

Gou Shu: Waiting for Me to Go Home with His Whole Life
Waiting for Uncle Gou to move his chopsticks first at dinner is an old rule carved into the Zhou family. When I was eleven years old, I accidentally fell into the old river bend, and it was a dying little yellow dog that fought desperately to drag me ashore. Since then, it became the speechless elder of my family—Uncle Gou. It braved heavy storms to fetch me from school with an umbrella in its mouth, guarded the grain in the drying yard to protect the family's food supply, and waited year after year under the old camphor tree hoping for my return. It accompanied me through my entire youth, seeing me off to school, waiting for me on holidays, and silently guarding the whole family with its entire life. As the years flowed by, I grew up step by step and rushed off to distant places. The once majestic Uncle Gou slowly grew old, its teeth deteriorated, and its steps faltered. Spanning sixteen years, the deep bond between human and dog went both ways.
Main characters: Gou Shu, Zhou Xiaoman
Supporting characters: Zhou's Father, Zhou's Mother, Grandpa Zhou
Also known as: 狗叔:用一生等我回家
狗叔:命を懸けて私の帰りを待つ (48話)
夕食時に狗叔が箸を動かすのを待つのは、周家に刻まれた古いしきたりである。十一歳の時、私は古い曲がり川に足を踏み外して落ち、息絶え絶えの小さな黄色の犬が命がけで私を岸へと引き上げてくれた。その時から、それは我が家の言葉を持たない長老――狗叔となった。大雨の中を傘をくわえて迎えに来てくれ、脱穀場を守って家族の食糧を守り、…
夕食時に狗叔が箸を動かすのを待つのは、周家に刻まれた古いしきたりである。十一歳の時、私は古い曲がり川に足を踏み外して落ち、息絶え絶えの小さな黄色の犬が命がけで私を岸へと引き上げてくれた。その時から、それは我が家の言葉を持たない長老――狗叔となった。大雨の中を傘をくわえて迎えに来てくれ、脱穀場を守って家族の食糧を守り、毎年古い楠の木の根元で私の帰りを待ちわびていた。それは私の少年時代全体に付き添い、学校へ送り、休日に待ち受け、その一生をかけて黙々と家族を守り続けた。年月が流れ、私は一歩一歩成長して遠くへと赴き、かつて威風堂々だった狗叔はゆっくりと老い、歯が衰え、足元もおぼつかなくなった。十六年間にわたる、人間と犬の双方向の絆。
狗叔:用一生等我回家 · Gou Shu: Waiting for Me to Go Home with His Whole Life