Chapter Fifty-Seven: A Visitor Arrives

In truth, many people have never realized, or perhaps simply refuse to admit, that the affection dogs show toward humans is not innate. In other words, looking back on the history of mankind’s domestication of dogs, it was far from a process filled with love—it was, in fact, a cruel one. The reason dogs of all breeds today are so friendly with people is that those which were fierce or hostile toward humans were mostly eliminated over the course of that long history. As a result, genes in dogs that were detrimental to humans were gradually purged.

With the progress of society, such harsh facts are seldom mentioned anymore, and have even been relegated to the back of people’s minds. So when Zhang Congwen spoke those words, the Sun family found it hard to accept.

“That... shouldn’t be the case... right?” Meng Rou’s heart was awash in a swirl of emotions, and she could not quite put her feelings into words. Most ordinary pet owners only ever encounter the harmonious side of living with their pets; even if things are not always perfect, they still aspire to that ideal. But for a dog trainer, their experience is not limited to the peaceful side of the human-pet relationship—they also witness another side, one that ordinary people rarely see.

It’s much like how an ordinary person might never encounter a criminal in their entire life, while for a police officer, it’s routine. Thus, compared to the average person, a police officer understands the darker side of human nature far better. Yet, because they haven’t experienced it themselves, ordinary people subconsciously believe that the darkness in human nature isn’t as prevalent or as severe as the stories suggest. In reality, that is far from true.

Zhang Congwen did not answer Meng Rou, falling silent instead. The fate of this dog was not really his to decide; ultimately, it depended on the attitude of the Sun family. If they chose to keep Ni Xue, he would say nothing more and simply do his best to help them manage and rehabilitate the dog.

Perhaps sensing the hostility Zhang Congwen had just displayed, or perhaps feeling threatened by what the future might hold, Ni Xue began barking at him without warning. Noticing his dog about to lose control again, Sun Zhong hurried to put the leash on Ni Xue.

But Ni Xue would have none of it. The instant Sun Zhong tried to slip the leash over her head, she suddenly lunged and attacked him. Maybe experience had made him adept at handling such situations—Sun Zhong responded swiftly. As Ni Xue lunged, he tossed the leash over her neck, pulled back a few steps, and deftly avoided her bite.

The leash Sun Zhong used was actually a slip lead that could tighten into a collar. Once it was around Ni Xue’s neck, a pull on the other end would cause it to constrict. The more Ni Xue struggled, the tighter it would become.

Before Sun Zhong had a chance to tighten the leash, however, there came a sudden knock at the door. For reasons unknown, Sun Zhong abandoned his attempt to restrain Ni Xue and turned to answer it instead.

Opening the door, he found Wang—the neighbor who had complained the other night about the Sun family disturbing the peace—standing outside. The first thing she said was, “Has that dog trainer come yet?”

“Yes, he’s here, Sister Wang. I was just about to let you know,” Meng Rou quickly stepped forward, anxious to prevent her husband from getting into another squabble with their irksome neighbor.

But Sister Wang, wearing a forced smile, replied, “No need for that. I came on my own, didn’t I?” And, uninvited, she walked right into their home.

No sooner had she crossed the threshold than Ni Xue lunged at her. While Sun Zhong was busy with the leash, Zhang Congwen had already risen, ready to assist if things got out of hand. So as soon as Ni Xue charged, Zhang Congwen stomped on the leash, holding her back.

Ni Xue, convinced she was the true master of this house, was not about to let anyone—especially a stranger—restrict her movements. Realizing she was being restrained, she immediately turned and snapped at Zhang Congwen.

Meng Rou’s heart clenched with fear that her dog might hurt someone. She jumped up from the sofa, eager to help. Sun Zhong, being closer, also rushed over at the first sign of trouble.

But neither of them was faster than Ni Xue. In the blink of an eye, she opened her jaws wide, baring her fangs, and went straight for the foot Zhang Congwen had used to pin the leash.

Zhang Congwen, well-versed in handling such situations, shifted his weight back, braced himself, and then, seizing the moment, delivered a solid kick to Ni Xue’s chest.

With that single strike, Ni Xue was sent flying. Furious but cowed, she dared not attack Zhang Congwen again. Instead, she wheeled around and lunged at Little Yellow, the closest target, hoping to vent her frustration there.

Zhang Congwen was not about to let her have her way. He grabbed the leash and hoisted it up with one hand, exerting firm control over Ni Xue.

At first, Ni Xue looked around frantically, bewildered and terrified, not understanding what was happening. But once she realized her predicament, she began shrieking and gnawing furiously at the leash.

Zhang Congwen raised the leash even higher, lifting Ni Xue’s front paws off the floor. This only made her struggles more intense.

At this point, everyone should have kept a safe distance from Zhang Congwen and Ni Xue, but unexpectedly, Sister Wang chose this moment to move closer, oblivious to danger. She crouched down, looking at Ni Xue with a mocking expression. “So this is how you train a dog, is it?”

Her taunting only agitated Ni Xue further, making her struggle and howl even louder.

“To think you’ve managed to keep a dog like this until now—impressive. You’d better train her well and stop letting her act like she owns the place,” Sister Wang went on, utterly unaware of how much she was provoking the dog, and continued to challenge Ni Xue with her gaze.

Her words were laced with sarcasm and hidden barbs.

Luckily, the Sun family’s attention was fixed entirely on Ni Xue at that moment, and the dog’s piercing screams drowned out Sister Wang’s voice. Only Zhang Congwen caught her words.

Though he hadn’t interacted much with Sister Wang before, he found her thoroughly disagreeable—not just her prickly manner of speaking, but her utter lack of courtesy and respect. Her behavior now was only making his job harder.

“You’d better stand back. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt if I lose control during training,” Zhang Congwen said, still restraining Ni Xue as he addressed Sister Wang, who was still babbling and showing off her talent for sarcasm.

But Sister Wang seemed not to hear him. Only after he repeated himself did she reply, without even looking up, “You’re the dog trainer and you can’t control a mutt? Besides, I’m not an idiot. If this little beast tries to bite me, I’ll just dodge, won’t I?”

Zhang Congwen frowned, finding her utterly unreasonable. Since words were useless, he decided to try another approach.

As Ni Xue thrashed wildly, he loosened his grip on the leash just enough and pretended to be pulled by her strength, sending Ni Xue surging closer to Sister Wang.

Already at her wit’s end, Ni Xue, seething with rage, saw a living target suddenly within reach and immediately lunged to bite.