Chapter 21: The Fluffy Spirit Pet

Some people and some events are truly terrifying when you think them through.

Shen Zhiyu was not the original owner of this body, so she had no idea how to face such a family. If the original owner had returned to find out that everything had happened because of a mere misunderstanding, she would likely have gone mad on the spot. The transition from heaven to hell can happen in the blink of an eye. Because of one thought from Shen Ao, the original owner went from heaven to hell. Because of one thought from Li Tunan, the original owner grew from a well-behaved girl into a troubled teenager. Perhaps they all had their reasons and their hardships, but what did that matter now? The original owner was already gone.

Shen Zhiyu was not the original owner; she could not bring herself to forgive them on her behalf, nor would she harbor any resentment toward them. They had once believed the original owner was not their biological daughter, and now that Shen Zhiyu had arrived, they had achieved what they wanted. Well, that was just fine! One must be happy in life. After all, a day is spent regardless, so why not be happy every day? Punishing oneself for someone else's mistakes? How foolish that would be!

After chatting with Old Madam Li, Shen Zhiyu put the Shen family out of her mind. She decided to start work early. She could have waited until next Monday, but she intended to go the very next day; it was just office work, after all, and not very strenuous.

She had a good night's sleep. Waking up at dawn, Shen Zhiyu immediately summoned the Joy Airdrop. Excellent, the airdrop treasure chest was right there in the room.

"System, you're on point!" Shen Zhiyu was very satisfied with the drop location. In the corner by the door, a golden treasure chest glittered, looking quite dazzling. She walked over and opened it. Everything was great—the supplies were plentiful. In this era of shortages, for Shen Zhiyu, an abundant supply of goods was the best kind of system.

Wait, why was there a pet egg in here? She looked carefully at the contents of the chest, and sure enough, there was indeed a pet egg! It was a white-shelled egg the size of a fist, covered with strange patterns. Just as Shen Zhiyu was wondering what would hatch from it—or if it was meant to be boiled and eaten—the shell cracked. A fluffy, puppy-like creature crawled out. To think a dignified mammal would be born from an egg!

After the little thing was born, it quickly ate the entire eggshell, and its palm-sized body grew slightly in the process.

"Woof!"

The little creature tilted its head at Shen Zhiyu and let out a bark. Bizarrely, Shen Zhiyu actually understood what that "woof" meant: it had mistaken her for its mother! Although pet owners love to call their pets their "babies," she was certainly not this little thing's mother.

"Don't bark nonsense; we aren't even the same species!" Shen Zhiyu wasn't particularly fond of fluffy animals. It wasn't that they weren't cute, but she found the chore of cleaning up after them to be quite tiresome. She had once raised a puppy, but no matter what, she couldn't teach it to use the bathroom properly, and it always made the house a mess, eventually forcing her to give it away. What was even more tragic was that the person who took the dog in trained it within a month. Since then, Shen Zhiyu felt she had been discriminated against by fate, and she had lost all desire to keep a fluffy companion.

"Woof, woof-woof-woof..." The little thing barked at Shen Zhiyu, insisting that she was its mother and that she couldn't fool it.

"Fine, whatever makes you happy! But we have to make a deal: you are not allowed to relieve yourself in the house..." Shen Zhiyu began setting ground rules for the puppy. Since the little thing could understand her speech and she could understand its barks, they could communicate, so it was essential to set clear rules.

"And another thing, you are not allowed to eat poop outside!"

"I am a Spirit Beast, a Spirit Beast!" The little puppy barked incessantly, feeling insulted. Only dogs eat poop; it was not a dog!

Shen Zhiyu blinked. The little thing clearly looked exactly like a dog. However, what on earth was a "Spirit Beast"? Was there a spiritual energy resurgence? Wasn't she in a period-piece farming novel?

Facing Shen Zhiyu's barrage of questions, the little creature quickly provided answers. There was no spiritual energy resurgence; it was simply a Spirit Beast summoned to accompany Shen Zhiyu, while also moonlighting as her bodyguard.

"You're this tiny, and you're going to guard my safety?" Shen Zhiyu scoffed. "I could send you to the heavens with one punch!"

She didn't believe it. Then, Shen Zhiyu discovered that the little thing could actually walk on air—it could fly.

"Alright, alright, that's enough!" she cautioned. "You are not to reveal these abnormal abilities easily!" This was an era where any sign of "becoming an immortal" or supernatural phenomena was strictly prohibited. If people saw her puppy flying, there would be hell to pay. Who knew how many people would try to snatch it, potentially implicating her as well.

"Woof-woof!" (I'm not stupid!)

Shen Zhiyu understood the puppy's intelligence. After putting away the supplies from the Joy Airdrop, she began to make breakfast. After half an hour of work, breakfast was ready. Shen Zhiyu wondered if she should prepare a portion for the puppy, but the little thing had already managed to find its own food.

A fish! She had no idea where it came from. A fish that large simply appeared out of thin air. The little thing opened its mouth, and a fish as long as an adult's arm was swallowed in one gulp. It truly was a Spirit Beast; its abilities were clearly extraordinary. Great, her life in this era now had an extra layer of security.

After eating, Shen Zhiyu tucked Yuanbao into her pocket and headed toward the cotton textile mill. Yuanbao was the name she had given the little guy. The creature seemed quite happy with it.

Upon arriving at the textile mill, she first reported to the personnel department and then collected her labor protection supplies—work clothes, shoes, and the like. Employment in this era came with decent benefits. If there was anything to complain about, it was that the style and color of the work uniforms weren't exactly fashionable. But this wasn't an era that prioritized individual style.

Shen Zhiyu's job involved processing documents and occasionally polishing speeches for the leadership. After all, her predecessor had a high level of education—a high school graduate! If not for the suspension of the college entrance exams, the original owner would likely have gone to university.

Shen Zhiyu's work was very relaxed, and the leadership seemed to pay special attention to her, assigning her to be mentored by the most experienced team leader in the office. Shen Zhiyu, being tactful, called her "Teacher." While it wasn't the custom to treat a teacher like a parent, respecting one's mentor was still expected. With such a senior colleague as her mentor and her own sweet disposition, Shen Zhiyu quickly became the office's beloved mascot.

As for Yuanbao, who was tucked in her pocket, once discovered, he became the center of everyone's affection. Some even inquired about where she had gotten such a puppy. Shen Zhiyu couldn't exactly say it was delivered by an airdrop, so she simply said she had picked it up on the road and didn't know what breed it was.