Chapter 1: Little White Ball
Jiang City, Story Pet Shop.
“Have a good day, and welcome back anytime!” After sending off the last customer, Lin Xia hung up the “Closed” sign and began tidying up the shop with his employees.
They worked quickly, finishing in under half an hour. After announcing that everyone could go home, the employees dispersed, leaving Lin Xia and a white furball rolling around on the sofa.
“Baby, it’s time to go home,” Lin Xia said softly to the white furball, his eyes gentle.
“Aowu!” (Home!) Hearing Lin Xia mention going home, the white furball immediately dropped its toy, gazing at Lin Xia with large, watery blue eyes, its tail wagging excitedly.
“Good boy.” Lin Xia’s heart melted at the furball’s adorable gaze. He picked up the white furball and kissed it.
“Aowu~” The white furball let out a shy sound, quickly covering its face with its fluffy paws. Oh dear, Papa kissed him again, so embarrassing.
Knowing his son was shy, Lin Xia chuckled and rubbed the white furball’s slightly damp nose.
“Let’s go to the market first.” Lin Xia wrapped the white furball in a small blanket and carried it out of the pet shop. The furball wasn’t cold indoors, but it would be outside, and it didn’t want to wear clothes, so Lin Xia used a blanket to keep it warm. Before heading home, they needed to go to the market to buy groceries for dinner and the next day; the prices were cheapest at this time.
At the market, Lin Xia asked the white furball what it wanted to eat.
“Aowu!” Papa, An’an wants to eat big shrimp! The white furball spotted its favorite shrimp immediately.
“Okay.” Somehow, even though Lin Xia and the white furball didn’t speak the same language, they understood each other. Perhaps it was the bond between father and son.
Knowing the white furball craved shrimp, Lin Xia carried it to the seafood stall. The white furball excitedly cried out, “Aowu!”
“Lin Xia, you brought An’an again.” Lin Xia had shopped here many times and was familiar with the owner, Sui Da Jie. Seeing him, she greeted him warmly.
“Yes,” Lin Xia smiled. “I’m here to buy some shrimp.”
“You’ve come at the right time. I only have these left. I’ll give you a discount.” Sui Da Jie quickly bagged the shrimp and handed them to Lin Xia.
“Sui Da Jie, you haven’t weighed them yet,” Lin Xia reminded her.
“Just give me ten yuan,” Sui Da Jie said heartily. In reality, the bag cost more than ten yuan.
“Sui Da Jie, thank you,” Lin Xia knew it was her kindness and didn’t refuse, paying as she suggested.
After buying shrimp, Lin Xia also bought chicken, mushrooms, and napa cabbage. He carried the groceries and the white furball home.
Back home, Lin Xia placed the white furball on the sofa. “Baby, Papa’s going to cook. Watch some TV here.” Lin Xia turned on the TV, setting it to “Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf,” before heading to the kitchen.
“Aowu!” Okay! The white furball answered obediently.
Lin Xia planned to make braised shrimp, mushroom chicken soup, and stir-fried cabbage.
He washed the chicken and mushrooms, placing them in a pressure cooker with water, goji berries, red dates, and ginger. He closed the lid and turned on the heat.
Next was the shrimp. Lin Xia cleaned the shrimp, removed the antennae, whiskers, and legs, slit them along the back, deveined them, and prepared the scallions, ginger, and garlic.
After heating oil in a pan, Lin Xia added the scallions, ginger, and garlic to create a fragrant aroma that wafted from the kitchen, causing the white furball, watching its cartoon, to turn its head towards the kitchen.
Then Lin Xia added the shrimp. After a while, he added cooking wine, soy sauce, and pepper. He simmered it until the sauce reduced, then served it. A plate of delicious braised shrimp was ready.
“Aowu!” It smells so good! The white furball had lost interest in its cartoon. It tiptoed to the kitchen door, sniffing the aroma and staring longingly.
“Just one more dish, and we can eat,” Lin Xia said, seeing his son transform from a little tiger into a little foodie.
“Aowu!” Papa, hurry up! An’an’s tummy is rumbling! Learning that dinner wasn’t ready yet, the white furball showed its disappointment.
“It’ll be quick,” Lin Xia said, speeding up the stir-frying of the cabbage. Soon, the stir-fried cabbage was done.
By then, the mushroom chicken soup was also ready. Lin Xia released the pressure, opened the pot, and the rich aroma of mushrooms and chicken filled the air.
Lin Xia quickly served the dishes. The white furball leaped onto a chair, looking eagerly for food.
“Drink the soup first,” Lin Xia served the white furball a bowl of soup.
The white furball, held in Lin Xia’s arms, was impatiently waiting. Lin Xia cooled the soup before feeding him, but the white furball couldn’t take its eyes off the shrimp.
Lin Xia noticed the white furball’s eagerness but waited until it finished the soup before peeling the shrimp and feeding it to him.
“Look how hungry you are!” Lin Xia laughed.
“Aowu!” Delicious! The white furball ignored Lin Xia’s teasing and focused on enjoying the delicious food.
Seeing the white furball eating so happily, Lin Xia felt content. Thankfully, he had given birth to the white furball; now he had this well-behaved child to keep him company.
Author’s Note: Couldn’t resist the urge to start a new project. Seeking support!
Why the white furball can be taken outside:
The white furball is a rare all-white tiger without stripes. As the offspring of an otherworldly being and a human, its features are delicate, looking more like a cat than a typical tiger, although it is still a tiger. The white furball is the size of an adult cat, but it’s still in its cub form, its features not fully developed, so it doesn’t look that obviously like a tiger. This is a plot device, a setting designed to prevent the white furball from being hidden away.
Others might find the white furball’s cat-like appearance strange, but Lin Xia will use excuses to cover it up. Normally, no one would carry a tiger around, and pure white tigers are rare, so people won’t assume it’s a tiger. As for Lin Xia always carrying a kitten, people might gossip behind his back, but they’ll get used to it. It’s like some people have quirks that others find hard to understand, but as long as it doesn’t affect them, they won’t interfere. Once they see it often enough, they’ll become accustomed to it.