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

  Zhang Zian had seen a basket hammock chair at someone else’s home before. He felt that the chair seemed quite cozy when he saw a couple sitting in there and flirting, or when he saw a child reading a book or playing on an iPad in there. Since he had neither a girlfriend nor a child, he forgot about the basket hammock chair very quickly.

  Since there was no suitable bed for π, Zhang Zian remembered that the basket hammock chair might be a good choice for π, so he came up with the idea to shop for a one online. This thing would be expensive in a brick-and-mortar store, while shopping for it online would be more convenient and there would be more styles to choose from.

  The biggest advantage of shopping in a brick-and-mortar store was that π could try out a chair to see if it fits. Let alone that π couldn’t leave the pet shop, but even if it could, going outside would cause troubles.

  When Richard came to the pet shop, Zhang Zian entrusted Sun Xiaomeng to help him gain an artificial breeding license; a permit for individuals to raise wildlife in private. Although the rhesus monkey was also a wild animal, China forbade individuals to provide for primates in private — unless the primates were the wife and children of such individuals.

  Primates such as monkeys and orangutans were close relatives of humans, and the viruses carried in these primates were transmittable to humans. For example, monkeys would basically be fine when carrying a type of virus called Herpes B, but once this virus was transmitted to humans, the fatality rate among the patients could be as high as 80%.

  Similarly, the viruses carried by humans could also infect monkeys and orangutans. For instance, the common flu in human beings could be fatal to monkeys and orangutans. In addition, monkeys may also carry the rabies virus, but individuals could not take the risk of breaching the law by taking them to the regular hospitals to inject the rabies vaccine into monkeys.

  Juvenile monkeys and orangutans were very cute, but they could become violent and aggressive after they reached the stage of sexual maturity, all of which were the reasons why China prohibited individuals from raising primates.

  π was actually not an animal, nor was it a primate. It was an elfin that had assumed the appearance of a monkey. But Zhang Zian couldn’t explain this matter to others. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary troubles, he’d better not bring π outside, and it would be impossible for him to take π to a furniture store to try a basket hammock chair.

  Richard had almost died of a latent virus in its body because Richard was a genuine animal that actually existed. However, as an imaginative elfin, π would not carry any virus in its body, so Zhang Zian didn’t need to worry that π would transmit any virus to the customers of his pet shop.

  He moved the mouse and browsed the most popular basket hammock chairs on the e-commerce websites. After he had the general idea of the size, style, and color of the basket hammock chair that he wanted, he scrolled down to read the comments of other buyers, thus eliminating the products that had obvious quality issues.

  After comparing the basket hammock chairs of several shops, Zhang Zian finally picked one relatively expensive basket hammock chair with good quality from a shop and placed the order. When he finally placed the order, half an hour had passed since he opened the computer.

  Looking at the chair that costed over 1,000 Yuan, he resolutely clicked the mouse to complete the payment and then closed the web page quickly before he regretted what he had done.

  He stretched himself and was about to stand up. When he turned his head, he found out that π was leaning on the arm of the sofa and staring intently at the computer screen. Its brown, round eyes were full of curiosity. The lenses of its glasses were reflecting the images on the computer screen. It was still holding its nameless book.

  “π, do you want to play on the computer?” Zhang Zian pointed to the computer on the coffee table.

  π probably had known what a computer was and how to use it. After all, it had typed in the chat room to ask the readers in the library for help.

  “Eeek!”


  It hesitated, but did not move forward. It grabbed its chest and scratched its neck. Zhang Zian could see that it was eager to play on the computer, but perhaps it was shy or for what other reason, it didn’t come forward.

  π was really acting like a monkey; a juvenile monkey. It was as innocent and adorable as a human child, but oftentimes, its big round eyes were flashing with the spark of wisdom. Zhang Zian couldn’t help but wonder what π was thinking in its mind.

  “Are you afraid that you might damage it?” He guessed, smiling at it. “It’s okay. This is a worthless old computer, and I have nothing important stored in it. It’s fine even if it’s broken.”


  “Eeek!”


  Its left hand was holding the nameless book tightly, and its right hand was opening and closing. Then, π moved a small step forward.

  Is π afraid that I or someone else will snatch the book from it? That’s why it dares not to put down the book? Because it is hard for it to hold the book while playing the computer.

  Zhang Zian thought for a moment, stood up from the couch, and said, “Ah, I just remember that I need to do some chores downstairs. I don’t think Wang Qian and Li Kun can finish their work without me…π, you stay here on your own for a while, I’ll go downstairs.”


  He quickly left the living room and closed the door, leaving only a small crevice between the wall and the door. He trod heavily downstairs. When he saw that Wang Qian and Li Kun had almost finished cleaning the shop, he told them to return to school and prepare for their make-up final exams. He gave a few words of instruction to Lu Yiyun, and then turned around and trod lightly back to the second floor.

  Through the crack of the door, Zhang Zian saw that π was staring at the computer screen as if it was an extremely attractive item. π looked around the room. Zhang Zian was not there, and the other elves were downstairs. There was only π itself in the entire room. It became relaxed and cautiously sat on the sofa, placing the scarlet colored, nameless book beside the computer.

  Just then, the talking sounds of the middle-aged women of the neighborhood committee came from the alley behind the shop.

  π was so scared that it shivered. It swiftly held the nameless book in its arms, and then hid behind the sofa, trembling with trepidation.

  Zhang Zian secretly complained about the noises. He recognized that one of the voices from the alley belonged to Grandma Gu, the leader of the neighborhood committee of this street.

  To successfully collect the sanitation fees, management fees, public maintenance fees and waste disposal fees from the businesses on this street, the middle-aged women of the neighborhood committee had trained themselves to talk in loud voices. Zhang Zian’s Amazing Fate Pet Shop and Sun Xiaomeng’s Spirit Curing Pet Clinic were the businesses that Grandma Gu had paid close attention to. In addition to the usual fees, Grandma Gu also collected the animal quarantine fees and urban road occupation fees from them.

  At the beginning of the new year, Grandma Gu was leading other middle-aged women of the neighborhood committee to collect fees from the business owners on this street, striving to exceed the target they had set for this quarter.

  It is estimated that Grandma Gu would arrive at the entrance of his shop to collect fees soon. Zhang Zian had to go back downstairs to deal with her. As soon as he arrived at the first floor, Grandma Gu, wearing a red armband, came in the shop. Grandma Gu was in her sixties and was full of energy. She walked swiftly and handled her work neatly. She could practically be deemed as the big boss of Zhonghua Road.

  “Hey, Zian, your shop looks really nice …” Grandma Gu observed the shop with a smile. She was wearing a green down vest, and a pair of reading glasses tied by a string that swayed in front of her chest.

  “Thank you! Grandma Gu, you look so healthy and young!” Zhang Zian curried favor with her. “Are you collecting the sanitation fee today?”


  “That’s right!” Grandma Gu looked at Lu Yiyun who was drawing pictures. “Zian, you have hired a helper? You should have done so a long time ago! When I came here to collect fees before, your shop was often closed because you were not here.”


  Zhang Zian would not tell her that he was avoiding her because the business in his shop was bleak at that time.

  But today, he had no way to hide. He obediently took out his wallet and said, “Grandma Gu, how much should I pay for this quarter?”


  “452.8 Yuan.”


  “The price has increased again?!” Zhang Zian complained.

  “We are collecting fees according to the regulations. When the higher authorities adjust the standard of fee-collecting, we must conform to the changes,” said Grandma Gu.

  Complaining aside, Zhang Zian would pay the fee in full amount.

  The neighborhood committee did not accept money transfers, so Zhang Zian had to pay in cash. When he saw the cash in his wallet was not enough, he asked Lu Yiyun to take money from the counter and handed it to Grandma Gu.

  Grandma Gu gave him a receipt and asked him to take the receipt to the neighborhood committee for his invoice in a few days.

  “Oh, almost forgot. Zian, fill this form out and hand it to me when you go to the neighborhood committee to get your invoice.” Grandma Gu handed him a form.

  “What is this?” Zhang Zian was nervous, for fear that it was a new fee.

  “Your business is doing quite well. I heard that your shop is also very famous online, correct?” Grandma Gu put on her reading glasses and asked while counting the money.

  “Uh … just so-so,” Zhang Zian answered cautiously. He dared to brag in front of anyone except Grandma Gu.

  He did not know whether Grandma Gu’s question was a trap. What if she asked him to pay more fees after he admitted that he was a sort of celebrity?

  “Here is the thing. After comprehensive deliberation in our neighborhood committee, we have decided to recommend you run for the title of the May Day Model Worker in Dongcheng District, so you have to fill this form.” Grandma Gu confirmed that the amount of money was correct, and then placed the money neatly into her pocket. She looked around, and lowered her voice. “Zian, it’s okay for you to embellish your performance in the form, because this is what everybody does! If you can receive the title of the May Day Model Worker, you can make our neighborhood committee look good!”


  “Oh, I see …” Zhang Zian did not like to participate in such troublesome events that had no economic interests. However, he couldn’t turn down the request of Grandma Gu.

  “Well, see you then. I need to collect fees from other shops.” Grandma Gu left satisfied.

  The moment she left the pet shop, Zhang Zian chased her from behind.

  “Wait! Grandma Gu!”


  “Zian, what happened?” Grandma Gu immediately stopped.

  Zhang Zian pointed to the form. “Grandma Gu, did you make a mistake? This is a form to elect the Woman Pacesetter for the International Women’s Day…”


  “Ouch! Look at me! What an old fool I am!” Grandma Gu patted her thigh and took out another form from her bag and handed it to Zhang Xian. “Here! This one should be the form about the May Day Model Worker.”


  Zhang Zian checked to confirm that this was the right form.

  When Grandma Gu left, Zhang Zian quickly threw the form and the receipt aside, once again returned to the second floor, and quietly looked into the living room through the crack of the door. Grandma Gu’s voice was too loud. It seemed that while she was speaking with Zhang Zian, π had been hiding behind the couch the whole time. Unlike Galaxy, π was not afraid of people. It was just frightened that someone might take away its nameless book. Even when it slept at night, π would hold this book tightly.

  As Grandma Gu’s voice faded away, π raised its head and listened. Silence had been restored to the pet shop, with the meowing of kittens, barking of puppies, along with the quacking of Richard coming from downstairs occasionally.

  π timidly sat back on the couch, but only a small part of its buttocks was placed on the couch, as if it may escape at any minute. It put the book down again, stared at the laptop’s screen with its big eyes, and gradually showed the look of perplexity.

  Damn!

  Zhang Zian suddenly remembered that π did not understand Chinese. The operating system of his computer was in Chinese and was different from the operating system at the Binhai City Library.

  Should I go in to help it?

  He hesitated.

  “Eeek!”


  π blinked, opened the nameless book, and turned the pages, like it was looking for something. After a while, it stopped and held out its finger at somewhere on a certain page. Staring intently at that page, its finger was moving slowly with its gaze, just like a human being who was learning how to use some type of electrical appliance by studying a reference book. Zhang Zian was increasingly curious about the content written in the book.

  π carefully studied for a few minutes, and flipped to another page to continue researching, and then closed the book. On its pink little face, confusion had disappeared, leaving only eager joy. Holding the mouse with its right hand, π opened the browser that was closed by Zhang Zian. Zhang Zian set the browser’s home page to a search engine. Staring at the flashing cursor in the search bar, π gently placed its ten fingers on the keyboard.