Dim light seeped through the window lattice. Mi Niang turned over, and her feet peeked out from the quilt. The pink toes, bathed in a beam of light, looked even more delicate than the nose of a newborn lamb. The warm Kang beneath her was so hot that it made her sweat. She reached out and felt the back of Qiqige, who was beside her. Even the clothes were damp.
Searching around in the quilt, she flipped out her undershirt from under the quilt at the end of the Kang. She just draped it over herself and hadn’t tied the straps yet when the door creaked open.
“Wake up? It’s still early. Want to sleep a bit more?” Bahu, carrying a cool breeze, walked to the edge of the Kang. Since they were up late last night, he thought Mi Niang would sleep until the sun was directly overhead.
“Why are you awake so early?” His long legs stretched out, and he mischievously asked, “Or is it that I didn’t serve you well last night? Are you pretending?” Last night, she cried and insisted on going to bed, claiming she was exhausted. This current appearance didn’t match that.
“Serve your ass. “ Mi Niang glared at him. She couldn’t help but unleash her passion this morning after getting heated on the Kang.
There was a lingering drowsiness in her eyes. Her lazy appearance, combined with her charming and youthful face, added a seductive charm. Bahu couldn’t resist and leaned in to kiss Mi Niang’s neck. She playfully bit him, and he responded by licking away the moisture.
Mi Niang watched his casual movements, feeling her throat tighten. This man only transformed after releasing his desires, shedding the facade of being stern and serious.
“Don’t provoke me so early in the morning.” She hadn’t had breakfast yet, and it was a bit exhausting. Another reason was that there were two kids lying on the Kang. If she got too excited, she would have to suppress her voice, which was unbearable.
Bahu didn’t say anything. He wiped the corner of his mouth and went out to fetch a bowl of butter tea. “Still hot, drink some.”
“I’ll drink it after I get up.” However, the bowl was already in her hands. Bahu went to change the diapers for Qiqige and Jiya and then placed them on the bed. After a short while, they fell back asleep. Bahu kicked his shoes, got on the Kang, and carefully moved Qiqige and Jiya to the end of the Kang, wrapping them in a circle with a rolled-up blanket, making sure they wouldn’t roll off.
Mi Niang swallowed the last sip of butter tea, staring at the approaching man. Unconsciously, she tightened her collar and nervously asked, “What are you going to do?”
“You.” Bahu took the empty bowl and placed it on the table by the Kang. His eyes swept over Mi Niang’s blushing face and watery eyes. His rough fingertips brushed over her eyelashes, almost riding on Mi Niang’s body. “Look at yourself. Who is seducing whom?”
The morning light streaming through the window lattice brightened another part of the room. Faint sounds of neighboring sheep pen doors opening and closing, and the footsteps of cattle and sheep, faintly filtered through the door crack. The urgent breaths of the two, suppressing all other miscellaneous sounds, the sticky sound of water mixed with the sparks splashing under the Kang, all disappeared under a rough pant.
Both were half-lying on the Kang, letting the warmth below take away the sweat on their bodies. “I’m taking people to cut birch trees in the mountains today.” Bahu’s thick palm gently stroked, lifting her body and placing her on top of him. Between his eyebrows, there was satisfaction.
“I don’t want to get up. I just want to stay like this forever.” He used his foot to bring a blanket, half covering Mi Niang. His fingers pressed down on her, and he smiled with satisfaction, “Haven’t recovered yet?” His voice contained a smug laugh.
Mi Niang lifted her eyelids to look at him, supporting her chin on his chest. She pulled down his hand and touched her back, patting something. What did she feel and what did she touch before? Bahu followed her intentions, rubbing her back to comfort her. “I haven’t despised anything about you. Have you despised anything about me?”
“You talk too much.” While she spoke of disdain, her actions embraced him tighter, and the two were closely entwined. On this chilly autumn morning, the two cuddled together, exchanging short and long nonsensical words.
“I feel so comfortable.” Sensing the pause in his hands, Mi Niang added, “It’s great to be able to marry you.”
Bahu didn’t respond. It was because of the person in his arms that he began to fantasize about the rest of his life.
However, there was a troublemaker who insisted on shouting at this time to show her existence. Mi Niang rolled up the blanket and rolled down from Bahu, moved to the end of the Kang, and squeezed together with the two kids. “Hungry, huh? Don’t cry. Your dad has gone out to milk the camels for you.”
Bahu went out to see Ajima sitting on the steps outside the door, ready to leave when he heard the door opening.
“Let’s go, come with me to milk the camels.” He pulled Ajima away, and locked the door again when leaving, even if someone entered, he wouldn’t open the bedroom where he and Mi Niang slept.
“Jiya and Qiqige woke up?” Ajima had been taking care of the children for a while, and he remembered the approximate time the two kids woke up. He timed his arrival accordingly.
Bahu ignored him, walked a bit, and pointed at the cows and sheep leisurely grazing, saying, “If I’m not back and the door is still closed, you come to help me watch the animals.” Before the snow fell, the cows and sheep weren’t kept in the pen. They roamed freely day and night, and even the dogs slept outside. Moreover, government officials were patrolling at night, so there was no need to arrange for someone to keep watch.
“
When Bahu returned home, he called out before opening the door. Hearing Mi Niang’s clear voice and seeing that she was already dressed, he allowed Ajima into the house.
“Hmm, did Jiya and Qiqige poop during the night? The smell inside the house is strange,” Ajima wrinkled his nose as soon as he entered. “Auntie, I opened the door and windows, okay?” He knew that cleanliness was important to the host family. During the migration, there was no warm Kang, and during the day, they had to open the car windows for ventilation.
Mi Niang glanced at Bahu. “Ask your uncle to open it. Go outside and fetch something for me.”
“What should I fetch?”
“Go to the river and bring back half a bucket of water.” Bahu placed the milk bucket under the eaves, dismissed the Black Boy, and had him open all the doors and windows. Even the newly changed bed sheets from yesterday were pulled down.
“Black Boy’s nose works quite well. I’ll tell Uncle Muren later, let him and Uncle Jinku tidy up the adjacent compartment, set up a warm kang, and have Ajima take care of the two kids there in the future.” He rolled up the bedsheet and the dirty clothes changed yesterday, stuffing them into the bath bucket. “I’ll wash the clothes later in the morning before leaving.”
“Don’t delay going into the mountains. I’ll wash the clothes. With Ajima taking care of the children, I’ll have some free time,” Mi Niang carried the two children, dressed in thick clothes, to the small bed. She took the milk bucket to the stove to boil the milk. Even patient Jiya was starting to bite her lips; any further delay and she might really cry.
Bahu moved the small bed into the kitchen and went outside to fetch the water bucket that Ajima brought, instructing him to fetch half a bucket. The foolish lad struggled, panting heavily, and managed to fill most of the bucket.
Earlier, Bahu had already put rice in the pot, and by this time, it was already cooked. While feeding Qiqige and Jiya, he heated the leftover lamb from the previous night in the pot. After filling the children’s stomachs, it was time for the adults to eat.
“Host, do you want to eat porridge or drink butter tea? I’ll serve you,” Ajima asked while holding a spoon. Porridge was usually for Mi Niang, but sometimes Bahu would have half a bowl.
Bahu shook his head. He was full, and he didn’t want to drink porridge or butter tea. “Eat your own; don’t worry about me. I’ll just chew on some lamb.”
Mi Niang glanced at him; this shameless man still had the face to smile.
“What about you, Auntie?”
“I don’t need you to serve me. You’re here to take care of the children, no need to look after me and Bahu.” Mi Niang didn’t have the face to let a seven-year-old child hand her a bowl of rice. She only cared about Ajima’s meals and clothes and didn’t even pay him a wage. She kicked Bahu, “You go serve me porridge, thicker, I’m hungry.”
“More than willing.”
After dinner, Ajima went to play with Jiya and Qiqige. Bahu took out a machete and an axe from the storeroom, along with the long pole they retrieved from the snowy ground last winter. He didn’t remove the red cloth tied on it. Mi Niang said she didn’t want her wedding dress; she didn’t want to remarry with children, only asking him to come back safely.
In recent days, it didn’t look much like it would snow, but Bahu still moved it onto the carriage, planning to make a stop on the way.
Mi Niang poured a basin of hot water into the bathtub to soak the clothes. The water submerged the clothes, and she put down the basin, walking out and leaning against the carriage, asking, “About how long until you come back?”
This couldn’t be determined. Bahu threw a bundle of sheep wool ropes onto the Lele cart. “I’ll watch the weather. If it changes, I’ll come back earlier. If not, I’ll peel the birch bark in the mountains and bring it back. We don’t lack firewood at home, so I won’t bother bringing it back. Peel more bark, and we won’t need to make the trip again next year. Good weather like this year is rare.”
Mi Niang nodded and cautioned, “Be careful. I heard there are many big insects in the mountains. If you don’t bring a dog, there will be someone on guard at night.”
“Okay, I’ll take Bala with me.” At home, the eleven dogs were almost divided into two groups. Bala and the puppies seemed like a family, while Da Huang and Alse Wolves were always thinking about guarding the flock, not returning until mealtime. The two pairs were like one family.
“Magistrate Hu’s family is quite big. Can those who work for his family stay at his mansion?” Mi Niang suddenly asked, and seeing Bahu looking over, she innocently blinked her eyes.
Unexpectedly, Bahu didn’t ask anything; he just nodded. Later, he avoided people and embraced her, crouching behind the carriage, gently pecking her for a little while.
“Leaving now, I’ll leave the house to you.”
Mi Niang nodded while covering her mouth. “Aren’t you going to see your eldest son and daughter?”
No, the two younger ones didn’t understand anything. The more he looked, the more reluctant he felt.
Probably due to the lesson from the heavy snow last year, many people were eager to rush their carriages into the mountains after returning this year. When Mi Niang and Ajima headed west with a child in each arm, they encountered quite a few people.
Those who migrated from the north were busy collecting dry cow dung to prepare for winter. Mi Niang wasn’t worried about running into people she didn’t want to meet on the way. When they arrived at the Hu Mansion, she first took the children to show them to Grandma Zhao. After chatting for a while, she was taken to see Madam Hu. Ajima stayed in the gatehouse waiting. It didn’t take long before he saw Mi Niang and an old lady each carrying a child. He hurried over to pick up the child.
“Is this the child from Bahu’s relative’s family?” Grandma Zhao saw Jiya reaching out her little hand to let Ajima carry her, looking quite affectionate.
“No, this is a child from a local herder. I invited her to help take care of the children. I can’t handle both of them alone when Bahu isn’t home.”
Grandma Zhao understood after hearing this. “It’s not easy to find suitable help in the Mobei. In Dakang, as long as you have money, you won’t lack suitable servants. But in the Mobei, being a servant only gets you a mouthful of food. Herding and raising livestock is the most lucrative, and there are few willing to sacrifice two or three years to work for others. Even the officials’ homes have a large number of livestock. Those officials’ salaries are not as much as the money earned from selling sheepskins.”
“I still have work to do at home, Grandma Zhao. I’ll be leaving now.”
“Okay.” Even though she said okay, she still held Mi Niang and walked outside. Seeing that Ajima didn’t follow, she lowered her voice and said, “Grandma Zhao has something to ask you. Wan’er is already sixteen this year. Help me keep an eye out for a suitable young man. I’m always busy at the Hu Mansion, and I don’t know many young men. We’re not asking for much. We won’t talk about a rich family background; we just hope the young man is sensible, capable, and caring. The mother-in-law at home is reasonable.”
Mi Niang readily agreed, “If I come across someone suitable, I’ll let you know.”
