Chapter 57

Shi Tingyu’s lunch break wasn’t very long, and as soon as the school bell rang, she hurriedly made her way to the camp.

Because of the interviews these past few days, she had been coming to the camp quite frequently, and even the young soldiers on duty recognized her now.

When she arrived, Lu Weiguo was already waiting at the gate.

They went to the cafeteria first for lunch before heading to the military dog base.

The base was located behind the camp, spacious and quiet.

They were greeted by Captain Li, in charge of the military dog base.

He was tall, robust-looking, and exuded strength.

Shi Tingyu felt that only someone like him could handle military dogs.

Captain Li welcomed Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo warmly. They discussed how the base also faced pressure in caring for the disqualified military dogs. The food allocated was strictly for the active military dogs, not the disqualified ones.

Some dogs couldn’t complete training or meet the standards to become military dogs. They might stay on as training companions, be used for practice by new soldiers, or be sold to civilians. However, those with significant defects, like disabilities, had to be euthanized.

Captain Li was pleased when people came to adopt these dogs.

The dog kennels were kept very clean by the soldiers, and even in summer, Shi Tingyu didn’t detect any strong odors.

Seeing the majestic military dogs, Shi Tingyu’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

Currently, most of the military dogs were wolfhounds, with the Laizhou Hong being the most prevalent.

She also spotted a few Kunming dogs with their wolf-gray coats.

At this stage, Kunming dogs were still in the developmental phase and not widely used. They hadn’t even been officially named yet.

Looking at the Kunming dogs, Shi Tingyu commented, “These dogs look quite intelligent.”

Captain Li, delighted, explained, “These were brought up from the south. Although they’ve been bred for several years, they haven’t been widely deployed yet. If they are promoted, they’ll definitely be a major asset among military dogs.”

He personally led the small number of these dogs at the base. They were obedient, brave, intelligent, had strong jaws, keen senses, and were easy to care for.

Captain Li enthusiastically recommended them.

Lu Weiguo glanced at him, guessing that this breed might be suitable for them to adopt.

Sure enough, after the tour, Captain Li brought them to the puppy area.

Five or six young Kunming dogs were happily eating inside the kennel. When they saw people, they wagged their tails and approached.

Seeing this, Shi Tingyu felt her heart melt.

It was then that she noticed one puppy being jostled around in the group. It was walking unsteadily, its movements awkward.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that the puppy’s right front leg seemed to be disabled.

“What’s wrong with this one? Is its leg broken?” Lu Weiguo also noticed and asked Captain Li.

Captain Li looked at the dog and sighed, “This one has a congenital disability. The bone in its right front leg didn’t develop properly, so it lacks strength.”

Such dogs obviously couldn’t become military dogs, unlike those that failed training for other reasons. Those could still serve as training companions or be adopted by civilians who liked them. But a disabled dog was different; they had no value, and few people wanted to adopt them.

Seeing that Lu Weiguo seemed hesitant, Captain Li quickly added, “Captain, although this little guy has a disability, it’s very clever and intelligent.”

Lu Weiguo hesitated. If he were adopting for himself, he wouldn’t have any objections. But for his wife, he wanted a dog that could protect her well when he was away on missions.

But with this disability, its effectiveness would be greatly reduced.

Shi Tingyu immediately sensed Lu Weiguo’s concern. She smiled and reached out to the puppy with the disabled leg. “It’s okay. I think this one is good. Let’s take this one.”

Lu Weiguo looked at his wife, who was already interacting frequently with the puppy, and a warm color flashed in his eyes. His wife had a soft heart and a good eye.

He also knew that if no one adopted this congenitally disabled dog, its future would be bleak. So he decided to go along with her decision.

“Alright, let’s go with this one then. If we find it good later on, we can also adopt another healthy one,” said Lu Weiguo.

He didn’t mind spending extra on food, as long as his wife was happy.

Seeing the couple’s decision to adopt the dog, Captain Li was visibly excited. “Great! I’ll release it now. Captain, Sister-in-law, I guarantee you’ll love this dog you’re taking home. It’s really obedient and smart.”

To Captain Li, these military dogs were like his own children, and he was genuinely happy for them.

He added, “Sister-in-law, you can bring it over for training sometimes. When it grows a bit more, its leg will gain more strength. This level of disability won’t affect its long-term health.”

Watching the puppy being released, Shi Tingyu reached out to pat its head, then turned to Captain Li and assured him solemnly, “Captain Li, rest assured, I’ll take good care of it.”

With Shi Tingyu’s assurance, Captain Li felt reassured and warmly saw them off. In his heart, he silently prayed that more people like Sister-in-law would come forward to adopt these disabled puppies.

Lu Weiguo carried the puppy all the way, helping Shi Tingyu back to their family quarters.

Next door, Mrs. Zhang, who was doing laundry, came over curiously. “Xiao Lu, little sister, did you get a dog?”

Shi Tingyu gently touched the struggling puppy in Lu Weiguo’s arms and explained, “We adopted it from the military dog team.”

Mrs. Zhang was surprised. “Oh, this little guy will grow up to be quite strong.”

Now back at their doorstep, Lu Weiguo saw the puppy struggling and gently put it down.

Once released, the puppy ran towards Shi Tingyu but stumbled due to its weak right front leg.

Shi Tingyu hurried forward to check, relieved when the puppy got up on its own and wagged its tail at her.

Mrs. Zhang pulled Shi Tingyu aside. “Sister, why did you adopt one with a disability? Will it be able to guard the house in the future? The military dog team also has some that didn’t pass training, and they can be adopted too.”

Mrs. Zhang was worried that Shi Tingyu had been swayed by the military dog team’s pitch.

Nowadays, people didn’t raise dogs like they were sons anymore. Keeping dogs was primarily for guarding and protecting the home, and no one wanted a disabled dog, at least not Mrs. Zhang.

Understanding Mrs. Zhang’s concern was well-intentioned, Shi Tingyu didn’t correct her misconceptions. Each generation had its own beliefs, shaped by national conditions and personal circumstances.

After Lu Weiguo and Shi Tingyu returned home, they set up a temporary bed for the puppy under the corridor and didn’t tie it up for the time being.

The puppy wasn’t a threat to anyone at the moment, so Shi Tingyu planned to train it before it grew strong enough to bite anyone. Then they could start using a leash.

With this plan in mind, Shi Tingyu suddenly felt motivated.

That night, as Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo lay in bed, they discussed what to name the puppy.

Considering its excellent military dog lineage, they settled on a name that reflected its heritage.

Shi Tingyu initially wanted to name it “General.”

However, Lu Weiguo stopped her. “In the camp, we can’t casually name a dog ‘General,’ especially since it’s also a rank.”

This name wasn’t suitable for a dog.