Dad Can Heal It

The shop that made Bao'er stop specialized in pet birds.

It was not large, but birdcages and perches of all sizes hung beneath the eaves, from the rafters, and among the branches. Parrots, larks, hibiscus birds, lovebirds, munias, thrushes, orioles, and all kinds of other pet birds hopped and fluttered about inside, drinking water, pecking at food, chirping, and singing. The place was brimming with life.

Zuo Yi bent down and asked, "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Bao'er hesitated for a moment, then raised her little hand and said, "Daddy, this little bird is so pitiful."

Her eyes were filled with sympathy.

Following the direction of her finger, Zuo Yi saw a small parrot standing on a perch in the corner.

It was a beautiful budgerigar, covered in yellow-green feathers with dense, fine yellow-and-black stripes across its upper body. Its colors were exceptionally bright, and a small silver chain was tied around its left foot.

However, the budgerigar was clearly in poor condition. It looked listless, neither calling nor hopping, and it trembled as though it might fall from the perch at any moment.

It stood in stark contrast to the lively birds of the same kind beside it.

Zuo Yi had no idea why Bao'er had suddenly noticed this budgerigar. He activated Spirit Sight and gave it a glance, then nodded. "It's sick."

Sick was an understatement. It was practically at death's door!

Through Zuo Yi's Spirit Sight, the bird's flame of life was like a spark in the wind, likely to go out at any moment.

"Mm..."

Bao'er stared at it and bit her little finger, looking as though she wanted to say something but did not dare.

Zuo Yi smiled faintly.

Just as he was about to speak, a hoarse voice came from beside him. "Little girl, you've got a good eye. This parrot of mine isn't an ordinary budgie—it's a pure native breed from Australia. Look, isn't it pretty?"

The speaker was a scrawny old man in black cloth shoes and a short traditional jacket. Hunched over with squinting eyes, he wore a smiling expression that carried a hint of shrewd slickness. He was clearly the owner of the pet shop.

He had noticed Bao'er's gaze earlier and had secretly been delighted. He hurried over to talk her into it. "If you like it, you can take it home and keep it. I'll even throw in a birdcage!"

Woof!

Taike, who was guarding Bao'er's side, suddenly barked. His tiny eyes gleamed with ferocity. Looking for death?

"Ah!"

The old man in the jacket, who had just approached, was startled out of his wits. His face went pale as he instinctively took two steps back.

He nearly fell over.

When he saw that the thing that had frightened him was actually just a little puppy, his old face flushed red again. "Honestly..."

He had completely lost face.

Bao'er tugged the leash apologetically and softly scolded, "A-Tai."

Taike gave two little huffs and turned to rub against her small feet.

Zuo Yi smiled and asked, "Boss, how much for this budgie that won't live past tomorrow?"

"What kind of thing is that to say?!"

The old man's face turned purple. "My parrot is still plenty lively! How could it possibly not survive until tomorrow..."

"I'll take it for twenty."

Zuo Yi could not be bothered to waste words with him and directly named his price.

Zuo Qingyun had once kept two thrushes at home, so Zuo Yi had occasionally gone to the flower-and-bird market to buy bird feed and such. He knew a little about pet birds.

"Twenty?"

The old man's purple face darkened, as if he had suffered a grave insult. His voice rose sharply. "Let me tell you, this is an authentic pure native breed from Australia. Without this amount..."

He held out his right hand toward Zuo Yi and waved it. "Without this amount, don't even think about taking it away!"

His little eyes were wide, his voice forceful, and his expression unyielding!

Yet Zuo Yi remained unmoved. "Then thirty. I won't pay any more than that. Keep it for yourself to eat with your meals."

This budgie was an ordinary breed. Even healthy, lively ones only sold for thirty or forty each.

"You really..."

The old man was so furious that smoke nearly came out of his ears. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Do you know how much rent this shop pays every day?"

"Enough, enough."

A middle-aged shop owner next door, who had been watching the show, could no longer stand it. Holding a tea mug, he teased, "Boss Sun, the customer's got sharp eyes. Stop trying to fool him. If it's time to sell, sell it. You can't really keep it to eat with your meals, can you?"

He had a bit of a grudge against the old man, so he seized the chance to mock him.

Besides, he truly could not stand the sight of it. Anyone could tell this budgie was about to croak, yet Old Sun was still trying to fleece someone over it. It was not even anything valuable. That was just too low!

"I'll save it for you to eat with your meals!"

The old man snapped back, then grudgingly said to Zuo Yi, "Fine, fifty. I'll even throw in a perch."

He wore an expression that said he was letting Zuo Yi get away with murder.

In truth, that shabby perch was not even worth a few yuan.

But Zuo Yi refused. "Thirty. If you won't sell, forget it. I don't want the perch either."

He had just said he would not pay more than thirty, so naturally he had to keep his word—this was a matter of principle.

"You..."

The old man glared at Zuo Yi as though Zuo Yi were his mortal enemy.

The air seemed to freeze.

After a moment, he waved his hand resentfully. "Take it, take it!"

Zuo Yi truly did not know whether to laugh or cry. It was only a few dozen yuan, yet they had made it sound like negotiations over a billion-dollar contract.

The old man was really putting on a performance!

Zuo Yi took out his phone, scanned the code, and paid thirty yuan. Then he picked up the sickly budgie.

The budgie did not resist at all.

The old man's sharp eyes caught something. "Give me back the bird chain! That isn't included!"

Zuo Yi shook his head speechlessly and removed the chain, which was worth at most one or two yuan, before returning it to him.

The old man took the chain and cast Zuo Yi a smug glance. Who's the fool here, you or me?

The budgie he had just sold had come down with some unknown illness. It had not eaten or drunk anything for the past two days, and just as Zuo Yi had said, it very likely would not survive until tomorrow.

Now that he had sold it to Zuo Yi at a normal price, the old man felt a surge of intellectual superiority.

The middle-aged shop owner next door lifted his tea mug and took a sip of goji berry tea. He looked at Zuo Yi as if he were an idiot. The man clearly knew the bird was finished, yet he had still paid money to buy it!

This was not how one spoiled a child. When the parrot died tomorrow, would the child not cry her eyes out?

Then he would have to spend money to buy another one!

However, Zuo Yi did not care about anyone else's gaze. He held the budgie in his left hand and squatted down, smiling at Bao'er. "Daddy bought it. Shall we take it home and raise it?"

"Ah."

Bao'er let out a soft cry. She carefully reached out and touched the budgie's wing, then asked worriedly, "Daddy, didn't you say it was sick? Shouldn't we take it to the hospital first so it can be treated?"

"No."

Zuo Yi shook his head. "Daddy can treat its illness."

As he spoke, he brushed his right thumb across the budgie's beak. Two faint points of light flashed from his fingertip.

Bao'er widened her eyes and curiously stared at the little parrot in Zuo Yi's hand.

Under her gaze, the budgie, which had looked ready to breathe its last at any moment, suddenly spread its wings.

Its previously dull eyes shone with bright, lively spirit, as if it had just been reborn. Its entire body radiated abundant vitality and energy.

Flap flap!

When Zuo Yi opened his palm, the budgie immediately leaped into the air.

It joyfully circled Bao'er twice, chirping, "Bao'er, Bao'er, thank you!"

Its voice was crisp and pleasant, and its pronunciation was perfectly clear!

"Huh?"

Bao'er was dumbfounded. She asked blankly, "Y-you, how do you know my name?"

"Hehe!"

The budgie tucked in its wings and landed steadily on her shoulder. Raising its beautiful feathers, it affectionately rubbed its head against her neck and said, "Guess. Guess."

Bao'er had already been utterly charmed by the little fellow. She instinctively shook her head. "I can't guess."

Clang!

The middle-aged shop owner next door dropped his tea mug, spilling goji berry tea everywhere.

Yet he did not notice at all. He was completely dumbstruck.

The old man in the jacket was even worse off than the middle-aged shop owner. His tiny eyes bulged like those of a goldfish, the few muscles on his face twitching as he stood there tongue-tied and unable to say a word.

There was not a trace left of his smug satisfaction at having successfully fooled someone.

"Th-this..."

He pointed with a trembling hand at the budgie playing with Bao'er, his heart aching as though it were being twisted.