After the passionate encounter, both individuals collapsed on the Kang, feeling as if they had lost all strength. The ringing of the bells suddenly ceased, and the quietness in the room made the two of them slightly uncomfortable.
Bahu recovered first. He moved Mi Niang’s legs away from his abdomen, and with the jingle of the bells, both of them trembled. In the darkness, Mi Niang glanced at the man, lifting her sore legs away from his hands. There was only a piece of torn underpants on the Kang, and it was unclear whose it was. The rest of their clothes had been scattered onto the floor.
As the passion faded away, their naked bodies were exposed without the cover of a blanket. Mi Niang felt uneasy lying there with her body exposed. She turned to the side and kicked the man who was still in a daze, “Take off the anklet for me.” She was afraid he would lose control again at the sound of the bells.
The door was still slightly ajar, allowing a glimpse of the glistening snow to seep in, but it only illuminated a small area near the entrance. In the darkness, Bahu fumbled to find the feet adorned with bells, and his rough palm traced across the slippery waist.
“Where are you touching?” Mi Niang gritted her teeth.
The man chuckled, “I can’t see; it’s not intentional.” However, his large hand didn’t move away. Instead, it ventured forward a few times, sensing the trembling body beneath. His throat also followed suit, undulating a few times.
“Move a bit.” After receiving a pinch, she said, her voice already hoarse, “I mean your foot. Move it, and I’ll listen for a sound.”
Mi Niang bit her lip and directly pressed her foot against his chest. With his movements, the bell rang again for a while, muffled underneath the felt.
The bell was taken off, but the foot in his embrace remained. Both of them fell silent, and their postures changed. One hand dangled beneath the Kang, digging into the warm, humid soil, and then it was lifted up again.
“I just like your straightforward nature. If you want it, take it.” Bahu rubbed his soaked hair, separating the strands on his forehead, and replaced them with his own lips. After the storm, a gentle rain fell, and both of them enjoyed the slow and heavy rhythm. Fine raindrops struck the muddy soil, and the two clung tightly together. They spoke with faces pressed together, warm breaths brushing against each other’s faces, disappearing in the exchange of lips and tongues.
Now truly exhausted, Mi Niang didn’t have the energy to care about her exposed body in the air. Like a wildflower battered by a storm, she leaned to the side, “I’m hungry. Go make me some food.”
“What do you want to eat? There are still two bowls of lamb soup left from the evening. I’ll warm them up for you, and should I add some noodles?”
“Add two more fried eggs.”
“Alright.” Bahu jumped off the Kang, rummaged through a few pieces of clothing from the ground, shook them a few times, and then threw them back. “I’ll go to the next room to get the pants. Should I carry you over?”
“I still want to take a bath.” She felt sticky all over and didn’t want to lie back in the Kang in this state.
Bahu also felt the same way; after sweating so much, he didn’t even want to change into clean clothes.
“I’ll go boil some water.” He went to the next room to get a wolf fur cloak, draped it over his naked body, and ran to the kitchen to start a fire. Meanwhile, Mi Niang lay on the Kang and covered herself with a piece of clothing, estimating that it would take a while before she dragged her sore legs off the Kang.
“I was about to call you; the water is ready. Sit in first and wash.”
At this time, being so polite? Mi Niang figured he probably hadn’t anticipated this, extending her hand for him to carry her into the bath. “Let’s wash together, save time.”
“Can’t lift your legs?” The man was quite pleased with himself. During the bath, he was quite attentive, massaging her arms and legs, pinpointing sore spots, and not being mischievous.
After putting on clothes and returning to the bedroom, he served her a steaming bowl of lamb soup noodles, standing below the Kang. She smiled widely with every spoonful he fed her, more satisfied than eating lamb eggs.
Mi Niang only ate two eggs, drank half a bowl of lamb soup, and had a few pieces of radish; the rest went into Bahu’s stomach. He sat with his legs crossed next to the table, swallowing the noodles in his mouth while glancing at the almost sleeping woman. “Are you intentionally teasing me? In the middle of the night, you kneaded and rolled the dough, cut the noodles, and after making them, you didn’t even touch a single strand.”
“You were the one who suggested making noodles; I thought you wanted to eat them.” Mi Niang rolled over, smiling at him, “I saw you enjoy the meal, and there’s no waste.”
“In the middle of the night, even dogs won’t eat leftover rice. What if I don’t eat it? If it’s left until tomorrow morning, it will become mushy.” After picking up the last chopstick of noodles and putting it in his mouth, he swallowed before pointing at her. “Wasting food.”
“If the dog eats it, it’s not a waste.” As soon as she spoke, she retreated into the Kang, staying quiet for quite a while. When she stuck her head out to look, she let out a soft exclamation. It was too late to retreat; her cheek was pinched and rubbed for a while.
Only when the child inside whimpered softly did both of them stop. “I’ll bring the chamber pot in a moment; you pick up the two kids and comfort them to pee. Don’t wet the bed at night. I’ll go to the next room to tidy up.”
Since the felt was soiled, Bahu lit two oil candles and added the light from the stove. Holding a brush, he washed away the stains and spread them back on the Kang to dry overnight. Their underclothes, especially Mi Niang’s, had a large rip, and there was no need to wash or sew them again. He burned them in the stove hole overnight.
After cleaning up and letting the fragrance waft through the open door, Bahu walked out but returned to tuck the peach blossom bracelet into the bedroll. Afterward, he went back into the room. The big and small figures on the Kang were all fast asleep, and he slipped into the bedding without anyone noticing.
…
The snowstorm didn’t stop throughout the night. When it was daylight and the snow had stopped for a while, Bahu dressed the two kids, fed them, played with them for a while, and handed them over to Ajima when he arrived. “I won’t cook this morning; you wait to eat with Uncle Muren and the others. The kids have had their milk; keep an eye on them. I’m going back to get some more sleep.”
Waking up again to the bright daylight, Bahu looked around and found no one beside him. He groggily put on his clothes and went outside. Suddenly, he noticed smoke rising from the kitchen roof, which explained his dry throat; it seemed he had been woken up by the heat.
Hearing the door opening, Mi Niang turned and glanced, “Have you had enough sleep?”
“I slept so heavily; when did you wake up? I didn’t notice.” Bahu poured a bowl of tea and drank it all in one go, feeling refreshed as if he had come alive.
“Quick, wash your face; the meal is almost ready.” Mi Niang glanced outside and whispered, “About the underclothes, I wore last night?”
“Oops, burned them.” He pointed to the stove hole, “But we still have cotton cloth at home; you can make a few more.”
“That pair hasn’t been washed many times; it’s still new.” Mi Niang punched him, “You’re ruining things.”
The man couldn’t help but laugh even after being punched, wearing a mischievous smile. He continued laughing until Mi Niang looked uncomfortable, then he spoke softly, “Still need to wash.”
“You’ve eaten already; why worry about washing?” Mi Niang muttered softly, her ears turning blood-red. She buried her head in front of the stove and fell silent.
“The opening is quite large; the more you wash, the larger it gets…”
“No tearing clothes from now on.”
Bahu didn’t respond but mentioned that he would sew a new one for her in the afternoon.
Keeping his promise, he spent the morning checking the salt blocks in the sheep pen, noting down the details in the account book. After lunch, he stayed at home cutting fabric, keeping an eye on the children, and allowing Ajima to play outside for a while.
“I’m going to talk to Grandma Zhao.” Mi Niang changed into knee-high leather boots, put on a wolf fur cloak, and greeted Bahu before heading out.
Due to Bahu’s relationship with Huxian Cheng, she first paid respects to Mrs. Hu upon arriving and then went to the side courtyard to find Grandma Zhao. On her way, she ran into Zhong Qi and Mu Xiang. All three of them were surprised, and it was Mi Niang who first greeted them, “Are you here to decorate the new house?”
“Yeah, the house feels a bit empty, so we came to add some things.” Zhong Qi nodded in response, glancing at Mu Xiang.
“Alright, you guys are busy. I have something to discuss with Grandma Zhao.” She greeted them and continued on her way.
“Did you have a quarrel with her?” Zhong Qi pondered.
“No, just a little disagreement. I didn’t react quickly enough earlier.” Mu Xiang denied it. “Just a minor disagreement, it’ll be forgotten after a night’s sleep. We still need to invite her and Bahu for a drink on the day of our wedding.”
As Mu Xiang abruptly turned around, furrowing her brow, Zhong Qi intentionally asked, “You don’t want me to have contact with her?”
“Like you said, she’s doing it for your own good… Oh, why did she leave so suddenly? Is she angry again?” Zhong Qi hurriedly chased after her, saying, “Okay, okay, if you’re not happy, we won’t invite her.” He had it coming; he chose the fiery-tempered one, and now he had to coax her.
On the other side, just as Mi Niang arrived at Grandma Zhao’s room, the old lady hurriedly came from the backyard, “Wait a moment, let me boil some water for tea.”
“No need, I’ve eaten and drank enough. Grandma Zhao, take your time. Let’s chat, so Miss Hu won’t look for you.”
“There’s no rush right now.” The old lady insisted on boiling water, and Mi Niang had to follow her. While chatting casually, they eventually got to the point. “Asyl mentioned that if Wan’er liked him, he would come to escort us to visit his tribe next spring before the migration. No matter how good others say it, seeing it with our own eyes is more reassuring. I asked Bahu, and he said people from Asyl’s tribe have a good reputation and are strictly governed by the tribal chief. Baoyin’s mother, Asyl’s third sister, also comes from a powerful family. Marrying her is because of her cleverness and capability.”
“That indeed sounds like a good family. If Wan’er marries into it, she’ll be marrying up.”
“But we shouldn’t say it like that. These are just external conditions. Bahu’s family is also powerful, and his father is even the head of the tribe. However, people only see the surface. Wan’er is beautiful, well-mannered, and skilled in both cooking and sewing and with your influence on Miss Hu’s side, she’ll be highly valued wherever she marries. ” Mi Niang looked at Grandma Zhao, who couldn’t help but smile. Unconsciously, Wan’er had everything it took to make a good impression.
“If you don’t mind, how about we pick a day for them to meet at my house and have a meal?” Mi Niang asked for her opinion. “Asyl hasn’t left yet and is eager to meet.”
“Sure, you pick a day.” Grandma Zhao nodded.
“Then the day after tomorrow, we’ll slaughter a cow at my house. Let’s have a fresh beef hotpot together.” Mi Niang decided. It was her first time matchmaking, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit concerned until everything was settled.
“As you said.”
Bahu was still thinking about taking Mi Niang to skate on the river in front of their house. Due to Asyl’s visit, he had to postpone it by a day. However, when he saw Asyl stuttering and fumbling upon meeting Wan’er, he seized the opportunity to stir things up, “I heard that people in your tribe are good at skiing and ice skating. Why don’t you take Zhao Wan’er to skate on the river in front of the house? I’ll tag along and learn too. Tomorrow, I’ll take Mi Niang to play.”
Asyl gave him a grateful look and blushing, took Wan’er out to play.
“I don’t know how to ice skate,” Wan’er said, also blushing.
“No worries. You can sit on the sled, and I’ll pull you. Or I can skate to show you.”
The two went outside, and Baoyin’s mother and Grandma Zhao followed them. Mi Niang went out with a shovel, took a glance, and went back into the house. She pinched the man who was busy tending the fire, “You sure have a lot of tricks. How come you turned into a block of wood when facing me before marriage?”
“Is this bringing up old grievances again?” Bahu pleaded, with a sly smile on his face, “Okay, tonight I’ll make it up to you.”
“Who cares.”
Who cares? Only those involved know.
