An Ning brought the dogs back to the An's house.
That night, all the dogs slept under the shed in the An's courtyard.
The first night together went well.
The next morning, the rooster's crowing startled the pack of dogs awake. They didn't bark randomly, but instead stared at the rooster, all their heads turned in the same direction.
The pressure from this unified stare made the rooster's crowing stutter. This, in turn, caused Da Huang next door, who normally accompanied the rooster's daily cries, to let out single, isolated barks.
This strange barking made Lin Cuihua rush out without even putting on her shoes.
She held a fire shovel she had grabbed on her way out, glaring around the courtyard and yelling, "Who's bullying my chicken!"
When An Ning came out, she saw the standoff between Lin Cuihua, the aggrieved rooster, and the fourteen dogs.
"Mom, I'll handle this."
Lin Cuihua put down the fire shovel and began to lecture the rooster.
