While the New Year's party was exciting, for the Five Elements, it was a mere prelude to the real celebration of the Lunar New Year. However, that was still a month away and while there was still plenty of preparing going on, it wasn't as anticipated as last year's event.
"Pigs aren't really bad creatures," said Tuxing conversationally, "They're a lot smarter than they look and tidier than their reputation suggests."
"Yeah, but I think you can count the average number of people who want to become pigs on one hand," said Jinxing.
"Yeah, not going to be as much of a Miss Chinese Zodiac this year," said Huoxing, "At least next year will have a lot more going on."
"Yeah, plenty of rats, especially when you consider the Piper clan," said Muxing.
"But when it's the Year of the Ox, Shuixing will have her chance to shine. Right, Shuixing?" asked Tuxing. When Shuixing didn't respond, Tuxing looked over at her staring wistfully out the window. "Shuixing?" she asked a little louder.
Shuixing blinked before looking towards the others, "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
"You seemed pretty lost in thought," said Tuxing.
"Oh, we know what she's thinking," said Jinxing, "She's still thinking about her boyfriend."
"I was also thinking how the weather is more consistent in Wisconsin," said Shuixing, "There's a lot more snow over there than here."
"But you're thinking more about Nate than that," said Huoxing.
"Sure," said Shuixing, "It was really a great time."
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Shuixing didn't know much about Wisconsin outside of Nate's descriptions of it. But it was far north enough for it to get consistent snow during the winter. And the Bowman dairy farm was thickly covered in snow when Nate drove Shuixing there from the airport. The dairy cows, mostly Brown Swiss, preferred to be near their shelter when it was this cold and wet out. Though several of them approached the fence, interested by the new visitor.
"You have a nice farm," said Shuixing, looking around.
"It's nicer in the springtime," said Nate, "You do remember what I said about my family, right?"
"Your dad's indulgent, but he expect you to work hard," said Shuixing, "And your aunt's hard of hearing, but hardheaded." Nate's mom didn't live there, not after a bit of a nasty divorce when he was young. That might be part of the reason that his dad indulged him a lot.
"Ok, good," said Nate, "I don't think you'll have a problem. Just mind your head and your horns."
"I've gotten used to that by now," said Shuixing. Being a water buffalo Animalian, her head tended to whack the ceiling sometimes and her horns often got in the way.
Nate's dad answered the door. He wasn't particularly tall, but he had the muscles that showed he had been dealing with farm cows all his life. "Hi there," he said, extending a hand, "You must be Swimzie."
"It's Shuixing," said Shuixing, gently taking Nate's dad's hand. She could have crushed it if she weren't careful.
"You're going to have a hard time convincing Meryl of it," said Mr. Bowman, "Among other things."
"What do you mean?" asked Shuixing.
A thinner woman with a weather-lined face came to the door and looked Shuixing up and down. She then said loudly, "Nate, you told me she was a buffalo. She doesn't look like any buffalo I've ever seen."
"I told you she was a water buffalo," said Nate loudly.
"You said buffalo," snapped Meryl.
"I said water buffalo!" yelled Nate.
"Does she have milk?" asked Meryl loudly.
"Meryl, you don't ask that about guests," said Mr. Bowman.
"Well if your boy's dating a cow, the least she can do is give milk," said Meryl, "She can eat dairy things, right?"
"Yes, I can eat dairy thing," said Shuixing, "I don't think there's a such a thing as a lactose-intolerant cow."
"Yes, I do need to be hollering now!" yelled Meryl, "It's the only way people can hear reason." With that, she walked back inside.
"Is she always this loud?" asked Shuixing.
"Afraid so," said Nate, "We've trying to get her a hearing aid, but she insists she's fine without one."
Mr. Bowman sighed and said, "Deaf as a post and just as unbending. She still has a good heart that shows in the right occasion. Would you like to come in now?"
"Yes, please," said Shuixing, stepping inside, "I hope that I'm not too big for your house."
Mr. Bowman was a bit doubtful that the couch and beds could hold Shuixing's weight. But he had been working on it. "We have some crates that you might be able to sit on," he said, "And I hope you don't mind sleeping on the floor."
"As long as I have enough pillows," said Shuixing. Next to how she used to sleep back when she was with that cult, she could fall asleep on anything that wasn't pointy.
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Shuixing's stay at the Bowman farm was pleasant, even though she had to talk loudly around Meryl for her to hear. That woman was remarkably obtuse. It wasn't that she was trying to be mean to Shuixing, but she seemed certain that everything she said needed to be said and it was never wrong.
Mr. Bowman was rather accommodating to Shuixing. While there were restrictions about what he could do for her because of her mass, he did his best to make her comfortable. At one point, he had a talk with her about her relationship with Nate.
"I know Nate's a grown man and can make his decisions. And I wouldn't try to keep him from being any kind of Animalian," said Mr. Bowman, "Though he'll probably be a water buffalo."
"I suppose so," said Shuixing, blushing a bit.
"The only problem is that you and he really get together, you're not likely to move here, are you?" asked Mr. Bowman.
"I can't really leave my sisters," said Shuixing, "And I don't think they'd want to live here. No offense."
"No, it's alright," said Mr. Bowman, "The real problem is that I won't have anyone to help me run this farm or inherit it."
"I see your problem," said Shuixing.
"Although, you have dairy farms in Animalia where the cows milk themselves, don't you?" asked Mr. Bowman.
"The cows do need the occasional milking to keep themselves from getting too full," said Shuixing. Even she needed to be pumped, not as often as the other cows, but often enough.
"Well, I have some older cows who aren't much good for milk, anymore," said Mr. Bowman, "I think we can get into an arrangement."
"I'm not really the one to talk about this," said Shuixing, "Anyways, I don't plan on taking your son any time soon."
"Of course," said Mr. Bowman, "Give it a year or two. Let's see how well you go together."
"Exactly," said Shuixing, though she did really like Nate a lot.
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Christmas itself was rather nice, though Shuixing didn't get a lot of the religious meanings. But at least she could understand the gift-giving part. She got Nate a DVD showing the various martial art expositions at SAMAS earlier. Shuixing got a large stetson from Mr. Bowman, a collection of bath salts and oils from Nate, and a hand-carved wooden statue of a bison from Meryl. Shuixing was certain it was the thought that counted more than the gift. She just considered visiting Nate's farm a gift enough.