After five days of raising Pangpang, everyone at the company knew I had struck it lucky and found a very expensive Czech Wolfdog.
That afternoon, while I was typing on the keyboard and focusing on the data, Minister Lin walked over to my workstation. I greeted her and continued with what I was doing.
I originally thought she was just here to check on the work, but to my surprise, she stood there without moving. By the time I was almost done processing a few hundred data points, she waved her finger at me.
It seemed like she wanted to share something in secret. Was she about to offer me a raise?
With that hopeful thought in mind, I followed her to a private office. After closing the door, she invited me to sit on the sofa and poured me a cup of lemon tea.
"Minister, is there something I can help with?"
"It's not work-related, but I have something personal I could use your help with," she replied.
So it wasn't a salary increase. I felt a brief sense of disappointment, but I hid it and asked, "Minister, I may not be capable of much, but I'll try my best if I can help. What's the matter?"
Minister Lin took out her phone and showed me a picture of an adorable Beagle.
She explained that the dog belonged to a relative, but since the relative would be away visiting family for half a month, they were hoping I could look after it.
Minister Lin has a cat at home, so it wasn't convenient for her to care for the dog. She had considered leaving it at a pet store, but her relative wasn't comfortable with that.
Since I had recently adopted a dog, she hoped I could take the Beagle in as well. It wouldn't be free, though — she'd pay me eight hundred yuan and had already prepared the dog's supplies, so I wouldn't need to spend anything extra.
From what I gathered, the arrangement was purely about labor, and I would still earn some money.
"Minister, I still have work to do, so I may not be able to spend the whole day with the dog."
"That's fine. Also, my aunt's Beagle is quite mischievous. Your big dog should be able to keep it in line."
"…"
From her last sentence, I could sense a hidden implication.
The Beagle was widely known for its mischief, and there was even a victim's alliance online. It seemed like they couldn't find anyone else to help out, so they had turned to me.
I told her I'd think about it overnight. Minister Lin didn't pressure me and said she'd wait for my response.
That afternoon, after buying groceries, I came home and saw Pangpang, as usual, waiting for me at the door.
The weather had dropped below freezing, so I was wearing thicker clothes. I took off my snow boots, turned on the heater, and was about to head to the kitchen with my bags when Pangpang had already grabbed the grocery bag in his mouth.
Putting on my apron, I washed my hands and said, "Pangpang."
The dog leaned against my leg and looked up at me, waiting for what I would say next. He never made a sound, and sometimes when the house was really quiet, I felt like I was the only living creature around.
I had bought pre-cut meat that didn't require washing, so all I had to do was prepare the vegetables.
I sliced a large bell pepper into strips and said, "This Saturday, I'll take you to Dr. Lv for a checkup, then we'll go get a bath."
Pangpang rubbed his head against my thigh, and his ears twitched back and forth as he did so.
I was still thinking about whether to take in the Beagle. If I helped out with this, it might make it easier for me to ask for time off from Minister Lin in the future. She would probably be more lenient.
Helping my boss would help me in the long run, as Minister Lin was someone who appreciated favors.
Looking at it from all angles, agreeing to help seemed like a good deal.
The only concern was that I wasn't exactly an expert in dog care. Could I handle the Beagle, the so-called "big boss" of dogs? Pangpang and I didn't really go through a period of getting used to each other, but that didn't mean I was a dog expert; it was just that Pangpang was easy to care for.
What if something went wrong with the Beagle in my care? That would definitely make my relationship with my boss awkward.
I wasn't sure how Pangpang would react to another dog either. If he didn't accept it and ended up hurting the Beagle, I'd be in an even worse spot.
As these thoughts swirled in my mind, I finished making dinner and went to the dining room to eat with Pangpang.
Later that evening, when I went out for a walk in the cold wind, I was still debating whether to take on this task.
To test Pangpang, I deliberately took him on a walk down a street where there were many dogs. True to the calm and aloof demeanor of a big dog, he didn't even glance at the small dogs barking at him, walking steadily by my side without a care.
A girl holding a Chihuahua walked up to me. Her rosy cheeks looked especially adorable in the winter night.
"Hello, your dog is so handsome! What breed is it?"
"It's a Czech Wolfdog. His name is Pangpang."
"Hahaha, what a cute name!"
Perfect timing to see Pangpang's reaction. I chatted with the girl for a bit, and Pangpang didn't seem to mind her presence. However, when she tried to pet him, he skillfully avoided her hand.
But he didn't seem to be scared; he just wasn't keen on being touched. The girl wasn't offended and laughed, saying how impressive it is that large dogs really choose their owners.
I took the Chihuahua from the girl's hands. The little dog was calm and didn't squirm around in my palm. It was a well-behaved little female dog.
I couldn't help but smile at how cute it was. Pangpang, sitting next to me, looked up at me and bared his teeth in the muzzle.
Carefully, I brought the Chihuahua closer to Pangpang and said, "No showing your teeth, no being fierce. Just a little introduction."
The Chihuahua, facing a dog much bigger than herself, backed away a bit, but when she saw Pangpang wasn't attacking, she actually started barking at him.
"Woof woof woof!"
Pangpang didn't seem to mind the little dog's barking. After the girl picked up her dog and waved goodbye, I was left thinking that Pangpang could probably accept Haipi, the Beagle.
"Listen, I have something to announce."
After bringing him back home, I sat on the low stool in the hallway, wiping his paws while talking to him.
Pangpang sat still, and I gently rubbed the pads on his left front paw. He yawned, and his ears flattened into airplane ears.
"My boss's relative is going on a trip, and they have a Beagle named Haipi. It's coming to stay with us for about half a month. As the big brother, you need to set a good example and take care of your little brother."
I wasn't sure if he understood, but Pangpang's ears perked up, as if he was listening carefully to everything I said.
To make the house look a little more spacious, I tidied up and folded some delivery boxes, waiting for the recycling lady to pick them up on Sunday, hoping to make a few extra bucks.
The next day, I told Minister Lin at work that I could help look after the dog.
She sighed with relief and said that was great. She would drive the dog and its supplies to the company dormitory at 8 PM that evening.
Minister Lin and I went over all the details about her relative's Beagle. It had received all its vaccinations, deworming was done, and it only needed a walk once in the evening.
The dog could eat dog food or a mix of raw bones, meat, and vegetables with frozen nutrition meals. There was also a meal plan for the next half month that I could follow.
The only thing to watch out for was that Haipi, the Beagle, loved to bark, and its bark was quite unpleasant. Sometimes, it also had a habit of destroying things when it felt like it.
If I wasn't home, I could put Haipi in a crate to avoid the house becoming a disaster zone.
When Minister Lin mentioned that Haipi was four years old and then asked how old Pangpang was, I found myself at a loss.
I had no idea how old Pangpang was. Could Dr. Lv possibly figure it out?
After leaving Minister Lin's office, I sat at my workstation, thinking about Pangpang's age.
Unable to figure it out, I texted Dr. Lv to ask about Pangpang's age. Not long after, I received a reply with a number that left me bewildered.
Wasn't that incredibly old? But looking at Pangpang's movements and appearance, he seemed calm like an older dog, yet not lethargic at all. He was still very agile.
Soon, the message was deleted, and Dr. Lv sent an embarrassed bear emoji. She said, "Probably about one and a half years old."
Turns out, Pangpang was one and a half years old.
So, Haipi, who was coming to stay with us, was actually the older brother, and Pangpang was the younger brother.