Pet King

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

At its present state, the Amazing Fate Aquarium was dirt poor. There were many things that needed to be done, and there was nothing in the shop other than just an empty space. But it was okay; Karl had already sent over a batch of aquarium equipment from Germany, and there would be more following after. As for the aquarium tanks, Zian had plans to buy a batch of ordinary ones first, then make a custom order for extra-large ones to impress and shock customers the moment they stepped into the shop.

Karl’s large aquarium tank in his aquarium––the one that could also be used as a screen––had left a really deep impression on Zhang Zian. Karl had kept an Atlantic Sturgeon in that aquarium tank, and Zhang Zian had plans to order a similar one.

Zian looked around the first floor after he entered the shop. Fortunately, after he took over the shoe shop, he had done some changes to the water and electricity supply. He increased the number of sockets on the wall, just in case there was ever any need for them.

Marine lives were very sensitive to temperatures; sometimes the temperature would have to be warmer, and at other times it has to be cooler. And basically, all aquarium equipment required electricity. It wouldn’t be nice seeing a bunch of plug extensions all around the shop.

And lights. Marine life, including corals, all required lamps of varying intensity and colors––not only to provide light but also to enhance the atmosphere and have the customers enjoy the beautiful creatures at a glance.

Zian seemed to have inadvertently walked around the first floor, but he was actually pondering about the placement of the aquarium tanks, trying to make good use of all the space.

When he reached the stairs, he made his way up to the second floor.

A small part of the second floor served as the delivery room for the Abyssinian cats, but the Abyssinian cats wouldn’t be delivering throughout the year, so the delivery room would be empty most of the time. The other spaces were also empty, just like the first floor.

Zian gently pushed open the door of a delivery room, and the vigilant female cat raised her head. She recognized Zian after she saw him, so she relaxed and lay down again to continue licking the fur of the kittens in her embrace.

In the few days that he had been away from Binhai City, the kittens were now able to open their eyes, and they looked much better than when they were newly born. The kittens curiously looked at their new and unfamiliar world, nudging around in the female cat’s embrace as they looked for the optimal position to drink her milk.

The two female cats had been living in the delivery room to avoid the coming and going of customers from disturbing them. Their activity space was relatively smaller, and the food they ate was rich in nutrients––soup that was made from four medium-sized carps were served every day, and a can of cat food was opened during the night for their supper. As a result of that, they had grown a size bigger.

But after the kittens grew up, the female cats would be able to return to the pet shop and continue their life of jumping up and down daily. Soon, they would be able to regain their slim and healthy figure.

Although the kittens had just opened their eyes, they were about the size of a soybean. Their eyes were not fully opened yet, and the kittens were about the size of a mobile phone. After they had their fill, the kittens gathered together and played like a bunch of furballs. During that, one could see their tiny milky teeth in their mouth.

When they were just born, the fur all over their body was very dark, but as they slowly grew up, the fur on the different parts of their body had started changing its shade. The stripes on their forehead were more obvious, and the color of the fur around their chest and neck area was getting lighter in the shade. Especially the area below their neck––it had a milky white color that was slightly yellow, just like putting on a napkin before a meal.

Most of the kittens still didn’t really know how to run; they just squirmed and crawled their way around the female cat, but the little kitten that had previously been reserved could already run. Although it would still fall from time to time, it would climb up again immediately, just like an adventurous explorer.

Zhang Zian then checked on the situation in the other delivery room; there was nothing unusual.

He lowered the power of the electric blanket under the cat’s nest since spring was just around the corner for Binhai City.

In every delivery room, a small booklet hung on the wall. Zian flipped open the booklet and took a look. Recorded in the booklet was the weight of the kittens from the day of their birth. Lu Yiyun was the one who kept the record during the period that Zian was away from Binhai City.

Roughly browsing through the data, the weight of the kittens increased every day by just a little more than 10 grams, sometimes more and sometimes less. After all, whether or not they relieved themselves had a big influence on their weight as well, but the average over the weeks was roughly as such.

A stable increase in weight was an indication of great health.

Zian then picked up each kitten one by one and weighed them on the kitchen scale before indicating the date on the booklet and filling up the table.

Each time he was done weighing a kitten, the female cat took the initiative and carried the kitten back to the cat’s nest.

During the current stage of life, the female cat liked to remain in the dark with its kittens. For health reasons, however, the kittens should be exposed to the sun more in order to help with the replenishment of their vitamin D levels.

So he pulled open the curtains and let the morning sun shine into the room––it was just nice exposing the female cat and her kittens to the sunlight. The sun displayed the Abyssinian cat’s unique two to three band colored fur coat.

Jingle.

The noise of a door opening and closing came from downstairs.

“Master! We are here! Your mail is here!”

It was Wang Qian and Li Kun delivering the mail. Since there was nothing wrong with the kittens and the female cat, Zhang Zian shut the door of the delivery room and headed downstairs.

Li Kun held onto the door as Wang Qian moved the items in the store one by one. Written on the boxes were German words and some were in English.

“Master, you have told us to sort out the items before bringing them over, but we don’t even know what these items are!” Li Kun said bitterly.

Wang Qian and Li Kun’s family, including their relatives, all raised cats and dogs at home, so they were familiar with how to care for them.

They also had relatives that kept fish, but it was mostly freshwater fish raised with an extensive feeding system. For example, they used the outdoor concrete and red bricks as the fish pond, then threw in a few Koi and Goldfish. Aside from feeding them from time to time, there was nothing more to worry about. The fish would have to be kept indoors during the winter, but they could be left outside during the other three seasons.

Although there were some courageous people who decided to leave the fish outdoors during the winter, since the Gold Crucian Carp and Koi were known to be easy to care for, even if the surface of the water was frozen, they still might not die from the cold.

From the Qing Dynasty, a jingle had been spread that portrayed the life of the old Beijing courtyard house vividly––the canopy, the fish tank, and a pomegranate tree; the mister, the fat dog, and a fat girl.

It was a short, two-sentence jingle that mentioned six different things, and two were related to animals! In the two sentences, there were only two adjectives and no verbs, yet an image of a tranquil lifestyle unfolded before one’s eyes, making them yearn for it.

The older people of Beijing liked to keep goldfish in a big fish tank in their courtyard houses, and others with a higher social class would plant lotus, water lilies, and other plants in the fish tank.

Picking lotus in the south of the river, where lotus leaves gather.

Among the lotus leaves, the fishes swim and play.

North to South, East, and West, the fishes gather to swim and play.

So even without going down to the south of the river, or without leaving the courtyard house, they could enjoy the beautiful scenery with a smile, fanning their cattail leaf fan while under the canopy, and looking among the lotus leaves where the fishes swam and played.

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