Translator: Storm in a Teacup

  People ran to Old Mr. Xiao’s yurt when they heard that he was dying.

  The old man was unconscious. His face was red, and his mouth was wide open. His throat seemed to be filled with sputum, and he could hardly breathe, looking very painful.

  Ye Xiaoxian came as well. From the look of the old man, she knew that he had a stroke. His brain vessel was blocked and he might be suffering hematencephalon.

  In ancient times, disease like this was incurable, unless there were miracle-working physicians like Doctor Xiao.

  But Doctor Xiao had already left, and it would take months to locate him since he liked to travel all over the world.

  Someone went to get the witch doctor of the tribe.

  After the witch doctor came over, he chanted something in a low voice to Old Mr. Xiao for a while. After he finished, he sighed and said to them, “The God of Tianshan Mountains wants him, so he can’t stay.”


  It meant that Old Mr. Xiao was dying.

  Although Old Mr. Xiao was not a good person, he was an elder of the Xiao family after all. People were sorrowful to hear that.

  The old man looked healthy, but suddenly he was dying.

  In the afternoon, Old Mr. Xiao died.

  The woodman had planned to go to the mountain to cut some wood and make a sedan, but now they were going to make a coffin.

  The funeral came first, so they had to make preparation for it.

  Li Hongmei was very upset. She complained in the yurt that night, “My father-in-law was capable of nothing. He couldn’t help us with anything. When Baoshan and little Ye are going to get married again, he chose to die at this critical time. Now they can’t have the wedding this year.”


  According to the customs of the Zhongyuan Area, if a grandfather died, the grandson had to observe mourning for a year. If a father died, the son had to observe mourning for three years.

  Yi Baozhu hurriedly said, “Mother, don’t talk like this when you go out, lest Big Uncle and Third Uncle hear it and blame us for being ruthless.”


  “This is how it is. He was heartless, why can’t we?” Li Hongmei said angrily.

  Li Hongmei looked at little Ye. “Little Ye, what do you think?”


  Little Ye also felt helpless. She was so excited last night that she couldn’t sleep all night. However, she was disappointed today.

  She said, “Let’s wait another year. There will be ample time for Baoshan and I, and we can wait for one more year. The most important thing now is to prepare the funeral.”


  Li Hongmei was a little indignant. “I have been looking forward to the wedding, but…… Forget it. Life and death are decided by fate. Your grandfather was not blessed, so he couldn’t enjoy a good life.”
……

  The funeral was arranged according to the customs of the Zhongyuan Area. They made a coffin, but they did not play Suona (a woodwind instrument). After they kept vigil beside the coffin for one night, they carried it to the foot of the mountain the next day, and set up a tombstone. That was the end of the funeral.

  The death of Old Mr. Xiao came too suddenly. If he had had the chance, he would definitely have demanded that his body be sent back to his hometown. He had been thinking of going back.

  It had saved everyone a lot of trouble now that he suddenly died.

  After the funeral, they gathered together for a feast.

  When Tarico heard that Old Mr. Xiao had passed away, he came to give his condolence. Seeing that the people from Zhongyuan Area had a feast after the funeral, he was a little confused. Weren’t they supposed to stay in quiet silence or cry for a few days at such a time?

  Wang Wen and Wang Wu explained the customs of Zhongyuan Area to him, and he understood.

  He thought that this made sense. When a person was born, everyone welcomed him happily. When he died, they should see him off happily.

  Thus, Tarico joined them and had the feast.

  However, he didn’t go to see Jin Xiaoyu that day.

  Thinking of the way Jin Xiaoyu looked at Xiao Baoshan that day, he was really afraid that he would suffer again like what he had experienced with little Ye before.

  He couldn’t force her to love him……

  At night, Xiao Baoshan was reading alone in yurt.

  Suddenly, he heard Ye Xiaoxian’s voice, “Baoshan, are you asleep?”


  Xiao Baoshan quickly put down the book and pushed open the door.

  Little Ye stood outside. It was so cold that she stomped her feet.

  “Come on in!” Xiao Baoshan said.

  Xiao Baoshan’s house was as cold as ever. Apart from the period of time when Xiao Baofeng was back, he didn’t light a hibachi at all.

  But it was better than outdoors, where the wind was strong.

  “Do you feel cold?” Xiao Baoshan took little Ye’s hand and felt it. It was cold.

  “I’ll light the hibachi. You sit for a while,” Xiao Baoshan said.

  Little Ye sat down and glanced at the head of the bed. She saw the book, which was about Military tactics.

  The hibachi was lit and it slowly warmed up the room. Xiaoxian felt much better.

  Xiao Baoshan sat down next to her.

  He was surprised by the arrival of little Ye, who wouldn’t take the initiative to come to him. He wanted to ask, but he didn’t know how to start.

  Little Ye saw his doubts, so she took the initiative to say, “I couldn’t sleep. I saw that your lights were on, so I came over to see you. Have I disturbed you?”


  “Of course not,” Xiao Baoshan said.

  “But you’re reading at night.”


  “I feel bored, so I read it to pass time,” Xiao Baoshan smiled.

  Little Ye put her hand on her thigh and rubbed it. On one hand, she tried to warm herself up. On the other hand, she intended to relieve the uneasy feeling of being alone with Xiao Baoshan.

  Seeing this, Xiao Baoshan simply pulled her hands over and put them in his arms, asking, “Do you feel warmer this way?”


  Ye Xiaoxian felt shy, trying to pull her hand back, but he held it tightly, so she could only sit face to face with him in an awkward position.

  “Why are you so hot?” little Ye said, “It’s winter, but you don’t need a hibachi.”


  “Maybe I was born that way.” Xiao Baoshan looked at her and said.

  She sat there shyly, making him want to kiss her.

  Ye Xiaoxian said, “Grandfather suddenly died, and we have to observe mourning for a year. We have to wait for the wedding.”


  “It’s fine. Anyway, in my eyes, you’re always my wife, but if you insist on having a wedding before you get back to me, I’ll have to wait.”


  Ye Xiaoxian said indifferently, “I don’t care.”


  She came over tonight to talk about this.

  Of course, she also wanted to see him and spend some time alone with him.

  Xiao Baoshan looked at her, starting to pant for no reason.

  The hibachi was burning, and the temperature was rising. His desire began to surge when they sat face to face.

  “Little Ye,” he called her softly.

  “What’s up?” She looked up at him with big bright eyes like brilliant beads.

  Xiao Baoshan couldn’t help holding her chin and slowly leaned forward, kissing her lips.

  This time, little Ye didn’t refuse.

  It was just a kiss, and people in love did it a lot.

  However, once Xiao Baoshan was aroused, he couldn’t control himself.

  When he pushed her down, a thought flashed through her mind. They hadn’t got married yet.

  She had asked for a grand wedding. She had said that they would not be husband and wife again without a proper wedding. He had divorced her.

  If she offered herself this time, what would he think about her?

  A woman without principles!

  Therefore, she kept her rationality and pushed him away.

  “Baoshan, no!”


  Xiao Baoshan was turned on and couldn’t stop.

  He willed himself to stop when little Ye got angry, but before he let go of her, he didn’t forget to grope her.

  Little Ye said as she straightened up her clothes, “We’ve agreed to have the big sedan chair carried by eight men. We are not married without the wedding.”


  Although Xiao Baoshan was reluctant, he had to listen to her.

  This was a punishment for his foolishness of agreeing to marry Jin Xiaoyu.

  After little Ye straightened up her clothes and said, “I’m going back. Otherwise, my mother will be worried.”


  Xiao Baoshan held her hand. “Will you come again tomorrow night?”


  “It depends on my mood.” She looked back with a charming smile.

  He couldn’t help but laugh……

  The camel team was about to cross the desert for the first time this year.

  This time, Tarico didn’t inform Jin Xiaoyu. Only when she saw people do the packing did she know which day they would set off.

  Of course, she was following the camel team this time, as she couldn’t stay in the tribe.

  Since Tarico didn’t inform her, she went to Tarico herself.

  She went to Tarico’s yurt, and he wasn’t there, but the yurt wasn’t locked.

  She pushed open the door and looked inside. It was quite tidy without many items. Everything was in place, and there was a piece of clothing that he wore in the middle of the bed. It was a typical bachelor’s home.

  She looked at the decorations of the yurt. There were bull horns, tiger skin, and his self-made bow. In the middle, there was a new year painting and a portrait of a lady.

  She guessed he bought them in Zhongyuan Area. When she looked at the portrait of a lady, she was amused.

  ‘Men like the same things.’


  Suddenly, Tarico’s voice came from behind her, “Why are you here?”


  Jin Xiaoyu looked back at him and said, “How come you could walk without making any sound?”


  Tarico said, “I saw my door open from far away, so I slowed down to see who came.”


  She guessed he had just come back from the bazaar, as he was carrying quite some things in his hands, including some snacks.

  He put away his shopping and asked Jin Xiaoyu, “Would you like some water? Or milk tea?”


  Jin Xiaoyu said, “No, thanks.”


  Her intuition told her that Tarico got colder to her, but she didn’t know why.

  “I have some snacks here. If you like to have some, take it. You don’t have to be polite,” Tarico added.

  Jin Xiaoyu asked, “Are you taking these snacks for the journey? The camel team is about to set off, but you haven’t informed me, so I come to ask you if you count me in.”


  Tarico looked absent-minded, asking, “Are you going this time?”


  “Of course, I’ve already said that I’m also a member of the camel team. You should inform me if there are any activities in the team.”


  Tarico said lightly, “Okay. We are setting off tomorrow morning. You can go back and pack what you need on the journey.”


  “Okay.” Jin Xiaoyu was relieved after she got his confirmation.

  She was going back to prepare for the journey, but when she got to the door, she stopped and asked with a smile, “Tarico, I feel like you’ve been cold to me recently. Do you fall in love with another girl?”