Chapter 33: A Sight Unseen

Ning Xin laughed with a mix of pride and joy, "Mother, this is the mule I bought. I’ve given it a name—Ning Baobao."

"..."

Mrs. Meng was speechless. A creature this large, and she named it 'Baby' while bestowing her own surname upon it.

"Mother, the corn came with the mule—six hundred pounds of it. And these hundred pounds of hay are its rations."

By now, Mrs. Meng knew there was no point in arguing. The silver had been earned by her daughter herself. She had mentioned wanting to buy a mule just last night, and this was the first time Ning Xin had truly wanted something and taken action to get it.

"Carry its feed inside first. Keep it in your room; stack it up for now."

"All right."

Ning Xin nodded vigorously. She smiled, revealing her white teeth, and called out earnestly, "Baobao, this is your home now. Let’s go in."

*Pfft...*

The mule did not seem particularly fond of the name Ning Baobao. Ning Xin, however, didn't care whether it liked it or not. She hoisted a sack onto her shoulder and headed toward the house. She wasn't the least bit worried about the mule running away; she knew she could catch it if she had to.

By the time she had moved the last sack of corn and pulled the cart into the courtyard, she found her mother and three younger brothers staring wide-eyed at the mule. Just as she was about to lead the mule into the yard, her stomach grumbled, and she thought of heading to the kitchen for something to eat.

Suddenly, the mule turned and bolted.

"Ah Xin, it’s running away!"

"Sister, it’s escaping..."

Mrs. Meng exclaimed.

Ning Xin quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Mother. I'll go catch it right now."

And so, a scene unfolded: Ning Xin and a mule were racing down the village path. No matter which turn the mule took, Ning Xin followed effortlessly. She would sprint ahead of it, pulling funny faces as she ran alongside. She might as well have said, "Is that really all you’ve got?"

Visibly frustrated, the mule ran even faster, but Ning Xin remained just a tiny bit quicker.

*Pfft... pfft...*

Ning Xin didn't know how long they had been running or where they had ended up; she was starting to feel tired. Then, the mule turned around and headed back toward the village. Ning Xin immediately gave chase. She realized that Ning Baobao had an excellent memory and actually knew the way home.

***

In Ning Village, at the Ning family's main house, many people came to ask Mrs. Meng if it was true that they had bought a mule.

"It was bought by my Ah Xin. It belongs to her alone; she will take it as part of her dowry when she marries."

Mrs. Meng said this with a deeper meaning. Ning Xin was honest and straightforward, lacking the delicate charm of other young women. The local men were too blind to see her daughter's worth, so she had to let people know that Ning Xin came with a substantial dowry. While this might attract those with ulterior motives, it was better than having no suitors at all. With suitors coming to the door, she could at least pick out a young man suitable for her daughter.

"Your Ah Xin makes good money hunting, doesn't she?"

"We were able to renovate our house, and Ah Xin’s contribution accounted for seven or eight parts of it."

"..."

Mrs. Meng's words left many feeling a complex mix of emotions; they were tired of being envious. Those who had been harboring thoughts about the family became even more determined.

"So, what kind of family are you looking for for Ah Xin?"

Mrs. Meng thought seriously. "A young man who is polite and ambitious, kind-hearted and filial, and tall. He should have both parents living, few brothers, and the family shouldn't be too poor—they need at least a few rooms and a few acres of land."

These requirements were neither too high nor too low. Seeing that it was nearly noon and her children—Ning Nuan, Ning Huan, Ning Kui, and Ning Zhuang—had returned with the hay, she smiled and said, "The children are back, so I must go prepare lunch. Let's chat another time."

The young wives and sisters-in-law who had come to gossip also had to return home to cook. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they dispersed one by one.

Mrs. Wu watched the front gate of the main house, her mind racing. She thought about how her nephew was two years older than Ning Xin—the perfect age. If she could help arrange the marriage, she could surely claim two—no, three—parts of Ning Xin's dowry for herself. The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

Her own daughters, Zhao Di and Dai Di, returned with their bundles of grass. Seeing their mother's strange smile, they were struck with a cold sweat. They thought of their three cousins next door, who had warm water to drink the moment they got home and never had to endure scolding or beatings, and they were filled with envy. Yet, they dared not utter a single complaint, quickly rushing off—one to fetch water, the other to wash the pot and start lunch. If they were even a moment slow, they might go without food that afternoon.

As soon as Ning Nuan, Ning Huan, Ning Kui, and Ning Zhuang entered the house, Ning Wen and Ning Wu grabbed their older brothers and shouted, "Big sister bought a mule!"

"What?" The four were stunned. They dropped their baskets and raced toward the kitchen.

"Mother, did Big Sister buy a mule?"

"Where is she?"

"Where's the mule?"

Mrs. Meng looked at the eager faces of her children and suddenly felt that Ning Xin buying a mule was a good thing after all.

***

When a family is poor, the children often lack confidence. When a family is prosperous, children naturally stand a little taller. Gradually, they develop a sense of spirit.

"The mule isn't very obedient yet; it ran off, and your sister went to chase it. She hasn't returned." Mrs. Meng urged the children to drink some hot water. She began steaming cornmeal buns and frying up some minced meat. In another bowl, there was some fat pork, and a basket held freshly washed cabbage.

Ning Kui and Ning Zhuang were already wondering what kind of grass the mule ate. They decided to gather more that afternoon and asked Mrs. Meng if they should wash the grass.

"No need to wash it. As for what it likes, I haven't raised a mule before either. When it’s brought back, we’ll see what it prefers, and you can remember to gather more of that."

The more the mule ate grass, the less grain it would consume. The children nodded in unison. They even went to scrub a washbasin clean and filled it with fresh water, waiting for the mule to return.

Meanwhile, Ning Xin and the mule were still in the middle of their race. She stayed just a hair faster than the mule, looking back every now and then with a wide, bright, toothy grin.

The mule huffed and puffed, blowing air out of its nostrils. It had thought this race was a sure win, but it was losing miserably. It felt as though its reputation as a mule was in tatters.

Finally, seeing the mule foaming at the mouth, Ning Xin simply hoisted it up onto her shoulders and started running.

The mule: "..."

The old man in the space: "..."

He had racked his brains but could not understand why, out of all the people in the vast world, he had chosen such an absurd girl. He had trained her to be strong, but certainly not to carry mules!

Passersby: "..."

Were their eyes deceiving them? A girl carrying a mule while running? Was the mule dying? That wasn't the point; the point was that the mule looked massive, easily five or six hundred pounds, maybe even more. And yet, this girl could carry it and run...

After running for a long distance, Ning Xin grew tired. Happening upon a small stream, she set the mule down and knelt to drink. The mule hesitated for a moment before creeping over to drink beside her. Then, filling its mouth with water, it suddenly blew the whole mouthful right into Ning Xin's face.

"..."

Ning Xin was stunned. She knew the mule was clever, but she hadn't expected it to play tricks on her—and it even seemed to make a noise that sounded like mocking laughter.