After stuffing the gap beneath the front door with whatever she could find, Xu Qinghe took out the brazier and lit the charcoal. She laid the folded hemp cloth beside it and gently set the puppy down on top.
The puppy curiously looked around the room before licking her palm. Its tiny tongue tickled.
“Stay here for a bit. Big Sister needs to tidy up first, and then I’ll make you something tasty.”
As if it understood her, the puppy curled up beside the brazier.
Xu Qinghe got to her feet, put away the salt and seeds she had bought, then went to the east and west rooms to secure the straw curtains that had been blown loose during the day, weighing them down with stones.
The bark paper she had purchased still needed wooden frames before it could be used to cover the windows.
She didn’t know how to make them, but fortunately Uncle Liu and Elder Brother Liu did. She could ask them for help.
After securing the curtains, the house retained heat a little better.
Returning to the main room, she found the puppy staring at her with its round, bright eyes.
She rubbed its head and took out a bowl of warm lamb’s milk with meat patties from her space.
She had prepared it on the way home.
Chicken breast and beef had been minced together with pumpkin, broccoli, and carrots, steamed, and then soaked in hot lamb’s milk.
The aroma of lamb’s milk and beef filled the room.
The puppy’s tail wagged so fast it looked like a propeller.
Xu Qinghe didn’t tease it any further and simply set the bowl down.
As it ate, it made happy little snuffling sounds.
Watching it filled her with an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
Taking care of the puppy felt strangely like raising a child.
While it ate, she washed her hands and took out her own dinner.
A plate of stir-fried choy sum, a bowl of steamed pork with rice flour, and a large bowl of corn and pork rib soup.
She had been busy all day and had eaten only two cold millet buns at noon.
By now, she was starving.
One person and one dog sat beside the brazier.
A small desk lamp cast a warm yellow glow across the table.
The room was still slightly chilly, and now and then a gust of cold air slipped through the cracks.
Fortunately, she wore thick, soft cotton clothes.
The puppy rested on a folded hemp cloth, with glowing charcoal nearby to keep it warm.
The food was pleasantly warm, perfect for eating.
Both of them enjoyed their meal immensely.
After eating, the puppy’s belly became round and plump, and its eyes looked even brighter.
Xu Qinghe took out a new flea comb, some Stemona powder, and flea medicine from her space.
She carefully combed the puppy from head to tail three times, sprinkled on the medicinal powder, and fitted it with an Elizabethan collar.
Throughout the process, the puppy remained perfectly obedient.
Even when she put on the collar, it didn’t struggle.
Its small body lay across her lap, warm and soft.
“Good dog. Such a good dog.”
She set the puppy back beside the brazier.
After a quick wash and applying frostbite ointment, she unfolded her camping bed and collapsed onto it.
From before dawn until nightfall, she had barely rested.
By the time she ate dinner, she could hardly keep her eyes open.
In the dimly lit room, the charcoal crackled softly.
The woman and the puppy slept soundly.
At daybreak, Xu Qinghe was awakened by the sound of scratching at the door.
The charcoal had burned out during the night.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps around the door, illuminating the dust drifting lazily in the air.
The room no longer seemed dark and gloomy, but the morning chill was sharp and biting.
The puppy whined and scratched at the door.
Xu Qinghe suddenly realized what was wrong.
Slapping her forehead, she hurriedly got out of bed, threw on her hemp clothes, slipped into her cotton shoes, and scooped the puppy into her arms.
Its hind legs were crossed tightly together as it huddled against her.
Thinking of the large bowl of lamb’s milk and meat she had fed it the night before, Xu Qinghe felt a little embarrassed.
It was her first time raising an animal. She had been careless.
Holding her breath, she carried the puppy to the pit latrine and showed it where to relieve itself.
Fortunately, the puppy was clever and spared her from lingering in the smell for too long.
Once it was done, it looked visibly relieved and immediately began running around the yard, barking happily.
Xu Qinghe laughed.
She returned to the house, put away the modern items that shouldn’t be visible, washed up, applied her medicine, and added two handfuls of firewood to the earthen stove.
After pouring water into the iron pot, she placed the puppy’s food bowl inside to warm it over steam.
The puppy played outside for a while before squeezing back through the gap beneath the door, wagging its tail and rubbing against her pant leg.
Xu Qinghe checked the time on her phone.
It was already after eight in the morning.
She had slept for a long time.
According to the villagers’ schedule, everyone was probably already out spreading fertilizer.
She wasn’t sure whether she would still be able to find Uncle Liu and Elder Brother Liu later.
The firewood burned quickly.
Soon the water in the iron pot boiled, and a little warmth spread through the main room.
Xu Qinghe stuffed the gap beneath the door again, set the warmed lamb’s milk and meat bowl in front of the puppy, and unfolded her small dining table.
Breakfast consisted of two fluffy sweet pancakes, a purple sweet potato, two marinated eggs, a small plate of cold vegetables, and a cup of soy milk.
One person and one dog shared a simple breakfast.
Over the past few days, she had been eating refined modern food and avoiding heavy labor.
Her body already felt much better than it had when she first arrived.
After transmigrating, she had measured herself.
Despite the widespread malnutrition of this era, the original owner had been fairly tall at 162 centimeters.
But she weighed only forty-one kilograms.
Her limbs were little more than skin and bones.
Every rib on her upper body was visible, and her hip bones protruded sharply.
She was practically skeletal.
With such a frail body, even a minor cold could be fatal.
If she encountered danger, she might not even have the strength to fight back.
If she wanted to survive, she needed to gain both weight and muscle.
Her goal was to build a physique with both fat and muscle—a layer of fat for warmth and muscle for health and self-defense.
The only drawback was that it wouldn’t be considered attractive.
But this was ancient times.
As an ordinary woman struggling to survive, why should she worry about beauty standards?
Protecting herself was far more important.
The first step toward better health was eating more.
More food meant more body mass and stronger resistance to illness.
So she wasn’t eating so much because she was greedy.
At her current intake, she still only felt about seventy percent full.
Once her stomach adjusted, she planned to eat even more.
After breakfast, she tidied up the room and made sure nothing inappropriate remained visible.
Then she took a small bag of millet and headed out.
The puppy was still too young, so she left it at home to guard the house.
The weather outside was pleasant.
Although the sunlight brought little warmth, the fierce winds from earlier days had finally subsided.
Many villagers walked along the paths carrying shoulder poles loaded with fertilizer.
The air was filled with a faint unpleasant odor.
When she arrived at the Liu household, Aunt Liu was tending the vegetable patch in the courtyard, while Little Brother Liu was feeding the chickens.
Uncle Liu, Elder Brother Liu, and Sister-in-law Liu were nowhere to be seen.
Xu Qinghe pushed open the gate.
“Auntie, did Uncle Liu and Brother Liu go spread fertilizer?”
Aunt Liu turned around and hurried over when she saw her.
“Come in, come in. Your uncle and brother just left. They’ll probably be back soon, so come inside and wait.”
“Alright.”
Xu Qinghe closed the gate behind her and set the small bag of millet on the stove counter.
“Auntie, I’ll leave the millet here.”
Aunt Liu clapped her hands and jokingly scolded her.
“You’re treating us like strangers.”
Grinning, Xu Qinghe picked up a rake and replied, “We’re close, but kindness should still be repaid. If you won’t accept it, I’ll be too embarrassed to come by again.”
Aunt Liu smiled and lightly tapped her on the forehead.
Xu Qinghe helped out for a while before looking around.
“Auntie, where’s Sister-in-law?”
Aunt Liu lowered her voice.
“Your sister-in-law’s on her monthly cycle. She’s in the latrine right now.”