Marry a dog, stay with a dog; marry a rooster, stay with a rooster.
The Killing Room“Marry a dog, stay with a dog; marry a rooster, stay with a rooster.” is a proverb Li Yan invokes at the moment he chooses legal process over personal revenge. Addressed to Director Hu after Cui Feng’s arrest, it sharpens Li’s warning that Hu should choose his friends more carefully.
Occurrence and Context
Li says the proverb after presenting a warrant for Cui Feng’s arrest on suspicion of murder. Though he has wanted to shoot Cui, he instead chooses justice; officers handcuff Cui and lead him away. Li then turns to Director Hu, the mayor’s policy adviser, and uses the saying as a pointed rebuke about Hu’s associations.
Function and Meaning
The proverb’s repeated instruction to remain with a chosen partner gives Li’s admonition an edge: attachment carries consequences, and choosing someone means being judged in relation to that choice. In this exchange, the saying is not a detached observation about marriage. It leads directly into Li’s warning to choose friends more carefully, linking the proverb’s language of staying with someone to Hu’s connection with Cui. The contrast between Li’s restraint and Hu’s rebuke gives the expression its force: Li refuses to answer wrongdoing with a bullet, but does not soften his judgment of those who stand close to the accused.
