Chapter 308: – Ear Cropping

Although Guqin She allows pets, there are restrictions: only guests who book an upstairs private room may bring pets; otherwise, with so many tables downstairs and many customers, bringing a pet in would raise hygiene concerns even if some don't mind, and the limited effect of partitions doesn't help much.

So Zheng Xuan took Jiao Ba and Yuan Zhiyi straight upstairs to their reserved private room. Getting a seat at Guqin She is already difficult, so booking a private room is even harder; naturally, the cost of a private room is many times that of the downstairs hall.

"Because we're acquainted, I also get a discount each time I come," he paused, then said proudly, "It's even better than what members receive."

The people in the next private room were arguing for some unknown reason, their voices loud; we couldn't hear them clearly here, but that shows the soundproofing is good—close the window, shut the door, turn on the air‑conditioner, and as long as nobody is shouting at the top of their lungs, you won't hear the next room.

A bamboo‑slip‑style menu was brought over; Zheng Xuan introduced the signature and special dishes to Jiao Ba and Yuan Zhiyi, while Zheng Tan sat on a small chair by the window, watching the people come and go downstairs.

The argument next door grew more heated, and a bowl from Guqin She was thrown out, falling to the first‑floor floor and shattering into pieces.

Zheng Tan recalled this place—his father used to come here often, never alone; sometimes he brought an unknown number of lovers, sometimes he came with acquaintances from the mall, but the former was far more common. His father's conduct was like the ceramic bowl that the next‑room guest had just thrown and shattered on the floor. Zheng Tan himself had been here twice before: once to eat, once to slap his father's lover.

Zheng Tan muttered about his father's "glorious exploits," recalling his own earlier visit to "catch" him in the act when his eyelid twitched; he suddenly remembered why the name Guqin She felt odd to him. He had a strong impression of the place, not because his father often dined there with lovers—his father had many romantic spots to show them, and different lovers suited different venues—but because he remembered what he saw when he came to argue with his father.

It wasn't anything good, and I can't recall the exact time.

Forget it. I don't want to think about it.

Zheng Tan felt his luck couldn't be that good—how could a rare visit possibly coincide with that mess?

He yawned, then leaned against the window to keep watching downstairs while listening to Jiao Ba and the others talk.

Zheng Xuan was remarking that Nan Cheng had plenty of wealthy young people—so‑called "young and rich." Whether their wealth came from a rich father or not, the result is what matters; facts are facts.

The three of us at the table were already of a certain age, with more experience, so our conversation was full of sighs, jokes, and light‑hearted talk, without too much sour‑grape resentment. Zheng Xuan, a grassroots with little education, had come to Nan Cheng and struggled up from the bottom, seeing all kinds of people. Looking back, he too had once envied those young people surrounded by luxury cars, beautiful women, and expensive goods. Back then he and some fellow migrant workers stood at the roadside selling street‑fare goods and smoking cheap cigarettes, watching teenagers in high‑end lifestyles roar past in sports cars. Envy was certain, and a sour feeling was inevitable. When speaking of "young and rich," those of us who had struggled southward could only think: youth is long past, and wealth lies in some distant future.

But now Zheng Xuan is clearly a positive, inspirational success story—he obtained his education through various means, is earning money with good momentum. After experiencing certain things and reaching a certain height, one's outlook and mindset change.

Zheng Tan was reminiscing about his past extravagant life as Zheng Xuan spoke, when he suddenly caught a familiar figure downstairs.

A middle‑aged man—that was Zheng Tan's father; a hot‑bodied girl—that was his father's lover.

Although I knew what kind of person my father was and had seen it many times before, seeing this scene still made me furious.

Downstairs, Zheng Tan's father put his arm around that girl and walked into Guqin She; Zheng Tan pressed his forehead against the window, glaring angrily at the two until they disappeared from view.

"What's Zhao Cai looking at?" Yuan Zhiyi jabbed Jiao Ba with her elbow, pointed her chin toward Zheng Tan, then got up and moved to the window to look outside.

Jiao Ba and Zheng Xuan also curiously looked downstairs, but by then Zheng Tan's father had already entered the shop with his lover; all they saw was a black large dog being led out of an SUV downstairs.

"Oh, are you looking at it? That's Shu Dong's beloved dog, a Great Dane named Mars." Zheng Xuan explained, also saying a bit about Shu Dong himself and their business dealings.

"No," Yuan Zhiyi said, her focus not on how impressive Shu Dong or his company was, but on the Great Dane: "A friend of mine also owns a Great Dane, and it doesn't look like that."

"What's different?" Jiao Ba said, noting that he knew a bit about cats from keeping them at home, but only superficial things about dog breeds.

Zheng Tan's attention was diverted as well, and he went to observe the Great Dane, though he knew little about dogs; the only breeds he was familiar with were the St. Bernard "Awkward Flower" from the compound, the Bull Terrier Niu Zhuangzhuang, the Chihuahua that always barked at the police chief, and the mixed‑breed Sahala, etc. He might have seen a Great Dane before, but he hadn't paid attention or remembered it.

After staring at the Great Dane downstairs for a moment, Yuan Zhiyi clapped her hands: "I know—it's the ears! As I said, my friend's Great Dane has upright ears, looking spirited and mighty; this one is different—its neck looks a bit short."

"Oh," Zheng Xuan said, realizing. Because he had business with Shu Dong, he had looked into the man and knew he liked dogs, so he'd also done some research on them; hearing Yuan Zhiyi's explanation, he now understood the reason.

"It's because Shu Dong's Great Dane hasn't had an ear‑cropping procedure," Zheng Xuan explained.

"Ear cropping?"

"Yeah, just like some dogs have their tails docked, many people consider ear trimming for certain breeds; a Great Dane's ears naturally hang down, and after cropping they stand upright, so your friend's Great Dane, Mr. Yuan, must have had the procedure."

Tail and ear docking are common in dogs—some for working needs, to facilitate fighting or hunting, etc., while many modern breeds have their tails and ears docked mostly for looks. After getting used to seeing docked dogs, people tend to think that's how they naturally look. Take the Doberman: to laypeople, floppy ears plus a long tail seem "inauthentic," and when they see a Doberman with hanging ears and a long tail on the street, if you tell them it's a purebred, they'll surely say, "You're kidding. Stop messing with me!"

Some owners who haven't had the procedure feel embarrassed to post photos online, fearing criticism; even walking their dogs in public draws pointed fingers, which is quite awkward.

"Some countries now ban this procedure on dogs, but domestically there are hardly any restrictions. In China many people debate it: one side says ear cropping and tail docking are for the dog's own good—preventing ear mites, doubling hearing, etc.; the other side lists counter‑examples, calling it inhumane, and the argument rages on. Shu Dong belongs to the latter camp, so he hasn't cropped his Great Dane's ears." Zheng Xuan didn't finish his thought; many had urged Shu Dong to crop his dog's ears, only to be told "Get lost, you damn …" by him. Quite a few people have been scolded by Shu Dong for this, and though I won't repeat the insults here, I always find it hilarious when I recall it—Shu Dong is indeed quite a character.

Hearing Zheng Xuan say all this, Zheng Tan felt relieved that he hadn't turned into a breed that needs tail docking or ear cropping—indeed, being a native has its advantages.

The food at Guqin She is indeed good—no wonder Zheng Xuan praises it so highly. Knowing he was bringing friends, the owner even sent out a bowl of clear‑soup noodles, I don't know how it's made, but it's truly memorable and worth the three‑ or four‑figure price on the menu.

The food was indeed good, but Zheng Tan ate absent‑mindedly, wondering which private room his irresponsible father was dining in with his lover, and whether he should go over to cause a little trouble.

After eating and drinking their fill, the three chatted a while longer before preparing to leave; Zheng Tan was hiding in Jiao Ba's backpack, and as they exited the private room he saw the opposite room's door open—his father and his father's lover stepping out.

Zheng Tan took a deep breath, holding himself back from lunging out to slap the two, but his stare wasn't friendly; when they stepped out and met his cat‑like eyes, both felt a jolt in their hearts. Although the venue allows pets and they'd seen people bring cats and dogs before, they didn't comment on face‑saving matters—his father's lover couldn't tolerate that gaze, clinging to his arm and coaxing him to leave quickly.

Zheng Tan's father also felt a chill, thinking the black cat's gaze was especially weird, making him uneasy. When his lover urged him, he didn't want to stay any longer and hurried away.

Zheng Xuan was pulled aside by the Guqin She owner for a couple of words—it was clear they got along well—and he gave Jiao Ba and Yuan Zhiyi each a VIP card.

A brief delay meant that Jiao Ba, Zheng Xuan, and Yuan Zhiyi ended up walking behind Zheng Tan's father.

Zheng Xuan's reserved private room was 212, some distance from the stairwell. As he was walking toward the stairs, a person came up from that direction; seeing him, Zheng Xuan frowned slightly but said nothing—clearly they knew each other, yet he didn't greet.

Jiao Ba's gaze lingered on that person; although the fellow looked calm on the surface, perhaps it was intuition, but he felt something was off.

Zheng Tan watched his father and the lover disappear at the stairwell, then shifted his attention to the person who had just come upstairs; he's fairly sensitive to people's auras, and this individual gave him a bad feeling, seeming full of killing intent. (To be continued…)