Chapter 667: Postcard
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Zhang Zian hastened his steps to catch up with Fu Tao.
The police dog nursing home was filled with chatter and laughter. It was clear that the students weren"t just here to volunteer, they also liked each other"s company.
Fu Tao pushed the wheelbarrow to a corner of the courtyard before he turned around and called out, "Zhang Zian, come in! Have some dumplings and get warm.
Zhang Zian opened the car door and saw Grandpa Tea sleeping. He ushered the elfins into the car, so that they"d be safe from the cold wind, then locked the doors and followed Fu Tao into the house.
"Master Fu, what took you so long?"
"Quick, someone get Master Fu a bowl of dumplings! Master Fu, would you like to wash your hands first?"
"Store Manager Zhang, where"s your cat? Why didn"t you bring it in?"
All the students bombarded them with questions. All the students except Ning Lan and the guy with gla.s.ses, they just stared at Zhang Zian and Fu Tao. They wanted to know if the dog was given a proper burial, but they couldn"t bring themselves to ask.
One student noticed that their pants and shoes were caked in mud, and that they had left a trail of footprints. She exclaimed, "Where did you guys go? Why are your shoes so dirty?"
Zhang Zian let out a dry cough. "There was a car that got stuck in the mud. Master Fu and I, being the brave and helpful people that we are, risked our lives to help and pushed the car, but that only allowed the two us to step into the mud."
With the festive mood of the New Year, it wouldn"t hurt to tell a little lie. The students were speechless, so the lie did its job and stopped them from asking more questions.
One of them was quick to serve Fu Tao and Zhang Zian a huge bowl of soup and dumplings. The others either had their fill or were still eating.
Fu Tao glanced at his bowl and sighed. "Is this a dumpling or a wonton? The filling has spilled out."
A few of the students had fooled around during the process of wrapping and cooking the dumplings. Hence, the dumplings were of all shapes and sizes, and broke apart the moment they were placed in boiling water. So, Fu Tao was right, they resembled wontons more than they did dumplings.
The students looked apologetic as Zhang Luo ordered, "Get Master Fu another bowl, with dumplings that are intact."
"There"s no need, wontons aren"t that bad." Fu Tao waved his hand, and found a place to sit, eat his dumplings, and watch TV.
There was a small TV in the house, and it didn"t even have cable. No matter what channel they switched to, they were all about the New Year. Once the clock hit 8pm, they would immediately turn to the CCTV channel for the New Year"s Gala.
The police dog nursing home had never hosted before, so there weren"t enough chairs for everyone. Someone felt bad that Zhang Zian was eating his dumplings standing up, so he got a chair for him, but Zhang Zian refused and said that he was leaving right after he was done.
The students were also leaving soon since it wouldn"t be safe for the ladies to walk home in the middle of the night. The guys were discussing sending the ladies home first so that they could sneak the electric hotpot back to their place for another New Year party. Soon, the subject changed to their battle with the dorm lady, as it"s said that the she has confiscated enough electric hotpots to open a supermarket.
The dumplings were really nothing to boast about. The skin was too thick and the filling was either too salty or bland, Zhang Zian"s frozen dumplings were better. However, everyone ate a lot, and there were still enough leftover for Fu Tao to eat tomorrow.
Zhang Zian finished his dumplings and took a few sips of the soup. He had wanted to wash his dish, but Ning Lan s.n.a.t.c.hed it away from him. Apparently, the guys were put in charge of cooking and the ladies were in charge of was.h.i.+ng the dishes.
Zhang Zian excused himself before the sky turned completely dark. He completed the mission that Feng Xuan gave him—to make sure that the retired German Shepherds were living well—there was no reason for him to stay.
Fu Tao put his bowl down and decided to head outside with Zian, to take the police dogs out to relieve themselves. A few other guys volunteered to help.
When the door opened, an envelope, that wasn"t there when Zhang Zian and Fu Tao returned, fell to the floor. These days it was rare for someone to write letters, and even more rare to mail them. Fu Tao was surprised to see the envelope, so he immediately opened it and pulled out a postcard.
"Is it an advertis.e.m.e.nt?" Fu Tao muttered.
Zhang Zian took his phone out to use the flashlight. When he pointed the flashlight towards the postcard, the first thing they noticed was beautiful handwritten words.
Mr Fu:
h.e.l.lo! I forgot to ask for your contact information the last time I was there, so I"m only able to wish you a Happy Lunar New Year in this outdated manner. I hope you get this letter in time for the New Year.
Luo Luo is having a great time at my place, it"s even gaining some weight. My husband and daughter love Luo Luo so much, and though my mother was very suspicious of it at first, she treats it very well now. She often feeds Luo Luo behind our backs.
We"ve been bringing Luo Luo to the pet clinic for routine check-ups. It"s very healthy, and it"s definitely thanks to the great care you provided. Luo Luo is an irreplaceable member of our family, and we only hope for it to stay with us longer.
I"ve sent some recent photos of Luo Luo along with my husband"s Wechat information. Next time, we"ll communicate in a much more direct way. Happy Lunar New Year!
Best Wishes,
Xiao Yuhong on the 20th of the Lunar Calendar
Next to Xiao Yuhong"s signature, was a red pawprint, probably Luo Luo"s front paw after stepping in an ink pad.
Fu Tao silently read the postcard twice before shaking the envelope. A few photos fell out.
The first photo was of Luo Luo. It was lying on the gra.s.s, enjoying the sun as it stuck its tongue out, its gaze was filled with peace. The other photos were of Luo Luo with Xiao Yuhong"s family. Some were at home, some were at the park, of Luo Luo being hugged by Xiao Yuhong, or walked by Xiao Yuhong"s husband or ridden by Xiao Yuhong"s daughter. No matter the picture, Luo Luo looked really happy.
"Is Luo Luo really nine years old? It seems no different than a four year old dog." Zhang Zian said.
"Yeah." Fu Tao stuffed the postcard back into the envelope before putting it into his pocket. There was a rare smile on his face.