Upcoming novel: The Nine-Square Grid Took Over the Mandarin Duck Hot Pot
/ (‵﹏′) ╮(‵▽′)╭ (‵▽′)/,
(In memory of Shuangshuang, the chinchilla who quietly went to Mouse Star in its sleep.)
Jing Miao, a veterinarian, is whisked away to an ancient village that seems secluded from the world but hides deadly dangers, along with her three pets: a Bichon Frise, a chinchilla, and a fox. In the blink of an eye, she has become their mother.
Her scalpel becomes a hoe, her white curls turn into twin buns, and her “brother mouse” and “little fox brother” really become two brothers.
There’s just one problem: the three kids all look different, and it’s obvious they can’t have the same father.
Who are their fathers? Who wants to assassinate them? Can they ever return to their original world?
There are plenty of questions, but none as urgent as the one right in front of her: how can she help children with animal souls live like ordinary kids in this ancient village?
“Dani, don’t poop wherever you want!”
“Sanbao, don’t eat the poop your sister left!”
“Erbao? Where’s Erbao?”
“Mom, Second Brother dug a hole and buried himself in it.”
“I’ll go fill in the hole for Second Brother!”
It’s harder to train human toddlers with animal souls than to care for a sow after she gives birth.
The kids seem to realize this, too. One day, they go hunting and come back with a pretty monk tied up, forcing him into fatherhood.
The cool, aloof monk says he won’t, but every night he pulls Jing Miao close and tells her Buddhist scriptures. As he talks, his shaved head grows hair, his kasaya is replaced by rough clothes, and his whisk becomes a hoe. Their pastoral life, with her working outside, him keeping house, and the kids causing trouble, finally gets on track.
But just as their peaceful (chaotic) life begins to settle, the danger lurking in the shadows finally comes to light. It turns out all three children come from extraordinary backgrounds and have enemies of their own, while Jing Miao and the pretty monk also have important responsibilities to shoulder.
The family of five may share no blood ties, but in the face of danger, they’re closer than kin.
The pretty monk reveals his hidden strength to protect his wife and children. The three kids use their special abilities to help, and Jing Miao holds her own with courage and cunning.
After the danger is resolved, that soul-searching question returns to Jing Miao’s mind: Can people who raise pets love them as much as they love their children?
Theme: Can people who raise pets love them as much as they love their children?
