In the Fox Kingdom Hotel, Momo conveyed the matters that Ansheng felt embarrassed to speak about, introducing Ah Qing into a world full of strange sights and sounds ahead of time.
Under Ah Qing's urging, Momo drove back home to the Phoenix City District, despite the speed limit.
"Where do you think you're running off to! Help carry the stuff..."
As soon as the car was parked in the garage, Momo saw Ah Qing trying to open the door to run away, grabbed her, and pointed at the birthday supplies in the front and back trunks.
The little fox's birthday party might not be extremely grand, but counting classmates, there were probably around twenty people, and both the front and back of the car were packed full.
Lingren sat with a barbecue rack under him, holding a large three-tiered cake in his arms, almost becoming a storage rack himself.
"Call Tang You... never mind, if we wait for her to finish a game, the celebration will be over."
Momo shook her head while carrying shopping bags, planning to first move the items to the elevator entrance, temporarily leaving them in the corridor, and slowly bring them back inside for a barbeque on the rooftop.
Lingren, tasked with holding the cake, curiously asked Momo, "Is barbequing on the rooftop fine with the neighborhood's property management and security?"
"They charge me three bucks per square meter for property fees, how come they never ask if I have any opinions?"
Momo retorted, not wanting to discuss this questionable matter any further.
When the Xiqi Phoenix City District sold houses, the New Agricultural Science College partnered with them, promoting it as a high-education community.
At the beginning, Momo thought the partnership referred to the Xinxing Agricultural Science College's research center, a community for people with high academic backgrounds, making it convenient to sell her house in the future.
But in reality, the Xinxing Agricultural Science College only bought one building for faculty and student accommodations, then built high walls and installed a separate security system.
Buying this house just trapped Momo: over 400 square meters, and unsellable without a discount.
Momo's blood pressure rose whenever she thought about it.
"Ding—"
The elevator reached the thirteenth floor, Ah Qing carried the freshly bought ingredients to Momo's house, the three took two trips to move everything to the doorstep.
"I'm back! Where's the little fox?"
Ah Qing entered the room, enthusiastically asking Yuyu and Miaomiao inside the room.
"Uh... the little fox is hanging up there."
Yuyu, looking awkward, raised her hand and pointed to the ceiling over three meters high:
"But you can't blame us, it seems like the little fox doesn't quite like the gifts we brought; Old Liu is borrowing a ladder from the property now..."
Just returned home, the three of them heard that, looked at Yuyu in incomprehension.
What gift... got the fox stuck on the ceiling?
Yuyu took out the gifts brought by classmates, pointing to two sets of fox vaccines in the cooler:
"I gifted a full eight-set vaccine for health and peace, and over there is Old Liu's vitamins, Old Li's durable stainless steel syringe, and a School of Animal Science free clinic card...
"Also, a box of internal and external deworming medicine taken by Miaomiao from the School of Animal Science's stockroom."
Ah Qing's classmates and friends from the School of Animal Science brought some small gifts upon receiving the invitation to the birthday party.
Some were very practical, not flashy, things beneficial for the little fox's healthy growth.
From vitamins, fish oil, to injectable dewormers, and some fox-specific medication, they prepared all of it.
"...Goodness, just wow," Momo gaped in surprise, staring at the syringes and medications.
Ah Qing gasped, looking at the repetitive vaccines and said, "If all these vaccines are administered, wouldn't the little fox's weight increase by two pounds on the spot?"
"Heh... don't look at me, I don't know why, everyone seemed to be in tune with each other," Yuyu waved her hand, refusing to take credit for this good act.
The Agricultural Research Institute and the School of Animal Science were separated by a wall, and they could learn some skills from each other.
Cash gifts were cheap, pet clothes were not practical, foxes had fur, and pet bathing products might not be suitable.
Foxes usually ate in the cafeteria, so as gifts, Ah Qing's friends naturally brought big snack packs with a set of pet medical supplies and a free clinic card.
The result was...
Everyone being in sync, Momo's living room was stocked with exotic pet vaccines and medicine, almost setting up a pharmacy.
The School of Animal Science's storeroom was heavily utilized.
It's not that Ansheng kicked Ah Qing's classmates out with a broom, because Momo's house had no broom—just some robotic vacuum cleaners.
"Little Lan, come here! I have something to ask you!"
Ah Qing bypassed the "Fox Fright" package, ran into the study, raised her arms in a welcoming gesture, looking at the little fox atop a display cabinet, chatting and snacking with a peregrine falcon, and called.
"Eek?"
Ansheng glanced at Ah Qing, whimpered, jumped down from the top, and landed steadily in Ah Qing's arms, starting to complain:
"Ah Qing, let's stop studying, relying on our classmates' supplies, we could completely open a pet pharmacy and be the boss. You could be in charge of cashiering, while I handle planning and getting customers to use their cards in the store..."
"Not saying we'd make millions, but eventually, it's surely toward becoming a supplier of pet-specific medicine."
Seeing Ah Qing, Ansheng bluntly criticized classmates for being even 'doggier' than dogs.
What kind of birthday gifts are vaccines? I'd beg you to swap them for spicy strips or cola from the supermarket!
If necessary, change them to sildenafil; I could even grind them into powder at home as rat poison.
"The classmates meant well... a long-lived fox, everyone can pet the fox every day."
Ah Qing chuckled, explaining while petting the grievance-filled little fox, then sneakily carried it into Momo's bedroom.
"Click..."
Ah Qing locked the bedroom door, placed the little fox at the bench at the foot of the bed, and herself on the teak floor, looking at the little fox with curiosity:
"When we were out shopping, Momo told me some things about the little fox. Uh... she said you've always been working secretly outside, with things like Spiritual Particles basic science, all very intricate."
Ah Qing's face gradually turned red as she said:
"Though... suddenly becoming a mom seems a bit humiliating, feel free to call me that! I promise not to spread this around."
"???"
Ansheng, hearing that, had a bewildered look, seeing Ah Qing drunk without drinking, raised a vague question.
"Ah Qing... do you like Dahua?"
The bedroom fell into a slight silence, the little fox slowly opened its mouth, emitting a clear, bright, child-like voice, precise and questioning, echoed in the room:
"If you like Dahua, I suggest downloading CF for some variety, then during holidays, you won't need to prepare so many gifts."
"Oh—"
For the first time, truly witnessing the little fox speak, uttering standard Mandarin better than her own, while teasing her actions, Ah Qing couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Even though she was prepared, Ah Qing still felt deeply amazed.
Foxes... really can talk!
"But... why call me Ah Qing? Even if not mom, it should be older sister, right?"
Ah Qing, coming back to senses, puzzled, asked.
"Calling too intimately, I'm afraid you'd take the two hundred in my piggy bank too."
Ah Qing: "..."