Chapter 21: Commended for Saving a Life
“Alright, alright, this is a Qinglang dog. Are you interested in buying it?”
Hmm, this old man is a bit cheeky. What if my hands start itching suddenly?
“Cough, cough, you haven’t even mentioned the price yet. How am I supposed to buy it?”
The old man didn’t want to waste time trading words with a young fellow; he was eager to sell the dog and get home to use the money urgently.
They went back and forth, and the old man was cornered, finally blurting out: “This dog sells for twenty-five. If you want to buy, it’s fifteen per dog. Take it or leave it. If you don’t want it, then move along.”
That was clearly a way to shoo him away. The old man didn’t expect Su Yu to have money. After all, these two young lads looked like rural kids born and raised in the countryside. Could they really afford fifteen yuan? In the countryside, workers earn points, and after food expenses, they might only take home two yuan a month. Only someone like Su Yu’s father, who worked a formal job, might earn a dozen yuan a month, but that was still a monthly salary.
“Fifteen yuan a dog? Are you crazy? Why sell a dog for so much?”
At this moment, a few men nearby watching the scene chimed in: “Hey, young man, don’t speak out of turn. This old man’s dog is at most three months old, selling for twenty-five now. If you wait a few more months, seventy or eighty yuan would be normal. Do you think a good hunting dog is easy to come by?”
“That’s right, this dog is only two or three months old. If you buy it now, you still need to raise and train it for at least half a year. That’s why it’s only twenty-five. A six-month-old dog that’s ready to use? You won’t find one for twenty-five or even forty-five.”
The old man, hearing the others back him up, was quite pleased, thinking, “See? Now you know I wasn’t bluffing.”
“Alright, fifteen it is. Here’s the money. I’ll pick one.”
No one expected this chatterbox kid to actually pay up. The old man was caught in a dilemma — to accept meant selling too cheaply; to refuse was to lose face publicly. Finally, he glanced at the boy, thinking he didn’t know the value and decided to sell him one.
Clenching his teeth, he took the fifteen yuan.
Su Yu hadn’t expected the old man to keep his word. He had prepared some teasing remarks but found them stuck in his throat.
“Okay, I’ll choose now.”
As soon as he said this, several burly men around started pointing and commenting, afraid he wouldn’t pick a good dog. The old man was furious and waved them away.
People can never stand to see others prosper; they revel in others’ misfortune.
But Su Yu didn’t need their help. Though he wasn’t an expert on dogs, he had memories from a past life and Tiger nearby — his grandfather was a hunter.
These hunting dogs were divided into two types: “head-up scenting” and “head-down scenting.” The “head-up scenting” dogs were the best, able to detect prey through the air. The “head-down scenting” dogs tracked prey by following signs like droppings, footprints, blood, and urine.
In other words, “head-up scenting” dogs could do everything “head-down scenting” dogs could, but not vice versa.
Su Yu examined the dogs using their wet noses, bone structure, and eyes to pick the one he felt most drawn to.
Tiger, though a novice, could tell from the old man’s expression that Su Yu had likely chosen well.
Without wasting words, Su Yu took the dog and left the market with Tiger, fearing the old man might change his mind.
---
The old man was truly fuming. If the boy hadn’t left so quickly, he might have lost control. “He said he knew nothing, then picked the best one? What nonsense is that?”
Su Yu was oblivious. With the dog in hand, he and Tiger left the market and headed to the town’s supply cooperative.
Su Yu still had three yuan left and didn’t buy anything else except some candy and snacks for his little sister. The rest of the money went into buying canned food — fish and fruit cans.
“Yu Ge, why did you buy so much? Did you spend all three yuan?”
“You’re no better; you bought quite a bit too.”
The two laughed as they returned to the village, returned the bicycle, and went their separate ways.
Su Yu held his sister, who cradled the dog, while he carried the rest of the things, heading home.
“San Guo, what’s the dog’s name?”
Su Yu paused, realizing he needed to name the dog.
“Well, it looks kind of dull gray, so let’s call it Blackie.”
This puzzled Su Jing. What did dull gray have to do with Blackie?
But the kids didn’t care and went off to play with Blackie.
They didn’t even ask about the other things Su Yu was carrying; their eyes were all on the dog.
Su Yu put the things down and began building a doghouse for Blackie.
The little girl helped alongside him, working together to build a home for Blackie.
Before long, their mother and older brother returned from work.
Entering the house, they immediately saw Su Yu building the doghouse and the little girl holding a fluffy creature. Looking closely, it was indeed a dog.
“Where did you get the dog? Wait, isn’t this a Qinglang dog? Where did it come from?”
His older brother, having spent time outside, had better knowledge, unlike Su Yu who casually spent fifteen yuan on a dog.
“We went to town to sell hides with Tiger and bought the dog. It’ll be used for hunting in the mountains.”
Their mother frowned and murmured, “What a spendthrift. The family can barely afford food, and you want to raise a dog? What will you feed it?”
Uh…
“No worries. Let it learn to eat feces first; we’ll improve its diet slowly afterward.”
The little sister hugged the dog tightly and shouted, “No way! How can Blackie eat poop? San Guo, you’re so mean!”
Su Yu was speechless, thinking Blackie would probably eat it if he could; it’s a habit he couldn’t break. Seeing his sister’s innocent eyes, he decided not to tell her the truth.
---
Their mother said nothing, tacitly agreeing to the plan to let Blackie eat feces for now, then went back inside. Soon after, she returned.
“Why did you buy so much food? Where’s the money? Did you spend it all?”
“Yes, it’s for my little sister. She’s eight, her hair is dry and yellowish, her face pale. She’s malnourished and needs nourishment.”
She looked at Su Yu. Since it was for his sister, she didn’t say more and turned toward the kitchen.
Hearing that San Guo bought food for her, the little girl went back to her room. Under the watchful eye of their fourth brother, they began dividing the treats. Before long, their mother stopped the fun, giving each three candies and confiscating the rest.
Soon it was noon. The family gathered around the table for a meal. Su Yu gave the little girl and fourth brother each a piece of cake.
They ate with relish. For lunch, they had leftovers from yesterday’s stew, with plenty of meat broth still left.
The older brother remained silent. Others might not understand the value of the dog, but he did. However, he kept quiet; if he spoke up, the meal might be ruined.
“Su Yu, are you home?”
Just after finishing the meal, Su Dayong’s voice came through — no doubt he was here to invite Su Yu to the mountain.
The reason Su Yu dared to buy a dog despite the family’s hardships was because he had a system that could continuously supply him with hunted game — a secret he kept to himself.
Su Dayong entered, and soon outside, there was the sound of drums and firecrackers.
“What’s going on? Is someone having a celebration?”
The fourth brother darted out and shortly returned.
“Third brother, the village head is leading everyone to our house. Hurry and go see. They’re here for us.”
Hearing it was for their family, Liu Yuzhi stopped eating, put down her bowl and chopsticks, and went out, followed by Su Sheng, Su Yu, and Su Dayong.
“Hey, Brother Huang, what’s this about?”
The visitors were indeed Huang Hongsheng’s eldest and youngest sons, along with his sister, and even the village head of Huangjia Village was present, holding a basket containing a pig’s head — though it looked like a wild boar’s head, stripped of fur.
Huang Su’e was carrying two fish. There were drummers and gong players.
“Haha, brother, I came to thank you. Thank you for saving my father. This is a small gift; please accept it.”
The village head of Sanshui Bay was also there, walking over, nodding appreciatively, and patting Su Yu on the shoulder, murmuring, “Well done for risking yourself to save others. Very good, very good.”
Everyone was exchanging compliments. The family rarely interacted with villagers about personal matters, so it was only today that the mother learned this reckless boy had once saved lives in the mountains.