Chapter Seventeen: Goat's Milk

“Heiwa, Xiao Jin, come out quickly!”

“I’ve brought you something tasty…”

Chen Ling stepped into the courtyard and called out.

The noisy little rascals behind him suddenly fell silent, exchanging glances with one another.

Liuni’er asked, “Uncle Fugui, the puppies are only a few days old. If you call them, can they really understand?”

No sooner had she spoken than a clear, childish “woof woof woof” came from inside the house.

Then, beneath the doorway curtain, two little heads—one black, one golden—popped out.

Heiwa and Xiao Jin had already spotted Chen Ling and barked even more eagerly.

Wagging their tiny tails, they struggled over the threshold and then tottered toward Chen Ling.

Chen Ling smiled and scooped the two little ones into his arms.

The pups immediately whimpered and snuggled, wriggling in his embrace as if searching for food.

Seeing this, Liuni’er and her friends were stunned, mouths agape and eyes wide with surprise.

“Wow, no wonder Aunt Susu told me that the two puppies are so close to Uncle Fugui!”

“So, the puppies think of Uncle Fugui as their father and mother.”

“Look, they’re searching for milk in Uncle Fugui’s arms.”

“Hehe, I heard my mom say that puppies, kittens, chicks, and ducklings, as soon as they open their eyes, will treat whoever they see as their parents.”

“I didn’t quite believe it before, but now I do.”

“With Uncle Fugui around, the puppies aren’t afraid of us anymore.”

Chen Ling’s face immediately fell. These little troublemakers—why did their words have to be so unflattering?

Wang Susu, who had just come in, overheard the conversation and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Seeing Chen Ling’s glum expression, the young wife’s eyes sparkled with amusement.

“Susu, come over and feed Heiwa and Xiao Jin.”

Chen Ling called to her.

“Huh?”

“Feed them?”

Wang Susu paused, holding a wine jar in her arms, utterly puzzled.

Why was Aling asking her to feed the puppies?

She wondered if he was displeased with her laughter and was trying to embarrass her.

But then Chen Ling said, “Not ‘feeding milk’ as you think. These little guys are only three or four days old; their stomachs are very delicate. If we feed them whatever we eat, it’ll upset them.”

“This jar you’re holding is goat’s milk I bought for them in the county town.”

“Our two pups are strong and healthy. If we feed them goat’s milk for half a month or twenty days, they can be weaned.”

As he spoke, Chen Ling crouched down with the pups and glanced up at her.

Seeing her still dazed, he added, “Don’t just stand there, Susu. Open the jar and pour a little into a bowl.”

“Use the two small bowls by the tree pit behind you—use the ones we fed them gruel from yesterday, not the ones for water.”

Only then did Wang Susu realize her mistake and blushed deeply.

Holding the jar softly, she murmured, “There’s milk in this jar? I thought it was the wine you made.”

She opened the lid and sniffed gently; sure enough, it was milk.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but this goat’s milk wasn’t gamey; it had a unique fragrant aroma.

Chen Ling laughed, “Haha, it is a wine jar after all. You mistaking it for wine is understandable—I should have explained better.”

He had discovered the goat’s milk when he visited a peanut oil shop and learned the owner’s goat had just given birth.

He remembered his own two newborn puppies. Though nurtured by water from the cave, they were still nursing.

Feeding human food to unweaned puppies isn’t good for them.

So he had bought over a pound of goat’s milk.

He took two wine jars from the oil shop owner’s house, mixed in some spring water from the cave, and divided it into two jars of goat’s milk.

This was just one of those jars.

“Aunt Susu, here’s your little bowl.”

A girl in a red cotton jacket handed a small bowl to Wang Susu.

She looked at her eagerly, waiting for her to feed the puppies.

Liuni’er and the other little rascals also stared eagerly, barely able to contain themselves.

“Oh, Xizi is such a good girl. Just put the bowl by Aunt Susu’s feet.”

Wang Susu praised the little girl, still holding the jar.

The girl’s cheeks flushed with pride, and she shyly placed the bowl on the ground, beaming.

“Susu, pour the milk and feed them. You should feed them several times a day from now on…”

“Otherwise, Heiwa and Xiao Jin will cling to me all the time. As their owner, you’ve prepared their beds and cleaned up after them. You’re so good to them, they should be closer to you.”

Chen Ling said with a smile, then set the two pups down.

Wang Susu nodded, smiling in agreement.

She truly understood what Chen Ling meant.

A puppy’s memories during the nursing period shape them deeply.

Through your actions, they know who feeds them and nurtures them…

Repeated enough times, they recognize who their owners are.

She had grown up with a dog at home.

That dog had accompanied her through childhood and, when she entered middle school, would walk her to and from school every day.

She had to walk ten miles over mountain paths to attend school in town.

Without that big yellow dog by her side, she would sometimes have been too afraid to go home when there were few passersby.

To her, that dog had become an irreplaceable family member.

Sadly, as she grew up, the dog passed away of old age, and she mourned for a long time.

“Heiwa, Xiao Jin, come eat!”

Wang Susu poured milk into the small bowl and pushed it in front of the two puppies.

Heiwa and Xiao Jin, crouching at Chen Ling’s feet and biting his pant legs, suddenly caught a familiar yet strange scent.

They wagged their tails and ran over to the bowl.

The little pups sniffed, then cautiously licked the milk with their tiny tongues, finding it incredibly delicious.

Without hesitation, they began eagerly lapping up the milk, and soon the bowl was empty.

Liuni’er and the gang of little rascals watched silently, holding their breath and staring without blinking, as if afraid to disturb the pups.

Only after Heiwa and Xiao Jin had licked the bowl clean did they turn their faces, clearly wanting more, and sighed with delight.

Liuni’er then turned to Chen Ling and requested, “Uncle Fugui, pour another bowl. Look, the puppies haven’t had enough.”

What puppies haven’t had enough? It’s clearly you who hasn’t seen enough.

Chen Ling shot her a look. “It’s already dark. Hurry home. I’ll have dinner ready, and if you’re not back, I’ll have to give you a scolding.”

Unexpectedly, the boy sniffled and grinned sheepishly. “Hehe, I’m going up the mountain. Won’t be around these two days!”

“Going up the mountain?”

Chen Ling was puzzled. “What’s Xian doing up there?”

“I’m going hunting in the mountains!”