Future Pet Shop

"I’ve got it. Thank you, Mr. Shen. I’ll head back and make it for you overnight. I’ll bring it over first thing tomorrow morning." The old woman was incredibly grateful to Shen Yibin and nodded again and again.

"Let me call a car for you. It’s probably not a good idea for you to take the bus right now." The old woman was elderly, after all, and Shen Yibin couldn’t help but worry about her squeezing onto a bus with so much money. So, he simply called for a ride, had the driver take her home, and only then did he head back with Hah’Er, Maphario, and Scarf.

"Whoa, Boss, where’d you buy this phone charm? It looks really nice!" Women are just perceptive about these things. As soon as he got back to the store, Xia Shixuan spotted the panda charm hanging from Shen Yibin’s phone. She picked it up, turning it over and over in her hands. "This doesn’t look machine-made. Is it a completely handmade craft? It’s not easy to find an artisan with this much skill these days. Boss, where on earth did you get it? Tell me so I can go buy a couple too!"

’So there really is a market for these things. The old woman was just struggling because she hadn’t found the right platform or customer base,’ Shen Yibin thought. He smiled and replied, "Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged for the master artisan to come by tomorrow morning. You can tell her what you want then."

"Boss, you’re so thoughtful! You’re the best!" Xia Shixuan blew him a kiss and went back to examining the panda charm. Li Shiqing leaned in closer too. "Boss, how much is one of these? Since it’s the work of a master artisan, it must be expensive, right?" She also wanted one for her phone, but she was worried about the price. She had spent a lot on clothes a couple of days ago, so if it was too expensive, she’d probably have to give up on the idea.

"This one would be about fifty, and there are bigger, nicer ones for probably a hundred." As he spoke, Shen Yibin’s gaze inadvertently swept over Hah’Er’s collar. ’Huh, I bet a couple of woven bamboo shoots hanging from Hah’Er’s collar would look pretty nice. Yes, when the old woman comes tomorrow, I’ll ask her to stay. I can have her make some little accessories for Hah’Er, Maphario, and Xiaoliu to wear. It’ll make the little guys look even cuter and help the old woman earn a bit more income. It’s a win-win, so why not?’

"That’s so cheap! The last time I saw a similar charm in a boutique at the mall, the craftsmanship was way worse than this, and it still cost over two hundred! In that case, I’m buying one tomorrow... no, I’ll get two, so I can hang one on my bag." Li Shiqing was also shocked at the price.

’Sigh, the platform makes all the difference in the selling price. In a high-end department store, people unconsciously raise their price expectations. But at a roadside stall, even for something of better quality, people are unwilling to pay the same amount. They’d hesitate even at a fraction of the price. If Hah’Er and Scarf hadn’t stepped in to help today, that old woman probably would have made a hundred yuan at most.’ Thinking about this, Shen Yibin couldn’t help but shake his head.

’The old woman’s craftsmanship is worth far more than just fifty or a hundred. When she comes tomorrow, I’ll see if I can figure out a way to raise the price a little, so her life can be a bit easier in the future.’

The next morning, Shen Yibin had just stepped out of his bedroom when Xia Shixuan rushed over, asking impatiently, "Boss, when is that master artisan you mentioned going to get here?" ’A woman’s urge to shop, once triggered, is truly a terrifying thing. You’d never see her wake up this early on a normal day.’

"What’s the rush? She’ll definitely be here before lunch." ’Since they’d made arrangements yesterday, the old woman would surely come. Shen Yibin had complete faith in her character.’ As he spoke, he subconsciously glanced downstairs. ’Huh? Is that someone outside the window?’ He hurried downstairs, opened the shop door, and peeked his head out. A wave of guilt washed over him.

The old woman was squatting by the shop’s entrance, looking as if she had been there for a while. Shen Yibin immediately went over and helped her up. "Li, why are you here so early?" He had learned her surname yesterday.

"When you get old, you don’t sleep as much. I’m usually up by this time anyway," Li explained quickly, afraid Shen Yibin would feel guilty. "I was just out for a walk and happened to be in the neighborhood." ’A walk? All the way out here? It’s a long way from her home,’ Shen Yibin thought with a helpless smile. He knew it was just an excuse.

"Come on, come inside my shop for some tea and a rest. I was just about to make breakfast. Why don’t you join us?" Shen Yibin helped Li inside, led her to a seat on the second floor, poured her a cup of tea, and asked Xia Shixuan to keep her company while he hurried off to prepare breakfast.

’Yesterday, I only asked her to come to the shop because I thought Xia Shixuan and the others might buy a few things, and I wanted to see if she had any specific requests. I never expected Li to come all this way so early just to deliver Scarf’s pendant. Sigh, I’ve really put her through a lot of trouble.’ Shen Yibin was overcome with guilt.

Older people generally prefer to eat lighter food. Filled with gratitude and guilt toward the old woman, Shen Yibin pulled out all the stops and prepared a breakfast suitable for an elderly person, which he then brought out.

After repeated invitations from Shen Yibin and Xia Shixuan, Li finally agreed to sit down and eat. Judging by the speed at which she ate, she probably hadn’t had breakfast yet. After finishing, she even tried to help Xia Shixuan clear the table, but Shen Yibin quickly stopped her.

"Here, this is the little fox we talked about yesterday. Mr. Shen, what do you think? If it’s not right, I can remake it immediately. I brought all my threads and supplies with me." As soon as she sat back down on the sofa, Li took a small, snow-white fox out of her bag. It was incredibly lifelike, with colorful beads for eyes that made it seem truly alive.

"Wow, it’s so beautiful!" Li Shiqing, Xie Nannan, and the others exclaimed in unison.

"Oh, right. Yesterday, I thought I saw a little mouse in this little guy’s pocket, so I tried to make one based on what I saw. I didn’t get a very clear look, so I don’t know if it’s accurate." But that wasn’t all. Li then took out a hamster woven from black and white thread. It was quite large—nearly half the size of Maphario when placed on the table.

The moment he saw it, Maphario leaped out of his pocket, scurried onto the table, and began running in circles around the woven figure, letting out excited squeaks.

"Li, your skill is truly incredible!" Shen Yibin said with heartfelt sincerity. ’She must have worked so hard last night to make these two things.’

"Li, do you know how to weave bamboo shoots by any chance?" Shen Yibin asked. Feeling guilty, he had decided to see this through and help her as much as he possibly could.