Chapter 8: Bargaining for Hope – Saving a Forgotten Soul

It was a bit tragic, but Wen You Ning couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from curling up.

She patted the little orange cat on the head as a sign of comfort.

“Poor thing.

I’ll bring you an extra canned meat treat when I come back.”

“Meow…”

Wen You Ning still had to rush to the market.

If she missed the early hours, the fresh vegetables would start wilting.

“I have things to do, so I’ll head off now.

You all take care.”

Xiao Haoyu suddenly gasped.

“I’m going to be late!”

He quickly slung his backpack over his shoulder.

“Bye, big sister!”

The woman nodded at Wen You Ning before turning to follow her son.

“Xiao Yu, wait.

I’ll drive you to school.”

As soon as she stepped out of the building, Wen You Ning let out a deep breath.

At the same time, a shower of virtual gift effects filled the livestream.

It was from the member who had sent a deposit earlier.

“Thanks, boss.

Big spender.”

Wen You Ning smiled and packed away her phone stand.

She connected her Bluetooth camera and clipped it to her chest.

“Time to speed things up.”

She had originally planned her schedule so that she’d have plenty of time at the market.

Even if she got tired and took breaks along the way, she would still be able to snag the freshest produce.

But with the unexpected detour, she now had to rush.

The camera on her chest was convenient but only captured a first-person perspective.

It was only useful while running.

For proper livestreaming, the phone stand was still the best choice.

“Let’s go!”

After greeting her viewers, Wen You Ning sprinted onto the sidewalk.

The morning was a busy time, and there were even more people on the streets than earlier.

The rush-hour crowd wouldn’t thin out until after seven or eight o’clock.

Outside the market, vendors without proper stalls had set up along the roadside.

Inside, elderly shoppers carried plastic bags, chatting with vendors as they picked their goods.

“Perfect timing.”

Wen You Ning steadied her breath, removed the chest camera, and slowly followed the crowd into the market.

Besides buying ingredients for cat food and daily necessities, she also wanted to pick up some vegetables for herself.

The food stalls downstairs were fine for an occasional meal, but she preferred cooking her own food.

The market stalls were fixed, with plastic bags hanging on the sides.

Shoppers could grab a bag and pick their own produce while the vendors unloaded fresh stock from trucks.

Only when someone asked for a price would the vendor look up and shout out a number.

“Here’s a tip for choosing vegetables.”

Wen You Ning picked up a palm-sized eggplant and weighed it in her hand.

“Look at this round eggplant.

It has a smooth, unblemished skin, so it looks good.

But check the base here.

If it’s dry and rough to the touch, that means the inside will be tough.

You want one with a slightly moist base that’s the tender kind.”

I don’t know how to pick vegetables.

I usually just buy from the supermarket better price, better quality guarantee.

I also don’t know how to pick vegetables, but I follow elderly ladies around the market.

I just pick from the ones they’ve already chosen.

??? Wow.

Bold move.

Just don’t be afraid of their judgment… or their slaps.

Hahaha, dude, you’re playing with fire.

One wrong move and she might collapse on the spot.

As she spoke, Wen You Ning filled several bags.

Leafy greens seemed like a lot at first, but they shrank when cooked, so she packed them full.

Morning vegetables were the freshest.

Farmers drove overnight to deliver them to the wholesale market, and vendors bought them directly before selling them at the morning market.

Some vegetables still had dirt clinging to them.

“Boss, weigh these for me.”

“Got it.”

The vendor took her bags and placed them on the scale one by one.

“I’ll throw in some green onions for free.

Enjoy your meal and come back again.”

When customers bought in bulk, vendors often threw in a little extra.

After finishing with the vegetables, Wen You Ning moved on to the meat stall.

Compared to the crowded vegetable stalls, the butcher’s section was quieter.

Under the special lighting, the meat in the display cases looked incredibly fresh.

She noticed that the pork heart and lungs looked good.

“I’ll take three pounds of each organ except for the lungs and intestines.

And five pounds of beef.”

“Alright, give me a sec.”

The vendor grabbed a larger bag.

“All the organs are fresh from this morning, no frozen stock.

Do you want any pork?”

After thinking for a moment, Wen You Ning added, “Two pounds each of beef and pork as well.”

Might as well add more variety to the cat food.

“Got it!”

This was a big order for a small stall, so the vendor took out a foam box, lined it with a plastic bag, and started packing.

Meat was the primary ingredient in cat food.

Although cats were technically omnivores, they obviously preferred meat.

“Boss, are those fish yours?”

She noticed a large fish tank beside the stall.

Inside, a golden arowana and a silver arowana swam gracefully, their scales shimmering under the light.

The vendor chuckled.

“Yeah, they’re for good luck.”

Didn’t the streamer say she can hear animals’ thoughts?

Translate what the fish are thinking.

Wen You Ning rubbed her chin.

“What they’re thinking?”

“Blub…”

“They just want to blow bubbles.

Blub, blub…”

She laughed as she translated.

Just then, the golden arowana drifted toward her with a slow, elegant tail flick.

Its large eyes moved up and down.

“Blub… look at the market…”

Wen You Ning suddenly froze.

“Boss!

How much for this fish?!”

Hahaha, wait, what?!

Golden arowana: Who said you could listen?!

The streamer’s smile didn’t disappear it just transferred to my face.

The vendor, busy packing meat, looked up.

“Huh?

This fish isn’t for sale.

If you want one, go to the seafood market.

They have better-looking ones.

Mine are just average.”

“Blub… idiot human.”

Wen You Ning: “…”

Damn golden arowana.

Tonight, I’m eating grilled fish.

As if sensing the brewing battle, the silver arowana suddenly flicked its tail hard, smacking the golden one away.

“Blub… get away from me, ugly thing.”

“I don’t want to share a tank with you.

I’m jumping out tonight.”

“Blub… annoying.”

Even the silver arowana’s drooping whiskers exuded disdain.

“Oh?

Your crush seems to hate you.”

Wen You Ning smirked.

“Tsk tsk tsk, unlucky in love, huh?”

The golden arowana abruptly stopped, freezing in place.

“Idiot human.”

Wen You Ning immediately turned to the vendor.

“Boss, your silver arowana doesn’t want to stay in the same tank as the golden one.

It’s planning to jump out tonight.

You should separate them.”

“Huh?

Jump out?

Are you serious?”

The vendor looked confused.

“Do you raise fish too?

Is there some kind of sign that it’s going to jump?”

Wen You Ning replied, “No sign, but I can hear its thoughts.”

The vendor: “???”

Do you even hear yourself?

She didn’t explain further.

“Your silver arowana was added later, right?

To keep the golden one company?”

The vendor nodded.

“Yeah…”

“It’s not interested in your golden one.

If you want to keep it alive, separate them.”

“Huh?”

The vendor stood there, stunned.

Meanwhile, Wen You Ning paid for her meat.

“Payment sent.

Make sure you separate them soon.”

She still had supplies to buy, so she didn’t linger.

After picking up her foam box of meat, she left.

The vendor scratched his head, staring at the tank.

“How did she know the silver arowana was added later?”

They looked about the same size…

The pet supplies section was located in the farthest corner of the market.

Wen You Ning carried her box as she crossed nearly half the market.

“Daddy… where are you…?”

“When will you come find me?”

“Woof… whimper…”

The little dog’s thoughts were filled with sadness and despair.

Did someone abandon a dog?

This area was far from the city.

If someone had driven out here just to dump the dog, it would be nearly impossible for it to find its way home.

Wen You Ning sighed.

Such irresponsibility.

Even if someone couldn’t keep a pet anymore due to unavoidable reasons, they should at least find it a new home instead of simply throwing it away.

She considered taking the dog home and finding it a new owner herself.

But as she followed the voice, she realized it wasn’t a stray puppy at all.

It was a German Shepherd, confined to a cage, looking half-paralyzed.

Because it couldn’t stand, and since it hadn’t been properly cared for, half of its body was lying in its own waste.

Its long fur was matted and dull, with dark clumps that looked like dried blood.

Hearing footsteps, the stall owner stepped out from inside.

He glanced at the box in Wen You Ning’s arms and casually asked, “Looking for something?”

She ignored the dried-up meat hanging at the edge of the stall and asked instead, “Is this dog for sale?”

The vendor replied, “Yeah.

Five hundred yuan, includes slaughter and disposal.”

What?!

Is this even your dog to sell?

It still has a dog tag on its neck!

Who knows where this guy got it from?

Definitely not his.

It looks seriously injured…

Is this guy a dog thief?!

Selling stolen dogs so blatantly…

Shameless!

It’s over.

The stall owner has probably noticed the streamer wants to save this dog.

He’s definitely going to jack up the price.

These people are the worst.

The sight of the German Shepherd caused an uproar in the livestream chat.

Anyone could tell this dog didn’t belong to the stall owner.

Its real owner was probably still searching for it, posting missing dog flyers all over town.

Wen You Ning noticed the stall owner’s subtle glances at her.

She realized his plan.

If she showed too much desperation, he would raise the price even more.

It was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey he was using this German Shepherd as bait to squeeze money out of buyers.

The dog’s condition was terrible.

If she delayed any longer, even she might not be able to help it stand again.

She had to take it today.

After a moment, she waved a hand in front of her nose and made a disgusted face.

“That expensive?

It looks filthy and scrawny.

Lower the price.

I don’t need you to kill it, so you can save yourself the labor fee.

If there were another vendor selling these, I wouldn’t even consider this one.

Are you insane, selling it for this much?”

The stall owner hesitated.

The dog had been sitting here for days half-dead, reeking, and attracting complaints from nearby vendors.

No one had even asked for a price, and the old folks who came to browse the market weren’t interested in this kind of thing.

If it died, it would be even harder to sell.

Finally, someone showed interest.

He hesitated and asked, “How much are you offering?”

“Two hundred.”

“Two hundred?!

That’s way too low!”

“Then forget it.”

Wen You Ning scoffed.

“I already bought a ton of meat.

I don’t need this.

You can keep it.”

With that, she turned to leave.

“Hey?

Wait!

Aren’t you going to negotiate a little?”

The vendor called after her.

“Five hundred is already a no-profit price!”

“Two hundred, take it or leave it!”

She didn’t even turn her head.

“That’s way too low!

I have costs too, you know.”

“Hey!”

“I really can’t go any cheaper.”

The vendor kept shouting as Wen You Ning walked away, deliberately slowing her pace.

She hadn’t even passed the next stall.

It wasn’t just about the price.

If she agreed too easily, the vendor might increase the price again.

She had to act indifferent, but in reality, she was calculating if he didn’t agree by the time she passed the next stall, she would turn around and take the dog no matter the cost.

Five more steps…

She had to save the German Shepherd.

If she didn’t take it, it would die here.

Three more steps…

She could take the loss.

Rescue first, deal with the vendor later.

Two steps…

One step…

“Fine!

Come back!”

The vendor’s resigned voice called from behind.

“Two hundred.

I won’t make much from this deal.”

Wen You Ning almost turned back immediately.

She forced herself to stay calm, suppressing her excitement, and returned with an indifferent expression.

“You should have agreed earlier.

Wasted my time.”

“I was stuck, alright?”

The vendor, now trying to squeeze just a little more out of the deal, asked, “How about 250?

Let me make a tiny profit.”

“That sounds so unlucky.”

Wen You Ning raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s just keep it at 200.

Throw in the cage, too, or it’ll be hard to carry.”

“Fine.”

The vendor thought for a moment and decided to take the deal.

If the dog died, he wouldn’t get a single cent.

And the cage was filthy and smelly—he wasn’t keen on keeping it anyway.

“Alright, consider this a friendly deal.

Wanna check out some other meat?”

“Let’s not pretend to be friends.

I’ve already paid.”

She wasn’t interested in the meat that looked like it had been around since her great-grandfather’s time.

The cage had wheels, making it easy to push.

She placed her box on top of the cage and wheeled the German Shepherd out of the market.

“Whimper…”

The dog pawed weakly at the cage, struggling to stand.

But its lower body wouldn’t budge.

It could only lift its head and whine.

Once they were out of the vendor’s sight, Wen You Ning crouched down and comforted the dog.

“Don’t be scared.

It’s okay now.”

That vendor had been watching her closely just now.

If he saw her actions, he might have chased after her demanding more money.

She could tell—he knew exactly how to price an animal as a pet versus as meat.

The German Shepherd rested its head on Wen You Ning’s palm.

Its eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Its nose twitched, and a soft whimpering sound rumbled from its throat.

Wen You Ning opened the box of meat.

Inside, the beef was neatly cut into evenly sized cubes.

She picked out two pieces.

“Here, have a little something to eat first.”

The German Shepherd seemed like it hadn’t eaten in ages.

She didn’t dare give it too much at once, so she fed it piece by piece, letting it fill its stomach a little.

She waved away the flies hovering over the dog and took off her jacket to drape over it.

Thankfully, she had worn a thin jacket this morning in case it got cold.

Now, it was put to good use.

The German Shepherd whimpered pitifully, rubbing its nose against Wen You Ning’s hand.

It looks so pitiful…

Will it ever be able to walk again?

@VetMaster_Wang, can this kind of paralysis be fixed with surgery?