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 , 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.
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.
The black dog "Ah Mao" went back to its spot by the fence gate, lazily lying down again and closing its eyes to continue dozing. In contrast, the yellow dog "Ah Hu" kept wagging its tail, circling around Shen Fei, and sometimes following Chen Fei, sniffing at his heels, the very image of an eager-to-please employee revealed without a doubt.
"Go on, 'Ah Hu,' go play over there!"
Shen Fei occasionally shooed away the overly clingy yellow dog with impatience.
The largest house in the courtyard, which also served as the school's main classroom, housed all six grades — over sixty students — crammed together for lessons.
There was really no helping it. In this small school located in the wild mountains, Shen Fei was the only teacher, having to shoulder all the work alone.
Unless she had the Multiplicity Technique, it was impossible to separate the classes by grade and classrooms; building that many rooms wasn't feasible with neither the materials nor the funds, so everything had to be combined into one spot to be manageable.
Even though it was hard for one person to teach six grades and so many students simultaneously, Shen Fei had her little helpers. She organized the top students and promoted them to be class leaders to guide everyone, getting all their studies on track.
The class leaders of the six grades had great authority among the students, and with their help in management, the sixty-plus students didn't give Shen Fei too much of a headache.
Shen Fei first returned to the main classroom to give a few instructions to the class leaders of each grade, and then she escorted Chen Fei to her own dormitory.
The clear sound of reading aloud once again filled the air, mainly coming from the lower grades, while the upper grades were busy with practice questions. As long as they focused, they wouldn't disturb each other, and in a way, it was also a form of training.
"Shen Fei, will this be too much of a disturbance for you?"
Chen Fei felt a bit embarrassed since the other party was still teaching a class.
"It's okay. The kids are very well-behaved, and my place is quite basic, so just make yourself comfortable,"
Shen Fei said with a smile, shaking her head as she opened the door to her dormitory for Chen Fei.
"Where should I put this?"
After entering the room, Chen Fei glanced around. The last time he came here, he had been in a hurry to report to the 911 Aircrew Base and hadn't entered the room. He'd only taken a quick look around the courtyard outside.
The room wasn't very big, just over thirty square meters, and there wasn't much inside. The furnishings were simple: a steel and wood table and chairs, a steel-frame wardrobe, and a square pipe bookshelf. The only somewhat substantial piece of furniture was a solid wood five-drawer chest with a mottled surface, which looked quite aged.
The floor was laid with natural stone slabs, sourced locally. They were carefully fitted together. Usually kept very clean, the stone surface shone with a glossy sheen, like jade.
There were also some electrical appliances, but only the basic ones like light tubes, an electric fan, a desk lamp, an electric heating desk mat, and a humidifier. These were powered by the solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage on the roof, and it seemed they couldn't store much electric energy.
The most eye-catching feature was the fire-kang against the wall, which could fit five or six people. It was very primitive but practical. One end was used for lighting fires, which not only provided warmth but also doubled as a stove, making it an invaluable asset for surviving the cold winter.
Next to it was a large stone-raised water tank holding more than half a tank of clear water, probably weighing at least 400 to 500 pounds. It was connected to a water pipe with a faucet and a washbasin. The drainage outlet led to a stainless steel bucket; presumably, the wastewater was repurposed and not simply discarded.
Shen Fei poured Chen Fei some water from the thermos and said, "Just put it on the kang. You've seen a fire-kang before, haven't you?"
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.