The scene fell into an eerie silence. Everyone looked at Tie Dan, waiting for his response.

However, Tie Dan was not of the same breed as them.

Though Yang Baozhu found Tie Dan cute, she was still afraid and didn’t dare to reach out directly to touch him.

Just then, they heard voices from behind them.

“Wang Wei, what are you guys doing there in a huddle?”

“Zhang Jinghong, have you finished your homework?”

“Yi Bao, Er Bao, San Bao…”

It turned out it was Lin Guodong and others returning from the camp.

Da Mao and Tie Dan also heard Lin Guodong’s voice.

They barked happily, and Tie Dan even ran joyfully to Lin Guodong, wagging his tail vigorously.

Although Da Mao was also happy, he stayed by San Bao’s side without moving.

“Dad, we’re playing with Da Mao and Tie Dan. San Bao said sit down, and Da Mao and Tie Dan will sit down obediently. They’re so clever,” Er Bao said proudly. “But when this big brother tells Da Mao and Tie Dan to sit down, they won’t.”

Zhang Jinghong: “…” Are you being polite?

Lin Guodong said, “Because Da Mao and Tie Dan belong to our family, they will listen to you guys.”

After hearing this, Zhang Jinghong looked at his father, Zhang, the deputy camp leader, and said, “Dad, I also want to adopt a military dog. Can I?”

Zhang Jinghong is 13 years old this year, in his first year of junior high school, and he is the first child in the Zhang family.

However, Zhang’s wife, Hong Meijuan, is prolific.

Over the years, she has given birth to five children—three sons and two daughters. So, the Zhang family’s life is not easy.

Usually, the deputy camp leader would agree, as he is also willing to adopt military dogs, as they are their companions.

But now, the family is not well off, and his wife is the one in charge at home, so he dared not agree. “This matter has to be discussed with your mom. Your mom is in charge at home.”

Some men feel that it would be embarrassing to admit that their wives are in charge at home, but the deputy camp leader doesn’t think so.

In his family, it’s his wife who’s in charge, and she manages the household very well.

They grew up together from childhood and decided to get married when they were young.

They’ve been together for over thirty years now, and their relationship is very good.

“Then I’ll go talk to my mom.” Zhang Jinghong felt that his mom loved him so much that she would definitely agree.

Seeing this, Wang Wei couldn’t help but say, “Dad, I also want to raise a military dog.”

Wang Daqiang said, “Go ask your mom.”

With these two examples, the other children also planned to go home and ask their parents.

As Lin Guodong and the others finished work, the children who had been gathered around also went home one by one.

San Bao and the others, with Da Mao and Tie Dan, followed their father into the yard.

Next door, Zhang Qian had been watching at the yard gate and heard their conversation.

She also felt the impulse to adopt a dog, so she excitedly ran into the house and said, “Mom…”

Ning Qin was lying on the bed, waiting for Zhang Xian to come back and go to the canteen for dinner when she heard Zhang Qian’s voice. “Back already?”

Zhang Qian ran into her parents’ room and saw Ning Qin lying there awake. She said in a coquettish tone, “Mom, I want to adopt a dog. Can I?”

Ning Qin’s smile, which she had put on as a mask, stiffened for a moment when she heard this.

She had a momentary conspiracy theory in her mind—did this girl want to adopt a dog just to intentionally harm the child in her belly?

Although she thought this way, Ning Qin didn’t show it.

She said, “Not now, dear. I’m not feeling well because of the pregnancy. Your dad said we should go back to our hometown for a while until I feel better, and then we’ll come back.”

“Ah??” When she heard this, Zhang Qian felt a bit disappointed.

She thought the dogs of the three kids nearby were so cute.

But she cared more about her mom’s health. “Then let’s wait until Mom feels better before we adopt one,” she said, not giving up.

Ning Qin thought, if Zhang Qian really insisted on having a dog, Zhang Xian would still agree to it.

She would talk to Zhang Xian about it later.

As Ning Qin was lost in thought, Zhang Xian came back. “Wife, Xiao Qian, I’m back,” he said.

Zhang Xian’s parents were both workers, and he himself was from a big city.

He wasn’t a reserved or taciturn person by nature.

That’s why Ning Qin liked him.

Moreover, as the father of the female lead, Zhang Xian was outstanding in terms of family background and his own abilities.

“Dad, you’re back,” Zhang Qian ran out of the house. “Dad, can I adopt a dog after Mom gets better?”

Zhang Xian was a bit surprised. “Adopt a dog? What’s going on?”

So Zhang Qian recounted what happened after school: “Dad, many people want to adopt dogs. Mom said she’s not feeling well because she’s pregnant, so can I adopt one after she’s better?”

“Of course you can.” As a soldier, Zhang Xian naturally trusted military dogs, and with his good income and family conditions, adding another military dog wouldn’t burden their lives.

Zhang Qian’s eyes lit up when she heard this. “Wow, Dad, you’re so nice. I really like you.”

Zhang Xian was pleased with his daughter’s affection and smiled as he patted her head.

“Let’s go eat.”

Ning Qin had followed Zhang Qian outside and naturally heard their conversation.

Her expression darkened.

When Zhang Xian mentioned dinner, she hesitated before speaking up, feeling embarrassed. “Xian Ge, I didn’t buy dinner. I… I’ve always been afraid of dogs. When I saw the three kids next door playing with two dogs outside, I didn’t dare to go over. And I’m pregnant, so I’m worried that conflicts with the dogs might affect the baby.”

Zhang Xian didn’t know about Ning Qin’s fear of dogs, but not buying dinner wasn’t a big deal.

He said, “It’s okay, I’ll go buy now. Also, about going back to our hometown to take care of your pregnancy, my leave has been approved. We can pack up and leave in the next couple of days.”

Ning Qin felt relieved. “Xian Ge, please handle the arrangements.”

“Sure, I’ll buy dinner first and then we can talk more,” Zhang Xian said.

Carrying a food container from home, Zhang Xian passed by the neighboring house and caught a whiff of a tantalizing aroma.

He glanced over and saw Lin Guodong carrying a bowl of food from the kitchen to the dining room, with three children and two military dogs following behind.

“Lin, it’s quite lively here now,” Zhang Xian called out.

Lin Guodong replied, “Indeed. Have you had dinner?”

“Not yet, I’m going to get it now. Let’s talk later,” Zhang Xian said hurriedly.

His stomach was already growling, and the smell of food from Lin’s house made him even hungrier.

Ning Shu didn’t cook many dishes for dinner.

Besides the pork trotter and vegetable soup, there was only a simple stir-fried radish and braised eggplant.

She didn’t like cooking too many dishes; it was too tiring. So, she preferred fewer dishes but larger portions.

“Da Mao, Tie Dan, it’s dinner time!” Ning Shu shouted loudly from the kitchen door. “Bring your enamel bowls.”

Da Mao and Tie Dan, who had just followed Lin Guodong into the dining room, heard her call and instinctively went to fetch their enamel bowls.

They knew it was dinner time when they smelled the aroma of food or when someone called them to eat.

This was something they had experienced since they were young, so they naturally understood.

Although they didn’t know why they could eat again after having meat and broth earlier, they were in the camp, where they had to wait until the next mealtime after eating.

Da Mao and Tie Dan brought their bowls to the kitchen door and obediently lined up, with the three kids following them like shadow.

“Mom, are you still giving Da Mao and Tie Dan meat?” Er Bao asked curiously.

“No, I’m giving them regular food,” Ning Shu replied.

She knew that a bowl of pork trotter soup with two pieces of pork trotters wasn’t enough even to fill their teeth, so she had prepared regular food for them as well.

Ning Shu had never raised dogs and didn’t know what dogs ate.

But in her past life in the countryside, she had seen local dogs eating leftovers, which meant that what humans could eat, dogs could eat too.

However, she knew that pet food shouldn’t contain things like salt.

So, she prepared rice mixed with scrambled eggs for Da Mao and Tie Dan, mixing the egg custard with white rice and then couldn’t resist adding two more pieces of pork trotters for each of them.

Ning Shu mixed the food in a clay pot, then she carried it to the kitchen door and used a large spoon to divide the mixed rice between Da Mao and Tie Dan.

While Ning Shu was crouching to distribute the food to them, Da Mao even rubbed his head against Ning Shu’s shoulder.

Ning Shu smiled and asked, “What’s wrong, Da Mao?”

Da Mao: “Woof…”

This bark sounded different from usual, almost sounding like a whimper.

Er Bao guessed, “Is Da Mao saying that it doesn’t want to eat?”

Ning Shu said, “No, they’re eating. But let’s leave it at this for today. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the camp and ask that soldier about whether there’s a vet here. Then we can go and ask the vet about Da Mao and Tie Dan’s diet and see if there’s anything we need to pay attention to.”

Lin Guodong had already brought out the dishes and heard her words.

He said, “There is a vet, but not a military one. Now that the training of military dogs has been discontinued, there’s no vet assigned here. So, we’ll have to find the commune vet.”

“The commune vet?” Ning Shu asked curiously. “Do communes also have vets?”

“In general, communes do have vets. Now each brigade has a quota for pig farming, and the commune assigns vets to prevent any problems with those pigs,” Lin Guodong explained.

Ah, that’s how it is.

Since Ning Shu went to the countryside, she hadn’t raised pigs or paid attention to these matters.

She had always thought she would die when the two kids were five years old, so she didn’t care about anything and just hoped the three kids wouldn’t die young and that the two wouldn’t seek revenge for her.

To this end, even if she couldn’t spend 30 yuan a month, she would spend it all, fearing that if she left money behind, the two kids would think she loved them very much and seek revenge for her through certain means.

Thinking back to those cautious days, she sighed.