Chapter Eleven: Retrieving the Dog

  Those who can do things around the casino are not simple characters. This Sun Bao, although not a casino person, has come into contact with all kinds of people and naturally has a broader perspective than ordinary people. Previously, he didn't take Song Qing seriously, but when he heard that he was going to kill someone's dog, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. When he looked at Song Qing again, he suddenly felt like he had overlooked something. He thought this was just some small official from the guards' office coming to buy a few dogs for fun, but now he realizes that this guy is not so simple after all.

  A very strong murderous aura!

  Sun Baozi had seen big thieves with blood on their hands, after all, this casino was a famous "three no-care" place in Xuzhou. The government usually wouldn't come here to investigate cases, because many lone bandits, river pirates, and even mountain outlaws liked to come over and gamble when they were free, as long as they didn't cause trouble within the city walls. The constables would naturally turn a blind eye, anyway, every month the casino had a generous "gift" for them, unless someone higher up ordered them to crack down, no one would risk their lives to catch thieves here.

  As an old resident here, especially since he ran a wine and meat shop, Sun Aozi's store had been visited by too many strong men. He was also too familiar with the temperament of these people, and the flag on the front of this Wei Suo's body revealed just such a temperament, even more ferocious than some old bandits who had accumulated over the years. He straightened his face, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and hung a smile at the corner of his mouth before re-asking politely: "Still don't know where this official is on public duty?"

  "I told you, this is our garrison's Song Xiaoqi!" Ding Kui was also a meticulous person. Seeing Sun Duan's haughty and humble attitude, he immediately guessed the other party's mind and quickly found the feeling of using the tiger's might to intimidate others. He raised his thumb and said: "You know about the incident where we went out to suppress bandits a few days ago? Song Xiaoqi single-handedly killed more than a dozen bandits, and his whole body was stained red with the blood of those bandits. Now Song Xiaoqi is the number one figure in the Xuzhou garrison. You, Sun Duan, still don't show the courtesy due to the host?"

  "Should be, should be!" Sun Baozi's face was suddenly filled with smiles. Although Wei Suo said it didn't concern him, and Xiao Qi wasn't a big shot, a good fellow who could kill over a dozen bandits was someone you needed to get along with, no matter what. Especially since Song Qing was so young, he might have a bright future ahead of him. For now, it was just a courtesy, but if they could establish a good relationship, who knows when it might come in handy? He hastily said: "Let's go see the dog first, and after we're done, we'll head to my little shop for a sit-down. Old Sun values heroes and good fellows above all else, and someone like Lord Song, a true hero, I must treat with respect and offer a few cups of wine!"

  "Alright then, I'll take them." Song Qing didn't mince words either, nodded slightly and turned to select the dogs again.

  This time, he didn't expect to buy too much. Although the dog is not as valuable as it was in later generations, this is not a stray dog on the side of the road. In the Ming Dynasty, there was also a saying about fighting dogs. Sun Baozi's place may not have top-notch breeds, but they are barely passable. He can't afford to buy too many at once.

  In addition, he is now just a small flag, and his subordinates are only a few brothers, and they have not even met yet. Now, taking a large group of dogs back would indeed be difficult to accommodate, so he chose the eight strongest ones and asked Sun Baozi: "Just these eight, how much silver in total?"

  "As for the price..." Sun Baozi hesitated for a moment, he was now trying to build a relationship with Song Qingxuan, so it wouldn't be good to charge too much. But Song Qingxuan had indeed chosen some fine dogs, and charging too little would also be a loss for himself. He scratched his head and said: "Sir Song has a good eye for things, naturally the ones he's picked are all good dogs. How about we say... four taels of silver for these eight?"

  "Four pieces of silver? You're robbing me?" Ding Kui suddenly cried out in alarm.

  Sun Baozi wiped the oil sweat from his head, looking a bit embarrassed: "Old Ding, it's really not that I, old Sun, have a big mouth, this is indeed a good dog, four pieces of silver are really not too much, don't believe me? Ask Mr. Song!"

  "This is indeed a good dog, and the price is also fair, but...” Song Qing thought for a moment and knew that Sun Baozi's price was reasonable. One silver coin exchanged for RMB varied across dynasties, but in general, it wouldn't exceed 60-70 yuan during the late Ming dynasty. His father had bought a small dog for around 40-50 yuan last time. These eight dogs were sold for four silver coins, which should be considered a fair price. However, Song Qing was addicted to bargaining and said: "Can this price be lowered further? I'll be honest with you, I'm buying these dogs for military training purposes, and I'll make large purchases in the future. As long as your dogs are plentiful and good, I'll buy from you exclusively. Can't you give me a discounted price for this first transaction?"

  "Is Lord Song's words true?" Sun Baozi's question was not actually sincere, he didn't believe in Song Qing's so-called "using dogs to train soldiers", but at this moment he wanted to give the other party a good deal, and it wasn't about the few taels of silver, completely giving himself an excuse to step down. Seeing Song Qing nodding sincerely, he pretended to be surprised and said: "If that's the case, then I'll give you another discount, how about three and a half cents?"

  "Great, Brother Sun is indeed a straightforward person!" Song Qing hastily offered a high hat and quickly changed his expression to show a few points of embarrassment, asking: "I came in a hurry, just now I forgot to ask Brother Sun's name, please forgive me!"

  "Hmph, what's with the formalities? My name is Sun Jin, and Lord Song calls me Sun Baozi. That's all there is to it!" Sun Baozi looked particularly pleased with himself, pointing to a small restaurant not far away: "Come on, come on! Today Old Sun is treating, let's go to my little place for a couple of drinks. I hope you'll do me the honor, Lord Song!"

  "Since it's like this, then obedience is better than respect!"

  Sun Baozi's hospitality was very enthusiastic, but the small restaurant opened in the casino naturally didn't expect to eat anything too good, just some ordinary meat dishes from a common butcher shop. The wine wasn't much stronger than the usual village wine, but for Song Qing, it was enough. At least he had met a local snakehead who could provide him with good dogs.

  Farewell to Sun Pengzi, the two of them didn't linger in the provincial city and returned directly to Weizhou. Not long after leaving the city, they saw a group of rascals making a commotion in the distance, with occasional shouts of "beat him to death". Song Qing was a meddlesome person by nature, so he couldn't miss this opportunity to intervene. He walked up front, only to discover that he had misunderstood - the rascals were indeed beating something, but it wasn't a person, rather a small dog that seemed to have been born recently and had already lost its parents.

  The scene suddenly became lively. Before Song Qing could say anything, the few dogs he brought with him started barking loudly. The several ruffians hadn't noticed at first, but when the eight dogs barked wildly, they finally realized someone was approaching. Seeing Song Qing's unusually robust appearance and Ding Kui being a capable man, with the help of the eight big dogs, their hearts felt slightly intimidated. However, the leader still gritted his teeth and swaggered over, saying: "You little brat, don't interfere in other people's business, hurry up and leave!"

  Not a single dirty word, this is probably not because of the cultural improvement of those rascals, but because of the greater deterrent force on our side. Song Qing sneered in his heart and took two big strides forward, asking: "Your dog?"

  "What did you say?"

  "Am I asking if it's your dog?"

  "No!"

  "What's it got to do with you?"

  "It's so much fun!" The punk said a few words, and his arrogance came back again. He put his hands on his hips and said: "Where are you from? Do you need to take care of Grandpa's business? Don't think that just because you have a few big dogs by your side, you can intimidate anyone. If you mess with Grandpa, I'll slaughter them for you, and they're just enough for a few... Ah yo!"

  The words had not been spoken yet, when the punk with a crew cut got kicked in the chest and almost had his internal organs shifted, flying over a dozen feet away, crashing to the ground and unable to get up again. The remaining few saw their boss at a disadvantage and rushed to help, but were knocked down by Song Qing's fists and kicks, two of them falling down. Ding Kui took advantage of the chaos to knock another one down. The last two wanted to join in, but were surrounded by eight big dogs and couldn't escape, having to be careful not to get bitten all the time. In the end, they knelt down on the ground, begging Song Qing for mercy.

  Song Qing didn't waste any words and stepped on the rascal's chest with one foot, asking: "Is it still fun now?"

  That rascal's head wobbled like a drum wave, and he pitifully begged: "It's not fun anymore, grandfather spare my life, I'll never dare again!"

  "Get out!"

  "Yes, get out of here at once!"

  Several rascals quickly scrambled to their feet and vanished into thin air, leaving Song Qing to stroll leisurely over to the poor little dog that had been beaten up. He gently picked it up and smiled: "Not bad, this time we've earned another one. Old Ding, give it a name."

  "What's the name?" Ding Kui didn't react for a moment. These days, ordinary people's children don't even have decent names, let alone a dog. Moreover, you just bought eight big dogs and haven't named them yet. You picked up a small thing by the roadside and hurriedly wanted to think of a name. I don't know what kind of mentality this is.

  Song Qing didn't think that much, he just thought this little guy was particularly pleasing to the eye, ignoring the seemingly resentful gazes of the other eight big guys. He rolled his eyes a few times, but hadn't come up with an idea yet. Just then, the weather suddenly changed, and a thunderclap sounded in the sky. Suddenly, he had an idea, and laughed: "This is perfect timing for thunder, and you're so fierce, let's just call you Leidi!"

  New book is launched, everything is sought after, hoping for everyone's support!!!