Chapter 8: Unraveling the Blade's Heartache

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Xiaoman laughed happily, “Yes, yes! If Brother Blade hadn’t saved me, I might have frozen to death in the cemetery. Thank you, Brother Blade! Even though you’ve retired, you’re still the best police dog! You’re my favorite Brother Blade!”

Blade snorted: [Everyone says we dogs are suck-ups, but human kids are even better at it! You’re much easier on the eyes than Zhou Lin!]

Xiaoman, holding her face through the fence with a furrowed brow, asked, “Brother Blade, why aren’t you eating?”

Blade retorted: [I don’t want to eat!]

Xiaoman took out a meticulously crafted clay police badge. “Brother Blade, do you miss Uncle Wang Tao? I made this for you. Would you like it?”

The cold and aloof Blade suddenly welled up with tears: [Master... Master...]

“Bang bang!” Blade pounded against the iron bars, trying to break free. Dizzy from hunger, it collapsed onto the ground.

The garden gate was locked; Xiaoman couldn’t get in either. She anxiously comforted Blade, “Brother Blade, don’t worry, I’ll figure something out soon.”

She looked around; the garden fence was too high to climb.

“Caw caw—”

A flock of crows flew by. One of them picked up the clay badge and dropped it inside Blade’s cage.

Blade immediately quieted. It lowered its head to gaze at the badge in the cage, softly whimpering.

As the crows flew away, Xiaoman waved to them. “Thank you, my good friends!”

She looked at Blade inside the cage. “If you want to see Uncle Wang Tao, Brother Blade, I’ll tell Dad.”

Blade’s eyes instantly changed: [Xiaoman, go tell Zhou Lin that I want to be buried with my master. I was his dog in life and his ghost in death.]

Xiaoman was speechless.

Blade staggered to stand, still very weak and swaying, but stubbornly said: [Xiaoman, ask Zhou Lin why he’s never agreed to put me to sleep humanely.]

Xiaoman understood at once. “Brother Blade, you want to join Uncle Wang Tao in the other world, so you attacked the keepers and veterinarians and refused to eat, hoping for euthanasia. But you know, Uncle Wang Tao wouldn’t want that!”

Blade broke down crying: [I’m the one who caused Master’s death... Master was blown up by the bad guys’ landmine, but he pushed me away... The bad guys escaped too...]

Xiaoman was also saddened. “Brother Blade, you have to stay strong and catch the bad guys. Uncle Wang Tao will be happy in the afterlife.”

Blade roared angrily: [I’m retired! How am I supposed to catch bad guys now?]

Xiaoman had a sudden idea. “Brother Blade, I’ll help you. For now, eat well and regain your strength, okay?”

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Blade asked doubtfully: [Really?]

Xiaoman nodded. “Of course! I’m determined to become a police officer, and I always keep my promises.”

Blade replied: [Fine, I’ll trust you this once.]

Watching Blade drink and eat, Xiaoman finally felt at ease.

Butterflies fluttered, spreading the news: [Blade is getting better! Xiaoman is amazing!]

Soon, the whole Zhou family knew that after Xiaoman visited Blade once, Blade’s condition improved.

That evening, Grandpa and Dad returned for dinner. At the table, Grandma praised Xiaoman and served her braised ribs.

“Xiaoman is our Zhou family’s little lucky star. Since she arrived, Blade stopped refusing food. Today, the keepers even managed to feed him without him attacking.”

Zhou Lin, sitting next to Xiaoman, had just received this good news from the keepers at the police station.

It seemed Xiaoman’s communication with Blade had worked.

Xiaoman explained, “Brother Blade probably didn’t want to retire and hoped to keep serving at the station, which caused his behavior. Now he understands he can still help people after retiring. Grandpa, Grandma, Brother Blade even saved me in the cemetery!”

Grandma nodded, “So you two are truly connected.”

Grandpa glanced at Zhou Lin, who was eating, and said, “Dogs don’t want to retire, but they can be forced to. I’m old and want to retire, but no one’s taking over. My life’s tougher than a dog’s!”

The Zhou family was a prominent elite household in Changjing City. Yet Zhou Lin chose to be a special forces soldier and then joined the police after retiring.

Zhou Lin heard this all the time; it went in one ear and out the other—soon he was practically deaf to it.

Xiaoman immediately stood and gave Zhou Zhenghong a rib. “Grandpa, thank you for working hard! Here, have some meat!”

“Good, good!” Grandpa was delighted by the little girl. “Xiaoman, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

The girl proudly said, “I want to be a police officer!”

Grandpa was speechless.

The old lady covered her mouth and laughed happily.

Zhou Lin served Xiaoman some food. “Then father and daughter will catch bad guys together!”

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“Yay!” Xiaoman cheered. “I’m so looking forward to that day!”

Grandpa lost his appetite, but Zhou Lin quickly finished eating and left the table.

Xiaoman followed him, and the two went to see Blade.

Blade had been released from the iron cage. After eating today, it regained some strength.

When it saw Xiaoman, it walked to the fence. Xiaoman reached out and gently stroked its head.

“Brother Blade, when Dad has time, take us to visit Uncle Wang Tao, okay?”

Blade lifted its head: [I’m going tomorrow.]

Xiaoman also looked up. “Tomorrow? I wonder if Dad will be free then?”

Zhou Lin nodded, “I’m off tomorrow.”

Xiaoman clapped happily, “Great!”

After Blade returned to its kennel, Zhou Lin took Xiaoman’s small hand for a walk in the garden.

“Xiaoman, thank you for helping Blade get better. If he hadn’t, I’d feel guilty toward Wang Tao... You unlocked Blade’s heart and made him willing to live well after retirement.”

“Dad, that’s because I can communicate with Brother Blade and understand what he’s saying! I speak animal language, so I guess that’s my little contribution!”

“Dad is really proud of you. You’re my best daughter!”

Hearing Dad’s praise, Xiaoman smiled like a flower blooming in the night.

Since it was Xiaoman’s first day living at the Zhou residence, Zhou Lin stayed with her at night, telling her bedtime stories. Only after seeing her peacefully fall asleep did he leave the room.

Early the next morning, the distant caws of crows woke Xiaoman from her sleep.

Sunlight bathed the earth. Xiaoman washed up and went downstairs. Grandma was practicing Tai Chi in the garden, Grandpa was jogging around the villa’s track, and Dad was practicing combat boxing under a big tree.

She loved this lively environment. It was so different from the Tang family, where Dad and Auntie Duan Mei slept late and never exercised.

Xiaoman ran to Zhou Lin. “Dad, you look so cool when you box! I want to learn too!”