Chapter 9: Photos of us eating together
Two days later, after Gu Yiliu helped Hu Da and the others get used to their keepers, they finally had the chance to properly tour the zoo.
The county zoo is of a small size and is built against the mountain.
The tiger family's temporary residence is all brand new.
“When the zoo was being built, we took into account the rich wildlife resources in Dongshan County, so we planned it out carefully,” Bai Weigang said to Gu Yiliu. “Gu, have you been staying comfortably these past few days? Feel free to ask if there’s anything you need.”
Gu Yiliu nodded; she wouldn't stand on ceremony.
Is this zoo open to the public?
Bai Weigang understood her concerns. "It's open two days a week, eight days a month, and the visitor flow is very consistent. Tomorrow happens to be an open day."
"I wonder if the tigers will be willing to be exhibited to the public tomorrow? They need to stay in the zoo for a month. A month is enough to confirm that the tiger cubs are alive and that the mother tiger's wounds should have healed. If the two tigers do not wish to stay in the zoo by then, we will send them to the reserve."
Gu Yiliu nodded, indicating that he understood.
Bai Weigang chatted with her for a while longer before leaving.
After watching him leave, Gu Yiliu went to the feeding area, called over the zookeeper in charge of Hu Da's family, and took some meat to feed Hu Da and the others.
Gu Yiliu fed the tiger meat. “Tiger, you’re big and beautiful. I’ve seen it. The zoo is pretty good. There aren’t too many animals in the zoo. You are the only large animals here. Your neighbors are a gibbon, a woodpecker, and two magpies. The rest are some rabbits, chickens, a few pigs, and wild cats. They are all well-fed and cared for. They are only exhibited to the public for eight days a month.”
The tiger opened its mouth wide, picked its teeth with its tongue, and after eating five pounds of meat, it lazily flicked its tail, "Should we be exhibited too?"
"Would you like to be exhibited?" Gu Yiliu asked them. "Director Bai said you would have to stay in the park for a month."
"If I could eat this much meat every day and still be full, I would be willing to exhibit it," Tiger said.
Even tigers can be shrewd sometimes, Gu Yiliu smiled and said, "Yes, they can."
"Then I agree to the exhibition."
"Comrade Gu, how do you understand what it's saying?" The zookeeper, watching the interaction between the man and the tiger, couldn't help but be curious and amazed.
Tiger squinted and exhaled a breath from its nostrils, ruffling the zookeeper's hair.
Gu Yiliu looked at Hu Da with disapproval.
"Just observe patiently. Tiger looks arrogant, but it is very smart and reasonable. You can also train each other with some commands."
"As for Tiger, he's a bit fierce, but that's about it. I haven't had much contact with him," Gu Yiliu said with a smile.
The zookeeper smiled and nodded, "Comrade Gu, you've done a great job. They've listened to you so well after such a short time!"
Tiger Big and Tiger Pretty, who had been eavesdropping, couldn't help but nod their big heads when they heard what the zookeeper said.
But they didn't like what she said next. The zookeeper said, "This is my first time raising tigers. I don't know how to raise them, but it should be the same as raising chickens or pigs. I guarantee they'll be fat."
"Roar!" Tiger roared at the zookeeper in grievance. It was a dignified mountain king, yet it was being raised like a pig!
The zookeeper was no longer afraid of her; it was just like a child throwing a tantrum. "Tiger, don't be angry. I'll give you an extra pound of meat tonight, okay?"
Tiger opened his mouth wide and yawned. "An extra pound of meat? Okay."
Gu Yiliu watched this scene and left the zookeeper behind so that she could get along well with the two tigers.
On the second day of the exhibition, Gu Yiliu and the zookeeper stayed near the cages of Tiger Big and Tiger Pretty. Many tourists fed the tigers, and they had to watch out for any overly aggressive behavior from the tourists.
The zoo was crowded today, probably because the public knew in advance that two tigers had arrived.
Unexpectedly, Gu Yiliu also met Min Songyue.
"Gu Yiliu, how does it feel to be a zookeeper here?"
"good."
"What do you think about me becoming a zookeeper?" Gu Yiliu didn't hear clearly. There were many people around her. Some citizens had read the newspaper and recognized her, so they came to talk to her.
“I said that after my internship, I’ll try to apply for a transfer to a zookeeper position.” Gu Yiliu glanced at him. “Scared?”
Min Songyue gave an awkward smile.
After the open day ended, Gu Yiliu had some free time. She planned to go see Han Yi to collect the money from selling the photos.
Unfortunately, when they arrived, Han Yi was handling a case.
Gu Yiliu overheard the conversation and learned that it seemed a chicken farm had been having its chickens stolen for several days in a row. The farm owner wanted to find out who had stolen them and demand compensation.
The current predicament is that the chicken farm owner has never seen the person who stole the chickens, and only knows that the number of chickens on the farm is decreasing every day. The police station is still stuck at the step of taking statements and collecting evidence.
"Officer, please help me find the thief. I'll give you a banner of appreciation if you do!"
Han Yi: "Okay, Mr. Qian, you can go back and wait for our news."
Mr. Qian returned home with a worried look on his face.
Han Yi had already seen Gu Yiliu standing at the door, and he put down the registration book in his hand.
He asked her, "Want to come in for a cup of tea?"
Gu Yiliu thought for a moment and nodded.
Han Yi poured her a cup of tea. "The cup is new, and the tea is Jin Jun Mei that my family sent. I don't know if it suits your taste, but please try it."
Gu Yiliu didn't know anything about tea; for her, tea was just for quenching thirst. She took a big sip and said, "It has a sweet aroma, it's alright."
Han Yi smiled and said, "My grandma likes to drink it, so I got it from her. If you like it, I'll give you some too."
Gu Yiliu shook his head.
Han Yi put down his teacup and handed her two envelopes.
As he opened each envelope, Gu Yiliu discovered that the other one contained printed photos.
"He bought all the film negatives. The photos in the newspaper were black and white, and the ink would bleed, so he printed them out for you."
Gu Yiliu took out the photo and looked at it again and again. Since he could print it out, it meant he wouldn't take her money. Gu Yiliu thanked him with mixed feelings.
Without hearing her ask about the price in an overly formal manner, Han Yi curled the corners of his lips and said, "Yesterday my grandma heard there were tigers and asked me to take her to see them. We happened to see you there. You've been transferred to the county zoo now?"
Gu Yiliu: "No, I'll stay at the zoo for a while."
"So, can I treat you to dinner tonight?"
Gu Yiliu was taken aback for a moment, then realized something. Without being coy, she said, "I'll treat you."
She waved the two envelopes in her hand, "Thank you so much, old classmate!"
Han Yi nodded, agreeing to let her treat him, "You're welcome."
Gu Yiliu then had time to count the money, which was more than he had expected: 62 yuan.
More people came to report the incident, so Gu Yiliu planned to go back to the zoo and arranged to meet him again at 6 pm after get off work.
"I'll come find you." Gu Yiliu nodded, without refusing.
At 6 p.m., Gu Yiliu met Han Yi at the entrance of the county zoo.
The moment Gu Yiliu saw him, he glanced at him a couple more times. He had changed out of his signature uniform and was now wearing a white shirt.
However, his lower body was still wearing lake-green uniform trousers.
Gu Yiliu's gaze lingered for a moment on his exposed ankles, then he looked up and asked, "Are all your pants this short?"
Han Yi instantly understood what she meant. He glanced down at his trouser hem, smiled, and said, "This is the longest uniform I was assigned."
"Only one uniform?" Gu Yiliu asked in surprise. "I was assigned two."
Han Yi nodded, "I only have one set for now. I wash it at night and it dries during the day. It won't work in winter, but I have a winter uniform. The size should be suitable for winter."
Gu Yiliu gave an "oh" and abruptly changed the subject, "Where do you want to eat?"
"Listen to me?"
Gu Yiliu nodded.
"Then come with me."
Han Yi led her to a small restaurant called Luo's Stir-Fry Shop, where they sat down as if they knew the place well.
"They serve drinks when you eat here. Now that it's hot, it's plum juice, which is quite delicious," Han Yi explained, handing her the menu.
Gu Yiliu pushed it back to him, "It's on me, you order."
"Then let's have Sichuan pepper chicken, a serving of garlic ribs, a serving of bok choy, a serving of stir-fried beef with chili peppers, and two glasses of plum juice. If that's not enough, we can order more."
The owner seemed quite familiar with Han Yi, and was somewhat surprised to hear him order so many spicy dishes. "Little Han, what brings you here today? I mainly serve spicy dishes today."
"Garlic ribs are not spicy."
Gu Yiliu glanced at Han Yi upon hearing this.
After the boss left, she asked him, "You can't eat spicy food, right?"
Han Yi shook his head, "It's edible. There are also garlic ribs and bok choy that aren't spicy, and there's also plum juice."
Gu Yiliu didn't say anything more; she quite liked the dishes he ordered.
After the dishes were served, Han Yi ate mostly the non-spicy bok choy and garlic ribs, stir-fried beef with chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorn chicken. He didn't touch his chopsticks much, and whenever he did take a bite, he would always take a big gulp of plum juice.
Gu Yiliu watched him eat the spicy food and then drink water like crazy without saying a word.
After finishing her meal, she thanked him, saying, "Thank you for today. This dish suits my taste perfectly."
"Whatever you like. Uncle Luo's meals are spicy on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while the dishes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are much milder. You can choose the time that suits you."
Gu Yiliu nodded.
The two parted ways after finishing their meal.
Back in his dorm, Gu Yiliu heard the system speak, "Host, do you want to participate in the lottery? You completed the mission last time but haven't participated yet."
"I won't draw for now." Gu Yiliu refused without thinking. Anyway, there was no difference between drawing and not drawing. She wouldn't get what she wanted anyway, so she could save it for when she wanted to draw later.
Speaking of the lottery, Gu Yiliu suddenly remembered that she had forgotten something. She wanted to tell Han Yi that she could help him find the chicken thief, but she was having too much fun at the meal and forgot.
"Host, you can draw a prize this time," Dot spoke again. "You'll get what you want. What do you want?"
"Host, really, I promise! Please participate in the lottery!" Dian Dian's tone was anxious and earnest.
Gu Yiliu looked at the system strangely, "You didn't say that last time."
A note from the author:
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