Chapter 38 Treasure Island (7) A High-End Cat...

Since Ah Kun started learning pottery, he has gradually memorized a lot of knowledge along the way.

Selecting materials and preparing clay are the most basic steps in pottery making. To make good pottery, you first need good raw materials.

The kitten followed behind the humans, watching them knead the clay on a board, removing air and impurities to make the clay more even.

"If there are too many impurities, or the clay is not properly prepared, it will easily crack and deform during firing." Uncle Lin carefully examined the clay and used it as material to explain some theoretical knowledge to Ah Kun.

He turned to Ah Kun, who was following Uncle Lin's instructions, and forcefully slammed a piece of processed clay onto a wooden board.

Knead, fold, and rub repeatedly...

Even as fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, his expression was more focused than ever as he strained to feel the silent earth and then gave it new life.

"It looks tiring, but it's quite fun."

Watching the lump of mud change shape under the other's hands, my claws felt a little itchy.

Ah Kun was engrossed in battling the lump of mud when he caught sight of a fluffy little thing and its eyes, which seemed to say "I want to play." Seeing the kitten staring at it longingly, Ah Kun tore off a small piece of the scrap and gave it to the kitten to play with.

Chichi touched the slightly cool and soft little loach with delight. The texture was novel and different from the wet feeling on the turntable. This one was drier and didn't leave mud sticky on its claws.

She left several plum blossom marks on it with her claws, then hugged the mud ball with her two front paws, imitating humans by kneading it.

Seeing the kitten happily cuddling the mud ball, Ah Kun and Uncle Lin couldn't help but smile, continuing to focus on the larger mud ball that required more patience.

Mentoring apprentices takes time and effort, and for an apprentice like Ah Kun who lacks patience, a lot of materials are wasted.

To raise money to buy a batch of high-quality clay, Uncle Lin decided to set up a stall at the Jiufen market on the weekend and sell some small pottery pieces.

Ah Kun was called in to help move goods and watch the stall, and Chi Chi naturally joined in the stall activities without hesitation.

This street is mostly lined with stalls selling cultural and creative handicrafts. It's bustling with people. Uncle Lin's pottery isn't mass-produced using molds; it's all handmade, and each piece has its own unique characteristics. Many customers linger at his stall, admiring and playing with the pieces.

A tourist picked up a ceramic bowl with a plum blossom pattern, examined it repeatedly, and then glanced at the price tag.

The bowl costs 300 yuan, but the other party bargained, saying, "Boss, how about you sell this for 200 yuan?"

Upon hearing this, Ah Kun, who was tidying up the other cups on his stall, raised an eyebrow and revealed the fierce look of a street urchin. He glared at the other person with sharp eyes and said impatiently, "Three hundred yuan! Can't you read numbers? If you're short a hundred, do you want to settle it with your fists?"

The customer was so frightened that he stepped back, quickly put down his cup, muttered "How scary!" and hurried away from the stall.

Uncle Lin sighed helplessly as he watched the frightened customer run away. He quickly grabbed a small ceramic shard ornament from his stall and chased after the customer, giving it to the still-shaken customer as a gift while apologizing repeatedly.

Back at his stall, Uncle Lin looked at Ah Kun, who had a "I did nothing wrong" expression on his face, and shook his head.

"What? He's slashing so fiercely and he thinks he's right?" Ah Kun curled his lip. "Even ceramic shards cost forty yuan, he got off easy."

"You're doing a loss-making business before you've even opened for business? Is that how you do business?" Uncle Lin said sternly. "Speak to people properly."

"whispering sound."

Ah Kun whispered, "I helped you and you don't even know what's good for you."

Seeing the other person's face darken and raise his hand as if to slap the back of the head, the boy quickly shut his mouth and pretended to be focused on tidying up the pottery on the stall.

The stall became deserted for a moment, and passersby seemed to sense the boy's unapproachable aura, so they all walked around the stall.

"The customers were all scared away," Chi Chi said.

"The time has come when we need you," 1221 said. "Quickly use your cat cuteness trick to keep the guests' attention."

Chi Chi immediately understood and jumped onto an empty corner of the stall. The few young girls who were afraid to approach because of Ah Kun's fierce appearance were immediately attracted by this cute little cat that suddenly appeared.

"Look, he has a cat!"

"So cute, she's still looking at us."

"..."

Seeing such an adorable kitten at the stall, they finally managed to ignore the fierce-looking boy and gathered around again.

After their gazes lingered on the kitten for a moment, a girl mustered her courage and asked Ah Kun, "Is this your kitten? Can I pet it?"

"No, it's a stray cat."

Seeing that the group seemed hesitant to leave, Ah Kun forced out an expression that wasn't particularly attractive but at least not as fierce: "You can touch it."

Chichi took the initiative to walk over, put his head in front of their hesitant hands, and let out a soft, sweet meow. Like a magical spell, it instantly made the group of people stay happily.

First, the kitten's cuteness attracted customers, and then those who stayed gradually turned their attention to the pottery, which was either rustic or exquisite.

"Boss, this cup..."

A girl mustered her courage, pointed to the cup decorated with small fish, and spoke in a much softer voice.

Ah Kun paused for a moment, then looked at Uncle Lin sitting in the chair behind him, seemingly oblivious to everything. The man acted like a hands-off manager, deliberately intending for him to handle all the price inquiries and transactions.

Remembering the scolding he had just received, he replied dryly, "Well, one hundred and fifty yuan."

The girl picked it up and played with it for a moment before noticing the price tag. She hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked in a low voice, "Is one hundred yuan okay?"

Ah Kun's brows furrowed almost reflexively, when he heard a throat-clearing sound behind him. Chi Chi, who was squatting on the stall, called out to him, "Idiot, sell it! Old Lin has already agreed."

"...One hundred and twenty yuan!"

Ah Kun hardened his heart: "It can't go any lower."

Seeing that the other party was still wavering, Ah Kun raised his voice a little higher, as if to emphasize that this price was the bottom line, with a bluffing determination: "This glaze, this craftsmanship, you can't buy this kind of pattern anywhere else. It's an exclusive custom-made product, and the cost is more than a hundred yuan!"

Upon hearing this, the other person looked at the cup, which did indeed suit their taste, and then glanced at the kitten beside her who was looking at her expectantly. Finally, they nodded and said, "Okay, then you can wrap it up for me."

To his surprise, a deal was actually closed. Ah Kun hurriedly took the money, awkwardly packed it up for the other party, carefully placed it in a bag, and then handed it to them.

It meowed reluctantly, nuzzled the hand of its first customer of the night, and watched as the customer and his friends left happily.

Ah Kun rubbed the money in his hand with his fingertips and for the first time felt that speaking reasonably and logically wasn't so difficult after all.

Seeing something successfully bought by someone gives me a subtle sense of accomplishment.

"Put the money away and keep an account," Uncle Lin's voice rang out from behind. "Be a little gentler, or you'll scare them away again."

The lights in the market lit up one by one, and the number of people in front of the stalls varied. Ah Kun was not good at hawking and advertising, and his expression was quite stiff, but at least he didn't get angry anymore. When he encountered people trying to bargain, he just suppressed his anger and shook his head to refuse.

Because they had a "mascot" that other stalls didn't have, they made quite a few transactions that night.

Young girls are always drawn to the adorable kittens at first glance, lingering in front of the stall and queuing up to pet them.

While offering their cuteness, they will also reach out their paws to touch small items such as ceramic cups, ceramic shards, or ceramic ornaments that suit them.

"Oh my god, is she recommending me?"

"So smart, so cute!"

"Boss, I'll take this one, the one the cat touched just now."

"No, no, she picked it out for me, I want to buy this one..."

Upon seeing such a clever cat that even helps promote the goods at their stall, the girls were overjoyed and almost without hesitation took out their money to buy the little trinkets recommended by the cat.

In addition, Lin Bo's pottery is of very high quality and has a unique style, so business is better than expected and the income is quite considerable.

Before he could even pack up his stall, Ah Kun started counting the money, arranging the banknotes by size and the coins clattering around.

This was the first time he had earned so much money on his own. Compared to earning a little pocket money by running errands in the past, selling things at a stall based on his own skills gave him a real sense of security.

Uncle Lin was tidying up the remaining pottery when he saw Ah Kun counting money so earnestly, looking like he'd never seen anything like it before, and he clicked his tongue.

"Who counts money in front of their customers?"

The boy, unusually, didn't retort. He grinned, revealing his white teeth: "I'll count for you."

As the crowds in the market gradually thinned out, the other stalls also began to pack up.

While they were packing up, Chi Chi took a stroll around the not-so-crowded market.

"Aren't you coming back yet?" She had just strolled to the street corner, ready to admire the night view of Jiufen, when she heard the boy's voice behind her, "It's time to go back."

"I didn't expect him to remember to ask me to ride back with him," Chi Chi said to 1221.

“Never mind him, let’s go up the steps and have some fun.” 1221 was already eager to try. “Why go back so early? We don’t need to finish work early.”

"But I want to see how they finish work."

Hesitantly wavering between the night view of the mountain city and the two people behind him, he heard Ah Kun shouting louder and louder: "Come again next time. Anyway, Uncle Lin said he's short on money lately, so he'll definitely have to come and set up a stall more often."

Seeing that all the surrounding stalls had emptied their goods, Uncle Lin instructed Ah Kun to pack the unsold pottery back into cardboard boxes and put them in the truck bed.

After a few quick movements, the kitten ran back to the stall from the street corner, jumped onto Ah Kun's shoulder, and after everything was loaded into the car, the kitten followed the humans to the passenger seat.

The carriage smelled of old leather as it carried two people, a cat, and the remaining ceramics into the nighttime traffic.

The little train stopped at a street corner in Minsheng Street. Ah Kun opened the door and jumped off. He had been busy from morning till night, and his steps were still a little heavy.

Just as the boy was about to turn around and walk into the alley with the cat on his back, Uncle Lin called him back, counted out a few bills from the money he had just earned from his stall that day, and handed them to him.

"Here, this is today's pay."

Ah Kun thought he would be working for free for several months, but he was surprised to receive a wage on his first day of setting up a stall. He was a little at a loss.

Instead of taking it immediately, he nervously rubbed his palm against his pocket: "Actually, I still have the medical expenses you gave me last time."

"I know you didn't go to the hospital."

Lin Bo's wrinkled face was not clearly visible in the shadows, but there was no reprimand in his tone, which made Ah Kun feel even more ashamed.

"I don't want it, you can take it back."

"It's only right that labor should be rewarded." Uncle Lin's voice carried a hint of sternness. "Take it, don't waste my time."

Ah Kun hesitated for a moment, but still took the banknotes, which were more than he had expected. He held the money in his hand, and the sharp edges of the paper felt so rough to his skin for the first time.

"...Thanks."

The barely audible thank you came out of his mouth, muffled and somewhat awkward.

The other person didn't say anything, just waved for him to leave quickly, then turned around and left the street corner. His taillights flashed a few times in front of the alley before disappearing into the night.

He noticed the other person's shoulders stiffen and tilted his head to look at their expression.

Ah Kun kept his head down, still clutching the money in his hand. This was clean money he had earned through his own labor, not from stealing or cheating, nor was it the "hardship fee" casually tossed away by those hooligans in internet cafes and billiard halls.

This money was like a key, turning a rusty lock.

Chichi called out softly, breaking the other person's reverie: "It's your right to take it anyway, don't think about it. From now on, you can add a big chicken leg every time you buy a bento box."

He carefully folded the money in his hand and stuffed it deep in his pocket. The newfound strength made Ah Kun look forward to tomorrow even more.

"I'm going home," Ah Kun said to the kitten on his shoulder. "See you tomorrow."

Once the other person had entered the gate, 1221 said to the kitten incredulously, "Did I hear that right? This kid actually told the kitten to see him tomorrow. He's not like before when he was annoyed by us following him."

"They never chased us away when they were annoyed, which means they were never annoyed at all."

"Saying one thing and meaning another, being inconsistent with one's words, is indeed a common part of the complexities of human emotions," 1221 said. "It seems you are becoming more and more aware of these complexities."

"Of course."

Chichi felt a little smug.

"Let's go. We didn't stay in the mountain town to see the night view earlier. Let's wander around here now. The night here has a different feel."

Longyun Street is quieter at night than Jiufen. The streetlights are dim, illuminating only a small area, showing ordinary local life without the noise of tourists.

Chichi was strolling lightly down the slope, exchanging scents and greeting a friendly stray cat by the roadside.

Just as I was about to ask if there were any places nearby where I could get a late-night snack, Chichi and the other person both perked up their ears at the same time.

A small cart selling fish balls slowly passed by, and a stray cat sniffed at her, as if to say, "Hurry up and try your luck."

After a long delay, I said goodbye to the other person and followed the delicious aroma of the fish balls onto the cart.

Finally, when they stopped near Minsheng Street to serve late-night snacks to people returning from their night shifts, the kitten also managed to snag two handmade fish balls.

It's smooth and bouncy; it'll bounce back and forth if you throw it on the ground, and you don't have to worry about fish bones.

After a late-night snack, I felt completely refreshed and relaxed. I stretched leisurely and strolled along the quiet alleyways.

With her stomach full, she felt sleepy and decided to find a comfortable place to rest. Anyway, Ah Kun had been getting up early to go to the workshop very conscientiously these past few days, so she didn't need to supervise him anymore, nor did she need to keep a close eye on him at his doorstep all day.

It slowly and gracefully leaped onto a low wall, habitually seeking a corner where the cat could feel safe.

A familiar intuition welled up inside me, and after watching the 1221 flashing for a while, I followed my intuition and walked towards the end of the fork in the road.

Sure enough, in a courtyard where half the walls were covered with ivy, I spotted a figure.

The moonlight was like water, and the man in the wheelchair sat under the magnolia tree, as if he had been waiting there all along.

Having experienced what happened in the last world, Chi Chi wasn't surprised this time. Instead, her eyes lit up as if she had seen an old friend, and the tip of her tail happily curled up slightly.

She jumped down from the wall and jogged straight toward the wheelchair.

Once a kitten remembers someone, it will even memorize the scent of that person. Just now, she sensed a familiar scent—clean, slightly cool, and pleasant—that made her feel inexplicably calm.

1221 is playing dead again.

He walked slowly to the wheelchair and greeted the other person: "Hi, you're here again."

She sniffed the other person's hand hanging by their side, then affectionately rubbed her furry head against the cool back of their hand.

Having grown accustomed to the other party's aloofness that kept cats at arm's length, Chi Chi had intended to simply cuddle briefly and then leave. However, the hand, which had been perfectly still and as white as jade, moved slightly and reached out towards her.

What does this mean?

He tilted his head, not quite understanding.

But she knew that reaching out to a kitten couldn't be a rejection, and the kitten's overwhelming sense of worthyness made her understand immediately, so she jumped onto its lap.

She lay down on the other person's lap, curling herself into a round, fluffy ball, as if this was the place she had found to stay for the night.

Although 1221 didn't dare to make a sound, he inexplicably saw the other party screaming and scrolling comments on the screen.

"Aaaaaaah, get down here right now! Are you out of your mind?!"

"What's the matter?"

The kitten was perfectly justified; after all, he reached out first.

A silent person needs a thick-skinned kitten. After carefully observing the situation, I didn't sense any disgust or surprise from the other person's approach. Although the other person's legs weren't that soft, they were warmer than I had imagined.

After she jumped up, the other party made no further moves and returned to their usual silence.

The magnolia leaves rustled softly in the wind, and the kitten relaxed and drifted off to sleep.