Chapter Ten: The Price of Seeking a Wealthy Patroness

“It could have the opposite effect?” Liu Mei couldn’t help but ask. She had considered that her method might be wrong, but never imagined it could actually backfire.

“You’ve probably seen those videos online where people teach dogs to ring a bell,” Zhang Congwen explained. “Each time the puppy rings the bell, it gets a treat. Tuantuan’s situation is just like training a dog to ring a bell. Whenever Tuantuan barks, Auntie gives it a snack. Over time, in Tuantuan’s eyes, barking becomes linked to treats. The snack becomes a reward for guarding the house. If the dog is content, it’ll stop barking after receiving a treat. But if it’s greedy, it’ll keep barking, hoping for more snacks.”

As he spoke, Zhang Congwen began to act out the scenario, role-playing and explaining Tuantuan’s thought process.

“It’s because of my barking that you pay attention to me and respond. If I do well, you give me treats. Keeping the house safe is my achievement—without me, this home would fall apart. I’m amazing.”

His performance made everyone laugh, especially Zhu Qingyan, who shook with laughter, feeling that Zhang Congwen’s imitation was so lifelike—just like an adorable puppy.

Following Zhang Congwen’s reasoning, Zhu Qingyan and Liu Mei quickly realized the flaw in their attempts to comfort Tuantuan.

To a dog, being petted by its owner is not only a sign of affection and comfort, but also a reward. It’s like a mischievous child who insults everyone he meets; if the parents not only fail to stop him but praise him for his behavior, the child will only become more fond of cursing.

“So scolding doesn’t work, and rewarding doesn’t work. Is there any way to stop Tuantuan from barking?” Understanding the logic, Liu Mei soon thought of a new problem and asked, frowning.

“Auntie, you’re stuck in a misconception. Training Tuantuan isn’t just a matter of good or bad options,” Zhang Congwen replied.

Zhu Qingyan’s eyes brightened, and she quickly asked, “Are you saying we should ignore Tuantuan?”

“Sharp thinking,” Zhang Congwen gave her a thumbs-up. “But that’s only half right. If you simply ignore it, Tuantuan will just stay the same. What you really need to do is correct its behavior, or rather, change its perception of strangers.”

“The things you asked my mom to do—will they actually change its perception?” Zhu Qingyan asked.

Zhang Congwen nodded. “Sometimes raising a pet is similar to raising a child, but only similar. No matter how much you love a dog or treat it like family, the fact remains: it’s still a dog, an animal, not a human. Treating it as a person is a mistake pet owners often make, because animals can’t truly understand human behavior. So when dealing with pets, you can’t really treat them as people.”

“For example, when Tuantuan barks, whether you scold, reward, or explain things, it can only interpret it in its own way. So training from a human perspective doesn’t work. You have to use methods it understands, and correct it from its perspective. That’s why I suggested Auntie stand in front of Tuantuan when it barks, blocking its view. This tells Tuantuan that the house doesn’t need its protection; the owner can handle things. Having Auntie relax and do affectionate gestures is actually a way to show Tuantuan that the strangers outside aren’t a threat, and it doesn’t need to stay alert.”

“Once Tuantuan fully understands what we’re trying to convey, it will naturally realize that the commotion outside is nothing special and doesn’t require its attention. I said raising pets is similar to raising children because both require teaching by example, but with pets, actions speak louder than words.”

Zhang Congwen spoke at length, not expecting Zhu Qingyan to burst out laughing. “You sound so experienced—someone might think you’ve actually raised a child.”

“I don’t even have a girlfriend, so how could I have raised a child? It’s just experience gained from being raised as a child myself,” Zhang Congwen replied earnestly.

Pfft!

Zhu Qingyan was amused again by Zhang Congwen, her eyes squinting with laughter.

“Auntie, do you understand everything I just said? If there’s no problem, I’ll call my friend up,” Zhang Congwen said to Liu Mei.

Seeing her daughter so happy with Zhang Congwen’s antics, Liu Mei’s eyes were full of warmth. She nodded to him with a smile and said, “Let your friend come up.”

Zhang Congwen immediately messaged Song Jiawei to come upstairs. Soon after, the bichon started barking again.

Following Zhang Congwen’s instructions, Liu Mei quickly blocked the bichon’s view.

The bichon, its view blocked, was clearly startled. It looked up at Liu Mei, its eyes full of confusion, unsure of what she intended. Then it shifted position and barked outside again.

Without needing a reminder, Liu Mei blocked its view again. After a few repetitions, the bichon actually stopped barking.

Just as it quieted down, Song Jiawei knocked at the door.

Woof woof woof!

The barking started once more.

Liu Mei had no choice but to repeat the method, blocking the bichon’s view. This time, after only three tries, the bichon fell silent. However, judging by its raised tail, it was still on guard.

“Auntie, you can go to the door now,” Zhang Congwen said.

Liu Mei followed his advice, walked to the door, turned to Tuantuan, yawned at it, and then slowly opened the door. This time, the bichon didn’t bark again, and its alertness diminished.

“You must be Xiao Zhang’s friend. What’s your name?” Liu Mei looked at Song Jiawei outside the door and asked awkwardly, not showing the slightest intention of inviting him in.

Song Jiawei, equally embarrassed, couldn’t help but wonder if Zhang Congwen had said something bad about him. But since Liu Mei had asked, he reluctantly replied, “Auntie, my name is Song Jiawei.”

“Xiao Song, how old are you?”

“I’m twenty-five.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“N-no, I don’t.”

“Where’s your hometown?”

“My hometown is…”

Watching Song Jiawei and Liu Mei’s awkward conversation, Zhang Congwen struggled to suppress his laughter.

Although Song Jiawei worked in sales and often interacted with all kinds of people, he’d never encountered a situation like this: Liu Mei didn’t invite him in, just let him stand outside for an uncomfortable chat. No matter how sociable he was, he’d never experienced anything like this before. Besides, Liu Mei was an elder, so he couldn’t say much, and could only stand at the door and endure the awkwardness.

If Zhang Congwen had explained things to Song Jiawei beforehand, he wouldn’t have felt so uncomfortable. But Zhang Congwen hadn’t told him anything, so Song Jiawei could only stand there, feeling awkward.

What surprised him even more was that, during the conversation, Liu Mei suddenly reached out and patted his shoulder. The gesture made his hairs stand on end. Song Jiawei instinctively wanted to dodge, but his professional habits from sales made him suppress the reflex.

Could Auntie be single? I might want to cozy up to a wealthy woman, but I only mean the young and beautiful ones! What did Zhang Congwen say about me?

If you want to cozy up to a wealthy woman, what’s the price?

Song Jiawei’s mind was in turmoil, clearly imagining things.

“Xiao Song, let me show you around my home.”

Liu Mei, unaware of Song Jiawei’s thoughts, assumed Zhang Congwen had briefed him in advance, and began the next step directly.