Ch109Got It, From Now On It's Eggplant
"Teacher Fang, what's wrong with Teacher Yun?"
Meng Ci and Shen Que exchanged goods at the trading point and returned to Jin Shang Jia Yuan without lingering.
As they headed toward the seventeenth floor, they unexpectedly spotted Fang Shurui and Yun Jingcen, both looking rather unwell.
Yun Jingcen clutched her arm, her face ashen, being supported by Fang Shurui as they climbed the stairs.
Hearing Meng Ci's voice, Fang Shurui turned with Yun Jingcen in his arms and explained from the staircase.
"Nothing serious. Just ran into a group of troublemakers during last night's patrol."
"She got a little hurt during the standoff."
Yun Jingcen nodded weakly to the two.
"It's just that I bled quite a bit. It looks scary, but the wound isn't actually that big."
In this post-apocalyptic world, food was scarce, and nutrition was lacking.
Now that Yun Jingcen was injured, she naturally looked even weaker.
Meng Ci nodded. Considering they were acquaintances, he offered, "I have some medicine. I'll get some for you and the teacher later."
Yun Jingcen hastily declined, "No need."
"Keep the medicine for yourselves. Who knows when this apocalypse will end? One day, it might be the difference between life and death."
"Mhm." Meng Ci didn't specify whether he'd still bring it.
Fang Shurui supported Yun Jingcen as they made way for the two. Meng Ci and Shen Que continued upstairs.
Back at the house, Meng Ci still gathered several items from the medical kit-hemostatic agents, gauze, alcohol-stuffing them into a bag.
Yun Jingcen and his team now served as the security squad, responsible for maintaining order in M City.
Only by recovering quickly could they resume patrols.
As for Meng Ci, he could simply lounge around in his room.
Thus, both professionally and personally, Meng Ci saw no issue in offering some medicine.
Worried that Yun Jingcen and the others might refuse, Meng Ci dispatched Eggplant.
He patted the dog's head as Eggplant took the plastic bag in its mouth.
"I'll let you out soon. Remember to give them this, got it?"
"If you do well, I'll reward you with a chicken leg."
In his spatial pocket, Meng Ci had stockpiled many boxes of packaged marinated chicken legs. Ever since he'd fed Eggplant one, the creature had pestered him daily for more.
Meng Ci wasn't about to give them away easily-if he fed them all to Eggplant, what would he eat?
At the mention of chicken legs, Eggplant's ears perked up instantly, its tail wagging gleefully.
Its mind was filled with nothing but chicken legs, chicken legs.
Thump, thump, thump.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Meng Ci hurriedly opened three doors to release Eggplant.
Then, through the second security door, he peered outside to assess the situation.
"Holy crap."
Fang Shurui and Yun Jingcen both jumped when they saw Eggplant.
"Wh-where did this wolf come from?" Yun Jingcen gasped.
But upon seeing the plastic bag in its mouth, she realized.
"Could this be from Meng Ci and the others?"
Fang Shurui, prompted by Yun Jingcen, also realized.
"Possibly. That wolf is still holding medicine in its mouth."
After all, Meng Ci had just mentioned getting medicine for the two of them.
Woof, woof.
Hurry up and take this stuff! I need to get back to eat my chicken leg!
Seeing that the two weren't taking the item from its mouth but were instead talking, Eggplant grew impatient.
It took two steps toward them, causing Fang Shurui and Yun Jingcen to recoil in fright.
Eggplant tilted its head, looking at them in confusion.
Why won't you take it?
Finally, Fang Shurui let go of Yun Jingcen and stepped forward to take the plastic bag from Eggplant's mouth.
"Please thank your owner for us."
Woof!
Eggplant gave a bark to show it understood, then turned and headed home.
Though it was his first time
encountering an iron gate, Eggplant was clever. He navigated the three doors with practiced ease, passing through each in turn.
Meanwhile, Meng Ci had already slipped into the house the moment Eggplant began walking back.
Not seeing Meng Ci, Fang Shurul, and Yun Jingcen returned home.
Once inside, Eggplant obediently approached Meng Ci. It's normally wild, almond-shaped eyes now held a silly, wise expression.
Meng Ci tore open the chicken leg wrapper while inwardly grumbling: Was this Eggplant some kind of mixed-breed Husky?
Its behavior and personality didn't have a single wolf-like trait!
Eggplant snatched the chicken leg, promptly carrying it off to a corner and devouring it with rapid chews, its mouth making loud smacking sounds.
If Eggplant hadn't finished it in two bites, Meng Ci would've given it a couple more swats.
If you're going to eat, just eat. Why make such a racket?
Don't you know it's annoying to others?
After Shen Que returned, he set up the training area for Eggplant. So once Eggplant finished eating, Meng Ci led it over there.
The living room, once crammed with gym equipment, had been cleared by Shen Que and moved to the dining room. The black carpet that covered the floor was now rolled up on the balcony.
Thus, when Meng Ci entered, he found the living room completely empty.
Shen Que was crouched on the floor, using a black marker to draw a circle around the living room. He had just finished the last stroke.
Spotting Meng Ci and Eggplant, he stood up.
"Xiao Ci."
Shen Que then explained to Meng Ci the purpose of drawing this line.
"I plan to have Eggplant run laps around this line every day."
"Twice a day, morning and evening, one hundred laps each time!"
Meng Ci nodded. The living room's perimeter was only about thirty meters. Since Shen Que's circle wasn't drawn flush against the walls, running one hundred laps around it might not even cover two kilometers.
When training Eggplant, there was no room for sentimentality.
Shen Que also brought out a pillow to begin training its bite strength.
"Oh, I recall you have a hula hoop. We can bring that over later to train its jumping ability."
Meng Ci found Shen Que quite reliable he didn't seem like someone who'd never trained a dog before.
Shen Que explained, "I watched my comrades train military dogs before, so I roughly mapped out a plan."
Meng Ci nodded.
"Eggplant, from now on, follow your Daddy Shen and train hard. Only by getting stronger can you avoid being eaten. Got it?"
Woof!
Got it, got it.
Meng Ci crouched down and ruffled Eggplant's head.
"Eggplant, you're becoming more and more sensible. Daddy's very pleased."
Earlier that day at the trading post, Meng Ci had seen a little
boy, just over three years old, running around inside. Suddenly, the child threw himself into his father's arms, excitedly shouting, "Daddy!"
At that moment, Meng Ci thought to himself: Isn't Eggplant just like a child he and Shen Que were raising?
Seeing Eggplant obey now filled him with satisfaction.
But after speaking, he felt a bit awkward looking at Shen Que.
"Alright."
"Then, Eggplant is yours. If it gets lazy, don't hold back-just beat
it."
Shen Que nodded. "No problem. After all, I'm its other dad!"
"I'll make sure it becomes unbeatable."