Chapter 11: The German Shepherd Who Understands Human Nature

Zhao Weimin gently stroked the dog’s head and held it tightly in his arms. His pace quickened noticeably as he made his way home.

When he arrived, Lin Qian was still awake. She sat by the fading embers of the charcoal fire, warming her hands. Seeing Zhao Weimin return, her previously expressionless face broke into a smile. She hurriedly stood to greet him, about to speak, but then noticed the small dog cradled in his arms.

“What’s this?” Lin Qian asked in surprise. “Where did the dog come from?”

“I found it,” he replied, gently nudging the puppy into Lin Qian’s lap. “I’ve named it Dou Dou.”

Lin Qian was momentarily stunned, then hesitated, looking somewhat troubled. “Can we really afford to keep a dog right now?”

In these hard times, it wasn’t just dogs—people themselves were struggling to find enough to eat, let alone care for animals. In the Beiling area, some had kept dogs before, but when starvation hit, they were hunted for food. For a long time, it was rare to see any dogs guarding homes around there. Only the village party secretary, Zhao Dabao, still had a large wolfdog, though it was nothing but skin and bones from hunger.

This little dog wouldn’t consume much grain, but it was still hard to part with. Zhao Weimin, however, brushed off the concern. “This isn’t just any dog. It’s a shepherd dog, excellent at hunting too.”

“Are you planning to take it hunting with us up the mountain?” Lin Qian glanced again at the tiny Dou Dou in his arms. “It’s so small; who knows how long it will take before it can actually help?”

“That’s the special thing about shepherd dogs,” he said. “Though it’s small now, it won’t hold back when chasing prey.”

With that, he placed Dou Dou near the charcoal fire. The warmth coaxed the curled-up puppy to stretch out. Though only a few months old, it was already the size of a small chow chow, albeit a bit thin. It was likely it hadn’t eaten properly since birth and had been abandoned in the snow. Fortunately, its limbs were strong and its eyes bright.

At that moment, Dou Dou suddenly sniffed the air and fixed its gaze on the nearby venison. It seemed mesmerized, drooling without even realizing it. Yet despite its appetite, it didn’t try to sneak a bite.

Lin Qian laughed softly. “It’s quite sensible. Weimin, should we feed it something?”

“There’s only venison at home, so let’s feed it that.”

“Alright, such a small dog won’t eat much anyway.” Lin Qian picked up the hunter’s knife.

She cut a piece of raw meat from the venison and held it to Dou Dou’s mouth. The bloody, uncooked meat looked unappetizing, but for a dog, it was fine. Zhao Weimin intended to train Dou Dou as a hunting dog, so it needed to develop a taste for raw meat from early on.

Dou Dou sniffed the meat with its moist nose, then looked up at Zhao Weimin with pleading eyes, as if asking for permission. This German Shepherd was truly intelligent—already aware of who had saved and owned it.

Zhao Weimin smiled. “Go ahead and eat.”

As if understanding, Dou Dou let out a soft bark and bit into the venison. Its sharp little teeth tore the meat easily. The raw flesh was a delicacy to the puppy, and in no time, it devoured every morsel.

“That little guy sure can eat,” Lin Qian chuckled, covering her mouth. “Want to give it another piece?”

“No need. It hasn’t eaten for a long time and could eat whatever we give it. The only worry is overfeeding.”

Puppies don’t know when to stop eating; too much food could be fatal. Small, frequent meals were best for rebuilding its health.

After the meal, Dou Dou’s energy visibly improved. Where it had once lain listless, it now stood up, mouth open as if smiling. Its white and black tail wagged furiously at Zhao Weimin, then it moved over to Lin Qian, rubbing its head against her leg to show affection and submission.

Clearly, it had accepted them as its owners.

“Dou Dou,” Lin Qian called softly.

The puppy responded with two gentle barks, not yet the loud, commanding tone of an adult German Shepherd. Those two little barks made Lin Qian burst into laughter. “Such a clever little one! It remembered its name right away—it’s too smart!”

Lin Qian, who had been hesitant about raising a puppy, was now utterly charmed by the adorable creature.

Zhao Weimin hadn’t expected Dou Dou to be so intelligent either. They had plans to go hunting in the coming days; he was curious to see how the puppy would perform.

“By the way, dear, tomorrow we’ll go to the supply cooperative to get some firewood and pick up some salt. We have almost nothing left at home.”

Lin Qian, playing with Dou Dou, nodded. “Alright, we’ll go early tomorrow.”

“In a few days, I’ll repair this cabin. Otherwise, the cold at night will be unbearable.”

As he spoke, a cold wind blew through the holes in the wooden walls. Sitting near the charcoal fire, the chill was bearable, but once the embers died, the cabin was almost like an ice cellar. If it rained in winter, it would be even worse.

The cabin was poorly insulated; a brick house would be far better. Adding insulating cotton would make it warm in winter and cool in summer. If they could even install heating, winter wouldn’t be such a hardship.

“Let’s get some rest.”

...

The next morning, the couple rose early. Lin Qian gave Dou Dou a piece of venison. “Eat up, then guard the house. If anyone comes, scare them off, okay?”

“Woof woof,” Dou Dou responded enthusiastically, its tail wagging so fast it seemed ready to take flight.

“Eat,” Zhao Weimin ordered.

Dou Dou obediently picked up the meat and trotted over to a corner to eat.

“We need to find it a regular spot to eat,” Lin Qian said. “It can’t just eat anywhere—there has to be rules.”

“Right. You handle that. Bring me the backpack and some more venison.”

“All set. Let’s go.”

Snow had piled up along the path down the mountain, but the trip wasn’t far. Upon reaching the supply cooperative, the couple spotted Zhao Dajun, Zhao Weimin’s elder brother.

Zhao Dajun was a sturdy man, about 1.76 meters tall. In these starving, ragged times, having such a physique was exceptional. His strong build made him quite popular. By contrast, Zhao Weimin, though slightly taller, was nowhere near as robust.

Zhao Dajun carried a hunting rifle, attracting a crowd of young women nearby.

“Weimin, that’s your brother!” Lin Qian gripped Zhao Weimin’s arm tightly, her voice tense. “Maybe we should come back later?”

“What’s there to fear?”

“I’m not scared. I just don’t want you two to clash!”

“I’m more worried he won’t pick a fight. Let’s go,” Zhao Weimin said, pulling Lin Qian toward the cooperative. The venison in the backpack was plainly visible, unhidden.

The journey was about to take an unexpected turn.