The half-month foot-washing agreement came to an end, and Big Spot and Little Spot began to show affection. Every mealtime, they would approach to be fed and even rub against people’s legs, no longer showing aggression. After discussing with Mi Niang, Bahu moved the cat’s nest back to the front yard room, intending to make them accustomed to the other people in the house, especially the two children.
“You cut bone-in raw meat for Big Spot and Little Spot. I see their teeth have grown out, and it’s time for them to have some raw meat to whet their appetites.” Bahu hadn’t forgotten that he was raising these two lynxes to catch deer in the mountains in the future. There were also many rabbits on the grassland. When they were trained, he would unleash them to catch rabbits for food.
“Will eating raw meat bring out their wild instincts?” Mi Niang worried.
“There’s no wild instinct when living with humans. Bala and Alse wolves also eat raw meat, and they still go out to catch rabbits to eat, aren’t they fine?” Bahu tossed two pieces of sheep scorpion over. Smelling the meaty scent, Big Spot and Little Spot immediately pounced on them, pressing the sheep bones with their thick front paws and gnawing. He deliberately approached, making a purring sound in their throats as they guarded their food, but he didn’t stop there. He took a few steps forward before squatting down. Without scolding or beating them, he just lingered with the two lynxes. Even when they retreated with the bones in their mouths, he didn’t chase them.
He first let the lynxes get used to eating with someone watching, then gradually reduced the distance. To show his friendliness, after Big Spot and Little Spot finished gnawing on the bones, he poured them half a bowl of camel milk. As days went by, by the time of the Aobao Festival, Big Spot and Little Spot had accepted being touched by people during meal times.
At this point, if the two lynxes were to fight over food, Bahu would just slap them down. If any dared to growl at him, he would tie them up and withhold meat, letting the obedient one eat.
Mi Niang had been observing for such a long time, and she was reassured to see Bahu holding the two children while touching Big Spot and Little Spot. He was skilled in raising sheep, cattle, and horses, and he had a knack for training lynxes too. In another year or so, she believed Big Spot and Little Spot would be accustomed to hunting in the wild. When they came home, they would be gentle cats.
“Are we taking Qiqige and Jiya to the Aobao Festival?” Mi Niang asked.
“Of course, they went with you in your belly last year. This year, we’ll show their faces. When the time comes, I’ll carry them to pay respects. The Longevity Heaven will bless Qiqige and Jiya to grow up safely.”
“What if they cry?”
“Longevity Heaven won’t blame them,” Bahu insisted. So when Qiqige and Jiya were dressed like chubby balls and cried loudly in the basket on his back, he chuckled and said it was Longevity Heaven saying hello to the children.
Mi Niang set down the basket and took Jiya out, protecting her mouth from the cold wind. She also made Bahu hold Qiqige. “Be careful she doesn’t catch a cold and start coughing.”
This year, with no mother-in-law around, it was just her and Bahu who herded the sheep and brought the children. They also brought colored silk and grains, walking in the knee-deep snow until they were sweating. It wasn’t until they slaughtered the sheep and threw them beside the Aobao that they felt relieved, having emptied the baskets by scattering twenty or so pounds of barley, wheat, rice, and beans into the snow pit.
Mi Niang didn’t approach to pay respects; she didn’t believe in it, but fortunately, Bahu didn’t insist either. When it was Bahu’s turn, most people had already left. From beginning to end, she only saw Huxian Cheng and Hu Wen Yin; Mr. Hu and Miss Hu didn’t show up, indicating that not everyone needed to be there.
“When Qiqige and Jiya grow up, I won’t come anymore.” Mi Niang was panting on the way back, the cold winter wind blowing snowflakes into the air, stinging her face. She covered her nose and mouth with a scarf, frost forming in small clumps around her nostrils.
Why not come? Bahu carried Qiqige while supporting her with one hand. “Don’t you like crowded places? Isn’t the Aobao Festival lively?”
But it’s exhausting. This year’s ceremony was exactly the same as last year’s, and seeing it once was enough. The local herdsmen especially revered the Longevity Heaven; they didn’t engage in idle chatter along the way, reciting scriptures she couldn’t understand, which made her feel disinterested.
Following their footsteps back home, when they entered the house, Mi Niang first helped the children out of their clothes. They hadn’t worn such thick clothing before, so they were completely wrapped up and couldn’t move, crying about it on the way there.
“Oh! Bahu, come in quickly.”
“What’s wrong?” Bahu pushed the door open and saw Big Spot and Little Spot jumping off the Kang towards him. “Where’s the rope? They were tied up when I left.”
The rope was still around their necks, but only the loops remained; Big Spot and Little Spot had bitten through the ropes while no one was home.
Bahu squatted down to catch the two cats running towards him, but they bypassed him and dashed out through the open door. Before they could get out from under the eaves, they were chased back in by the dog.
“I’m going to the bedroom. You deal with your cats first.” Holding one child in each arm, Mi Niang hurried out of the door. “Check the felt blanket on the Kang too, make sure they haven’t soiled it.”
To be honest, she was a bit annoyed, especially when she saw Big Spot and Little Spot emerging from under the blankets the children were covered with. It was fortunate they had taken the children away; if they had left them at home, would those two have bitten and injured the children by chewing through the ropes?
But after she calmed the children to sleep in the room, her suppressed anger slowly dissipated. Bahu just liked raising these animals, and he was good at it too. She couldn’t blame him for something that hadn’t happened.
If it weren’t for his fondness for raising dogs and lynxes, coupled with Da Huang’s disdainful behavior towards him, she wouldn’t know how many beatings he would have endured.
As soon as Mi Niang opened the door, Bahu looked over. “Are the children asleep?”
“They are. I’ll cook now. Have you tidied up?”
Her voice was gentle, her emotions calm, which surprised Bahu. He had been prepared for a scolding.
“The Kang is clean, and Big Spot and Little Spot are not dirty either.” Bahu followed Mi Niang to the kitchen. He attentively fetched a kettle and poured hot water for her to wash her hands. “I’ll go to Huxian Cheng tomorrow to buy two iron chains. They won’t be able to chew through iron chains.”
Mi Niang didn’t respond, but it was as if she agreed.
“Are you going to visit your mother?” she asked.
Bahu was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, I’ll go take a look.”
“Then tomorrow, bring some freshly picked basket vegetables and a cucumber for her.”
There was only one cucumber ready to eat. Mi Niang had taken care of it meticulously, watering, fertilizing, and pollinating with bees. She should be the first to taste it.
“Leave out the cucumber. Fresh vegetables are better than anything else.”
He was his mother’s own son, so when he said he wouldn’t bring it, Mi Niang didn’t press further. She only mentioned it because of this confused mother-in-law who cared for the two children, sewing clothes for them and sending bracelets.
But Bahu’s wish was not fulfilled. That night, eerie howls and roars echoed from the northwest, whether it was due to the wind carrying the sound too fast or some other reason, the voices sounded very close.
The windowsills of every household were illuminated with flickering flames, the creaking of opening and closing doors, children crying, dogs barking…
Mi Niang and Bahu each held a child, gently patting them. She softly hummed a tune from her hometown until the two children stopped crying. Then Bahu handed Jiya to her. “I’ll go out and take a look. Don’t come out.”
“Be careful. I’ll wait for you at home with the children.” The howls of wolves were too loud and persistent. The cows and sheep in the pen needed someone to watch over them, and even a human presence would give them courage.
“Take all eleven dogs out with you,” Mi Niang instructed as she stepped off the Kang and opened the door.
“I know. You go inside quickly.” At crucial moments, Da Huang was the most obedient. Bahu opened the door and let it out first, followed by Bala and Alse wolves. “Da Huang! Come back! Go to the sheep pen, yes, go to the sheep pen.” He grabbed a whip, ready to lash out at any dog that dared to act recklessly.
As the door closed, footsteps circled around to the back of the house. Mi Niang comforted the children, their ears perked up to listen to the commotion outside. After who knew how long, the howling of the wolves gradually faded away, replaced by the sound of people talking outside, indicating that most people had come out.
The door opened, followed by footsteps in the courtyard. Bahu didn’t enter the house; he stood by the window and said, “The officials from the government organized people to assess the situation. One person from each family will go. I’ll go out later and lock the door from the outside. When I come back, I’ll open it myself. I’ll leave Da Huang inside.”
“Okay, be careful.”
After Bahu left, Mi Niang couldn’t bring herself to sleep, but she couldn’t resist the warmth of the bed and the passing of time. It wasn’t until she heard the chaotic footsteps in the courtyard that she woke up abruptly.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s me. Don’t come out. I’ll just wash my hands and face and then come in.” Bahu entered the kitchen, poured hot water into a basin, and submerged his face. He didn’t dare to delay too long, wiping his face and then bringing the basin into the house.
“It’s at the place where we held the Aobao ceremony this morning. There was a fight between tigers and wolves over cattle and sheep.” Bahu took off his shoes and soaked his feet. When his feet touched the hot water, he couldn’t help but shiver. “And there were people, people from the Central Plains who migrated north. They were probably trying to steal sheep to eat, but they ran into the tigers and wolves.”
“How is the situation?” Mi Niang asked, turning to him.
Bahu remained silent.
“Are they all dead?”
“Yeah, they died horribly.” Bahu wiped his feet but didn’t empty the basin, threw off his clothes onto the chair, and climbed into bed, tightly embracing Mi Niang. It wasn’t his first time seeing dead bodies; when Suhe died and was dragged out to be buried, he even watched from horseback, getting a clear view. But this time… when they arrived, there were only scattered limbs and heads with red and white patches sticking out of the snow. The faces were disfigured, features distorted. Even the bravest butcher couldn’t help but turn away and vomit upon seeing them.
“I don’t know how many people died. The Huxian Cheng should be at the relief station now, tallying the numbers.”
Mi Niang held the man’s head, running her fingers through his hair slowly. “Did you throw up too?”
“No, I was busy calling the dogs. The tigers and wolves had left, so I wasn’t needed. I hurried back with the dogs before anyone else.” Bahu relaxed as he smelled the scent on Mi Niang’s body. Thinking about the gruesome scene in the snow, he said it was the wrath of Longevity Heaven.
Mi Niang changed the subject, saying she wasn’t sure if the officials would gather the migrants from the Central Plains tomorrow to reprimand them. “Are the people you went with angry? Will they blame other people because of those who went to steal sheep?”
Bahu didn’t pay much attention. “Even if they’re angry, it won’t be directed at you. Don’t worry.”
Mi Niang asked casually, but Wan’er and Bai Mei were genuinely worried. Bai Mei’s wedding with Chaobao was already scheduled, but Wan’er’s was still uncertain. They were afraid this incident would affect their marriages.
The private school, which had been disbanded five days ago, had resumed. This time, the lecturers were shamans. Mi Niang stood in the crowd, feeling uneasy as the shaman announced that from now on, everyone must worship Longevity Heaven and the Wolf God.
Five days later, there would be another ceremony to worship Aobao, both as an act of atonement and prayer.
This time, Mi Niang saw Mrs. Hu and her daughter alone in the procession. Mrs. Hu was no longer holding her prayer beads; she walked alongside Huxian Cheng, circling Aobao three times.
“Huxian Cheng was severely reprimanded this time by the officials. They said if he couldn’t govern properly, he should pack up and leave, and they’ll replace him with someone competent,” Bahu stood beside Mi Niang, shielding her and the children from the wind. “In the coming days, it’s likely to be tough for the people living in the relief station.”
Not only did the people in the relief station have a hard time, but even Mi Niang herself struggled. Every morning, she stood in the snow listening to the shaman chanting scriptures, enduring for half an hour before being allowed to leave.
Bahu and others came over to help them onto the carriage. “I inquired about it. It’s mandated by the officials to listen to half an hour of scriptures daily. Even if I went to plead with Huxian Cheng, he wouldn’t dare to loosen the regulations.”
“It’s okay, just half an hour. I can endure it. I’m dressed warmly,” said someone wearing a sheepskin coat, standing for half an hour, their lips turning purple from the cold.
“The despicable ones who deserve to go to hell and have their tongues ripped out. Their greed has harmed us too. They insisted on seeking death even when life was good. They deserve to die without a complete corpse,” someone outside the carriage spat out with a trembling voice.
Huxian Cheng’s lenient measures over the past two years came to an end under the stern measures of the Huxian Cheng. Now, it could be seen that the effects were better than before.
…
“Mi Niang, help me subtly sound out Chaobao. If he shows even the slightest hesitation, I won’t marry him. Don’t keep anything from me,” Bai Mei found Mi Niang after another day of chanting. “We haven’t married yet, so it’s not too late to break off the engagement if he’s not satisfied.”
“You can actually go directly to him and ask. You know best if he’s hesitating. I’m afraid I might misinterpret things. Whatever reservations he has, he should say them face-to-face. You two can talk privately. Even if he’s not satisfied, he can be honest about it. I’m his landlady now, so he might not be as honest in front of me as he would be with you.”
Bai Mei was afraid she might forget her words when facing him but also found Mi Niang’s advice reasonable. “Alright, I’ll go find him this afternoon.” She specified a fixed time to prevent procrastination.
As dusk approached, Bai Mei knocked on Mi Niang’s door alone for the first time. Bahu opened the door. “Mi Niang is cooking. Come in and sit down.”
Hearing that she was cooking, Bai Mei immediately took a step back. “No, thank you. Just let her know to come and send me off when it’s time for me to get married.” With that, she turned and left. Dropping by someone’s house at mealtime was quite annoying.
Bahu closed the door and passed on the message. Mi Niang was brushing honey water onto the lamb ribs. The room and the courtyard were filled with enticing aromas. Even Da Huang had returned from the sheep pen and was sitting by the stove, drooling.
“After marrying you, I might enjoy several feasts,” Bahu joked as he carried a bowl.
Mi Niang glanced at him. “You better treat me well after marrying me.”
“Of course.”
“It’s your good fortune.”
Indeed it is.
