Hotpot Restaurant Chapter 8
For the good part of the day, Meng Xiaoni was holed up in her room, collating information.
Guifeng settled down next to her and scanned the contents of the entire room, including Meng Xiaoni herself.
An ordinary house; an ordinary human.
One who could see ghosts, and make food that could connect Yin and Yang.
Guifeng decided that he would live here for the time being.
Guifeng, “I want water.”
Meng Xiaoni fetched a bowl and poured some mineral water for Guifeng.
Guifeng pecked at the water. When he noticed oil spots floating on the surface of the water, he fell into silence— he hadn’t washed his beak.
Meng Xiaoni had been researching the temperament of Bourke’s parrots and how they should be raised. Just then, she was a feeling a little troubled.
She couldn’t find any information at all on whether Bourke’s parrots could speak. What if he really became an internet celebrity in future and his ability to speak shocked everyone?
Furthermore, the primary condition of obtaining the permit was to determine the parrot’s legal source. This Bourke’s parrot had suddenly appeared in her store, and his source was completely unknown.
After thinking for a long time, Meng Xiaoni decided to make call the Forestry Bureau.
She dialed the number and waited for a while. “Hello, is it the Forestry Bureau? It’s like this. My name is Meng Xiaoni. Last night, a parrot suddenly appeared in my house last night. Then…”
Meng Xiaoni briefly recounted the entire incident.
She finally concluded, “The parrot has come to my house again. I’m thinking of keeping it as a pet, so I want to ask how I can apply for a permit.”
The Forestry Bureau had been notified earlier that a Bourke’s parrot had escaped, and they might receive a call about it at any time.
But what they didn’t expect was that the escaped parrot had fled back to the house where it was caught.
How did it know the way back?
It’s true that Fengdu wasn’t a big city, but for a bird, it was not small either.
The staff replied, slightly surprised, “It is very difficult for individuals to obtain the permit. First of all, you don’t have access to a veterinarian where you are, so that’s one condition you can’t meet. Second, the parrot must be vaccinated and examined. You’re also required to meet the feeding conditions and provide a suitable living environment.”
The staff of the Forestry Bureau said frankly to Meng Xiaoni, “Personally, I don’t recommend raising parrots.”
Meng Xiaoni’s attitude was sincere, “I can go look for a vet. I can also bring it for the examination and vaccination. What are the specific requirements for the feeding conditions and living environment? I can set it up. I just want to keep this one.”
The Forestry Bureau staff was still in disagreement. “You are not a professional. It’s inevitable that there’ll be some things that you’ll overlook. Our permit also grants the breeding permission to the holder. It’s not something that we can issue carelessly, in case it gets exploited…”
Meng Xiaoni did not give up and persisted earnestly, “This parrot is very, very, smart. I really like it very much. I won’t take it to make baby birds.”
Guifeng stared at her.
Both parties continued on like this for a long time. The staff thought about it and said that he could help Meng Xiaoni to ask his superior, if they could issue her a temporary permit, on the conditions that she was only keeping one, and that she would ensure that parrot would not be a nuisance to the community.
If a temporary permit could not be issued, they would be by to pick up the parrot soon.
After Meng Xiaoni hung up, she turned to look at Guifeng.
The little fellow’s feathers were soft and pink, and he looked like an small and exquisitely made toy. He stared back at her with his slightly reddish eyes, as he was afraid that she would change her mind and send him away.
It didn’t seem like she would.
Guifeng tilted his head and said, “There is oil in the water.”
Meng Xiaoni hurriedly went over and took a look.
The water level had decreased, and there was a thin layer of red oil floating on its surface. At one glance, she could tell that it was the oil from the hot pot just now.
She suddenly realized, “I haven’t washed my hair!”
Meng Xiaoni hurriedly wiped Guifeng’s beak with a wet tissue, and then gave it a new bowl of water.
She was going to wash her now!
Normally, when one ate hot pot, they would leave the smell of hot pot in their hair at the very most. But today, for the first time in history, she literally had hot pot oil in her hair because of the little parrot.
She ran off with her towel, clutching her hair.
Guifeng watched as she left. The little pink ball of feathers then strode majestically to the edge of the bowl again to continue drinking water.
He took a few sips, and even thrashed his beak in the water a few times.
—–
For dinner, the Meng family cooked some rice, and ate it with the day’s leftovers from the eatery.
Meng Xiaoni specially cut a bowl of watermelon cubes for Guifeng.
Guifeng lowered his head and pecked at the watermelon seriously; each cube was gone in two or three bites, an extremely fast pace.
As Mother Meng ate, she talked about the gossip she heard while playing mahjong. Apparently the boy from the street in front of them had gained admission to a certain school and was going to study abroad. He had a girlfriend with whom he was planning to marry half a year after his return.
Meng Xiaoni, like Guifeng, was focused on her meal, eating with her head lowered.
The thoughts of the older generation were really terrifying; the hidden meaning of Mother Meng’s words was enough to frighten Meng Xiaoni into feigned ignorance.
After dinner, Meng Xiaoni, sporting a head of fluffy hair and wearing the pink lace pyjamas Mother Meng bought, prepared to make a nest for Guifeng.
They didn’t have a Wutong tree.
For the time being, they also didn’t have a cage.
No parrot feed nor and bird toys.
She had ordered a little bit of this and that online just now, and the store will ship them out tomorrow. The earliest they would be arriving was the day after tomorrow.
She took a cardboard box and taped up the seams with transparent tape. “What colour do you like? I have a lot of acrylic paint; their colours won’t fade.”
Guifeng took small steps over, squinted at the ugly cardboard box and flapped his wings slightly, “…what is this supposed to be?”
The cardboard box that the eatery’s restocked ingredients came in; there was a huge food company logo on it. There were a couple of protruding paper panels installed in the box; two holes were punched in the middle, and a pole was inserted through them.
Meng Xiaoni smiled at the Guifeng with a little excitement, “It’s a bird’s nest. I can sprinkle some wood chips in there, and give you a small blanket as well. If you like feathers, I’ll place an order later, and it will arrive in two days.”
Guifeng stared at the extremely rudimentary cardboard box, which even had several holes in it. “Where do you sleep?”
Meng Xiaoni tapped on her bed. “Bed.”
Guifeng’s gaze shifted to Meng Xiaoni’s bed.
In the small room, the single bed took up most of the space. Girly bedsheets, a quilt cover printed with small dainty flowers, soft and fluffy pillows— everything was very much in line for a girl in her twenties.
The contrast between the rough cardboard box and the soft girly bed was stark.
Guifeng fluttered his wings and flew over to the bed. He occupied Meng Xiaoni’s pillow and raised his little pink head with some arrogance, “I will also sleep on the bed.”
Meng Xiaoni looked at her pillow and was at a loss for words.
She couldn’t say that people and birds were not quite the same.
That seemed a bit racist.
Meng Xiaoni looked at the cardboard box in her hands and had no choice but to put it away.
Guifeng perched on the pillow and prodded at it, feeling the softness of the pillow with his small claws. The pillow sank slightly, enveloping his delicate feet, and it was quite a comfortable feeling.
He continued in his haughty manner, “The pillows I’ve seen before are all rectangular, and usually made of jade.“
Meng Xiaoni was slightly surprised to hear this. “I didn’t expect that you’d even watched ancient costume dramas before. You really have quite a wide breadth of knowledge.”
Guifeng, “…”
Meng Xiaoni was a little disappointed that her plan to make a little house for Guifeng had failed. She collected the paints that she had just taken out and put them away, before finally getting into bed.
She sat cross-legged on the bed, took the bolster that was at the side of the bed and rested her face on it. She looked at the pink bird which was still hogging her pillow and said tentatively, “You won’t… um… go to the bathroom in my bed, right?”
This was the first time someone had asked Guifeng such a base and somewhat insulting question.
The human in front of him didn’t mean any offense.
Guifeng’s remained expressionless. He tilted his head and asked in reply, “…Have you ever seen a phoenix go to the bathroom?”
The way he tilted his head was so cute; pink and tender, one couldn’t help but want to rub his little head.
Meng Xiaoni’s heart melted at the sight. She unwittingly tilted her own head and jokingly replied, “I have never seen a phoenix.”
Guifeng, “…”
So angry!
Guifeng fluttered his wings, shrank into a ball in the corner of the bed against the wall, and said coldly, “I’m going to sleep. Don’t bother me.”
Even the way he expressed his anger was so cute!
Meng Xiaoni looked at little round ball of peach-pink feathers and thought to herself, If you want to poop on the bed, just go ahead. I can just wash the bedsheet!
Faced with such a cute little parrot, what is a mere bed sheet?
Meng Xiaoni had completely succumbed to the appearance of the Bourke’s parrot, no different from those girls who succumb to cute kittens and puppies.
She lay on her stomach and leaned towards Guifeng. “Do you want to a small blanket? A small towel to pad the bed? What kind of small pillow do you like? I can look for it tomorrow. If you don’t like cardboard boxes, we can build a wooden birdhouse, I’ll go look for a Wutong tree.”
Guifeng remained in his corner. He glanced sidelong at the huge head beside him, and slowly replied, “In the beginning, I lived in the Wutong tree at the entrance of the Fire Mountain. The tree was so large it blocked out the sky, fearing neither water nor fire…”
Meng Xiaoni thought the tree sounded quite mythical. “The place where you used to live— was there a child living there too?”
Guifeng turned his head towards Meng Xiaoni. “There was a group of people.”
Meng Xiaoni understood now. “Ah, no wonder. There were both old people and children, so you’d watched both ancient costume dramas and cartoons. The family must’ve been quite literary, right?”
Guifeng, “…”
So tired.
Trying to communicate with humans was so tiring.
He turned his head back and decided to sleep.
His small wings folded over his body. His small feet were curled up, his small toes still moving slightly.
Meng Xiaoni, who was still on a different page from Guifeng, did not feel that it was tiring to communicate with birds at all. At that moment, she was feeling rather pleased with herself, and thought she was really quite awesome. She could communicate with ghosts, and now she could also converse with such an intelligent, cute, and charming little parrot.
In her eyes, Guifeng ticked all the boxes necessary to qualify as a cute pet.
Really, just too cute.
Meng Xiaoni smiled, her eyes turning into upturned crescents.
Everything about this trip back home made her feel happy.
She reached out to the side of the bed and turned off the light, burrowed under her, and said the little bird lying next to her, “Goodnight.”
Guifeng lay still, too lazy to move.
He actually doesn’t need to sleep at all.
He thought about Meng Xiaoni’s unusual ability, and after a beat, Guifeng reluctantly forced out, “Goodnight.”
Join our Discord for fun and spoilers! Buy Phoenix Walk a coffee for bonus chapters!
