After seeing off Grandma Zhao, Mi Niang planned to visit Baoyin’s home. She had delayed for a while due to feeding Qiqige and Jiya, and she was eager to visit them. As she approached, she noticed Asyl carrying Baoyin, accompanied by his elder sister. Asyl also had a basket in his hand, and a greasy smell wafted towards her.
“Hey, little sister, my little brother is in a hurry. Could you have a word with him? How does Wan’er feel about him?” Baoyin’s mother placed the basket on the table, smiling, and said, “Thank you for caring about us. We have to bring sugar cakes to the matchmaker. They just came out of the oven this morning, still warm before we left.”
“That basket of sugar cakes I accepted is well worth it. Grandma Zhao has a favorable impression of Asyl and asked me to inquire about your family’s situation.” Mi Niang was straightforward, not beating around the bush, as she continued, “Sister-in-law, why don’t you sit down, and we can talk? My two kids are fed and ready for bed; I need to soothe them to sleep, and once they’re down, they won’t wake up.”
“I’ll help you hold one.” Baoyin’s mother reached out to take one of the babies, but they hid in Mi Niang’s arms, frowned with a pout, and seemed like they were about to cry. “Alright, alright, I won’t touch them. Are they still shy?”
“Most of the time, they’re fine, but when they’re tired and want to sleep, they insist on being held by me or by Bahu. Quite delicate.” Mi Niang spoke softly, leaning against the Kang. Qiqige and Jiya had already fallen asleep, their eyes closed, so she laid them on the Kang and covered them with a blanket.
“Let’s go to another room to talk.” Mi Niang closed the door and went to the adjacent compartment. She brought dried fruits and prepared tea, chatting for quite a while until Bahu returned with the horse-drawn carts.
“Wow, did you buy so much grain this year?” The five carts were stacked full. The wheels left imprints half a finger deep, and it seemed that each cart carried over a thousand pounds.
“Big brother, let me help you.” Asyl took off his raincoat, handed it to his sister, and walked over to lift the bags, carrying them effortlessly into the house. Carrying over a hundred pounds of grain on his shoulder, he moved briskly, showcasing strength, diligence, and a keen eye for situations.
Whether intentional or not, the impression he gave was quite good.
Mi Niang glanced at Bahu, noticing how others directly demonstrated their desire to win favor, unlike him. Asyl worked hard to treat her sheep’s illness, even staying up late and using the excuse of preventing the spread of infection to replace one of her sheep, yet he remained silent about it.
Bahu noticed the look in Mi Niang’s eyes and glanced over, puzzled.
“Asyl has gone through some trouble,” Mi Niang said, avoiding eye contact.
“What trouble? This is something he should do. Getting a wife isn’t supposed to be easy,” Baoyin’s mother laughed. “When I mentioned it to Baoyin’s father, he sent things to my house, and we also had a go-between. Later, if Wanér fancies Asyl, we’ll cover all the necessary gifts. If there are any customs or requirements from the Lingshan, if Grandma Zhao requests anything, I’ll trouble you to pass on the message.” She held Mi Niang’s hand warmly. “We are not strict people. We just want a good life for our daughter. If Wan’er marries him, we won’t let her suffer. Grandma Zhao, being older, can move in with the young couple. Having an older person in the house will help the young ones navigate life more smoothly.” This was a promise to take care of Grandma Zhao in her old age.
“Okay, sister-in-law, you have a good temperament. To have raised children like you and Asyl, your elders must be reasonable too. It would be perfect if the two of them got along. I’ll talk to Grandma Zhao, and find an opportunity for them to meet.”
It wasn’t until all the grain on the carts was unloaded that Asyl left with his sister, and he even politely greeted Bahu before leaving.
“How do you feel about Asyl?” Mi Niang stood with a towel, waiting for Bahu to dry his face. He reluctantly allowed her to apply some face fat on him. Even as an adult, he resisted having his face creamed like two children. Every time, he only let her do it when his hands and face were chapped from the wind.
“He seems smart, not like those dull folks. How did you convince him? People from his tribe have a good reputation.”
Proudly, Mi Niang couldn’t help but boast. She laid her hand on Bahu’s shoulder, complimenting herself, “Thanks to me. With my good cooking and friendly personality, Baoyin’s mother has a good impression of me. Consequently, she has a favorable view of girls from the Lingshan. I deliberately mentioned Wanér’s situation, hoping she’d introduce a few young men to her. When she heard that Wanér could read, was skilled with a needle, and had learned cooking in the Hu family, Grandma Zhao, being close to Miss Hu, thought it would be better to recommend her family members.”
Bahu glanced at her. Although what she said was true, praising oneself was a bit shameless.
“What’s with that look?” Mi Niang, not giving in, hugged his neck, threatening, “I’m giving you a chance to live; praise me!”
“I’d rather you choked me to death.” Bahu was unflinching, even lowering his head to take advantage, his mouth teasing her cheek. “Think about it carefully. If you choke me to death, there’ll be no one to wipe your feet, no one to cook for you in the morning, no one to buy you bracelets, and the child will lose their biological father.”
“Only the last sentence was a threat,” Mi Niang pushed away his head, disdainful. “Did you lose your tongue after saying a sarcastic remark?”
Indeed, sarcastic words turned his tongue into mush, making it stiff and unable to form any words.
“How about compensating you tonight? Let’s try the bell bracelets we bought,” Bahu approached again, “Go inside and get the book, choose a pose you like.”
Compensate who? Looking at him, Mi Niang rolled her eyes. Under his increasingly intense gaze, she slowly said, “If you don’t say something nice tonight, don’t think about getting close to me.”
“Tonight, I’ll cook and make your favorite dish.”
Ignoring him, Mi Niang turned and walked away.
“Hey—Don’t you want to try ice skating? When the river freezes, and we can’t use the dog sled, I’ll pull you around.” Bahu still attempted to change Mi Niang’s mind.
“That’s something you should do.”
…
At night, Bahu specifically stewed red bean and jujube porridge for Mi Niang, and a pot of lamb and radish soup, reheating the fried sugar cakes brought by Asyl.
“Don’t like sugar cakes?” Bahu saw her frown after taking a bite. He brought them closer and said, “If you don’t want them, don’t eat. I’ll finish them. Don’t you like sweet things? Why don’t you like this one?”
Sugar was expensive in the Mobei, and ordinary families usually fried sugar cakes only on festive occasions. Looking at Ajima, one could tell that even with sugar cakes, they wouldn’t touch the lamb.
“The oil flavor is too strong.” She found lamb oil-fried dishes too greasy, not to mention lamb oil-fried cakes. Taking a bite felt like drinking lamb oil. Mi Niang quickly grabbed a large spoonful of bean porridge to clear her throat.
“Then eat more lamb and radish soup.” Bahu didn’t think it tasted bad; he enjoyed the flavor. “Or should I make you two more scallion pancakes?”
“Forget it, I’m not hungry. I had a lot of melon seeds, hazelnuts, and peanuts in the afternoon.” Mi Niang only drank porridge, a thick concoction that slid into her stomach. The red beans were soft, the red dates tender, with just a hint of sweetness—just the right taste.
On this snowy night, after dinner, Mi Niang washed the dishes, and Bahu accompanied Ajima back. On their way, when they reached the river, Bahu walked to the water’s edge to check the ice formation. The ice had started to form on the edges, and by the next morning, it should be fully frozen.
“Still outside so late?” With the sound of speech, a bucket tied with a rope was thrown into the river.
In the dark night, even with the reflected light from the accumulated snow, Bahu couldn’t see the person’s face. Even the voice sounded unfamiliar. “I came to check the ice formation on the water,” Bahu replied, invitingly. “Why are you fetching water so late?”
“The cow knocked over the water trough. I’m taking advantage of it not being frozen yet to fetch a few more buckets.” As the person spoke, the bucket was filled with water. “Alright, go on. Just look and go back. The ice in the river is hard, don’t slip and fall in.”
The distance between the two was not close. Bahu walked to the east, and when he reached his doorstep, he turned around but couldn’t see the person’s silhouette anymore. He thought the other person might not have recognized him.
When Bahu went out, he locked the door from the outside and then pulled out the key to unlock the main door. Laughter and playful sounds from the women and children inside greeted him. The wind outside the open doorway rustled, and though he stood in the empty entrance, warmth had already embraced him.
Mi Niang heard the sound of opening and closing doors, glanced outside, and asked, “Back already? Why did it take so long today?”
“Went to check the ice formation in the river. Should I fetch water for washing now, or should I wait a bit longer?”
“Now, wash the two little ones first.”
During the face-washing and face cream application, it was just like dealing with her father. Even when held in her arms, the child kept squirming, calling out loudly with her little face upturned.
“Alright, alright, face cream is applied.” Mi Niang took Qiqige from Bahu. “Let me do it; you nearly slipped into the water basin while holding the child.”
“She’s throwing punches like she’s in a fight, even kicking. I can’t hold her down.” Bahu took a wet cloth and washed the baby’s bottom, changing to a clean diaper before proceeding to wash her feet. “Her little feet are so clean, they smell nice even without washing, just like you.”
Hearing this, Mi Niang gave him a sidelong glance, coincidentally meeting his narrow eyes. “This one doesn’t count; it’s a package deal.”
“Without a mother, there’s no daughter.”
“That doesn’t count. Think again.” Mi Niang tucked the clean little girl into the blanket and then took Jiya into her arms.
Silence ensued. The man wore a troubled expression as he washed his son’s face and bottom. “Jiya takes after you; she looks much better than when she was born.” At birth, a boy resembled the father, and a girl resembled the mother. But as they grew, their looks changed, and now Jiya resembled her mother, while the son resembled his father.
Ignoring him, Mi Niang let him figure it out for himself. Using the water from the child’s face-washing, she washed her own face. While applying face cream to the child, Bahu brought two basins of water and stood to the side, holding two towels. “Madam, may I assist you with washing your feet?”
“You go out first.”
“I’ve seen it before. Why act so formal?” While saying this, Bahu threw a piece of cotton cloth into the basin and obediently left the bedroom. He considerately closed the door behind him, then went to the next room to clean himself up. He tucked the anklet into his pocket, waiting for the door to open so he could sneak back in.
“I’ll wash your feet for you.” He insisted, and Mi Niang was happy to indulge. As he wiped her feet, she didn’t object when he added an anklet. The silver anklet, warmed by the man’s body temperature, emitted a gentle glow in the dim light of the oil lamp.
“I’ll carry you to the Kang.” Bahu had the idea of carrying her to the next room.
Mi Niang insisted on walking herself. With each step, the jingling of the anklet sounded, catching the attention of the half-closed-eyed child who strained to open them wider and look up. She sat on the Kang, leisurely removing her clothes. Rolling up her pants, she admired the tinkling anklet as she swung her legs.
Bahu couldn’t resist the sight and, lowering his voice, said, “Let’s go to the next room, so we don’t disturb the child’s sleep.”
“Oh.” Mi Niang swiftly took off the anklet and placed it on the Kang. Then, she lay down in bed, cuddling the child, intentionally misinterpreting his suggestion, “Come and sleep quickly; it’s cold below the Kang.”
It wasn’t cold at all, and he was starting to sweat. Bahu brought a stool, sat on the edge of the Kang, and stared straight at her.
Mi Niang didn’t stop there. In the intervals of soothing the child to sleep, she added fuel to the fire. With lively, big eyes, she lingered over the man’s body. When retracting her gaze, she couldn’t help but swallow saliva, intentionally bringing out a bit of a husky voice.
Bahu pursed his lips, gazing at her with a smile in his eyes. However, he frequently changed positions, exposing the restlessness in his heart. When Qiqige and Jiya fell asleep, he suddenly stood up. Swiftly and decisively, he pulled Mi Niang out of bed and didn’t forget to take the anklet from the Kang.
“Crafty rascal, let me go. I’m going to call for help.” This time, Mi Niang really grabbed his neck, and with her legs apart, she intended to kick him.
“You can shout all you want. Let’s see if your son and daughter can save you.” The door opened and was immediately kicked shut by a foot. The neighboring door was forcefully pushed open, first with grumbling voices, but soon replaced by the sound of ringing bells, drowning out the scolding.
“Don’t kiss me.” Mi Niang’s face turned crimson.
“I’m serious. Your scent is very enticing. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself.” Bahu held her head, and amid the incessant sound of ringing bells, he kissed her. He showed no restraint in his movements, completely satisfied as he absorbed the sound of her sobbing.
