Buying a Pet Dog

"You know what you're doing?"

Ziyan let out a cold laugh and said, "Let's put that aside for now. What's going on with this morning? Don't you know how hot Hong Kong is at noon? You thought it was a good idea to take Mengmeng up to that mountain to be exposed to the wind and sun? Look at the sweat on Mengmeng's face, how could you bear it?"

"The temperature on New Moon Mountain isn't high," Zhang Han replied calmly.

"You're lying again, Zhang Han. You need some basis when you fool people! The weather in Hong Kong is hot, but it's not hot on your New Moon Mountain, is it?" Ziyan said indignantly.

"You'll know when you go next time," Zhang Han said indifferently. After thinking for a moment, he added, "You went at night last time, so you wouldn't have felt it. You'll know when you go during the day, and you'll see more beautiful things there during the day."

Ziyan's expression faltered for a moment. Her lips moved, and her tone softened by a third as she uttered, "Are you inviting me?"

But Zhang Han said something that completely spoiled the mood:

"I guess so. It's up to you whether you go or not."

"Hmph!" Ziyan glared at him, took off her denim jacket, revealing a white shirt underneath that accentuated her graceful figure. She sat down in a chair, gazed at Zhang Han, and said, "You've changed."

"How have I changed?" Zhang Han sat down in the chair next to Ziyan.

Ziyan glanced at his slightly dirty clothes and then at the chair that might have gotten stained. If it were anyone else, she would have stopped them, but facing Zhang Han, she said nothing. After a long pause, she slowly began to speak:

"You used to be one of the Four Young Masters of Shangjing. I've heard things about you. My friends in Shangjing all said you were aggressive, arrogant, always causing trouble, and surrounded by beautiful women."

"Young and reckless, just a bit naive," Zhang Han said, shaking his head slightly.

There's a saying that goes like this: elders facing arrogant youngsters would say, "Young people, don't be too arrogant," and the youngsters would immediately retort, "If we're not arrogant, are we still young?"

This sentence resonates with many people's hearts. Everyone has a youth. Young people are passionate, emotional, and value loyalty.

If a friend is being bullied, young people will immediately rush forward, regardless of the reason, and stand by their friend's side without considering the consequences. As people age, they develop attachments and think twice before acting. Even if they want to help, if they lack the ability, they won't forcefully intervene.

Of course, there are no absolutes. Many adults are still full of hot-blooded passion. Today I want to stab you, tomorrow you want to blast me.

Getting back to the topic, Ziyan smiled slightly upon hearing Zhang Han's words and said, "Later, I heard you got into trouble and were kicked out of the Zhang family. I thought, given your personality, you'd move elsewhere. I never expected you to stubbornly stay in Shangjing for five years. It seems this young master still has his own integrity."

"If I think something needs to be done, even if I have to hit a wall or have no way back, I'll still do it," Zhang Han said with a light smile.

At this moment, the atmosphere between them was somewhat subtle, like a heart-to-heart talk between friends, but it seemed like this was truly the first time they had chatted like this.

"By the way, you... you were so popular back then, why did you choose to retire and have Mengmeng?" Zhang Han asked. He didn't quite understand Ziyan's actions because, in this era, abortion was very common, and hospitals even had queues. Yet Ziyan, who was on the verge of becoming a film empress, chose to have a child, which felt rather strange.

"I..." Ziyan's expression froze, and her face showed a hint of sadness. "When I was young, I was sick. The doctor said I might be infertile. If I was lucky, I might get pregnant once. With you... that accident. Later, when I found out I was pregnant, I thought about aborting the child, but I didn't dare to gamble..."

At this point, Ziyan stopped talking, and Zhang Han suddenly understood.

"Why didn't you tell me then?" Zhang Han asked in a deep voice.

"What would be the point of telling you?" Ziyan scoffed. "We were an accident to begin with. We didn't even know each other. Why should I tell you? Even if I told you, do you think you would have left Shangjing?"

Zhang Han fell silent upon hearing this. After a long while, he nodded and uttered a single word: "Yes!"

Ziyan was slightly taken aback and said nothing further. Silence fell upon them.

After a while, Ziyan looked at Zhang Han and said softly, "Thank you."

"Huh?" Zhang Han was confused.

"Thank you for everything you've done for Mengmeng. Mengmeng has become much more cheerful and smiles more happily since she started interacting with you. You... you don't have a place to stay these few days, so stay here for now," Ziyan said with a hint of shyness.

"Oh, you don't need to thank me. She's my daughter," Zhang Han replied casually.

"What do you mean?" Ziyan raised an eyebrow, her tone displeased. "Judging by your tone, you want to claim Mengmeng? Let me tell you, Zhang Han, I raised Mengmeng. You've only been in contact for a few days. It's impossible for you to take Mengmeng away from me!"

"Why is your imagination so wild? When did I say I wanted to take Mengmeng away?" Zhang Han looked bewildered.

Talking to women is truly troublesome!

"Your tone just now clearly implied it!" Ziyan said, glaring.

"I really can't do anything about you. If you weren't Mengmeng's mother, I really wouldn't bother talking to you!" Zhang Han shook his head slightly.

"I don't even want to bother with you!" Ziyan snorted and said, "Hurry up and change out of those dirty clothes. They're an eyesore."

"Okay," Zhang Han nodded, got up, and walked out.

Ziyan snorted at his retreating back. After he left, she also went to find pajamas to change into.

That night, he played with Mengmeng until eleven o'clock before Mengmeng went to sleep at Ziyan's urging.

The next day, after breakfast, Ziyan and Zhou Fei went to work.

This time, when Zhang Han took Mengmeng out, Wang Juan didn't stop them. She even smiled and saw them to the door. She took out a blue circular elevator card from her pocket and said, "Mr. Zhang, please take this elevator card. It will be more convenient for you to go up and down."

"Okay," Zhang Han accepted the elevator card and nodded.

Arriving downstairs, he settled Mengmeng in the back seat and drove away from Cloud Sound Garden.

"Daddy, you're so silly. You're going the wrong way," Mengmeng said in a milky voice, looking at the street scenery. She still remembered the way and knew this wasn't the road to New Moon Bay.

"We're going to buy some pets. I promised Xiao Hei yesterday that I'd bring him some companions," Zhang Han said with a smile.

"Buy pets, yay yay! Oh no!" Mengmeng suddenly cried out.

"What's wrong, Mengmeng?" Zhang Han asked with a smile.

"I, I forgot to bring toys for Xiao Hei..." Mengmeng said, looking anxious and guilty.

"It's okay, shall we go back and get them?" Zhang Han immediately pulled the car to the left, preparing to turn around and head back to Cloud Sound Garden.

The Little Princess was thrilled to hear this, repeatedly saying, "Okay, okay, okay, Daddy is the best."

Judging by her demeanor, if she were in Zhang Han's arms, she would have definitely given him a big smooch!

After returning to Cloud Sound Garden, the Little Princess picked out ten small dolls before happily going downstairs with her Daddy.

Zhang Han drove to a pet store in the East District called Love Pet Pavilion.

The storefront was quite large, with a hall over a hundred square meters inside. Along the sides were dog and cat cages, housing adult pets.

Walking into the store, a slight odor could still be detected. After all, all the pets were in the same room, which was unavoidable.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" A man in his mid-twenties with glasses greeted them with a smile.

"Buy, buy pets," Mengmeng replied in her childlike voice.

"Oh, what a cute little girl," the man praised Mengmeng with a smile, then looked at Zhang Han and asked, "What kind of pet are you looking to buy, sir?"

"Let's buy some puppies first," Zhang Han said, his gaze sweeping over the pets in the cages.

There were quite a few breeds, including Alaskan Malamutes, Huskies, Samoyeds, Golden Retrievers, Chows, and Poodles, among others.

Zhang Han had a decent understanding of the temperaments of these dog breeds.

For example, he had previously owned an Alaskan Malamute and a Golden Retriever. Alaskan Malamutes were intelligent, very affectionate towards their owners, and highly obedient. Golden Retrievers, on the other hand, were famously gentle, friendly to both their owners and strangers, and very smart. If they saw their owner looking upset, they would immediately lie on the ground and act pitiful.

As for other breeds, Zhang Han knew their general temperaments. He'd often meet other dog owners during walks and get to know their dogs over a few days. For instance, Poodles, who were always out and about, seemed like they would do anything if given the chance.

"What kind of dog are you looking for, sir? All the puppies we sell are under a month old and have had their three vaccinations. We also have some purebreds with certificates, though they will be a bit more expensive," the man said with a smile.

"We want to buy lots and lots," Mengmeng said, blinking her clear, big eyes.

"Yes, we'll probably buy a few dozen," Zhang Han added.

The man was slightly taken aback, then his face lit up with joy. It looked like he was about to make a big sale today. He then looked at the woman sitting at the counter and said, "Sister Zhao, I'll take the customer to pick out dogs."

"Go ahead," the woman nodded.

"Sir, this way, our store's small pets are in the next room," the man said, leading the way outside.

Upon entering the next room, they could see rows of small cages, each containing a month-old puppy.

"Sir, the blue cages over there contain purebreds, with various tags and prices. These on the outside are the regular ones," the man explained.

"Mm."

Zhang Han nodded and walked directly towards the inner section.

There was indeed a difference between purebred and regular dogs; otherwise, they wouldn't be sold at a higher price. Both in terms of size and appearance, purebreds were better looking.

"This one and this one," Zhang Han pointed to a male and a female Alaskan Malamute.

The male was eight thousand, and the female was eight thousand eight hundred.

"Certainly, certainly," the man's eyes widened with delight. He quickly took out the two cages containing the dogs and placed them in the aisle.

These two dogs alone sold for sixteen thousand eight hundred, and he would get a commission from it.

"This one and this one," Zhang Han pointed to a male and a female Pug.

Five thousand and five thousand six hundred, another nearly ten thousand!

"This one and this one," Zhang Han pointed to two Beagles.