Chapter Fifty-Five: The Trial Begins

"Mouse, with all my years of experience as a master of the flower sea, I swear, Dong really is in love this time." Qiangzi, already slurring his words, threw an arm around Mouse’s shoulders and shouted, paying no mind to Chu Dong, who was holding his phone up to his ear, trying to listen to advice.

"You?" Mouse shrugged off Qiangzi’s arm. "You, who boast of passing through a thousand blossoms without getting a single leaf on you, dare to make grand conclusions? In my opinion, this time Dong’s met a truly formidable opponent."

"Tch, isn’t that the same thing? You act like you've got deep insight, when all you do is echo me. Come on, drink up. Not a drop left for Dong." Qiangzi struggled to pour himself a drink, spilling more than he managed to get in his glass. Still, there was at least some liquor in it.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, no problem, it's nothing... Right, you want me to rob the First Emperor's tomb? That's beyond me. But getting a puppy? That's easy. Relax, you’ll have it before night falls tomorrow, you have my word... Why would I lie? Just wait and see. Oh, and does this count as fulfilling one condition?... Don't be like that, we can talk things over..." Chu Dong turned away, lowering his voice as if afraid the other two would overhear, pleading, "Little Ancestor, the wheel of fortune turns—tomorrow it’s my turn. You can’t just keep pressing your advantage. How about this counts as half a condition? Consider it my discounted offer."

"Trying to bargain with me? Forget it. I’ll just talk to my godmother," Tan Xue replied, her tone tinged with grievance.

"Wait, no, I’ll throw it in as a bonus—a grand opening special. But let's be clear: once is enough, there can’t be a third or fourth time. This is the only exception." Chu Dong switched tactics immediately. He was never one to take a loss.

But after hanging up, worry crept in. He’d been so busy haggling he hadn’t thought about the logistics. Whether it was a puppy or the diamonds from the Queen of England’s crown, he’d have promised anything in that moment. Not only had he failed to bargain, he now had to deliver. Where was he supposed to find a Labrador?

Chu Dong turned to discuss the matter with his two friends, only to find Qiangzi and Mouse already fast asleep. Fuming, he stormed out and yelled for Xiao Lan. When she came running, he said, "Help me tidy up the room, and get a couple of people to throw these two onto a bed. Next time I’m out, lock the door so these two can’t make a mess."

"But Qiangzi and Mouse have keys," Xiao Lan answered innocently.

"Damn it, change the locks," Chu Dong muttered, cursing his poor choice in friends.

Tan Xue had only given him three days. Chu Dong didn’t even know what a Labrador looked like, and as he restlessly reached for his coat to leave, Xiao Lan stopped him.

"Brother Chu, are you really going to change the locks?"

"What’s the point? The booze is gone; changing locks is useless," he tossed back as he left, leaving Xiao Lan sticking out her tongue behind his back.

"Wow, Xiao Xue, you’re amazing! A few words and it’s settled. Do you know how long I’ve dreamed of having a Labrador? They say it’s the most intelligent and loyal of dogs—so clever and affectionate. I’m so happy!" Li Youlan rolled joyfully on Tan Xue’s big bed.

"If you want anything else, just say so. Since we have someone to order around, we might as well use him. But do you think I should make him do something more challenging to assert my authority? Asking for a cat or a dog every day is getting old." Tan Xue climbed onto the bed too, munching on a bag of chips as she spoke.

"No rush, take your time. He wants to marry you, doesn’t he? It can’t be that easy," Li Youlan said, scooting closer. "I bought those chips, you can’t eat them all yourself—give me some."

"No."

"Not sharing? I’ll show you what happens when you don’t share..."

The two of them wrestled, dissolving into laughter.

Chu Dong vaguely remembered there being a pet shop near the station. He drove straight to Qingniwa. Night had fallen, but the bustling commercial district was still lively, neon lights blazing and crowds thronging the streets. There were plenty of people hawking pirated goods and grilled squid, but after circling for ages, he found no sign of anyone selling pets—though he did end up with several business cards for fake IDs shoved into his hands.

Finally, after asking around, he heard there might be some under Hongfu Bridge, so he headed there. Sure enough, he found someone with a row of cages—inside, kittens, puppies, and small animals like Dutch mice. Chu Dong approached to inquire.

"Hey, brother, do you have any Labradors?"

"Labrador?" The pet seller looked up in surprise.

"Yeah, that’s right—Labrador. I always mix up the names," Chu Dong admitted.

"You’ve come to the right place. I do have one, but it won’t be cheap," the young man replied, stringing Chu Dong along.

"How much?" Chu Dong reached out to pet a snow-white puppy sleeping in one of the cages.

"Fifty thousand. Not a penny less," the young man tested.

"That’s not cheap... but what can I do? My wife likes it. So, is it because the breed is rare that the price is so high?" Chu Dong asked, humble when he didn’t know something.

"Of course! Look at these others—maybe a hundred or eighty yuan, and I barely make a few bucks. Labradors are in a different league. Most people couldn’t afford one. Only someone like me can get them in," the guy bragged, sensing a sale.

"Fair enough. All right, bring it over tomorrow for me to have a look." Chu Dong noticed the little white puppy had woken up and was licking his fingers. On a whim, he decided to buy it. "How much for this one?"

"Others can’t have it for less than two hundred. But since we’re fated to meet, just give me a hundred to cover costs," the young man said generously.

"Thanks," Chu Dong said, handing over the money and taking the cage. "Trying to scam me? I know who’s really getting tricked," he thought.

The puppy was just over ten days old but lively. Once home, Chu Dong let it out, and it wobbled around him, begging for food. Luckily, he’d bought plenty of dog food on the way, and playing with it turned out to be quite fun.

Within two days, Tan Xue called to ask if he’d found a Labrador. He couldn’t let her think it was that easy, so he complained that the dog was hard to find and tried to get a two-week extension, but was flatly refused. Begrudgingly, he said he might be able to get one from a friend in a few days and managed to bargain for one extra day.

Before he owned a dog, he hadn’t felt much. But after less than a week, Chu Dong had grown reluctant to hand over the "costly" puppy. In the end, under Tan Xue’s repeated urging, he had no choice but to take the puppy to her. If she hadn’t threatened to call his mother every time, Chu Dong might not have given in at all.

PS: First update of 2010, brothers, give me some motivation!