Chapter 78 Eight moves are more than just a dog.
In the evening glow, the shadows of the trees sway.
The carriage slowed down after entering the alley. When passing by the neighbor's house, Song Baoyuan lifted the curtain.
The door was closed, as if no one was home.
She thought of Xie Yuchao's gloomy and somewhat bewildered look when he left the teahouse, and she felt a little worried.
The outcome of the chess game was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing his high spirits.
"cough."
Song Baoyuan turned around when she heard the voice and looked at Jiang Keyu who was frowning beside her. She asked in surprise, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, cough."
Jiang Keyu cleared his throat, drew her attention back, and tried to appear more natural.
The carriage stopped.
Jiang Chengyou jumped off the carriage first and immediately cried out in surprise, "Wow!"
Jiang Suisui quickly leaned over and said, "Uncle Tang Yuan!"
Song Baoyuan was confused and looked out the window. She saw the "Uncle Tang Yuan" her daughter had mentioned standing at the door, holding a majestic hunting dog.
"Tang Sizhi is here, he must be looking for you." She turned around and said.
Jiang Keyu shook her head, "I asked him to come, but he wasn't looking for me."
The brother and sister ran towards the hound, one in front and one behind.
The hound's coat was mostly black, but its temples and nose were dotted with yellow, and its legs and underbelly were also a mixture of black and yellow. It crouched with an upright posture, about the same height as five-year-old Jiang Chengyou. A scar at the corner of its eye made it look even more imposing.
"Uncle Tang Yuan, can I pet the big dog?" Jiang Suisui asked, looking up.
"Of course." Tang Yuan squatted down, looking the two children at eye level, and said gently, "It's called Ba Zhao because it has eight skills. It's the fastest running dog in our Dali Temple and the best at catching bad guys."
Jiang Chengyou carefully reached out his hand, touched Ba Zhao's head, and exclaimed with his mouth wide open, "It's so powerful!"
"It's so pretty!" Jiang Suisui's eyes were filled with excitement. She tentatively extended her index finger and gently poked Ba Zhao's paw. "It even shook hands with me!"
With eight moves, he turned the tables and placed his claws on Jiang Suisui's palm and shook it.
Tang Yuan said seriously, "Not only will it shake hands with you, it will also pick up hydrangeas and play with you."
"real?"
"So do you want it to play with you?"
"think!"
The brother and sister are more active than each other.
Tang Yuan nodded with satisfaction, stood up, and saluted the two people who were walking up the stairs, "Boss, sister-in-law...Mrs. Song."
Song Baoyuan bowed and returned the greeting.
"Boss, I've brought you eight moves. You have to tell me whether you want to stay or not."
Song Baoyuan glanced sideways in surprise, "You want to raise a dog?"
Jiang Keyu explained, "Ba Zhao is the Dali Temple's detective dog, and he's performed many meritorious deeds. But he's old now, and he's injured, so he's no longer suitable to stay at the Dali Temple and help with cases. Tang Yuan will be responsible for finding a family willing to adopt him, so he can use his remaining energy and take care of him until his death. I see that you, Chengcheng, and Suisui all like animals, so I asked them to come over."
"He's well-trained in eight moves and understands human nature very well," Tang Yuan praised. "He's capable of guarding the house and yard, especially protecting children."
Song Baoyuan was skeptical and looked at the hunting dog carefully. It looked indeed righteous and awe-inspiring.
"Of course." Jiang Keyu said softly, "I just asked him to bring him here for you to see. It's up to you to decide whether to adopt him or not."
"mother!"
Jiang Chengyou turned around and tugged at the corner of his mother's clothes, the expectation in his eyes was self-evident.
Song Baoyuan thought for a moment and asked softly, "Do you want to raise one?"
"Yeah!" Jiang Suisui squatted on the ground and nodded repeatedly.
"Then can you guarantee that you will feed the dog on time, bathe it, play with it, and take good care of it?" Song Baoyuan asked seriously. "You can't treat the dog as a toy just for fun or for your own temporary happiness. It's a living being. Once you adopt it, you have to be responsible for it."
Jiang Suisui didn't quite understand, but Jiang Chengyou tightened his face and said solemnly, "I know! Just like Uncle Xie raised Fubao, you have to treat it as a friend! I will!"
Song Baoyuan laughed and touched her son's face, "You said that yourself."
"Um!"
"Well, take your new friend home with you."
"Yeah!"
Jiang Chengyou turned around, took the rope, and ran into the yard with Ba Zhao.
Jiang Suisui hurriedly followed, "Brother, wait for me!"
"Run slower!" Song Baoyuan warned loudly, "Be careful not to fall."
But the child completely ignored her and she shook her head helplessly.
"It's getting late, Tang Sizhi, please stay and have a quick meal before leaving."
Tang Yuan bowed, "Madam Song, you are too polite. My wife is still waiting for me to come home, so I won't bother her."
"Then Tang Sizhi, take care."
Tang Yuan looked at Jiang Keyu for the last time, and when he saw the latter nod, he left with peace of mind.
*
Dinner was ready. After playing in the yard for a while, Jiang Chengyou moved an extra stool and placed it next to the dining table, between him and his sister.
He said, "Eight strokes, sit here."
Song Baoyuan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, but did not say anything to stop it.
She looked at the courtyard wall, but Fubao, who usually appeared at this time, was nowhere to be seen today.
She couldn't help but wonder, could it be because her master was in a bad mood?
"What are you thinking about?"
Jiang Keyu on the side suddenly asked. He tried to pick up the chopsticks with his left hand. Although it was a bit difficult, he barely succeeded.
The first piece of food he picked up with chopsticks was placed in Song Baoyuan's bowl.
Song Baoyuan came back to her senses and looked at her bowl, but her mind was wandering elsewhere.
She suddenly looked up, "Qiao Yue."
Qiao Yue came over.
"Go get a stack of rosin paper and give it to Master Xie."
Jiang Keyu suddenly raised her eyes, and the shrimp fell to the edge of the bowl because she didn't hold the shrimp firmly with her second chopsticks.
Trying to be as casual as possible, he couldn't help but ask, "What does this mean?"
Song Baoyuan glanced at him, scooped a bowl of soup for him, placed it next to him with a spoon, and did not intend to explain too much.
“He didn’t buy it today.”
Jiang Keyu stubbornly picked up the shrimps on the edge of the bowl, but they fell as soon as he picked them up. He gradually became impatient and his mood became more and more depressed.
When Qiao Yue, who had gone to get the rosin paper, appeared again, he looked to the side and winked at Liu'an.
Liu'an understood, quietly left the room and followed Qiao Yue.
"I'll help you!"
His enthusiasm made Qiao Yue wary, "What are you doing?"
"To help you."
Liu'an tried to snatch the tray from Qiaoyue's hand, but the latter dodged it.
"No need!" Qiao Yue gave him a look, quickened her pace, and said with disdain, "Go away!"
Liu'an smiled and followed her.
*
In the next yard, the door of the study was closed.
When Xiao Si arrived, he let out a long sigh.
He walked to the door and asked tentatively, "Master?"
"Master, are you okay?"
"At least make a sound and don't scare me, Master!"
"Don't worry." Xie Yuchao's slightly hoarse voice came from the crack of the door, "I won't commit suicide."
Xiao Si narrowed her eyes, trying to find the figure of her young master through the crack in the door.
"Master, Qiao Yue from Madam Song's side is here, looking for you."
The people in the room did not respond.
"Mrs. Song asked her to deliver the rosin paper."
The door creaked open and Xie Yuchao stood at the door hesitantly.
"Master?"
Xiao Si took a half step back, somewhat unable to understand the young master's thoughts.
Xie Yuchao ignored him, as if he had no interest in talking.
After standing there for a long while, Xie Yuchao finally reacted and walked straight to the door of his house.
Qiao Yue, who had been waiting for a long time, bowed immediately when she saw him.
"Thank you, Master. My lady asked me to bring this to you. Please accept it."
Looking at this stack of priceless rosin paper, Xie Yuchao felt mixed emotions. "Did she buy this specially?"
Qiao Yue was about to speak, but Liu'an spoke first.
"My husband usually uses rosin paper for his writing, so Miss always keeps some at home. If you need any, please let me know. We have plenty in our warehouse."
Qiao Yue suddenly opened her eyes wide and hit the person next to her hard with her elbow.
Liu'an groaned in pain, but didn't flinch. A smile remained on his face. "Also, Mr. Xie, don't be upset about losing to my husband. After all, I've been with my husband for so long, and other than the time when he deliberately gave in to please the master, I've never seen my husband lose to anyone. Since we're neighbors, there will be plenty of opportunities to play chess in the future. Just get used to it, Mr. Xie."
Xie Yuchao tightened his palms, his face expressionless, but his finger bones turned white from the exertion.
"Master Xie, don't listen to his nonsense!" Qiao Yue said anxiously, pushing Liu'an away with all her strength. "The things have been delivered, and we will leave first."
She also helped close the door and turned around to punch and kick Liu'an.
"Are you sick? What are you talking about!"
Liu'an ran away, "What did I say wrong? He just overestimated his own abilities and lost to Langjun!"
He deliberately raised his voice so that anyone on the other side of the door could definitely hear, "Don't even think about winning! The sooner you accept it and get used to it, the less uncomfortable you'll be!"
"Shut up!"
Qiao Yue pinched and beat him without mercy.
Inside the door, Xiao Si was so angry that his face turned ashen and his teeth itched, "Bah!"
He slapped the air. "It's just a lucky win in chess. What's there to be so proud of? My young master is a genius, a once-in-a-century talent. Even the late emperor praised him highly. He will become a great man in the future. How can anyone compare to him?"
Xiao Si was angry, "We will win back sooner or later!"
He turned around, "Is that right, Master?"
Xie Yuchao lowered his eyes without saying a word, then turned around and went back to the study.
"Meow."
Fubao was lying in the corner, curled up, his cries mixed with grievance and dissatisfaction.
Xie Yuchao paused, took a few steps back, picked it up, and patted its head. "Why didn't you go play next door today?"
"Meow."
Fubao complained about his grievances while snuggling into his owner's arms.
Xiao Si got even angrier when she talked about this. "There's suddenly a dog next door. How could Fubao dare to go over there?"
"Dog?" Xie Yuchao frowned.
"Yes." Xiao Si nodded, "Please listen carefully."
The faint sound of a dog barking came from the other side of the wall.
"Master, did you hear a dog barking?"
"Oh."
Fighting spirit gradually rose in Xie Yuchao's eyes, which flashed with resentment.
"There's more than just a dog next door."
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