Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 76

When Zhang Shu returns home, he is startled to find that he can’t enter—a large yellow dog stands at the door, staring him down.

The dog looks familiar, but Zhang Shu can’t recall anyone nearby who owns one. It isn’t until a group of puppies rushes out of the yard to greet him that he realizes—the big dog is none other than their mother, Xiaohu.

Hearing the commotion, Zhou Nan and Li Mujin come outside. Zhou Nan pats the big dog’s head and says, “Don’t cause trouble, Xiaohu.”

The dog obediently walks back into the yard and lies down in the doghouse, still keeping a watchful eye on them.

Zhang Shu turns to Li Mujin, puzzled. Li Mujin gives him a knowing look and explains, “My brother took Zhou Nan down the mountain to see the puppies. Xiaohu wanted to follow, so he brought her along.”

Zhou Nan smiles at Zhang Shu, apologizing for the inconvenience. Zhang Shu quickly waves it off—how could he possibly take offense? If he ends up ruining his brother-in-law’s good fortune, he’ll have himself to blame.

Zhou Nan adds sincerely, “Thank you and Mujin. You’ve taken great care of the puppies.”

Back at his house, they are malnourished—Xiaohu barely has any milk, and with five mouths to feed, the puppies are scrawny and weak. But today, when Zhou Nan comes down the mountain, he is greeted by plump, round, and adorable puppies.

The little pups still remember them. After whining from a distance for a while, they rush to Xiaohu’s side and lick her affectionately. Xiaohu, in turn, gently licks each of her babies.

Li Yan then introduces Zhou Nan to Li Mujin, saying, “This is your brother’s good friend, Zhou Nan. Just call him Brother Nan—treat him like you would me.”

Zhou Nan gives Li Mujin a polite greeting, while Li Mujin studies him curiously. He’s been busy with accounting work lately and hasn’t told their Aba about this new acquaintance. Now that he’s met Zhou Nan in person, he decides to gather more information before bringing it up, lest he be caught off guard by questions.

He takes out the fruit and snacks Zhang Shu bought and offers them to Zhou Nan. At first, both gers are polite, but when Li Yan leaves to sneak a smoked chicken from home, Li Mujin wastes no time getting straight to the point.

“Brother Nan, how did you meet my brother? He’s never brought friends home before.” Li Mujin scoots closer, his face full of curiosity.

Zhou Nan, who has never had close ger friends before, feels a little awkward. Growing up without a father and raised solely by his mother, he has developed a reserved nature, preferring to interact with men rather than women.

Looking at Li Mujin, he notes how much the two brothers resemble each other—one is more rugged, the other more refined. This immediately gives him a favorable impression of Li Mujin.

“I met your brother in the forest,” Zhou Nan explains. “My father knew some herbal medicine, and I picked up a little from him. I often go into the mountains to gather herbs and sell them at the pharmacy. One time, I accidentally got too close to a wild boar’s den. Your brother saved my life.”

He briefly describes how he later helped treat Li Yan’s injuries, leading to their friendship.

Li Mujin’s eyes light up. “So it’s like a hero saving a damsel in distress! I thought that only happened in stories!”

The two continue talking, quickly realizing they have a lot in common. Li Mujin has never fit in with the other village gers. Growing up, he always played with Zhang Shu and was raised with a strong, independent spirit.

Suddenly, Xiaohu, who has been lying at their feet, pricks up her ears and trots toward the gate. The puppies happily wag their tails and follow her outside.

And so, the scene from earlier unfolds again…

That evening, Li Yan brings Zhou Nan over for dinner. In addition to Zhang Shu’s usual meal, there’s also the smoked chicken Li Yan has “borrowed” from home. His excuse for staying the night is that he’ll be helping Zhang Shu transport goods the next day. Li Aba simply nods in approval, unaware that his son has smuggled someone into his brother’s house.

Outside, Xiaohu patrols the yard while the puppies play nearby, never once going under the table.

After dinner, Zhang Shu gathers the leftover bones into a large bowl, adds a few spoonfuls of rice, and pours the remaining broth over it. He mixes it all together before setting the bowl down for the puppies.

The little ones bury their heads into the food, tails wagging as they eat. Xiaohu, however, simply watches, making no move to eat. Strangely, even after the puppies have their fill, Xiaohu still doesn’t touch the leftovers.

Zhang Shu frowns. “I didn’t prepare separate bowls since they’re all from the same litter. Why won’t she eat?”

Li Yan smirks. “Even if you did, she still wouldn’t eat. Xiaohu never accepts food from anyone except Anan and Uncle Zhou.”

Zhang Shu suddenly understands—it’s food refusal training.

Back in his previous life, his eldest son’s two guard dogs never accepted food from strangers. A woman once tried to poison them with drugged chicken legs, but they ignored it completely. If it had been any other dog, they would have eaten it without hesitation.

He had thought only professional trainers knew such methods, but it turns out Zhou Nan has the same knowledge.

Zhou Nan explains, “Back then, there were too many cases of dogs being poisoned. I was afraid thieves would target us, so I trained Xiaohu not to eat anything from strangers. If she tried, I would pat her to stop her. Over time, she learned.”

As he speaks, Zhou Nan knocks on the food bowl, signaling Xiaohu to eat. The dog immediately gets up and devours the food in big bites.

Watching her eat so eagerly, Zhou Nan feels a pang of guilt. Since bringing her home, she has never had a proper meal. But Xiaohu never resents their poverty—she remains fiercely loyal to their family.

Later that night, Li Yan pulls Zhang Shu aside. “Didn’t you ask me to find more people to help transport the goods? I think Zhou Nan should come with us. He knows herbs and can treat minor illnesses. If anyone gets injured or sick on the ship, he’ll be useful. What do you think?”

It’s a sudden idea, and he hasn’t even asked Zhou Nan yet.

Zhang Shu thinks it over. If another storm hits, having a healer on board would be invaluable. He nods. “Good idea. But has his father agreed? He’s still a ger.”

Li Yan scoffs. “So what? Gers can travel too. His father is selling herbs at the town clinic right now. We can just tell him tomorrow.”

Zhang Shu agrees. Zhou Nan’s Aba often sells herbs in town, exchanging them for necessities like salt and flour. He usually spends the night at the clinic when he stays too late.

After leaving Zhang Shu, Li Yan heads to Zhou Nan’s room. The guest room in Zhang Shu’s house is empty again now that the household items have been moved to the backyard.

Knock, knock!

The door opens immediately.

Standing outside, Li Yan explains the plan. Zhou Nan is tempted but hesitates. His father might not agree, and even if he does, what about Xiaohu? His father often leaves for the mountains and can be gone for days. Xiaohu doesn’t eat food from strangers—what if she starves?

Li Yan reassures him. “If your father refuses, then you can just stay home. But if he agrees, bring Xiaohu with you. She can help keep watch at night. With her on board, everyone will sleep more soundly.”