Future Pet Shop

"Huh?" Hah’Er stared blankly at Shen Yibin, looking completely dumbfounded, as if he didn’t understand a word Shen Yibin was saying. Xiaoliu was the same, anxiously scratching his ears and cheeks.

"Here, let me find some recent photos of the place for you to look at." Shen Yibin opened Weibo and searched for the region’s name. A flood of images instantly appeared. They were either of vast, swirling snowfalls or scenes of people building snowmen and having snowball fights. A quick look at the accompanying text revealed that the local temperature had recently dropped to more than ten degrees below zero.

’Damn, that’s really cold.’ The coldest it ever got in Yunzhong City was still over ten degrees above zero; there hadn’t been a sub-zero record in many years. The thought of going to such a frigid place made Shen Yibin shiver involuntarily. ’Looks like I’ll have to buy some thermal underwear, a down jacket, and all that stuff in advance.’

"Squeak! Squeak!" After seeing the pictures, Xiaoliu immediately shook his head and scurried back up into his tree. He clearly had no interest in that kind of climate. Emei Mountain also had snow, and during this season each year when the fruit was gone from the mountains, life became difficult for the monkeys. He’d had enough of winter’s hardships and had no intention of experiencing them again with Shen Yibin.

"Hm?" Hah’Er tilted his head, looking at the photos with an excited expression. He even reached out a paw, trying to touch the white snow in the pictures. It looked like he was eager to experience it for himself.

"Alright, I’ll buy you some winter clothes and shoes too!" Shen Yibin then turned his gaze to Maphario. "What about you? Are you going? If not, I’ll leave you at the store."

"Squeak?" Maphario seemed hesitant. He was a little afraid of the cold but couldn’t bear to leave Hah’Er. After thinking for a long time, he finally nodded. Now Shen Yibin would have to buy even more winter clothes.

"Okay, I’ll go get things ready. We’ll set off once the clothes arrive." It would be the three of them on the road again. Shen Yibin opened a shopping website, picked a store with the fastest shipping and closest proximity to Yunzhong City, and bought a pile of thermal underwear, down jackets, cotton gloves, snow boots, and other winter wear. Then he drove to an outdoor supply store in the city and bought some items needed for cold regions. ’We’ll definitely have to venture deep into the mountains and old forests when we get there,’ he thought, ’so all this stuff is essential.’

This place was one of the northernmost cities in China. Rumor had it that there were even traces of "Asia’s Top Thug," Mr. Tattoo. Just in case, Shen Yibin also brought the cat-teasing wand. If he ran into Mr. Tattoo, he might be able to escape from the tiger’s maw. ’Uh, wait a minute... Don’t tell me the Mutant Animal this time is Mr. Tattoo himself? There’s no way I can bring that thing back! And even if I could, how would I raise it? Lock it up in the Yunzhong City Zoo? How would I find an owner for it then?’ The mere thought of it all made Shen Yibin shudder. He quickly prayed to all the gods and buddhas in the heavens, hoping that this time he’d be given a smaller, cuter, and gentler animal. ’Please don’t torture me again.’

The logistics speed these days was indeed getting faster and faster. The day after placing his orders, Shen Yibin started receiving various packages. By the third day, everything he needed had arrived. He had Hah’Er and Maphario try on the clothes at home. Everything fit perfectly. The only problem was that Hah’Er was already very chubby, and after putting on all these puffy clothes, he looked like a giant cotton ball.

"Hmph?" Wearing the thick winter coat, Hah’Er tried to take a couple of steps, then—THUMP!—he face-planted on the ground. The bulky clothes really did make it hard to move around. It seemed he would need some time to get used to it. Maphario had it much better. He just burrowed into a cotton pocket, sheltered from the wind and cold. It couldn’t be cozier.

"Alright, Xiaoliu, you stay here and play with Bald Qiang and the others for the next few days." Shen Yibin had already spoken with Wen Yuan and Xia Shixuan. "Hah’Er, we fly to the Northeast first thing tomorrow morning!" ’So now the question is,’ he wondered, ’should I put on my winter clothes before boarding the plane, or wait until after we land?’

The next morning, Shen Yibin boarded the plane wearing just a jacket and a shirt. The airport would definitely have heating, so it wouldn’t be too late to change after they arrived. This time, Shen Yibin was on a flight from Yunzhong City to Ice City. The entire flight was nearly four thousand kilometers and took over five hours, cutting diagonally across almost the entirety of China. It was truly a long journey.

Even though Shen Yibin was flying first class, the five-hour flight was exhausting. When he got off the plane, he felt completely drained of energy. He quickly changed his clothes in the restroom, then hailed a cab to a hotel in downtown Ice City. ’I have no energy left to do anything else today. I’d better rest for the night and rent a car tomorrow to search for the Mutant Animal.’

Shen Yibin had anticipated this, so he had booked a hotel well in advance when he bought his plane tickets. He’d reserved a room at a five-star hotel belonging to a global chain, where the service was always guaranteed. Moreover, this hotel had a specialty restaurant that served local cuisine. Shen Yibin planned to take Hah’Er there to sample the local Northeastern delicacies after he had rested up, to try the long-famed chicken stewed with mushrooms, pork stewed with vermicelli, and double-cooked pork slices... ’In this cold weather, you really need to eat hearty dishes like these,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, it’s hard to get by.’

And it really worked. Dressed in his puffy clothes, with gloves, boots, the hood of his down jacket pulled up, and a mask on his face, Hah’Er looked just like a chubby child from a distance. He didn’t cause any commotion walking into the hotel, which saved Shen Yibin a lot of trouble.

"I have a reservation online. One suite," Shen Yibin said as he reached the front desk, handing over his ID and credit card.

"One moment, sir. I’ll get that processed for you right away." The receptionist took them with both hands and immediately began working on the computer. In a moment, she found Shen Yibin’s reservation information, swiped his card, and began preparing the key card. Just as she was about to hand the key card to Shen Yibin, her eyes landed on Hah’Er, and she stopped. "Sir, could you please present the child’s identification as well? A household registration booklet or a one-child certificate will do."

"Huh? I need that too?" Shen Yibin asked, taken aback.

"Yes, sir. It’s a regulation from the relevant authorities. All guests checking in with children must present identification." This was a measure to prevent child trafficking. Logically, people who could afford this kind of hotel were unlikely to engage in such despicable activities, but a rule was a rule. Since the authorities required it, it had to be strictly enforced.

’Hah’Er, she thinks you’re my kid.’ Shen Yibin looked down at Hah’Er. ’Too bad your name isn’t on my household registration booklet.’