Bahu sighed silently in the house upon hearing the voice. If she didn’t want to go, she didn’t want to go, why bother coming inside to call her? What a waste of time.
“I completely forgot about this, why didn’t you remind me?” Mi Niang pouted at Bahu.
“I forgot too.” Bahu continued to feed the children with camel milk, then tentatively said, “If you don’t want to go, I’ll talk to the Huxian Cheng and see if you can be excused.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to go?” Mi Niang looked at him in surprise. “It’s not like it costs anything, why pass up free benefits?”
Bahu remained silent, glancing at Ajima standing by the Kang. Perhaps he shared the same thoughts as himself; studying was useless and draining, especially memorizing those difficult texts that made his cheeks ache.
Mi Niang carefully recalled for a moment, muttering that she had almost forgotten everything she learned last winter, especially the characters. She hadn’t even held a pen since spring began.
“Give me the spoon.”
“Why?” The man handed over the spoon, knowing that the two children were almost full, otherwise they would pout discontentedly.
“I almost forgot how to hold a writing brush, is it like this?”
As long as she could write reasonably well, there was no need to be a scholarly teacher. The man nodded absentmindedly, not wanting to bring up the topic of studying again, fearing it would lead to him privately teaching her. It wasn’t just her; he had also forgotten everything he learned last year.
But she couldn’t avoid it. After feeding the children, Mi Niang took out all the papers filled with characters from last year and frowned at them. These faces weren’t as familiar as those of old friends she hadn’t seen in twenty years.
“What character is this?” She pinched the paper and leaned in.
Bahu glanced at it quickly, feeling somewhat unfamiliar. “We’ll talk about it later when I have time. I’m still repairing the fishing nets, my hands are freezing. Don’t come to bother me.” From now on, he would be busy all winter.
“Auntie, let me see it. I might recognize it… Yue, this character is pronounced ‘yue’, the next character is ‘ju.’ I remember the doctor in the pharmacy mentioning that ‘yueju’ is a red fruit, bright in color, sour and sweet, and can be used in medicine to treat diarrhea.”
Mi Niang couldn’t help but exchange a glance with Bahu. She changed the paper and chose a character that looked very complex before asking him again. Ajima, without hesitation, recognized it and even mentioned the plant associated with that character.
“It’s a shame you don’t go to school,” Mi Niang said, feeling that Ajima’s previous statement about not wanting to study and finding it useless was fabricated. He could recall what was taught in the school, which didn’t seem like the attitude of a child who disliked reading and writing.
“Hmm,” Ajima toned down his expression and frowned in disdain. “I’m not going. Sitting there all day is boring, and it’s more fun for me to tell stories to Jiya and Qiqige.”
“Tomorrow, take Ajima with you to attend the class. I’ll stay home with the kids,” Bahu signaled to Mi Niang with his eyes, then turned to Ajima. “Your Auntie doesn’t know many characters, let alone herbs. You go to the class with her. If she doesn’t understand something, you can come back and teach her. Finding a young scholar, he wouldn’t have to reveal his hand and wouldn’t have to practice poor handwriting behind someone’s back.”
“No, I want to stay with the children.” He couldn’t afford to lose the job he had finally found.
“Let your uncle take care of Qiqige and Jiya. He doesn’t have any other important tasks at home. You come with me to learn more characters. Once you learn enough, you can write down the stories you make up. When Qiqige and Jiya can understand, you can tell the stories again,” Mi Niang also persuaded. He was quite a clever boy, and it was quite torturous to keep him confined at home, amusing the children. With over a dozen cats and dogs at home, one more mouth to feed wouldn’t make much difference.
“If you write enough, you might even be able to sell your stories to a bookstore in the future. All the children in the northern desert could grow up listening to your stories,” Mi Niang continued.
“Really? Can I make money from the stories I make up?” Ajima became interested, stroking Jiya’s little hand. Being part of this family’s children would be great.
“Can I come and amuse the children when I’m not studying?”
Bahu knew what he meant and said directly, “You teach your Auntie to read, then come back and tell stories to Qiqige and Jiya. Everything agreed upon before remains the same.”
“Okay, I’ll go,” Ajima exclaimed with joy.
Bahu was also happy. With Ajima around, he wouldn’t have to keep coming up with excuses to fool Mi Niang. From now on, apart from teaching Mongolian, he would leave everything to Ajima.
Mi Niang was also pleased, feeling she had done a good deed.
The next day, after breakfast, Bahu escorted the two out. “Don’t you want me to drive you there?”
“No need, no need. You stay at home and take care of the children,” Mi Niang waved cheerfully, taking a difficult step into the snow. Although her gait was cumbersome, her back view exuded joy, like a bird freed from its cage.
Bahu clicked his tongue twice, closed the door, and went to comfort the children. In the past, with Ajima around, the two kids were relatively well-behaved. But now, with sudden silence, Qiqige was looking around for someone, while Jiya rolled towards the edge of the Kang. Each time she rolled towards him, Bahu moved her back to the side. After several attempts, she got annoyed and started crying with her mouth wide open, and no amount of coaxing helped.
Bahu called Da Huang over. Despite Da Huang’s presence, Jiya continued crying. Bahu carried Big Ban to the edge of the Kang. Jiya didn’t even spare a glance.
“Boss, are you there? I thought the child fell off the Kang. I panicked and ran towards the room.” Uncle Muren stood by the door, frowning, urging Bahu not to look so stern. He kindly advised, “If you look so stern, I’m afraid, would the child not be afraid? Smile, like Mi Niang, holding the child and kissing… Why are you glaring at me? If you’re capable, don’t glare at me, glare at your son.”
Bahu turned his expressionless face and helped Jiya and Qiqige put on their clothes, cotton shoes, and little hats, then carried one in each arm and walked out.
“Hey, are you planning to carry the children to find Mi Niang?” Uncle Muren followed closely, nagging about how no one would take children to school, and whether the children were hungry, he would go milk the cows, until he heard the cattle calling him back to reality. “Why are you taking the children to the sheepfold? It doesn’t smell good.”
Bahu remained silent, lowering his head to see the tearful child looking at the cow dung. He understood his children. They inherited Mi Niang’s temperament, loving lively places.
“Hey, stopped crying?” the old man approached, trying to tease, and the little girl was willing to smile. “You already like watching cattle and sheep before you’re tall. In the future, your father’s cattle and sheep will be yours and Jiya’s. He can only raise a maximum of five thousand, but you two will raise fifty thousand.”
Bahu found a sheltered spot to stand, quietly playing the role of a wooden man holding a child.
“ChaoBao, you and Uncle Muren go to the granary and bring out a basket of corn to feed the cattle and sheep.” The corn kernels were hard, and it wasn’t clear if the cattle and sheep could chew them.
First, they poured some into the wooden trough. When the cows saw it, they went to lick it, making a clicking sound that made people’s ears sore.
“Boss, the cows swallowed it all, but the sheep chewed a few times and then spat it out without chewing it thoroughly. I’ll scoop some to feed the horses and camels… The horses and camels chewed and ate, but the horses didn’t seem to like it much.”
Since they couldn’t eat it whole, Bahu had someone grind it into a powder and then feed it to the cattle and sheep. “Especially the mother cows and ewes with lambs. Take care of them more.” There were many foals and calves last year, but this year there weren’t many, which made things much easier.
Estimating the time, he carried the two children back to change their diapers, and then let Uncle Muren milk the camels and bring the milk back to boil.
The old man glared at him. “If you have the ability, don’t talk to me.”
If he didn’t have the ability, what was the point of having such a big ability? Bahu kept walking, not forgetting to remind him, “Hurry up, don’t let your grandson cry from hunger.”
The old man felt relieved and comfortable all over when he heard the words “good grandson,” and even his hair smoothed out. With a smile on his face, he went to milk the cows.
After school, Mi Niang hurried back with Ajima. When they left the relief institute, they first saw Baoyin. Mi Niang let Ajima go back first and went to greet her.
“Sister-in-law, you’re not here to see me,” Mi Niang teased.
“Haha, you guessed right.” Baoyin shook the things in her hand. “I came to bring some paper and pens for Wan’er. My little brother lives far away, so as his elder sister, I have to help take care of his beloved.”
“Then you go in. I’ll go back first. There are still two children at home.” Mi Niang wondered if Bahu would be overwhelmed trying to entertain two children by himself.
“Okay, take a break and bring the kids to my house to play. Baoyin always talks about you every day.”
Mi Niang returned home just as Bahu was pouring rice into the pot. Seeing her back, he glanced at her, but it only lasted for a moment. He seemed much more spirited, with a sparkle in his eyes. “Hungry?”
“Not hungry. I’ll cook.” Mi Niang gently insisted that Bahu sit and rest. “It’s hard work taking care of the children. Let me cook. You don’t need to worry about the fire either. You can take a walk outside and clear your mind.”
“I’m not like you. I couldn’t sit at home for ten years even if I wanted to.”
Mi Niang chuckled and cut a lump of beef. Without turning around, she shouted, “Make the fire hotter. I’m going to pour the oil.” Then, realizing her mistake, she turned back sheepishly. “Oh, you’re still here. I thought you had gone out.”
The man chuckled. “Alright, I just like cooking with you.”
Finally, she heard something she liked.
Stir-fried beef slices, pan-fried tofu, a bowl of stewed eggs, and a bucket of buttered tea brewed by Bahu—this was their midday meal for three.
Mi Niang had the smallest appetite, and whatever was left over was taken care of by Bahu. Anything remaining after that was washed off and given to the dogs.
“I’ll wash the dishes. You go feed your Big Spots and Little Spots.” Mi Niang picked up the dishes and, seeing Bahu leaving, reminded him, “Take your sheepskin gloves with you. Be careful not to get bitten by them.” The two wild martens were fierce; they would bare their teeth as soon as someone approached, not easily tamed.
As soon as the dishes were dropped into the hot water, heavy footsteps returned. “Wow, Big Spot’s wool rope around its neck was almost bitten off. I need to lock them in the backyard so they don’t run off and bite the children again.”
Mi Niang stopped washing the dishes and hurriedly followed. Bahu replaced the rope around the marten’s neck with a thicker one. “This marten’s teeth are really sharp. It doesn’t even need milk anymore. If you don’t feed it meat every meal, throw in a few bones for them to chew on.”
“It’s not a cat, it’s a marten.”
Was that really the point? “It looks like a cat, so I like to call it a cat,” she insisted.
Bahu stood up abruptly after tying the rope and looked at Mi Niang. His expression alternated between a frown and a smile, a bit mischievous.
“It’s a marten, not a cat,” Mi Niang corrected herself, casting a wary glance at the two cat-like creatures in the corner.
“Call it whatever you want,” Bahu whispered to Mi Niang as they walked outside. Once they were out of earshot, he quietly asked for Mi Niang’s help, “Later, when you go inside, scold them fiercely, then I’ll bring in the milk, you snatch the bowl and throw it away. Let them go hungry for a while, and then I’ll secretly go feed them at night…”
“So, I play the bad guy, and you play the good guy?” Mi Niang chuckled through gritted teeth.
“You have Da Huang, don’t you? Your favorite is Da Huang anyway.” Bahu’s confidence waned as he spoke, seeing her displeased expression, he quickly changed his tune, “Forget it, I’ll figure something else out.”
“Alright,” Mi Niang nodded in agreement. She gestured for Bahu to go wash the dishes and then grabbed a stick as she entered the room. Trying her best to look fierce, she scolded the animals from afar and banged the stick on the furniture, but she kept her distance from the two furry cats. She kept scolding until Bahu brought in the milk, and then she followed his plan, snatching the bowl and throwing it away.
“Is that good enough?” Mi Niang asked after closing the door.
“You played the part perfectly,” Bahu replied.
“Alright, if it doesn’t work today, we’ll try again tomorrow.” Mi Niang was particularly easygoing.
In the night, with Bahu sneaking out again to bring camel milk to the backyard, as soon as he left, Mi Niang grabbed a blanket and headed to the room, coming back to close the door from the inside.
“Hey? Mi Niang, I haven’t come in yet, why are you closing the door?” Bahu whispered softly.
“I’ve brought the blanket for you, go sleep in the next room,” Mi Niang replied. Since they were going to separate, the bad guy couldn’t sleep in the same bed as the good guy.
“But the kids might need milk or to pee at night. Please open the door; I’m not wearing much.” Bahu tapped lightly on the door.
Pretending not to hear, Mi Niang waited until Bahu left before lying down in bed. She couldn’t sleep deeply when alone with the kids; any movement they made would wake her up. Putting on her clothes, she would get out of bed to cook milk whenever they stirred. When she opened the door this time, someone rushed in from outside.
“Hurry up and cook the milk,” the man, wearing a wolf fur cloak, commanded as he sat on the bed, taking Mi Niang’s spot.
Seeing fresh footprints in the snow under the eaves, Mi Niang felt relieved. She wasn’t foolish enough to wait outside indefinitely.
