I raised it for a year, but when I married An Jin, he refused my request to bring it to his family. So it remained at home, waiting for my visits. Each time I returned, it would enthusiastically pounce on me, and as it grew larger, its force nearly knocked me over. It would also mess up my clothes, leaving me looking disheveled.
I took it to the small room for talks, trying to make it understand that its attacks were inconvenient. It cleverly learned to ambush me from behind, causing even more embarrassment.
The ultimate solution came from An Jin.
During the New Year, An Jin returned home with me. Yuan Xiao pounced as usual but was quickly caught by An Jin. Yuan Xiao, dissatisfied, saw An Jin as the culprit ruining its happiness and wanted to attack him. Before I could stop it, An Jin calmly patted its neck and said, “Stop.”
Yuan Xiao hesitated, then walked away dejectedly, leaving our family wide-eyed. I was surprised; I never expected An Jin to have dog-training skills.
From then on, Yuan Xiao would obey the “stop” command, helping me prevent further attacks.
Yuan Xiang circled around me, letting out happy whimpers after confirming An Jin had followed.
“This fellow can only be managed by a son-in-law!” Mom suddenly asked, “A Yao, does your son-in-law know Yuan Xiang’s origins?”
I shook my head. “I’ve never mentioned it. He hasn’t asked.”
“That’s good,” she sighed. “I was afraid he knew Yuan Xiang was—”
“Mom,” I smiled, “You’re overthinking it.”
Speaking of Yuan Xiang’s origins, I can’t help but mention some aborted romances from my adolescence.
The first was Duan Chang, son of a senior compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Although he had ordinary looks, he was gentle and from a wealthy family. We drank tea and chatted, and after a few dates, I considered entrusting my future to him. However, I saw him coming out of the Linglong Pavilion, known for men who love men. I realized I couldn’t accept sharing a future husband with another man and suggested he consider his sexual orientation. His expression was complex, and he never appeared again.
The second man was Xia Zhichun, the third prince of Qi Kingdom. Our relationship developed dramatically, but the Qi Kingdom suffered a massive defeat in battle with Western Liang, which resulted in him becoming a hostage. He left and never returned.
The last was Zheng Huo, Yuan Xiang’s previous owner, the son of a Western Liang merchant. He was handsome, and we met at the Sunshine Moon Study, where he praised my paintings. We got along wonderfully.
He traveled with several attendants and a few small dogs, including Yuan Xiang, who was only three months old, round and tender like a large glutinous rice ball. Seeing I liked her, Zheng Huo gifted Yuan Xiang to me.
Shortly after, Zheng Huo bid me farewell, stating a family emergency required his immediate return. Though reluctant, I wished him a smooth journey, and thus all three romantic prospects were extinguished.
After my fifteenth year, I rarely encountered An Jin. My family knew little about these romantic episodes, and he surely knew even less, unaware of Yuan Xiang’s origins.
Yuan Xiang, seeing I hadn’t responded, tugged at my skirt. I bent down to kiss her neck. “Where are you taking me?”
She confidently led me to the back of the courtyard, stopping under a large elm tree. She barked excitedly, circling the tree and digging at a specific spot.
I squatted down, unsurprised to see several dead rat corpses in the hole she’d dug. Yuan Xiang sat proudly beside the pit, like a soldier awaiting inspection of her enemy casualties.
“Okay—very good,” I said, pulling out a piece of dried meat to reward her. “Very strong.”
Praised and rewarded, Yuan Xiang looked at the rat pit and then at me, filled with happiness.
The narrative includes family interactions, particularly her return home, sibling interactions, and a warm family dinner.
After dinner, Father called me into the study and asked earnestly, “A Yao, is there something wrong between you and An Jin?”
Chapter Five: Dogs and Men
Father usually buried himself in historical books and rarely cared about my emotional life. This talk indicated he had heard something.
I sat upright, puzzled: “My relationship with Zhuo Yi is very good. Why do you ask, Father?”
Father hesitated, pulled out a scroll, moistened his index finger, and carefully opened a chapter: “During the Zhao Ping era of our Da Qi Kingdom, there was such a beautiful story…”
I felt a sense of impending doom. My siblings and I feared nothing except Father’s historical tales. He believed in the wisdom of history and loved to persuade others using historical references. Whenever he explained something, he would quote classics and start with a historical anecdote, often drifting from point to point and forgetting his original message. Such discussions could last hours, leaving listeners confused and unable to escape.
I was speechless. “Even if Father’s assessment wasn’t tampered with, what about the other things? Mother was robbed, and there’s my elder brother and younger sister…”
“Your mother got cocky whenever she won some money and had been targeted for some time. Your son-in-law, a Shilang of the Ministry of Personnel, wouldn’t resort to such low tactics. Your elder brother’s intended bride has already attached herself to Minister Song’s son from the Ministry of Works. Those who despise poverty for wealth – it’s better to have nothing to do with them. Diao’er should learn to be sensible.” Father consoled me: “Now you should understand these matters weren’t done by your son-in-law, so don’t hold a grudge.”
My heart was filled with mixed emotions. Whether An Jin was involved or not didn’t directly affect our relationship, yet it made me feel deeply unbalanced. It was like borrowing and repaying debt – I owed him a hundred taels, he owed me eighty taels, and that felt balanced. Now I discovered those eighty taels weren’t borrowed by him. The original balance was broken, and he became a unilateral creditor, making me feel deflated.
After chatting with Father for a while, I went out for a walk with Yuan Qing to aid digestion.
Just a few steps out the door, I saw a luxurious carriage with a vermilion door, decorated with peacock feathers and large pearls, stop at the An residence.
The carriage was pulled by four white horses. Yuan Qing, excited to see such size, rushed toward the carriage and urinated by the right front horse’s hoof. The startled horse whinnied and raised its hoof to kick. Sensing danger, Yuan Qing quickly dodged and ran toward me. I inwardly groaned at the trouble this would invite. I tried to signal it to run away.
Instead, Yuan Qing paused and then ran back to the horses, biting one viciously. The horse neighed in pain and galloped away, causing chaos. The carriage swayed wildly, and the two drivers panicked. Several red-clothed guards rushed from behind the carriage and barely managed to restore order.
Yuan Qing ran back to me, making victorious sounds. I covered my face, knowing we were in big trouble. The guards indicated someone from the palace was inside the carriage. I looked around for a place to hide, regretting walking the dog so late.
It was my fault for teaching Yuan Qing to seek revenge when bullied. Now I would pay the price.
Yuan Qing ran to me, whimpering for a reward. I pulled out a piece of dried meat as several red-clothed guards surrounded us, drawing their swords.
The carriage finally stabilized, and the vermilion door opened. A man in a purple jade belt descended first, then gracefully assisted a young lady in yellow, his movements gentle and courteous.
The young lady was noble and beautiful, wearing a necklace of multicolored gemstones. She smiled at the man, then coldly asked, “What happened?”
