At the first light of dawn, Shen Xuanqing set out with Da Hui to search for Guaizi, leaving Da Hei behind.
Neither of them had slept well the previous night. Every time Lu Gu closed his eyes, he either saw the ugly, ferocious boar charging at him or imagined Guaizi lost forever. He kept waking up in a panic. Now, sitting on the threshold watching Shen Xuanqing leave, he looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes. But he felt no desire to sleep. All he wanted was to wait here until Shen Xuanqing returned with Guaizi.
“Guaizi!”
Shen Xuanqing followed the tracks on the ground, his calls echoing through the mountains and valleys. Da Hui seemed to understand they were searching for Guaizi and let out a long mournful howl toward the distance.
After walking for over an hour, the tracks on the ground began to fade. Shen Xuanqing stopped to examine them carefully. It seemed the boar had lost track of Guaizi and gone in another direction.
The signs of the boar’s foraging, its droppings and the tufts of fur caught on tree trunks and rocks, were easy for a hunter to spot. But a small dog like Guaizi didn’t leave as many traces. In muddy areas, paw prints were visible, but once it entered the dense forest, where the ground was covered in fallen leaves and tall grass, the trail became nearly impossible to follow.
The priority now was to find Guaizi. If the dog wandered too far and got lost in the deep mountains, it might never find its way back.
Following the occasional paw print left by Guaizi, Shen Xuanqing and Da Hui pressed on. To save time, they didn’t take detours, which left them covered in dirt from the uneven terrain, tangled vines, and low-hanging branches. They even encountered several snake nests. Fortunately, Shen Xuanqing was used to the mountains and wasn’t afraid of snakes or other pests. Da Hui was also very alert and would warn him if he sensed danger.
When they lost Guaizi’s trail again, Shen Xuanqing had to rely on Da Hui’s sense of smell. His own eyesight and hearing were sharp, but they couldn’t compare to a dog’s nose.
Da Hui ran toward a dense part of the forest and barked back at him. Shen Xuanqing’s heart sank. Guaizi had indeed gone deep into the forest.
But he couldn’t blame the dog. Guaizi was just a loyal dog trying to protect his home. After wandering outside all night, he could have gone anywhere.
“Guaizi!”
He called out as he entered the forest, but there was no response.
——
Lu Gu sat on the threshold, waiting and staring in the direction Shen Xuanqing had gone. Da Hei stood beside him, pacing occasionally. Sensing Lu Gu’s low spirits, the dog wagged its tail listlessly.
The sun climbed higher, and Lu Gu drifted in and out of thought. At times, the waiting felt unbearable. At other times, he looked up, squinting against the sunlight, and realized it was almost noon.
He had only eaten a few bites of dinner the previous night, and now he finally felt the pangs of hunger. He got up and went to the kitchen, grabbing two steamed buns. He tossed one to Da Hei and sat by the clay stove, nibbling on his bun as he boiled water.
They had harvested a lot of wheat this year, so they had brought plenty of fresh flour with them. Now they could eat steamed buns every day.
The wait dragged on for most of the day. As the sun began to set, Lu Gu grew increasingly anxious. Why hadn’t Shen Xuanqing returned yet? Had he not found Guaizi? Or had something happened to Guaizi?
Sometimes, without someone to comfort you, your mind spirals into fear, conjuring up every possible worst-case scenario. Lu Gu’s face turned pale, and he couldn’t sit still anymore. If Shen Xuanqing hadn’t told him to wait, he might have already taken Da Hei and gone out to search.
Lu Gu wasn’t foolish. His impulse was to go look for Shen Xuanqing himself, but he knew the mountains were dangerous. With his limited skills, he couldn’t even hunt rabbits, taking Da Hei with him wouldn’t help. The only thing he could do was wait.
The sun continued to sink toward the horizon. In another hour, it would be dark. Lu Gu’s heart felt like it was sinking too. He was terrified for Guaizi and equally terrified for Shen Xuanqing. Fear consumed him.
His chest felt tight and sour, making it hard to breathe. He clenched his pants tightly, wanting to cry but unable to. The overwhelming sadness threatened to drown him.
Just as he was on the verge of despair, Da Hei, who had been lying at his feet, suddenly lifted its head, ears perking up. The dog barked twice and ran off.
Lu Gu’s feet moved faster than his thoughts. He followed Da Hei, running after it. The dogs in their household were smart. Whenever a family member returned, they would run out to greet them. Da Hei’s reaction clearly meant Shen Xuanqing was back.
“Woof!”
A familiar bark sounded in the distance. Lu Gu stopped in his tracks, tears streaming down his face. After raising Guaizi for so long, he could easily recognize the dog’s voice.
“Guaizi!” he called out, wiping his tears and hurrying forward. Soon, he saw Guaizi appear on a gentle slope in the distance. The dog grew even more excited when he saw Lu Gu and ran faster.
The dog's tail wagged so vigorously it was almost a blur. Guaizi’s whole body wiggled with joy, and he let out soft whimpers. He even stood on his hind legs, placing his front paws on Lu Gu’s stomach. His ears flattened as Lu Gu petted it, and his licked his face and hands.
This time, Lu Gu didn’t mind the licks. He cried as he rubbed the dog’s furry head. When he saw Shen Xuanqing and Da Hui approaching behind Guaizi, he finally let the dog down.
After a night apart, Guaizi clearly missed him dearly, constantly rubbing against his legs, his tail wagging nonstop.
“You’re okay,” Lu Gu said, his voice thick with emotion, sounding muffled.
“I’m fine,” Shen Xuanqing replied with a smile. Though covered in dirt and dust from head to toe, his smile was as bright as ever. He bent down to pat Da Hui’s head and said, “This time, it’s all thanks to Da Hui. He’s the one who found Guaizi.”
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