Chapter 271: Awoo, Protect Grandpa Qiao Well
"There are also a few young military dogs that were injured."
Qiao Moyan's face showed a sorrowful expression as he spoke.
"But I noticed a few of the military dogs look a lot like Qiezi."
"Could it be that they have wolf lineage too?"
Qiao Moyan wondered to himself, but he didn't ask about it that day.
"Actually, those military dogs are likely descended from Qiezi," Meng Ci explained.
Meng Ci then recounted how, two years ago, Qiezi had bred with several military dogs.
In fact, Meng Ci and Shen Que had gone to see the puppies after they were born and often took quite a bit of meat with them each time.
However, as the dogs grew larger, they visited less often.
Moreover, since the puppies had to be trained from a young age to become military dogs, Meng Ci couldn't see them whenever he wanted.
That's why he visited less frequently later on.
Qiao Moyan's eyes widened in surprise.
He hadn't expected Qiezi to have such a "glorious history."
But considering Qiezi's imposing and powerful build, it made sense that he was a great match.
Given that Qiao Moyan had always been fond of small animals, learning that the young military dogs were Qiezi's offspring made him even more inclined to take care of them.
After all, Qiezi was one of their own, and his offspring were naturally part of the family too.
Unaware of Qiao Moyan's thoughts, Meng Ci hesitated for a moment before carefully speaking, "Actually, I came here today because I wanted to ask you something."
"Grandpa Qiao, what do you think of Captain Lu?"
Honestly, Lu Chen is both attractive and capable, making him a good match for Qiao Moyan.
Meng Ci was concerned that soldiers tended to be straightforward. He feared that if Lu Chen confessed too abruptly, it might scare Qiao Moyan.
What if Qiao Moyan didn't feel the same way, and Lu Chen was the only one interested? How would that play out?
When Qiao Moyan heard Meng Ci ask about Lu Chen, he immediately started ticking off the points on his fingers as he listed Lu Chen's good qualities.
"Captain Lu is kind to others, cares about the military dogs, and is highly capable in his work..."
Listening to these praises, Meng Ci couldn't help but wonder if Uncle Qiao had already fallen for him without realizing it.
When Zhao Jingyu returned, he breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Qiao Moyan was unharmed.
And when he saw the fish in Qiao Moyan's hand, his eyes lit up.
"Grandpa Qiao, I want red-braised fish!"
"Okay."
Zhao Jingyu eagerly followed Qiao Moyan into the kitchen. Meanwhile, Meng Ci noticed Liang Xiu's expression darken.
Is Zhao Jingyu going to change his mind?
If Liang Shu and Zhao Jingyu split up because of Uncle Qiao, he'd feel terrible.
"Uncle Liang, Zhao Jingyu he..." Meng Ci started softly.
Liang Xiu seemed to know what Meng Ci was going to say and shook his head.
"No, it's just that... Jingyu seems to want to recognize Qiao Moyan as his father."
Liang Xiu's words sent shockwaves through the room.
Meng Ci was rendered speechless.
Zhao Jingyu was twenty-two this year, and Uncle Qiao was thirty-three. Although there was an age gap, it wasn't so big that he'd call him father.
"What... what is Zhao Jingyu thinking?" Meng Ci was shocked, then confused.
Liang Xiu took off his wire-frame glasses, tiredly rubbed his nose, and sighed before continuing.
"Jingyu feels that Qiao Moyan treats him well, giving him a sense of paternal love he hasn't felt in a long time."
Of course, Zhao Jingyu had only said this to Liang Xiu in private and hadn't actually told Qiao Moyan.
If he had, Qiao Moyan would probably be scared to death.
Getting called "dad" by someone eleven years younger would freak him out.
What also troubled Liang Xiu was that Zhao Jingyu even tried to get him to call Qiao Moyan "Uncle."
This left Liang Xiu speechless, as he was only a year younger than Qiao Moyan. Why should he call him Uncle? Liang Xiu felt like things were getting way too weird.
After hearing Liang Xiu vent, Meng Ci had a helpless expression on his face.
He sympathized with Liang Xiu but couldn't help laughing at how absurd the situation was.
However, since Qiao Moyan hadn't affected the relationship between the two of them, everything was fine.
Thus, Meng Ci decided not to dwell on the matter and shifted his attention to other things.
After the meal, the two returned home.
Shen Que, seeing Meng Ci's worried expression, felt a pang of compassion.
He gently held Meng Ci's hand and comforted him, "Don't worry, Captain Lu isn't someone who doesn't know his limits."
"Uncle Qiao may seem gentle on the outside, but he's very strong inside. Otherwise, he would have ended up like the others at M City Base—broken and lost. He wouldn't be as vibrant as he is now."
"Although Captain Lu seems careless, he's young and has already risen to Captain, with one foot almost in the Major rank, so he definitely won't be impulsive."
"So, Xiao Ci, try not to worry." Shen Que reassured him.
Meng Ci nodded, thinking that Qiao Moyan did indeed seem alright today, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
But Meng Ci was still worried about Qiao Moyan having to travel far every day to treat the military dogs. What if something dangerous happened on the way?
Since Meng Ci didn't want to go out, he left Qiao Moyan's protection to his trusted companions, Eggplant and Eagle.
"Eggplant, Eagle, you two go out every day and follow Grandpa Qiao, and make sure to protect him well."
"Got it!"
"Awoo, awoo!"
"Woof, woof!"
The next morning, Meng Ci opened the door and let the two boys out.
At Zhao Jingyu's house, Qiao Moyan was about to head out when he saw Eggplant and Eagle wagging their tails and waiting at the door.
"What are you two doing here?"
Qiao Moyan petted both of them and led them back inside, grabbing two strips of beef jerky and feeding them.
Qiao Moyan's treats were delicious, and the two eagerly devoured the treats, awooing as they ate.
As soon as Qiao Moyan left, they hurried after him.
Qiao Moyan was quick-witted, and seeing their behavior, he understood that Meng Ci had sent them to protect him, which made him feel warm inside.
When they arrived at the military district, some soldiers were overjoyed seeing Eagle, as they had once fought side by side with him.
After training, a few of them gathered around Eagle, chattering excitedly.
"Eagle, do you remember me? I used to feed you meat!"
"Eagle, can I pet you?"
...
Eagle recognized them and allowed them to pet him.
However, when Eggplant saw so many people touching his girlfriend, he wasn't happy.
He pushed his way through the crowd and awooed twice, trying to scare them off.
Eggplant knew they were good people who wouldn't hurt Eagle, so his bark wasn't fierce, but still, the group ended up rubbing him all over.
"Awoo, awoo!"
Eggplant couldn't believe what was happening, his eyes wide with shock.
How dare they touch him, the majestic and fierce wolf!
But the soldiers gave him no chance to refuse, and continued rubbing him all over.
"Awoo, awoo!"
No, let me go.