“Xiao Bai! You’re back for groceries? Come, come! Auntie just caught some fresh fish. I’m giving you one for free!”
“Xiao Bai, look at these cucumbers, fresh from the field! Crisp and juicy. Take two home with you!”
The vegetable market was bustling and noisy, a cacophony of human activity.
The moment the long-haired man dressed in navy blue stepped inside, the enthusiastic stall owners began their chorus of greetings.
Bai Yanzhou had moved here over a month ago and had long since mastered the art of handling such scenes.
“That’s okay, Auntie Chen, I haven’t even finished the one you gave me last time!”
“Uncle Wang, how’s the knee? Still hurting? Remember to come by this afternoon to change the dressing.”
“Hey! I really don’t need it, Grandma Li! Don’t stuff any more beans in my bag, I really can’t finish them!”
After exchanging pleasantries with the enthusiastic aunties and uncles, Bai Yanzhou stopped in front of the fish stall he had visited first.
The grass carp in the tank seemed oblivious to the impending danger, swimming around leisurely.
Bai Yanzhou couldn’t help but lick his lips.
With a slight lift of his finger, two poor grass carp were hoisted up and gutted before they even knew what hit them.
Bai Yanzhou walked out of the market with a spring in his step, carrying several bags stuffed to the brim. He headed straight into the shop with the signboard reading “Baizhou Hall.”
Watching his retreating figure, Auntie Chen from the fish stall couldn’t help but sigh. “Old Wang, tell me, how is that kid Xiao Bai so likable?”
Old Wang nodded in agreement. “I know, right? Thanks to his treatment, this knee of mine that’s been hurting for half my life hasn’t flared up in weeks.”
“Speaking of which, my lower back is the same. Just one acupuncture session and the pain was gone!”
“Me too…”
While the neighbors were singing his praises, the “excellent” Bai Yanzhou was currently standing on the second floor of his clinic, staring at the wreckage in his living room, seething with impotent rage.
The fabric sofa had been chewed into an unrecognizable mess.
The flowers on the coffee table were shredded, their petals scattered pitifully on the floor.
Half the curtains had been violently torn down, and shattered glass littered the ground.
Anyone seeing this would assume the place had been ransacked by burglars.
“Bai—Ji—Mu!”
Bai Yanzhou slammed the bag of snacks onto the sofa and began a carpet search for a certain Beagle who knew only how to cause trouble.
Bai Jimu was shivering under the bed, his two large ears folded over his eyes in a classic “if I can’t see you, you can’t see me” maneuver.
But a second later, he felt a chilling gaze pin him to the spot.
Bai Jimu shuddered and tremblingly moved his ears aside, only to lock eyes with Bai Yanzhou’s vertical red pupils.
“Gotcha.”
“AWOOOO-OOOOH!”
A tragic howl pierced the clouds.
Passersby downstairs seemed accustomed to the noise; some even shook their heads in sympathy.
However, their sympathy wasn’t for the little Beagle getting his butt kicked, but for Bai Yanzhou.
Only people who have owned a Beagle know just how chaotic the breed can be. They are either destroying your house or on their way to destroy your house.
And they love to make that distinct bar-roo baying sound.
The fact that Bai Yanzhou hadn’t abandoned the dog yet was a testament to his sainthood.
On the second floor of the clinic, a brown-haired teenager was kneeling on the floor, a precarious teardrop hanging from the corner of his eye.
“Bro, I was wrong. I’ll never do it again, sob.”
He looked about sixteen or seventeen, the prime age for rebellion, but Bai Jimu had zero backbone.
One glare from Bai Yanzhou and he didn’t dare talk back—he didn’t even dare breathe too loud.
After all, Bai Yanzhou had saved his life and was raising him like a son.
“Do you have any idea how high the bills are this month?!” Bai Yanzhou stood with his hands on his hips. His long, thick braid hung over his chest, woven with streaks of green-dyed hair.
His eyes had returned to their ordinary amber color, though they were still wide with anger.
“This sofa! I bought it secondhand! It cost me three hundred yuan!”
“And those curtains! Sure, they came with the rental, but buying new ones costs money!”
“Not to mention the shredded tissues and the broken cups!”
“Money! It’s all money!”
He really didn’t want to pawn any more of his belongings.
He still remembered when he first woke up.
To survive, he casually took a gold bowl from his own coffin to pawn.
One second, the pawnshop clerk was smiling and saying “wait a moment,” and the next, he called the police to have Bai Yanzhou arrested.
The charge: Trafficking national cultural relics.
He was just selling his own rice bowl! Who did he offend?
Fortunately, he managed to explain that he found it in his old family home and didn’t know its value.
As a reward for “turning it in to the state,” they gave him a symbolic three thousand yuan.
Thinking back on it brought bitter tears to his eyes.
Once upon a time, Bai Yanzhou was the Imperial Preceptor of the Great Zhao Dynasty.
While his life wasn’t quite on the level of the Emperor, it was still extravagant. He used the best of everything and had absolutely no concept of money.
But after waking up and struggling through this strange new era for ten years, Bai Yanzhou had developed a genuine fear of being broke.
Luckily, he was an expert in herbal medicine. He had met a kind owner of a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) shop who took him in as an apprentice, allowing him to scrape by.
The owner even helped him sort out his legal identity documents.
Later, he encountered the Beagle who had escaped from a laboratory and adopted him, naming him Bai Jimu.
But good times don’t last forever.
The old shop owner passed away, and his children, fearing Bai Yanzhou would fight for the inheritance, kicked him out.
With no other choice, Bai Yanzhou took his meager savings and looked for a new place to settle.
During this time, he saved a wealthy tycoon and received a hefty sum of money. Without that, he might not have survived.
The two of them found a small county town where the cost of living was low. He spent most of his money buying a shop next to the vegetable market to return to his old trade, opening a TCM clinic.
Business had been lukewarm.
The neighbors mostly came by because he was handsome. But to their surprise, Bai Yanzhou actually cured them. He could handle almost any ailment, big or small.
From colds and rheumatism to paralysis caused by car accidents—he could treat it all.
Word spread quickly in this small place. However, since the number of sick people was limited, the clinic wasn’t exactly overflowing with patients, even if everyone knew he was skilled.
No one knew that the owner of this clinic wasn’t human, but a snake demon who had lived for thousands of years.
And that Beagle, the one always causing trouble? Also a little demon.
The vast majority of their living expenses went to “Little Bi” (The Beagle). After all, Bai Yanzhou had low material desires and didn’t really need to eat.
If it weren’t for the low cost of living here and his savings, Bai Jimu’s rate of destruction would have sent them begging on the streets by now.
“Anyway, clean this all up. If I see a single speck of trash left, I’m shaving all your fur off! Also! No snacks for you this month!”
With that, Bai Yanzhou turned and marched into the kitchen.
Life was hard. Bai Yanzhou, who had once lived a life where his “ten fingers never touched spring water” (TN: never did manual labor), had learned to cook in the modern world.
Once he was gone, Bai Jimu immediately dropped the pitiful act. He stood up and skillfully began cleaning up the disaster zone in the living room.
His tail wagged in rhythm with his movements.
Hehe, Bro didn’t say he’d skin me alive. Bro still loves me.
Little Bi felt smug. I’ll definitely do it again next time.
After all, what’s wrong with a Beagle having a little excess energy? Nothing.
The business day ended, and at midnight sharp, Bai Yanzhou locked the shop doors.
It had been another quiet day.
Aside from mixing a plaster for Uncle Wang from the market and doing some acupuncture and massage for a few regulars, he had spent the rest of the time sitting behind the counter watching his tablet.
This was Bai Yanzhou’s favorite pastime.
He couldn’t believe modern people had invented something as interesting as “Palace Intrigue Dramas.” They were incredibly addictive!
Just as he turned around, planning to go upstairs and binge-watch all night, he ran into Bai Jimu, who was holding a leash in his mouth.
Bai Jimu: Stare…
Bai Yanzhou: “Do you know what time it is?”
“Bro…” Bai Jimu looked pitiful. “You haven’t walked me in ages.”
Bai Yanzhou closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and desperately told himself not to get angry.
It’s just walking the dog. No big deal.
Five minutes later, Bai Yanzhou, dragged to the brink of fainting by Bai Jimu, deeply regretted not saying no.
He was just a delicate little snake. Why was he being walked by a dog?
“Woof! Bro, what’s wrong?” Bai Jimu, having shifted back to his dog form, noticed the lag behind him and finally deigned to stop.
Bai Yanzhou’s vision was going black. He could barely stand.
“Little Bi… let’s negotiate. Can you slow down a bit…”
Bai Jimu tilted his head, his eyes suddenly lighting up. “The moon is so round today! Bro! Charge!”
Bai Yanzhou’s face filled with horror. Before he could refuse, he was yanked forward.
This wasn’t walking the dog; this was clearly the dog walking him!
Bai Jimu didn’t care about anything else—he just wanted to run until he was satisfied!
Finally, having run to a small hill in the park, Bai Jimu stopped. His face full of bliss, he opened his mouth to howl at the moon—but Bai Yanzhou, with lightning reflexes, clamped his hand over the dog’s muzzle.
“Running is fine, but don’t you dare let out a single peep!”
Bai Jimu whimpered, trying to open his mouth, but resistance was futile.
With a creature like a Beagle, it’s impossible to get them to go home quietly without draining their energy first. So, Bai Yanzhou was forced to run two more laps.
By the end, he refused to move another muscle. He collapsed on the ground and reverted directly to his true form.
A small, snow-white snake.
Bai Jimu’s eyes lit up.
Bro hardly ever goes back to his original form!
He stopped running, picked up the little white snake in his mouth, and trotted home triumphantly.
Bai Yanzhou flicked the tip of his tail weakly, allowing himself to be carried.
Thankfully, there was no one on the road. Otherwise, the sight of a dog carrying a white snake in its mouth would have been the stuff of nightmares.
After running for an hour, Little Bi lay contentedly in his dog bed.
Meanwhile, a certain snake lay limp on his own bed, motionless.
This is going to be the death of this snake…
The next morning, Bai Jimu was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. He skillfully went downstairs, unlocked the door, cleaned up, checked the facilities, and disinfected the tools in the treatment room one by one.
“Oh my, isn’t that Little Mu?”
Auntie Zhang saw Bai Jimu wearing a face mask and sweeping the entrance. She laughed. “You’re up early today.”
“Mmhmm,” Bai Jimu nodded. His muffled voice came from behind the mask. “Good morning, Sister Wang! You’re looking beautiful again!”
Auntie Wang immediately cupped her face shyly. “You child, talking nonsense. I’m an old woman.”
“You can’t say that. Women are forever eighteen. In my heart, Sister, you will always be the most beautiful.”
Bai Jimu had always been a sweet talker, charming the sixty-something Auntie Wang until she couldn’t stop smiling. She chatted for a bit, but a moment later, her attention was drawn to Bai Yanzhou, who had just walked out.
Bai Yanzhou leaned against the doorframe, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses.
His appearance was eye-catching in any era.
He was lean and upright, dressed in a simple, elegant cyan tunic that gave him a gentle, refined air.
His jet-black hair was woven into a thick braid that rested loosely over his left chest.
A few strands of bright green highlights at the tail swayed with his movements, adding a touch of casual flair.
His light amber eyes, hidden behind the lenses, still held a trace of sleepy drowsiness.
“Morning, Sister Wang.”
He yawned as soon as he finished speaking.
Auntie Wang scolded him with a smile. “Xiao Bai, did you stay up late again? I told you, you can close the shop earlier at night. Young bodies can’t handle burning the candle at both ends. Besides, why doesn’t your clinic hire more help? Can the two of you handle it?”
“We can handle it. Besides, look how quiet my shop is. I actually prefer having no business,” Bai Yanzhou said with a smile.
This was true. Although Bai Yanzhou loved money, he was also inherently lazy.
That’s why he chose to open in the afternoon and stay open until late at night.
The remaining money in the bank was earning interest, enough to last a while.
If worst came to worst, he’d take a risk and sell a few more items he used to use in the old days.
He’d just have to be more careful cleaning off the evidence this time.
Last time, he was in such a rush, he definitely forgot to wipe the grave soil off the bowl.
But to Auntie Wang, Bai Yanzhou’s words meant something else entirely.
This child really knows how to speak. Isn’t he just wishing good health and no illness for all the neighbors?
These two brothers are just so delightful. If only my granddaughter could marry one of them…
Spooked by the “looking at a grandson-in-law” gleam in Auntie Wang’s eyes, the two quickly used work as an excuse to send her on her way.
Once the clinic was prepped, they sat down for the first meal of the day.
Bai Jimu looked at the sea of green on the table before him, his face scrunching up like an asterisk (*).
“Bro… are we going bankrupt?”
Bai Jimu held his chopsticks, unsure where to start.
Bai Yanzhou took a slow sip of his tea and lifted his eyelids. “Of course not. Why?”
“Then why are we eating stir-fried beans, stir-fried broccoli, stir-fried spinach, and luffa soup today?”
“Isn’t this very healthy? Three dishes and one soup. You don’t like it?”
Bai Yanzhou looked confused, but in reality, there wasn’t even a bowl or chopsticks in front of him. He clearly wasn’t eating.
To punish Little Bi, Bai Yanzhou was going all out.
Bai Jimu pouted but didn’t dare complain.
Hmph, a good Beagle isn’t picky.
The only advantage of a Beagle is that they can eat anything and aren’t picky eaters.
Within fifteen minutes, the food in front of him was polished off clean.
Bai Jimu ate until his face turned green. He put down his bowl, let out a burp, and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling with a look of peaceful resignation.
“Wash the dishes when you’re done. I’m going downstairs.”
Bai Yanzhou stood up gracefully, ignoring the dog’s mournful look, and left with a victorious smile on his lips.
“Doctor! Doctor!”
Just as he hung up the “Open” sign, a woman rushed over, clutching her child, accompanied by the boy’s loud crying.
“Boohoo, Mommy, my tummy hurts!”
Bai Yanzhou took one look and immediately stepped out from behind the counter, guiding them to lay the child on the bed in the inner room.
“What happened? Don’t panic, tell me about it.”
Bai Yanzhou’s gentle voice seemed to carry a certain magic, instantly calming the frantic mother.
“It’s like this, Doctor.” The woman quickly explained the situation.
The child had been playing outside just fine when he suddenly collapsed, clutching his stomach and complaining of pain. He was rolling around in agony, and painkillers hadn’t helped, so she had no choice but to bring him here.
Bai Yanzhou carefully examined the little boy, who was curled up in a ball with cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He had a rough guess of what was going on.