When Bahu arrived, the play hadn’t ended yet, but it was reaching its conclusion. Carrying the wolf fur cloak, he entered the Hu family’s residence and headed straight for Hu WenYin’s courtyard.
“Senior brother, why have you come at this hour?” Hu WenYin’s gaze flickered when he opened the door, and he hesitated to invite Bahu in, intending to cover up by saying he was about to undress and sleep.
Bahu wrinkled his nose at the smell inside the room, then explained about arranging for patrols after the play. Seeing that Hu WenYin didn’t take it seriously, he grabbed him by the arm and said, “You’re getting married the day after tomorrow. Be careful these two days. Let everything go smoothly so as not to cause trouble like today, which will only add to the master’s worries.”
“Okay, I’ll have someone inform the yamen later,” Hu WenYin finally took it seriously.
“The play is about to end. Don’t delay,” Bahu pretended to leave, but before he did, he turned back and patted Hu WenYin on the back, jokingly saying, “The groom should sleep early and take it easy.”
“Get lost!” someone inside the room was embarrassed. With a bang, the door was closed, and after hearing the footsteps outside, it was opened again to call the servant boy, “Go to my father’s place and get the token. Go to the yamen and instruct two or three yamen runners to patrol after the play ends.”
…
After Bahu left the Hu family’s gate, the final beat of the drum on the stage marked the end of the play. Amidst the thunderous applause, he stood outside the sheep pen, waiting. People gradually left, carrying stools and dragging children, their faces beaming with smiles as they chatted with familiar acquaintances about which scenes they enjoyed in the play. When they saw Hu’s wife coming out, they spontaneously congratulated her on the addition to the family this year and the expected addition next year.
Mrs. Hu couldn’t stop laughing, her mouth unable to close properly. Rarely did she use a handkerchief to cover her mouth, not hiding her happiness.
“It’s getting late. Be careful on your way back. Look after the children, help each other, and don’t fall,” she said, not entering the house right away. She also mentioned continuing to watch the play the following night, “Three days in a row, everyone is busy during the day, so let the performers rest their voices and perform at night.”
“I’ll definitely come.”
“Mrs. Hu, when you have a grandson next year, will you still invite the theater troupe?” someone in the crowd asked loudly.
“Yes, indeed. The first grandson is also a great joy, so we’ll invite the theater troupe to perform for three more days,” Mrs. Hu replied.
Mi Niang also waited with anticipation. This winter was more lively than any other. All the people from the Central Plains gathered together, listening to the plays from the Central Plains. On this night, everyone who had met, spoken, or nodded to each other became like a family. Tonight, everyone’s mood was the same, missing their homeland.
Whether it was her own children or having a caring husband by her side, nothing could replace or fill that gap.
Mrs. Hu had the same feeling, but amidst her excitement, she had another consideration. Watching the same play together could dispel the guards of these people and bring them closer to the Hu family’s side. They regarded her and Mr. Hu as their own, trusting and admiring them. This way, the Hu family firmly established their foothold in the Mobei.
“Okay, when we go back, I’ll discuss it with the old man. I also love listening to plays from the Central Plains and enjoy this lively atmosphere,” she agreed.
“Oh, we can still watch plays next year!”
Cheers erupted.
The crowd gradually dispersed, and Bahu walked over, handing the wolf fur cloak to Mi Niang. He squatted down and helped the two children put it on. Taking a deep breath, he lifted both of them up. “You two are getting heavier. Dad can hardly carry you anymore.”
Qiqige and Jiya hugged his neck tightly, their heads nestled into his cloak, giggling happily.
“Be careful on the way back. Come over for dinner tomorrow morning. Don’t light a fire,” Mrs. Hu reminded them.
“Alright, Auntie, you should go inside too. It’s cold at night,” Mi Niang urged her. After that night, she felt much closer to Mrs. Hu. Calling her Auntie felt natural, and her concern was genuine.
Mrs. Hu nodded and walked to the door. Looking back, she saw the Bahu family standing out in the crowd. The man was sturdy, the woman was delicate, and they walked together intimately, occasionally mixed with the laughter of children.
“I hope in the future, Hu Wen Yin and his wife will be like this, a harmonious family,” she murmured to herself.
When she returned to the room, she grabbed the man who was leaning against the bed reading official documents and scolded him for being heartless and not caring about others. “Bahu took the younger son away first to let Mi Niang enjoy the show peacefully. When he came back home, he still remembered, and he even brought the cloak after the show. But you, you crawled into bed early, without thinking about whether I was cold or not. You don’t even want to send a servant.”
“Darling, you were just at the doorstep. It only takes a few steps to come back. Is it really worth it for me to go out again? We’re an old married couple now.” Besides, you have servants with you. If you feel cold, you can just send someone back for clothes.
Such unreasonable fuss.
Not only did he not hold back from saying this, but as soon as the words came out, he received a few “pah” sounds. His ears felt hot and sore, even hotter than the warmth under his body on the heated kang.
“Bahu, you’re too much.”
…
While Bahu was being scolded from behind, he had already carried the children home. He shook off the snow from his feet and asked the three of them if they were hungry. “There’s egg soup stewing in the pot. I reckon it’s done by now.”
“Hungry!”
“I’m hungry too.”
Qiqige and Jiya hurried to the kitchen. When they were playing happily, they didn’t feel it, but now it felt like there was a bird pecking inside their stomachs, causing discomfort.
Bahu closed the door and took the opportunity to tell her about the guests from the mountains who had come again. “They came and sneaked into the sheep pen, killed two of our sheep, and got a good beating from our dogs. They’re all injured, and the male one’s ribs are visible from the bites. It’ll probably take them ten days to half a month to recover. I’ve tied them up in the doghouse, and Da Huang and the others are watching them.”
Mi Niang frowned and heard the sound of the pot lid in the house. She hurried to go inside, only managing to admonish him, “Make sure you watch them carefully. Don’t let them slip out and bite other people’s sheep. If they bite someone, regardless of severity, I’ll have them killed.”
“Who are you going to kill?” Qiqige interjected upon hearing the second part.
“No one,” Mi Niang replied, using a cloth to hold three bowls of egg soup. She wasn’t hungry herself, so she asked Bahu to call Ajima and see if he wanted to eat.
Bahu went to the backyard and brought back Habul. “He’s not eating. He’s already asleep.”
In the end, Mi Niang finished the bowl of egg soup herself. It was already very late at night, approaching midnight. After the whole family had washed up, they didn’t have the energy to talk anymore and went to sleep on the kang.
They slept late and woke up late. Even Bahu, who usually woke up early, slept until it was bright daylight. He slept so deeply at night that he didn’t even wake up to help Habul pee. The felt under him was wet, and his pants and diaper were wet too.
Early in the morning, he was busy getting water to bathe and change clothes for him. The clothes that were taken off were soaked in the bathwater.
“Dad, Mom, I’m going to eat with my sister first,” Jiya said, leaning against the door and speaking through the crack.
“Okay, you go first.”
When Bahu and Mi Niang carried the youngest son over, the news of Habul wetting the bed had spread to his siblings, and everyone teased him when they saw him: the bed-wetter had arrived.
The preparations for the wedding began. Two rooms in the kitchen were specifically cleared out for the coming and going of people to eat. Singers, buyers, and even Mr. Hu’s old friends all came today. Those who hadn’t eaten could come and fill their stomachs. Tonight was the main banquet, and the kitchen was bustling with activity. Even in the middle of winter, people were sweating.
After finishing their meal, the couple quickly left to avoid getting in the way.
“Bahu, wait a moment,” said the steward of the Hu family, who had just finished eating and came over. “You have a lot of dogs at home. Take the leftovers back to feed them, so as not to clutter up the kitchen.”
Bahu and Mi Niang exchanged glances. He always felt it was not quite right to take the leftovers home in a bucket after eating, as it seemed a bit uncouth, like a beggar.
“My dogs at home aren’t lacking in food either. Even if we’re not cooking, the servants are still preparing meals, so let’s cook the dog food together,” Bahu replied.
“It’s all good stuff. If you don’t take it, it’ll just be a bargain for others. I’ll have someone pack it and put it by the side door. Remember to go and get it,” the steward said, with other arrangements to attend to. With that, he left.
Bahu looked around and then handed Habul to Mi Niang. “Should I go over there?”
“Go ahead,” Mi Niang replied calmly. Their family didn’t rely on their reputation to eat, so how others perceived them didn’t affect them much. “We don’t need to slaughter sheep these days, so we can save the sheep that were killed last night.”
She went to the backyard but found that Mrs. Hu was too busy to even touch the ground with her feet. Seeing that there was nothing she could help with, she went back home with the child. On the way, she ran into Bahu carrying a pole, with two buckets full of leftovers on each end. One bucket was filled with lamb soup, steaming hot.
These leftovers could be taken home for people to eat.
The family of three went to the dog house together. As soon as they entered, the dogs rushed out, their eyes fixed on the fragrant buckets, but they didn’t dare to rush forward to snatch them.
Mi Niang went to the room on the west side, where the door was half open. As soon as she pushed the door open, Big Spot wagged his tail and approached her, twisting his butt. His ears were erect on one side and drooping on the other, showing clear signs of guilt.
“How did you raise them? Haven’t you made it clear to them? Our sheep at home are not their prey,” she scolded lightly, this kind of weakness from this fellow was not common.
The five wild foxes in the room were all chained around their necks. They didn’t make any trouble, lying on the hay, and didn’t move even when they saw people coming in. With their submissive posture, they didn’t seem like ferocious beasts who would break into the sheep pen and kill sheep.
Compared to the concerned Big Spot, Little Spot was more carefree. He rolled around in the snow with his cubs, and when he smelled the scent of meat, he ran back straight to the feeding trough.
“Big Spot, come here,” Bahu called.
Big Spot grunted a few times, glanced into the house, then ran over to eat.
After feeding the ones at home, Bahu came to feed the ones from the mountains. When he went in and poured out the food, they all remained calm and quiet. They only approached to eat after he came out. This puzzled him a bit. When Big Spot and Little Spot first arrived at the house, they were cautious for two days before they dared to drink milk comfortably. These ones from the mountains accepted it too easily, not even struggling despite being chained.
“They probably came down from the mountain just to find a meal,” the man pondered. “They were probably starving last night. They couldn’t find food in the mountains, and it’s even harder on the snow-covered grassland. They may not have eaten anything since coming down from the mountain.”
“If you want to keep them, fine, but you have to chain them. If they run out and bite someone’s child, it’ll be a big deal,” Mi Niang felt that the wild animals’ thoughts were unpredictable and uncertain. “Wait until the snow melts in the spring before releasing them back into the mountains.”
Bahu glanced at Big Spot, who was trying to sneak in secretly, and said, “Then let’s wait until March.”
In March, Big Spot and Little Spot would be in heat, and they would be released after they were done mating.
After chatting for a while, Bahu was going to the Hu family to see if they needed his help. Mi Niang didn’t go because she didn’t know anyone there. She planned to go over around noon.
Taking advantage of her free time, she arranged to meet Pandi to go see Mu Xiang. When she returned, there was a child following behind her. Mu Xiang was busy and didn’t have time to take care of the child, so she entrusted Pandi to take care of him for two days. She asked Pandi to bring Zhong Xuwen along when she went to listen to the opera at night.
“The child is still young, forgetfulness is better than memory. When he’s happy playing, he’ll forget his sorrows,” Mi Niang found Ajima and asked him to take Zhong Xuwen to the Hu family to play with Qiqige and Jiya.
“Why were you alone at home last night? Didn’t I ask you to go to Uncle Muren’s house to sleep overnight?” Ajima scratched his face. “I thought I wasn’t afraid, so I didn’t go.”
“Did you have breakfast this morning?”
“Yes, Grandpa Muren left some food warm in the pot for me.” Ajima grabbed Zhong Xuwen and started to leave. “Auntie, I won’t talk to you anymore.” He ran off in a flash. With so many people coming and going, the snow on the road had been trampled down, making it easier to walk along the footprints.
“Eat dinner by yourself and come over later. We’ll come back together after watching the opera,” Mi Niang shouted after him. Since there was food at home, she hadn’t planned to take him along. The people in the Hu family liked his child because of Bahu, but they didn’t even show Ajima any courtesy, making it awkward for him to go over.
“You’re really paying attention to him,” Pandi said as she entered the house with her hands in her sleeves. “If I had your patience, I would have had a child of my own to raise by now.”
“I see you’re pretty patient with Zhong Xuwen too.”
Pandi shook her head. “It’s temporary. At most, I’ll take care of him for two days. It’s just because of Mu Xiang’s face. If she hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have agreed.” Even though Qiqige and his siblings lived so close to her house, she never reached out to hug them.
She could calm children down well enough, but she didn’t like children, which is why she was too lazy to get married. She didn’t even want to take care of her own child, so how could she have patience with other people’s children?
