Earth Goat

Lunar New Year fell on Feb 15. Anyone born before that date belongs to the previous year (Horse).

Goats are softly stubborn. They do not argue and they do not push back; they simply continue at their own pace while you hurry around them. Care for texture and atmosphere is close to instinct: how the table is set, how many lamps are on, whether a conversation is flowing. They read as gentle and easy to be around. The quiet part is how they hold a grudge. There is no scorekeeping out loud, just a door nudged a little further closed. They remember which chair you always take and put it back before you arrive.

Xin is fine polished metal, bright and slightly sharp to the touch; Wei is the sheep grazing head-down with hard horns. The roadside earth has dried in the sun until it can carry a cart. People like this seem gentle and keep one line they will not let anyone cross. They are easy to talk to until they are cornered, and then one sentence is enough to be remembered. They do not complain about weight; they agree slowly, and once they nod you do not have to ask again.