The Second Young Master’s Obedient Husband : Chapter 56

The two little things had no names. Su Qingyu thought for a long time before finally naming them. One was called Tuantuan, and the other was called Yuanyuan. Tuantuan had darker fur, while Yuanyuan’s was lighter. After calling them by these names for a while, the two little things learned to recognize their own names. They would come running when called, wagging their tails and jumping up on him.

Life on the mountain suddenly became much more lively.

In the morning when Su Qingyu got up to cook, the two little things would follow around his feet, incredibly clingy. When he fed them, even though there were two bowls, they had to squeeze both their heads into one bowl, eating with loud smacking sounds. Only after finishing one bowl would they eat from the other together. Su Qingyu laughed watching them.

After eating, the two little ones would chase each other around the courtyard, running happily on their short little legs. They would tumble and roll into a ball as they ran.

When Su Qingyu did his embroidery, they would lie at his feet sunbathing, occasionally taking a little nap, occasionally chasing their own tails in circles. Su Qingyu would look down at them and couldn’t help smiling, nearly pricking his hand with the embroidery needle.

In the evening when Liang Yu was processing game in the courtyard, the two puppies would gather around and watch, both scared and curious. They would lean in to sniff, then back away, their eyes wide and round. After staying alert for a while and finding nothing wrong, they would lean in again to lick the blood dripping from the prey, looking incredibly greedy.

When Liang Yu went out with Shanfeng, the two little things sometimes ran after Liang Yu too. With their short legs they ran slowly, and soon they were left behind. They would whine and run back, rubbing against Su Qingyu’s feet and acting spoiled.

Sometimes when Su Qingyu was busy inside the house, the two puppies would mess around in the vegetable patch. They would accidentally knock over the water ladle, get soaked in water, and roll in the dirt. When Su Qingyu came out and saw them covered in mud and dirt, he was both annoyed and amused.

He fetched water to wash them. The two little things wouldn’t stay still, and after washing they shook water all over him. Su Qingyu puffed out his cheeks in anger and held them down, giving each one a smack. When he looked up, he realized Liang Yu had returned with game, his back basket set at his feet, leaning against the doorframe not knowing how long he had been watching. He was covering his face and laughing uncontrollably. Only after Su Qingyu glared at him did he come over to help.

In the evening, the two puppies watched Shanfeng gnawing on a bone and drooled with envy. Su Qingyu brought over their food. It was only meat broth mixed with steamed buns, no bones for them. The two little things whined a couple of times and looked at Su Qingyu pitifully, rubbing against him and licking him. Su Qingyu couldn’t keep a straight face and broke into a smile. The two puppies saw him smile and acted even more spoiled. That evening they still got bones to eat, their faces buried in their food bowls, eating without looking up.

Later, when the two puppies grew a bit bigger, they became bolder too. One time, Liang Yu took the two half grown puppies out hunting, while Shanfeng stayed home to guard the house and keep Su Qingyu company.

The two puppies were lively, but they also knew to stay with their person. Liang Yu didn’t pay them much mind and let them run around the forest as they pleased.

Liang Yu noticed wild boar tracks and followed them. After spending some effort to shoot and kill a wild boar, he realized the puppies following him had disappeared.

Liang Yu blew a few whistles to call them back. After a while, the two puppies came running over, each carrying a gray rabbit in its mouth. They ran happily on their short little legs, their little fat bodies jiggling with each step, looking incredibly proud of themselves.

In the evening, Liang Yu brought the game home and told Su Qingyu that the two puppies had learned to hunt.

When Su Qingyu heard this, he hugged the two little things and kissed them one by one, praising them with a smile. “So capable.”

The two little things wagged their tails and nuzzled into his arms, licking Su Qingyu until he squirmed away from the tickling.

That evening, the two puppies got an extra meal of gray rabbit, and their little tails wagged even more happily.

Days passed one by one, and the two little things grew up. Their ears stood up, their fur darkened, their bodies stretched out, and their personalities became much more steady. They became excellent guard dogs, and occasionally they could help Liang Yu with hunting too.

But the moment they saw Su Qingyu, they were still the same clingy selves, jumping up on him with tails wagging happily.

…

Life in the mountains passed quickly. The mountain goods had accumulated into a pile, filling several hemp sacks. They had also gathered quite a few eggs. The dozen or so chickens raised in the courtyard laid eggs every day. The two of them couldn’t eat them all, so Su Qingyu pickled some salted eggs, but there were still plenty left over.

Liang Yu went into the mountains to hunt, and sometimes he would be gone for three or four days at a time. Su Qingyu stayed home alone, but with Tuantuan and Yuanyuan keeping him company, he didn’t feel lonely. But those mountain goods and eggs couldn’t be kept fresh for long, so he had to take them down the mountain while they were still good.

The first time, Liang Yu wasn’t at ease and nagged on and on with many instructions, not much different from how Mother Liang nagged. Su Qingyu listened and couldn’t help laughing. Instead, he comforted Liang Yu, saying, “I have the dogs with me, and I know the mountain path well now. It’ll be fine.”

Seeing Su Qingyu’s sly expression, Liang Yu was so annoyed that he pinched and rubbed his face. But he also knew he couldn’t stop him, so he let Su Qingyu go.

Su Qingyu went down the mountain every few days with a back basket on his back, the two puppies running ahead and behind him, full of energy. After going down the mountain, he went to the Liang family home to find Shuanzi to drive the cart, then rode to town.

Once in town, Su Qingyu skillfully delivered the embroidery to the cloth shop first, put the silver he received safely away, then found a place to set up a stall. Shuanzi watched the cart nearby and also helped call out to sell their goods.

After selling everything, there was still time. Shuanzi had to watch the cart and couldn’t leave, so Su Qingyu wandered around town by himself.

He bought some pastries for his mother, new clothes for Liang Yu, and some household necessities like salt, oil, and needles and thread. The two little dogs followed beside him to protect him, attracting looks from passersby.

On the way back, Su Qingyu passed by a bookshop. Inside, he could faintly see bookshelves.

Su Qingyu’s heart suddenly stirred, and his footsteps stopped abruptly. The positions in the booklets they had bought last time had all been tried out. Every time Liang Yu was in high spirits. That man treated him so well, and he also wanted to treat him better.

He thought and thought. Su Qingyu hesitated for a good while, then finally went inside with a red face.

The bookshop wasn’t large. The shopkeeper was an old man bent over his accounts. Hearing footsteps, he looked up.

Su Qingyu’s face turned even redder. He lowered his head and pretended to look at the books on the shelves. He walked around in a circle but didn’t see what he was looking for.

He stood there, unable to leave or stay.

The shopkeeper looked at him for a while, then spoke up. “Young gentleman, what book are you looking for?”

Su Qingyu kept his head down and said nothing, but the redness on his face wouldn’t go away.

The shopkeeper smiled knowingly, put down his ledger, bent down, and took out a few books from a cabinet, placing them on the counter.

“Are you looking for this kind?”

Su Qingyu only glanced at them, and his face burned even hotter.

Those few books had no writing on their covers, only some vague patterns drawn on them. Opening to a page, it was even… even more…

The shopkeeper saw his red faced appearance and knew he had given him the right thing. He lowered his voice and said, “These are all good stuff. You can’t buy them outside.”

Su Qingyu bit his lip and flipped through them, then made up his mind and asked, “How much?”

The shopkeeper quoted a price. Su Qingyu didn’t bargain. He took out silver and paid. He wrapped those few books tightly in a cloth bundle and tucked them inside his clothes, then walked out quickly with his head down.

The two little things followed behind, not understanding why their master’s face was so red.