Chapter Six: Competing with a Dog

"What do we need to do?" Zhu Qingyan looked eager and ready to try.

Zhang Congwen wore an expression of helplessness, as if Zhu Qingyan had an inexplicable fascination with dog training.

He handed the leash back to Liu Mei, signaling her to remove it from the Bichon's neck. Liu Mei complied; the dog immediately burrowed back into her arms, once again full of bravado.

This little dog truly embodied the phrase "a dog is only as bold as its master."

Only then did Zhang Congwen speak: "Just now, when you were in the bedroom, Tuan Tuan behaved quite well, even letting Qingyan pet her and exposing her belly in submission. This shows that Tuan Tuan isn't inherently bad—she simply lacks proper guidance."

Then, turning his gaze to Liu Mei, he continued, "Actually, the biggest problem with Tuan Tuan isn't with her at all—it's with you, Auntie."

"Me?" Liu Mei was stunned. She hadn't expected that after all this discussion, the root of the dog's issues would be traced back to herself.

Looking into her heart, she felt she'd treated the dog well and had never taught it to bite anyone. How could the problem possibly be hers?

Zhang Congwen noticed her confusion and patiently explained, "As you mentioned earlier, Tuan Tuan is a dog who relies on her owner's authority. And that authority is you. When you came out of the bedroom, Tuan Tuan immediately rushed toward you. Failing to reach your side, she turned and barked at us. That was her way of expressing loyalty—essentially, 'Look, Master, those two threatened me, and I'd rather die than submit. But I was so scared. Luckily, you appeared! Master, do teach those two insolent people a lesson, they've upset me.'"

With exaggerated tone and gestures, Zhang Congwen vividly acted out the Bichon's mental state, his performance so comical that everyone burst into laughter.

Then Zhang Congwen shifted the topic: "It's you who spoil Tuan Tuan the most in this family, isn't it?"

Zhu Qingyan giggled, "Isn't that the truth? My mom adores Tuan Tuan more than anything—she might even be closer to her than to her own daughter!"

Liu Mei shot Zhu Qingyan a glare. Unlike her father, Zhu Chang, who would have let it slide, Zhu Qingyan just lifted her chin with pride, as if she relished exposing her family's little secrets.

It was mischievous but endearing.

Zhang Congwen continued, "It's precisely because of your unrestrained indulgence that Tuan Tuan feels so emboldened. That's why, when she feels jealous, she dares to bite people. She knows that even if she bites someone, she won't face real consequences."

Both Zhu Qingyan and Zhu Chang nodded to themselves.

Indeed, after the Bichon bit Zhu Qingyan earlier, Liu Mei had only scolded it in a half-hearted manner.

"So, how should we train her?"

Realizing that the root of the problem lay with herself, Liu Mei felt a bit embarrassed. To cover it up, she hastily changed the subject.

"It's actually very simple—you just need to reduce the attention you give Tuan Tuan. But this has to come from you personally, Auntie."

After a moment's thought, Zhang Congwen said, "Right now, in Tuan Tuan's mind, your status in the family is the highest. Next comes Uncle Zhu, whose rank is about equal to Tuan Tuan's—maybe a bit higher, maybe a bit lower, but roughly the same. And finally, Qingyan—her status is the lowest of all. That's why Tuan Tuan dares to bully her."

The family nodded quietly. Hearing it explained this way, it did seem to make sense.

Zhang Congwen went on, "In a dog's mind, the sofa is a symbol of status. If everything was fine, there'd be no need to worry. But since a problem has arisen, Tuan Tuan can't be allowed on the sofa anymore. So, your first step should be to make her get off. Go ahead and give it a try."

Liu Mei followed instructions and said to the Bichon, "Tuan Tuan, get down. Leave the sofa, will you? Good girl, come on down."

Zhang Congwen looked exasperated—how could such gentle, coaxing words possibly have any effect on a dog?

The Bichon gazed blankly at Liu Mei, having no idea what she meant.

Clearly, Liu Mei didn't realize her mistake and kept trying to negotiate with the dog to get her off the sofa. Finally, Zhu Chang could bear it no longer and bellowed at the dog, "Tuan Tuan, get off the sofa, now!"

"Why are you shouting? You startled me," Liu Mei scolded her husband, shooting him a look.

The Bichon glanced at Zhu Chang, then at Liu Mei, completely ignoring Zhu Chang's command and curling up in Liu Mei's arms again.

Clearly, this family had no idea how to train a dog.

Zhang Congwen stopped them and said to Liu Mei, "You don't need to talk to her. You don't even need to say a word. Just push her off."

Liu Mei nodded, but instead of following his instructions, she gently carried the dog off the sofa.

The moment her paws touched the floor, the Bichon leaped right back up, attempting to burrow into Liu Mei's lap again.

Zhang Congwen immediately corrected her, "Not carrying—pushing. As if you're sweeping an object off the sofa."

Even with such a clear explanation, Liu Mei still insisted on carrying the dog down, leaving Zhang Congwen exasperated.

Not until he repeated himself several more times did Liu Mei reluctantly try pushing the dog, though she was still excessively gentle.

After Zhang Congwen demonstrated several more times, Liu Mei's movements finally started to look right. But the Bichon was stubborn—every time she was pushed off, she jumped right back up.

"What now?" Liu Mei asked, clearly at her wits' end.

She'd thought Zhang Congwen would do the training himself—not just coach her through it.

Once Liu Mei managed to execute the push, Zhang Congwen said, "The next step is to prevent Tuan Tuan from getting on the sofa. Again, no need to scold her—just stand in front of her and block her with your leg."

Liu Mei tried it. After pushing the dog off, she stood up and blocked her path when she tried to jump back on. The Bichon looked up at Liu Mei in confusion, as if trying to decipher her intent, but soon tried to circle around her to hop up again.

Liu Mei's actions were a bit clumsy, but she was earnest, and it worked. After several failed attempts, the Bichon realized she could no longer get on the sofa. She turned to Zhu Chang for help, but he, too, ignored her.

At last, she gave up and sulked off to a corner alone.

Only then did Zhang Congwen allow himself a small smile. The first stage of training was complete. The only one unhappy was the dog—but that was only natural given her sudden change in status. She would adapt in time.

Watching the Bichon retreat gloomily, Zhu Qingyan couldn't help but feel a touch of schadenfreude.

Serves you right for biting me. Hmph!

If Zhang Congwen knew that Zhu Qingyan was secretly holding a grudge against a dog, he wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry—she was every bit a young girl at heart.

"Now you need to join the training, too," Zhang Congwen said to Zhu Qingyan, seeing the first stage succeed.

"Me?"

Zhu Qingyan blinked at Zhang Congwen, surprised to find she had a role in this as well.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked, bright-eyed and eager once more.