一路向西 粤语

Chapter 30: One More Customer

Translator: Nyoi_Bo_Studio Editor: Tennesh

Liu Wenying’s daughter Yueyue was a bit shy. She hid behind her mother, one hand holding her mother’s thigh. Half of her timid face was visible, staring at the Siamese and Samoyed while biting her finger.

Zhang Zian noticed Yueyue and asked Liu Wenying, “Is this your daughter?”

Liu Wenying loved her daughter. She always liked to show off her daughter when she met others. She didn’t expect that Zhang Zian would change the conversation topic, but she still happily pulled her daughter out from behind her and squatted down, touching her little head and speaking softly, “Yueyue, do you like cats?”

Yueyue felt bashful, but she still nodded heavily and answered childishly, “Want a kitty…”

“So…”

At this moment, outside the door, a dazzling shadow passed. The bell on the door handle rang again, and a man pushed the door open and came in.

Another customer?

In general, over seventy to eighty percent of the customers were women and children; male customers were rare. If there was a male customer, he would probably be accompanied by his girlfriend, or maybe he happily brought his wife and daughter together. Rarely would any young man would come alone.

The man who just came in was dressed in an out-of-season long wind coat and a baseball cap. While it had cooled down a little bit these days, the streets were still filled with beautiful young girls wearing hot pants and shorts. With that weather, anyone that was still wearing a wind coat could be considered either a jerk or a fool.

Zhang Zian made the decision that he wouldn’t turn on the AC even if that guy was suffering from heatstroke!

The man wore the baseball hat so low that he seemed to be hiding away from Zhang Zian’s sight. The man roughly took a glance around after entering the store and then walked toward the pets’ accessory section, away from the others. In his mind, Zhang Zian flipped his middle finger at the man. They were not having a secret underground meeting like the ones in spy movies, so why was the man acting like this?

“Mr. Owner?” Liu Wenying drew his attention, as she had noticed that his mind was wandering off.

Zhang Zian came back and decided not to worry about the weird man for now. He said to Liu Wenying, “If you want to purchase a cat, I would suggest you take a look at the Siamese cat.” He pointed to the Siamese cat, which really tried its best to show off.

Liu Wenying was a bit confused and not very pleased. She had heard of some businesses like this before. When going to the store for one thing, the salesmen would get the customers to buy something else with a much higher price. She frowned and asked, “How much does it cost for a Siamese cat?”

“4000.”

She was even more confused. Other owners would try to market more expensive types. Why did this young man only market the cheaper type? Did the Siamese cat have a hidden sickness she didn’t know about, so he wanted to get it out of the store?

No wonder she was thinking negatively—that was what the market environment was like. Many different sizes of stores often tried to counterfeit or be fishy, so people were scared of being tricked. Hence, the customers often thought about worst-case scenarios.

At this point, she stuck to her guns, put on a long face, and rejected. “No, thank you. I just want a British Shorthair.”

Zhang Zian didn’t mind her change of attitude and spoke calmly, “Of course you can have a British Shorthair, but the reason I recommended the Siamese cat was because of your daughter.”

Liu Wenying held her daughter tighter, like she was afraid someone might hurt her daughter, and asked seriously, “What do you mean?”

Zhang Zian explained, “I don’t know how much you know about these two types of cats. They both are very good house cats, and many people like them. However,” he paused, “there is a slight difference between them.”

Liu Wenying tried to be patient. Nonsense, the obvious difference between the British Shorthair and the Siamese cat was the appearance. Was there a need for him to mention that? This thought was mingling in her mind.

Zhang Zian continue explaining, “If you wanted to get a pet for yourself, I would definitely recommend a British Shorthair, but for your daughter, the Siamese cat might be more appropriate. The reason is very simple. The Siamese cat is a better companion for young kids.”

“But, I noticed that the British Shorthair was very well-behaved,” Liu Wenying responded, not fully convinced.

“There is a saying within the realm of pet markets: ‘pick a cat by its good temperament; pick a dog by its appearance.’ This means that there is a great difference between various kinds of dogs’ appearance and their body structures. No matter what kind of dog it is, their temperaments are going to be similar: all loyal to their owners, all energetic and very active, and requiring their owners play with them often. Hence, you just have to pick the one you like. On the other hand, cats are total opposites. Any kind of cats’ appearances can be cute and adorable, but the temperaments can be very different, like human beings. Some cats like to play with their owners. Some cats can be very cool. Even the same kind of cats may have slightly different temperaments. Hence, when picking cats, you have to consider their temperaments first.”

“The British Shorthair indeed is the type of cat that is very well-behaved. However, for a little child, it can be too quiet, and will not be able to satisfy the child’s active energy level and curiosity. A Siamese cat’s temperament is very gentle and loyal to its master, and at the same time it can be very active, a so-called ‘dog of cats,’ just like a kid.” He continued, “Being well-behaved is your expectation, but it is not necessarily a child’s anticipation. A child doesn’t have enough patience and focus. If a cat is too well-behaved or too quiet, the child will soon lose interest. If you were planning to purchase one for yourself, then I would recommend a British Shorthair, but for your child, she will be much happier if she grows up with a Siamese cat.”

Zhang Zian wasn’t sure if he had seen an illusion or not, but through the corner of his eyes, he saw the brim of the mysterious man’s cap rise up a little bit. It seemed that the man agreed with his explanation.

“Thank you, Mr. Owner. I really appreciated your honest opinion! This is my first time meeting such a responsible pet shop owner!” Her eyes were a bit red.

Deng Jie felt the same way while listening to their conversations on the side. Honestly, there were so few pets in the store, if she hadn’t come with Liu Wenying, she might have already left. Now she was glad that she hadn’t done so, as she had shopped at a few other pets’ stores, including the well-known Stars Pet Chain Supermarket. Those salesmen were all anxious to sell their pets and claimed their pets to be the greatest pets of all.

Comparing Zhang Zian’s attitude with other salesmen’s, one could totally tell who was speaking the truth and who was not. All could be judged clearly. Zhang Zian spoke openly with supporting reasons and could be easily trusted. He was not afraid to reveal the British Shorthair’s weaknesses… Actually, those weaknesses were not considered to be shortcomings. The British Shorthair was suited for those adults who had self-control. Sincerity and honesty was worthy of respect any time.