Chapter 003 – Finding a Dog
After a good night's sleep, Xiong Zhao Zhao woke up to find Yaoguang had returned to its space at some point.
Opening the window, the sea breeze brought in a familiar moisture, a reassuring scent. Hopefully, today would be a good day.
While washing her face, the big parrot flew out, calling loudly, “Zhao Zhao, the apples you planted are ripe. They have low spiritual power, but they taste a bit better than the ones you buy outside.”
“You tried them?”
The big parrot enthusiastically replied, “I tried them for you. Zhao Zhao, you should eat less fruit from outside; it's not good for your cultivation.”
“Apples are mundane fruits from our world. As long as they taste good and are nutritious, that’s enough. As for not eating outside food... that’s impossible. There’s so much delicious food in the world; what’s the point of living if I can’t eat them?”
“You can plant them in the space and then eat them. Yaoguang Realm is so big.” The big parrot earnestly advised.
While tying her hair, Xiong Zhao Zhao teased, “If I cultivate hard, can I eventually break through and ascend to become an immortal?”
“That’s impossible.” The big parrot replied dejectedly.
Not three seconds later, it realized it had been led astray by naughty Zhao Zhao and flapped its brilliant wings, saying, “You must work hard to protect Lord Yaoguang! There’s always someone better out there. What if someone takes me away? Am I not your most important inheritance from your grandfather?”
“You are! You are! Alright? I will work hard to protect Lord Yaoguang! Let’s go pick some apples to eat.”
With an apple tray in one hand and leading the big parrot by the wing with the other, Xiong Zhao Zhao entered Yaoguang Realm.
The apple trees, planted on the outskirts of the original owner's spiritual field, were now tall and lush. At her height of 168 cm, Xiong Zhao Zhao could only reach the lowest hanging apples.
This spiritual field was said to be a medicinal herb field, with a gathering spirit array buried underground, making the spiritual energy here denser than elsewhere in the space.
To not waste it, she planted a bunch of medicinal herb seeds.
Ginseng, gastrodia, polygonum multiflorum, angelica, pseudostellaria, rhodiola... whatever she could buy, she planted a few, with only some tasty ones on the periphery.
Four or five apples filled the tray, each one huge. Taking a bite, the juice flowed abundantly, and the fragrance was overwhelming. The products of the spiritual field were of exceptional quality.
Zhao Zhao had unlocked the best-tasting apple in her life, TOP 1.
The big parrot fluttered around its lifeblood treasure, the Earth Vein Divine Tree, resembling a phoenix, full of fairy-like grace.
Calling it, the big parrot transformed into a blue light and instantly arrived, excitedly saying, “Zhao Zhao, the Earth Vein Fruit will be ripe in three years. My stock is finally going to increase. You’ve been consuming them too quickly, and with the Earth Vein Fruit continuously decreasing, I feel insecure.”
Alright, the big parrot had fully modernized.
Returning to her bedroom, she called Da Linzi, planning to go to Changshan Island today.
Dressed in a white sun-protective sports outfit and wide-brimmed sunglasses, munching on an apple, she asked Yaoguang, “How do I look? Does Sister look good?”
Yaoguang turned away disdainfully, “What kind of sun-protective outfit is this? The style is ugly. I’ve told you to learn refining. The Illusionary Spirit Gauze and Bi Yun Brocade in the cave mansion are all better looking and keep you warm in winter and cool in summer, impervious to water and fire.”
“I have you, don’t I? I can already avoid water.” Xiong Zhao Zhao feigned surprise, and then heard the parrot sigh again, its 392nd failed attempt to encourage learning.
She grabbed another apple and went to the street corner to wait for Da Linzi, with Yaoguang perched lightly on her shoulder.
Soon, she was surrounded by passing villagers. After the seven aunts and eight uncles enthusiastically chatted, they pulled out their phones and began taking pictures of the big parrot.
Second Aunt, who ran a fishing lodge, said she had never seen such a big bird in her life. If she had one, it might attract more guests; her next-door neighbor, Third Grandpa, agreed, saying he would have his grandson buy one and hang it at his convenience store entrance…
Xiong Zhao Zhao was glad she wore sunglasses, covering most of her face. She had never been surrounded and photographed by so many people and didn’t know what expression to make.
Yaoguang, however, was very pleased. After being stunned for a while, it realized that everyone seemed to think it looked majestic. It immediately stood tall, looking particularly proud.
Only its owner worried that her stiff expression paired with sunglasses might make her look blind in the photos…
As she was lost in thought, Da Linzi came to her rescue.
Da Linzi turned the corner and saw a colorful figure standing by the roadside, surrounded by a group of villagers. When he got closer, he realized it was a bird perched on Zhao Zhao's shoulder.
Seeing her savior, Zhao Zhao immediately went over and grabbed his arm, saying that it was getting late and bidding farewell to the onlookers who hadn't had enough.
Her silly brother, munching on an apple, stared unblinkingly at Yaoguang, not even tasting the apple. He wasn't watching where he was going, and Zhao Zhao feared he might walk into a tree.
"Zhao Zhao, what kind of bird is this? It's so majestic!"
Yaoguang loved hearing this and eagerly replied, "It's a macaw!"
Zhao Zhao: ...
Da Linzi, dumbfounded, forgot to take another bite of his apple. "It... it can talk!"
"Is it strange for a parrot to talk? They all do. Don't be so shocked," Zhao Zhao said, pulling him to the middle of the path to avoid the ditch.
"Zhao Zhao, is this your pet? Without a cage, won't it fly away?"
Yaoguang answered again, "Even if you got lost, I wouldn't!"
Zhao Zhao: ...
After being scolded by the parrot, Da Linzi finally watched his step and whispered to Zhao Zhao, "Aren't parrots usually palm-sized? Why is this one so big?" Having never left the island, he'd never seen such a large, colorful bird. On Jinshi Island, the only birds were seagulls.
Zhao Zhao explained, "This type of parrot is called a macaw. They come from the tropical rainforests of the Americas and can grow over a meter long."
Yaoguang added, "It's a red-and-green macaw."
"Okay, okay, a red-and-green macaw."
Yaoguang had enough of standing still and flew ahead. The upper part of its head was bright red, transitioning to green in the middle, and then perfectly blending into blue.
When it spread its wings, most of them and its tail feathers were blue, purer than the deep autumn sky, with a touch of dazzling red in the tail feathers—a stunning color combination, both vibrant and regal.
Yaoguang stole the spotlight all the way, drawing countless gazes. Flying nearby made it too conspicuous.
Arriving at Changshan Town, Zhao Zhao found a quiet spot and called Yaoguang back, instructing it to fly farther away next time and pretend not to know her. Answering questions all the way was exhausting.
Rebellious Yaoguang immediately flew back to perch on her shoulder, looking around curiously. No way was it leaving Zhao Zhao!
Meanwhile, Da Linzi had become a loyal fan of the large parrot. Seeing Zhao Zhao inquire about how to get to Old Liu's kennel, he hesitantly asked, "Are we really getting a dog? What if the dog attacks the parrot? Cats and dogs love to pounce on birds."
Zhao Zhao reassured him absentmindedly, "This parrot has become a spirit. Forget dogs, even a Siberian tiger couldn't catch it."
After some effort, they finally found Old Liu's kennel, as directed by her second aunt. It was quite remote, and there weren't many dogs.
Several small dogs roamed freely in the yard, mostly local breeds, except for a golden retriever. Zhao Zhao directly stated her purpose: she wanted to buy a local watchdog, preferably a puppy.
The kennel owner, Old Liu, glanced at her and said, "Not for sale." He was about to close the door.
This old man had quite a personality. Zhao Zhao quickly said, "Wait, Grandpa, is it that you don't have any, or you just won't sell them?"
Old Liu paused, "Are you a tourist? Don't listen to the locals bragging. These dogs aren't allowed in the city."
Zhao Zhao quickly pulled Da Linzi over. "Grandpa, we're from Jinshi Island. We're locals, not tourists. I heard from my second uncle, Xiong Haitao, that you have these dogs, so I came here." Da Linzi nodded in agreement.
Only then did Old Liu open the door and let them into the yard. He brought out two round, fluffy puppies from the back.
Even as puppies, the watchdogs were very handsome. The two dogs had similar markings, and Zhao Zhao instantly liked the one with slightly darker fur.
This dog's four legs were snowy white, with a large patch of brown on its body, divided by several streaks of white. The most interesting part was its head—its big head, mouth, and forehead were white, with a regular circle of brown around the eyes, like a panda.
It had big eyes surrounded by a circle of brown, making it look even cuter. Da Linzi agreed with her choice.
Seeing her so taken with the puppy, Old Liu felt the need to set some ground rules. "These dogs grow big and eat a lot. Nowadays, people in the countryside don't keep them anymore because they can't afford to feed them. They can grow over a meter tall and weigh over 100 pounds, like a small calf."
Da Linzi's eyes lit up at the thought of such a majestic dog. He wanted one too!
But he was promptly shot down. No way; their mom would kick both him and the dog out of the house. One dog was enough.
Zhao Zhao reassured the old man, "I know, Grandpa. Don't worry, my grandpa used to keep one."
Old Liu was somewhat reassured by this and continued, "That's good. These dogs are excellent watchdogs, very protective. I don't understand why people now prefer those silly foreign dogs. Those foreign dogs are just the mutts of their countries."
The old man grumbled, "People in town don't keep guard dogs anymore. They all have security cameras. In the village, they complain these dogs eat too much. Take this one for 500 yuan. If you ever don't want to keep it, bring it back to me. This breed is getting rare."
The old man really loved watchdogs. Zhao Zhao paid him and listened to his advice for a long time before leaving.
As soon as they stepped out, Yaoguang flew over from the backyard to join them, excitedly saying, "There's a big one in the back. It's really fat!"
You sound like you're talking about food. The dog-loving old man hasn't gone far yet.