Chapter 385: – My Little Xiao Hua

Xiao Hua was taken away after staying at the pet center for three days.

Because the injury wasn't too severe, the medicine used was good, and according to the veterinarian, Xiao Hua is still in its prime with decent recovery ability; after treating the wound and cleaning the fur, it looks about the same as usual. Come back in a few days for a check‑up to see if there's any infection or other unnoticed injuries.

Old Li is not in any life‑threatening condition, but because of his age and chronic ailments, he was asked to stay in the hospital for a few more days of observation. Not only Old Li; the other old men who were also hit were given the same requirement. Since he has company, Old Li isn't lonely, yet he thinks about Xiao Hua every day.

Having Xiao Hua is wonderful; she can be used as a towel to wipe water, as a backrest, and in winter she can warm your feet—far more useful than the woolen heated slippers the children bought. The dog is large and imposing; taking her out looks impressive, and at night there's no fear of robbery, and she protects her master in danger. What a great dog—if you don't see her for a day you miss her terribly.

They, as an old couple, don't live with their children and grandchildren; the one who spends the most time with Old Li is Xiao Hua, so even his wife has to stay in the background. The old lady has her own affairs, but the dog does not. The man and the dog never separate for meals or sleep; at night the dog lies beside their bed. Having such a big dog nearby feels especially safe, and whenever there are rumors of thieves, Old Li strokes Xiao Hua's head and sighs that keeping a dog is the best.

Old Li lay on the sickbed, looked out the window, and sighed. Unfortunately, the hospital doesn't allow dogs inside. Teacher Xiao Jiao's family once smuggled a cat in, don't think he's unaware. But Xiao Hua's size—anyone who can see can notice; you can't sneak her in.

Every day, besides convalescing and chatting idly with a few old friends, Old Li just lies in bed humming as if he has a toothache.

Old Li's wife watches and laughs, "Isn't it just that you want a dog?"

"I'll bring Xiao Hua over tomorrow," Old Li's wife said.

Old Li's humming toothache vanished instantly. "How can we bring her in? The hospital won't let dogs in."

"It's fine, I'll leave her with the hospital guard. I know a guard; just a greeting will do."

"Alright, then I'll just go down for a walk then. You can't be discharged. A short walk should be fine, right? And if you bring Xiao Hua with you, it's safe. Thieves won't dare to target you."

That day, when Zheng Tan went out for a walk, he saw Old Li's wife holding a lunchbox in one hand and leading Xiao Hua toward the affiliated hospital. When the lunchbox got heavy, she sometimes puts it on the dog's back for a while.

Is this to go see Old Li?

Besides Old Li's wife, Zheng Tan also ran into Xiao Zhuo riding a bicycle.

Xiao Zhuo is back now. She isn't in a hurry to work; with the Buddha around, whether she stays at school or does something else isn't an issue. Her main focus now is recuperation; she hasn't received post‑project‑team convalescent treatment, and after returning the therapy can't be neglected. For Zhuo Xiao Mao's sake, she also needs a proper rest.

In the mornings when Zheng Tan goes for a walk, he sometimes sees Xiao Zhuo. Xiao Zhuo receives treatment at the affiliated hospital, not needing daily visits; going every few days is enough. Zhuo Xiao Mao is obedient, and there's a nanny at home, so she doesn't have to worry.

Because Zhuo Xiao Mao is familiar with Xiao Hua, Xiao Zhuo also knows a bit about Old Li and the old lady.

After greeting Zheng Tan, Xiao Zhuo got off the bike and pushed it, walked with the old lady, and placed the lunchbox from the old lady's hand into the bike basket so she wouldn't have to carry it.

When they entered the hospital gate, Zheng Tan squatted behind the flowerbed to watch; squatting on the wall's edge didn't look good, and he recalled how people used to comment when he ran around the hospital.

The old lady chatted with the guard for a while, then tied Xiao Hua to a small patch of ground behind the guard room, letting her stay obediently there, and then walked inside with Xiao Zhuo.

The guard had been greeted, just to watch the dog, which was fine, and the area behind the guard room isn't easily seen by passing people, so it won't frighten patients. He even used a disposable paper cup to give Xiao Hua some water; she lapped a couple of sips and stopped, then lay in the shade, tongue out, breathing, eyes fixed on the direction the old lady left.

The guard sat in the guard room, watching the quiet dog behind him. Yesterday, when the old lady mentioned the name 'Xiao Hua,' he thought it was a toy breed like a Papillon or Pomeranian, but upon hearing she meant a Saint Bernard, he was stunned—an adult weighing nearly a hundred kilograms. No wonder the old lady found it difficult.

Not long after, Old Li arrived, walking quite fast, not even letting the old lady support him. From this, it seems Old Li truly has no major issues; after a few days of observation here, he should be able to go home.

When Old Li saw Xiao Hua, tears welled up; the injured spots on Xiao Hua's body had been shaved, making them very obvious.

Seeing Old Li, Xiao Hua also became happy, whining and trying to rush over, but being tethered, the rope pulled her, making her look as if she were standing.

She's already huge; standing she's taller than a person, clearly a heavy beast. If she pressed down on Old Li it would be terrifying—just two paws could keep him lying down for a while. The guard wiped sweat from his forehead several times while watching.

The old lady also knew that if Xiao Hua lunged, it would be disastrous, so she quickly tried to curb Xiao Hua's excitement.

"Xiao Hua, sit down, quickly sit!" the old lady hurried over to calm Xiao Hua.

Hearing the command, Xiao Hua sat, but still whined toward Old Li, wagging her tail vigorously.

Old Li hurried over, raised his hand, and patted Xiao Hua's head, "Xiao Hua, my little Xiao Hua! You've suffered!"

The guard in the guard room shivered, feeling goose‑bumps all over his arm. Looking again, he saw Xiao Hua licking Old Li's face, saliva dripping everywhere. Ugh, the drool of a big dog—especially one with that muzzle shape—is the most disgusting!

After thinking it over, the guard decided not to look over there any longer.

Old Li lingered with Xiao Hua for a while, then remembered something and went to find the guard. He recalled seeing a weighing scale in the guard room; the height‑measuring part was broken. No one ever repaired it, so it was left in the corner, and occasionally a few guards would step on it to see if anyone had gotten fat.

He looked, and indeed the scale was still there.

"Although measuring height is inconvenient, the weight reading is fairly accurate," the guard said.

Old Li stepped onto it and weighed himself; hmm, not bad, about the same as the hospital's check, so he untied the rope and called Xiao Hua over.

She's so big. Standing on it was a bit cramped, but since it wasn't her first time on such a scale, Xiao Hua didn't need Old Li to say more and stood steady.

"Ninety‑five kilograms. Your dog is truly…" the guard began to compliment. This dog is nearly ten kilograms heavier than the Saint Bernard owned by a friend of his, a friend who often bragged about his big, sturdy Saint Bernard. So after seeing the scale's reading, the young guard really wanted to praise it, but before he could finish his sentence, Old Li gave a look of annoyance.

"You've all lost so much weight!"

While saying that, Old Li went over, patted the dog's head, and said tenderly, "Xiao Hua, my poor Xiao Hua! You've suffered!"

Zheng Tan and the guard: "……"

This time not only the guard but also Zheng Tan trembled several times.

The guard couldn't even finish the word "good"; it got swallowed again.

Old Li can't stay outside forever; there's a routine check later and medication to take. Now that he's holding the dog, when he returns the old lady will need to give Old Li a quick clean‑up so he doesn't bring a coat of dog hair into the ward; if other patients are allergic to dog hair, that would cause problems.

With a look of reluctance, he talked to Xiao Hua, then left. Before departing, he grasped the guard's hand and solemnly said, "Comrade, I'm leaving Xiao Hua in your care."

The guard smiled a bit forcedly; the words sounded awkward. After a moment he recalled that his older brother, last week, went to his girlfriend's house to discuss the wedding, and his brother's future father‑in‑law took his brother's hand, also with a solemn expression, and said, "Jun'er, I'm entrusting my Li Zhen to you!"

After Old Li left, Xiao Hua lay behind the guard room; this time she seemed much calmer. She had been restless not seeing Old Li, but now she finally settled.

In the following days, when the old lady brought a lunchbox to visit Old Li, she would also bring Xiao Hua along.

That day, the weather forecast warned of strong winds, but in the morning it wasn't evident; the sun was absent, the wind was mild—not quite a gale—but it still dispelled much of the heat, and some children ran to play in the pool.

Old Li's wife today again carried a thermos lunchbox, leading Xiao Hua toward the affiliated hospital. The wind didn't bother her much, but she still wore a mask; when it's windy dust can rise, a mask helps.

Zheng Tan went with them, but today he wasn't heading to the hospital; he was going to the lakeside villa to see what Feng Bai Jin and Hu Zi were up to, and to snag a meal there.

The lakeside villa area has recently seen more cats; every time Zheng Tan passes by he sees cats chasing and playing. In the afternoons, you often see three or five cats napping under the willow trees, and occasionally when a fish jumps out of the lake, they perk up their ears and eyes to look.

However, even this collective lazy scene can change its tone in the next moment.

Do you know what happens when you toss a lively grasshopper into a group of cats?

Zheng Tan has tried it.

That day he happened to catch a grasshopper that leapt right in front of him; it seemed a cat had previously caught it, one leg broken and with claw marks, yet the grasshopper was still lively, jumping boldly straight onto Zheng Tan's face, apparently intending to hop over him into the nearby grass.

After catching it, Zheng Tan tossed it toward the spot under the willow where the cats were lying.

Then the previously lazy cats instantly perked up, their pupils dilating considerably.

Watching the grasshopper being fought over by five cats, Zheng Tan silently lit a candle in his heart.

When Zheng Tan came over, Feng Bai Jin was playing a game, probably one he had just created, and Zheng Tan had never seen that game before.

Hu Zi was lying on Feng Bai Jin's leg, dozing; when Feng Bai Jin moved, it grumbled twice from its nose, indicating the movement disturbed its sleep and telling Feng Bai Jin not to move around.

There's a saying—how does it go? Every homebound net‑surfing otaku, male or female, is a cat's sofa. (To be continued..)

PS: I saw the Mid‑Autumn Festival event displayed, thank you all for the mooncakes and osmanthus wine!