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Su Zhi didn’t expect to see the same big dog she encountered during the Rain worship Festival again. Despite causing trouble that day, Su Zhi didn’t hold any grudge against it. In fact, she found it quite cute. Perhaps it was because the dog embarrassed Zhao Xiaohua that day, or maybe it was because it wagged its tail and snorted at her. Either way, she found it endearing. So, when she saw it again and it came close to her, she even reached out to pat its head.
Shen Zi’an was a bit worried. Even though it was evident the dog liked Su Zhi, he was concerned it might not let her touch it and could possibly bite her. However, his worries turned out to be unfounded.
The big dog, upon seeing Su Zhi touch its head, even leaned its head into Su Zhi’s hand. Its behavior was adorable, especially considering its large size. This action made it even more endearing.
“Mom, Mom, I want to touch too!” Yueyue exclaimed, leaning over the edge of the carriage. She disregarded any fear of the big dog and reached out her little hand to touch it. However, the dog took a few steps aside, avoiding her touch. Disappointed, Yueyue pouted, calling the dog “bad.” Xinger, on the other hand, called out for the dog to come closer.
Approaching Xinger, the big dog allowed him to pat its head. Xinger felt a fondness for the dog; he remembered how it had prevented him from falling off the flower cart once by nudging him with its head. Back then, he had sensed the dog’s intuition. Now, seeing the dog refuse Yueyue’s touch but allowing his own, he felt even happier.
The big dog looked at Xinger, its eyes shining brightly. It even lifted its feet and placed them on the wooden boards of the carriage, as if wanting to lick Xinger.
Xinger reached out to stop the dog’s head, telling it not to lick him. The dog indeed stopped trying to lick him, but it still looked at Xinger with gentle eyes.
“Dad, Mom, can we bring it home?” Xinger asked, patting the big dog’s head. He really liked this dog; he had fallen in love with it at first sight.
Su Zhi turned to Shen Zi’an and said, “Zi’an, look how intelligent this dog is. It’s no worse than our white wolf or Big Black at home. It seems like a dog without an owner. Since it’s so close to us, let’s bring it home.”
Shen Zi’an nodded. He also felt that this dog was very intelligent. Since his wife and the kids liked it, they might as well bring it home.
Xinger happily said to the big dog, “Da Hui, you can come home with us now.”
Yueyue asked, “Big Brother, this big dog is called Da Hui, but its fur isn’t gray; it’s clearly yellow and black. Why not call it Da Hei or Da Huang? Or maybe Da Hua? Why call it Da Hui?”
Xinger patted his head and said, “I just think Da Hui sounds nice. What do you think, Da Hui?”
The dog whimpered twice, as if accepting its new name.
Yueyue pouted and said, “This big dog likes Second Brother more. It doesn’t like me. Xiaori, you see, this big dog likes you but not me. If it likes you, then it won’t like me.”
Xiaori patted her head and said, “It treats me the same as it treats you. Look, it glanced at me once and has been looking at Xinger all the time. It just likes Xinger and, hmm, he also likes Mom.”
Listening to the three kids argue over who the dog liked more, Su Zhi couldn’t help but laugh. She said, “Da Hui likes Xinger, but Little White likes Xiaori the most. Little Black likes Yueyue the most. You’re all so adorable. But most importantly, Mom and Dad love all of you. Yueyue, stop pouting. We’ll get some treats later.”
Upon hearing this, Yueyue laughed and nestled into Su Zhi’s arms, calling her “Mom” repeatedly. Her small, soft body wriggled around, displaying a coquettish manner that refused to be ignored.
Shen Zi’an quickly got up onto the ox cart, and Su Zhi and the three kids started calling the dog to follow. However, as soon as the dog saw the cart start moving again, it seemed to get anxious. It began barking loudly, placing its paws on the rear board of the cart. When it slipped off, it climbed back up. Seeing that the cart didn’t stop, it ran to the front, blocking the path of the oxen, and then dashed to Shen Zi’an’s side, barking at him. After a couple of barks, it ran a few steps to the side before returning. Seeing that Shen Zi’an didn’t scold it, it even tried to bite his trouser legs, as if trying to pull him down.
“Zi’an, look at how it’s behaving. Is it trying to get you to follow it?” Su Zhi said, recalling her experience with the White Wolf family. She knew that dogs couldn’t talk, but when they wanted someone to see something, they behaved like this, calling people over.
Shen Zi’an nodded, “Seems like it. Let’s follow and see what it wants to show us. This dog really seems to be quite intuitive.”
Shen Zi’an was also a dog lover. While the White Wolf at home was indeed a wolf, the black dog was a gentle female. Little Black and Little White were still too young. He preferred this kind of purebred large dog, which he felt was more like a true guard dog. It reminded him of a dog he had in his childhood, which had accompanied him on his first hunting trip and even helped him hunt wild boars. It had eventually passed away of old age.
Su Zhi looked around at the surroundings, all wasteland. There was only one road leading to a village to the north. She urged Shen Zi’an to turn the ox cart around and head towards that path.
Sure enough, as soon as Shen Zi’an took the road, Da Hui immediately led the way ahead.
Shen Zi’an and Su Zhi thought they were heading towards the village, but it turned out they took a turn and entered a dilapidated shrine in a grove. The shrine seemed abandoned for years, with broken windows and doors, and grass growing in front. Even the roof was covered in yellowed dead grass.
The big dog ran into the shrine. Shen Zi’an told Su Zhi to stay in the cart and went in himself. Upon entering, he found an old man and an old woman lying in the corner of the shrine. Both had more white hair than black, and though their faces weren’t heavily lined, signs of aging were evident. They seemed to be around fifty or sixty years old. Both lay motionless. Shen Zi’an furrowed his brow and approached, bending down to check their breath. Relieved, he realized they were still alive.
Da Hui barked twice but didn’t approach the old couple.
Shen Zi’an observed that both of them had red faces and dry lips, indicating they might be ill. Seeing their ragged and dirty appearance, along with two broken bowls and a fire pit nearby with a broken pot on top, it seemed they had been living here for some time, relying on begging to get by. They appeared to be beggars.
The barking of Da Hui woke the old man first. Upon seeing Shen Zi’an, he lacked the strength to speak but looked at him with pleading eyes, then glanced at the old woman beside him. It was evident from his gaze that he hoped Shen Zi’an could help the old woman.
At that moment, Su Zhi peeked inside and frowned upon seeing the two old people on the ground. In all her years in this world, she had only ventured as far as the town and the county. There were no beggars in the town, and the county was always bustling, so she hadn’t seen any beggars there either. Suddenly encountering such individuals made her feel uneasy, and she looked at Shen Zi’an for guidance.
“Zi’an, these two old folks seem to be sick,” she remarked.
Shen Zi’an replied, “Wife, let’s take them to see the doctor. If we can cure their illness, and if they have nowhere to go, we can have them help us in the garden. You’ve been wanting to find someone, haven’t you? I don’t think these two are bad people. Their eyes don’t look like it, and whoever could have sent this dog to help them can’t be bad either.”
Shen Zi’an could tell from Da Hui’s behavior that the old couple weren’t its owners, yet they seemed to have some connection with the dog since it sought help for them. It was remarkable that even in their dire circumstances, they could still extend kindness to a dog. This initial assessment suggested that the old couple weren’t too bad-hearted and could be taken in as helpers around the house.
Su Zhi observed Shen Zi’an and marveled at how quickly his mind worked. She had just been pondering how to handle the situation, considering what to do if they decided to help these two people. It wouldn’t be right to leave them back in the dilapidated temple. Now, with Shen Zi’an’s suggestion, if the old couple had nowhere else to go, why not bring them home to work as servants?
Shen Zi’an admired how Su Zhi’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked at him, her praise making him stand a little taller. He loved it when she looked at him like that. After all, she was so capable and intelligent. He felt he had to be just as competent and clever to deserve her.
Su Zhi instructed Shen Zi’an to carry the two people out. Before doing so, she spoke to the old man, informing him that they were being taken to see the doctor. The old man nodded weakly in agreement. Shen Zi’an effortlessly lifted them, displaying remarkable strength. In no time, he had both of them settled in the cart, and then he urged the oxen to quicken their pace.
The three children watched with curiosity as the two strangers suddenly joined them in the cart. Yueyue, notably, became quieter, and even Xinger and Xiaori didn’t speak much.
Su Zhi, assuming the children were scared, explained the situation to them. She always believed in being honest about such matters, seeing them as teaching opportunities to instill honesty and kindness in her children.
Yueyue spoke up, saying, “Mom, we’ve been through things like this before. I’m scared.”
Su Zhi was momentarily stunned, then she hugged Yueyue tightly. She reached out to touch Xiaori and Xinger’s heads, her eyes welling up with tears. She couldn’t help but wonder how much hardship these three children had endured at such a young age. Despite their intelligence and charm, they must have suffered greatly in the past. They were probably once the cherished sons and daughters of wealthy families, the jewels in their parents’ eyes.
Yueyue said, “We’re not scared anymore, we’re with Dad and Mom. Look, Dad and Mom are taking Grandpa and Grandma to see the doctor, and they’ll be fine.”
Along the way, Su Zhi entertained the three children with stories, focusing on the adventures of Sun Wukong, knowing it would captivate their attention. True to her expectations, the children’s spirits lifted.
Meanwhile, Shen Zi’an urged the oxen forward, gently guiding them with the whip to hasten their pace. He took pride in his well-kept ox, which was not only strong but also swift. Thanks to this, their journey to the town was quicker than most, saving them about fifteen minutes compared to others.
Before long, they arrived in town and sought out the doctor, ensuring the two elderly individuals received medical attention promptly.