Bahu waited for Jiya to finish drinking milk and handed Qiqige to Mi Niang, cradling his son to burp him. As Mi Niang talked about making the remaining beef into sauce-grilled meat strips, she suddenly asked, “So, are you still in contact with Mu Xiang?”
Mi Niang pursed her lips and didn’t say anything, giving him a disdainful glance and lowering her head to tidy up the little girl’s clothes.
What does this mean? Bahu pondered her expression, but even after Qiqige was full, he couldn’t figure it out. He wanted to ask again, but she had already gone to the kitchen to cook, and Ajima came in to chat with the child.
“Boss, when I was picking up cow dung, someone asked me if your family was planning to sell something.”
“Don’t ask me, I don’t know.” Bahu deliberately shouted into the kitchen, thinking, If you have the guts, why don’t you speak up?
Ajima glanced back and forth, then ran into the kitchen to ask, “Auntie, many people want to buy the beef strips you made, and they asked me if it really smells that good.”
“Are they all children?” Mi Niang lifted the pot lid, soaking the air-dried beef strips in hot water to wash away the attached dust.
“Yeah, I know them all. We used to go to Xushui together to study,” Ajima glanced outside, somewhat afraid of Bahu and the eleven dogs at home, and didn’t dare to approach. He was stopped as soon as he went out.
“I’m not selling now. I’ll sell them whenever I make them. It’s not an everyday thing. I’ll make a sign someday and hang it out when I’m selling.” The family wasn’t short of money, and Mi Niang didn’t plan to get rich by selling food. It was purely for fun and interest, doing it when she felt like it and selling the excess.
She wanted to find something to do in addition to beekeeping. She didn’t want to revolve around children and men like her mother-in-law and Mu Xiang. Their temperaments changed too quickly, and the key was that they were still unaware, which seemed quite nerve-wracking.
“Alright, I’ll tell them. They’re still waiting for me outside.” Ajima got the response and turned to run outside, running very fast. In the blink of an eye, he came back in, seemingly picking up a bird feather from somewhere to play with the two children.
Bahu also escaped from the two kids and went into the kitchen. He took a knife and volunteered to help cut the meat, not mentioning anything related to Mu Xiang anymore. He thought maybe Mi Niang felt he was interfering too much.
Mi Niang didn’t like that he always had to judge things in terms of right and wrong. To her, they were just kids. Today they fought, and tomorrow they might make up. Mu Xiang didn’t offend or plot against her, so why insist on passing judgment on their relationship? However, she didn’t intend to tell him to avoid getting him entangled. In Bahu’s past life, his interpersonal relationships were simple, with the only source of concern being his relationship with his mother, which was gradually becoming black and white.
…
The next evening, a spirited horse galloped from east to west towards the yamen. Bahu came in from outside, explaining that they would be leaving early. As he spoke, not long after, three gongs and drums sounded from the west. When the drumming ceased, the sound of horse hooves rushed westward again. Bahu needed to notify people in various places to pack up and prepare to move before the army arrived.
Except for the yurts where people still lived at night, everything else was dismantled and bundled up before it got dark. The commotion startled the two children. Bahu moved the small bed into the kitchen, Ajima shook an old tambourine, standing on the side to comfort, and Mi Niang, in between cooking, said a few words to amuse them. Qiqige and Jiya, seeing her, no longer pouted their mouths asking to be held.
The rice flour in the mill ran out, so Mi Niang used butter and flour, adding eggs and honey to steam buns. These buns, just out of the pot, were as soft as clouds, and Mi Niang called Bahu and ChaoBao to wash their hands and come eat.
Ajima was already full but still chewed slowly, sweetly saying, “Auntie, everything you make is delicious. I’ll help you taste and give suggestions when we buy beans in Guchuan this year and make red bean paste mixed with honey for the buns. It will definitely taste even better.”
Bahu came in just in time to hear this and chuckled. Ajima blushed, took a big bite of the bun, and went to amuse Jiya.
“How is it?” Mi Niang asked.
“Better than a rice cake. Rice cake is a bit loose, while this has a chewy texture.” But Bahu still preferred to eat meat, something salty, or spicy.
Seeing his expression, Mi Niang knew, so she went into the house and took out a silver coin. “I’ll go see who slaughtered a sheep. I’ll buy a few pounds, stew lamb soup tonight, and you make butter tea later.”
“Auntie, we slaughtered a sheep at home. You can exchange your cooked food with us.” By the riverside, a little girl appeared out of nowhere. Mi Niang recognized her as the chubby girl from the neighbor’s house. She walked out and held the little girl, heading west. “Is your mother at home?”
“Yes.” The little girl kept looking back anxiously, reminding me, “Auntie, you forgot to bring the food you made.”
“I’ll bring you over later. I’ll go to your house to see if you slaughtered a sheep.” The little girl’s family also had dogs, and Mi Niang didn’t dare to get too close. She stood a short distance away and called out before approaching.
“Who is it? Oh, it’s you.” The elderly woman who came out recognized Mi Niang and, seeing the child she was holding, apologized, “Baoyin ran to your house? I thought she went out to play with her second brother. Little sister-in-law, sorry to trouble you.”
So, this chubby girl was named Baoyin. Mi Niang was relieved that she didn’t choose this name for Qiqige.
“Auntie, Sister-in-law is here to buy lamb. You help her cut the lamb, and I’ll go to her house for dinner.”
Mi Niang pulled Baoyin and walked over, explaining the reason first. “Auntie, do you have any extra lamb at home? Give me a few pounds. I can buy it, or if my family slaughters a sheep on the way back, I’ll give you a few pounds.”
“We do have some. We slaughtered it this morning. How much do you want? We don’t sell meat, just bring it back when your family slaughters a sheep.” On the way back to the winter pasture, the two families were walking one after the other.
Mi Niang asked for five pounds. As soon as she got the meat, Baoyin pulled her hand to leave, ignoring how her auntie called her.
“Are you going to be Auntie’s adopted daughter?” Mi Niang teased her with a smile. “Auntie also has a little sister at home who doesn’t know how to eat yet. If you come, I’ll give you all the delicious food, and Auntie can make many tasty dishes. Do you want to be my adopted daughter?”
Baoyin bit her finger, and glanced back without saying anything, but her steps didn’t stop. When she saw her mother coming after them, she pulled Mi Niang and ran. “I’ll come back. I won’t be Auntie’s adopted daughter.”
“To eat my food but not be my daughter, where’s such a good deal?” Mi Niang waved her hand. “Sister-in-law, you go back to your business. I’ll have Ajima send her back later.”
Baoyin’s mother indeed had things to attend to. “Thank you, sister. Take the lamb back to eat, don’t bother returning it. We don’t lack those few pounds of meat at home. Baoyin, be obedient, don’t trouble Auntie.”
Baoyin nodded heavily, perhaps genuinely afraid of being kept as someone else’s daughter. After going inside, she took two steamed buns and was about to leave.
“Sit down, have a bowl of butter tea before you go back.” Mi Niang pointed at Bahu, deliberately saying, “Bahu, this is our daughter, Baoyin.”
“No, I’m not.” Baoyin hurriedly stepped out of the doorway, hearing footsteps behind her and running hastily. She turned around only when she heard Ajima’s voice.
“Don’t run and fall. I’ll escort you back.” Ajima held a meal scoop, containing five or six buns. “You can rest assured. Her family won’t take you as a daughter. They don’t lack children.” Bahu only softened his stern face in front of his own children, and he wouldn’t consider taking someone else’s child.
“Really?” Baoyin was uncertain.
“Really.”
“Then I’ll come again later.” The chubby girl took a bite of the bun in her hand, sweet and satisfied after wandering around outside for so long.
The lamb was stewed in a clay pot, and the family filled the stove with dry cow dung. After that, everyone cleaned up and went to sleep. The next morning, when they woke up, the lamb soup was still warm. While washing their faces and brushing their teeth, they reignited the fire to bring it to a boil. The lamb had been simmering overnight, tender and flavorful. The broth was rich. On a chilly autumn morning, a warm bowl of soup warmed the hearts.
The vehicles and horses carried people westward, and the lively Lingshan from yesterday now carried a desolate atmosphere, entering autumn in the blink of an eye. Heading west, the golden hues on the grassland became more intense. Stray wild birds croaked hoarsely, seeking companions, ultimately perishing under arrows, and falling into the dry and brittle grass.
Bahu also shot two birds. Mi Niang boiled water, plucked the feathers, chopped the birds into pieces, and stewed them in a clay pot. Qiqige and Jiya played with Ajima, while Mi Niang freed herself to cook on the second cart loaded with pots, bowls, ladles, and basins. She placed an iron plate for grilling meat under the stove, not worrying about the flames burning through the bottom of the cart. With her stewed soup and fried meat, Bahu and his group could enjoy a bowl of hot soup and rice for three meals a day.
A face appeared at the window, and Mi Niang turned to take a glance. She picked up a piece of bird meat and fed it to him, “Did you send honey and beef strips to your mother?”
“Yes, the meat is still a bit tough, some parts are hard to chew. I need to stew it a bit longer.” Despite being a bit tough, he had already swallowed it down. ” Huxian Cheng asked me to pack another batch of beef strips for him, and he brought a knife with fresh beef.”
“Then go pack it. Did you come here just to tell me?”
“I had to let you know. If you don’t permit it, I won’t deliver it.” They were having a conversation separated by the cart panel.
So obedient, Mi Niang bit her lip and smiled, clearing her throat intentionally. “I permit it. Go ahead and get it.”
Bahu wanted to say a few more playful words to amuse her, but then he saw Ajima poking his head out. “I’ll go check on the kids. I’ll bring the beef over after washing it.”
“What happened? Is Qiqige hungry or Jiya?”
“They both are, and Qiqige needs a diaper change.” Ajima hopped off the cart to make space for Bahu. From the beginning, he had made it clear that he wasn’t allowed to change Qiqige’s diapers, whether she peed or pooped. Even calling for someone else to help with changing diapers was a must.
Little rascal, causing a fuss just before mealtime. Bahu dismounted and took out a small wooden basin from under the crib. He went to Mi Niang to get hot water, making two trips before finally cleaning Qiqige up. He threw away the dirty pants and diapers into the basket on the back of the small camel. They would wait until it got dark to wash them in the river.
During mealtime, they ate separately. Bahu and Mi Niang ate first, then one of them would check on the children while the other attended to the cattle and sheep. ChaoBao, Xi Jil, and Old Jinku, along with Ajima, squeezed into the second cart to have a hot meal. The remaining soup was mixed with rice to feed the dogs.
During the day, Da Huang, Bala, and Arse wolves would drive away stray sheep from the flock. When a sheep was slaughtered, their food would be kept aside. At least one meal a day would consist of pure meat, making the meals for the eight-and-a-half young dogs not as good. They ate leftovers, and gnawed bones from sheep and birds.
Just after finishing lunch, Ajima climbed onto the cart and asked, “Auntie, what are we having for dinner?”
“Beef buns, maybe.” The beef Bahu brought back wasn’t the best quality, not suitable for stir-frying or stewing. It would be chopped into small pieces, mixed with mushroom grains, sprinkled with chopped green onions, and then wrapped in buns.
“Or dumplings with beef filling. I’ll go ask Bahu.” Qiqige and Jiya were already asleep. Mi Niang whistled and called for a horse, riding over to Bahu. “Do you want beef buns or beef dumplings for dinner?”
“Skip the dumplings; they require more effort. You’ll have to do a lot by yourself. Just steam the buns; I’ll help you knead the dough.” Besides, he could also make buns; it was just that Mi Niang’s filling was better.
“Are you feeling sorry for me?”
Bahu grinned but didn’t say anything.
“Making a sound means you’re asking for trouble!” Mi Niang took a riding crop and playfully hit him. “You’re doing it on purpose.”
Bahu laughed, showing his teeth, urging the horse to run outside and provoking it with the whip. “Come chase me. If you catch up, I’ll make that sound for you.”
Childish. Mi Niang didn’t bother chasing; running on horseback at this time would attract too much attention. Everyone was watching.
