"Sigh, these people... Just ignore them. They'll leave on their own in a few days after the hype dies down." An experienced elder patted Shen Yibin's shoulder, offering some advice. He'd clearly had his fair share of dealings with reporters before.
The disturbance from the reporters killed the mood for the elderly customers, and they all began to leave. They figured they would come back to buy pets after the reporters had dispersed and the store was quiet again. 'Damn it! I could've made so much money today if it weren't for you people,' Shen Yibin thought, completely bummed out.
The commotion also attracted the attention of the neighbors. Mrs. Wang from the tea shop heard what was going on and came inside. Naturally, she was astounded when she saw Hah'Er. After some difficulty, she accepted Shen Yibin's explanation, remarking on how lucky he was.
"He's just too adorable! I remember one of my suppliers has a huge bamboo forest next to their tea plantation. The bamboo there is infused with the fragrance of tea leaves, so it must taste amazing. I'll call him and have a batch sent over." 'Why does everyone who sees Hah'Er immediately want to feed it bamboo?' Shen Yibin wanted to cry but had no tears.
After finally ushering Mrs. Wang out, Shen Yibin saw that Bai Yanni had gone back to her police car to keep an eye on the reporters. He checked the time—it was time for lunch. 'What should I make today?' He scratched his head. "Hah'Er, how about we have bitter bamboo shoot beef rolls today?" 'Shit, why am I talking about bamboo now? I've definitely caught it from them.'
"Mhm! Mhm!" Hah'Er nodded enthusiastically. This dish was part of Sichuan's famous "Panda Banquet." Of course, a Panda Banquet didn't involve eating actual pandas. It was a series of dishes made using a panda's favorite food—bamboo shoots—and prepared with local Sichuan culinary techniques. The bitter bamboo shoot beef rolls were one such dish.
"I thought you didn't eat bamboo, but it turns out you like it after all!" 'Looks like I misunderstood.' Hah'Er didn't dislike bamboo; he just had a broader palate and higher standards for cooking. He hadn't lost his fundamental panda nature and was still quite fond of ingredients like bamboo shoots.
"Mhm! Mhm!" Hah'Er nodded repeatedly, seemingly in agreement.
"Ha! In that case, I won't cook for you tomorrow. I'll just take you to the park to chew on some bamboo. I bet someone will bring you some tender shoots," Shen Yibin joked.
The moment Hah'Er heard this, it panicked. It whined, pounced forward, and hugged Shen Yibin's leg, crying out frantically. Pitiful tears welled up in its eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'll keep cooking for you tomorrow! We won't go eat bamboo!" 'Looks like this little guy still prefers my cooking over bamboo.' Shen Yibin wanted to slap himself. 'Why did I have to scare Hah'Er and make him cry?'
He glanced around. 'Good, Bai Yanni isn't here. If she were, she'd definitely give me a suplex for daring to make the Panda angry. It's an unforgivable crime! And if Nuomituan saw this, my image in her eyes would instantly change from 'kind big brother' to 'evil demon king,' wouldn't it?'
"Come on, let's go get groceries at the shop next door." Shen Yibin poked his head out for a look. The reporters hadn't left, but with Bai Yanni and the others keeping watch, they weren't causing any trouble. Emboldened, he led Hah'Er out onto the street. They walked past Mrs. Wang's tea shop and arrived at the entrance of the fruit and vegetable store.
"Bin! It's been a while. What can I get for you today?" Just like Dragon Willow Birch, the shop owner froze solid when he saw Hah'Er. He rubbed his eyes hard, only to realize he wasn't hallucinating.
"Heh, he's my pet," Shen Yibin said with a dry laugh. 'Looks like it's going to take a long time for people to get used to seeing Hah'Er around.' As usual, it took another lengthy explanation before the shop owner reluctantly accepted the situation. "I remembered you sell bamboo shoots, so I brought Hah'Er along."
"We do! We've got tender shoots dug up from the grove just this morning. Guaranteed fresh." The shop owner's beady eyes darted about. 'If my shop becomes the official supplier for a Panda, and that news gets out, everyone will think my produce is fresh, delicious, safe, and organic, right? If that happens, my business will...'
At that thought, the shop owner sprang into action, quickly rummaging through his stock of bamboo shoots and presenting them to Hah'Er to pick from.
"Hrmm..." Hah'Er lowered its head and began pawing through the basket of bamboo shoots, occasionally giving one a sniff. It would nod at some and shake its head at others. Meanwhile, Shen Yibin took a bag from the shop owner and placed the chosen shoots inside.
After Hah'Er finished picking, the shop owner gasped. "Bin, I believe you now. There's no way you abducted this panda."
"Oh? Why's that?" 'Why do I get the feeling he's not about to pay me a compliment?'
"Look! It picked out all the fresh shoots I just got in this morning. The rest are all leftovers from yesterday," the shop owner said, pointing to the few remaining shoots in the basket. "It just goes to show how smart this panda is. Trying to abduct it with your level of intelligence... well, I'm afraid that might be..."
'Screw this! I'm not buying my beef here! It's a miracle no one has beaten you to death for that mouth of yours! The heavens must be blind!' Shen Yibin rolled his eyes, at a complete loss for words.
"Haha, just kidding! Don't be mad. You're such an honest guy, Bin. How could you ever do something against the law? What else do you need? I'll let Hah'Er take its pick," the shop owner said, quickly laughing it off when he realized he'd misspoken.
'Damn it! You're the simpleton! Your whole family, your whole village are simpletons!' 'Why does that sound even more vicious?' 'Whatever, I'm in a hurry to cook for Hah'Er, so I'm not going to bicker with you.' "Do you have any fresh beef? Give me a few pounds."
"Sure, I'll get it." Hah'Er deftly picked out the beef. When the bill was tallied, all the money Shen Yibin had just made from selling that Chihuahua was gone in a flash. And that was after the shop owner had given him a discount for Hah'Er's sake. 'Raising a panda really isn't for ordinary people.'
"Here, want some apples? Should I buy you some?" 'From the panda videos I've seen online, it looks like they're pretty fond of apples, too.' And so, Shen Yibin spent even more money.
On the way back, Hah'Er refused to let Shen Yibin carry anything. It grasped the bags of bamboo shoots, apples, and beef in its own two paws and waddled back on its short legs, earning Shen Yibin countless scornful looks from passersby.
Back in the store, Shen Yibin closed the door and quickly whipped up the bitter bamboo shoot beef rolls. Under Hah'Er's guidance, his cooking skills were improving by leaps and bounds. The two foodies ate until they were stuffed.
After lunch was over and the kitchen was clean, Hah'Er took a basket and went to feed the other pets. Shen Yibin finished his workout, plopped down on the sofa, and played on his phone. 'Now, should I see what the second pet is?'