Chapter 88

Chapter 88

The two of them ran all the way back, half-dead from exhaustion.

Lao Er, however, was unfazed, only slightly out of breath when they reached home.

"Sis, you’re seriously lacking exercise. You should work on that. Aren’t you a high schooler? Aren’t high schoolers supposed to be tough?"

Well, that was straight-up disrespect.

Xu Meng would never admit she sucked: "But why did we have to run all the way home? Was he really going to follow us here?"

Lao Er blanked for a second—it had been pure instinct. Back in his troublemaking days, he’d always bolt straight home, so he hadn’t even thought about it this time.

Seeing his expression, Xu Meng burst into laughter.

Feng Yanwen, hearing the commotion outside, came out. "What’s going on?"

Lao Er: "Some weirdo was chasing us just now."

Xu Meng: "It was Xu Dawei, acting like a mad dog, demanding money from me. Xu Dawei was unrecognizable."

Feng Yanwen asked a few more questions. "What a psycho. The whole Xu family’s lost it now. Next time you see him, stay far away. He’s not the same person we used to know."

Back then, Xu Dawei had been nasty, but only in sneaky ways—like snitching to Granny. Shaking people down was something he’d never done before. Xu Meng’s gut reaction had been that this couldn’t possibly be Xu Dawei.

Lao Er cracked up. "No wonder it felt so weird. So that’s what a crazy person looks like."

Xu Meng found a stool and sat down to rest.

Just then, Huang Xiaoying came in from the yard, holding something in her arms. She burst in calling, "Auntie!"

Feng Yanwen looked over curiously. "What is it?"

Huang Xiaoying shifted her arm to reveal, "Look."

It was a tiny, tiny puppy—yellow fur, big dark eyes staring at Feng Yanwen, an inky little nose, letting out little whimpers. It looked a sorry little thing.

Feng Yanwen asked, "Where’d you get it?"

Huang Xiaoying jerked her chin toward a direction. "Someone dumped a few of them outside. The others got picked up, but this one’s the smallest, so no one wanted it. Auntie—" she drawled, pleading.

Xu Meng was also drawn to the puppy. "Mom, I want a dog."

Lao Er, who’d been in the middle of a mock performance, spotted it too, tossed his stick aside and bolted over. "Wow, this puppy’s so cute! I wanna keep it too."

Kids are clumsy—he immediately reached out to grab the puppy by the scruff.

The little yellow dog let out a small "yip," as if in pain, and Huang Xiaoying quickly went full mama-bear, turning her body away.

Even the usually reserved Lao Da came closer, extending a finger for the puppy to sniff. The little thing licked his fingertip, then, seeing Lao Er reaching out again, shrank further into Huang Xiaoying’s arms, hunkered down safely.

Lao Er wasn’t offended—he was amused. "Clever pup."

Feng Yanwen wasn’t particularly fond of dogs, but she didn’t dislike them either. She sighed. "Fine, we’ll keep it."

It’d make a good guard dog. People like Xu Dawei might become more common, and having a dog would keep outsiders in check—like Granny Chen filching dirt from the yard, for instance. That probably wouldn’t happen again.

Dogs were better than cats—they’re not picky eaters. Just feed it scraps and it'll grow up.

The middle kid was eager to hold the puppy: "What should we name the dog?"

The dog immediately shrank back at the sight of him, probably spooked from being grabbed by the neck earlier.

Huang Xiaoying sighed: "Be careful, you scared him just now."

This kid used to be timid, but now he’s the boldest one in the family. It’s hard to say how he turned out this way—almost like he went too far the other way.

The middle kid still adored the puppy and insisted on naming it: "What should we call it? How about Goldie?"

Xu Meng rejected the idea: "If you shout 'Big Yellow' outside, a dozen mutts would come bounding. That name won’t do."

Huang Xiaoying teased him: "Just give up if you can’t come up with a good name. I think 'Lucky' is nice. His second aunt is running a business now, so it’s an auspicious name."

The middle kid mercilessly mocked back: "If you shout 'Lucky' outside, you’d summon every mutt in the neighborhood."

Xu Meng glanced at the puppy’s belly: "Let’s call it Wang Zai." (a playful name resembling a popular milk brand)

She wondered if veterinary clinics in this era could neuter dogs. They’d take it in for the procedure when it turned six months old.

The middle kid continued mocking: "What’s the difference between that and 'Lucky'?"

Xu Meng said flatly: "At least we’ll know its gender."

The middle kid looked utterly confused, while the eldest burst into laughter—the knucklehead didn’t get it at all.

Then the kids busied themselves setting up a place for the puppy. The eldest found an old, unwearable cotton cloth and a spare wooden crate, lining it with a quilted coat before placing the makeshift dog bed in their living room. Gently scooping up the puppy, he set it inside and said, "This is your home now. Remember, this is where you live."

The puppy, still chubby with puppy fat, had a short tail that wagged adorably. It quickly grew lively, zipping around and tripping everyone up.

Even Feng Yanwen took a liking to it. She went to the kitchen and fetched the leftover milk from the morning, diluting it with warm water before pouring it into a small bowl. Making kissy noises, she called the puppy over.

The little dog was no dummy—it immediately abandoned the kids and trotted over to Feng Yanwen, its stubby tail wagging.

Feng Yanwen pushed the bowl toward it.

The puppy sniffed, then eagerly gobbled it down.

One sip after another, it drank with relish—clearly still nursing.

Soon, the bowl was licked clean.

The middle kid was eager: "We still have milk at home. I can get more."

Feng Yanwen stopped him: "Easy on the milk. Puppies are like kids—too much isn’t good. Later, we’ll give it some milk-soaked bread. And none of you are allowed to feed it random scraps. If it gets spoiled, it’ll turn up its nose at regular food later."

She’d seen people raise dogs before. Once they got a taste of something rich, they’d demand meat every meal, growing picky until they were skinny as a rail. She could hardly believe such creatures existed—they’ll stubbornly starve themselves.

"Dogs really can starve themselves, so none of you are allowed to feed it meat or anything too flavorful," Feng Yanwen warned. "They can also eat themselves sick."

The kids immediately grew serious.

Soon, it was dinnertime. The leftover lamb spine broth from lunch would suffice for cooking vegetables.

Huang Xiaoying steamed a big pot of rice and washed some greens. Veggies cost a fortune this winter. After wandering around, the kids had bought a pound of oyster mushrooms—they said lotus root was selling for three yuan a pound in the market, and a single section weighed at least two pounds, so they couldn’t stomach the price.

The household still had dried kelp knots and tofu skins, which just needed soaking to be ready. They’d prepared them at noon.

Just a rinse before tossing them in was all that was needed.

Besides, there were some vegetables at home. The napa cabbage was recently dropped off by Feng Yanwu when he came to town and was still fresh. This year, Xu Meng finally warmed up to cabbage. They also simmered some daikon radish and potatoes, all sliced before cooking. The daikon radish, when thoroughly boiled, was tastier than meat, so it was the first to go into the pot.

They always had plenty of food, so whenever they cooked, they always cooked extra. It was best if they could finish it all, but if not, the leftovers could be used to make porridge the next morning, which would pair nicely with steamed buns.

The vegetables cooked in the lamb spine hot pot broth also smelled amazing. Not only did the kids eat until they were stuffed, but even Xu Meng overate a little.

After dinner, they took a short walk in the yard. The children somehow scrounged up some bamboo strips and gathered together to put together paper lanterns.

Huang Xiaoying had the most fun, even using a string to help tie the bamboo strips. Before long, they had made a decent-looking lantern. Then, they took the leftover rice from the afternoon, mixed it with hot water to make paste, and pasted red paper onto the lantern’s surface. Just like that, the lantern was done.

All that was missing was a candle to light it up.

Xu Meng noticed how late it was and urged the kids, "Go wash up and get to bed."

Huang Xiaoying, still smiling, asked, "Have you and Second Aunt already washed up?"

Xu Meng replied, "We finished a long time ago. The extra hot water’s been poured into the thermos. Don’t stay up late—wash up and go to sleep."

Staying up late can stunt a kid’s growth.

As night fell, the alley grew quiet.

Three figures lurking in the dark sneaked near Changchun Street.

The leader, eyeing the low courtyard walls around, asked, "Are you sure this family has money?"

"Yes, absolutely. She runs a training class outside. They must have cash at home."

The area was densely populated, making theft tricky. If they alerted anyone, a single shout would bring a crowd. The leader, a hardened crook, scanned the surroundings and said, "This place is risky."

Compared to this, they preferred residential areas—or even rural villages.

Those places were ideal. Low-level officials always had loot, and in the countryside, every household stocked up for the New Year. If nothing else, they could always snatch a dog for a feast.

Xu Dawei had scouted the area earlier that day. When he mentioned Feng Yanwen, everyone knew her—she was a well-known figure in the area, living comfortably. From what he saw, it was true. Xu Meng’s down jacket, tailor-made from premium fabric and craftsmanship, wasn’t something you could get from just any shop.

The houses here looked similar, but Liu Jin’s courtyard stood out—there was a big tree by the entrance. As soon as Xu Dawei spotted it, he knew they’d found the right place.

"No need to go further. This is it."

"You’re sure there’s no dog, right?"

"No dog. Nobody here keeps dogs. Don’t worry..."

A young man nicknamed "Stinky Egg" circled the outside, then jumped to peek inside. The courtyard walls were surrounded by vegetable patches—stepping in would mean trampling someone’s garden. The only way in was through the front gate. He pushed hard, but the door was firmly barricaded from the inside, likely with heavy objects. Still, that wouldn’t stop him.

"Meningitis, you’re up," Stinky Egg signaled.

Stinky Egg crouched down, and soon a small, nimble young man took a few steps back, sprinted forward, leaped over Stinky Egg’s shoulders, and scaled the wall into the courtyard.

Inside the house, Wang Zai, stuffed from dinner, lay lazily in his dog bed.

Before bedtime, he had stubbornly refused to leave Feng Yanwen’s side, so the kids had no choice but to bring his bed into the room.

The puppy had just reached weaning age when his previous owner abandoned him. Still deeply attached to his mother, the little dog rested his face on the edge of the bed, whimpering occasionally as he missed her.

It was this pitiful sight that had melted Feng Yanwen’s heart and allowed him into the room.

After all, he was still just a pup just weaned.

Maybe he drank too much milk in the afternoon, Wang Zai soon felt the urge to pee.

He was a clever little pup. His three young humans had just taught him to relieve himself in a designated spot. Even though he didn't want to move at all, he struggled out of his dog bed, first climbing onto a stool, then using it as a step to jump onto the desk.

There was a small hole in the window—he could slip in and out through it. He'd tested it that afternoon. Though the hole wasn’t big, Wang Zai had no trouble going through it.

The moment he got outside, he sensed something was wrong. What was that dark shape on the wall?

His watchdog instincts kicked in. Wang Zai sat on the desk, his round little eyes fixed on the wall. Unlike humans, puppies have an incredible ability to detect movement in the dark. He quickly locked onto the target—there really was a thief climbing in from outside.

Frantic, Wang Zai tumbled off the desk and dashed to the door where his sister and mother were sleeping. His chubby little body spun in circles at the doorway, letting out small, urgent barks…

Xu Meng, half-asleep, was roused by the puppy’s yelps. She turned over, trying to sleep, but soon heard the sound of his claws scratching at the door.

The sound was creepy. Xu Meng couldn’t sleep anymore and crawled out of bed.

"Did I give him too much milk today? Does he need to pee?"

The idea snapped her awake—she couldn’t let the dog pee inside.

She knew dogs remember smells. If he peed indoors once, he’d do it again.

She threw on her coat, she got up and opened the door to find the whining puppy doing frantic circles around her feet. Unlike during the day, his stubby little tail wasn’t wagging—it was tucked between his legs. Something felt off, Xu Meng crouched and scooped him into her arms.

Just then, men's voices carried in from outside the wall.

The voices were faint, but in the dark and quiet, they stood out. Xu Meng crept to the desk and bent down to look outside—what she saw shocked her wide awake.

It was the end of the month. Though there was no moon, the snow from recent days lit up the night. She immediately spotted someone climbing over the wall.

Burglars!

These days, burglars were common enough—especially around the New Year.

But few dared to strike in such a densely populated area. Xu Meng hurried back inside, shook Feng Yanwen and Huang Xiaoying awake, then felt around blindly for something to defend themselves with.

She spotted the fire tongs and poker by the heated wall.

Xu Meng dashed over and shoved the tongs and poker into the burning coals.

Feng Yanwen mumbled. "What’s wrong?"

Xu Meng turned. "Wang Zai was barking. I looked outside—someone’s climbing the wall."

Feng Yanwen was instantly alert. Huang Xiaoying, groggy but waking, grabbed the rolling pin beside her.

Xu Meng motioned for them to keep the lights off, worried the dog’s barking might alert the intruders. She stuffed the puppy under the blankets.

Poor Wang Zai found himself smothered in warmth, he thrashed and squirmed but was trapped. His chubby little body finally gave up the fight.

The shadows kept creeping closer, nearly at the door now.

Xu Meng grabbed the red-hot fire tongs, handed Feng Yanwen the poker, and with Huang Xiaoying wielding the rolling pin, they crept toward the door.

They were almost there…