The meal was ready, and the two people skating outside the door also came in. As soon as they entered, there was a change in the atmosphere between the two. Everyone present was experienced, so there was nothing they couldn’t understand. Baoyin was so happy that she almost called Grandma Zhao “mother-in-law.”
Asyl brought two live wild chickens this morning. It was snowing heavily, and no one knew where he shot them. Mi Niang slaughtered them, one braised and one stewed. Additionally, a pot of thick beef bone soup was boiled to accompany the beef and mutton. Bahu, in his mischievous ways, stewed a cow’s head, and when it was served, he broke it in half and urged Asyl to eat with an open stomach.
With the beauty by his side, Asyl wouldn’t even go out on an empty stomach, let alone gnawing on a cow’s head with oil dripping from his mouth. He ate half of the cow’s head during the meal, most of which ended up in Da Huang’s mouth in the end.
After the meal, Asyl personally escorted Grandma Zhao and Wan’er back home. When he turned around to pick up his sister and Baoyin, he punched Bahu’s shoulder and said, “Brother, you’re not being thoughtful enough. How could you deceive me on such an important day like today?”
“That’s how it becomes interesting. You’re still young, don’t understand my good intentions,” Bahu pretended to be mature. He didn’t lie. Today, Asyl felt constrained, but he would find it interesting later when he reminisced.
“You trust me, this is definitely better than having a proper meal.”
Bahu’s expression was too serious, and Asyl, considering him an experienced person, didn’t dare to disbelieve. He changed his tone and thanked me, “Brother, in the future when I invite you over, I’ll ask you to accompany my Sister-in-law to my house to sit for a while, to establish a relationship, so we can visit each other more often.”
“You need to tell Mi Niang, I can’t decide on my own.”
Asyl scrutinized him suspiciously, “Are you fooling me? Which family doesn’t have the man making decisions?”
“Not mine.” Bahu didn’t explain further, and afterward, he lost interest in chatting further, without even a greeting, he went inside to play with the children.
Asyl was left standing there, scratching his head in bewilderment. It was fine just a moment ago, but now he walked away after a disagreement. Why was he so hot and cold? More unpredictable than a woman.
Inside the house, Mi Niang was chatting with Baoyin’s mother. Seeing Asyl coming in, she knew she was about to leave. When she went out to see her off, she called for Bahu.
“No need to call him, he’s inside entertaining the children. Let him be, he’s not a stranger, no need for such formality. We’re relatives now, so we can be more relaxed,” Baoyin’s mother intervened. Bahu’s initiative today, suggesting Asyl take Wan’er ice skating and deliberately teasing Asyl during dinner, had already made her deeply grateful, so she didn’t dare to ask for more.
Bahu still came out, standing beside Mi Niang without saying a word. He only embraced her and walked into the house after the others had left.
“I saw you in the courtyard earlier. How did you disappear so quickly? Didn’t you hear Asyl coming?” Mi Niang glanced at the sled under the eaves and went straight into the room. In the morning, Asyl had sent two baskets of gifts. When she had glanced at them while busy, she hadn’t paid much attention. Now that the guests were gone, she wanted to count them.
Bahu took a broom and went inside to sweep away the melon seeds and hazelnut shells. Without forgetting to reply, he said, “I saw him and exchanged a few words before coming inside. Just a kid, there’s nothing much to talk about.” Initially, he was quite curious about the reputation of Asyl’s tribe, but in the end, Asyl was still young and lacked his own insights. Talking to him was uninteresting; he might as well go listen to Ajima’s stories.
“You’re only three years older than him.”
“That’s different. If I had been as green as him back then, would you have fallen for me?” He had spent so many years alone, without anyone to guide him, unlike Asyl, who had his parents and siblings looking out for him. It was impossible for them to be the same.
Mi Niang didn’t respond. She placed some brown sugar, red dates, and a few fruits on the table, along with some fabric. The fabric came in three colors: indigo blue, peach pink, and light yellow. Judging by the size, there was just enough satin fabric for each of the family of four to have a robe, and there was also a leg of beef and a leg of lamb, along with a jar of beef fat and a jar of butter.
“It’s too valuable, especially this satin fabric. The dowry customs here are quite heavy.”
“We have a tradition of making new clothes for the matchmaker. Taking so much at once might be because they had lunch at our house,” Mi Niang said. While others were skating outside, he and Mi Niang were busy in the kitchen. If Mi Niang hadn’t repeatedly said how good Grandma Zhao had been to her, he wouldn’t have let her handle these matters.
After dumping the melon seed shells into the stove, the man came back in with a sled board in hand. “Let’s go, I’ll take you ice skating.”
“Now?” Mi Niang’s face lit up with a smile, and she set down everything in her hands.
Bahu smiled but didn’t say anything. He grabbed her hand and led her outside. As they moved, the puppies that had been lying in the dog’s nest chewing on beef bones also came out, panting and following along as they stood in the snow.
The sled board had upturned edges and a flat bottom. Mi Niang sat on it and grabbed the rope in front. Seeing Da Huang standing at the door, she called out, “I’ll sit with Da Huang.”
“Is there something to cushion falls?”
“You just have to make sure I don’t fall,” Mi Niang said, hugging Da Huang and pushing off on the ice with her hand. “Let’s go.”
The river wasn’t completely smooth, just enough to prevent the sled from going too fast. The snowy banks slid smoothly past their eyes. Occasionally, there were two black dogs running hard. The moment they passed Bahu, they slowed down and barked loudly at the two people and a dog on the ice. Their barks startled the cattle, sheep, horses, and camels grazing in the snowy field, making them nervously look around and stamp their hooves.
As they approached the riverbank, Mi Niang grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at Bahu. The snowball exploded against his wolf fur cloak, and before her taunting laughter could fade, she first got a mouthful of wind and then had her face pelted with snowflakes.
“Got you!” Now it was Bahu’s turn to laugh. He lowered his body, squatted down, grabbed a handful of snow, and shook it out generously. This time, not only did Mi Niang cry out, but Da Huang, who was affected by the snow, also grumbled.
Facing the cold wind, Mi Niang loudly declared that he was done for. The icy wind made her throat ache, and she twisted her body to reach the snow piled up by the riverbank. But Bahu had other plans. With swift movements, he sped up, taking sharp turns, not giving her a chance to reach the snow. Before she could reach out, he had taken the sled board to the middle of the river, causing Da Huang to lose balance, nearly falling on his backside, cursing all the way.
“Hahaha!” Bahu laughed heartily. “Serves you right for looking down on me. Next time you ignore me when I call you, I’ll take you ice skating, skating—oh ho ho—”
His hearty laughter echoed far across the vast snowy field. He continued until he couldn’t see any signs of human presence. Finally, he slowed down, allowing the puppies following behind to playfully dive into the snow, wagging their tails wildly as they tumbled off the ice, struggling to stand up on their slippery paws.
Bahu lifted Da Huang by the scruff and placed him on the sled board. With three dogs and one person, the sled board was packed full, and puffs of white mist rose into the air. Mi Niang rubbed her frozen face and stepped off the sled board, standing on the ice as she reached out to Bahu. “There’s nobody here. Teach me how to ice skate.” He mentioned that people from Asyl’s tribe were good at skiing and ice skating, which she had never seen before. She only knew that he was not bad at it, fast and steady, never tipping over on the sharp turns.
“I’ll teach you when we go to Wali. The surface of Wali Lake is flat, unlike the uneven surface of this river ice. If you learn here, you won’t be able to control your balance easily and might fall,” Bahu said as he sat down on the snowy ground. Seeing Mi Niang’s bright eyes shining with excitement, he knew she was interested. This meant they would probably go to Wali Lake to cut the ice and fish the next day or the day after.
But that night, Mi Niang’s throat started to feel uncomfortable, and she began coughing in the latter half of the night. They both sneaked out like wilted chickens, sitting in the kitchen stewing pear water. They even lowered their voices while coughing behind a wall.
“Here, drink the pear water first. Take your medicine after the medicine is ready,” Bahu said as he carried the steaming pear water out into the courtyard for a quick round before it turned warm.
“Sigh, isn’t it ironic?” Mi Niang took a big gulp, soothing her throat a bit, but her voice was still hoarse. She tugged at Bahu’s sleeve. “When do you plan to go to Wali Lake?”
“After you recover.”
Mi Niang was satisfied. She released his sleeve and continued drinking the pear water. Finally, there was a sip left in the bowl to rinse her mouth after drinking the bitter soup. “While I’m sick, I won’t breastfeed Qiqige and Jiya. Before I recover, I’ll cook camel milk for both of them.”
Considering that the two children were just a few days away from being four months old, Bahu thought for a moment and suggested simply stopping breastfeeding and switching to camel milk afterward. “We have enough milk at home. If you stop breastfeeding Qiqige and Jiya, they won’t go hungry, and you’ll be more relaxed.” With their appetites increasing at four months old, mi Niang’s breast milk was no longer sufficient. The first child could be full, but the second one would definitely need additional camel milk.
“Let’s talk about it when I recover. Suddenly stopping breastfeeding might make me need to drink breastmilk soup again.”
But there was no need for her to make a decision. After three days of coughing and three days of a hoarse throat, her milk suddenly disappeared once she recovered. When Grandma Zhao heard about it, she said Mi Niang was unexpectedly lucky, “Ordinary women, when they stop breastfeeding, their breasts become as hard as rocks due to engorgement. You don’t have to endure that pain. It might be the herbs in the medicine you drank that affected it. Since the milk’s gone, don’t feed the child anymore, and don’t try to suck it out again.”
Mi Niang glanced at Bahu, who happened to be looking her way. She gave him a glare, and then Grandma Zhao asked, “Do you know that Mu Xiang is getting married in a couple of days?”
“I didn’t know. She didn’t come to tell me,” Mi Niang replied.
“Do you think she’s pregnant? It seems rushed.” The old lady muttered.
“She wouldn’t be. She’s not that kind of person.” Mi Niang denied it without hesitation. “When Bahu and I got married, it was also rushed, mainly because we both wanted it. Without a matchmaker or the formalities, we just chose a date and got married. It wouldn’t be interesting to wait too long.” Especially considering the situation of Mu Xiang and Zhong Qi. It’s better for two people to live together than to sleep with many people on the same Kang.
“You make a point,” the old lady agreed and didn’t dwell on the topic further. After all, Wan’er’s marriage meant she would stay for a while longer. At the earliest, she would leave next autumn.
Grandma Zhao came to deliver tiger-head hats for the two children. After handing over the items and exchanging a few words, she was ready to leave. Once she departed, Mi Niang sat beside Bahu and asked, “When should we send the sheep? Tomorrow?”
“Send them tomorrow, and the day after, we’ll go to Wali Lake.” Bahu thought that Mi Niang didn’t want to attend the banquet but had sent a gift. It’s possible that Mu Xiang might come to invite them again, and it would be awkward to refuse again. It’s better to find an excuse to sneak out.
…
The next day, Mi Niang and Bahuh hurried to the relief center with two sheep. When they arrived, they happened to run into Hu Wen Yin, with Zhong Qi by his side. He came to inform them about continuing the winter classes.
“Elder Brother.” Hu Wen Yin greeted them when he saw them approaching, nodding at Mi Niang. “Sister-in-law.”
“Master left this matter to you?” Mi Niang asked.
“A while ago, he caught a cold, so my mother kept him at home. I had to come in his place,” Hu Wen Yin explained, glancing at the sheep on the ground. “What’s this?”
“It’s a gift,” Bahu replied generously, gesturing towards Zhong Qi. “A girl who gets along well with your sister-in-law is getting married. He’s the groom. We came to deliver the congratulatory gift first.”
“We’re happy whenever guests come. No need for so many formalities,” Zhong Qi said. “Bahu, you and Sister Mi Niang must come over the day after tomorrow for a drink to celebrate. Help me keep Master company. Otherwise, I won’t be able to find anyone else.” Zhong Qi immediately added jokingly, “With Bahu accompanying, Master would be willing to stay a bit longer.”
Hearing this, Bahu understood Zhong Qi’s warm intention. Last year, he didn’t utter a word while sitting at the same table.
“I’m afraid we won’t be able to make it. Mi Niang caught a cold a few days ago, and to take care of her, the fishing trip to Wali Lake has been postponed. If we delay any further, it might not be possible. The ice thickens by an inch overnight…”
Before Bahu could finish, Hu Wen Yin added, “Fishing is urgent. If we wait another day or two, we won’t be able to break the ice. Zhong Qi, you probably don’t know, but my senior brother never raises his wine cup. Sitting with him isn’t interesting, and I don’t need him to accompany me.”
Seeing Mu Xiang coming out, her face tense, Mi Niang wanted to approach but hesitated, probably fearing Hu Wen Yin.
“You guys keep talking. I’ll go talk to Mu Xiang.”
“I heard from Grandma Zhao that you’re getting married. These days, we’ll be busy cutting ice and fishing at Wali Lake. We won’t be able to attend your wedding banquet, so we brought the congratulatory gift for you.” Mi Niang brought the sheep over.
Mu Xiang pursed her lips. “The gift is too heavy. Are you trying to cut ties with me?”
“It’s just returning the favor for your kindness,” Mi Niang replied.
“I’ve only been kind to you because you’ve been kind to me.” Mu Xiang stubbornly took a few steps back. “Don’t bother coming to the banquet. Zhong Qi hasn’t made up his mind, so I haven’t approached him either. Take the sheep back. I don’t want them. If you give me two dates, then I’ll accept.”
Mi Niang looked at her firmly. Seeing her eyes reddening, her nostrils flaring, and her lips tightly pressed, she remained silent for a moment until Bahu and Zhong Qi approached.
“Initially, you acted as my family to send me off for marriage. I should have returned the favor, but since you couldn’t make it, let me express my gratitude. These two sheep are my dowry for you. It’s not about cutting ties. Please don’t refuse,” Mi Niang said.
“It would’ve been better if you had come in person,” Mu Xiang stubbornly stared at Mi Niang.
Mi Niang glanced at Zhong Qi and raised her right hand, which had once held the sheep’s horn to kill Suhe, smilingly said, “It’s not appropriate for me to go. I won’t attend.” Killing Suhe was something she could be proud of for a lifetime. Zhong Qi looked down on her and criticized her for it. She would never sit at the same table with him in her lifetime, let alone congratulate him on his marriage.
