“This is what we used to keep in the military family quarters. The big one is called Da Mao, and the small one is called Tie Dan. Da Mao is Tie Dan’s wife,” introduced Yi Bao.

“Wow… Da Mao is bigger than Tie Dan, and she’s actually the wife,” Yu Chengci was extremely surprised.

In many people’s minds, they believe that the larger one is the male and the smaller one is the female.

When Ning Shu first saw Da Mao and Tie Dan, she also thought both were male, or even if one was male and one female, she assumed Da Mao was the male.

This is a basic human notion: the smaller female, so the larger male can protect her.

However, Da Mao and Tie Dan are both quite capable and don’t need each other’s protection.

But if they do encounter danger, they will protect each other.

Dogs are not only the most loyal friends to humans, but they are also the most loyal companions to each other.

“Da Mao and Tie Dan are heroes. They are retired military dogs. They were injured in combat, and although they were later healed, they were no longer suitable for duty, so we adopted them. They are very smart. When we were kids, they would take us to school and come to pick us up when we finished school.

At mealtime, they would carry their bowls and line up at the kitchen door. They never bite people and can understand what we say.” Yi Bao was essentially a quiet person, speaking more in the presence of family than with strangers, but today he spoke a lot.

Mainly because Da Mao and Tie Dan were back, he was very happy.

In Yi Bao’s heart, Da Mao and Tie Dan are family.

“Wow, that’s amazing. Can they sit, stand up? Can they fetch things?” Yu Chengci asked curiously.

“Yes…” Yi Bao said, stroking Da Mao and Tie Dan, who were busy eating.

Da Mao and Tie Dan were very hungry.

They hadn’t eaten for a few days.

Although they had eaten a little on the way with the troops, it was not enough to fill their stomachs.

When Yu Chengci arrived, they barked because they smelled Yi Bao and Er Bao on him.

Though the scent was faint, Yu Chengci came to play every day, so the scent never completely dissipated.

Also, they wouldn’t bark unless their owners were not around.

They would only bark to alert their owners or to guard against intruders.

“Can you make them do these actions for me?” Yu Chengci was looking forward to it.

Yi Bao said, “Not right now. They are eating. After they finish, we’ll take them for a walk and they’ll do it for you.”

Yu Chengci said, “Sure… Can I pet them?”

“Sure, you can.” Yi Bao said, then to Da Mao and Tie Dan, “Da Mao, Tie Dan, this is our friend. He wants to pet you, like this.” Yi Bao demonstrated on Da Mao’s head.

Since Da Mao was tall, it was easy to demonstrate.

For Tie Dan, Yi Bao had to squat down to demonstrate.

Hearing Yi Bao’s words, Da Mao and Tie Dan looked up at Yu Chengci and then lowered their heads in front of him.

“Wow…” Yu Chengci exclaimed, “Are they letting me pet them? Really? Is it okay if I pet them?”

“It’s okay,” Yi Bao assured.

Yu Chengci slowly reached out his hand, nervous and worried that the dogs might suddenly bite him.

But the desire to pet them overcame his fear, and with Yi Bao and San Bao present, he felt more at ease.

Finally, Yu Chengci’s hand rested on Da Mao’s head.

He gently petted Da Mao, then moved his hand to Tie Dan’s head, also petting softly, afraid that he might hurt them if he petted too hard.

After being petted, Da Mao and Tie Dan turned around and continued eating.

Yu Chengci smiled so much his eyes squinted: “They are so well-behaved.”

This was different from the military dogs he had imagined, which were very imposing and fierce, not so gentle.

However, this gentle military dog was also very endearing.

In reality, Da Mao and Tie Dan were definitely not submissive.

The way they acted was simply a reflection of their obedience to their owner, not the docile behavior Yu Chengci had imagined.

“Yi Bao, San Bao, you can eat now,” Ning Shu called from the kitchen door.

“Coming.”

Yibao and Sanbao hurried to get the noodles.

They hadn’t eaten their fill yet.

However, before they even reached the kitchen door, Da Mao and Tiedan had already devoured all the food in their enamel bowls and were now pushing in front of them, cutting in line.

In the past, when they were in the military dependents’ quarters, Damao and Tiedan had developed the habit of getting in line for food before anyone else, always expecting to get in line ahead of Yibao and Sanbao.

Therefore, this time, they continued to push in line, directly cutting in front of Yibao and Sanbao.

Yu Chengci found it amusing.

Ning Shu saw this and couldn’t help but laugh, “Damao, Tiedan, cutting in line isn’t right.”

Damao and Tiedan didn’t understand Ning Shu’s words.

They placed their enamel bowls on the ground, nudged them with their paws, and barked a few times to indicate they were still hungry.

“Alright, I’ll let it go this time, but don’t do it again,” Ning Shu said.

She had cooked noodles and anticipated that Damao and Tiedan wouldn’t have enough to eat, given that what they had just consumed were leftovers from Ning Shu, Yibao, and Sanbao.

Ning Shu put some noodles, which had been soaked in cold water and were only slightly warm, into their enamel bowls.

The noodles had radish and eggs in them.

Yu Chengci was stunned: “They really do line up for food. Aunt, you talked to them, and they seemed to understand. I’ve never seen such smart dogs.”

Ning Shu smiled and said, “Their breed is quite intelligent, and they received training in the military, which made them even smarter. But no matter how smart they are, they’re still just dogs. When you play with them, make sure Yibao and Sanbao are around. If they’re not present, don’t play with Damao and Tiedan.”

Although military dogs won’t harm humans and would rather be bullied than retaliate without orders, Ning Shu wanted to remind Yu Chengci.

She also didn’t want to see Damao and Tiedan being mistreated.

“I understand, Aunt. By the way, do they have any puppies? I’d like one too,” Yu Chengci said, sounding a bit eager.

Ning Shu replied, “…No, they don’t.”

Yu Chengci was a bit disappointed but quickly became excited again when he saw Damao and Tiedan continue eating.

So, Ning Shu ate helplessly, Yibao and Sanbao ate their meals next to Damao and Tiedan, while Yu Chengci squatted and watched Damao and Tiedan eat.

The scene was a bit strange.

After the meal, Yibao and Sanbao put collars on Damao and Tiedan and took them for a walk, actually to familiarize them with the surroundings.

Yu Chengci followed them.

Damao and Tiedan rarely wore collars.

When they were in the dependents’ quarters, it was their familiar territory, and since everyone knew they were military dogs and lived together, Ning Shu didn’t put collars on them.

However, when they visited the vet, Ning Shu would put collars on them.

Now that they were in the capital, where no one knew them, it was necessary to put on collars to avoid potential issues.

“Be careful, and come back soon after the walk. We need to bathe Damao and Tiedan while the sun is still shining to let them dry off,” Ning Shu reminded them.

“Got it.”

The kids responded.

Outside the courtyard, Yu Chengci asked, “Where are we going for the walk?”

Yibao said, “We’ll take Damao and Tiedan to familiarize them with the route, from here to the market and then to the fishing river. We’ll let them get to know the area. We won’t go far because Damou and Tiedan are old and can’t travel too far.”

“Old already?” Yu Chengci, at just fourteen, hadn’t considered the concept of age in dogs.

He was surprised to learn that the dogs he had just met were already old. “How old are they? How many more years can they live?”

It was a sad topic, but Yibao answered truthfully, “Damao and Tiedan retired early. Although they healed from their injuries, the residual effects prevented them from returning to the battlefield. They weren’t as agile as before. They were only three years old at that time, but because they retired early, they didn’t have many fatal injuries.

We asked the vet.

Generally, military dogs live for twelve or thirteen years. Damao and Tiedan have been with us since they were three, and with good nutrition and health, they might live a few years longer.

The vet said that to ensure they live long, we need to take good care of them. Sigh… they are already nine years old.”

Yu Chengci’s mouth dropped open. At fourteen, death felt distant to him, and he hadn’t realized it was so close now.

Thinking that Damao and Tiedan might only have another six or seven years left, he felt upset. “Then maybe I won’t keep one.”

The dogs’ relatively short lifespan was hard for him to accept.

The three boys continued to walk Damao and Tiedan around the courtyard to help them get familiar with the environment. Sometimes, Damao and Tiedan urinated near the greenery, and sometimes in the corners.

A few curious children followed to watch.

Han Hongling didn’t dare to follow them and stood at her own door, watching them pass by.

She hadn’t expected that since that day, she would never have another opportunity to interact with Yibao and Sanbao.

She thought that with the words she had said, Yibao and Sanbao would surely come to ask her, but they didn’t.

Today, she finally saw Yibao and Sanbao going out again, but with two dogs and other people, she didn’t feel comfortable following them.

Han Hongling felt she needed to find another opportunity.

“What are you looking at?” Suddenly, a little boy’s voice came from behind Han Hongling.

Han Hongling had a flash of insight and turned to her half-brother, saying, “I’m watching the dogs. I saw someone walking two dogs.”