PCJ – Chapter 232 Zoo

Sure enough, just as Zhang Jiaohua had predicted, even before the evaluation meeting had ended, several tea merchants found ways to get their business cards into Zhang Jiaohua’s hands. However, Zhang Jiaohua remained unmoved.

During the meal, Ling Yushu said to Zhang Jiaohua, “All the judges on our expert panel unanimously agreed to select bamboo tube black tea as one of the teas to participate in the Agricultural Expo. I think it would be best if you could apply for a trademark for the bamboo tube black tea and also register a company. This would greatly benefit the development of your bamboo tube black tea.”

Zhang Jiaohua and Zhang Manyin were completely clueless about what Ling Yushu was talking about. Zhang Jiaohua was overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do.

“I will contact the relevant leaders in your county and hope they can expedite this matter. We in Hunan Province’s tea industry also hope to find a breakthrough through your bamboo tube black tea,” Ling Yushu said.

The grandfather and grandson stayed in Sanxiang City for a day and two nights. Zhang Manyin was eager to go to home as he couldn’t adapt to Sanxiang City. It was noisy everywhere, day and night. Zhang Manyin couldn’t sleep well at night and wasn’t used to the food during the day. Nothing compared to the comfort of Meizi’ou. Zhang Jiaohua, on the other hand, was adaptable and didn’t mind whether they returned sooner or later.

“It’s not often you come to the provincial capital, so why not stay a few more days? I can take you to the park and the zoo. These places, Jiaohua probably hasn’t been to. Even though you’re from the countryside, there are some animals you haven’t seen, like giraffes, tigers, lions, and pandas,” Xia Guoxi tried hard to persuade them, using reasons that were hard for a child to resist.

“Grandpa, why don’t we go to the zoo?” Zhang Jiaohua was tempted.

“Your grandma is alone at home, busy with the fields and the animals, and no one is watching your pigfarm. You’ve already missed many days of school, and if you miss any more, Principal Ma will expel you,” Zhang Manyin frowned.

“Principal Ma won’t expel me,” Zhang Jiaohua pouted.

“How about staying one more day? Tomorrow I’ll take you to the park and the zoo, and it’s all in one go. I heard your tea won an award. I told you, your tea is so good, there’s nothing to worry about. Congratulations!” Xia Guoxi laughed.

Although Zhang Manyin was eager to go back, he couldn’t bear to see Zhang Jiaohua’s hopeful expression, so he reluctantly agreed, “Comrade Xia, I’m sorry to trouble you for another day.”

“Uncle Zhang, don’t say that. It’s an honor for me that you’re willing to stay. I’ll make the arrangements to ensure you have a great time in Sanxiang City,” Xia Guoxi said.

The elders in the village used to say that there were tigers in Meishan before, but no one had seen a tiger for many years. There used to be tigers in Meizi’ou as well, real South China tigers, but no one had seen them for many years. Although Zhang Jiaohua had seen tigers on TV, he had never seen one in person and naturally wanted to see the king of the beasts up close.

Knowing he would visit the zoo the next day to see the king of the beasts, Zhang Jiaohua was a bit excited. He tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.

In the morning, they had buns and soy milk for breakfast, bought by Xia Guoxi from outside. This was something Zhang Manyin and Zhang Jiaohua were not used to because in Meizi’ou, they usually had rice for breakfast. Eating just a little made their stomachs feel empty and unsatisfied.

Although the park had various flowers and beautiful gardens, it didn’t attract Zhang Jiaohua at all. Any corner of Meishan looked better than the park.

“City people are really pitiful. They even have to buy tickets to see places like this. Our Meizi’ou is better; we can visit the park every day,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

Zhang Manyin added, “Who would run to the mountains every day after eating?”

Xia Guoxi scratched his head, realizing that taking Zhang Manyin and Zhang Jiaohua to the park was a mistake. After a quick tour of the park, he took them to the zoo, which piqued their interest.

Zhang Jiaohua was most excited to see the tigers. After a while, many people rushed to a place that looked like a theater.

“There’s a performance soon. Let’s go take a look,” Xia Guoxi said.

“Are there tigers?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“There should be. It seems there are usually a few tigers in each performance,” Xia Guoxi wasn’t very sure.

Hearing there were tigers, Zhang Jiaohua ran ahead, afraid of missing the show.

“Slow down, slow down. If you get separated, where will we find you?” Zhang Manyin shouted worriedly.

“Uncle Zhang, we should speed up. This kid runs really fast,” Xia Guoxi said, changing his opinion of Zhang Jiaohua, initially thinking he was a quiet boy, but now seeing his true nature.

“Alright,” Zhang Manyin quickened his pace. But somehow, it seemed there weren’t many people at the zoo initially, but as soon as the drums sounded, a large crowd appeared. In a blink of an eye, Zhang Jiaohua was lost in the crowd.

“Oh no, Jiaohua is missing,” Zhang Manyin slapped his thigh in frustration.

“Don’t worry. With so many people, it’s hard to find someone now. We’ll wait at the entrance after the performance. Jiaohua is clever; if he can’t find us, he’ll wait at the entrance,” Xia Guoxi tried to comfort Zhang Manyin while looking around anxiously.

Zhang Jiaohua was excited, only thinking about seeing the tigers, not caring about Xia Guoxi and Zhang Manyin. After all, he never thought he would get lost. Indeed, the zoo was big, but compared to Meishan, it was nothing. He could navigate Meishan’s mountains easily, so this small area was no challenge.

The performance began with monkeys timidly performing under the trainer’s whip, getting hit if they didn’t comply. This made Zhang Jiaohua uncomfortable. It was entirely different from the animal performances he had imagined. The trainers used sticks to turn these forest spirits into mere playthings, performing rehearsed tricks to win applause from the city crowd. For Zhang Jiaohua, who grew up in the mountains, such a performance was heartbreaking.

Zhang Jiaohua no longer looked forward to seeing the king of the forest perform, knowing that such an animal would have lost its spirit.