When Deng Jie first intended to buy a pet, she had inquired her friends, colleagues, and relatives. Everyone recommended different pets based on their own experiences. There was nothing wrong with these suggestions, it’s just that they hadn’t taken into account Deng Jie's actual situation.
There was no universal principle, nor was there any pet that could meet the needs of absolutely everyone — not even the ever-popular Ragdoll kittens. Selecting a pet should be based on one’s own preferences and situations, instead of following others’ choices recklessly. If a person bought a pet that was not his or her favorite, then the trouble it brought would outweigh the fun, and it would be abandoned or given away by the owner in the end.
Although Pekingese was a commonly seen breed, it was very suitable for Deng Jie, so Zhang Zian decisively recommended this dog to her. Besides, Pekingese dogs were very healthy, so little money would need to be spent on medical treatment. If Deng Jie still hesitated, there was nothing he could help her with. After being urged by Liu Wenying, Deng Jie finally decided to buy the pure white Pekingese. When this matter was finally settled, she was relieved at last.
In addition, she also bought the potty patch and other essential items for raising a dog. Although she did not intend to frequently bring the Pekingese downstairs to walk it in the neighborhood, she bought a leash just in case after being convinced by Zhang Zian.
Zhang Zian explained that the leash could be used in places other than just the outdoors. When teaching the dog to develop the good habit of using the potty patch, the Pekingese could be tied to it until it finished its business. If the Pekingese relieved itself somewhere in the house other than in the puppy patch, she could also tie it beside the patch as punishment.
After all items were bought and the payment transfer was completed, Deng Jie lovingly held the Pekingese in her arms. Finally, she had bought a healthy dog.
Having been running around the shop the whole morning, Yue Yue was getting hungry and began to cause trouble. As lunch time was approaching, Liu Wenying invited Deng Jie to have lunch with her. She asked Deng Jie to leave the Pekingese in Zhang Zian’s shop and come back later to pick it up after the lunch. Deng Jie joyfully agreed.
When discussing where to eat, Zhang Zian recommended Uncle Li's store to them, saying that the food there was not only cheaper, but more sanitary than other restaurants, and that he had always bought food from there. When eating at restaurants with her daughter, cleanliness was the biggest concern for Liu Wenying, so she decided to check that place out.
Out of courtesy, they also invited Snowy to join them, but Snowy smiled and declined.
Snowy did not despise small restaurants — she used to find small, interesting restaurants as her live broadcast locations and had tasted so much delicious food in such places. She just was simply not interested in the topics that these women discussed at the dining table. Most importantly, she felt that the two "enthusiastic" middle-aged women would certainly mention arranging blind dates for her… and she had been annoyed by such a topic from her parents at home enough already.
Zhao Qi wasn’t interested either. Carrying two barrels of cat food, she found an excuse to leave and left quickly.
Liu Wenying also bought two barrels of imported cat food for her friend. She decided to leave them in Zhang Zian’s shop and come back to bring them home after lunch.
It was nearly noon. Some customers had chosen their pets, while others hadn’t decided yet and would need to go home and think about it. Gradually, the crowd began to disperse, one person after another.
Luo Qingyu and the members of his photography club believed that they had gotten a lot of good photos today, planning to photoshop them when they were back at school later. Some of the cheeky members even asked Snowy to pose in front of them, but of course, she rejected them. The members had no malicious purposes, they just wanted to learn how to compose portrait pictures featuring a pretty girl, but Snowy was not interested in modeling.
Lea, Xiao Niu, Great Chieftain of Thunder Bluff, and Gu Tianle already had pets, so they were here today to join the lively occasion and communicate with each other offline. They also had agreed to have lunch together, so after saying goodbye to Zhang Zian, they left the shop to go eat. Although they did not buy anything, at least the popularity of the pet shop increased on the Wang Haige forum thanks to their discussion.
Lea seemed to have lost some weight. She was thinner than before, and with the makeup she applied today, she looked gorgeous. Xiao Niu was working very hard yet earned little, but at least his family members were well, and he did not want anything besides his pet, who made him happy. Great Chieftain of Thunder Bluff had found a girl he liked, and was trying to win her heart. The stocks that Gu Tianle had invested in were expected to soar soon, so he was in good mood. The relationship between Fried Mushroom and Outman was getting even better… seeing them leave with laughter on their faces and talking with each other, Zhang Zian was inexplicably envious of them.
His small shop was growing gradually, and the customers who had bought pets here were on the right tracks of their lives. Zhang Zian felt so happy, as if the sunshine in winter had shone directly on him and warmed his body.
Snowy’s mother called her and urged her to come home quickly for lunch. Her mother’s voice was so loud that even standing next to Snowy, Zhang Zian could hear her clearly. Snowy grimaced, waved goodbye to him, and hurriedly stopped a taxi.
After standing in the doorway for a while, Zhang Zian went back into the store.
Running all around the shop the whole morning, Wang Qian and Li Kun were exhausted. The number of words Lu Yiyun said just today was more than the sum of all the words she had spoken in the past six months combined, and her mind was numb. Towards the end, she could only answer the customers’ questions mechanically by relying on her conditioned reflexes.
Considering that another round of customers might come over in the afternoon, Zhang Zian asked Wang Qian and Li Kun to stay here for lunch. He called Uncle Li and ordered a few takeout boxes from his restaurant.
When their lunches were delivered, the rest of the customers smelled the scents of their meals and their stomachs began to grumble. They all left one after another, and the shop was quiet again. Zhang Zian invited Lu Yiyun to eat with them several times, but Lu Yiyun was still very shy and had her lunch alone at the cashier’s desk — this was the first time she had eaten outside her home in at least six weeks, so for her, eating here was a great improvement.
While eating, Wang Qian and Li Kun excitedly talked about the customers from the morning. They also knew the clients from the Wang Haige forum, so they had learned a lot of new gossip from there.
Zhang Zian was absent-mindedly listening to them while putting the food into his mouth.
During the meal, his cell phone rang.
Seeing that it was Sheng Ke, he immediately answered the phone.
Since they had just met that morning, Sheng Ke omitted the greeting and said directly, "Mr. Zhang, I have an inquiry for you—if you want to attend the audition, go Binhai Studio at 9:00 a.m. the day after tomorrow. I’ll be there waiting for you."