Chapter 386 Dog Care Guide

Chapter 386: A Guide to Raising Dogs

So, Lu Hanchuan and Ye Xiaoxiao decided to adopt Lightning, along with two adorable Golden Retriever pups.

They were littermates and looked quite similar.

Liu Yuan initially said they were free to adopt, but Lu Hanchuan insisted on paying.

"If you give them away for free, we won’t come back next time."

Liu Yuan finally accepted the money.

However, he only charged for the two little Golden Retrievers, while Lightning was adopted for free.

"I’ve always wanted to find reliable owners for these retired military dogs. I know they’re in good hands with you."

Ye Xiaoxiao assured him, "We’ll definitely take good care of them."

The two little Golden Retrievers didn’t have names yet, so Ye Xiaoxiao casually named them Fluffy and Ermo.

Lu Hanchuan made a mental note that if they ever had children, he wouldn’t let Xiao Xiao name them.

Liu Yuan took them out to eat, and in the afternoon, Lu Hanchuan and Ye Xiaoxiao drove home.

Since they hadn’t bought any supplies yet, they brought back ten pounds of dog food from Liu Yuan’s place.

On the way back, Ye Xiaoxiao said, "We should prepare a room for them first."

That wasn’t too difficult—there were plenty of empty rooms in the yard, and they could easily clear one out as a dog room. The hard part was keeping them calm in there.

They could run around the yard during the day, but it’d be better for them to return to their beds at night.

"We should hit the mall first to buy some supplies."

Lu Hanchuan figured they didn’t have spare bowls at home to use as dog dishes.

Since there weren’t many pet stores around, Ye Xiaoxiao agreed to try the mall.

Ideally, they’d find a padded dog bed.

If not, they could ask someone to make one—older people could probably stitch one up.

The things Ye Xiaoxiao wanted to buy probably weren’t sold at the mall.

Even dog food was scarce, but they eventually found some at a small pet food store hidden in a corner.

The shopkeeper kindly reminded them, "There’s been some kind of stray dog roundup in the streets lately. Make sure to keep your dogs in the yard and don’t let them out, or they might get killed."

Ye Xiaoxiao didn’t quite understand the current pet policies. "A stray dog roundup? Why?"

"Too many strays, I guess—probably seen as an eyesore. Plus, some people wouldn’t think twice about turning them into meat."

The shopkeeper likely noticed that Ye Xiaoxiao and Lu Hanchuan were well-off.

People like them surely treated their pets like children, and it’d be heartbreaking if they ended up in a stew pot.

Ye Xiaoxiao thanked the shopkeeper, checked out, and left the store.

"We’ve got a big yard, so the dogs won’t get out."

Lu Hanchuan: "Mhm, just remember to keep the gate shut."

That went without saying—the courtyard gate was usually kept closed anyway.

They brought Fluffy, Ermo, and Lightning home.

The little ones weren’t used to the new environment yet. Lightning stayed pretty chill, at most checking out the yard.

Meanwhile, Fluffy and Ermo wouldn’t stop whining.

"So… these are the legendary fierce guard dogs?"

Duan Hong looked at the tiny creatures whose heads weren’t even as big as her fist, at a loss for words.

"The boss said they’ll grow into it."

Ye Xiaoxiao loved these soft little furballs and wouldn’t stand for anyone dissing Fluffy and Ermo’s dignity.

Duan Hong chuckled and nodded, "Mm… let’s wait till they grow up then."

She was still more interested in Lightning and showed her around the courtyard.

When the housekeeper came to cook in the evening, she jumped when she saw the dogs.

Mainly because Lightning still looked pretty tough.

"So you got dogs."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Auntie, don’t be scared. Lightning is a military dog—she’s trained and won’t just bite people."

Ye Xiaoxiao beckoned, and Lightning obediently walked over to her.

The housekeeper went to the kitchen to cook, "It’s good you have a dog. With such a big yard, it’s not safe for two young women alone."

After dinner, Lightning could return to her room to rest on her own.

Ye Xiaoxiao had set up a room near the entrance for her. At night, it didn’t need to be locked—Lightning could open it herself.

The two little ones needed to see someone. If they couldn’t, they’d start barking.

Ye Xiaoxiao had no choice but to carry them into the bedroom and threw some pillows on the floor for beds.

Lu Hanchuan: "…"

"What’s wrong?"

Ye Xiaoxiao keenly sensed he had something to say.

"You’re babying them."

"But they’re just babies. I can’t just let them bark all night, and they’re so young—they’ve already left their mother."

Lu Hanchuan wasn’t about to win this one. Since the beds were already made, what else could he say?

He could only hope the two little ones would keep it down tonight.

Ye Xiaoxiao and Lu Hanchuan lay in bed chatting.

The two talked about recent happenings.

"Are you returning to the military base tomorrow?" Ye Xiaoxiao turned over and hugged Lu Hanchuan's waist, pressing her face against his chest.

"Yes, don't worry. I get leave for Spring Festival and will come back to spend it with you."

Ye Xiaoxiao looked up. "That’s unusual. You actually get leave for the Spring Festival?"

She wanted to ask if he'd burned through all his leave days for this.

"So are you visiting home? I can go with you."

Lu Hanchuan stroked Xiao Xiao’s forehead.

"My mom is still in Shen City helping my second brother with his kids. I’m not sure if they’ll come to Beijing for New Year's."

Ye Xiaoxiao snuggled back into Lu Hanchuan’s arms.

Lu Hanchuan said, "If they come to Beijing, that would work well. The whole family can get together."

"Yes, so I won’t go back this year. I’ll wait until it gets warmer in a few months before I visit."

Ye Xiaoxiao mentioned that Ye Changjun might be getting married.

Lu Hanchuan thought about the weather in Baishi Village—summer would definitely be nicer for a visit.

After figuring out their holiday plans, the two embraced and fell asleep.

……

After Lu Hanchuan left, he gave Ye Xiaoxiao Cheng Peng's number, telling her she could call him directly if she needed any help.

Lu Hanchuan was often out of contact in the army, but he would do his best to ensure Xiao Xiao’s safety.

"I understand. Drive safely."

Ye Xiaoxiao watched as Lu Hanchuan drove away.

She then went back to check on the two pups.

They hadn’t barked during the night, but they woke up far too early in the morning.

The puppies could drink some goat milk, which Ye Xiaoxiao had ordered. Every morning, a milkman delivered bottled goat milk to her doorstep.

Duan Hong teased, "I feel like these two little things are living better than people."

Ye Xiaoxiao was pouring the milk into their bowls, but Fluffy and Ermo got it all over their faces. To prevent choking, she had to hold them by the nape.

"That’s just how puppies are."

She had never raised dogs in her past life, but she figured it wasn’t much different from raising kids.

After finishing his breakfast, Fluffy began patrolling the front and back yards. When Ye Xiaoxiao called him, he dashed over as fast as lightning.

Even though Fluffy was full-grown now, Ye Xiaoxiao still gave him a bowl of milk.

"Mom has to go to work now. Look after your little brothers."