PCJ – Chapter 32 Catch the Mountain Dog

Not persuading was fine, but with everyone persuading like that, Zhang Benrui’s emotions got out of control even more. Over the past few days, almost half of the ducks in his house had gone missing. And the day before, he had been embarrassed by Zhang Jiaohua, leaving him feeling pent-up. This outburst was a complete release.

Ma Jinxiu was also a bold woman, not one to reason much. Seeing her man being “attacked,” she exploded, “Our family will do as we please. You busybodies can mind your own business. Go do whatever you want. Wait until Benrui goes to the market and sells these skins for money, then let’s see who dares to gossip.”

Zhang Genxin was infuriated by Ma Jinxiu’s words, his beard bristling. “Consider me being too nosy. You can deal with it yourselves.”

Seeing Ma Jinxiu’s unreasonable behavior, the others quickly dispersed.

Liu Qiaoye also pinched Zhang Jiaohua’s ear and walked towards home, “You little rascal, you came here to join in the fun too. If Benrui sees you, there will be another fuss. From now on, don’t wander around Benrui’s house. You’re so frail, like a little ant being crushed by others. Your parents don’t even know where to cry.”

“I’m not afraid of him. If he dares to mess with me, I’ll make sure he ends up like yesterday. I’ll go to his fields and catch a bunch of fish.” Zhang Jiaohua said arrogantly.

“Then why did Mom have to drag you home by the ear? Let’s see if you can do anything to Mom?” Liu Qiaoye increased the pressure on his ear slightly, making Zhang Jiaohua yell in pain.

“You’re my mom, how could I fight back against you? If it were someone else, I would fight back.” Zhang Jiaohua refused to yield.

It was Zhang Jiaohua’s uncle Liu Biao’s thirtieth birthday that day. Naturally, Zhang Jiaohua’s family had to go over to celebrate with him. Zhang Jiaohua had been looking forward to going to his maternal grandfather’s house because the dog there had given birth to puppies. He had long wanted to catch one to raise.

There were many dogs in the village, but it was not easy to get one from other families. Zhang Jiaohua’s maternal grandfather, Liu Tongmao, had promised that when their dog gave birth, they would give one to his grandson. Now that the puppies were a month old, it was the perfect time to catch one.

Another reason Zhang Jiaohua wanted a puppy from his maternal grandfather’s house was because their dog was of the mountain dog breed, smarter than ordinary village dogs. Although they looked similar in size, their running ability was many times stronger. As the name suggests, mountain dogs could chase in the mountains, meaning they were hunting dogs. And they were among the best. For mountain dogs, chasing rabbits in the mountains posed no difficulty at all. Zhang Jiaohua wanted to raise a mountain dog not only to show off in front of his friends but also to rely on it to bring back meat from the mountains every now and then.

In this day and age, transportation in rural areas relies mainly on walking. Going anywhere required the use of one’s own two legs, and going to his maternal grandfather’s house was no easy task. It was nearly twenty miles away, a journey that felt like crossing one mountain and then another, one stream after another. It took three or four hours to walk. Therefore, after breakfast, the family of three set off. The birthday gifts they had prepared were packed in two baskets, carried by Zhang Youping. Unlike now, where a red envelope would suffice, in those days, many things needed to be prepared to express their sincerity. Liu Qiaoye was skilled with her hands and had made two pairs of shoes for her brother, sewn the soles, and also made some festive foods like rice cakes and round pastries. Everything was meticulously prepared, showing equal care in every detail. Although everything seemed worthless, it was filled with deep affection.

“Mom, I can’t walk anymore. Can you carry me?” Zhang Jiaohua started to act spoiled halfway through the journey.

“You’re already in first grade and you still want Mom and Dad to carry you? Aren’t you ashamed?” Liu Qiaoye knew her son’s thoughts very well.

“Mom, look at how small I am, only this tall. For every step you take, I have to take two, which means I’ve walked twice as far as you. Of course I can’t walk anymore. How about you carry the load for a while and let Dad carry me for a bit? I just need to rest for a while, and then I can walk by myself.” Zhang Jiaohua reasoned persuasively.

Zhang Youping chuckled, “Qiaoye, why don’t you carry the load for a while, and I’ll carry the boy?”

“No, we can’t spoil him. If he can’t walk, then we won’t take him to visit relatives anymore. Last time we went to the market, we walked over twenty miles in one go, and he didn’t ask to be carried. How long have we been walking today?” Liu Qiaoye firmly dismissed her son’s idea.

“Dad, is Mom the stepmother you found for me? She doesn’t care about me at all,” Zhang Jiaohua pretended to rub his feet and said pitifully.

“You’re not our biological child. You were found. One time, when your dad and I were going to the market, we heard a baby crying by the roadside. When we went to check, oh my, a newborn baby had been left at the intersection. Your dad said, ‘Let’s take it home.’ Since we encountered it, it must be fate.” Liu Qiaoye teased her son intentionally.

Zhang Jiaohua listened to the story very seriously and immediately imagined himself in it, “Mom, did you later send that child back?”

“No, that child is you. If I had known you would be so disobedient, I wouldn’t have picked you up. I should have let the beggar pick you up instead, and you could have begged for rice from an early age.” Liu Qiaoye laughed so hard her stomach hurt, but her face remained serious.

Zhang Jiaohua believed it to be true and felt very disappointed, “No wonder you gave me such a name. Teacher Gong at the bookstore also thinks this name is bad.”

Zhang Youping saw his son’s pitiful appearance and chuckled, saying, “Little treasure, your mom is teasing you. Who would throw away such a clever little boy?”

“That’s right. Other families abandon baby girls, but who throws away baby boys? Mom, you’re so mean, you always lie to me,” Zhang Jiaohua actually still had some doubts in his heart, wondering if he was really picked up at an intersection?

After walking for a few hours, they finally arrived at their maternal grandfather’s house. From afar, they could hear the dogs at their grandfather’s house barking incessantly. This dog was very smart, it recognized Zhang Jiaohua’s family from afar and ran over to greet them joyfully. It kept sniffing around Zhang Jiaohua’s family affectionately.

The dog at the maternal grandfather’s house was grayish-brown, and the color of the puppies was the same as the mother dog. They were chubby and adorable. As soon as Zhang Jiaohua saw the puppies, he wanted to pick one up.

“Don’t!” Liu Qiaoye, on guard, quickly pulled Zhang Jiaohua back. Sure enough, the mother dog, who had just been affectionate, suddenly bristled. If Zhang Jiaohua tried to catch her puppy, he might immediately be attacked. Animals during lactation had very irritable tempers. Their instinct to protect their offspring made them willing to defend their children at all costs.

Liu Tongmao happily came over and lifted Zhang Jiaohua up as soon as he approached. Although Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t well-received in Meizi village, in his grandfather’s eyes, he was still a treasure. “Hey, here comes Jiaohua. Come here, give your grandpa a kiss.”

Liu Biao came over to take the burden off Zhang Youping’s shoulders. “Brother-in-law, are you tired from the journey? Come in and have some tea.”