Her Cultivation Diary

Chapter 77: 77. Dog tags and name_1

“`

Little Pika roared along the road once again.

In the truck bed, half was filled with trimmed Golden Sakura saplings, and the other half held several cardboard boxes.

Inside the boxes were the dogs’ favorite items and the dog food they were used to eating.

Especially for King Kangal, its favorite items filled up one large box, and the dog food it usually ate took up two large boxes, stuffing the small bed of the truck to the brim. Its former owner had really put in a lot of care.

But…

The driver, Song Tan, glanced at the rearview mirror and said, “This car is still too small.”

Zhang Yanping, who had been out for half the day, already felt tired. At this moment, he slouched lazily in the passenger seat:

“Normal, no one buys so many dogs at once.” Just that Kangal alone could pack the back full to the brim.

Right?

The Kangal lay on the backseat, curled up pitifully, while the other four dogs were even more pitifully scrunched up on the cushion.

The windows on both sides were cracked open slightly, and a gentle spring breeze blew in, yet the dogs’ expressions seemed exceedingly forlorn.

It was unclear if they were too upset because the space was too small, or if they were reluctant to part with their previous owner.

Each of them wore a brass dog tag around their neck, courtesy of Sun Shouping’s on-site engraving and generous gift—nine in total.

The front had their names, while the back listed Song Tan’s contact number.

At that moment, looking at the four remaining dog tags in his pocket, Zhang Yanping’s expression was complex:

“Are we really going with these names?”

“Otherwise?” Song Tan retorted, “The tags are already engraved; isn’t nine just perfect?”

As she spoke, there was a sense of nostalgia: “The grand path is divided by forty-nine, with one remaining as the surplus. Nine is the ultimate number—what a great number! It’s like they were all meant to be my dogs.”

A vein throbbed on Zhang Yanping’s forehead.

He took out the few dog tags and shook them:

“I’m truly thankful King Kangal isn’t changing its name! But as for the rest—do these names suit their stature? Such fine breeds wasted on those names!”

The brass-colored tags read: Wubao, Liubao, Qibao.

These were prepared for the three puppies.

The last one he singled out read: Qibao Jojo.

“Song Tan!” Zhang Yanping was at a loss for words:

“If you take this tag out and Jojo really wears it, won’t my aunt smack you?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Song Tan also took out a dog tag from her pocket:

“Look, me, Tantan Jiu Bao (Ninth Treasure Tantan).”

“But this one is outside the grand path, so it doesn’t count.”

With that, she completely broke Zhang Yanping’s defenses, leaving him with a stiff face, clueless about what to say.

Song Tan chuckled, “Brother Yanping, my mom said that it’s safer for Jojo to wear a tag. No worries about a humble name—as long as it keeps him safe.”

This tag, being akin to a dog tag in Wu Lan’s view, was just like naming a dog “Egg” for the good omen of easy raising.

For all these years, she had been worried about Jojo’s future. When he asked for a dog tag that day, Wu Lan, as an intermittently superstitious person, made the request without hesitation.

Zhang Yanping was speechless—how could he argue against an official confirmation?

Finally, he glanced at the few dogs in the backseat. Looking into their bright eyes, he suddenly wondered:

“You just said their names once when you put on the tags, right? Did they understand just like that?”

Those eyes didn’t look like they misunderstood at all.

“Indeed,” Song Tan replied confidently:

“`

“The dogs I take a fancy to couldn’t possibly lack intelligence, right? It’s just that this car is really too small; look how cramped they are.”

Zhang Yanping sighed, “Then why don’t you buy a few more metal cages and stack them up in the back? But you didn’t want that either.”

Song Tan cared about spending money.

“Spending on these few dogs would earn me a lecture from my mom once I’m back. And just look at how much they eat; that’ll be the end of it! Save where you can.”

Zhang Yanping really felt like sighing,

“Seeing how freely you spend money, I never would’ve guessed you knew how to save.”

At this point, something came to mind, and he asked, “Are you still going to buy fish fry today? There seems to be a pretty big reservoir nearby.”

Song Tan checked the time:

“Three-thirty, it’s a little over half an hour’s journey back to Yun City. Let’s take advantage of the health inspection station before it closes and get the dog licenses sorted. Forget about the reservoir; I’ll have my dad buy fish fry from the neighboring villages later.”

Zhang Yanping instantly turned his head, and the Kangal in the back seat was staring at him quietly, its gaze particularly intimidating.

He cried out incredulously, “You’re taking them to get dog licenses?!”

Such large dogs, how could they possibly get licensed!

Not to mention multiple ones!

“But I’m from the countryside, aren’t I?”

Song Tan said confidently, “As far as I know, I’ve never heard of any rural family getting licenses for their dogs! I’m here to support the work; why shouldn’t I?”

“Besides, the city bans the keeping of large breeds, but there’s no such requirement in the village. Where we live, all hilly and remote, no one ever comes there. I’m just preparing for the future when more people might come to buy stuff, better to be safe than sorry.”

Her vegetables hadn’t even been officially planted yet and the interest was already picking up. Getting licenses for the dogs really was a matter of forethought.

“But these big dogs… big dogs…” Zhang Yanping had no experience in securing dog licenses, and he stuttered a bit more now looking at Kangal and the four other dogs.

“It’ll work!” Song Tan declared assertively.

“I’ve asked Brother Sun, and he said our small city has lots of mountains and since it’s about rural development and watching the house, the requirements for a dog license aren’t strict.”

“Besides, they all have legitimate origins, pedigree papers, vaccination records, deworming logs, and even their one-inch photos—everything’s in check.”

“After we get back this time, I reckon we won’t be bringing them into the city area often, might as well get it sorted out on our way.”

What else could Zhang Yanping say?

It’s about proactively answering the nation’s call, responding to urban policies. How progressive!

Little Pika made it smoothly back to Yun City.

In Yun City, the facility for licensing wasn’t really called a health inspection station but the Animal Disease Monitoring Center; however, everyone was used to calling it the former, defaulting to the health inspection station.

The health inspection station’s facade was exceptionally simple, tucked between the gaps of an old community, and only after turning into a darkened doorway could you see an even more modest office.

Song Tan opened the car door, and in an instant, a pitch-black dog’s head poked out!

A passerby walking by happened to glance over, instinctively gasped “Whoa!” and took two steps back.

Then, they looked with both shock and admiration at the shiny-coated Dobermann before them.

Dabao the Dobermann, obediently carrying its own leash, had a brass dog tag on its neck to prove it had an owner.

Once Song Tan took over the leash, it stood by her leg obediently.

This prompted an exclamation from the pedestrians on the road:

Real men should have big dogs!

At that moment, he shuffled his feet, thinking about stepping forward to strike up a conversation and hopefully pet the dog on the head… but just as he was mulling over this thought, another sleek black dog’s head emerged from the back seat!

This one had short ears, a fierce expression, and a massive body, with muscles bulging everywhere!

He quickly retracted his feet.