Future Pet Shop

"This one’s fifty, right? Here’s a hundred. Don’t worry about the change yet, I want to see what else you have!" The young woman happily attached the grape charm to her phone, turning it over and over to admire it. The more she looked, the prettier she thought it was. Once she had one, she wanted another. She had a phone charm now, but other things needed accessories too. ’Maybe I can hang one on my purse? And my wallet, and my belt... all those places could use a charm.’

"Little fox, can you help me see which one would suit my phone?" another young woman asked, taking out her Note 7. Seeing that phone, Shen Yibin subconsciously pulled Hah’Er back, afraid it would suddenly explode. ’This phone’s best accessory would be a lit fuse,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’Too bad the old lady doesn’t have any of those.’

Fortunately, no explosion occurred. Scarf circled the stall twice, then picked up a butterfly-shaped charm and presented it to her, successfully completing the second sale. After that, Scarf darted back and forth across the stall. In no time at all, the two young women were decked out in all sorts of charms. They paid with two or three large bills, and finally, after taking a picture with Hah’Er while wearing all their new trinkets, they left, completely satisfied.

"See, Grandma? I told you people would want to buy them, didn’t I? Your craftsmanship is worth much more than just fifty or a hundred yuan. We’re just on an overpass today, so it wouldn’t feel right to ask for too much. Otherwise, we could have sold them for even more." Shen Yibin straightened the bills and handed them to the old woman. "Three hundred and fifty yuan in total. Please, take it."

"So much money? This is more than I made in the last three days combined." The old woman stared at the wad of cash, at a loss for words. "Now I can buy my granddaughter a new set of clothes. Thank you so, so much, Mr. Shen. Oh, and you too, Hah’Er and this little fox!" The old woman reached out a bony hand and stroked Hah’Er and Scarf’s heads.

"Just you watch. I guarantee we’ll clear out your entire stock this afternoon!" Shen Yibin said, full of confidence. ’With a golden duo like Hah’Er and Scarf here, what couldn’t we sell? Besides, the old lady’s crafts are genuinely high-quality. They just needed someone to discover them.’

"Hah’Er, go! I have a good feeling that woman will definitely buy something." While they were speaking, Shen Yibin spotted a new target and quickly pointed toward a young woman who had just come out of the shopping mall, carrying a pile of shopping bags.

"Nn!" Hah’Er immediately scampered forward on his short legs and blocked the young woman’s path, grunting as if to say, "This mountain is mine, these trees I did plant. If you wish to pass, you must pay the toll..." Oh, wait, no. He was saying, "Hey, pretty lady, come take a look! We have lots and lots of beautiful accessories here."

"A panda? You must be Hah’Er, right?" This was where the advantage of being a panda really showed. If a dog had suddenly appeared, it probably would have scared her half to death, but a panda only brought pleasant surprises. After a bit of gesturing, the young woman was successfully lured to the stall. Shen Yibin greeted her with a smile. "Miss, come take a look. These are handcrafted items made by a folk art master. They’re perfect as phone charms or bag accessories. There’s definitely one that’s just right for you."

"Wow, they really are pretty! How did I not notice them when I passed by earlier?" The young woman’s eyes lit up when she saw the crafts, and she squatted down to start picking one out.

’Shen Yibin glanced at her shopping bags. They were all from expensive brand-name stores. Why would someone like her ever look at goods from a roadside stall? Most people probably think the same way. That must be why the old lady’s business has been so slow. If these were in a boutique inside a department store with the price marked up several times, they probably would have sold out long ago.’

"Here, take out your phone and let Scarf... oh, that’s the little fox... pick out a suitable one for you. He has excellent taste!" ’Sigh. Usually, Xia Shixuan and the others have to beg Scarf before he’s willing to help. I guess you’re getting a bargain today,’ Shen Yibin thought to himself.

But from the looks of it, Scarf seemed to enjoy this kind of work. It first circled her phone, examining it closely, then nudged the existing charm on it a few times before starting to rummage through the items on the stall. Its work ethic was impeccable, and the charm it chose earned the young woman’s wholehearted approval. She attached a small, woven dog-shaped charm to her phone, dangled it in her hand for a few moments, and nodded in praise. "Mr. Shen, your pet is so smart! I bet out of all the charms here, this one matches my phone the best. Could you please have him help me again? Which one would go well with my purse?"

In just that short time, Scarf had established himself in her mind as a master of accessorizing. She was now completely in awe of him. She quickly picked out three items, dropped two hundred yuan, and hurried away. Before she left, she didn’t forget to ask how long Shen Yibin would be there. After getting his answer, she said urgently, "I’m going to get my friends right now! Mr. Shen, you have to save some good ones for us!"

’The power of a good example is truly limitless,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’This is only the second sale, and I’m already getting referrals!’ He smiled and nodded in agreement. "No problem, but you’d better be quick! As you can see, there’s only this much left. If you’re late, they might all be gone!"

"Don’t worry, Mr. Shen, we’ll be back in an hour at most... no, forty minutes!" After saying that, the young woman clattered down the stairs of the overpass, hopped on a shared bike, and sped off.

After that, many people did the same as the young woman before them, not only buying things for themselves but also calling their friends and family over to buy some too. Before it was even time for dinner, the old woman’s inventory, which had accumulated over many days, was completely sold out. Her sales revenue reached several thousand yuan.

"Alright, Grandma, put your money away and head home early. Oh, right, I haven’t paid you for this panda charm yet." Saying that, Shen Yibin prepared to pay.

"You’ve helped me so much, how could I possibly take your money? Put it away, quick." The old woman hastily refused, so flustered she didn’t know what to say.

Seeing the old woman’s firm refusal, Shen Yibin didn’t insist. He chuckled and put his money away. Even so, the old woman wasn’t satisfied. She looked at Scarf and said, "I’ll go home tonight and make a little fox one for you. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow." She wanted to express her gratitude this way.

"That’s great! My shop is on Baiyun Street. You can take the number 3 bus to get there." An idea struck Shen Yibin, and he gave her the address of his pet store.