My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 32: Wolf or Dog?

In the days that followed, ever since returning from school, Chen Xiaomiao had become quiet and listless.

Most of the time, she would move a small stool to the balcony, rest her chin on her hand, and stare at the river view without saying a word for most of the day.

Saturday arrived in the blink of an eye. Lu Yuan was looking at his graduation thesis on the computer, but his eyes kept glancing involuntarily towards the living room.

Chen Xiaomiao has wiped the house three times.

"Little seedling".

Lu Yuan shut down his computer and sighed helplessly, "Take a break, you've practically scrubbed the floor raw."

Chen Xiaomiao straightened up, gripping the wet mop handle with one hand and wiping sweat with the other: "I'm fine, I'm just killing time anyway."

Lu Yuan knew exactly what was going on.

Although he didn't restrict Chen Xiaomiao's freedom, without a legal identity, she spent her days going back and forth between the supermarket and home, doing nothing but washing and writing.
That day, when I took Chen Xiaomiao to the university, the vibrant energy that emanated from the campus was a stark contrast to the cramped reality she was in.

Although Taoism emphasizes a pure and desireless mind, Chen Xiaomiao was only seventeen or eighteen years old, a lively and energetic age.

How can one truly be like those old Taoist priests who sit idly on their meditation cushions, their hearts as still as ancient wells...

Looks like I need to find her a companion!
Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then called out, "Since you're free, why don't you come out with me?"

"Beat! Beat! Beat!"

Chen Xiaomiao didn't ask where they were going or what they were doing. Being able to walk out of this door with Lu Yuan was the happiest thing for her.

The two drove through the city, making many turns, until they finally arrived at a bustling shantytown with a huge sign that read "Jiangcheng Flower, Bird and Pet World".

After finding a spot to park the car, Lu Yuan casually asked, "Have you ever kept any animals?"

Chen Xiaomiao nodded: "We used to have an old yellow ox in our temple. We relied on it for plowing and grinding grain. It was very intelligent! But when we fled, we couldn't take care of it. I'm afraid it was killed by the Japanese devils..."

"I'm thinking of getting a dog to bring some life to the house. But there are so many rules in the city—walking the dog, cleaning up poop, getting vaccinations—it's such a hassle. Could you help take care of it?"

"Raising cattle and raising dogs shouldn't be much different. Anyway, I'm just idling around, so I might as well do it!"

Seeing that Chen Xiaomiao was full of confidence, Lu Yuan led her along the way.

Soon, their attention was drawn to a two-month-old Border Collie puppy.

The little guy is black and white, fluffy like a ball, with bright, darting eyes that exude a cleverness.

Lu Yuan squatted down and teased it through the cage. The little guy immediately pawed at the wire mesh with excitement and responded with whimpering.

"Boss, how much is your Border Collie?" Lu Yuan asked the stall owner, looking up at the stall.

"Wow, you have a good eye, young man! This is a purebred Border Collie, with impeccable bone structure and appearance. Three thousand eight hundred, no questions asked!" The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with smiles.

Chen Xiaomiao squatted down next to Lu Yuan, carefully put her finger through the gap in the cage, and gently touched the puppy's wet nose: "Lu Yuan, what kind of dog is this? It's really cute."

"The sheepdogs that came from the Westerners are very intelligent."

"How smart?"

Lu Yuan didn't know how to explain, so he simply took out his phone, searched for a video titled "Border Collie Intelligence Overwhelms Compilation," and handed it to her.

In the video, the Border Collie opens the refrigerator, gets drinks, presses the elevator button, and even helps its owner take care of the children—all with practiced ease.

Chen Xiaomiao was so surprised by the Border Collie's intelligence that her mouth gaped slightly, but after reading it, she subtly tugged at Lu Yuan's sleeve and whispered, "Lu Yuan, let's not raise this one."

In her traditional feudal view, animals with too much intelligence are considered demons; they can be clever and understand human nature, but they absolutely cannot be too clever.

Lu Yuan was originally picking out a pet for Chen Xiaomiao, and seeing that she didn't like it, he didn't ask any more questions and simply gave up: "Okay, whatever you say."

After wandering around for a while, a Shiba Inu dozing in its cage caught Chen Xiaomiao's attention. Its yellow and white fur and its chubby, innocent face were quite endearing.

Chen Xiaomiao walked up to the Shiba Inu, squatted down, and stroked its round head through the cage.

The Shiba Inu lazily lifted its eyelids, glanced at her, and then drooped them again.

"This dog looks honest and simple-minded, which makes it quite endearing."

Chen Xiaomiao turned to Lu Yuan and asked, "What kind of dog is this?"

To avoid causing Chen Xiaomiao any trouble later, Lu Yuan frankly stated, "It came from the Japanese; it's called a Shiba Inu."

"Little devil?"

Chen Xiaomiao's expression froze instantly, as if she had been doused with a bucket of ice water.

She abruptly pulled her hand back, as if the dog hair was burning her, and got up and turned to leave.

The movements were swift and decisive, carrying an almost instinctive aversion, perfectly embodying the saying "to hate something so much that it extends to the house."

After being repeatedly rejected, the two looked at Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Corgis, and so on, but either Lu Yuan thought they weren't good enough or Chen Xiaomiao didn't find them "pleasing to the eye".

Lu Yuan was already planning to go to another market to take a look when he saw Chen Xiaomiao suddenly walk quickly towards the stall in front.

There was a two-month-old husky puppy at the stall, huddled limply in a corner of its cage, its fur dull, its ears half-erect, looking sickly and listless.

Hearing footsteps, it reluctantly opened its eyelids and lazily glanced over.

A man and a dog, their eyes locked.

"Girl, you have great taste!"

The stall owner was a scruffy-bearded middle-aged man who immediately perked up when a customer came in, spitting as he spoke.

"Don't let this little guy's listless appearance fool you; it's just because of the heat and the fact that he was just weaned and isn't used to it yet! He's got plenty of energy; look at his frame and his fur—he'll be absolutely magnificent when he grows up!"

Lu Yuan followed and took a closer look; it did indeed look quite appealing.

But his sickly appearance, as if he could die at any moment, was truly worrying.

Also, it seems to be just a string...

Lu Yuan asked directly, "What kind of mixed breed is your dog?"

The shopkeeper continued to boast: "His father is a wolfhound, intelligent, loyal, and a master at protecting his master. He's an absolute expert at guarding the house!"

"A wolfhound? I think it's just a country dog. Besides, looking at its sickly appearance, how much could it be worth?"

"Hey, young man, I don't like what you're saying. What do you mean by 'country mongrel'? That's the Chinese rural dog left by our ancestors!" After that, the two went back and forth, exchanging barbs, one asking for an exorbitant price and the other trying to bargain on the spot.

Lu Yuan insisted that the dog was sick and worthless, while the boss insisted on emphasizing its rare bloodline and unlimited potential.

Just when things were at a stalemate, Chen Xiaomiao suddenly spoke up, breaking the balance.

"Lu Yuan, I'd like to raise this one, is that alright?"

bad!
Lu Yuan had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, the boss immediately straightened his back and said in a loud voice, "Young man, I'm not trying to be mean!"

Since your girlfriend likes this little guy, a man should be more generous!
Two thousand five hundred is really not expensive; a girlfriend's happiness is priceless!

Without saying a word, Lu Yuan grabbed Chen Xiaomiao's wrist, which was teasing the dog, and turned around as if to leave: "Let's go back and buy that golden retriever we just saw. That dog is energetic and easy to raise!"

Chen Xiaomiao stumbled as Lu Yuan pulled her, and she looked back at the little guy in the cage with reluctance.

Although she was reluctant to part with him, she wouldn't argue with Lu Yuan's words.

"Hey! Hey! Don't go! The price is negotiable, negotiable!"

Seeing that the cooked duck was about to fly away, the boss chased after them and blocked their way: "Hey, young man, name your price."

"Remove a zero, 250."

"No, 1500 is fine."

"250."

"800."

"250."

"you……"

"You know your dog's condition best. It's a mixed breed and sick. It might not even live three days. If you miss out on us, you might not even earn this much money."

The boss's face flushed red and then turned pale. Lu Yuan had him completely under his thumb, and nobody knew whether the dog would survive until tomorrow.

"Okay...okay, okay!"

The boss stomped his foot and waved his hand with a pained expression: "Consider this a friendly gesture, you idiot!"

After paying the bill and leaving, Chen Xiaomiao hugged the puppy in her arms like she had found a treasure, gently scratching its soft chin with her fingers.

The little guy seemed to sense the kindness, and barely lifted his eyelids. His wet nose twitched twice, and he stuck out his pink little tongue, weakly licking Chen Xiaomiao's fingertips.

"It's itchy..."

Chen Xiaomiao giggled, her eyes crinkling, and the gloom of the past few days vanished.

Lu Yuan asked curiously, "Why did you take a liking to it?"

Chen Xiaomiao said mysteriously, "Lu Yuan, didn't you realize? This little guy isn't a dog, he's a wolf!"

"A wolf? It doesn't look like one to me..."

"How can it not look like one! You city kid, have you ever seen a wolf? You just say it doesn't look like one."

"Little Miao, have you ever seen a wolf?"

The excitement on Chen Xiaomiao's face vanished abruptly, and the cub in her arms seemed to sense her change in mood, letting out an uneasy whimper.

"On the way we fled famine that year..."

Chen Xiaomiao began to recount: "The battle was so fierce that everyone ran away, the village was empty, the land was abandoned, and places without people are prone to wolf attacks."

Once, I was so hungry that my vision went black and I was staggering when I suddenly saw an old wolf.

The old wolf was covered in wounds, with several patches of baldness, and it was limping. It looked even worse than me. I guessed it had lost a fight in the wolf pack and been driven out.

It stared at me, and I stared back at it. I still remember its eyes—fierce, ruthless, and glowing green with hunger.

I immediately thought, "That's it, I'm going to be wolf food now."

But I didn't even have the strength to run, so I just stood there, waiting.

"And then?" Lu Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"Then……"

Chen Xiaomiao let out a long breath: "It pounced on me, and I was so scared that I closed my eyes. But after a while, I didn't feel any pain, and then I heard a 'plop' sound."

I opened my eyes and saw that it had fallen to my feet. It was too badly injured and had died!

Thanks to its flesh, I survived for another month or so..."

After Chen Xiaomiao finished speaking, she remained silent for a while before looking back at the little one in her arms.

"The moment I glanced at it, it felt like I was seeing an old friend..."

Lu Yuan didn't refute, but reached out and gently patted Chen Xiaomiao's head, his movements softer than usual: "Since we've already bought it, let's give it a name first?"

Chen Xiaomiao pondered, "You bought it for 250 yuan... why don't we just call it '250'?"

Lu Yuan nodded in agreement: "That's right, it's easy to pronounce and remember."

"Two hundred and fifty! Two hundred and fifty?"

Chen Xiaomiao called out several times.

Just then, the little guy let out a soft whimper, as if confirming his new name.

　The update time tomorrow should be changed to 12 noon.

　　I'm adjusting my sleep schedule recently, please excuse me.

　　Finally, as usual, I'm asking for some monthly votes and recommendations to keep reading. Hope that works out...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)