"I’m going too, I’m going too!" Xia Shixuan had always loved being part of the excitement, and since today was her day off, she wasn’t about to miss this chance. She quickly ran to Shen Yibin’s car and settled in.
"Alright, you can come!" Shen Yibin didn’t refuse. After watching Hah’Er get settled in the back seat, he started the car and headed for the Yunzhong City Flower and Bird Market. He planned to buy some mealworms for Maphario; just eating nuts and sugar pellets wasn’t enough, its diet needed to be balanced.
"We’re here." Before long, the car was parked in the lot at the entrance of the Flower and Bird Market. Shen Yibin, Hah’Er, and Xia Shixuan got out of the car. By now, most people in Yunzhong City knew about Hah’Er, so the nearby pedestrians didn’t swarm them, merely taking pictures from a distance. Maphario, too, poked its little head out of a pocket in curiosity. However, it was still a bit timid and didn’t dare to climb out.
Once they stepped inside, the shops on both sides of the path were filled with activity: some with the incessant chirping of various birds, others with huge tanks where colorful ornamental fish swam leisurely, and still others with magnificent flowers and plants displayed at their entrances, all vying for attention. Shen Yibin found a bird shop and walked in; most places that sold birds also sold mealworms.
"Welcome! Welcome!" a parrot in a cage hanging by the door squawked loudly. Hah’Er tilted its head curiously to look at the parrot in the cage, seemingly wondering, ’Is this guy related to Cheeky?’ Unfortunately, this parrot was nowhere near as smart as Cheeky; it just repeated the same two phrases over and over.
"Well, if it isn’t Boss Shen! Please, come in! Come in!" Shen Yibin’s name was now widely known in Yunzhong City, so the owner was overjoyed to see him. He quickly ushered him inside, sat him down at the tea table, and bustled about serving tea. "So, Boss Shen, what can I get for you today at my humble little shop?"
’Yes. Once we finish our business, I absolutely have to get a photo with Boss Shen and Hah’Er. I’ll get it developed and hang it on the wall. It’ll be great publicity for my shop!’
"Oh, I’m just here to buy some mealworms as a snack for this little fella. Do you sell them here?" Shen Yibin said, pointing to Maphario, who was peeking its head out of Hah’Er’s pocket and looking around.
"Yes, yes, of course we do! Li, go get some of our best mealworms for Boss Shen to inspect." The owner felt a pang of disappointment; mealworms weren’t worth much. Even if he gave them to Shen Yibin for free, it wouldn’t really be enough to justify asking for a photo. So, he added another shout, "And bring out that wooden box we use for raising them, too!"
A moment later, the employee brought over several boxes of mealworms, along with a wooden box that was about a meter long, fifty centimeters wide, and ten centimeters tall. Inside the box, a dense mass of mealworms wriggled amidst wheat bran and vegetable leaves.
"Uh, I’m only raising one hamster. I’m afraid I won’t be able to use this many." It was a hassle to come buy them every day, but if he took this huge box, Maphario would never be able to eat them all, and there were no other small pets back at his shop.
"Er, no problem. I’ll go find a small box for you." This shop primarily sold birds, and a small bird didn’t eat that many worms in a day, so the owner also kept some small containers on hand. The number of worms they bred was typically just enough to meet the demand.
"No rush. Let’s see if the little fella even likes them first," Shen Yibin said. Meanwhile, Xia Shixuan, whose skin was crawling at the sight of the densely packed worms, had long since retreated to the side.
"Mmmph!" Hah’Er extended its paw, and Maphario hopped right on. Hah’Er then gently placed it next to the mealworms. Maphario scurried around the boxes for a few moments before finally picking one of the shinier-looking worms, grabbing it, and stuffing it into its mouth. After finishing the first, it immediately went for a second, clearly satisfied with the taste. It didn’t touch any of the other types.
"We’ll take this kind, then. Could you please find a smaller box for me, boss? Just enough for its daily meals would be great." Since Maphario liked them, it was a definite buy. Shen Yibin pointed at the type of mealworm it had chosen.
"No problem! Li, bring out a small breeding box!" the owner ordered. When Shen Yibin asked for the price, the owner waved his hands dismissively, refusing to take his money. He insisted that Boss Shen’s visit was an honor that made his humble shop shine, so how could he possibly accept payment? Besides, he added, the little things were barely worth anything anyway.
This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened to Shen Yibin since Hah’Er came into his life. He understood what the owner was after right away. He called Hah’Er over, and the three of them took a photo together, which made the owner break into a huge, joyful grin.
Tossing the box to Hah’Er to hold, Shen Yibin then led them into the adjacent flower shop so Maphario could pick out some plants it liked. This time, however, Maphario seemed uninterested in the fully grown flowers. It simply scurried around them once before moving on, instead parking itself by the seed display and staring intently.
"Could you please take these seeds out for us to look at?" ’Don’t tell me you want to watch the seeds sprout and grow yourself? Three months isn’t nearly enough time for that.’ Seeing this, Shen Yibin suddenly felt reluctant to sell Maphario. ’It would be so wonderful to keep it at the shop to grow flowers and plants... Hah’Er wouldn’t want its godson to leave either, right?’
’When I get back, I’ll have to ask the Future Pet Shop if there’s some kind of solution.’ Shen Yibin was now determined to find a way to keep Maphario.
"Well..." The employee seemed to hesitate. He knew hamsters liked to eat seeds. What if he took them out and the hamster just ate them? These flower seeds weren’t cheap.
"It’s fine, just bring them out. If it eats any, it’s on me. I’ll pay for them in full." ’How expensive could they be, anyway?’ Shen Yibin was pretty well-off now; he wasn’t concerned about such a small sum.
Since the customer had put it that way, what more could the employee say? He quickly took several packets of seeds from the glass cabinet and placed them in front of Maphario, muttering to himself internally, ’Are they really just buying flower seeds to feed a hamster? The seeds here are way more expensive than a hamster... You rich people sure find interesting ways to spend your money.’
"Maphario, come take a look. See which one you like." Shen Yibin opened the paper packets to give Maphario a better look.
Maphario simply circled the seeds, sniffing one for a moment, then another. It even picked some up with its tiny paws to examine them up close. But after a long while, it still hadn’t picked a single one.
"Please bring out all the other types for it to see as well!" Shen Yibin said. Perhaps feeling a bit guilty for making the employee go to all this trouble for potentially nothing, he pointed to a nearby Monstera deliciosa. "This potted plant looks great. Please help me take it to my car later."
Hearing that, the employee cheerfully brought out all the remaining seeds, wondering which one Maphario would ultimately choose.