Future Pet Shop

Chapter 325: Chapter 325: Dad Hah’Er

"Hello, Professor Wu? This is Bin. I was wondering if I can bring Hah’Er to see his children now?" A while ago, Professor Wu Gui had called to inform Shen Yibin that Hah’Er’s cubs were being born. However, newborn panda cubs were extremely fragile and couldn’t be visited right away. ’Now that some time has passed, it should be fine, right?’

A panda’s gestation period is typically around 130 days. The most peculiar aspect of giant panda breeding is how undeveloped the newborns are at birth. The cubs are very light, weighing an average of 145 grams—about one-thousandth of an adult’s weight. They require their mother’s care for eighteen months to two years, a task even more demanding than what human mothers face.

Newborn giant pandas have pink skin with sparse white fur. For the first few weeks, the mother panda holds her cub constantly, warming and protecting it, barely moving from its side. When she does move, she carries it gently in her mouth. After a week or two, the areas that will grow black fur begin to darken. Within a month, they slowly develop their black ears, eye patches, legs, and shoulder bands, starting to look more like their mother. At six to eight weeks old, the cubs can open their eyes and begin to teethe. By three months, they can start to crawl.

A long time had passed since Hah’Er’s major breeding contribution at the Sichuan Giant Panda Base. Calculating the time, Shen Yibin figured the cubs should be able to crawl by now, which was why he was planning to take Hah’Er for a visit.

"The health and development of these cubs have exceeded my expectations. They’re perfectly ready for a visit now. When do you think you’ll arrive? I’ll have someone pick you up from the airport." Professor Wu Gui’s voice was filled with amazement. He had originally planned on sending Shen Yibin some pictures and videos, but then he decided it would be better to wait and give him a surprise in person.

"Great. I’ll let you know once I’ve booked my flight." Shen Yibin hung up and found Wang Jing from Blue Sky Airlines on WeChat. He sent her a picture of Hah’Er and Maphario. "I’m planning on taking these two little guys to Sichuan in the next day or two. Could you check which flights would work and what paperwork I’ll need?"

"So cute! Is the little one Hah’Er’s cub? The flight at noon tomorrow still has two first-class seats available. You can book them directly." Wang Jing sent him a link. "Hah’Er can probably just hold the little panda cub, right? You shouldn’t need to buy an extra ticket!"

’Well now. I was just wondering if I should get a pet carrier for Maphario and check him in as cargo to Sichuan. Looks like I don’t have to anymore. What a wonderful misunderstanding!’ Shen Yibin was certainly not foolish enough to correct Wang Jing’s mistake and eagerly agreed. ’Anyway, the name "panda hamster" has the word "panda" in it, so it’s not exactly wrong to call it a panda cub. Besides, a godson is still a son, isn’t it?’

"I’ll be away for a few days, so take good care of the shop. I’ll bring you all back gifts when I return." Shen Yibin gave them their assignments and tossed the van keys to Xia Shixuan. "You’re driving us to the airport tomorrow morning."

"Boss, are you taking Hah’Er to Sichuan to see his kids?" Shen Yibin had been speaking so loudly earlier that the girls had all heard. Xia Shixuan’s eyes lit up as she asked, "Can you bring a couple of panda cubs back with you? Let me raise one!"

"Sure, you can adopt a panda. All you have to do is donate a few million to the Sichuan Giant Panda Base." Shen Yibin paused before adding, "However, you only get to name the panda you ’adopt.’ It would still have to stay in Sichuan; they wouldn’t let you raise it. Hah’Er is a special case, so you can’t compare him to a normal adoption."

"I knew it would be something like that! Boss, you just love to tease people." Xia Shixuan rolled her eyes in exasperation and rushed over, playfully pounding on Shen Yibin’s chest.

’Damn it, I’m the one who gets teased every day, okay? How would I dare tease *you*?’ Shen Yibin grumbled to himself. He quickly dodged her and ran to the orchard to find Maphario. "Hey, we’re going to be away for a few days. Do you think the girls can manage this orchard without you?"

"We’ve got the routine down. Just water the saplings three times a day—morning, noon, and night—and play music for them from a phone. That’s it!" Li Shiqing replied earnestly. The young woman was the most meticulous and diligent of the group and had been working alongside Maphario every day, so she was already very familiar with the tasks.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Maphario nodded as well, seemingly in agreement with Li Shiqing. The saplings still had a long way to go before they were mature, so for now, the work was all routine. Having Li Shiqing there would be sufficient.

"That’s great. I’ll go make some sweet treats for you to have on the trip." Shen Yibin was delighted that Maphario could come along to Sichuan, and he immediately went back inside to prepare some snacks for the journey.

Shen Yibin spent the evening packing everything for the trip. The next morning, Xia Shixuan drove him, Hah’Er, and Maphario to the airport. Wang Jing was already waiting for them at the entrance. She led them through a special passageway, and after clearing security, they relaxed for a while in the VIP lounge. Before long, they boarded the plane and had a smooth flight to Sichuan.

"This is Hah’Er’s cub? Where did it come from? Why does it look so strange?" Professor Wu Gui was completely baffled when he saw Maphario.

"He’s his godson, not his biological son. This is a panda hamster, not a panda," Shen Yibin quickly explained.

"Haha, no wonder! I was just thinking how odd it looked!" Professor Wu Gui’s face flushed. ’I was getting too excited and made such a rookie mistake. How embarrassing it would be if word of this got out.’

The plane arrived early, so it wasn’t yet dinnertime when they got back to the Sichuan Giant Panda Base. After putting his luggage away, Shen Yibin suggested they let Hah’Er go see his children.

"Alright, no problem. I’ll have someone take Hah’Er in." Professor Wu Gui readily agreed and led them to the nursery. After undergoing a rigorous disinfection procedure, Hah’Er was brought inside.

"Huh? Why is there such a big difference in size and appearance among these panda cubs?" Shen Yibin asked curiously, looking at them. Some already had their distinct black-and-white markings and were crawling about energetically on the bedding, while others were still little pink bundles, lying quietly in their mothers’ arms.

"The larger, healthier-looking ones are all Hah’Er’s cubs. The rest belong to the other giant pandas. Hah’Er’s offspring are developing a bit faster than the others," Professor Wu Gui said with delight.

Just then, a nursery staff member pressed a nursing bottle into Hah’Er’s paws and pointed to one of the cubs. It looked like Hah’Er was about to start his fatherly duties.