The two arrived at a pet shop on the commercial street.
After parking the car, they entered the store hand in hand.
"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"
The young woman cleaning the store greeted them with a bright smile as they entered.
"We'll just look around first."
Xia Nuannuan smiled sweetly. "Alright!"
The woman nodded and continued sweeping.
The store was not large, with various pets in cages lining the walls, most of them cats and dogs.
One area inside was filled with pet food and toys, piled high on shelves like a small mountain, a dazzling array of items.
"Wow, Brother, look quickly, this dog is so cute."
Xia Nuannuan pulled Qin Tian to a cage, her eyes shining as she looked at a dog inside.
The dog had thick fur, making its eyes seem a little small. Its frame and build were a bit robust compared to its size, giving it a plump appearance.
"It is quite cute."
Qin Tian nodded with a smile. "What kind of dog is this?" kuAiδugg
Xia Nuannuan asked with a puzzled expression.
"I'm not sure, maybe a Chow Chow?"
Qin Tian shook his head.
"Yes, that's a miniature Chow Chow."
The young woman nearby responded and then briefly introduced the dog.
"This type of dog is like a cat, a bit aloof, very intelligent but not very easy to train. However, there's a benefit, they are quite independent and don't require too much care, nor do they cause destruction or chew things up."
It was clear that the woman was quite honest, not just singing the praises of the dog to trick customers into buying it.
"Is this your own store?"
Qin Tian asked casually.
"Yes, it's my store!"
The woman nodded with a smile.
"Is this dog not easy to raise?"
Xia Nuannuan confirmed with a hint of regret.
"Not exactly, it's quite obedient. How should I put it!"
The woman organized her thoughts and continued, "Like cats, they don't like to please their owners much and aren't very enthusiastic towards people, especially strangers or unfamiliar animals. They remain alert and can be a bit aggressive."
"Is that so!"
Xia Nuannuan nodded in understanding.
Just then, a small, fluffy gray curly-haired dog ran out from somewhere and began circling the woman's feet, wagging its tail furiously.
"Hungry? Wait a moment, I'll feed you soon."
The woman looked down at the dog and said with a gentle smile.
"This is a Poodle, right? Did you raise it?"
Xia Nuannuan asked with some curiosity.
"Yes!"
The woman nodded with a smile and said, "Poodles are more enthusiastic towards their owners, they like to be spoiled, and they are quite suitable for novice owners. They are small and don't shed."
"In that case, it's quite good!"
Xia Nuannuan was visibly tempted.
"No rush, let's look at some others!"
Qin Tian quickly interjected.
To be honest, he wasn't particularly fond of Poodles. Most men generally didn't like these little creatures.
First of all, they were too clingy. Whether it was a pet or a girlfriend, men didn't like ones that were too clingy.
Then, they were too much like dolls and difficult to manage. Their appearance depended entirely on human grooming; if they weren't groomed for a few days, their looks would fall apart.
Most men were too lazy to even tidy themselves up, let alone pets.
Most importantly, these dogs had the notorious "Poodle-tian" meme, where both males and females would embrace various objects and perform inappropriate actions, even the owner's leg.
It wasn't surprising that men couldn't bring themselves to like these little creatures, and Qin Tian was no exception.
Conversely, women generally preferred raising them.
Afterwards, the two continued to look at other pets.
The female shop owner fed her Poodle while continuing to introduce them.
Like most girls, Xia Nuannuan clearly preferred cute small dogs and was also very interested in a few kittens.
"Brother, which one do you think is good?"
Xia Nuannuan was having trouble deciding and handed the decision-making power to Qin Tian.
"I think they're all quite good. You decide!"
Qin Tian said with a smile.
"Don't just say they're all good. We're going to raise it together, you have to give me some advice!"
Xia Nuannuan said with a helpless expression.
As soon as she finished speaking, a dog bark was heard.
They both looked towards the sound and saw a dirty-looking gray dog standing at the entrance of the pet shop, looking towards the female shop owner.
"You're here again!"
The female shop owner's face lit up with a gentle smile upon seeing the dog.
"Woof woof!"
The little gray dog barked.
"Okay, okay, you're here."
The female shop owner, as if she could understand it, took a bowl, poured some dog food into it, walked over, and placed it in front of the little gray dog, patting its head.
"Eat up!"
"Woof!"
As if thanking the female shop owner, the little gray dog barked with its head raised before burying its head to eat.
"Where did it come from?"
Xia Nuannuan pulled Qin Tian closer, asking with some curiosity.
"It's a stray dog from nearby. The first time it came, its leg was injured, apparently bitten by another dog. I helped it with the wound and gave it some dog food. It occasionally comes by recently."
The female shop owner replied.
"Can I pet it?"
Xia Nuannuan squatted down next to her and reached out, wanting to pet its head.
"Be careful. Stray dogs are usually very vigilant, and it's quite dirty, so there might be fleas or something."
The female shop owner reminded her with concern.
"I know."
Xia Nuannuan nodded and cautiously tried to touch it.
However, just as her hand was about to touch the gray dog, it suddenly retreated while eating and bared its teeth at her, adopting a fierce, attacking posture.
"Don't be scared, I won't hurt you."
Xia Nuannuan said in a gentle voice.
"Nuannuan, still be careful."
Qin Tian also reminded her, worried she might get bitten, and squatted down to protect her.
"It's okay, I don't think it will bite me. It's just scared and trying to scare me."
Xia Nuannuan smiled faintly and gently pushed the bowl of dog food towards the gray dog.
The gray dog's dark eyes fixed on her, as if understanding she meant no harm, and it moved forward to continue eating the dog food.
After it had eaten for a while, Xia Nuannuan tried reaching out again and patted its head.
This time, the gray dog did not panic or resist. It continued eating the dog food, its short tail wagging.
"It seems to trust you a lot. The first time I saw it, it took a lot of effort to treat its injury, and it almost bit me. Luckily, I was wearing gloves."
The female shop owner said with some surprise in her voice.
"Mhm, it's quite well-behaved."
Xia Nuannuan nodded with a sweet smile, looking thoughtfully at the little gray dog.
"Do you want to raise it?"
Qin Tian, seeing her thoughts, asked.
"I do have that idea. It feels like fate to meet it here. Brother, do you think we can raise it?"
Xia Nuannuan looked at him with her eyes curving.
"Of course, I think it's quite good too."
Qin Tian expressed his approval with a smile.