Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Sun Xiaomeng could not believe her ears. The ever-chatty Zhang Zian was a good kid?! It was true. He was a listening kid, a B student. He had never gotten into a fight or any trouble. He went home to do homework every day and was not very sociable with friends. He had only opened himself up a bit after going to college.

  As a kid who grew up in a pet shop, he could look at all the pets he wanted at home. Therefore, he had never heard about the Dog Market on the south side of the city. Sun Xiaomeng told him that the Dog Market was quite sizable and it was a primary location for pet shoppers.

  The Dog Market didn’t only offer dogs. In fact, it offered all kinds of pets: flying pets, running pets, swimming pets… There was also a large assortment of pet food and toys.

  Sun Xiaomeng said, “The Dog Market is the first choice for a normal income family when they want a pet because of the low cost. Only people who want a very good looking or healthy pet would come to a pet shop.”


  Zhang Zian totally understood the difference between better-off families and the less fortunate.

  Maybe only 10% of the family would turn to a pet shop for a pet. Most people got their pets through more economical ways such as friends and adoption. Some even would just take a street cat or dog home.

  “In my case,” Guo Dongyue said, “I went there because most pet stores do not sell parrots. Even if a store does sell them, the choices in breeds available are extremely limited.”


  “That’s true,” Zhang Zian thought about it and agreed.

  Most people sold pets for a profit. Cats and dogs were great money makers and didn’t require too much attention. Normal breeds of birds were cheap, but the expensive ones were also a difficult sale. Therefore, most pet shops didn’t sell them. Since he had been running the pet shop, probably less than five people had ever inquired about birds.

  “If you want a parrot, I have a suggestion,” Sun Xiaomeng patted her numb legs and stood up. She pointed north and said, “If you go north on the highway about 20 miles from here, there is a bird breeding base. I forgot the name, but it is a big one. It is very popular among bird lovers. Not only locals, but also people from nearby cities go there. I heard they have a large selection of breeds, including some very rare and expensive ones. There are lots of parrots. You can try it out!”


  Hearing that she knew all the details, Zhang Zian asked, “Do you know the owner?”


  “Nope!” She waved, alarmed, “Don’t even think about getting a discount from my connections. I simply overheard customers’ conversations when they visited my clinic.”


  Zhang Zian was disappointed. He was going to have Sun Xiaomeng refer Guo Dongyue directly so he didn’t have to go. However, she was smart enough to stay out of it.

  “Really? I have never heard of a place like that.” Guo Dongyue was surprised to find this out.

  “That’s right. The breeding base is only open to a small group of people. They generate business from word of mouth and returning customers. There are no commercials or anything like that in the market, so not many people know about it.” Sun Xiaomeng paused and then continued, “There is another reason… You know, many rare birds are on the list of animals that are going extinct, so the owner there keeps a low profile on purpose.”


  Oh! Zhang Zian nodded. Now he understood.

  Sun Xiaomeng pointed at Richard on his shoulder, “Actually, it is illegal to keep this bird.”


  “What?” Richard opened up its mouth.

  “Really?” Zhang Zian seemed to have an impression of such a regulation, but he wasn’t sure. He only focused on cats and dogs and had never paid attention to regulations on keeping birds.

  Sun Xiaomeng counted her fingers, “In China, individuals can only buy, sell and raise three breeds of parrots – love birds, budgies, and Cockatiels. You have to apply for a permit for any other breed of parrot. Do you have a permit for this African grey parrot?”


  “Well, no!” Zhang Zian said sadly to Richard, “Goodbye, Richard! Between you and obeying the law, I choose to obey the law!”


  “Squawk?!” Richard’s eyes popped out, “You’re leaving me after taking advantage of me?”


  “I never took advantage of you, okay?” Zhang Zian complained.

  Looking at Zhang Zian talking to a bird, both Sun Xiaomeng and Guo Dongyue admired their relationship. Although African grey parrots were one of the few breeds that could communicate with humans, not every grey parrot could talk like Richard. It was extremely rare to find and train a bird that talked that well. How lucky was Zhang Zian?!

  What a smart bird, yet Zhang Zian turned it into a creepy and dirty bird. What a pity!

  If Zhang Zian could hear what they were thinking about, he might explode immediately.

  Sun Xiaomeng couldn’t stand it anymore. She knocked on the desk and interrupted the two. “Now that you have a grey parrot, you need to get a permit. Not many people know about that bird, so you can get away with it, but it might turn into your enemy’s weapon one day.”


  She was right. It might not be a big deal to many people but if someone reported him for real, he would be in trouble.

  “How do I get a permit?” he asked.

  “I don’t know all the details. Maybe you need to prove the quality of the living conditions for the bird and prove that you know what you are doing? Maybe provide proof that you have access to a vet? When you collect all the information, go to the local bureau of forestry to get one.” She emphasized, “This is flexible. If you are only keeping it as a pet and not selling it, the permit should be easy.”


  Zhang Zian pointed at her and said, “You are my vet!”


  “That’s right,” Sun Xiaomeng stretched her back as she spoke.

  “Okay. What do you want?” Zhang Zian knew that she wouldn’t give him a proofing document for free. He was ready to seal the deal.

  “Well, your two silly staff members were quite good,” she said.

  “Okay. I see where you are going with this. When my store reopens, I will pay them to work at your clinic for a while. Deal?”


  Sun Xiaomeng put her thumb up, “You got it!”


  “Stop your BS! Get me the vet document I need,” Zhang Zian pushed.

  “Well, I don’t want to stay long. I came to see Galaxy. Galaxy, I am leaving! I will see you next time!” She waved at Galaxy.

  Galaxy tilted its head and thought, then raised its paw and waved back.

  “Yeah! Galaxy waved at me!” Sun Xiaomeng was excited and left.