Chapter 10

Chapter 10

At noon on the third day of the gosling’s stay, Hunter Chen arrived, carrying a puppy.

None of the nearby villages had any newborn puppies. The one he brought had been found by a friend of his from town.

Hunter Chen had taken Yun Zhangxie’s money, so he naturally went the extra mile.

The puppy was a sighthound—a hunting dog.

In myths, Erlang Shen’s divine hound, Howling Celestial, was also a sighthound.

Yun Zhangxie took an immediate liking to the puppy and even asked Hunter Chen how to raise and train such a dog.

Hunter Chen spent considerable time teaching him and, before leaving, told Yun Zhangxie to come to him with any questions in the future—he’d be happy to teach him anything he knew.

This was exactly what Yun Zhangxie had been waiting for. His conversation with Hunter Chen set the stage for training a highly intelligent dog later on.

With Aunt Liang, Tian Sang, and Su Qingruo as witnesses, everyone would know he loved dogs and had learned from a skilled hunter.

Even if their dog turned out remarkably intelligent and well-trained, no one would find it strange.

After seeing Hunter Chen off, Yun Zhangxie seized the moment while others were gone and fed the puppy his last Wisdom Pill.

The gosling was still too young—he could wait a few more days before giving it the pill.

Dogs were already quite intelligent, and after consuming the Wisdom Pill, it could comprehend human words, making training much easier.

In just one afternoon, Yun Zhangxie taught the little pup to sit, shake, and turn circles.

Unfortunately, the pup was still very young.

Like a human infant, it learned quickly but forgot just as fast.

He held back on further training, afraid it would forget everything right after learning.

At bedtime, Su Qingruo carried the puppy into their room. Seemingly worried Yun Zhangxie might be upset, he held the dog and explained at length.

Yun Zhangxie watched his gestures and deciphered his meaning through context.

Su Qingruo’s reasoning was simple: their village was close to the mountains.

The mountains were home to many predators—wolves, tigers, leopards—and the village itself had no shortage of weasels.

The puppy was too small. Leaving it alone in the yard would make it an easy target for predators.

It was the same logic as Tian Sang bringing the gosling inside at night.

Su Qingruo assumed Yun Zhangxie, being a refined gentleman, wouldn’t tolerate sharing a room with a dog. That’s why he had carried the puppy over to make his appeal at bedtime.

Fortunately, ever since the two had reconciled, Yun Zhangxie’s attitude toward him had softened. He didn’t put up a fight over such a small matter.

And so, the puppy was allowed to stay in their room.

The restless little thing, still adjusting to its new surroundings, would scratch at the door and whimper the moment it was alone.

Su Qingruo got up several times but failed to settle it. Yun Zhangxie had no choice but to take over and scold the pup himself.

"From now on, this is your home. I’m your master, and so is he. If you behave and listen to us, you’ll always be fed."

Su Qingruo couldn’t help but chuckle quietly as he watched Yun Zhangxie seriously lecturing the tiny, milk-breathed pup.

Ignoring his suppressed laughter, Yun Zhangxie remained stern.

"Understand? No more barking at night, no more scratching the door, or it’s the stick for you. Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll take you outside."

Whether it was the Wisdom Pill or his silently channeled Beast Mastery, the puppy actually settled down, waddling over to a corner before curling up.

Only when it finally quieted did Yun Zhangxie turn to Su Qingruo and say, "Alright, time to turn in."

Su Qingruo nodded. Once Yun Zhangxie lay down on the inner side of the bed, he slid in beside him.

To care for the newcomer, he slept on the outer side tonight.

Yun Zhangxie’s frail constitution meant that once he fell asleep, he rarely woke.

Compared to him, Su Qingruo was more restless at night and more prone to moving around.

Sleeping on the outer side now made nighttime needs easier for him.

At daybreak’s first glow, the puppy began yapping.

Small and with a small stomach, it couldn’t hold out any longer.

It had been quiet all night, but had reached its limit.

Seeing its masters still asleep, it ran to the bedside and whined insistently.

Had Yun Zhangxie’s command of Beast Mastery been stronger, he might have understood what it was saying:

"Master, wake up! I’m hungry, I’m hungry!"

Unfortunately, his skills were still lacking, and he couldn’t interpret its cries.

The noise pierced his skull. Just as he struggled to open his eyes, he heard someone beside him get up.

The moment that person moved, the puppy fell silent.

Exhausted, Yun Zhangxie was asleep again in moments.

Su Qingruo picked up the puppy and tiptoed out of the room.

Once they were well out of earshot, he tapped the pup’s little head.

No barking, no barking—you little rascal.

Yun Zhangxie needed his sleep more than most.

It was still early—no call to rouse him yet. Better to let him sleep a little longer.

Su Qingruo thus thought, remembering Yun Zhangxie’s promise to take the puppy out today.

So he grabbed two multigrain rolls and a sugar-stuffed mantou from the kitchen before setting out with the little one.

The multigrain rolls and sugar-stuffed mantou had been fresh from last night’s baking.

The weather was temperate, so even at room temperature, they wouldn’t be too cold to eat.

Su Qingruo didn't think there was anything wrong with eating just one steamed bun in the morning.

He never ate breakfast before marrying Yun Zhangxie.

White-flour buns were a rare treat in his family, reserved only for festivals and special occasions.

Now, even though it wasn’t a holiday, he was eating a white-flour bun with a sweet filling—the best thing he’d ever tasted.

Su Qingruo finished the white-flour bun and a coarse cornbread, then crumbled the remaining cornbread for the little dog at his feet.

The puppy was still young, and the coarse bread was a bit hard to swallow. Seeing this, Su Qingruo took it to the river for a drink.

To his surprise, someone was already at the river this early, washing clothes.

The person doing the laundry was none other than the man who had recently gossiped about Su Qingruo with the village wives.

The man was older, with a pinched, spiteful face. He bullied younger wives and husbands, hiding behind his age.

The younger folks were too shy to fight back, which only emboldened him to spread rumors freely in the village.

Su Qingruo couldn’t speak, so he could only nod from a distance in greeting.

When the man recognized him, his dull eyes lit up. He dropped the laundry and strolled over toward Su Qingruo with a smirk.

“Oh, isn’t this the Third Young Master’s husband? I heard you two have made up, and he’s finally willing to share a bed with you?”

The comment was vulgar, and even though Su Qingruo was a country boy, he didn’t know how to answer.

Fortunately, he was mute, so he could play dumb and brush it off.

But the man wasn’t letting up.

Seeing Su Qingruo stay silent, he continued with a grin, “So? The Third Young Master isn’t in good health—must be rough in the bedroom, eh?”

Su Qingruo frowned. It was an insult to both him and the Third Young Master.

This man probably thought that since Su Qingruo couldn’t speak or write, he couldn’t report the nasty remarks—hence the boldness.

Su Qingruo had dealt with situations like this many times growing up.

Though he knew it wasn’t worth getting angry over, it still pissed him off.

He shot the man a glare, then called the dog and prepared to leave.

He wasn’t stupid—why stick around to be humiliated?

But just as he turned to go, the man seized his arm, even going for the chastity mark on his wrist.

At this point, even Su Qingruo had his limits.

He jerked his arm free, his expression clearly ready for a fight.

The man flinched and grumbled,

“What’s the matter? We’re all neighbors—are you really going to hit me?”

Su Qingruo glared and made a gesture for him to shut up. When the man still looked defiant, he pretended to swing at him.

He only meant to scare him, but the moment he raised his hand, the old man shrieked theatrically.

The man bolted toward the riverbank, and it was then that Su Qingruo noticed Yun Zhangxie had followed him out.

He had thought Yun Zhangxie was still resting when he left with the dog.

The spiteful old man was named Yin Qiuhua. His family had moved to Yunxiang Village, where he later married a local.

Yin Qiuhua had spotted Yun Zhangxie before Su Qingruo did, so when Su Qingruo pretended to threaten him, he milked the moment, pretending he’d been hit.

Yin Qiuhua knew the Third Young Master was a scholar—and scholars prized their reputations.

If he thought his husband was acting aggressively in public, he’d surely think Su Qingruo was crude.

As for why he targeted Su Qingruo?

First, he envied him. They were both country boys, yet Su Qingruo—a mute—had married a city gentleman while he was stuck with a poor man.

Second, Su Qingruo was beautiful, and his own husband had once peeked at him. He decided Su Qingruo was shameless—a seductive little tramp trying to steal his man.

Never mind Su Qingruo had never even spoken to the man. In his mind, the fault lay entirely with Su Qingruo.

Back then, men like him were a dime a dozen—their own useless husbands were never at fault, but always the pretty boys and women.

As he ran, Yin Qiuhua cried out to Yun Zhangxie,

“Oh, Third Young Master! Your man’s got no manners! I was just chatting with him, and he took a swing at me!”

Su Qingruo, hearing the lie, hurried over to explain.

But he couldn’t speak, and before he could reach them, Yin Qiuhua dished out more lies.

“You don’t know—he’s a brute behind closed doors! He beats up anyone he dislikes. He puts on an act for the crowd, but when no one’s looking, he turns into a completely different person!”

Seething and frantic, Su Qingruo pulled at Yun Zhangxie’s sleeve, bracing for the usual blame.

But Yun Zhangxie shot him a reassuring smile before fixing Yin Qiuhua with an icy stare.

“If he hit you, where’s the bruise? Or are you trying to extort money now that he’s married to me?”

“No, no! I wouldn’t dare extort money from the Third Young Master!”

Most of the village relied on the Yun family for livelihood. Even if the Third Young Master wasn’t the favorite, he was still a Yun—no way Yin Qiuhua would risk it.