Heizi gave birth to her puppies smoothly. She didn’t need anyone’s help, as she instinctively knew what to do.

She even knew how to replenish her strength during labor.

In total, Heizi gave birth to three puppies: one was entirely black, while the other two had mixed fur — a blend of black, white, and yellow patches.

Cen Huai’an squatted nearby, watching the entire process in awe.

He was fascinated to see how puppies were born.

He noticed Heizi’s large, moist eyes lovingly watching over her puppies.

Her rough-looking tongue gently licked away the afterbirth from the last pup.

Cen Huai’an didn’t quite understand what Heizi was doing.

He looked up at Chuxia and asked, “Mom, what’s that stuff Heizi is tearing off the puppies? Why does she lick it off each one?”

Chuxia, who was gathering some old clothes to keep Heizi and the puppies warm, explained, “That’s the afterbirth. If Heizi doesn’t lick it off, the puppies won’t be able to breathe. Tearing it away helps her develop maternal instincts.”

Cen Huai’an continued watching Heizi and the puppies, while Cen Zhengnian patted his head. “An’an, you should come up with names for the puppies.”

Heizi had just finished cleaning up the last puppy.

Their eyes were still closed.

One was crawling on Heizi’s body to nurse, another was asleep, and the third was crawling around as if unsure what to do.

Cen Huai’an kept staring at the puppies, thinking how tiny they were — too small to even touch.

After thinking for a while, he said, “This one’s Little Black, this one’s Little Flower, and that one’s Spotty.”

Cen Huai’an had named them based on their colors, and the names suited them perfectly.

When Chuxia came over with the old clothes, she heard the names and burst out laughing. “Those are great names! You can tell who’s who just by hearing them.”

Cen Huai’an smiled, satisfied that his names were a good fit.

Chuxia then laid the warm clothes around Heizi and the puppies.

She yawned and glanced at the clock in the living room — it was almost two in the morning.

She gently pulled on Cen Huai’an, who was still eager to watch the puppies. “Time for bed, you can see them tomorrow.”

Cen Zhengnian also stood up and said to Cen Huai’an, “I’ll take you to your room.”

Cen Huai’an quickly turned around and headed for his room. “Dad, I can go to bed by myself.”

Cen Zhengnian smiled, took Chuxia’s hand, and they both returned to their room.

The next day, when word got out that Heizi had given birth to puppies, Jiang Zhida brought over Zhang Lu and a few others to visit.

“An’an! Where are the puppies? We came to see the puppies!” Zhang Lu shouted eagerly as she ran into the house.

Hearing the commotion, Cen Huai’an hurried to the door, nearly bumping into Zhang Lu as she dashed in.

“Where are the puppies Heizi had?” Zhang Lu asked, looking around the living room.

She spotted the dog bed near the back door and rushed over.

“Wow!” she exclaimed, squatting in front of the dog bed.

She marveled at how tiny the puppies were, no bigger than the palm of her hand. “They’re so small! Their eyes aren’t even open yet!”

Jiang Weixian and Jiang Weixi had also come in.

Chuxia, who had the day off, was surprised to see Jiang Weixi. “Did your cousin really let you bring her precious daughter over here?”

Jiang Zhida grinned sheepishly. “I told her we were coming to see the puppies, and Xixi insisted on coming.”

Since Jiang Weixi was an only child and had been long-awaited, her mother, Luo Peng, spoiled her a lot.

As long as it wasn’t a major issue, Luo Peng would usually grant her daughter’s wishes, like visiting the puppies.

While Luo Peng had her principles, Jiang Zhishu, who seemed strict, absolutely doted on Jiang Weixi.

Fortunately, Jiang Weixi had her older siblings and grandparents to guide her, so she didn’t turn out spoiled.

Their grandfather, Jiang Waigong, never indulged the younger generation.

No matter who it was, if they made a mistake, they’d be punished, and no one was allowed to plead on their behalf — not even adults!

Luo Peng often brought Jiang Weixi to her grandfather’s house to play with Zhang Lu, Cen Huai’an, and the others.

Meanwhile, she and Chuxia chatted about taking care of their health.

Dressed in a thick red jacket, Jiang Weixi, with her short legs, hurried forward to see the puppies, but she wasn’t very fast.

Her little face was full of urgency as she cried out, “Puppies! Puppies!”

Seeing Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian already ahead, she grew even more anxious. “Sister! Brother! Puppies!”

Jiang Weixi looked to Cen Huai’an for help, pointing at the puppies.

She wanted him to help her get closer.

Jiang Zhida, standing nearby with his arms crossed, watched the two children with amusement.

He had no intention of helping, curious to see how they would handle things.

Chuxia didn’t intervene either, knowing that children should resolve their own issues.

Cen Huai’an walked over, picked Jiang Weixi up like pulling a radish from the ground, and carried her to the dog bed.

Jiang Weixi’s red jacket puffed up comically, but she didn’t mind.

She mimicked Zhang Lu, squatting down to observe the puppies.

Jiang Zhida came over just in time to hear Cen Huai’an telling the other children, “This is Little Black, this is Little Flower, and this is Spotty.”

Jiang Weixi pointed at Spotty and asked, “Why isn’t this one called Little Flower? It’s spotty too.”

Cen Huai’an pointed to Little Flower and explained, “Because that one is already called Little Flower. It was born first.”

Jiang Weixi nodded solemnly. “I get it now. Spotty can’t have the same name as its big brother or sister!”

Zhang Lu burst out laughing. “Exactly! That’s right!”

Jiang Zhida had been eyeing Heizi’s puppies for a long time, wanting one for himself.

Now that Heizi had finally given birth, he eagerly examined each puppy, contemplating which one to take.

After much deliberation, he stroked his chin and asked Cen Huai’an, “An’an, how about giving me Little Black?”

Cen Huai’an hesitated, feeling a bit reluctant.

He liked all the puppies, but he knew they couldn’t keep so many dogs.

Standing up, he gestured toward Heizi and said, “Uncle, you should ask Heizi.”

Jiang Zhida crouched down and stared at Heizi.

Producing a meat bone from who knows where, he earnestly asked her, “Heizi, would you be willing to let me raise Little Black? I promise I’ll take great care of him. Whatever I eat, he’ll eat too, and I’ll make sure he grows up big and strong. I won’t let him suffer…”

Heizi kept her eyes drooped, focused on her puppies.

She didn’t respond, merely licking their heads as she listened to Jiang Zhida’s plea.

By the time Jiang Zhida was about to lose his voice and the meat bone had been shared between Heizi and Huangzi, he still hadn’t gotten her approval.

Jiang Zhida wasn’t gonna let go and looked at Cen Huai’an, saying, “An An, maybe Hei Zi doesn’t understand what I’m saying. Could you relay my words to him? Be sure to convey how good I am to the puppy and see if Hei Zi would be willing?”

Chu Xia, standing nearby, saw how anxious he was and said, “The puppy is less than a month old, and you can’t take it away now. There’s no need to rush for Hei Zi’s approval.”

Jiang Zhida had his own viewpoint: “If I don’t act quickly, what if someone else takes the puppy? I’m leaving for another city soon.”

Cen Huai’an responded, “Uncle, if you leave, what will happen to the puppy?”

Jiang Zhida patted his chest and reassured Chu Xia and Cen Huai’an, “I’ll hire a nanny specifically to take care of it.”

Since Jiang Zhida had made it clear, Cen Huai’an felt reassured and agreed to let him have the puppy.

He squatted by the doghouse and repeated what Jiang Zhida had said to Hei Zi.

“Woof, woof~” Hei Zi rubbed against Cen Huai’an’s outstretched hand and nudged Little Hei(Flower) towards him.

Little Hei(Flower), who was nursing, was suddenly nudged by his mother, rolling over several times.

The little puppy was confused and didn’t understand what had happened; all it knew was that its milk was gone.

Little Hei whimpered and crawled around on the ground, nudging Hei Zi’s fur with its face and nose, trying to find milk.

Hei Zi wanted to nudge it again, but Cen Huai’an gently held its head down. “Hei Zi, let’s not take the puppy away for now.”

To ensure the puppy’s survival, it should at least stay with its mother for a month.

Otherwise, the puppy, not even having opened its eyes yet, would be too fragile and could easily die if not cared for properly.

It seemed Hei Zi understood An An’s words.

The dog’s head lowered again, and it lay on the ground with its belly exposed, allowing the puppy to crawl over it, searching for milk.

Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixi watched in amazement as if they had discovered a new world.

Every little movement of the puppy sparked their excitement.

Hei Zi had matured a lot.

The dog lay on its side, ignoring the puppy’s crawling and the people talking around it. It didn’t even lift an eyelid unless its little owner called.

“Brother, I want to pet the puppy,” Jiang Weixi said, her big eyes filled with hope that made it hard to refuse.

Cen Huai’an looked at Chu Xia.

Chu Xia said, “You can pet it after washing your hands, but not too much, as it’s not good for the puppy. Also, you need Hei Zi’s permission, or she might get upset.”

However, there was nothing to worry about since Hei Zi was gentler than Huang Zi and listened well to Cen Huai’an.

Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixi also wanted to pet the puppy.

The kids ran to the bathroom, washed their hands thoroughly with soap twice, and each carefully petted a puppy.

Even with just a gentle touch, they were extremely satisfied.

The puppy was so soft and even moved; their faces lit up with excitement.

When Jiang Zhida took the kids away, they looked back at the doghouse, reluctant to leave.

In the car, Zhang Lu sighed loudly, “Uncle, I want to have a dog too.”

Jiang Weixi chimed in, “Yes, let’s have one! I want a dog too!”

Jiang Zhida laughed heartily and started the car, saying, “You can have one, but you’ll need to ask your parents for permission first.”

---

A few days had passed since the Chinese New Year.

Jiang Shengnan and Cen’s father had taken a long leave and would stay in the capital until the Lantern Festival.

However, Cen Zhengshi’s family didn’t have as much time off and had to return to the army.

Chu Xia and An An didn’t want to see them off, but Jiang Shengnan had called Cen Zhengnian.

The two brothers had always been close, and although there had never been a big fallout, not seeing them off would seem impolite.

Cen Zhengnian couldn’t ask for more leave.

His New Year break had already been long, and he had taken additional days off, with work now busier than ever.

Chu Xia also didn’t want to take leave and told Jiang Shengnan, “Mom, the hospital is busy, and I’ve just taken time off. It’s not appropriate to take more. Zhengnian also can’t take leave.”

Jiang Shengnan understood; young people naturally prioritized their work.

However, since An An’s school hadn’t started, Xiao Zhu drove him to represent the family.

Cen Zhengshi understood his brother Cen Zhengnian and Chu Xia’s circumstances—one worked at a special unit, and the other was busy at the hospital.

But seeing that only Cen Huai’an came to represent them, Xi Wang’s smile started to fade.

She frowned and whispered to Cen Zhengshi, “Are your brother and Chu Xia really that busy?”