Chapter 1

There's an old saying: “Never keep a turtle past six years, or a dog past eight.”

An elderly beggar came to our house asking for a bowl of water.

Grandma was kindhearted, so she poured him one.

After drinking, though, his face suddenly darkened. He stared at our dog.

“Ma'am, that dog is about to become a spirit. Kill it before it's too late.”

Grandma quickly turned toward the courtyard.

Our dog was a local mixed breed, with a glossy black coat and not a single hair of any other color.

Đại Hắc was resting in his kennel. At the sound of our conversation, he immediately raised his head and stared at us.

“How old is your dog?” the beggar asked.

Grandma thought for a long time.

“Nearly ten, I suppose.”

He nodded.

“Keep a dog to a certain age and it'll become a spirit. If you trust me, kill it now. This dog will slowly steal your family's good fortune. By the time you regret it, it'll be too late.”

Grandma's expression changed, but she said nothing.

After so many years, of course she was attached to him.

How could she simply kill him?

The beggar seemed to understand. He said no more, finished his water, and quietly left.

That evening, Grandpa returned from town.

Grandma told him everything.

He was much tougher than her.

When he was young, he had even eaten rotten meat crawling with maggots to stay alive.

Sure enough, his brow furrowed.

“I've heard that story too. We'll kill him tomorrow and make a pot of dog stew.”

Tears poured down my face.

“No, Grandpa! I don't want Đại Hắc to die!”

He had been beside me for as long as I could remember.

When I was little, whenever someone bullied me, he was always the first to rush to my defense.

Grandma held me close, her heart aching for me.

“Let's leave it. Maybe that beggar was just talking nonsense.”

Grandpa had a temper, but he loved me dearly.

He immediately waved the matter away.

“Oh, forget it. An old dog's meat wouldn't taste good anyway.”

Sniffling, I asked, “Really?”

He laughed.

“Ha! Don't you trust your grandpa?”

My tears turned to laughter, and I nodded over and over.

“I do! You're the best!”

“All right, go wash your face and brush your teeth,” Grandma urged him.

He had been traveling all day and smelled strongly of sweat. From a distance it wasn't so bad, but up close it was quite something.

He went into the courtyard and bent to scoop up water to wash his face.

Đại Hắc had been sleeping peacefully. For some reason, he suddenly jumped up and barked.

Startled, Grandpa hurled the metal basin in his hand at him.

“Ungrateful mutt! You dare bark at me?”

Đại Hắc was still a little afraid of Grandpa.

At the scolding, he tucked his tail and slunk back into his kennel.

Just then, shuffling footsteps sounded outside the gate.

Grandma lifted the door curtain and came out.

“Maybe he's barking at someone out there?”

“Probably,” Grandpa said, wiping his face with a towel. “Who's wandering around this late?”

By the time he finished washing, it was well into the night.

The three of us lay down on the kang, our raised earthen bed.

Perhaps exhausted by the long day, Grandpa soon fell asleep, his snores growing louder.

Grandma was used to it. She patted me a few times and drifted off too.

I turned over, trying to get comfortable.

The moment I closed my eyes, I heard it.

Clop... clop... clop...

I knew that sound.

Đại Hắc's footsteps.

Grandpa normally wouldn't let him inside, so he stayed in the courtyard.

I hadn't expected him to be bold enough to come right in tonight.

My eyes flew open.

Just then, a human figure flashed past the window.

There were only three people in the house, and we were all in bed.

Then who was outside?

A thief?

I hurriedly shook Grandma awake.

She opened her eyes groggily.

“What is it?”

“Grandma... I think there's someone in the courtyard.”

She went still, suddenly wide awake.

“You saw someone?”

Remembering that shadow, I burrowed into her arms.

“Yes! Right outside.”

I pointed at the window.

She sat up at once and woke Grandpa.

When he heard, his face grew fierce. He grabbed an iron hoe and went straight out.

Grandma and I were left alone.

She patted my back and whispered, “It's all right.”

Grandpa had been a soldier when he was young and had spent the years since working in the fields.

Though he was over sixty, he was still very strong.

It was a long time before he returned.

Setting down the hoe, he asked, “Ngôn Ngôn, are you sure you saw someone?”

I nodded hard, absolutely certain.

“I did! They went past the window.”

“Didn't you find anyone?” Grandma asked.

He took off his shoes and climbed onto the kang, shaking his head.

“No. She probably imagined it. If someone really had been there, Đại Hắc would have barked.”

After thinking about it, Grandma agreed.

My lips moved, but I couldn't find an argument.

Had I really imagined it?

Seeing that I was still frightened, she took my hand and soothed me.

“Don't be afraid. I'm here. Go to sleep.”

I don't know how long passed before my grandparents fell asleep again.

But I couldn't stop thinking, and sleep wouldn't come.

Then I saw Đại Hắc standing motionless in the doorway.

It was dark all around.

His eyes reflected the light, looking a little eerie.

Remembering the beggar's words, I felt an uneasiness I couldn't explain.

Clop... clop... clop...

He walked slowly toward me, lowered his head, and gently licked my palm.

Then he wagged his tail happily.

He looked so good and sweet that I finally relaxed.

He had been with me for years.

How could I be afraid of him?

Even if he really had become a spirit, he would never hurt me.

I quickly climbed out of bed and whispered close to his ear, “What are you doing in here? Aren't you afraid of being scolded?”

I nudged his rump, trying to shoo him out.

I moved very quietly and kept glancing back to see whether Grandpa had woken.

If he found the dog inside, he would definitely be angry.

What if he changed his mind and wanted dog meat again?

So I took Đại Hắc back to his kennel.

“Be good for a while, all right? Don't make Grandma and Grandpa angry.”

I stroked his head, giving him one instruction after another.

Where had that beggar come from, anyway? Why come to our house and talk nonsense?

The thought of how close Đại Hắc had come to being slaughtered still made me angry.

He was very clever.

He whined softly and nodded.

He had clearly understood.

“All right. I have to go to bed.”

I braced my hands on my knees and stood.

“Ah...”

After squatting for so long, my legs had gone numb.

I quickly bent over and tapped my calves.

But as I lowered my head, I saw something that made my scalp prickle.

The moon was very full that night.

Two shadows lay clearly on the ground.

One was mine.

The other was... Đại Hắc's?

Instinctively, I looked up at him.

Slowly, he grinned at me.

The corners of his mouth twitched.

He looked just like a person smiling.

Terrified, I backed away several steps.

“Đại Hắc... what's wrong with you? Don't scare me.”

He licked awkwardly at his mouth.

The strange shadow vanished too, as though I had only imagined it.

Shaking, I said, “If you really have become a spirit... don't hurt me. I've always been good to you.”

After a pause, I added, “Don't hurt Grandma or Grandpa either.”

Then I turned and ran into the house without daring to look back.

As soon as I climbed onto the kang, Grandma gathered me into her arms.

She touched me and asked in surprise, “Why are you so cold?”

Probably because I had stood outside too long.

“I... went to the toilet,” I said guiltily.

She pulled the quilt over me.

“Don't catch a cold,” she murmured.