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

  Aunt Li had spoken with good intentions and didn’t expect this to happen. She was extremely embarrassed and felt bad for Zhang Zian.

  Of course, Zhang Zian didn’t blame her. He smiled at her and said, “Go on ahead with your business. I’m fine here.”


  Aunt Li, still embarrassed, returned to the kitchen.

  Zhang Zian knew that the idea of adopting instead of buying had been popular lately, and he agreed with it. However, you couldn’t adopt anything you wanted. If you were particularly fond of a specific cat breed, it was almost impossible to find one to adopt.

  For example, Vivi, who came in with Snowy the last time, was allergic to cats and had to get a Siberian Forest cat. But where could she have possibly adopted one? If it was that easy, everyone would adopt one.

  Most of the customers purposefully went into his pet shop to buy a cat or dog and had never brought up the adopting instead of buying movement. It was the first time he’d experienced someone badmouthing his business right in front of him.

  He thought about how he should explain all of this.

  In the end, he decided that there was nothing to explain. They’d just met each other and were only sharing a table for lunch. Why should he bother persuading someone who already had a strong conviction?

  He said nothing and continued eating his food.

  The girl across from him watched him eat and simply thought that he knew he was wrong. She started babbling on in a long speech and repeatedly explained the benefits of adopting while denouncing his business, the main problem of the corrupted pet business chain.

  Her voice became louder and louder. Other customers started to notice and looked towards their table with curiosity, wondering what their relationship was.

  Zhang Zian thought that if he stayed silent for any longer, she would keep on taking a yard when given an inch and might start bothering other people’s meals. He put his spoon down and said helplessly, “You’re right. I support adopting over buying, wholeheartedly.”


  He thought that his surrender would stop her attacks. But again, she took a yard when given an inch and questioned him even further. “You support adopting over buying? Then why do you own a pet shop?”


  Zhang Zian didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. “If I support the government’s policy, it doesn’t mean that I have to work for the government! Not to mention that adopting over buying isn’t a government policy.”


  “Oh, so you only support it verbally, so it doesn’t cost you anything?” The girl’s face grew even colder.

  Zhang Zian didn’t want to argue, so he gave in. “More or less. How should I support it then?”


  “Easy. Starting today, stop bringing cats and dogs into your shop, and put all the animals you have up for adoption to the public,” she said confidently.

  Zhang Zian nodded. “And then what?”


  She paused. “What?”


  “Then what do I live on? Will you feed me?” Zhang Zian asked seriously.

  There weren’t many male customers around them, but a few of them chuckled when they heard this.

  Her face changed. “That’s none of my business.”


  “Why’s that none of your business? I’d do what you told me to do, and you’d be responsible for my life,” Zhang Zian continued. “Or should I live on government welfare? Wouldn’t I be a burden to the country and society? I’m not fat, but I eat a lot. I could eat an entire horse for lunch. If the modernization process of the country is delayed because of a glutton like me, would you take responsibility?”


  A guy at the next table commented cleverly, “Eating an entire horse for lunch? Are you an animal?”


  The witty remark made a lot of customers laugh, including a few girls.

  Zhang Zian wasn’t upset. He looked at the guy with admiration.

  The girl in front of him finally realized that Zhang Zian was ridiculing her. Her face turned blue with anger.

  Zhang Zian was afraid of pissing her off too much, so he coughed. “Actually, I understand your reasoning. But I sell pets for a living. If you support adopting over buying, you should tell people who are planning on getting a pet. It’s useless to tell me. As I said, I support adopting over buying, and I completely agree with you. So you don’t need to try to convince me anymore.”


  She was grinding her teeth in anger. “It’s exactly because of people like you that the people of this nation aren’t becoming more civilized! And you!” She pointed at the guy who had made the witty remark, then at another guy who had laughed the loudest. “You’re all responsible!”


  Crap!

  The two innocent guys were shocked and confused. It had just been a joke, and now she was hitting them with exaggerated accusations? The wisest move for them should be getting sympathy from everyone, right?

  “Well, did you misunderstand something? Even in other countries, a lot of people are buying pets instead of adopting them!” Zhang Zian said. “Pick a country that you consider to be the most civilized, and ask 100 random citizens to choose between Ragdolls and Mongrel cats free of charge. I think most of them would still choose Ragdolls. But in reality, if they want a Ragdoll, they have to buy one. I don’t think there are free Ragdolls up for adoption. Even if there are some, it’s extremely rare.”


  There was a similar misconception that no foreigners would buy pirated DVDs or counterfeit brands. When really, many foreigners visiting China bought pirated or counterfeit stuff intentionally on Silk Street in Beijing. At the end of the day, there had to be a balance between authenticity and cost.

  Zhang Zian just wanted to quietly finish his lunch, wait for Old Time Tea and Famous, and rely on the other customers to stand up for him. Otherwise, he would have left a long time ago and never would have continued the pointless conversation between them. However, the girl wasn’t willing to let go so easily. She wanted to shut down his pet shop to satisfy her own hatred.

  Two girls who had come together finished their lunch, paid their bill, and left, freeing up a table. Aunt Li quickly came over to clean up.

  Before the door had closed, it was grabbed by a pair of hands and opened again. A young couple walked in.

  The boy held the door open for his girlfriend and closed it only after she was inside. He took a quick glance around the restaurant and murmured, “It’s finally our turn. It was so cold outside! So, this is the restaurant you’ve been talking about?”


  “Yeah, this is it.” The girl took off her scarf excitedly, sat down at the free table, and said, “Sit down before somebody else takes it.”


  The other customers smiled. The two were probably university students who were used to competing for seats in the library all the time.

  Her boyfriend sat down shyly. It seemed like he wasn’t used to showing affection in public.

  “Which cat do you like again?” he asked.

  “There, that’s the one!” She pointed at a Calico cat in the restaurant and said, “I heard that you can adopt the cats here. I want this one!”