Aunt Wang and my mother had been neighbors since childhood, both originally from Shuimao Road.
However, Aunt Wang married someone who lived in the Chenchun District, right in the town center.
Qiao Sang borrowed her aunt’s bicycle, usually used for grocery shopping, and set off towards the town center.
Yabao sat in the front basket while Little Treasure-Seeking Ghost, as usual, sprawled lazily on Qiao Sang’s head.
Qiao Sang didn’t mind Little Treasure-Seeking Ghost’s habit of resting on her head. After all, who could say no to a pet that helped shield her from the sun on a hot summer day?
When she arrived at Chenchun District, Qiao Sang parked the bicycle and went to Unit 501 of Building A. It was Aunt Wang who opened the door.
Though they hadn’t met many times and hardly talked, Qiao Sang remembered her mother’s few friends and easily recognized Aunt Wang.
Aunt Wang stood there, staring in stunned silence. She scanned Qiao Sang from head to toe, her gaze lingering on Yabao and Little Treasure-Seeking Ghost before she finally exclaimed in disbelief, "Qiao Sang?"
“Auntie, it’s me. My mom asked me to bring something over.” Qiao Sang replied.
“Come in, come in! You’ve grown into such a young lady. I almost didn’t recognize you.” Aunt Wang said, warmly inviting her inside.Qiao Sang recalled seeing her baby-faced, flat-chested reflection in the mirror that morning.
A young lady?
No.
She was still just a little girl…
“Auntie, this is what my mom asked me to bring you.” Qiao Sang said as she sat down on the sofa and gave Little Treasure-Seeking Ghost a knowing look.
Understanding perfectly, Little Treasure-Seeking Ghost took out some local specialties from its ring.
“Your mom, honestly... It’s already nice of her to send you over. Why bring gifts? No need to be so polite!” Aunt Wang said with a laugh.
She then stood up, poured two cups of tea, and set them on the coffee table, looking ready for a long chat.
“I heard from your mom that you got into Shengshui High School?” Aunt Wang asked.
“Mm-hmm.” Qiao Sang nodded.
“And she also mentioned that you just graduated and already won first place in a competition?” Aunt Wang probed.
“Mm-hmm.” Qiao Sang wasn’t surprised that her mom had shared these details.
Turns out Xiangting wasn’t lying after all...
Yesterday, I questioned her on the phone, and today, she sent her daughter to prove me wrong...
Suddenly, Aunt Wang didn’t feel as proud of her own son anymore.
“What do you usually eat?” Aunt Wang asked suddenly.
“Huh? I eat whatever my mom cooks.” Qiao Sang answered, caught off guard.
Looks like I’ll have to get Xiangting’s meal plan...
And then listen to her brag for half the day…
“How’s your daily routine?” Aunt Wang continued with the questions.
Qiao Sang blinked. Why did this feel like a doctor questioning a patient?
Before she could respond, Aunt Wang asked a series of other questions in rapid succession:
“Did you take any tutoring during your third year of middle school?”
“What does Fire Fang Dog usually eat?”
“How do you and Fire Fang Dog get along?”
“My son wanted to bond with a fire-type pet as his first, but I said no. Do you think a fire-type would be good as his second?”
Qiao Sang: ...
She got it—this was an interview.
Politely declining Aunt Wang’s offer to stay for dinner, Qiao Sang headed out and immediately called her mother to report that her mission was complete.
Her mother was quite pleased.
---
Qiao Sang rode her bike back to her family’s old home. Yabao was still leisurely sipping milk.
Qiyuan Milk could restore a pet’s stamina, but its effects weren’t immediate.
Yabao had downed several bottles but still hadn’t returned to full strength.
With too much free time, training on the old schedule from Hanggang would be a waste of the summer.
Qiao Sang soon came up with a plan.
As someone now flush with cash, she went back to her room and ordered 30 bottles of F-grade Energy Recovery Elixir online. F-grade elixirs were meant to restore energy in beginner-level pets.
For city dwellers, energy recovery elixirs weren’t necessary, as pets could recover naturally.
In competitions, the organizers would provide all the necessary treatments, so Beastmasters rarely had to buy their own.
The main buyers of energy recovery elixirs were Beastmasters headed to secret realms.
However, since beginner-level pets were almost useless in these secret realms, F-grade elixirs weren’t in high demand.
As a result, both their sales and prices were much lower compared to higher-grade elixirs.
Even so, each bottle of F-grade Energy Recovery Elixir still cost 2,000 Alliance Coins.
For Beastmasters whose pets didn’t have healing abilities, these elixirs could be lifesavers in secret realms.
Like most girls who love online shopping, Qiao Sang couldn’t stop after buying the recovery elixirs. She began browsing other items.
She had no money before, but now that she did, she intended to make full use of it.
Lying on her bed, Qiao Sang scrolled through her phone, with Little Treasure-Seeking Ghost floating over, curiously peering at the screen.
The phone displayed items related to fire-type pets.
Qiao Sang wanted to buy Yabao a tool that would accelerate the absorption of fire-type energy.
Such tools were always in high demand on the market.
They sped up energy absorption, shortening the pet’s growth cycle and helping it evolve more quickly.
Although Yabao had a golden finger, it couldn’t battle 24/7, nor win every fight.
An extra energy-boosting tool would be very helpful.
Additionally, these tools reduced the time needed for pets to release skills of the corresponding attribute.
Though pets weren’t allowed to wear such items during competitions, they could certainly use them outside of battle.
After browsing for a while, Qiao Sang settled on an E-grade Fire Condensing Orb.
The price of pet-related tools varied greatly, depending not only on their grade but also on who made them.
If the tool was made by a renowned master, even an F-grade item could cost more than a D-grade item crafted by a lesser-known Beastsmith, despite both being Alliance-certified.
Qiao Sang carefully chose a shop with excellent reviews and credibility.
After a long chat with customer service, where she promised to leave glowing reviews and post beautiful photos, she finally purchased the orb for 120,000 Alliance Coins.
Though the shop gave her a discount, she still felt it was too expensive.
If an E-grade tool made by an unknown Beastsmith cost this much, who could afford the higher-level B-grade or A-grade items?
No wonder the wealthiest Beastmasters were always the strongest.
While the rich could buy tools as easily as toys, the less fortunate had to treat every purchase like a life-or-death decision. How could they possibly compete?
Just as Qiao Sang was about to exit the online store and browse elsewhere, a tiny gray paw appeared on her phone screen.
She turned her head to find Little Treasure-Seeking Ghost staring at her with big, watery eyes.
“Seeeek~”
Little Treasure Seeker cooed, begging softly.
Qiao Sang: ...
“You’re still too young. I’ll buy something for you in a month.”
Little Treasure-Seeking Ghost blinked in confusion, then removed its ring and expertly handed Qiao Sang a bottle of milk.
“Seeeek~ Seeeek.”
Qiao Sang: ...
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