Following Chen Fei's gaze, Shen Fei couldn't help but giggle and said, "Last time, you didn't see them in the backyard, but don't worry, that's 'Ah Mao,' a Shan Yang fine dog.
It's supposed to look like this, a genuine watchdog, and very obedient, unlike Ah Hu, just a useless mutt, clumsy and foolish, only knows how to bark, and is very timid, good-looking but useless." After finishing, she gestured to the lean black dog lying in the corner of the wall.
Only then did the black dog stand up, wagging its slender tail, and came over to Shen Fei, allowing her to stroke its head and scratch its chin, all while still gazing silently at Chen Fei.
"Come, 'Ah Mao,' this is my friend, Chen Fei. Let's get to know each other, now say 'hello.'"
Shen Fei picked up the black dog's paw and waved it toward Chen Fei, with a beaming smile.
Asking a dog to speak human language is really too hard for the dog.
The Shan Yang fine dog "Ah Mao" wisely continued to maintain its silent dog facade.
"Hey, hello, 'Ah Mao.'"
Though Chen Fei felt a bit uneasy, he still mustered up the courage and lifted his hand to wave at the black dog.
But petting the dog's head? He wouldn't dare.
This villager had a really capricious way of naming dogs, calling the fiercest biter "Ah Mao" and the wimpiest one "Ah Hu," utterly misleading.
Only then did the black dog slightly relax, sticking out its crimson tongue to lick Shen Fei's hand, its slender tail looking nothing like the fluffy tail of a dog, but somewhat more like a cat's, which might be the origin of the name "Ah Mao."
As one of the native dog breeds that had performed guarding and hunting duties for thousands of years, it wasn't the kind of foolish dog that wouldn't even bark at a stranger walking inside out. Despite looking lean and gaunt, it becomes quite terrifying once enraged, as fine dogs weren't known for a good temperament in watchdogs.
But as a plains breed, in the Xingdu Kush Mountain Area, it was a bit difficult to play to its strengths.
Shen Fei never thought of taking the Shan Yang fine dog "Ah Mao" out hunting; after all, hunting was harsh on dogs, and casualties were inevitable. With only these two dogs, she really couldn't afford to be extravagant.
"Woo!~"
The large yellow dog squatting not far away licked its lips, green with envy.
It wasn't a Shan Yang fine dog, but the most common field dog, one of the six livestock traditionally used for sacrifices to heaven, a traditional source of meat, and even worse off than the fine dog.
Finally, Shen Fei let go of the innocent black dog "Ah Mao," clapped her hands, stood up, and said to Chen Fei, "Alright, next time you come, they'll recognize you. Come on, I'll take you inside to sit."
"Ah, okay. I hope I'm not interrupting your class, am I?"
Chen Fei felt somewhat embarrassed.
He followed behind Shen Fei, occasionally looking back uneasily.
Nowadays, with the prevalence of air conditioning, underfloor heating, oil radiators, hot air blowers, electric blankets, and even oil stoves, heating devices that relied purely on fuel like the traditional soil stove and fire-kang remained only in stories, found in descriptions and picture albums.
"I've heard of it, but this is the first time I've seen one."
Chen Fei placed the Type 95 automatic rifle on the fire-kang, then placed the ancient AK-47 and the magazines that Big Bear Chekhov had forced on him alongside it. Feeling suddenly relieved of the weight, he then began to take more things out of his backpack.
"Teacher Shen, I've brought you a few pounds of vital wheat gluten powder, as well as some powdered sugar and dried yeast."
Vital wheat gluten powder, also known as gluten flour, is the 'muscle' of flour. It can be mixed into regular flour to transform it into bread flour, making the bread that is baked fluffy and well-formed. Sugar and yeast are both essential ingredients for baking bread. Chen Fei knew Shen Fei enjoyed baking, so he had specifically consulted Chef Abel of the cafeteria.
These ingredients also came from the cafeteria.
"Wow, Chen Fei, that's so thoughtful of you. I was just needing these. Thank you! How much did it all cost?"
Shen Fei's smile beamed with delight as she went to look for her wallet.
The most important was the vital wheat gluten powder. Regular flour is fine for making buns and pancakes, but a bit lacking for bread. With so much gluten powder, she could upgrade a lot of regular flour and use it for a long time. If used alone to make gluten, it also tasted excellent.
The powdered sugar and yeast were also used in small amounts each time and would last a long time.
Seeing Shen Fei looking for her wallet, Chen Fei, not wanting to accept her money, quickly said, "No need. It wasn't much money anyway, and you gave me so much bread last time."
He spoke the truth; he had carried all these items over, and Chef Abel had only charged him the cost price. So, in total, they cost about a hundred yuan, not a significant amount.
"Alright then, I'll take it without any pretense. But you must eat lunch here at my place. I'll show you what I can do."
Shen Fei didn't play coy and set down her wallet.
"Yes, please! The two main chefs at the 911 Aircrew Base are just heretics—one makes nothing but soupy dishes, grilled meat, and sausages all day, and their bread is hard enough to be used as bludgeons. The other one is even worse, only knows how to unpack frozen food. Oh, and by the way, I heard there's a new gang of bandits around here. Teacher Shen, you need to be careful."
The Patan people's village was the only place within a ten-mile radius. Other than returning to the 911 Aircrew Base, Chen Fei had nowhere else to go, so he had every right to stick around for a free meal.
"Hahaha, I've known about it for a while now, and it's all to save money, you know. Qualified chefs don't come cheap! The bandits in the Xingdu Kush Mountain Range are as numerous as hairs on a bull. They come today, gone tomorrow. They might be chased off by the local bandits very soon. Let me put away my gun first, and then I'll tell you more.
Huh? AK? This is... an AK-47? My god! Chen Fei, where did you get an AK-47?
It's in such good condition and all the internal stress has been released. There's no deformation. It's definitely a gem. Where did you find it? Did you rob The Kremlin? Is it a gift for me?
Uh, this is too valuable!"
Approaching the fire pit to properly store her Type 95 automatic rifle, Shen Fei couldn't help but exclaim when she saw the other rifle beside it.
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