Chapter 113: The Broken Birdcage
“There’s no point in arguing with me—I got here first,” said the middle-aged man in the Tang suit.
But the shop owner, who had an eye for money, said, “Old Fang, she’s offering a higher price. I have to sell it to her. I’ll save a better one for you next batch.”
Listening to the two of them talk was like hearing a comedy sketch. Feeling a bit awkward, Xu Youyou stretched her neck to carefully peek behind the little bird. She first heard a few low whimpers and then vaguely saw a cage filled with several small white puppies.
However, the system’s pointer wasn’t fixed on those puppies. It seemed like there was an old, rusted cage behind the dog crate?
Before she could take a closer look, barking suddenly erupted from behind.
“Woof woof! You’re running so fast! I knew it! You have another dog outside! I, the Great King, will never forgive you!” The approaching Guai Guai barked angrily.
To Xu Youyou, it sounded like the little dog was making an emotional accusation.
To everyone else, it sounded like an aggressive dog throwing a tantrum, its barking making people’s hearts tremble.
The once calm and well-behaved birds in the shop flapped their wings in terror, flying chaotically. If not for the chains on their feet, they might have flown straight out the door.
The puppies in the cage were also frightened by Guai Guai, shivering and whimpering in unison.
The shopkeeper, who had been so composed earlier, now looked distressed as he watched his birds, shouting, “Hey! Girl! Control your dog! If it scares my birds to death, it’ll be on your conscience!”
Feeling guilty, Xu Youyou immediately crouched down to soothe Guai Guai. “Guai Guai, stop barking! I have no intention of buying a dog, okay?”
Guai Guai eyed her suspiciously.
Xu Youyou quickly raised her hand in an oath. “Really, really, I swear! I absolutely won’t buy another dog! If I do, you’ll be my master from now on!”
Only then did Guai Guai’s doubt disappear. It stopped causing a commotion and obediently nestled at Xu Youyou’s feet.
The middle-aged man in the Tang suit watched this scene with amusement. “Girl, your little dog is really well-trained. It looks quite smart. Are you selling it? We can negotiate the price!”
Guai Guai instantly sprang up again. “Woof woof! Are you abandoning me? I refuse to follow this ugly man!”
As soon as it barked, the birds in the shop started fluttering again. The puppies joined in, yelping wildly, and even the hamsters, which had been peacefully sleeping, scrambled around their cages in a frenzy. The entire store descended into chaos.
The man in the Tang suit, the instigator of it all, showed no remorse—on the contrary, he seemed to be enjoying himself. “Wow, this little guy really understands words!”
The shopkeeper was on the verge of tears. “For heaven’s sake, both of you, please stop! My precious birds can’t handle the fright! If they die, it’ll be a disaster!”
Xu Youyou continued soothing Guai Guai. “Don’t listen to him, I wouldn’t dream of selling you! You’re my dearest treasure. Even if I had to sell myself, I wouldn’t sell you. Be good, let’s ignore him!”
Guai Guai’s dog face turned bashfully affectionate. It wagged its tail and cozied up to Xu Youyou, rubbing its fluffy head against her pants.
The man in the Tang suit was still intrigued. “Your dog is sharper than some police dogs I’ve seen. Are you sure you don’t want to sell? Name your price—I’m serious.”
Guai Guai nearly leapt up to bark at him again.
Xu Youyou hurriedly intervened. “Sir, please stop teasing it. My dog is not for sale—it’s family.”
Hearing that, Guai Guai’s expression changed dramatically, as if performing a Sichuan opera face-change, and it instantly became obedient again.
The middle-aged man looked regretful but didn’t press the issue. Instead, he said, “Since you won’t sell me the dog, then be a good person and don’t compete with me for this little bird.”
Xu Youyou glanced at the tiny bird—its feathers were bright yellow, resembling a newborn chick more than a finch.
She had mistaken the system’s target earlier, which was why she had bid against him for the bird. Now that she knew it wasn’t what she was after, she had no reason to continue. But she had to keep up appearances.
“Well… since you insist… I guess I won’t fight for it… I’ll look at something else instead…”
Xu Youyou put on a convincing act. Even though she had no interest in the bird, her gaze lingered on it as if she was reluctant to part with it.
Her performance worked. The shopkeeper, seeing her apparent hesitation, tried to persuade her, “Don’t be shy, girl! If you like it, go for it! Highest bidder wins, don’t hold back—I’ll sell it to you for double!”
The man in the Tang suit sighed and said, “You really have no principles, do you? We’ve been friends for over a decade, and I’m one of your best customers. You should prioritize me.”
The shopkeeper, who clearly knew him well, laughed and exposed him. “Oh, come on! Every bird you’ve bought either escaped or died. Even the long-living Amazon parrots didn’t survive under your care. You should switch to raising turtles—they last longer than you.”
The man in the Tang suit protested, “I just really like this little finch.”
Xu Youyou wasn’t paying much attention to their banter. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, trying to get a better look at the old cage the system had pointed her toward.
As she did, she suddenly locked eyes with a pair of tiny black, beady eyes.
She moved, and the little yellow finch moved too, staring at her with pure curiosity.
The man in the Tang suit smiled. “See? Such a clever little canary. This time, I’m sure I can raise it well.”
Xu Youyou had to admit the little canary was cute, but she didn’t want their dispute to interfere with her real goal. She quickly said to the shopkeeper, “I really won’t fight him for it. I’ll check out other birds instead.”
The shopkeeper was visibly disappointed.
The man in the Tang suit, not wasting time, swiftly paid for the canary. Then, his eyes fell on the rusted birdcage in the corner.
“Old Zhang, give me that broken birdcage,” he said casually.
Hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately shook his head and shoved a different cage into the man’s hands. “Here, take this one instead. Don’t even think about that cage.”
The man in the Tang suit wrinkled his nose in distaste at the replacement cage. “I don’t want this one. I want that one. It’s been sitting in your shop for ages, and I’ve always found it an eyesore. Let me take it off your hands.”
The shopkeeper shook his head vigorously like a rattle drum. “No way. That’s my treasure. One day, it might sell for a fortune!”
The man in the Tang suit scoffed. “You actually think that cage is worth something? Someone conned you! You’d be better off giving it to me as a favor!”
