Chapter 404

Although the dog in the basket was not as lively as the other two, its eyes were not as listless as they looked; when Zheng Tan approached, he could see a hint of vigilance in the puppy's gaze.

The remaining puppy's fur base color was somewhat gray, interspersed with dark brown patches and even near‑black markings; at first glance it reminded one of a tortoiseshell cat, but a tortoiseshell's coat is more irregular, lacking any pattern, and does not show this relatively even distribution of spots.

After staying a long time at the pet center, Zheng Tan had seen many dogs and heard much about various breeds. Once, after finishing a task with Xiao Guo at the pet center, he was strolling around when he saw a person talking to Xiao Guo, surrounded by several dogs whose fur looked mottled as if they had a skin disease; Cha Li and the others said those were tiger‑striped dogs.

Looking closely, indeed, some of the dogs' markings were stripe‑like, different from Li Yuanba's coat pattern, and the dogs appeared somewhat fierce; nevertheless, many people favor this coloration, the most famous being the Shangrao tiger‑striped, rumored to have been used as hunting dogs for imperial hunts. Tiger‑striped dogs are not as miraculous as some claim, but even if not entirely accurate, it shows that many still like this coat.

The person speaking with Xiao Guo was very fond of tiger‑striped dogs; most of the dogs in his hand were of that color. In fact, in the countryside such mongrels are not rare, but many villagers keeping them as guard dogs do not care about coat color and do not make a big distinction. What really matters is how the dogs are raised.

Now, among the three puppies, this one remains the chosen one mainly because of its coat.

Aside from the coat issue, Zheng Tan found the puppy quite pleasing to the eye and not troublesome.

As Cha Li and the others once said, tiger‑striped dogs are generally a bit more stubborn and fierce than ordinary mongrels, with decent hunting ability, adequate as guard dogs and in fights, and more agile than typical village dogs. Used for hunting, they perform well on small hills, but because of their impulsive and unsteady temperament, most tiger‑striped dogs rarely become the lead dog when hunting big mountains in real combat. This is not absolute; it's just generally the case.

Tiger‑striped looks cool, not as plain‑looking as many big yellow dogs. Yet Zheng Tan observed that this little tiger‑striped mongrel seemed more honest and steady than the small yellow dog he had bought earlier—of course, that's only appearances; as for what it will become once it grows up and gets used to things, Zheng Tan cannot say for sure now.

Everyone around disliked the dog's coat color, but Zheng Tan found it increasingly acceptable.

The puppy that had been squatting stood up as Zheng Tan approached; at first it hardly barked, but after staring at Zheng Tan for a while it began to whimper "wu‑wu," its little tail wagging.

The dog seller had just noticed the black cat lingering by the dog basket, wondering when such a black cat had appeared in the market; it strode about calmly, whereas normally cats and dogs in a market are not so composed— their killing intent is too strong, like the dogs about to be sold, all restless and uneasy; compared to them, this black cat was quite unusual, showing no anxiety and not fearing strangers.

The stall owner was about to speak when Lanzhaotaitai already spoke up.

"What's up, Hei Tan, you taken a liking to this one?" Lanzhaotaitai walked over, squatted down, and examined the puppy closely.

He had not intended to buy it earlier, but after seeing Zheng Tan's behavior he changed his mind.

"Well, old sir, that's your cat—you've got guts!" the stall owner laughed.

Lanzhaotaitai grunted "uh" without saying more, scrutinized the puppy, then picked it up for a closer look.

Seeing that aside from its unattractive coat the puppy seemed healthy, Lanzhaotaitai's inner unease eased a little; then, looking at the black cat beside it, his inner balance shifted a bit more.

Seeing Lanzhaotaitai hesitate, the stall owner wanted to sell the dog quickly and said, "Sir, this is the last puppy; after this village there'll be no such shop. This is a good dog—otherwise those two bosses just now wouldn't have bought it. But I see you don't like the color, so let me give you a discount: the two earlier sold for eighty each, I'll let you have this one for sixty. How about that?"

Lanzhaotaitai remained silent, seemingly still considering. Actually, he was observing Zheng Tan's reaction; unable to decide about the dog, he placed the choice on Zheng Tan. Seeing Zheng Tan's gaze fixed on the puppy, Lanzhaotaitai also felt inclined to buy it.

"Never mind, it's just that the coat isn't pretty. When choosing a dog, what matters most is vetting its inner character; appearance need not be over‑insisted upon, or else we'd put the cart before the horse!" Lanzhaotaitai consoled himself.

However, the stall owner interpreted Lanzhaotaitai's silence as dissatisfaction with the price; seeing the old man's plain attire, not looking wealthy, and knowing that people of his age are tight with money and reluctant to spend more, the stall owner thought about lowering the price further.

Hearing a puppy's cry, the stall owner glanced at the electric tricycle, saw a puppy in the cage on it, and asked Lanzhaotaitai, "Is that dog on your cart one you just bought?"

Having made his decision, Lanzhaotaitai set the puppy down and rose slowly, saying, "Mm, just bought it—sixty and it comes with a cage." He spoke frankly.

However, in the stall owner's view, the old man indeed had objections to the price, but the dog on his cart was slightly larger than his own, looked much more spirited, and came with a cage; if he kept asking sixty, the deal would probably fall through. Seeing no one else interested in the puppy, the stall owner thought and said, "Let's do this: I also want to sell the puppy quickly. My wife is taking the big dog away and will be back soon; before she returns I'd rather just sell the dog, otherwise I'll let it go for forty— that's half price. Actually, aside from the coat, this dog is truly good; when grown it will be absolutely diligent as a guard dog. Look at its eyes—it's the type that barks at strangers, and it will bark fiercer than other dogs, not losing its voice from being startled."

The stall owner appeared honest and spoke sincerely, but in fact he thought, forty yuan is already more than they originally expected— they're making a profit either way, no loss. As for praising the dog, that's pure nonsense; he doesn't even look at dogs, he's just making up two lines like Liu the boss used to do.

Lanzhaotaitai had originally planned to pay and leave, but hearing the price drop again, he paused, looked at the stall owner, silently shook his head, then took out money and handed it over.

Those around thought Lanzhaotaitai was still dissatisfied with the dog and the price, merely accepting it grudgingly. But Zheng Tan knew: Lanzhaotaitai was expressing speechlessness; the old man really didn't care about those few tens of yuan, yet he never imagined that saying just a few fewer words would prompt the stall owner to cut the price directly.

The dog‑basket stall owner had no intention of giving anyone a dog, and Lanzhaotaitai didn't want one either. The cage on the cart could still hold a puppy; the two puppies could squeeze in together— they'd be back soon anyway.

The two puppies crowded into one cage; both were small. They didn't really fight, but the little yellow dog was more lively, actively nudging and provoking a few times.

Zheng Tan stood nearby watching. The two puppies together cost less than a hundred yuan— very cheap. Compared to expensive breeds, the price difference is hundreds or thousands of times, even more.

The dog selection is done; as for what these two dogs will grow up to be, Zheng Tan cannot guarantee. Lanzhaotaitai didn't say otherwise— if they turn out badly later, it's Lanzhaotaitai's own responsibility, unrelated to Zheng Tan.

After returning to school, Lanzhaotaitai placed the two puppies in the small flowerbed, not taking them back to the staff dormitory. Zhailaotaitai cooked some rice porridge mixed with minced meat for the two puppies, and they ate it happily.

Lanzhaotaitai gave the two puppies names: the little yellow dog was Qianli, the tiger‑striped one Shunfeng; he hoped the pair would have the abilities of clairvoyance and wind‑following ears, to guard the flowerbed well and deter those with ill intentions.

That pot of orchids was still blooming, with a longer flowering period than other orchid varieties, which amazed many people. Since the orchids were recovered, Lanzhaotaitai's small flowerbed has been closed to outsiders, not shown to anyone; only a few close acquaintances are allowed in. Media interest has also waned—not because they don't want to report, but because higher authorities have pressured them to stop extensive coverage. Lanzhaotaitai shares that sentiment; he doesn't want to attract more ill‑intentioned people.

The puppies were still small, so Lanzhaotaitai did not give them separate dens; he made a temporary doghouse from a cardboard box, planning to build two larger wooden kennels for them later when they grew.

When Lanzhaotaitai took the two puppies to the pet center for a checkup, he learned from the staff there that the "Shunfeng" coat color also had the term tiger‑striped.

The pet‑center staff were trying to comfort Lanzhaotaitai, so they spoke a bit exaggeratedly, making him feel elated.

Actually, no matter how you say it, they're just ordinary mongrels; many still look down on them. However, Lanzhaotaitai's former unease is now gone, replaced by a slight pride at having snagged a bargain; when he saw Zheng Tan back at school, he smiled warmly and affably.

"Hei Tan, your eye is not bad."

Zheng Tan watched the old man walk away humming a little tune, thinking, "He's still young; when he grows up we'll see whether his judgment is good or not."

However, every time Lanzhaotaitai shouted "Shunfeng," Zheng Tan hearing it felt off, instinctively adding the words "express delivery" in his mind; later Lanzhaotaitai apparently also felt it sounded like a courier call, so he changed the name to "Shunzi."

Mongrels are easy to raise and grow quickly; the two puppies adapted well, and after just a few days in the flowerbed they were running all over the yard. Besides Zheng Tan, the first cat they got to know was the police captain.

It turned out the police captain used to run into the flowerbed to nibble flowers; now he runs there often because of these two puppies. Zheng Tan had long known that this fellow's interest in dogs exceeds his interest in cats.

At first the police captain was merely curious; he didn't go over to mess with the two puppies, but stood on the flower trellis, watching the puppies play below, his neck stretched out long, as if he wished for a giraffe's neck, his gaze constantly following the two puppies.

After spotting the cat perched on the trellis, the two puppies came to the area beneath it; the yellow‑haired "Qianli" opened its mouth and barked at the police captain with a distinct puppyish yelp. The trellis top is a slope, its highest point about three meters above ground, its lowest less than half a meter; the police captain's squatting spot is roughly one meter high—otherwise the two puppies would not have noticed him.

"Shunzi" didn't bark, but it also lifted its head and stared at the cat on the trellis.

From the extent of the police captain's tail wagging, Zheng Tan could tell he really wanted to go down and play with the two, though he probably still wanted to observe a bit more.

Seeing the police captain still showing no reaction, Zheng Tan went around behind him and kicked him down with one foot. (To be continued…)

PS: Earlier, Chen Ci's grandmother's family had kept two dogs—one a mixed black‑back, large in size, the other a native tiger‑striped, much smaller. As guard dogs, the tiger‑striped one did the main work; its ears were exceptionally sharp, barking at the sound of strangers approaching the gate, after which the black‑back would join in. Later the place was demolished; I heard that the native tiger‑striped refused to leave that spot, and even when the family took it away it would return to the original place to keep watch, barking at excavators until it died, never leaving. At that time Chen Ci was still in college; when he heard the news, that dog was already gone.