"Panda, panda, panda, panda, cold as a mountain, warm as a flower..." Early in the morning, Shen Yibin's alarm went off. Yep, just last night, he had changed all his phone's ringtones to songs with "panda" in the lyrics.
"Let me sleep a little longer..." Shen Yibin reached out from under his covers, fumbling for his phone on his pillow to turn off the alarm. But after groping around for a while, he didn't find his phone. Instead, he touched a fluffy paw.
"Hmm! Hmm!" As it turned out, Hah'Er had climbed onto his bed at some point and was now sitting by his pillow, about to pull back his blanket!
"Oh my god! So yesterday really wasn't a dream!" Shen Yibin wailed as he opened his eyes and saw the panda sitting beside him. But after a couple of dry sobs, he started chuckling foolishly. He knelt on the bed and petted Hah'Er's head. "Hehe, if this really was a dream, I'd probably be crying my eyes out from sadness, right? Who could bear to part with such an adorable creature?"
After getting up, washing his face, and helping Hah'Er with its grooming, they went downstairs for some exercise. Then, the two of them headed back to the kitchen. "Hah'Er, it's probably not a good idea to eat a greasy dish like twice-cooked pork so early in the morning, right? How about we have something lighter? Do you want preserved egg and pork congee, or shredded chicken congee?"
"Hmm! Hmm!" Hah'Er stared at the picture of the preserved egg and pork congee in Shen Yibin's cookbook, drooling. It clearly preferred that one.
"Alright, we'll make this one then! You can guide me while I do the work, just like yesterday." Shen Yibin rolled up his sleeves and got busy. Under Hah'Er's guidance, he cooked a pot of preserved egg and pork congee that far surpassed his usual skill level. Paired with some fresh and spicy pickled vegetables, the two of them slurped it all down with relish.
"This is their breakfast. You go feed them, and I'll clean up." After what had happened last night, Shen Yibin felt confident enough to entrust Hah'Er with the task of feeding the other pets.
"Hmm! Hmm!" Hah'Er nodded its big, fluffy head and dragged the basket full of pet food over to feed them. The moment it got close, the Golden Retriever stuck its tongue out and pressed against the side of its cage with a fawning expression, waiting eagerly. The sight even made Shen Yibin a little jealous.
Feeding the pets, cleaning the store, tidying the cages, and preparing tea and snacks for guests... by the time he finished everything, it was about time to open for business.
"Hah'Er, I have to get to work now, so I'm afraid you can't stay downstairs." The announcement for the grand opening had gone out yesterday; if he didn't open the shop, people would get suspicious. So, Shen Yibin had no choice but to carry Hah'Er back up to his bedroom on the second floor. "Here, you can just keep watching movies today. Wait for me here. There's fruit for you if you get hungry, and you already know how to use the bathroom. I'll come back to keep you company when I'm done with work. I promise I'll come right up as soon as the customers leave for the day!"
Shen Yibin had originally planned to treat Bao and the classmates who came to show their support to a meal after closing up. 'But now,' he thought, 'how could they possibly be more important than Hah'Er! Worst case, I'll just treat them to a make-up dinner after I get my affinity level high enough.'
"Nnngh... Nnngh..." Hah'Er seemed to understand, hugging Shen Yibin's leg tightly and refusing to let go. It looked like after getting acquainted yesterday, the little guy was starting to depend on him.
'Damn it, I don't want to leave either!' Staring into those two small, glossy black eyes, Shen Yibin felt his heart melting from the cuteness. But he had to open the shop. If for no other reason, the Future Pet Shop still hadn't given him a price for Hah'Er. He had to work hard and make money, or he'd be crying his eyes out later if he couldn't afford it.
After a great deal of coaxing, he finally convinced Hah'Er to sit on the bed and start playing with the tablet. Shen Yibin left the bedroom, looking back every few steps, before closing the door. He went downstairs to the first floor and rolled up the security shutter.
"Bin, today's the grand opening! Wishing you a prosperous business and great fortune!" The moment he stepped out, Mrs. Wang, the owner of the neighboring tea shop, greeted him warmly. She even presented him with a congratulatory gift: a Lucky Cat.
"Thank you, Mrs. Wang! Please, come in and have a seat! Uncle Li, you too!" Shen Yibin had gotten quite familiar with his neighbors recently, so he quickly ushered Mrs. Wang and Uncle Li, the owner of the tobacco and liquor store next door, inside.
"You go on and do your thing, don't worry about us. We'll just look around," they said, gathering in front of the row of cages to have a look. "You know, Bin, I gotta say, these kittens are adorable. I'm almost tempted to buy one myself. But why are this one's ears so big? It almost looks like a fox, don't you think?"
"That's a Siamese Cat, Mrs. Wang." Shen Yibin served them tea and began to introduce the lovely cat. "Two hundred years ago, this breed was raised exclusively in the royal palaces and great monasteries of Thailand; they were sheltered nobles who never set foot outside. Siamese Cats are lively, clever, active, and very perceptive. They're also extremely affectionate and loyal to their owners. If you were to buy one, I guarantee it would bring you lots of happiness."
"Oh, my! It keeps staring at me. Do you think we're fated to be together?" Mrs. Wang often visited temples to burn incense and pray, so her interest was immediately piqued when Shen Yibin mentioned the connection between Siamese Cats and monasteries. "Bin, how much for this cat?"
'Am I about to make a sale this quickly?' Shen Yibin was getting a little excited. "Normally, I'd sell it for 1,200, but since it's you, Mrs. Wang, I'll give you a discount and make it an even 1,000. Consider it my grand opening sale."
"One thousand? That's a bit pricey, isn't it?" The price made Mrs. Wang hesitate. It wasn't that she couldn't afford it; rather, people of her generation had a different philosophy on spending. They tended to overthink their purchases and couldn't just whip out a wallet and swipe a card like young people.
"This is a purebred Siamese Cat with pedigree certification, so the price is bound to be a little high. But please, Mrs. Wang, don't feel rushed to make a decision. We're so close by, you can just stop in and visit anytime. If you find you've really fallen for it one day, it won't be too late to buy it then." Shen Yibin knew that with older customers, the more you pushed, the more suspicious they'd become. It was better to appear generous and easygoing. "How about I open the cage and let you hold it for a bit?"
Mrs. Wang took the cat, clearly reluctant to let it go. Unfortunately, she hadn't been playing with it for long before a customer arrived at her tea shop. She had no choice but to begrudgingly put the kitten down and head back to work.
Noon slowly rolled around, and lunchtime was approaching. Just as Shen Yibin was wondering whether he should order some takeout to tide Hah'Er over, his phone rang. "Hey, Bin, it's Qiao Wenqi! I'm on Baiyun Road, but I can't find your shop."
"Where are you right now... Oh, I know where that is. Hang on, I'll come out and get you." 'Sigh,' he thought. 'Looks like it's just fruit for Hah'Er's lunch today.' Shen Yibin put down the phone and walked outside.