陈年烈狗

by 不问三九

陶淮南被命运夺走了一双眼睛，而岁月馈赠给了他一个迟骋。 他小小的、没有色彩的世界里，从此多了一个相依为命的小哥。 小哥是他的盲杖、他的眼睛，是他童年戏言里时时挂在嘴边的“小狗”。 然而长大的旅程逃不过命运的鞭笞，脆弱的小孩儿挣不脱黑色的梦魇。 他总要试着一个人踏未卜前程、蹚险滩恶水，直到成为更好、更坚韧的自己。

Paperback

Published August 1, 2021

About the author

Associated Names:
* 不问三九 (Chinese Profile)
* ปู้เวิ่นซานจิ่ว (Thai Profile)
* Bất Vấn Tam Cửu (Vietnamese Profile)

Reviews

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

English title is Ferocious Dog of Old, sequel to Wildfire and in the same universe as Tattoo , Before His Eyes, and After Our Divorce I Still Wore Your Jacket. Initially I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this because it has so many tags/tropes I usually avoid so I set it aside. I am so glad I gave it a second chance because it immediately became all I could think about and one of the most satisfying, fulfilling reads of the year for me.

You can read this without reading Wildfire BUT there is a spoiler in this novel that will take away the impact of a big reveal in that novel.

The things that almost kept me from reading this:
❗️Starts when they are 8 years old. If you read Wildfire first (which you absolutely should) you meet them as the younger teen brothers of the MC, Tao Xiaodong. This novel goes back to their beginnings and it’s honestly so important to see how their relationship/dependence starts from the very first encounter.
❗️ Separation arc. This part is so painful. Be prepared to cry for 20+ chapters. As painful as it was to read- I don’t see any other way for them to have the ending that they get which is a happy one of course.
❗️ Adopted brothers (no blood relation). I don’t really have an issue with this and TBH this book helped ease any trepidation I have towards these kinds of stories. I think it’s just not something I commonly choose to read about
❗️ Self harm/suicide mentions. This part is terribly sad and heart breaking even as just a small slice of the story- but its impact is profound. I think the author did an amazing job addressing it

My favorite things about this novel!!!
❤️Blind MC. This author has done her research! In Wildfire, you get a good idea about vision loss and ophthalmology as a whole. But in this book? You get all the feelings and experiences of not just the person who is blind but the family members, the friends, the school system, just everything.
❤️ Adopted ML. Complicated feelings being adopted- feeling like he owes them for saving his life vs being thankful. I can’t go into too much detail without spoiling but his relationship with Tai Huinan is unlike any I’ve ever read about.
❤️ The complexity of their relationship. They were so entangled in every way from such a young age. Honestly, all their feelings and actions were both valid/justified and infuriating at the same time considering all they had been through together.
❤️ More Insight into Tai Xiaodong, his relationship with CK, TH, and TS- just made me appreciate and love him so much more. Especially seeing his love, support, and acceptance for CK- he really really loved him and did all he could for him and that is just heart melting. I just really want to give him all the praise and I absolutely love him and Tang Suyoan. This novel answered the lingering questions I had at the end of Wildfire
❤️ Just the perfect little unconventional wholesome family. Two brothers lost their parents and the other unloved in an abusive environment adopted into the family. I’ll stop here because it’s best to just read about it
❤️ Writing and translation is amazing. This is third book I’ve read by Bu Wen San Jiu and I am definitely a fan of her storytelling. Excited that Tattoo has been licensed by Rosmei. Gives me hope for Wildfire and Ferocious Dog of Old


Recommend if you like:
✔️Following a long term development of a relationship, why they are the way they are because you get to see them as children and how they grew up
✔️ Character development. Yes, parts will be slow and you will get descriptions of how Tai Huinan deals with things that might seem mundane. I have seen complaints that parts are boring, and maybe yes but not to me
✔️ Disability focus


Maybe spoilers… about the characters
Tao Huinan MC: spoiled but deserves it, fearful of the world but so trusting of his brothers, everyone loves him and wants to protect him, crybaby and loves to coax his brothers, innocent and naive- until he’s not. I do feel like he was too hard on himself for the thing that caused the separation

Chi Ke ML: Fierce tenderness (with TH only), might frustrate you with his behavior towards MC, extremely smart and dedicated to his studies, loyal to his own detriment, quiet but takes action, will do literally anything for TH, really took on more responsiblity for taking care of TH than TX did. There were times that I didn’t understand why he was so harsh but a lot of that came from all his fears.

Tao Xiaodong (older brother): I just love him so much. He never wavered in love and support for his brothers, priority was making money to provide for them forever and at one point neglected his own happiness but wtf with his withholding some very very important information from TH!!! Also, he did let the responsibility fall more on CK for making TH was taken care of

Tang Suoyan: you’ll have to read Wildfire ! He’s simply the BEST boyfriend ever

Definitely spoilers below…
These things crushed my soul
💔The fear TH felt when he was losing his hearing. Going through that alone and feeling so isolated and scared
💔 TH not wanting to be left behind but also not wanting to hold his brothers back
💔 The self-loathing TH felt because of always needing to be taken care of
💔 The pain CK felt when TH told him to leave. Feeling like his purpose in TH was invalidated, that TH to give him up and no longer needed him.


“At the time, Tao Huainan really did hope Chi Cheng would go far away, and he really
did hope that he would never meet another Tao Huainan. Tao Huainan’s existence was to make his loved ones sad; anyone who loved him would have to suffer for him.
He shouldn’t have been alive”

[kay! ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

“I want to be tied to him my whole life. I want him to live under our gaze every single day.” Chi Cheng was still in the same position as earlier, slowly talking to Tao Xiaodong. His eyes were very calm, yet they also carried sincerity. “I know that’s not possible.”

strong start lackluster middle & end. rtc <3

[Xantababy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from when I first read 不問三九’s Tattoo, I immediately considered her as one of my favorite authors. And when I read another one of her works called Wildfire, I was sure she truly deserved that spot on my list. Wildfire is set in the same universe as Ferocious Dog of Old and I recommend reading that first before starting with this novel.

Since I have read Wildfire prior, I already knew the general plot of the first half of the story. It was quite exciting to connect the scenes of the two novels together as I read on. A couple of events were just subtly mentioned in Wildfire but was more detailedly described in the novel.

Rarely do you find a novel with a blind character as the main, especially with how challenging it is to write. I was worried if the author would be able to pull it off but she did more than that.

The ML and MC’s relationship was amusing. Their conversation doesn’t seem to connect, but they could understand each other well. No words were needed between them and their bond was so clearly portrayed in their daily interactions. The difficulties and challenges a blind person has to face as they live his life were so well-depicted, as well the struggles of the people around him. It opened my eyes to a whole new world that was unknown to me.

The story’s pace was really slow at first. Some might find the slow-burn dull and the ambiguity disturbing, but I enjoyed reading them grow up and maturing together. Rest assured, it would be hard to put down the book afterwards, so bask in the brightness of the first half of the novel while you can. There were a lot of foreshadowing for the angst during those frustrating snail-paced chapters, and I felt a weight on my heart as I read, so I have expected heavy angst early on. But even so, all I can say is — the angst is real. It was too real, my heart just broke into pieces soundlessly. Several scenes made it hard for me to breathe with just a line or two. The author was too good in writing lines that were enough to make your heart bleed without any actual blood.

Because the author started it slow, she ended it slow as well. Feeding the readers bit by bit of the happy ending. The ending was just so perfect. The way the flashbacks were described like movie scenes as it features the ml’s pov was the best. The impact of the last line of the novel was so strong. It combined all of the emotions I have felt throughout the novel. It was a wonderful ending line, and at the same time, bittersweet.

[V.ya · Rating 4 out of 5]

English title: Ferocious Dog of Old

When Tao Huainan, a blind boy, went with his older brother for their parents’ funeral in a rural village, they encountered Chi Ku, a child regularly abused (beaten up) by his father. In an unexpected twist of fate, they brought him back to the city, intertwining their lives in ways neither could have imagined.

The author vividly captures Tao Huainan’s unique perspective as a blind protagonist, immersing us in his world and the small, touching details that shape his life. His early relationship with Chi Ku is anything but smooth—they clash, they struggle, but as they get past their pride and wariness, they become inseparable. Their bond is messy, raw, and full of unspoken tenderness.

However, their relationship is marked by an unhealthy codependency, so it's inevitable that the author does some dramatic things to correct their course.

Unfortunately, it's also after this point that things start to drag. What begins as a compelling emotional rollercoaster slows to a crawl as the story meanders through more than 40 chapters of painstakingly slow development. Sure, the author wants to show time passing, but it’s hard not to get frustrated when you just want the plot to move forward.

Even with the pacing issues, this novel is worth sticking with. The raw, emotional punches it delivers are unforgettable. And it’s not every day you get to step into the shoes of a blind protagonist and see the world through their eyes—figuratively, of course. It’s a touching, unique story that’ll break your heart and patch it up again... if you have the patience to see it through.

[⋆ Honey ⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting this I knew this would be filled with angst, and damn was I right. Despite this, I was very excited to start this since it’s from one of my favorite authors.

I enjoyed seeing how all of his high school classmates frayed him, it was very cute and kind. They would always give him snacks bc they thought of him as the youngest bc he was cute. They would just drop off snacks at his desk without him knowing so he could snack on something. How their friends would let him have first dibs for the food and then lunging at the rest like mad dogs lol. Even in the future/present, how close he was to one of high school besties. How he was able to depend on that friend for things he didn’t want to “burden” his family with.

I loved reading about the relationship between TH, CK, TXD + TS. It was always cute reading about their interactions. I liked reading how TXD would always refer to CK as a brother, and that CK should learn to depend on him more. We were able to see more interactions between TXD and TH, we were able to see how much they truly cared for each other.

The relationship between TH and CK was on a thin line of unhealthy, but it worked for them. Both dependent on each other TH with his blindness and CK with wanting to have someone depend on him. Reading how their relationship progressed, how it was just cuddling at first to small kisses to sexual/intimate actions. Reading how they both understood each other without needing to say anything was cute, but knowing TH couldn’t see CK’s expressions during some important talks was sad. Bc CK would show vulnerability, but TH had no way of knowing. The moment where TH decides he’ll let go of CK so he doesn’t hold him back was heartbreaking. Reading what TH was going through, and not knowing or understanding what was going on had me overthinking things. And when we finally learn his side of the story, it’s heartbreaking and left me sobbing. And this is was just what TH went through, CK was the one that felt he was being left behind. Having to watch TH push him away and then try to pull him back. It was so sad, bc we understand why TH did it but it didn’t fix the damage he had done to CK. This novel left me sobbing in some parts, would finally calm down and once again the tears would start. I would’ve have loved to read more about them, but I’m satisfied with the ending.

[Beatrice Lapa · Rating 5 out of 5]

陈年烈狗 (listed as Dog Amulet in AliExpress) by 不问三九 (I'll shorten author's name to 3 or 9 ok?). I really love 3 or 9's works. I started with Tattoo. Dog Amulet is in the same universe as Tattoo and Wildfire. I loved Tattoo because I learned a lot about the art itself, and Wildfire because there was so much talk about eye science. Dog Amulet is a bit different, in that there wasn't anything educational about it, BUT it was a bit heavy and poignant. I picked this up because I felt that after reading Wildfire, I wasn't done with the Tao brothers. This story revolves around Tao Huainan, a boy who had been blind since he was 4 years old, and Chi Cheng, the boy his older brother Tao Xiaodong (MC of Wildfire) adopted in order to accompany him. We follow the kids when they were 8, to middle school, to high school, until they fight and separate after the university entrance exams. They meet again years later, as adults, whose view of their environment have started to change. This is a really sad, sad, sad novel. Sadder than anything I've ever read from 3 or 9 because I usually read fluff from this author. But the way she describes how a blind person might perceive the world was just immersive. I wanted to reach into the book and hug Huainan so badly.

What's actually amazing about Wildfire and Dog Amulet is that, despite some of the major plot points that might spoil each other, the rest are pretty much standalone events. I cried over Wildfire, but I cried hardest here. Thankfully, the ending was uplifting.

This is totally $100 well spent. The books are only less than $20 (rest are shipping). Not only do the sellers offer freebies, the inside of the books themselves have merch. I do not regret that the first ever physical danmei I've ever bought was this. There's something to be said about Chinese danmei that look exceptionally beautiful compared to their English translated physical copies. I wish English publishers would take note.

[Jie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5. Not a romantic story but still an emotionally-charged one. A slowburn. Two children starting out with handicaps in life forge a bond and codependency so intense, it nearly breaks them. Romance only happens to be a byproduct of their relationship. Reading Wildfire first is highly recommended, as getting to see TXD and TSY in their later years here is so gratifying and easily some of my favorite interactions.

[demi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

I was bored, I was happy, I was sad, this book was a rollercoaster of emotions.

I liked the second half of this book more than the first. It’s such a long book that I had to stop reading it but I’m glad I did cause it made me enjoy it more when I got back to it.

Tao Huanian and Chi Cheng are just attached to the hip and eternally will be no matter what.

[bo.okm.ark · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

[lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll never emotionally recover from this book. Brutal. A gentle kiss from an iron fist.

[atomic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried so hard ! My heart !!!!¡!!!¡!! Ahhhh

[Sarah Ah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yo no terminé el libro, el libro terminó conmigo...