Chapter 26

Following Chen Fei's gaze, Shen Fei giggled and said, "The last time they were in the backyard, you didn't see them, but don't be afraid. That's 'A Mao,' a Shanyang fine dog. It looks like this, a genuine guard dog, very obedient, unlike Ah Hu, a clumsy and foolish dog that only barks and is very timid, good for show but not for use." She then waved at the slender black dog lying in the corner.

The black dog stood up, wagging its long, thin tail, and came to Shen Fei, allowing her to pet its head and scratch its chin, but it still stared at Chen Fei without a sound.

"Come, 'A Mao,' this is my friend, Chen Fei. Let's get to know each other. Say 'hello.'"

Shen Fei grabbed the black dog's paw and waved it at Chen Fei, smiling warmly.

Making a dog speak human language is really too much to ask of a dog.

The Shanyang fine dog 'A Mao' wisely continued to remain silent.

"Hi, hello, 'A Mao.'"

Although Chen Fei felt a bit uneasy, he still mustered the courage to raise his hand and wave at the black dog.

Petting the dog's head was something he didn't dare to do.

This local person's naming of dogs was really too casual. The most aggressive one was named 'A Mao,' while the clumsiest one was called 'Ah Hu,' which was quite misleading.

The black dog finally relaxed a bit, sticking out its red tongue to lick Shen Fei's hand. Its long, thin tail, unlike the fluffy tails of other dogs, resembled a cat's tail, which might be the origin of the name 'A Mao.'

As one of the native dog breeds that have been performing guard and hunting duties for thousands of years, it was not a foolish dog that wouldn't bark at strangers. Despite its lean appearance, it could become very terrifying once it went into a frenzy. The fine dog was not a good-tempered guard dog.

However, as a plain dog breed, it didn't perform well in the Hindu Kush mountains.

Shen Fei had never thought of taking the Shanyang fine dog 'A Mao' hunting, as hunting was always dangerous for dogs, and with only two dogs, she couldn't afford to lose them.

"Ugh!~"

The big yellow dog, squatting nearby, licked its mouth, almost envious.

It was not a Shanyang fine dog but a common village dog, one of the six livestock used for sacrifices, a traditional source of meat, and even worse off than the fine dog.

Shen Fei finally let go of the innocent black dog 'A Mao,' clapped her hands, and stood up, saying to Chen Fei, "Alright, next time you come, they will recognize you. Let's go inside and sit down."

"Ah, okay, won't I disturb your class?"

Chen Fei felt a bit embarrassed.

He followed Shen Fei, looking back with some concern.

The black dog 'A Mao' returned to the corner by the gate, lying down lazily and closing its eyes to continue napping. On the other hand, the yellow dog 'Ah Hu' kept wagging its tail, circling around Shen Fei, and sometimes following Chen Fei, sniffing his heels, displaying a typical social animal's demeanor.

"Go away, 'Ah Hu,' play somewhere else!"

Shen Fei occasionally drove away the overly clingy yellow dog impatiently.

The largest house in the yard was also the school's main classroom, where all sixty students from six grades were crammed together.

There was no other way, as this school in the wilderness had only Shen Fei as a teacher, and she had to handle everything alone.

Without the ability to clone herself, it was impossible to divide the students by grade and classroom. Building so many houses was neither feasible nor affordable, so she had to combine all the students to manage them.

Although teaching six grades and so many students at once was challenging, Shen Fei had her own helpers. She organized the top students, promoting them to be class leaders, who then led the others, improving everyone's learning.

The six class leaders had great authority among the students, and with their assistance, the sixty students were manageable.

Shen Fei first gave some instructions to the class leaders in the main classroom and then led Chen Fei to her dormitory.

The sound of reading aloud echoed again, mostly from the younger students, while the older ones were busy solving problems, focusing without disturbing each other, which was also a form of training.

"Shen Fei, won't I disturb you?"

Chen Fei felt a bit embarrassed, as she was still teaching.

"Don't worry, the children are very well-behaved. My conditions are quite simple, so feel at home."

Shen Fei smiled, shook her head, and opened the door to her dormitory for Chen Fei.

"Where should I put my things?"

Chen Fei looked around the room. The last time he came here, he was in a hurry to report to the 911 Air Base and didn't enter the house, only taking a quick look in the yard.

The room was not large, about thirty square meters, with simple furnishings: a steel-wood table and chairs, a steel-framed wardrobe, a square-tube bookshelf, and a solid wood five-drawer cabinet with a weathered surface, which seemed to have been there for many years.

The floor was covered with natural stone slabs, carefully laid together, and kept very clean, with a glossy surface that looked like jade.

There were also some electrical appliances: lighting tubes, a fan, a desk lamp, an electric heating pad, and a humidifier, all powered by solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries on the roof, which probably didn't store much electricity.

The most eye-catching was the brick bed (kang) against the wall, large enough for five or six people to lie down. Although primitive, it was very practical. One end of the kang was used for heating and cooking, making it an indispensable tool for surviving the cold winter.

Next to it was a large water tank raised on stone slabs, holding at least four to five hundred pounds of water. It had a faucet and a sink, and the drainage outlet connected to a stainless steel bucket, suggesting that the wastewater had other uses and was not easily discarded.

Shen Fei poured water for Chen Fei from a thermos and said, "Just put it on the kang. Have you seen a kang before?"

Nowadays, with the widespread use of air conditioners, underfloor heating, oil heaters, electric heaters, electric blankets, and even oil stoves, the traditional fuel-based brick beds were almost a legend, existing only in written descriptions and picture books.

"Heard of it, but this is my first time seeing one."

Chen Fei placed the Type 95 assault rifle on the kang, followed by the old AK-47 and magazines that the big dog bear Chekov had forced upon him, feeling much lighter. He then took out more items from his backpack.

"Teacher Shen, I brought you a few pounds of gluten powder, granulated sugar, and dry yeast."

Gluten powder, also known as seitan powder, is the gluten in flour, which can be mixed with regular flour to turn it into bread flour, making the bread fluffy and well-shaped. Sugar and yeast are essential for making bread. Chen Fei knew that Shen Fei liked to make bread, so he consulted the chef Abel at the cafeteria, and these materials came from there.

"Wow, Chen Fei, you are so thoughtful. I really need these. Thank you. How much did it cost?"

Shen Fei smiled happily and prepared to find her wallet.

The most important thing was the gluten powder. Regular flour was fine for making steamed buns and pancakes, but for bread, it was lacking. With this much gluten powder, she could improve a lot of regular flour and use it for a long time. If used alone to make seitan, it would also taste great.

The granulated sugar and yeast were also used in small amounts, so they would last a long time.

Seeing Shen Fei looking for her wallet, Chen Fei quickly said, "No need, it didn't cost much. You gave me so many breads last time."

He was telling the truth. The cafeteria chef Abel only charged him the cost, so the total was about a hundred yuan, not a large amount.

"Alright, then I won't refuse. You must have lunch with me today. I'll show you my skills."

Shen Fei didn't insist and put away her wallet.

"Great, great! The two chefs at the 911 Air Base are real oddballs. One always makes soup, grilled meat, and sausages, and the bread he makes is so hard it can be used as a club. The other one is even worse, only opening frozen packages. Oh, by the way, I heard that a new gang of bandits has come to the area, Teacher Shen. You must be careful."

Within ten miles, there was only the nearby Patan village. Apart from returning to the 911 Air Base, Chen Fei had nowhere else to go, so he confidently stayed for a meal.

"Ha ha ha ha, I already know. It's all to save money. Qualified chefs are expensive! The bandits in the Hindu Kush mountains are as numerous as cattle. They come today and leave tomorrow, and might soon be driven away by the local bandits. Let me put away my gun first, and then I'll tell you more. Oh? AK? This is... 47? AK-47? My goodness! Chen Fei, where did you get the AK-47? It's in such good condition, and all the internal stresses have been released, with no deformation in the body. It's definitely a high-quality piece. Where did you find it? Did you rob the Kremlin? Is it a gift for me? Uh, that's too valuable!"

Coming to the kang to put away her Type 95 assault rifle, Shen Fei saw the other rifle and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.