Chapter 208: A Good Day
A pack of little dogs eagerly vied for attention.
Xu Youyou was overwhelmed by the choices and had no choice but to say, “We only need two dogs for this job.”
Immediately, all the puppies widened their beautiful eyes and gazed at her pitifully. Even the black dog, which initially claimed it had no interest in guarding a home, was now secretly glancing at her with a hopeful expression.
Being stared at by so many pairs of dewy eyes nearly melted Xu Youyou’s heart. But she couldn’t let them fight amongst themselves to determine the winners.
“Woof woof! Poop scooper, if you can’t make a decision, leave it to me!”
At the critical moment, Guai Guai stepped up.
Xu Youyou was touched beyond words. What a good dog! Guai Guai truly came through when it mattered. All those freeze-dried treats had not gone to waste.
As a true strategist among dogs, Guai Guai used a simple yet effective method to choose the guard dogs. “To guard a house, you need to be fast. If an intruder sneaks in, you have to chase them away. See that red-roofed house at the foot of the mountain? Run there and back. The fastest ones win.”
The moment it gave the command, all the puppies dashed off like arrows, their paws kicking up waves of snow, causing the branches to shake and send snowflakes fluttering down.
Xu Youyou, watching the now-empty scene in front of her, felt like something was off. After a moment, she asked, “Didn’t that black puppy say it didn’t want to guard a house? Why is it running too?”
Guai Guai rubbed against Xu Youyou and let out a little snort. “Xiao Hei is just like that—he really wants to be adopted but expects people to read his mind. Not like me—I say what I want!”
Xu Youyou stroked the fluffy head. “Keeping everything bottled up and not expressing yourself can lead to losing out.”
Guai Guai sighed. “That’s why Xiao Hei’s mother chose his brothers to stay with her but not him—because he never spoke up.”
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but feel sorry for Xiao Hei. “I’ll have someone send him to Auntie Li in the capital.”
If Xu Youyou had decided to keep Xiao Hei herself, Guai Guai would definitely have made a fuss. But since she was sending him to the capital, Guai Guai immediately wagged its tail in approval.
“Woof woof! I knew you were the best, poop scooper!”
Just as Xu Youyou was about to feel proud, Guai Guai changed its tone: “I helped you solve a big problem, so I want some freeze-dried treats! The really tasty ones!”
“Alright, alright, I’ll get them for you.” Xu Youyou waved her hand and turned to ask Xu Fang to fetch the treats.
Xu Fang opened the bag and asked, “Boss, should I fill the dog bowl to the top?”
“Woof woof! Pour it all out! I’m treating my little brothers!” Guai Guai declared.
Xu Youyou immediately agreed. “Pour it all out.”
Xu Fang hesitated for a moment, knowing full well how expensive this particular pet treat was. A single bag cost 10,000 yuan—it was practically the Hermès of pet food.
Still, she didn’t hesitate. A whole bag of freeze-dried treats tumbled into the dog bowl, forming a small mountain.
Guai Guai dove in, took a few big bites, then slowed down to savor the taste. Just then, a rumbling sound of pawsteps came from outside, and Guai Guai stopped eating.
Xu Youyou knew Guai Guai had a sense of pride. She grabbed a tissue and wiped the crumbs from its mouth just as the first puppy returned, panting. What it saw was its “big brother” sitting upright, looking solemn and serious.
“Woof woof! Big brother, I was the fastest! Can I go with the new owner?” the puppy asked.
Before Guai Guai could answer, Xiao Hei ran in as well. “I may not be keen on guarding a house, but I accidentally ended up in second place. Since I’m obviously very capable, I guess I’ll have to take on the job of protecting our delicate new owner.”
Xu Youyou gave Xiao Hei a long look. His blatant dishonesty was a little too obvious. Still, since he had secured second place, she no longer needed to arrange for his trip to the capital.
The other dogs, who had lagged behind, all looked crestfallen.
Guai Guai didn’t go back on its word and immediately announced that the two fastest runners got the positions. Then, to comfort the others, it pointed at the dog food pile. “I’m treating you all today—eat as much as you want!”
The rejected puppies immediately cheered. Even if they didn’t get picked, at least they got a great meal out of it.
Seven or eight dogs squeezed in around the bowl, and the smaller ones couldn’t even get a bite. Xu Youyou frowned at the sight and quickly instructed Xu Fang to bring another bowl and open another bag of treats.
Xu Fang’s heart ached at the thought of the cost, but she didn’t hesitate.
“Woof woof! There’s more! This is amazing! Long live Dog King!”
The pricey freeze-dried treats received unanimous praise from the puppies.
Guai Guai, pleased with Xu Youyou’s generosity, gave her a look of approval.
Once all the dogs were fed, Xu Youyou arranged for the two chosen ones to get a bath, have their fur groomed, and even brought in pet professionals to give them vaccinations. Only after everything was settled did she finally take them to Qing Yatou’s house.
Qing Yatou had already prepared dinner—just a bowl of rice topped with a few chestnuts.
On an ordinary day, this would be considered a frugal meal.
But today was different.
Tonight’s meal was a New Year’s Eve dinner.
“Is this all you’re eating?” Xu Youyou’s heart ached for her.
Qing Yatou smiled. “Youyou-jie, today I can finally cook a proper meal and eat warm food. That’s already a good day.”
She had been hiding in the old house for so long, afraid to light a fire and cook, surviving on cold food that upset her stomach. Just being able to eat a hot meal now made her incredibly happy.
Xu Youyou sighed. “Did your aunt not invite you home for New Year’s dinner?”
Qing Yatou shook her head.
Xu Youyou felt even more sorry for her. She had invited Qing Yatou to the orphanage for the holiday meal, but she had declined, saying she wanted to spend New Year’s with her family.
Now, it was clear—Qing Yatou’s “family” referred to this old house.
Xu Youyou was glad she had prepared in advance. The bodyguards behind her carried bags upon bags of supplies—rice, flour, oil, and other necessities—knowing that the young girl, living alone, might not have enough.
“All of this is for me?” Qing Yatou asked, her face lighting up with joy.
Xu Youyou nodded.
Qing Yatou beamed. “That’s amazing! I used to be so envious of the elderly folks in the village. During the holidays, people would bring them rice and oil. Now, I finally get to experience this kind of good life too.”
