Baoyin had been eating at Mi Niang’s house for three consecutive days. When her mother scolded her, she confidently explained that she was keeping Mi Niang company during meals. “Auntie says my eating is fragrant. Just by watching me eat, she can manage to eat an extra half-bowl of rice.”
“Why did I raise such a glutton? Or did I shortchange your mouth?” Baoyin’s mother poked her good-eating mouth with a finger, then turned and went into the house, grabbed a deer leg, and pulled the chubby girl towards the east, with a hungry dog following behind.
Mi Niang was in the kitchen sorting onions when she heard the dog barking. With dirty hands, she ran outside, holding a bunch of onions in her left hand.
“Sister-in-law, it’s you. Come inside quickly.” Mi Niang saw Baoyin’s mother, and behind her, a dog. “I was wondering why the dogs at home seemed a bit crazy. Is this your dog?” She opened the door, and the three of them entered, closing the door to prevent the annoying puppy from continuously barking and disturbing everyone’s ears.
“Your house has so many dogs; it’s intimidating. They all rushed up at once, scaring me to the point where I didn’t dare to move. Even the dog clinging to my leg is trembling.” Not to mention people; even the dog snuggled against her leg was shivering.
“Bahu said that when they get bigger, he’ll drive them into the sheep flock. Usually, they don’t bark when they see people. Today, I guess they saw your dogs and wanted to show off. Isn’t that right, Baoyin? Every time you come to my house, the dogs wag their tails at you.” Mi Niang noticed a piece of meat on the table, figuring out Baoyin’s mother’s purpose in coming, but since she didn’t bring it up, Mi Niang didn’t address it either, pretending not to notice.
“Sit down, sister-in-law. Let me wash my hands. There’s tea on the table. Baoyin, pour a cup for your mother.”
“No need to rush. I’ll just sit for a while and leave.” The woman held Mi back. “Baoyin is a bit ignorant. She has a good appetite and has been praising your cooking when she goes back. I think you don’t mind her being a bit of a bother, and I also want to save myself some trouble. A few days ago, my younger brother from my mother’s family sent me two wild deer. Since you’re skilled, I’ve cut a leg for you to taste deer meat. I only know how to stew it, but with your skills, maybe you can come up with other ways to cook it. I’ll come to learn from you another day.”
Her words made it impossible for Mi Niang to refuse. Receiving a deer leg for no apparent reason was definitely related to Baoyin eating at her house. However, the woman tactfully avoided mentioning it, and Mi Niang could only accept the offer.
“Well then, I’ll graciously accept it. Whatever skills I have, it’s just a bit of cleverness. I made some dishes from my hometown, and Baoyin enjoyed the novelty. A few days ago, I also made some sausages. Sister-in-law, later you can take a couple of pieces home, boil them in clear water, and dip them in chive sauce – they’ll be delicious.”
Before the woman could refuse, Baoyin nodded and said, “Frying them is the best. I know how to fry them. Mom, when I go back, I’ll teach you how to do it.”
“…This delicious food, she not only eats it here but also wants to take it back home.” Baoyin’s mother felt frustrated; if they weren’t at someone else’s house, she would have been tempted to use force.
Mi Niang also smiled, “Sister-in-law, don’t be polite. Earlier, I spared some lamb from your house. When you said not to return it, I took it seriously and didn’t return it.” The lamb sausages were hanging under the eaves, and Mi Niang stood on a stool to retrieve a plate. The wind on the grassland was strong, and in the dry autumn weather, after three days of drying, the lamb inside had released a good amount of oil. The originally white lamb intestine had also soaked a slight yellow hue, turning amber under the sunlight.
Baoyin’s mother, seeing the quality, had no choice but to cover her face and smile, “I took advantage of you by coming here, so I’ll be careful not to come again.”
“With the first sentence still talking about coming to learn from me, don’t tell me it was just a casual remark? If you find this lamb sausage delicious when you take it back, wait until you slaughter a sheep, bring it to my house, and I’ll teach you how to make it.”
“That sounds good.” Knowing that Mi Niang had two nursing babies to take care of at home, Baoyin’s mother didn’t stay longer, “I have some matters at home; I’ll head back now. When you have free time, let Baoyin take you to my house for a chat. My house is lively, and everyone wants to see the twins at your house.”
Mi Niang nodded; she had been worrying about finding a husband for Wan’er. According to Grandma Zhao, they were looking for a local young man, but the men she knew were all male servants working in the house, which did not meet the requirements.
After seeing off Baoyin’s mother, Mi Niang went inside. Baoyin didn’t follow her back home but went straight into the house, bouncing in to listen to Ajima’s storytelling.
Under the eaves hung a row of lamb intestines. Mi Niang didn’t plan to stuff more lamb sausages. She took a bunch of green onions and continued planting them in the three rooms of the house with Kang beds. She planted seeds for garlic, green vegetables, and cucumber. With bees at home, as long as the flowers bloomed, Mi Niang was confident that they could yield cucumbers. Last winter, eating radishes and bean sprouts all the time almost made her sick.
Bahu returned on the fourth evening. He drove the horse carriage to the door with a scraggly beard, hearing lively female voices in the courtyard. He thought he had entered the wrong house. Even Bala, who was usually excited, ran to the door but didn’t dare to enter. He looked back at the male master.
” Da Huang—” The man shouted loudly, and someone ran out of the house. Bahu didn’t dare to enter until he saw a figure at the door; then he mumbled, “Must be mistaken; I thought it was Da Huang lying by the river.” Da Huang was a yellow sheep with two big horns on its head, making it look nothing like a dog.
“You finally came back; I’ve been looking forward to it every day.” Mi Niang jumped off the steps directly. “Was the trip smooth?”
“Smooth, no need to go into the mountains next year.” Bahu unloaded everything from the carriage. Only then did he ask, “Are there other people at home?”
“Baoyin’s mother and her sisters-in-law came to learn how to stuff lamb intestines with me. I’ve stuffed quite a few lamb intestines. I’ll cook one for you tonight.” Mi Niang wanted to help, but Bahu pushed her aside, telling her to stand aside and watch. He said that birch bark has sap that can’t be washed off clothes.
“When are they leaving?”
Mi Niang gave him a white eye, “Just boldly go in; they won’t eat people.”
Eating people would be fine; he was using a knife to cut, not making him grin and smile.
“Bahu came back? You’ve peeled quite a bit of birch bark. Don’t plan to go into the mountains next year?” Baoyin’s mother, knowing that Bahu was not talkative, greeted him first.
“Yes, with good weather this year, I peeled a few more baskets.” Bahu saw a row of meat hanging under the eaves, probably the lamb intestines Mi Niang mentioned. “You’re busy; I’ll go inside and see the children.”
“It’s been several days since we last met; see if the two kids still recognize you.” Baoyin’s auntie chuckled.
Bahu dryly responded and washed his hands hastily. He entered the house without washing his face. Before he could say anything, the two children screamed and hid in the arms of Ajima and Baoyin.
Bahu rubbed his hands awkwardly, retreated, and faced four pairs of eyes. He said hoarsely, “Kids have poor memory…”
“They remember you. They wake up every morning and know to look for you. When they go to bed at night and the door isn’t closed, they know that Dad hasn’t come in yet.”
Mi Niang walked to the kitchen. “I still have hot water in the pot; wash your hair, and later I’ll shave your beard for you.” There was quite a bit of dark stubble on his chin, and his hair was messy, making him look like a fugitive. With a stern face, in the eyes of Qiqige and Jiya, he might as well be a child-eater.
“There’s not much left; we’ll bring it back and deal with it there. Baoyin, let’s go back.” The male master of the house had returned, making them both uncomfortable sitting in the courtyard.
Mi Niang didn’t stay either, “Another day, I’ll come and chat with you.” Bahu was still somewhat unfamiliar with the two nursing babies. With strangers in the house, he feared he might end up like Baoyin, returning only during meal times.
Once they left, Bahu immediately felt more at ease. He strode into the kitchen to fetch water and wash his face. Seeing Mi Niang coming in, he softly said he was starving.
With no leftovers in the house, and no leftover rice or vegetables, Mi Niang said, “I’ll cook you a portion of lamb intestines. Wash your hair first; when you’re done, it’ll be ready to eat.”
One washing hair in the courtyard, the other in the kitchen cooking, one talking about life in the mountains, and the other discussing matters related to the children.
“I collected a few eggs from the chicken nests and found about twenty or thirty eggs for you. They’re under the basket.”
“The first night after you left, I poured foot-washing water and was closing the door. Qiqige and Jiya were pointing at the door, making sounds, refusing to let me close it. They kept staring at the doorway, occasionally glancing at me. I knew they were looking for you. I spoke, but they couldn’t understand, and I only closed the door after I couldn’t stay awake any longer. The next morning, when they didn’t see you, they cried for quite a while, looking listless for almost half a day.”
Hearing this, Bahu felt both sweet and bittersweet. While drying his hair, he seemed to be pulling weeds, not letting any water drop. When Mi Niang was about to enter the room to fetch a towel for him, he gave up the thought of taking advantage. Facing the water, he scrubbed himself clean, even more nimble than shearing sheep.
When he opened the door again, he spoke first to make the children recognize his voice, calling the names of the two kids. “Do you still recognize Dad?”
Oh, the sun is setting in the east? Today, it seems like red rain is falling from the sky. The two children are three or four months old, and they finally gained a dad.
Mi Niang called Ajima out and asked him to go to the cellar to get two radishes. Bahu wondered what the children were thinking. He stood in the house, hindering Bahu from hugging and kissing, and he might even shed a tear or two.
Whether Bahu cried or not, Mi Niang didn’t know, but the two nursing babies in the room did cry, wailing loudly, sounding quite aggrieved. Mi Niang thought it was a good thing she wasn’t a stepmother. If she were, people might think she was beating the child while Bahu was away.
After boiling the lamb intestines and cooling them in cold water, Mi Niang cut a piece for Ajima to eat.
“Auntie, I’m not hungry. Take it to the master’s house.” Ajima waved her hand, declining.
“He might not have an appetite now. I made extra; take it with you.” Mi Niang sliced it, drizzled it with leek flower sauce, and carried the plate into the bedroom. To her surprise, Bahu was still holding the smelly dad while sobbing.
“Aren’t you hungry?” With red veins in his eyes, the big and tall man surrendered to the cries of his son and daughter.
Bahu, unable to open his eyes, couldn’t see, and his hands were occupied by the tightly held children. Moreover, he didn’t feel hungry, full of unused strength.
“Not hungry. I’ll eat at dinner.” His voice was hoarse, and anyone could tell he had shed tears.
Mi Niang didn’t tease him. She stood in front of him, holding a plate and handing him a slice of sausage coated with leek flower sauce. “Open your mouth. I’ll feed you.”
Bahu lifted his eyelids, looked at her for a moment, and opened his mouth to accept it.
The room was silent, with only the sound of the man chewing and swallowing. The two children, who had been sniffling and sobbing, stared at him with their faces raised. Staring for too long, they would grab, one reaching for his throat, the other trying to pry open his tightly closed mouth.
With only two pieces left, Mi Niang held them both, directing Bahu to tilt his face up, “Alright, continue soothing your delicious-mouthed children. I’ll go make dinner.”
“This means the sausages you made are delicious.” Bahu swallowed the meat with a rumble. Removing the little hands, he said, “We don’t know how to eat yet. How can we be called delicious-mouthed?”
“Finishing the plate and then saying it’s delicious? I’m not happy with half-hearted compliments.”
“What should I do then? Compensate you tonight?”
Mi Niang kicked him and didn’t refuse, carrying the empty plate and turning to leave.
Lamb and radish soup, fragrant roe deer meat, and a stack of scallion oil pancakes—all favorites of Bahu. “I haven’t eaten roe deer meat for some years.”
“I thought you couldn’t tell.”
“Heard of it, bought some before, and the effect was good.” Bahu grinned and picked up another chopstick to put in his bowl. Before Mi Niang could ask, he inquired, “Who sent it? Huxian Cheng?”
“Baoyin’s mother sent it. She said her younger brother from her maternal home brought it. It’s for Baoyin eating at our house. They are quite polite in her family.”
Indeed, they were polite and generous. The roe deer meat was much better than beef or mutton.
After calming the two children to sleep at night, Bahu pulled Mi Niang out of the bedroom. The two tacitly sneaked into the kitchen. There was a half-person-high bath barrel in the empty space in the kitchen, and the water inside was still emitting white steam.
“Separated by a wall, you don’t have to endure tonight.” Bahu pulled her hand away from covering her mouth and led her to the back. The hot water under the stove turned into white mist that enveloped them overhead. The hazy water vapor splashed on their faces, making it unclear if it was sweat or tears.
“Roe deer meat is aphrodisiac.” In the daze, this sentence entered Mi Niang’s ears.
