the scribe. For him, entrusting the management of the new pastoralists to a woman was more reassuring than employing a man. At least, it wouldn’t lead to a chaotic situation of subordinates going against him in secret.
After dispersing from the hall, Mr. Hu saw Bahu and called him to the warming pavilion. “It’s really troublesome. Hu Wen Yin is about to get married, and suddenly this happens.” The matter wasn’t over yet. The news of appointing Mu Xiang as the scribe would spread, and there would likely be many people coming to see him in the next few days. Just as he thought this, a bailiff outside informed him that the old man from the relief house had arrived.
“These days, go to my house and give Hu Wen Yin a hand. The new bride is a girl from the Mobei. You’ve married a wife before, so go give him some advice.”
Advice? Bahu’s first reaction was to the erotic paintings under his pillow, which he had almost worn out from flipping through. He had plenty of experience in that area. As for welcoming a new bride, the Hu family had official connections and paid attention to formalities, so they didn’t need his advice. He could go over and learn a few moves, and that would be about it.
“Okay, I was planning to come over these days anyway.”
As he stepped out, he bumped into two old men, both looking disgruntled and muttering about praying mantises. They cursed that Zhong Qi was blind for marrying a praying mantis who would harm people.
“What does ‘praying mantis’ mean in Central Plains?” He asked when he saw Mi Niang.
“After mating, a praying mantis will eat the male mantis. Insulting someone by calling them a praying mantis generally means criticizing a woman for being cruel and vicious, a menace, inviting disaster,” Mi Niang explained as they walked eastward. There were many footprints on the path, and in the front, there was the figure of Mu Xiang holding a child. “Did those two old men curse at Mu Xiang?”
Bahu nodded. “She’s quite capable. Most men aren’t as decisive as her.” From last night until today, he hadn’t seen Mu Xiang show any signs of sadness. Perhaps from the moment Zhong Qi breathed his last, she had already begun planning.
Love leads to life, hatred leads to death, and Mu Xiang’s temperament hasn’t changed much; she still loves and hates distinctly.
Mi Niang had just talked to Mu Xiang for a few words and knew that she planned to bury Zhong Qi today. She discussed with Bahu, “We won’t go over today. Let’s wait a couple of days before we go see her.”
They didn’t want to accompany the man on his last journey. Although they acknowledged the importance of respecting the deceased, he wasn’t worth it.
“Why was he beaten to death?” Bahu asked. They arrived late, and by the time they got there, the culprit had already been imprisoned. They only knew that Zhong Qi had been harmed, but the details were unclear.
“I heard he got drunk and asked people for benefits, even laid hands on someone’s wife, and got beaten up. Anyway, now that he’s dead, whether it’s true or false depends solely on the other person’s word.” Even in death, he was smeared with feces, his reputation tarnished.
Perhaps only his son genuinely cried for him. When Mu Xiang left the court, she had a smile on her face, only showing joy for her promotion, not mourning for her husband.
As soon as the two entered the house, Qiqige ran in from outside and threw himself into Bahu’s arms. With a serious expression on his small face, he scolded, “Dad, you can’t fight with people. If you get beaten and your head breaks, you’ll die.”
Why did he always seem like a loser in her eyes? Bahu didn’t understand. Couldn’t he be the one breaking someone else’s head?
“Dad, say something! You can’t fight!” Qiqige’s face turned red with urgency. Just now, she saw Zhong Xuwen wearing a white linen cap and white clothes. Everyone said his dad had been beaten to death, so he would be pitied in the future. She didn’t want to be a pitied child.
“Okay, I won’t fight. I won’t fight,” Bahu said helplessly. In his heart, he thought it was fortunate that his own father had died early; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to agree so easily.
