Inside the Zhao family home.
Zhao Youcai lit another cigarette and sat smoking silently on the kang. The three men around him—Liu Jinyong, Hong Yuntao, and Li Dayong—all had their eyes fixed on him.
However, Liu Jinyong and Hong Yuntao watched Zhao Youcai with looks of anticipation, while Li Dayong was simply worried.
Unlike Liu and Hong, who knew nothing about hunting, Li Dayong knew that if Zhao Youcai went into the mountains, he could take the entire yard full of dogs with him. But once they were in the mountains, how the dogs would perform was anyone's guess.
Li Dayong figured that, aside from his own dog, Da Huang, none of the others would work for Zhao Youcai with any real conviction. As for the four new dogs, he'd be lucky if they didn't just bolt for home.
Li Dayong knew that Da Huang was purely a helper dog, fine for a straightforward hunt. But if you were counting on it to track prey, it was even less useful than a loudmouth follower like White Dragon.
