“Mom, you overslept!”
While washing her face, Qiqige held a piece of cotton cloth in one hand and face cream in the other, waiting beside her. Her eyes glanced at the sugar on the cutting board as she muttered, “Dad said you slept late last night. When did you go to bed?”
“I’m not sure.” Mi Niang reached out, and the cotton pad lightly landed in her hand. After wiping her face and hands, she scooped up some face cream. “Let’s go, let’s go to the backyard and see your Auntie Wan’er. We’ll go to the Xuwen’s house together.”
“Wan’er Auntie has already left, she woke up early,” Jiya and Habul also followed along. Only Qiqige stayed home to wait for her mother to wake up. “Auntie Wan’er asked me to tell you that she has taken the sugar for Auntie Mu Xiang.”
“Okay.”
Mother and daughter walked hand in hand in the snowy field. Qiqige looked at the footprints in the snow and pointed out, “This one is from my brother, that one is from my dad.” She greeted the people outside who were shoveling snow, recognizing each of them by name.
“Are you going to Mu Xiang’s house?” a woman asked.
Mi Niang nodded. “It’s her turn to host today. We’re going to wish her a Happy New Year.”
“She mentioned that she’s having guests at home today and asked us not to bother her with trivial matters.” The woman smiled warmly, her words friendly and casual, showing an affectionate attitude towards Mu Xiang.
“She’s quite busy, even during the New Year,” Mi Niang responded, sighing inwardly about how well-liked Mu Xiang was. When they arrived at her house, they happened to meet her as she was walking out with a man.
“Wan’er and Pandi are talking in the main hall. You go in by yourself, I won’t entertain you anymore.” Mu Xiang gestured to the person beside her. “I have something to discuss with him.”
“You’re busy.” Mi Niang entered the house and saw that everyone was there, with children crawling around on the floor. She touched her sweaty sons and sat down, asking, “Why is everyone just sitting around? Aren’t you going to help with cooking?”
Wan’er glanced outside and whispered that they weren’t needed to help. “Mu Xiang hired two women to cook and didn’t let us into the kitchen.” She poured a bowl of butter tea and handed it over. “You probably haven’t eaten yet, so have a bowl to fill your stomach.”
Mi Niang paused for a moment, then took a few sips of the butter tea. Seeing Mu Xiang rushing in with a flushed face, she joked, “Madam Mu Xiang, you’re really putting on airs today, just like a lady of the court.”
Mu Xiang laughed heartily at that, unable to contain her amusement, and shook off the snow from her feet as she entered. “Well, didn’t you all work hard last night? I didn’t want you to spend more time in the kitchen, so I persuaded two sisters-in-law to arrange the banquet for me.”
In reality, she didn’t want to cook. Her usual cooking was just to fill her stomach, and preparing a big meal was a challenge for her. To avoid embarrassment, she invited two women who were good at cooking to help out.
Wan’er also joined in the banter, calling her “Madam Mu Xiang,” and teasing her about her facade. “Now that you’ve put on this show, you can’t slack off next year.” She crossed her legs, shook her head, and joked, “If we want to experience the feeling of being honored guests, we’ll come to your house next time.”
“Sounds good. Next year, when the food is ready, I’ll have Zhong Xuwen go door to door inviting you all for a meal.” After a couple of jokes, Mu Xiang picked up the copper kettle, feeling that it wasn’t too hot anymore, and stopped Mi Niang from drinking more. “I’ll go heat it up again.”
Then she said, “Don’t make fun of me. We’re all friends here. Why call me ‘Madam’ or anything like that? I was just being lazy and didn’t want to cook, so I hired someone to do it. What’s wrong with that?”
With the atmosphere lively, Mi Niang stopped trying to join in the conversation and waved for Jiya and Habul to come over and wipe their sweat.
“Mom, you told us not to stay up late, but you stayed up late yourself last night,” Jiya said as he picked up the remaining butter tea left by his mother and drank it. He mentioned that he and his siblings had been calling for her this morning, but she hadn’t responded. “My little brother even complained.”
“Is that so?” Mi Niang gave her youngest son a stern look, then pinched his chubby cheeks when she saw him smiling mischievously. “Go play, Mom is talking to her sisters.”
As the conversation continued, Bahu and Asyl came over with ChaoBao. Their arrival meant that they could set up the dishes and prepare for the meal. Moving tables and chairs was their task.
“Mu Xiang, if there’s any heavy work or if anything needs fixing around the house, let these three take care of it this afternoon,” Mi Niang pointed to Bahu.
“The house is newly built, and all the furniture and carts are new. There’s nothing loose. If anything needs fixing in the future, I’ll find Bahu.” Mu Xiang brought the dishes to the table. “Come on, let’s eat. I bet none of you had breakfast this morning.”
With someone cooking, and others cleaning up after the meal, Mi Niang and her friends sat around for a while after eating. When someone came to find Mu Xiang, they all made up excuses to leave.
Feeling warm after the meal, they weren’t afraid of the cold as they walked in the snowy field. Mi Niang grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at the man holding the child. This playful act prompted Qiqige and Jiya to grab snow and throw it at Bahu and Habul.
“I want to go down!” Habul, held tightly by his father, wasn’t happy and struggled to be put down.
Bahu couldn’t let him go down, as his short body would be almost buried in the snow.
“I want to go down!”
“Okay, okay, but you promise to behave? Hold on tight to me.” Bahu bent down, grabbed two handfuls of snow, and threw one snowball straight at Mi Niang and the other at Jiya.
Mi Niang dodged, but the snowball hit Asyl’s chest, who was carrying his child, and Jiya couldn’t avoid it, getting hit directly in the chest.
Asyl chuckled. He had been looking for an excuse to join in, and this snowball hit the mark perfectly. He handed his youngest son to Wan’er and scooped up some snow from the ground to throw at Bahu.
“Jiya, come quick! It’s time for revenge.”
Jiya glanced back at his mother, who nodded with a smile. He grabbed some snow and gleefully joined in the fun.
Bahu was bombarded with snowballs and raised Habul to shield himself. He laughed and scolded, “Jiya, you little fool, who do you think you’re messing with?”
“If you don’t want to, you can give it to me. I’ll make sure to take good care of it and enjoy it,” Asyl said, taking the snowball from Jiya.
Habul, not understanding what was going on, laughed loudly as the snowballs hit his thick clothes and burst open, while he held onto his father’s head.
Just moments ago, Wan’er had been envious of Mu Xiang’s demeanor for the day, but now, seeing this scene unfold before her, any complex emotions she had disappeared in an instant. Each person had their own life, and perhaps Mu Xiang might envy Wan’er’s current life as well.
Afterward, everyone went to Mi Niang’s house to share the sugar. Bahu had already wrapped up the sugar in oil paper while cooking in the morning. Pandi and Ying Niang each took a bag, and half of what was left was prepared for Wan’er to take back to her in-laws, while the other half was left for the children to enjoy.
“Not going to stay a bit longer?”
“No, there are hundreds of mouths at home waiting to eat and drink.”
Pandi, being the closest to home and the last to leave, held Wan’er’s hand and asked her when she would visit her house. “When you have time, come by my place for a visit.”
Wan’er realized that she had been here for six days already, and it was the time when the ewes were giving birth to lambs. Every household was busy, so she decided to return in the next couple of days. “You go about your business, don’t worry about entertaining me. I’m not really a guest, so there’s no need to be polite. Next year, all of you should come to my place to visit. Our village has a lake four or five times larger than Wahu Lake, with reed marshes by the shore. In the autumn, you can collect duck and bird eggs, there are plenty of them.”
Pandi agreed verbally, but she knew she couldn’t really commit. She and Ying Niang were basically one person, unable to leave the house due to constant demands. As for Mu Xiang, she was even busier, with people constantly seeking her attention before and after meals. She couldn’t escape her responsibilities.
Returning home, Pandi brought back two trays of blood sausages for Wan’er to take to her in-laws to taste.
Bei Mei parted ways with Ying Niang in the middle of the village. She and ChaoBao, along with their children, walked past the houses along the river and headed back. Only then did they discuss Mu Xiang. “She’s impressive. Today, she seemed like a completely different person.”
Bei Mei’s feelings were complex. The typical image of a widow was someone disheveled, sorrowful, and timid. It might sound like jealousy to say that, but that was indeed Bei Mei’s perception of Mu Xiang’s life. Sitting in her house today left Mei feeling somewhat dazed. It was like realizing that the person you pitied was actually the one who deserved pity.
Feeling timid and small, Bei Mei even felt a sense of inferiority.
“Having authority nourishes people. There’s no way an ordinary widow can compare,” ChaoBao said, oblivious to Bei Mei’s unease. Watching his son run into the house to call for his grandparents, he added confidently, “We’ll do well too in the future. I truly admire you girls who came from the Central Plains. Each of you is remarkable in your own way, but you all share one thing in common: hard work and resilience.”
“Let’s talk about you first. You marrying me held our entire household together, keeping busy both inside and outside the home. Pandi and Ying Niang are also managing everything on their own, working tirelessly. They’ve built houses, raised cattle and sheep, and even with two or three hundred sheep to tend to, they still find time to make maltose candy to sell. How is it that they never seem to get tired?” ChaoBao squeezed Bei Mei’s shoulder sympathetically. “Sometimes I feel like you could manage just fine without me.”
Bei Mei smiled, “The girls from the Central Plains are all capable. You lucked out by marrying one.”
Indeed, the girls from the Central Plains were all capable. Mu Xiang was capable too, managing over two thousand people despite being a widow, and she had them all well-behaved.
“Mu Xiang manages two or three thousand people, while Mi Niang manages tens of thousands of bees,” ChaoBao chuckled heartily. “Generations from now, there might be more bees raised by her than there are people in the Northern Wastes.”
“Mi Niang is the most fortunate among us,” Bei Mei remarked as she entered the house, removing her sheepskin gloves, her hands chapped and frostbitten. “Her hands look like those of a young girl in her twenties, without a single scar.”
The smile on ChaoBao’s face faltered, revealing his insecurities. It seemed like he wasn’t as capable. All he could do was joke about doing the laundry in winter and tease Bahu about his former bad temper. “Many people thought he’d remain a bachelor for life. When he encountered a girl on the road, they’d steer clear of him as if he were a mile away.”
…
Asyl and Wan’er chose a sunny day to return home with their two children, they promised Pandi and Ying Niang, who had come to see them off, that they would bring them salted duck eggs in early winter.
“I learned how to pickle salted duck eggs from Honey. Since you guys can’t leave home, I’ll bring you some salted duck eggs when I come to pick up my grandmother in the future.”
“Okay, take your time on the road and be careful.”
“You all go inside, it’s cold out here.” Asyl only showed his eyes outside and spoke in a muffled voice. He pointed to the rolling mountain hare in the snow. “Big Brother, if you have babies this year, give me two.”
“It’s hard to say if they’ll return to the mountains,” Bahu replied vaguely.
“Your house, Little Speckle, gave birth,” Asyl stated bluntly. “It won’t take its babies back to the mountains, will it?”
Bahu remained silent.
“You have so many animals, isn’t it taking up space? If you give them to me, I’ll take good care of them.”
“I have plenty of space in my house, and I can afford to raise them,” Bahu mumbled. With so many dogs already under his care, not to mention the mountain hares that hunt for themselves, every mouthful of honey they eat is earned by themselves.
Asyl didn’t bother to argue with him. He just said he would come to find him in the summer and then drove the Lele cart eastward.
With the guests gone, Pandi and Ying Niang went back to their chores. Mi Niang took her three children to the sheep pen with Bahu. In the newly built sheep pen, there was the sound of grinding corn, and the ewes and lambs inside were bleating. Servants drove the rams, cattle, and camels out of the pen to dig up grassroots in the snowy field, leaving behind a messy trail of hoofprints.
Mi Niang and Bahu walked in the middle, holding Habul, each holding a child. Along the trail of hoofprints, they went to see the cattle and sheep. She turned to the man and asked, “What do you think? Should we give them to him or not?”
“Don’t give them. I’ll hide them when the time comes,” Bahu replied, watching the mountain hares frolicking in the snowy field. “Little Speckle will protect her offspring. How can we take them away? If we give away her babies, she’ll go crazy.”
“Don’t give them. I’ll hide them when the time comes,” Bahu replied, watching the mountain hares frolicking in the snowy field. “Little Speckle will protect her offspring. How can we take them away? If we give away her babies, she’ll go crazy.”
“That means we’ll have more and more of them in the future. In a couple of years, you might need to expand the dog kennel again,” Bahu remarked, glancing at the three children and jokingly suggesting that they should consider the hares as part of their assets. “It’s easier to raise them than cattle and sheep. We only need to feed them in winter, and they can fend for themselves when the snow melts.”
“Do you want them, Jiya, Qiqige?” he asked, bending down.
“I want Big Speckle,” Jiya chose first.
“Then I’ll take Little Speckle. Da Hu and Xia Mo will be mine too,” Qiqige said happily, considering them as part of her dowry.
“You have no shame,” Bahu teased, giving her a playful tug.
After a while, he mentioned that once Little Speckle gave birth again, he would castrate the males, but his eyes were fixed on Big Speckle’s hips.
While the cattle and sheep nibbled on grass, the eagles circled above, hesitant to land with the dogs guarding and people watching. They waited until late morning, hungry and exhausted.
Feeling sorry for them, Qiqige and Jiya secretly grabbed two large pieces of meat from the back pot while the kitchen was empty, wrapped them tightly in oil paper, and hid them in their clothes. In the afternoon, when they went to check on the cattle and sheep again, they discreetly threw the meat into the snow.
The herds of cattle, sheep, and horses conveniently shielded their little actions from view. The eagles flew over without even sparing them a glance; their large size made them unafraid of these little creatures.
As the eagle flew off with the meat in its beak, the siblings squeezed each other’s hands in silent amusement.
That evening, Qiqige asked, “Dad, will you still drive them out tomorrow?”
“We won’t if it’s snowing, but if it’s not, they’ll come out,” Bahu replied.
“Will it snow tomorrow?” Qiqige inquired.
Bahu glanced up at the thick clouds. “It might.”
Both siblings hoped it wouldn’t snow. However, the next morning, when they opened their eyes and looked out the window, it was overcast and gloomy, indicating bad weather.
“It’s going to snow!” Qiqige exclaimed, dragging out her words. She climbed onto the kang and knocked on the wall, shouting loudly, “Dad, Mom, are you awake?”
“Are you hungry?” Both parents were awake and noticed the dark sky outside. The dreary weather made it difficult to muster any energy, so they decided to stay in bed.
The three children hastily threw on their robes and slipped on their shoes before rushing to the neighboring room and knocking on the door. “Hurry, open up! We’re freezing to death!”
As soon as the door opened, they rushed in, kicking off their shoes and climbing onto the kang. They huddled under the covers, shivering, murmuring that it was warmer on the kang.
Bahu closed the door and placed the scattered shoes under the kang. He picked up the robes thrown on the bed and neatly placed them on the chair before sitting back in bed and saying, “Another big snowstorm is coming.”
“Whether it comes or not, it doesn’t affect our eating and sleeping,” Mi Niang said, embracing the little girl who had crawled into her arms. Every few days, they would go through this routine.
“Mom, hold me,” Habul, with his messy hair, wanted to push his sister aside and be held. Ever since they returned to Wahu Lake, he had been sleeping with his siblings.
“Let Dad hold you,” Qiqige teased him, nudging him. “You’re such a clingy bug, or should I say a big fat bug.”
“No way.”
“Why not?” Bahu wouldn’t tolerate being rejected. He scooped up his chubby son and held him in his arms. “Have I held you less lately? When you wanted to be carried because you were too lazy to walk, where were you looking for your mother?”
Habul mumbled for a while without saying anything.
“Come here, eldest son, let Dad hold you too.” Bahu extended his other hand.
Jiya blushed and squirmed. “Don’t call me eldest son. It’s so cheesy.”
Hey, they all cared about such trivial things. Bahu hooked him over with his foot. “Aren’t you my eldest son?”
“I’m already grown up and about to start school,” Jiya objected.
“Your dad is going to marry me, and your grandma still calls him ‘my son,’ and your dad isn’t embarrassed. You’re just a little kid, what are you shy about?” Mi Niang wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck, mimicking her mother-in-law’s tone, “Has my son arrived? Is my son doing well? My son…”
“Hahaha.” Qiqige and Jiya couldn’t hold back their laughter, and even Habul chuckled along.
Bahu also laughed, forcing out, “I didn’t call him wrong.”
