Future Pet Shop

"Oh, by the way, Grandma, do you know how to weave a panda?" Shen Yibin pulled Hah’Er in front of him. "Just make one that looks like him, about the size of a phone charm. I’ll hang it on my phone!" ’With her exquisite craftsmanship, a phone charm from her would surely be beautiful.’ Shen Yibin didn’t usually like using phone cases or charms, but if it was one shaped like Hah’Er, he would happily put it on his phone.

"That one only needs black and white cord, so it’s actually a bit simpler than other animals." The old woman squinted at Hah’Er and said with full confidence, "It should be ready in about an hour. Why don’t you take a walk and come back for it later?"

"That’s great, as long as you can make it!" Seeing how hard the old woman was working, Shen Yibin felt it would be wrong to just walk away. ’Sigh, my own grandma doted on me just like this when she was still around.’ He decided to squat down. "I’ll just wait here. Grandma, how much is one of these crafts? I’m not busy, so how about I help you drum up some business?" ’At her age, the old woman doesn’t have the energy to call out and attract customers. I might as well help her shout a bit.’

"Oh, I couldn’t possibly. You’re already doing me a huge favor by buying my work." The old woman was quite touched, but she didn’t want to accept Shen Yibin’s kindness for nothing.

"It’s no problem. I’m not doing anything anyway, and besides, I have to wait for my phone charm, right?" Shen Yibin insisted. ’How could I have the heart to leave now?’

"They’re just trinkets, not worth much. The small ones are ten apiece, and the large ones are twenty." Since she couldn’t refuse, the old woman gave in. She then passed a small stool, meant for customers to use while choosing their items, to Shen Yibin so he could sit and rest.

"That cheap?" Shen Yibin pondered for a moment. ’The panda phone charm is probably a small one, but it still takes an hour to make and only sells for ten. Given her condition, she probably can’t make very many in a day—she might not even earn a hundred. Plus, she has to take care of her granddaughter, which leaves even less time to work.’ "Grandma, your work is so beautiful! Ten is way too cheap. I think you could sell them for... for fifty apiece!" ’Honestly, Shen Yibin felt they could be sold for even more, but he held his tongue, not wanting to frighten the old woman.’

"But the cord for one doesn’t even cost one or two yuan. Isn’t it a ripoff to sell it for that much?" the old woman replied, ever the honest one.

"The cord might not be worth much, but your craftsmanship is! This isn’t just merchandise; it’s art!" Shen Yibin cut off the old woman’s protests. "Grandma, just you watch! If I can’t sell them, I’ll buy the whole lot myself!" ’Worst comes to worst, I’ll just chalk it up as a good deed. I can take them home and give them to Xia Shixuan and the others. I’m sure they’ll love them.’

"Come and see, come and see! Hand-woven crafts by a master folk artist! Exquisite work at a great price! Don’t just walk on by, you won’t get another chance like this!" Shen Yibin held up two woven dogs and began to hawk his wares, mimicking a routine he’d seen on TV.

"Hm?" Seeing Shen Yibin’s antics, Hah’Er copied him, picking up a grape-shaped one and a butterfly-shaped one and waving them around in front of the stall. ’Hah’Er’s a much better salesperson than I am,’ Shen Yibin realized. He looked left and right, spotted two young women walking their way, and pointed. "Hah’Er, quick, go stop them! Ask if they want to buy something!" ’I’ll be damned if those two can resist Hah’Er’s charm. They’re definitely going to buy something!’

"I’m telling you, I couldn’t sleep at all last night thinking about that outfit. I absolutely have to buy it today." The two young women chatted and laughed as they walked up the pedestrian overpass, heading toward the shopping plaza across the way.

"Woah!" They hadn’t expected a dark figure to suddenly pop out and block their path. It gave them quite a scare. The two were about to scold whoever it was, but then they saw that it wasn’t some mischievous kid in front of them, but a panda!

"Ah! A panda!" one of the young women squealed, her eyes crinkling into happy crescents. She immediately crouched down to get a better look at Hah’Er. "You’re so adorable! I just want to give you a hug!"

"Nn!" Hah’Er, who had of course understood her, gently stepped forward and wrapped his furry arms around the two women in a hug. Then, he raised the woven crafts in his paws and waved them again.

"Hey, ladies! We have crafts hand-woven by a master folk artist! Exquisite work at a great price. Whether for a phone charm or a decoration, they’re a top-notch choice. You really can’t miss out on this." ’In just that short while, Shen Yibin had given the old woman another promotion.’ Fearing that wasn’t enough, he quickly added, "And if you buy one, you can get your picture taken with Hah’Er! Don’t let this incredible opportunity pass you by!"

"Oh! It’s Mr. Shen! Can we really get a picture with Hah’Er?" The two young women’s eyes instantly filled with stars. They’d completely forgotten about the outfit they wanted to buy. ’You can buy clothes anytime, but a chance to get a photo with Hah’Er might only come once in a lifetime.’

"That’s right. All you have to do is buy one. Take a look, aren’t these crafts beautiful? Come on over and pick one out," Shen Yibin said with a smile, passing them the small stool. "Here, sit down and take your time."

"Mr. Shen, what are you and Hah’Er doing selling things out here? Is this for a TV show or something?" The two excitedly glanced around, but to their disappointment, they couldn’t spot a single camera.

"Oh no, I was just passing by, and I thought these were really nice, so I decided to lend a hand," Shen Yibin explained. He continued his sales pitch, "These small ones are fifty apiece, and the large ones are a hundred. How about it? A real bargain, right?"

"Wow, they really are hand-woven! Each one is so beautiful! And that price definitely isn’t expensive." Before the old woman could correct the price, the two young women were already nodding enthusiastically.

"Lili, do you think this butterfly one goes with my iPhone?" one of the young women asked, eagerly picking up a butterfly-shaped charm and holding it against her phone to see how it looked.

"Um, I think..." Before the other young woman could finish, a white shadow flashed past. Scarf appeared next to the phone with a grape-shaped charm in his mouth, as if to say, ’This one is a better match.’

"Whoa, what a beautiful little fox!" After the surprise wore off, they looked again at the pairing of the iPhone and the grape charm. From every angle, it looked absolutely perfect.

"This little fox has great taste! Grandma, I’ll take this one!" the young woman said, happily pulling out her wallet.

’Hah’Er to draw in the customers and Scarf to make the recommendation—this team is simply unbeatable,’ Shen Yibin thought happily.