"Er Pang, I recall you mentioned that your dad found a lame old wolf while hunting in the mountains half a year ago. Is that old wolf still around?"
Just as day was breaking, Feng Qing'an called together his group of followers, all village children who liked playing with him. This had nothing to do with his older brother—he wasn't capable of achieving anything substantial, but when it came to managing the younger kids, he had no problems reigning as the king of children in the village.
"Of course it's still around! That old wolf is now well-fed by my dad. Its fur is shining."
Upon hearing Feng Qing'an's question, Er Pang, who had come over early in the morning to play, cheerfully answered.
He was unable to enter Feng family's residence the previous day. He only managed to pig out during Feng family's feast and was reprimanded by his dad when he got home. But today, he was elated when he heard Feng Qing'an call out to him.
"Your family's raising that old wolf for breeding purposes, right?"
Feng Qing'an probed further.
Shili Fengjiagang bordered mountains and rivers, meaning many villagers made a living from these natural resources. Feng Qing'an's playmate's father happened to be one of the top hunters in the village.
"That's correct, my dad even found three she-dogs for that old wolf. That wolf now lives even more comfortably than we do."
As he said this, Er Pang's eyes reflected his envy. This dog of theirs was old and had been chased away from his pack in the mountains before being rescued by his dad.
Now, it led a leisurely life in his home—eating heartily, sleeping forever, and leading a leisurely later life breeding after it woke up. How many people could live this kind of comfortable life?
"Half a year has gone by. Your family must have quite a few puppies by now."
Feng Qing'an asked this with quite some concern. He was still a child who couldn't go far from home. In the village, there were limited types of pets one could keep. Those who understood human language, could communicate with humans and were good listeners were even fewer. He wanted to keep a dog."
However, it mattered which breed of dog to raise. There wasn't much choice either. The village had watchdogs, but also wolf dogs that could assist in hunting.
Previously, he had thought of the wolf dogs at his friend's place. He had seen them a few times and found them quite majestic, but he had never considered keeping one himself.
The reason was simple: he couldn't afford it. Guard dogs were low-maintenance and just needed to survive, but hunting dogs needed meat every few days. Under the right conditions, they should eat meat with every meal.
Even among dogs from the same litter, one that had a mixed diet and another that ate meat daily would grow up to have a size difference of over one-fold. If they fought, the latter would have an overwhelming advantage.
But it was different now. His family was becoming wealthy. Keeping a dog wasn't a big deal. However, he couldn't discuss this with his parents yet. He would have to take action first and report later. His parents' mindset hadn't caught up with their newfound wealth. Even though they now lived in a two-story courtyard house, they still led frugal lives.
"We've had several litters already. There was another new litter two days ago. Their eyes haven't even opened yet. Mr. An, do you want to raise one?"
The straightforward Er Pang understood Feng Qing'an's intentions once he asked the question.
"If you want one, I can bring you over to choose now. Whichever one you fancy, you can have!"
"Hmm, I do want to raise one!"
Feng Qing'an nodded in agreement.
"Let's go, to my house!"
Seeing Feng Qing'an agreed with a nod, Er Pang was overjoyed and pulled him toward his house. The group of young rascals that had been following Feng Qing'an from early in the morning also excitedly followed suit. Their faces beamed with excitement, making it seem as if they were the ones getting a puppy.
"Dad, Mom! Mr. An is here. He wants to get a dog, so I brought him here to choose one!"
Just as he entered the house, Er Pang shouted loudly, his words filled with pride as if he had done something quite remarkable. When his mother, who was meticulously screening something in a winnowing fan, heard him, she promptly came out of the house. Upon seeing Feng Qing'an, her face revealed a gentle smile.
"Young Master Qing'an, come in quickly!"
"Aunt Wang!"
Feng Qing'an greeted with a brilliant smile. He looked at the woman who seemed more respectful and cautious than his memory and said what he had come for.
"I want to raise a dog. Er Pang mentioned that your dogs just had a litter of puppies, so I came to take a look!"
"Alright, good. Er Pang, quickly take Mr. An to see the dogs!"
"Where's my dad?"
At this point, Er Pang hesitated.
"Your dad went out and won't be back for a while. Why are you looking for him?"
"I don't know how to evaluate dogs. In my eyes, all the puppies look the same. Mr. An wants to raise a dog, we need to choose the best one for him!"
Ey Pang scratched his head, replying with a silly grin on his face.
"What's there to worry about? Take Mr. An to see the dogs first. When your dad comes back, we can have him choose the best one."
"Good! Mr. An, let's go to the backyard."
A group of preteens, at that age that's generally pretty exasperating, swarmed into the backyard. This scene that should normally elicit irritation and annoyances brought a smile to Aunt Wang's face.
Feng Qing'an's family was becoming rich. Great wealth was just around the corner. Even she, a countrywoman who couldn't even recognize words, could envision this future.
As for Feng Qing'an, as the younger brother of the top scholar, he would be a noble person in the future, someone her family could not hope to match. At this moment, her son was able to play with the future noble, which was a kind of relationship. Regardless of wealth, as long as Qing'an remembered Er Pang, perhaps this could secure his food and clothing in the future.
"Mr. An, look, this is the old wolf that my dad originally picked up. My dad said that this old wolf used to be the king of the mountain wolf pack!"
As soon as Feng Qing'an entered the backyard, he saw that the corner of the yard was a…
"Is this that old wolf?"
Looking at the plump creature that seemed a bit silly, particularly its indifferent expression, Feng Qing'an couldn't help but confirm with Er Pang beside him. If he hadn't known that he was reincarnated, he would have thought he'd run into the 'two dummies' from the sled.
"It's that old wolf, Mr. An. Didn't I show it to you?"
"I've seen it once, but was it not like this."
Feng Qing'an thought of the thin, limping creature he first saw, its dull, gray, and unkempt fur. Even though it had been chained up, its fierce eyes and oppressive presence had left the children too scared to approach.
"If it still looked like when it first came, my dad would have killed it with a club. We've been treating it very well."
Er Pang replied nonchalantly. He wasn't frightened by the mountain wolf and strolled over to it, crouched down, and deftly stroked its slick fur.