1 Amazing Fate Pet Shop (1/2)

Chapter 1: Amazing Fate Pet Shop

Translator: Nyoi_Bo_StudioEditor: Tennesh

On the magnificent East Coast of the motherland, there was a quiet coastal city called Binhai City. It was beautiful, with a large economy and a slow pace of life. Binhai had an absence of large industrial enterprises, making it a suitable place to live a peaceful life. In this quiet city, there was a small, unknown pet shop.

This particular morning, a taxi parked in front of the pet shop. Zhang Zian got off, removed his suitcase from the trunk, and thanked the driver. As the taxi disappeared around the corner, Zhang Zian breathed in the salty air and looked up to see the pet shop sign: Amazing Fate Pet Shop. The shop doors were closed, and a small, plain paper sign had two words on it: temporarily closed.

He did not hesitate to tear down the notice, kneading it into a ball and putting it in his pocket, because this sign was one that he had posted. If one looked carefully at Zhang Zian’s face, it would be easy to find that he had dark circles surrounding bloodshot eyes. Clearly, he hadn’t slept very well for several days and had been depressed for a while.

He pulled out the key, unlocked the shutter door, and then pulled it up, exposing a glass door. He then unlocked the glass door and pushed the two glass doors open. Because the shop hadn’t been open for days, the indoor air quality was not pleasant. Holding his suitcase, he walked further into the shop.

”Welcome home,” he murmured to himself.

The Amazing Fate Pet Shop was as quiet as a graveyard—no cats meowing, no dogs barking, and no birds chirping. There were only some empty cages and display cases. Cat litter and bird droppings that hadn’t been cleaned left an unpleasant odor. It seemed like the shop owners and the animals had left in a hurry.

At this moment, Zhang Zian remembered that the pet shop had been very busy and lively, a variety of pet calls mixing into the ambient noise of the city. He shook his head, trying to put those memories behind him. He dragged his suitcase and walked up to the second floor.

Entering his old room, he opened the windows and took the black and white portrait of his parents out of his suitcase. After placing the portrait on the desk, Zhang Zian put his hands together in prayer.

Shortly after Zhang Zian graduated from college, he found a decent job in another city. One night, he received the bad news that his parents had been involved in a car accident. He was devastated and rushed back to Binhai City. His father died on the site of the accident, while his mother was seriously injured. She had to stay in the ICU for a few days but, unfortunately, still passed away.

This pet shop was the only legacy left by his parents. After Zhang Zian returned, he got a chance to see his mother one last time. The mother gazed into his eyes with urgency and said with a weak voice, ”Zian… the pets in the shop…”

He immediately understood his mother’s words. The pet store had been left unattended for days, leaving all the animals starving and dehydrated. He hurried back to the pet store, only to find all the pets dying, just like his mother.

In order to be with his mother as much as he could, Zhang Zian had to get rid of these pets. He had to either sell them at a low price, give them away, or set them free.

After returning to the hospital, he told his mother, ”Don’t worry, Mother! The pets are all right.” She then held his hands and passed away with a satisfied smile.

Then there was the funeral which made him physically and emotionally exhausted. Zhang Zian was not sure at all what he was supposed to do to arrange the funeral. Luckily, his parents’ friends, neighbors, and out-of-town relatives had all been very helpful. After a few busy days, his parents ashes were sent to the cemetery.

Finally, Zhang Zian returned to the pet shop after staying in the small hotel next to the hospital for several days.

The Amazing Fate Pet Shop had two floors. The pet shop was downstairs, and the living space was upstairs. The area was not too large, but it was his parents’ legacy after many years of hard work.

At this point, Zhang Zian had two choices. He could either sell the shop or rent it out, and still keep his hard-to-get job, or he could stay in Binhai City and continue to run the pet shop.

Although his parents owned the pet shop, Zhang Zian knew next to nothing about running a pet business; his parents didn’t to distract him from his school work.