My Wife is a Frustrating Genius!!! - Chapter 48

Whimper!

The whimpering grew closer and louder. When Cheng Yi found the source of the sound, she reached out and lifted the tattered cloth covering it.

What appeared before them was not a frightening scene, but a frail mother dog lying on the ground, breathing heavily, while beside her was a puppy smaller than a palm, crying with its eyes closed.

Seeing this, Cheng Yi’s heart immediately softened. She crouched down, not caring about the dirt, and gently stroked the mother dog’s head twice.

Lu Jiahe glanced sideways and noticed the compassion in Cheng Yi’s eyes. She then instructed Luan to bring out her water flask and give the puppy some water.

The mother dog, who had initially been wary of the group, relaxed upon realizing they meant no harm to her or her pup. She mustered her strength to lift her head and drank the water offered to her.

“They’re so pitiful,” Cheng Yi said, her gaze fixed on the little yellow dog, which reminded her of the native dog she had raised as a child. As an animal lover, she couldn’t bear to see them wandering homeless, so she turned to Lu Jiahe to discuss the possibility of taking them in.

Lu Jiahe herself was also fond of cats and dogs. She had no objections to Cheng Yi’s suggestion and even took the initiative to have Lu An and Guo’er carry the two dogs onto the carriage so they could head straight home.

The Lu family’s courtyard had never witnessed such a commotion. After bringing the two dogs home, Lu Jiahe immediately instructed someone to slaughter a chicken for the mother dog to eat.

The newborn puppy was wrapped in the clothes Cheng Yi had previously made for Lu Jiahe. Listening to the puppy’s whimpers, Cheng Yi felt a deep ache in her heart.

“Let’s give them names,” Lu Jiahe suggested, sitting on a stool as she watched Guo’er and the other maids clean the two dogs.

Cheng Yi, seated nearby, nodded in agreement. “Let’s call them Da Huang and Xiao Huang,” she replied, her eyes never leaving the two puppies.

“So casually?” Lu Jiahe had expected Cheng Yi to give it more thought, but she had come up with the names almost instantly.

“It’s not casual. Giving them simple, rustic names makes them easier to raise,” Cheng Yi explained, her gaze shifting to the mother dog lying nearby, nursing her puppy. The more she looked, the more the dog reminded her of the little yellow dog she had raised in the past.

Lu Jiahe frowned slightly, pondering Cheng Yi’s words. If she were to name the two puppies herself. She glanced at their yellow fur. “It does seem like these two names suit them best.”

Somehow, news of the two bringing the dogs home reached Old Lady Lu’s ears.

After dinner, as the two were about to go admire the dogs kept in their room, they heard the sound of the door being pushed open.

“Grandma? What brings you here?” Lu Jiahe glanced toward the door and, seeing her grandmother, quickly rose to help her into the room.

“I heard you brought two dogs home, so I came to take a look,” Old Lady Lu said. As soon as she entered the room, her eyes fell on the two little yellow dogs lying beside the bed, and she hurried over to inspect them.

Lu Jiahe was taken aback by her grandmother’s swift movements. It had been a long time since she had seen her move with such vigor.

“This little puppy is truly adorable.” Granny Lu, despite her robust health, crouched down and reached out to stroke the puppy lying on the soft cushion.

“Did you plan on keeping them when you brought them back?”

Cheng Yi watched as Granny Lu gazed tenderly at the puppy on the ground, sensing that her late-night visit must have some underlying purpose.

“Yes, Grandma, we found them in a small alley.” Lu Jiahe, oblivious to the meaningful look Cheng Yi was giving her, cheerfully crouched beside her grandmother and joined in playing with the puppy.

“Oh, what poor little things.” Hearing her granddaughter’s words, Granny Lu felt even more pity for the two puppies.

After pondering for a while, she stood up and sat in a chair, looking at the two of them. “You’ll be leaving for the capital in a few days. Are you planning to take the puppies with you?”

Here it comes, finally! This must be the real reason for her coming so late!

As Cheng Yi listened to Granny Lu’s words, she felt as if the beads on the other’s abacus were practically bouncing onto her face.

“This.” Lu Jiahe wasn’t sure what Cheng Yi was thinking, so she turned her gaze toward her.

Cheng Yi thought it over carefully. The little yellow puppy seemed only a few days old and too young for a long journey and unable to be separated from its mother, Big Yellow. Moreover, the road to the capital would be bumpy. Seeing how fond Granny Lu seemed of Big Yellow and Little Yellow, she decided to do her a favor and leave the dogs at the Lu residence for the old lady to care for.

“Do you like them?” Cheng Yi didn’t state her intentions outright, as leaving the dogs with Granny Lu would only make sense if she truly wanted them.

Granny Lu understood the implication and didn’t beat around the bush, directly suggesting that they leave the dogs in her courtyard for her to raise.

“Then we’ll have to trouble you to take good care of them while we’re away.” Cheng Yi looked at the scars on Big Yellow’s body, thinking that it must have suffered a lot while wandering outside. Now, being raised in the Lu residence, it could finally live a life of comfort.

Hearing this, Granny Lu smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Don’t you worry. Since I don’t have any great-grandchildren to hold, I’ll pour all my affection into these two.”

The topic shifted too quickly and naturally. Lu Jiahe and Cheng Yi exchanged glances, unsure how to respond.

Granny Lu hadn’t expected that her visit tonight would not only secure the two dogs for her courtyard but also give her a chance to nudge the couple about having children. Unable to contain her delight, she burst into laughter as she looked at the two young people.

Cheng Yi didn’t want to continue the conversation. She had originally intended to discuss the precautions for raising the puppies with Granny Lu, but the old lady had abruptly steered the topic toward urging them to have children. How cunning!

“Alright, I know you both love them too. I’ll take the two little ones to my room after you leave. For now, you can keep them here.” Granny Lu was sharp-witted and knew when to stop pressing a point.

Lu Jiahe gripped the edge of her stool and replied softly, “Okay.”

After Granny Lu left, the two took Big Yellow, who had just been fed, for a walk in the courtyard.

Big Yellow followed cautiously behind Cheng Yi, its eyes darting warily at the people around it from time to time.

Cheng Yi knew it still hadn’t fully let its guard down, so she sat on a small stool in the long corridor, stroking Da Huang to comfort it.

The two humans and the dog communicated in their own languages for a long while, until finally Da Huang wagged its tail excitedly and left its mark in the courtyard.

As Xiao Huang grew day by day, the time came for the two to leave Bianjing.

On that day, the entire Lu family stood at the gate to bid farewell to Lu Jiahe and his two brothers. Their convoy of three carriages, loaded with goods, set off on the journey to the capital.

Along the way, Cheng Yi and Lu Jiahe never asked to stop for rest or anything else that might delay their progress. Instead, it was Lu Jiahao who constantly clamored for breaks.

“Why are their carriages so much better than ours? Father is too biased, isn’t he?”

At the inn, Lu Jiahao and Lu Jiazheng sat at a table with their respective wives, having a meal. Unable to contain his resentment toward Lu Jiahe any longer, Lu Jiahao began complaining to his full-blooded elder brother.

Lu Jiazheng glanced at Lu Jiahe and Cheng Yi, who were seated not far from their table. “Forget it. Our younger brother lost his birth mother early, and Father only started treating him slightly better after he got married. Don’t be jealous.”

Ever since the last scare, Lu Jiazheng seemed like a changed man, reciting the Great Compassion Mantra daily in his room and not daring to provoke the two again.

Lu Jiahao stared at his brother in disbelief. In the past, Lu Jiazheng had been the one who bullied Lu Jiahe the most, but now he had become so timid. Disappointed, Lu Jiahao shook his head, thinking that when it came to fighting for the family inheritance, he couldn’t rely on his brother anymore. He would have to do it all himself.

Meanwhile, the two being gossiped about paid no attention to Lu Jiazheng and Lu Jiahao’s conversation, focusing only on finishing their meal and getting a good rest upstairs later.

This was Cheng Yi’s first long-distance carriage ride since transmigrating here. In the novels she had read, the cushions in carriages were always described as incredibly comfortable, but now that she was experiencing it herself, she realized those stories had lied!

“After you’ve tied up the carriages and fed the horses, come upstairs and rest properly. Tomorrow, we’ll cover more distance. If we keep going at today’s pace, it’ll take forever to reach the capital.”

Cheng Yi felt terribly uncomfortable from the carriage’s jolting, and Lu Jiahao’s constant demands for breaks only made things worse. Not wanting to waste any more time, she gave instructions for everything to be prepared so they could set off the next day without following the other two carriages.

Seeing Cheng Yi’s pale face, Lu Jiahe quickly took out a carefully wrapped pill from his pocket and handed it to her. “Take this when you go upstairs. It’ll make you feel better.”

Cheng Yi looked at the pill, which resembled a black chicken white phoenix pill, and asked, “What is this?”

“Guo’er bought hawthorn pills from the pharmacy this morning. They’ll ease your discomfort, and they contain sleep-inducing herbs to help you get a good rest.” Lu Jiahe explained the pill’s effects earnestly, worried she might secretly throw it away.

After hearing his explanation, Cheng Yi closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. “Why didn’t you bring out this good stuff earlier?”

Lu Jiahe caught sight of the anger on the other’s face and quickly explained, “No, we only take it when we need to rest overnight. The journey is so bumpy, even if you eat in the carriage, you wouldn’t be able to rest properly.”

Cheng Yi frowned and shot an annoyed glare at the other. She regretted it, truly regretted it! Why had she so easily agreed to accompany Lu Jiahe to the capital? Wouldn’t it have been better to stay home and play with the dog?