Chapter 693: Can’t Eat Anything

Byron Thorne took a sniff and sighed in relief. "He’s purged it, so he should be fine. He’ll get better after a few days of rest. Animals are tough; they aren’t that fragile."

Tang Xiaonan’s tears turned to a smile. She hugged Dollar and said happily, "You’re okay now. When you get better, I’ll stew some big bones for you. You can’t be so greedy anymore. No matter how good it smells, you can’t eat things from strangers, okay? Do you understand?"

Dollar whimpered a few more times, his eyes still filled with pain. Tang Xiaonan thought the poison hadn’t cleared completely, so she offered a few more words of comfort. She even planned to sleep with Dollar that night, but Phoebe Huxley scolded her for it.

"There’s no such thing as sleeping with an animal! The bed will be full of fleas. Enough. He didn’t die, so it’s fine. Let Dollar go lie down by himself. I’ll go cook him a bowl of meat congee!"

Tang Xiaonan pouted. ’In my past life, the dog I raised would jump onto my bed to sleep every night. Why can’t he sleep with me now?’

But it was true that there was no such custom now. Dogs were kept to guard the house, not as pets to be played with.

Tang Xiaonan padded Dollar’s den with some old clothes to make it warmer for him. Phoebe Huxley finished cooking the meat congee, but Dollar was still listless. He smelled the fragrant congee, and his eyes brightened for a moment before quickly dimming again. He let out a few whimpers, as if he were crying.

"Eat the meat congee. It has your favorite meat in it. Come on, eat. You’ll get better after you eat."

Tang Xiaonan whispered softly, but Dollar wouldn’t eat. He just lay there weakly, tears streaming from his eyes again.

"Is there still poison in his belly?"

Jim Thorne grew anxious too and wanted to find Byron Thorne to get more antidote.

But Tang Xiaonan didn’t think it was the poison. He had purged so much earlier, and Byron Thorne had said the poison was mostly cleared. ’Maybe it was just a severe reaction and he hasn’t recovered yet.’ But Dollar had always been extremely healthy. Even when he felt unwell, it never affected his appetite for meat. Now, he wouldn’t even eat meat. Tang Xiaonan worried Dollar wouldn’t make it, and her heart ached again.

She took a small spoon and tried to feed Dollar bit by bit, but he threw it all up, getting it all over her hand.

"Dollar, don’t scare me. Please eat something... I’m begging you..."

Tang Xiaonan cried while holding Dollar, and Dollar seemed to be crying too. Amanda Chapman also started wiping away tears. The sight gave Phoebe Huxley a headache. Although she thought it was a shame, she couldn’t bring herself to truly grieve over a dog’s death—it was just an animal, after all. But her precious daughter was heartbroken, and Phoebe’s heart ached for her daughter.

"Honestly, your father... It’s one thing if he can’t cure people, but he can’t even fix an animal. Why don’t you go ask around and see if there are any other good vets?" Phoebe Huxley complained about her father-in-law. ’He can’t seem to cure anything.’

Felix Thorne also felt his own father’s skills were lacking. He couldn’t even cure a dog, which was making his little girl so sad. He thought for a moment and did, in fact, recall a good veterinarian.

"There’s one in Dusklight Village. I hear he’s really good with animals. Should I go find him?"

"Hurry up and go get him. Tang Xiaonan hasn’t eaten breakfast or lunch." Phoebe Huxley pushed Felix Thorne out the door. If they didn’t get that dog cured soon, her daughter would get sick too.

Felix Thorne hastily got on his bike and left.

Adrian Hawthorne came over carrying a bowl of rich, stewed bone broth. The soup was a milky white and smelled incredible; it was made with the big bones that Dollar loved most. Seeing Tang Xiaonan holding the dog, her eyes swollen from crying, he comforted her, "He’ll get better after he drinks some bone broth."

"Dollar can’t keep anything down. He threw everything up. He seems to be in a lot of pain, but he can’t say where."

Tang Xiaonan said through her sobs. This was the first time since coming here that she had felt so completely helpless. There were no veterinarians around these days; otherwise, she could have taken him to a clinic.

Adrian Hawthorne’s brow furrowed. ’He can’t even keep down meat congee? Just what kind of illness is this?’