Chapter 23. Guanjiang Estuary.
"There seems to be some noise outside. Can you hear it?" Jiang Huaisu pressed her ear close to the door.
"I heard it a while ago, the sound of claws scratching at the door," Sun Wukong said quietly. "That kid probably left his dog at our doorstep, right? How rude of him."
As expected, upon opening the door, she was met with a pitiful gaze. The dog's wet eyes stared at Jiang Huaisu, its pleading for shelter obvious. There were a few shallow scratches on the door, evidence of its vandalism, but the dog wasn't guilty at all. Instead, it familiarly squeezed into the crack in the door.
“This…” Jiang Huaisu tried to pick up the dog, but she was not familiar with Xiaotianquan and dared not touch it, so she was a little at a loss.
Sun Wukong reached out his hand: "Give me the dog, I'll take it back to Nezha."
"No," Xiaotian said. "I'm not going to him."
Jiang Huaisu: "You can talk?"
"Do you think I'm some insignificant nobody with no cultivation?" Xiaotian raised his head arrogantly. "I work for Erlang, I'm his right-hand man, understand?"
Jiang Huaisu didn't mean to belittle it; she just felt the scene of the dog speaking human language was a bit jarring, and that barking was much cuter. But then she thought, she was a magpie herself, so what right did she have to question it?
"I know you're powerful." She casually stroked Xiaotian's fur, then squatted down to be at eye level with it, patiently asking, "Why didn't you go to Nezha's place? Did you have a fight with him?"
"No, but he's not good at taking care of dogs, and I don't want to stay with him. I'll go to the Tianyi Department for my last dose of medicine in a few days, and then I can go back to Guanjiangkou. Can I stay here with you in the meantime?"
Jiang Huaisu looked at Sun Wukong, who nodded.
“But I can,” she told the dog honestly, “but I have no experience raising dogs, so I might not be as good as Nezha.”
"Take me out to play once a day. I can eat whatever I want, I'm not picky about food."
"So simple?" She was a little puzzled. It sounded like Nezha was easier to take care of than an ordinary dog. How could he not be able to serve Nezha well?
However, the truth is that Nezha can't even meet the basic requirement of "taking the dog out for a walk once a day". He completely regards Xiaotian as an independent individual with self-care ability, often ignoring the dog's nature and high social needs, and has repeatedly advised it to walk itself.
It's already incredibly rare that we were able to take Xiaotian out for a stroll this time.
However, to be fair, there's not much fun in Heaven, far less than in the mortal realm. Xiaotian missed the days of exorcising demons with his master and resolved to return to Guanjiang Estuary immediately after applying the medicine, not staying a single day longer.
Heaven is so boring!
"I'm not staying for free; you can go to Guanjiangkou to ask for payment." Gouzi wagged his tail.
"No need for payment, but I'd really like to meet your master."
A look of wariness rose in Xiaotian's eyes: "Why?"
"I've heard he's handsome, has an extraordinary air about him, and is a rare and exceptionally good-looking man~"
Sun Wukong interjected, "I've heard he's a clueless blockhead who only likes to play with dogs. Our sources don't match up!"
Where did you hear that from?
"Several fairies told me. Where did you get your information from?"
Can I say that it comes from related films, books, and animation works?
"...I only heard it secondhand," Jiang Huaisu said, feigning ignorance.
However, to say that Erlang Shen is "unromantic" goes beyond just his appearance; it's a topic more likely to arise during late-night conversations in a girls' dormitory. This suggests that the Monkey King does possess some social skills; the fact that the fairies could discuss things with him to this extent suggests they might already consider him a sister.
Jiang Huaisu: "Loving to play with dogs and being handsome are not mutually exclusive."
Sun Wukong: "That makes sense."
The celestial dog, who was listening in, was displeased: "What's wrong with liking to play with dogs? People who don't like to play with dogs must not have dogs themselves."
Sun Wukong mercilessly exposed him: "Nezha doesn't like playing with you."
"He's the kind of guy I was talking about who doesn't have a dog! Besides, I just don't like playing with him!"
After their conversation, Xiaotian's fondness for Sun Wukong decreased slightly, while its fondness for Jiang Huaisu increased a bit. Its likes and dislikes were largely based on its master; Jiang Huaisu's description of its master as "handsome and dignified" was a positive compliment, naturally pleasing it more.
For the next period of time, Jiang Huaisu took care of all its food, drink, shelter and transportation. Unconsciously, he became more and more affectionate towards this woman and reluctantly accepted her as a qualified dog owner.
Sun Wukong is a restless creature, always running around. Jiang Huaisu, rarely wanting to experience the joys of raising a dog, volunteered to take care of Xiaotian, doing everything herself, even sewing a little skirt for him. After all, being in dog form, a skirt is much more convenient than pants.
But when she tried to put a skirt on Xiaotian, he refused sternly, saying that "the fur is warm enough."
Jiang Huaisu, who had hoped to play a dress-up game with Xiaotian, had to give up in disappointment. Instead, she focused her efforts on the dog leash, embroidering various patterned leash covers. Walking the dog on the street, they formed a bright and beautiful sight in themselves.
Actually, Xiaotian has a strong sense of self-management and doesn't need a leash. However, it got used to the leash when it was still an undeveloped puppy and doesn't resist it now.
The roads in the Heavenly Court are complex, and the leash came in handy to prevent them from getting separated while walking the dog.
Xiaotian definitely knows the way, and if all else fails, he can rely on his nose. But Jiang Huaisu isn't very confident in herself; she's only been in Heaven for a short time, and traveling alone still makes her a little nervous. In short, she feels safer with the dog on a leash.
Soon it was time to apply the medicine, and Jiang Huaisu accompanied it to the Heavenly Medicine Department. Although Xiaotian said that he could go by himself, Jiang Huaisu felt that she had a responsibility to take care of it and believed that accompanying it was her duty.
Arriving here for the first time, she nervously looked around. But the Heavenly Doctor seemed to know who she was, and when he saw her bringing Xiaotian over, he didn't show any surprise or doubt.
Without any further questions, the Heavenly Doctor patted the cushion, and Xiaotian immediately understood and lay down on it.
Because the injury was internal, it wasn't very noticeable from the outside. The doctor gave it a pill and applied a layer of powdered medicine to its abdomen, massaging it in for a while; it was quickly absorbed.
"You've recovered quite well during this time; you're basically fully healed," the physician instructed. "Don't eat anything indiscriminately anymore."
Jiang Huaisu: "Um... if I may ask, are there any things it absolutely cannot eat?"
Xiaotian had always claimed that it had no dietary restrictions and basically ate whatever she ate. But hearing what the Heavenly Doctor said, Jiang Huaisu was still a little uneasy. The current situation was caused by Xiaotian's stomach being damaged by eating random things, and she should be more careful about feeding it.
"Don't eat things that aren't food, and don't eat things that have been poisoned." It's like saying something but not really saying anything.
"......"
Xiaotian grabbed her skirt and pulled her outside, saying, "Susu, the smell of medicine is too strong here, let's go out."
The smell of medicine was indeed very strong. Dogs have a keen sense of smell; it must not be very pleasant for them.
After saying goodbye to Xiang Tianyi, Jiang Huaisu picked up the dog and walked out, saying, "Don't bite my skirt, it'll get drool on it."
In any case, all the effort she's put in has paid off. Given the current level of intimacy between her and Xiaotian, physical contact like this has become commonplace, and actions such as brushing the dog's fur and stroking its head are within the bounds of permissibility.
Actually, Xiaotian didn't mind being touched. He bared his teeth at Nezha that day simply because Nezha was Nezha.
"What on earth did you eat that caused you internal injuries?" Jiang Huaisu wondered. There didn't seem to be any snacks like chocolate in this world. What kind of poison could cause even Xiaotian to have indigestion?
"They ate the head."
"Hmm?" She tried to understand the meaning behind its words. "Head...does it mean something like spicy rabbit head?"
"It's a monster's head." Xiaotian said with an innocent face, revealing the shocking truth. "I only wanted to bite off its neck, but I accidentally swallowed its head. The demonic energy entered my body, and I felt uncomfortable for quite a while."
Jiang Huaisu remained silent for a while. Imagining the scene of it working together with Erlang Shen to subdue demons, she felt that making a living as a dog wasn't easy. With an owner like that, how could a dog not be quite up to the task?
"It seems your life in the lower realm is quite dangerous." She patted the dog's head reassuringly.
"It's not dangerous at all, it's a lot of fun!"
Okay, so you were enjoying it.
A bird and a dog strolled among the clouds. Jiang Huaisu slowed down, thinking that this was probably the last time she would walk her dog in the Heavenly Court, and felt a little reluctant.
This trip wasn't just a simple stroll; the main purpose was to apply the medicine. Now that the medicine is finished, it also means that Xiaotianquan's return is near, and our stay here is coming to an end.
Jiang Huaisu looked down and asked it, "Are we going back to Guanjiang Estuary now?"
No matter how reluctant you are, you can't steal someone else's dog, especially since this dog is so loyal to its owner.
"Yes, it's time to go back! My second brother must miss me a lot."
Having received Xiaotian's affirmative answer, she untied the leash. She was still a little intimidated by Erlang Shen, whom she had never met before; she was somewhat embarrassed to display the colorful leash to its original owner.
Xiaotian shook its fur, and clouds rose beneath its feet. "Didn't you want to see him? Aren't you coming with me?"
Jiang Huaisu really wanted to go, but she was a little apprehensive: "If I visit him without informing him in advance, will he not welcome me?"
"No, you've taken care of me for so long, my second brother will definitely give you face." Xiaotian coaxed gently, "Guanjiangkou is a lot of fun, you can stay there for a few days, I'll show you around!"
That's a tempting suggestion. She's never been to Guanjiang Estuary. If she goes there with Xiaotian, she can unlock a new map.
And... I'm really curious about what Erlang Shen looks like!
Already biased in her heart, she was quickly persuaded by Xiaotian's encouragement and immediately compromised, saying, "Then... I'll go and say hello to Wukong."
“A month passes on Earth, but only an hour passes in Heaven. There’s no need to give a special notice. Sun Wukong is probably sleeping in the Peach Garden right now, isn’t he? He might not even wake up by the time you get back.”
"Hiss, you're right."
Perhaps influenced by Xiaotian's impetuous nature, Jiang Huaisu made her decision and, without even packing her bags, embarked on a spontaneous trip with it.
Anyway, she still had money on her, and she could buy whatever she needed once she got down there. As for a gift, Xiaotian insisted that she didn't need to bring anything; her second brother wasn't the type to be particular about formalities.
Although it didn't have wings, the dog flew faster than her, looking very eager to see its owner.
From this height, the scenery below could already be seen. Xiaotian became excited and barked twice. He even blurted out his native tongue, and his tail wagged like a propeller.
The owner of a dog with this kind of personality must be pretty aloof too, right? No, maybe they're complementary. If both the owner and the dog were this rowdy, the roof would probably be blown off.
Stepping through the gates of the True Lord's Mansion, Jiang Huaisu followed behind Xiaotian, and neither of the guards on either side stopped her. It was clear that Gouzi (Xiaotian's nickname) held considerable influence within the mansion; otherwise, she wouldn't have been allowed to pass so easily.
The front yard was quite spacious, with large lawns providing ample room for Xiaotian to run and roll around. Rather than soaring through the ethereal clouds of the heavens, the dog preferred chasing butterflies in his own yard.
Although the celestial realm is not just a monotonous white, but also has all sorts of exotic flowers, rare herbs, and exotic beasts, the vitality of the human world is a different story altogether. The damp earth smells of fishy soil, the slightly murky dust and dew, the withered grass leaves with a fresh fragrance... these "imperfect" scenes are rarely seen in the celestial palace.
Both places have their advantages, and if Jiang Huaisu had to choose... she'd want them both. It's not like she lacks the means; a round trip wouldn't take long—that's the benefit of being able to fly.
While admiring the scenery within the manor, she nervously prepared her opening remarks for meeting Yang Jian. Her steps were somewhat unsteady, and she had the unsettling feeling that she was about to attend a job interview.
Xiaotian led the way into the inner courtyard. Familiar with the layout, he arrived at a door, scratched at it with his paws, and heard a clear and melodious reply from inside: "Come in."
Is this the voice of Erlang Shen?
She sounded younger than she had imagined; she had expected a low-key and composed voice.
She entered the room nervously, and before she could even say hello, the other person spoke first:
"You must be Jiang Huaisu...Miss Jiang, right? Don't be shy, sit down wherever you like."
Hearing that gentle, spring-rain-like sound, Jiang Huaisu unconsciously relaxed a little. It seemed that Xiaotian was right; as its owner who had taken care of it for so long, Yang Jian would give her face, relying on the dog's influence.
...But why did he sound like he'd heard about her before? Her prepared self-introduction was completely useless.
"Does the True Lord recognize me?"
Yang Jian said slowly, "I know that Nezha had a deep entanglement with you when he was in the mortal world."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" came the boy's angry voice from the corner.
Jiang Huaisu was startled and mechanically turned her head, only then seeing that a great deity was sitting by the window. A bright and flamboyant face, with a lively anger between his brows and eyes—who else could it be but Nezha?
Having finally gotten to see Erlang Shen's true face, she didn't even have time to admire him properly before her attention was drawn to an old acquaintance next to her.
"What are you doing here?" she and Xiaotian asked at the same time.
Nezha raised an eyebrow: "Can't I come?"
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Author's note: Happy National Day! [kissing emoji]
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