Chapter 328: Is This Something a Decent Wolf Would Do?

Chapter 328: Chapter 328: Is This Something a Decent Wolf Would Do?

Xiaqing opened the surveillance app on her phone and immediately dropped the bundle of bean pods she was carrying. "Sheep Leader, Second, the Queen, and Broken Waist are here!"

With that, Xiaqing took off, sprinting toward the North Buffer Forest.

Beneath the Green Light persimmon tree, the Head Wolf and Broken Waist Wolf stopped, turning toward the sound of approaching footsteps.

A fine rain clung to the two wolves’ thick fur like countless tiny, glittering pearls. Broken Waist Wolf still wore his Protective Suit. They had come from the mountains, and while the Queen’s fur was flecked with grass and mud, Broken Waist Wolf’s suit was immaculately clean. It was a complete mystery how he managed it.

Gazing into the Head Wolf’s rich golden eyes, Xiaqing could almost see Yi Stones waving at her. She greeted the two wolves cheerfully, "Queen, you’re back! And Broken Waist, you look so handsome in that Protective Suit."

’It’s been a while. I wonder if the fur on your back has grown in yet?’

After the pleasantries, Xiaqing beckoned for the three wolves and the sheep to follow her home.

As they walked under the east-side camera, Xiaqing noticed Broken Waist Wolf staring thoughtfully at it and sternly warned him, "Broken Waist, that camera on the pole cost me a fortune. You dare break it, and I swear I’ll shave you completely bald."

Broken Waist Wolf looked away from the camera and followed the Head Wolf into the village without a backward glance.

’I’m still not at ease,’ Xiaqing thought. ’I need to contact Yang Jin right away and trade for that Invisibility paint. I’ll paint the cameras to make them less noticeable.’

Patting Sheep Leader, who was nudging against her leg to stay under the umbrella, Xiaqing tried to reason with him. "I traded all the fish in our reservoir for these five cameras. Leader, please tell your wolf friends not to touch our cameras."

Sheep Leader continued walking with his eyes narrowed, giving no sign whether he understood.

By the time the two of them got home, the three wolves were already under the eaves, shaking the rain from their coats. A row of Little Swallows peeked timidly down from their new mud nests, their tiny heads the only things visible.

Having stayed dry under the umbrella, Sheep Leader walked over to the water basin placed under the eaves and rinsed his hooves. He then wiped them on a patch of dry grass nearby before lifting his head, narrowing his eyes, and standing perfectly still.

Xiaqing got the hint immediately. ’He’s waiting for praise.’ "Finished washing your hooves, Leader? Let me see how clean they are!"

Sheep Leader lifted a front hoof.

"So clean! Even cleaner than if I had used a brush! Leader, how did you manage to wash all the mud off your hooves so quickly? You’re so smart! I’m so proud to have a companion like you!"

Satisfied, Sheep Leader nudged the door open with a hoof and led the way inside.

Sick Wolf rinsed his bare paws in the basin. When he lifted them and saw they were still muddy, he turned to look at Xiaqing.

"Second’s paws have fur and crevices under his claws, so they’re hard to get clean," Xiaqing explained. "This afternoon, I’ll make a wooden basin with brushes on the bottom so he can wash them himself." She then helped Sick Wolf wash all four paws, changed the water, and had the Head Wolf and Broken Waist Wolf wash theirs, praising each one in turn.

All that praise left Xiaqing’s throat parched. The first thing she did upon entering the house was to drink some water. Then, she beckoned to her companion, "Leader, come over. Let me brush your wool."

Sheep Leader loved being groomed, so he trotted over at once. After Xiaqing finished with him, she moved on to Sick Wolf, who was waiting patiently beside them. Next was the Queen, and finally, Broken Waist Wolf in his Protective Suit.

’Mission accomplished!’

When Xiaqing took off Broken Waist Wolf’s Protective Suit, she felt a hard, round stone in the side pocket and immediately beamed. "Broken Waist, the fur on your back has grown in! In another month, you won’t even be able to tell."

Only after Xiaqing had finished grooming him did Broken Waist Wolf pluck a walnut-sized Yi Stone from the suit’s pocket with his mouth and place it before her.

Xiaqing, who had been eagerly awaiting this moment, grinned from ear to ear. "So, Handsome Wolf Brother, what are we trading this Yi Stone for this time?"

Before Broken Waist Wolf could indicate anything, the Head Wolf took a step forward and stood in front of Xiaqing.

"The Protective Suit? Understood. Hold on a moment, Queen!" Xiaqing immediately went upstairs, brought down the full set of Dog Protective Clothing, and placed it in front of the Head Wolf. "Would you like to try it on, Queen?"

The Head Wolf clearly had no intention of trying it on. She simply picked up the bag containing the suit, carried it back to the tatami mat, and claimed it as her own. Xiaqing had no objection whatsoever—this was the moment she had been waiting days for.

When Xiaqing reached for the Yi Stone, Broken Waist Wolf blocked her with his paw.

Xiaqing was confused. "Wasn’t this for the Protective Suit?"

Broken Waist Wolf walked to the door, placed a large paw on the doorknob, and turned to look at Xiaqing with a calm expression.

Assuming Broken Waist Wolf wanted the freedom to come and go as he pleased, Xiaqing nodded. "Okay, you’re all welcome in the territory and the house anytime."

After hearing this, Broken Waist Wolf’s paw remained on the doorknob, unmoving.

Xiaqing was silent for a few seconds, then shook her head. "I don’t understand what you mean."

Broken Waist Wolf paused thoughtfully for a moment. He then opened the security door, went outside, walked over to the chicken coop, and placed his paw on its door handle.

A bizarre thought suddenly popped into Xiaqing’s head. "Handsome Wolf Brother... you want... the door?"

Broken Waist Wolf returned to the main security door and placed his paw on the handle once more. He parted his lips in a grin, revealing the snow-white tips of his fangs. He was smiling.

Xiaqing fell silent.

’When he was lying here, unable to move, he was always staring at this security door. So he didn’t want to come in—he had his eye on the door itself! I have to admit, he’s got good taste.’

’This is a custom-made, reinforced, Level 1 stainless steel security door. It’s responsible for more than half of the style and security of my little two-story house.’

’Is this something a normal wolf from the Evolution Forest does? What use would you even have for a security door? Do you have a house to put it on?’

Xiaqing couldn’t bear to part with it and decided to make one last attempt to negotiate. "How are you and the Queen even going to move a door this big? What if I give you the one from the chicken coop instead?"

Broken Waist Wolf’s paw remained firmly on the security door’s handle, his stance resolute.

Choosing between a Yi Stone worth over two hundred thousand and a security door wasn’t a difficult decision. Xiaqing raised a hand and rubbed her face. "...Fine. It’s a deal. Handsome Wolf Brother, you guys come inside and rest. Just let me build a wooden door to replace this one."

’Thank goodness I worked on a construction crew for five years and know how to do a bit of everything,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, the house wouldn’t have a door tonight.’

After retrieving her woodworking tool kit from the tool shed, Xiaqing measured the security door’s dimensions and went to the warehouse to pick out some lumber. Over the past six months, she had stockpiled quite a few good logs. The best one for a door was a piece of hardness-evolved beechwood she had hauled back from the Evolution Forest.

’Beechwood is a hardwood, with great impact resistance and durability. It holds nails well, too. Evolved beechwood is a couple of grades better. A door made from evolved beechwood, coated with waterproof, anti-corrosion, and insect-repellent paint... it won’t be as good as my security door, but it’ll be a lot better than the doors on the sheep pen, chicken coop, and warehouse.’

Normally, as long as you weren’t doing any carving, making a wooden door should be quick. But the evolved beechwood was incredibly hard, so just sawing the planks would take a while. As she sawed, Xiaqing chatted with the three wolves and one sheep watching over her, making sure to fill Broken Waist Wolf in on everything that had happened while he was gone.

By the time she finished making the door, it was already evening. But just as she was about to start dismantling the old one, there was a sudden twist: the ever-discerning Handsome Wolf Brother had taken a liking to her newly-crafted wooden door.