Chapter 44 There's a cat in the iron pot stewed chicken!
Ji Ge'er's face was pale from running, his chest heaving like a bellows. Shen Miao quickly pulled him into the courtyard and hurriedly went in to pour him water, scolding, "Have you forgotten everything I told you before? Why did you run back? Is passing the exam more important than your health? Health is the most important thing... the most important thing for life!"
She almost blurted out those two words, but quickly swallowed them back.
As soon as she entered her own home, before she could even pour water, Shen Ji suddenly turned around, buried his face in Shen Miao's arms without saying a word, and hugged her tightly.
Shen Miao stood there, holding two plump chickens in one hand, stunned.
Compared to Xiangjie, Jige rarely showed her such intimacy. Sometimes when Xiangjie snuggled into her arms and acted coquettishly, Jige would just stand aside and laugh at her for being so shy, still clinging to her older sister even at her age.
At this point, Xiang Jie would only raise her chin even higher and hug her waist even tighter.
Since she returned to Bianjing and became involved in Ji Ge'er's life, this seemed to be the first time he had shown such emotional expression.
"I got sixth place. Sister," his voice sounded muffled because it was muffled by his clothes, but he was actually trembling with joy and couldn't help but want to cry. "I actually got sixth place."
Without a teacher to guide him, without classmates to encourage him, and without his father to offer any advice, he only had three old books given to him by his ninth brother, and those lonely nights spent desperately studying and doing practice problems.
As he read late into the night, he often wondered if his continued reading was truly useful. Was it just a waste of time, a pointless exercise? He felt as if he were standing in a fog, lost and confused, both proud and insecure. Even when facing his closest sister, he couldn't fully express these doubts and anxieties.
With no one to tell him what to do and no idea where he was going, he could only walk forward in a daze, not even knowing where he was.
Later, he couldn't help but seek his sister's comfort, like a traveler longing for light in the cold night. And he did find comfort. He tossed and turned in bed, repeating his sister's words, trying to convince himself not to be anxious, not to have expectations, and not to overexert himself for an outcome that was yet to come... But even though he understood the reasoning, his heart still couldn't be contained.
Even on the way to the outer city with Uncle Li to see the list, his heart was like a boiling oil pan, and every step he took was filled with torment.
When they arrived at the entrance of Biyong Academy, a large list filled with names had already been posted, and a crowd of people had gathered around it. Uncle Li pulled him along, and it took a lot of effort to squeeze in.
Squeezing down to the bottom of the list, his heart pounded like a drum, and he barely dared to look up. So he carefully counted backwards from the 100th person admitted. When he reached the 70th person, he saw Hai Ge'er's name, but he hadn't seen his own yet.
My heart skipped a beat.
Hai Ge'er memorizes faster than him and is more talented at writing. Even Hai Ge'er only ranked seventyth. So what about him?
Did he fail the exam?
He counted up to fifty, but still didn't see his name. He closed his eyes, not daring to look any longer. Li Tiaozi was also very nervous. He couldn't read, so he could only twist his fingers and ask him, "Ji-ge'er, have you seen Gou'er's name?"
Shen Ji shook his head and had no choice but to continue counting upwards.
He's in twentieth place now. The top twenty children have been relegated to the "First Class," and even the ink used to write their names has been changed to bright vermilion, so red it stings into his eyes. He's in twentieth place, and neither is Gou'er.
It's tenth place now, still nothing.
His heart was pounding in his throat. In despair, he glanced up one last time and suddenly saw a red "济" character. His gaze immediately stopped, and he slowly, very slowly, looked back and stopped on that line.
The name hanging high on the list seemed to shine, striking his already dim eyes.
"Sixth in the Jia family, Shen Ji, second in his generation, resides in Yangliu East Lane, Jinliang Bridge, Yongkangfang..."
Shen Ji's body trembled violently, his eyes wide with disbelief. He read the words over and over again, even tiptoeing to check the address three times, just in case it was someone with the same name and he was disappointed. When he finally understood, the heart that was about to leap out of his throat did not return to its place. Instead, it surged with an impulse that seemed to want to burst straight out of the top of his head.
But he quickly suppressed this impulse, because he saw Uncle Li still waiting anxiously, even though he was illiterate, he was still scanning back and forth in front of the densely packed list, trying to identify the various ink blots on it.
Shen Ji quickly and carefully scanned the list again, but couldn't find Gou'er's name from beginning to end. So he could only tell him in a very low voice. Although Li Tiaozi showed a hint of disappointment, he quickly smiled and said, "It's alright, it's alright. Gou'er is a year younger than you. He can take the exam again next year. He can take it again next year."
Afterwards, the two headed back home. Li Tiaozi had walked very fast when he went to see the results, but now that he knew his son had failed the exam, his steps slowed down and he lingered, as if he was sighing with every step.
Shen Ji accompanied him for a while, but couldn't bear it any longer. He apologized and then ran off on his own.
He dared not reveal his joy to those who were down on their luck, but he longed to go home as soon as possible, and the first person he told was his older sister.
He passed the exam, he really passed! So he ran faster and faster, the wind whistling past his ears, his chest feeling like it was on fire, all the joy and exhilaration were released in the running, but all these intense emotions disappeared the moment he saw his older sister.
For some reason, he suddenly felt a little wronged, and a sour feeling slowly rose from the depths of his heart.
He held his sister's thin waist, and the days of studying for the exam alone flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern. After saying, "I got sixth place," he choked up and couldn't say anything more.
His only response was his sister's hand gently patting his back.
His older sister's hands were those of a worker, not very delicate, and had many scars, but the warmth of her hands as she stroked his back quickly calmed him down. When he finally calmed down, he suddenly realized what he had done.
What is he doing?
He's so cheesy!
Shen Ji hopped backward like a rabbit, his face flushed, and ran back into the house.
Why is this child so easily startled? Shen Miao, carrying the plump chicken, smiled wryly, then casually said to his hurried back, "Ji-ge'er, you rest in the house for a while. Remember to go to the alley and find Xiang-jie and You-yu later. Those two are unreliable; they disappeared while walking the dog."
He paused, then shouted excitedly towards his house, "Ji-ge'er, well done!"
After saying that, she happily hummed the song "Good luck, let's eat chicken tonight" and went into the kitchen to chop up the chicken.
Shen Ji buried his face, which was so embarrassed it was almost bleeding, in the quilt for a long time. Only when he heard the familiar thud of a knife hitting a thick chopping board coming from the kitchen did he get up again and sneak out of the back door of the courtyard to find Xiang Jie'er.
He peered into the back doors of each neighbor's house, but couldn't find Xiang Jie'er. It wasn't until he reached the Gu family's oil mill at the deepest part of the alley that he heard Xiang Jie'er playing house with the other children.
The Gu family's house was more spacious than the others. In the courtyard, there was a large stone mill, a tall wooden lever, and a huge iron pot for frying oil. Next to it was a huge warehouse that looked like a tall tower, which was used to store oil. Bags of sesame seeds, rapeseed, and soybeans were placed on raised wooden shelves. As soon as you entered the Gu family's house, you could smell the rich and fragrant aroma of oil.
The previous generation of the Gu family has all passed away. Now, the head of the family is the young Gu Dalang, who is only a few years older than his older sister. He has a good temper that seems to have been soaked in sesame oil, and he has a chubby belly like a watermelon. He loves playing with the children the most.
When Ji Ge'er arrived, Xiang Jie'er was dressed as a barber, and Gu Dalang was lying on a bamboo chair as a guest, letting Xiang Jie'er massage him.
His twin children, Abao and Adi, became Xiangjie's apprentices. With a green dragon on the left and a white tiger on the right, one pretended to hand over a razor and the other pretended to hold hot water, eagerly waiting for Xiangjie, the barber, to assign them jobs.
Lei Ting and You Yu sat dumbfounded on the other two bamboo chairs, clearly the previous group of guests who had just been ravaged. Lei Ting had two pigtails sticking up on his head, while You Yu had two uneven braids.
Shen Ji curiously peeked out.
"Uncle, did I do a good job? When you wash your hair later, do you want to use soap or not?" Xiangjie asked earnestly.
Gu Dalang was amused and kept laughing, but he had to play along, so he suppressed a laugh and asked, "What's the significance of all this?"
"It's very important! Wash with soap to prevent lice, and then comb your hair with a fine-toothed comb. Your hair will stay shiny, smooth, and tangle-free for ten days to half a month."
"That's good, then wash with soap."
"Washing with soap costs an extra thirty dollars, and this soap of mine is the finest mutton fat soap."
Gu Dalang was shocked and sat up from the bamboo chair, suppressing a laugh: "No, no, then I won't do it."
Sister Xiang quickly pressed the person back down: "Oh, you're a regular customer, let me give you a discount!"
"How cheap is it?" Gu Dalang couldn't hold back any longer. When he was forced to lean back in his chair, his shoulders were shaking with laughter.
"How about twenty coins for you? Quick! Ah Bao, bring me some soap! Get our uncle the best!"
"Hey! Coming!" Abao responded, running into the house and then running out again, pretending to be carrying something. She then stepped forward and staged a scene of a daughter betraying her father, shouting to him, "Uncle, your soap is here!"
Gu Dalang grinned so hard his gums were showing: "Okay, okay, then hurry up and wash."
"Uncle, would you like to shave? It costs ten coins."
Gu Dalang jumped up in shock again: "You're a heartless shop! I'm not getting a shave anymore!"
Xiang Jie quickly pressed him down again: "Don't go, I'll give you five coins."
So the children played and frolicked in the courtyard, which smelled of oil, rubbing Gu Dalang's hair and combing his scalp. They even seriously used a small wooden shaving stick to shave his face. After all that, Xiangjie asked her younger brother to bring her a mirror and praised, "Uncle, look at you! After washing and shaving, you look so presentable!"
Gu Dalang laughed so hard he almost fell off his chair. Is that how you praise someone?
"Uncle, want to shave? Or maybe get a mustache with the sides sticking up?"
Gu Dalang had already guessed what Xiang Jie'er meant. He patted his belly, glanced at her sideways, and smiled, "Does this mean I have to pay more?"
"Hehe, just add five coins, you're a regular customer, it's free for you!"
"You barber, you make money from this and that, you can earn quite a bit every day!" Gu Dalang couldn't stop laughing at her again.
"Oh, not at all, it's all hard-earned money!" Sister Xiang rubbed her hands together, revealing a cute yet shrewd face. "You can't not earn money, my older sister said you can't just rely on your looks to make a living, you'll easily get cheated! Either study more or earn more money, you have to do one of them!"
Gu Dalang laughed heartily, and even Shen Ji, who was eavesdropping outside the door, couldn't help but laugh.
When he went in to arrest the man, Gu Dalang had already been tortured into a pitiful figure with disheveled hair, a bald patch on his sideburns, and several of his beard hairs pulled out. Seeing Shen Ji come to take him away, he quickly turned and ran away, saying, "Your brother is here, stop making trouble! Go home now!"
The customer just slipped away like that. After the shampoo, shave, beard trim, and sideburn trim, they still needed to have the split ends cut! Xiangjie stamped her foot and then looked hopefully at her brother: "Brother, would you like to get a haircut too?"
"Shave your head, your sister is calling you back."
Grabbing his mischievous younger sister by the back of the neck, and holding the confused Youyu in his other hand, and telling Leiting to follow, Shen Ji took away a whole bunch of children by himself, finally rescuing the Gu family from the constant commotion caused by the children gathering together.
The three people and their dog were walking home when they passed the Li family's house. They heard Li Gou'er's shrill cries through the wall, as well as Aunt Li's wailing and cursing, pounding her chest and stamping her feet: "You good-for-nothing! Your mother has accompanied you to study every day, burning the midnight oil to study with you. How much money and how much effort have I spent? Where have all those studies gone! It's all for nothing!"
Xiangjie paused, instinctively wanting to peek through the crack in the door to see what was happening, but Shenji, who had rushed over, shushed her and pulled her away. Xiangjie asked worriedly, "Brother, won't Gou'er get beaten?"
Shen Ji couldn't say for sure either. Aunt Li was known in the alley for being competitive and always comparing herself to others, so he shook his head and said, "In any case, don't go in. Otherwise, Aunt Li will be even angrier when she sees us."
"Why?" Xiangjie tilted her head.
Shen Ji was speechless and whispered, "I passed the exam, but Gou'er didn't. We still have to go together. Do you think Aunt Li feels? She won't think you're worried about Li Gou'er. She'll probably think you're here to laugh at her. Besides, Gou'er is at home. His parents are there. Even if he gets beaten or scolded, it probably won't be too bad. Uncle Li loves him so much."
"You passed the exam, brother!" Xiangjie suddenly realized and jumped up in surprise.
Shen Ji quickly covered her mouth: "Keep your voice down."
"This is a great thing, it's not something shameful..." Xiangjie muttered, glancing back one last time. Li Gou'er's crying echoed through the alley like a taut string. Hearing it, she felt a pang of sympathy, reached out to take Chen Ji's hand, but in the end, she obediently stopped talking and went back to her own home.
"My older sister is the best. She never hits anyone," she thought to herself.
Shen Miao was washing the blood off the chicken in the kitchen when she heard the crying coming in from outside the window. She paused for a moment, then sighed and continued washing the chicken in the large bowl.
She had originally planned to invite Aunt Gu's family over to celebrate this auspicious day with Ji-ge'er. She had even bought two exceptionally large chickens, plump and tender, still containing eggs. But now, hearing the Li family's grand celebration, she feared that if she were to hold a large-scale celebration for Ji-ge'er, Aunt Li's petty nature would lead to a lifetime of resentment.
Never mind, let's just have a small drink with family.
After washing the chicken, she prepared side dishes such as shiitake mushrooms, chicken blood, lettuce, white cabbage, and fried tofu skin on the counter.
Firewood was already burning in the stove, flames roaring. The pot was hot, so a piece of lard was knocked out. Once the oil was hot, scallions and ginger were added and stir-fried, followed by Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and other spices, releasing a rich aroma. Then, chicken pieces were added and stir-fried until the chicken turned slightly yellow. Then, fermented bean paste, soy sauce, salt, and other seasonings were added. Shen Miao also added a large bowl of Shaoxing wine, drizzling it along the edge of the pot. The aroma of the wine immediately rose in white steam, mingling with the spices and chicken, making it even more fragrant.
Sauté the chicken until it changes color and releases its aroma, then add enough water to cover the ingredients, cover the pot, and simmer.
As the broth gradually thickens, the aroma of chicken mingles with the fragrance of other vegetables, filling the air. Add more side dishes and continue simmering for a while.
While waiting, she started kneading the dough.
The flatbread for the braised chicken in a clay pot is also particular. In the past, Shen Miao liked to make cornbread by mixing cornmeal with wheat flour, which gave it a sweet corn flavor and made it even tastier. But since there was no corn available at the time, she used pure wheat flour, which was just as good.
Knead the dough until smooth, divide it into small portions, and soak them in cold water for half an hour. Then take them out, stretch them out with both hands, and stick them around the entire circle of the iron pot. She will also deliberately stick them a little low so that the lower part of the pancake will be soaked in the rich broth of the iron pot chicken. The pancake absorbs the aroma of the chicken, and the chicken absorbs the flavor of the pancake. It is so delicious that it can make people dizzy.
When eating, don't serve it out. While the flatbread is cooking, Shen Miao uses the leftover bricks from building the house to build a clay stove in the yard that can hold the iron pot. She takes an iron pan used for baking bread in the earthen kiln, puts some charcoal in it, lights it, and places it in the stove. This way, when eating iron pot chicken, you can simply take the iron pot out and place it on the stove, and everyone can eat around the pot, enjoying the hot food from beginning to end.
By the time the chicken stew in the iron pot was ready, it was getting late.
Two chickens and a bunch of side dishes filled the large iron pot to the brim. When Shen Miao took a deep breath and lifted it out with force, the broth in the pot had just been removed from the heat and was still gently bubbling and making a gurgling sound.
Set up on the brick stove, Youyu scurried over a stool, and Jige and Xiangjie shared chopsticks and bowls. The little dog, who had been out playing all day, returned sometime earlier. Smelling the aroma, it wagged its fan-like tail and plopped down on Shen Miao's feet, refusing to budge no matter how much she tried to shoo it away.
Thunder was much more reserved than it, slowly walking over before finally choosing to lie down at Ji Ge'er's feet.
The sky hung low, and a few silver-nail-like stars were nailed into the dark blue sky that was not yet completely black. The warm summer breeze gently passed over the courtyard wall and stirred the charcoal fire in the earthen stove. The charcoal crackled and popped as it burned, and sparks appeared and disappeared. The chicken in the pot was boiling. Chen Miao stood up and lifted the lid, and the aroma poured out like a thick fog, spreading to all corners amidst Xiang Jie'er's "Wow!"
The four people sat around the large pot. Between each pair of people, Shen Miao placed two extra stools to hold wine bowls and plates for spitting out bones.
Children shouldn't drink alcohol, so she poured a bowl of cypress leaf wine, which had been soaked in well water, for herself and Youyu. Jige'er and Xiangjie'er drank the sour plum soup that Mei Sanniang had brought to sell. She pinched Xiangjie'er's pouty lips, which looked like they could hang an oil bottle on them, and excitedly told everyone to raise their bowls and take a sip first:
"Today we're here to celebrate Ji-ge'er's admission to Biyong Academy! And he's the top student, the very best one! You're amazing! From now on, Ji-ge'er will be able to study at the best academy, and his future will surely be smooth sailing!"
"May everything go smoothly!" Sister Xiang shouted repeatedly.
"And we must be happy!" Shen Miao added.
"Ah! Ah!" This was Yu's excited shout.
Four hands raised the earthenware bowl high, and against the backdrop of the night sky, the stove fire, and the boiling pot, they clattered together. Wine and soup splashed out, and laughter and blessings seemed to flow into the courtyard with the moonlight that quietly hung on the treetops.
After that, everyone focused on eating, because it smelled so good that they didn't have time to talk. The chicken was stewed until tender, and the flatbread was soaked in the broth, absorbing its aroma. The first bite was so delicious that they almost bit their tongues. When they were half full, Sister Xiang remembered to throw some large bones to Lei Ting and the little dog. They picked up the bones and lay down again, also focusing on chewing slowly.
After finishing their meal, Shen Miao baked the remaining unsoaked flatbreads in the kitchen and mixed them with the pork bone broth she had made for the two dogs. Lei Ting also ate until he was full and lay down on the front porch, seemingly too full to move.
Xiang Jie was so weak from holding onto a pillar that she leaned on it as she walked. She collapsed onto Lei Ting, hugged him, and squinted, refusing to move.
Shen Ji wasn't much better off; he was pacing around in the courtyard.
Yu obediently went to wash the dishes, while Chenmiao used a long bamboo pole to hook down the lanterns in the yard, lit them, and hung them back up. The lanterns illuminated the moonlight spilling across the yard, giving it a warm glow, as if it were shimmering with a gentle, watery light.
Only the little yellow dog ran out the door again, and after a while it came back carrying something in its mouth.
When Shen Miao saw that it had something in its mouth, she knew something was wrong.
This little dog has grown up and become even more mischievous. Lately, it not only loves to run outside, but it also loves to bring smelly shoes home. I don't know where it stole them from, but it has brought them home several times already, and it always picks one shoe at a time. I wonder how the people who lost their shoes are cursing them out.
Later, Shenmiao found a basket and placed it in the alley, specifically to hold the tattered, smelly shoes it brought back, so that people could claim them.
So when she saw it excitedly bringing something back again, she assumed it had gone to steal shoes again, which gave Shen Miao the creeps. She quickly ran over, grabbed the dog's ear, and scolded it: "How many times have I told you not to bring things back! You never listen. If Lei Ting beats you up later, you'll know what pain is! Where did you get those shoes from? And what's that in your mouth? Hurry up and return them to them..."
Before he could finish speaking, the puppy spat out what was in his mouth onto the ground.
Shen Miao looked down and saw that it didn't seem to be a smelly shoe, but a large, hairy rat that was still wriggling on the ground.
She exclaimed "Ah!" and took two steps back. Looking again, it didn't seem so. Are there spotted mice? Aren't all mice gray?
And this big rat was actually meowing "meow...meow..."
Shen Miao had a bad feeling. She squatted down and gently poked it with her finger. It was soft and warm. When she turned it over, she saw that it was indeed a kitten whose eyes were not yet fully open! It was a tricolor kitten, yellow, white and black. The kitten was wet all over from the puppy's saliva. Only one eye was open, and it seemed that it could not see very clearly. It was crawling around on the ground with its eyes half-closed.
"Where did you steal this cat from?!" Shen Miao pointed at the puppy, exclaiming in despair, "What are we going to do? There's no mother cat and no goat's milk, how can we raise this kitten! Where did you steal it from? Quick, let's return it before the mother cat finds out."
The puppy barked innocently.
Shen Miao grabbed the bowl she usually used to feed the chickens, put the cat in it, and led the dog outside, looking everywhere for any signs of a mother cat giving birth. But she walked from Yangliu East Alley to Yangliu West Alley, asked other cat owners, and even crossed Jinliang Bridge to search, but found nothing.
Finally, even the tabby cat was found—ever since Shenmiao stopped setting up a stall on Jinliang Bridge, it led its little brother to a kind-hearted fish shop, where it squatted every day to help watch the stall, and thus received a few small fish from the stall owner every day.
Chen Miao walked back, listless and dejected, leading her dog and holding her cat. Suddenly, she heard someone calling her from afar. Turning her head, she saw a horse-drawn carriage squeezed through the crowded people. The familiar chestnut horse snorted and struggled through the crowd toward her.
"Whoa—"
Zhou Da wiped the sweat from his forehead and finally stopped the carriage in front of Madam Shen.
Xie Qi was both surprised and delighted, and hurriedly got out of the carriage: "Madam Chen, I didn't expect to run into you strolling through the night market."
Why bother going to the night market? She was completely ruined by her own dog. Shen Miao smiled bitterly, "I... sigh... I came out to look for my cat."
Xie Qi looked down and saw that Shen Miao was holding a flat earthenware basin with a cat inside that was not much bigger than a mouse. He nodded and said, "Oh, you found it? Madam Shen has a cat at home again?"
"No, it's all its fault!" Shen Miao was furious and revealed all the dog's crimes, how it brought back shoes and cats. Because she was angry, she told the story in a more vivid and interesting way, which made Xie Qi's sorrow at parting lessen a lot.
Tonight he is going to see his third brother, Xie Su, off out of the city.
He was so determined to leave that no one could dissuade him. Even after his father returned from court, he tried to persuade him for an hour, but to no avail. So that very night, he packed his bags, took two horses, and only two servants with him, and set off for the city.
Xie Qi escorted him all the way to the outer city post road, and then Xie Su urged him to return.
Under the clear night sky, the ancient road stretched out behind him. He mounted his horse and said to Xie Qi with guilt, "Brother is incompetent. I entrust our parents and great-grandmother to you in the future." After saying that, he smiled self-deprecatingly, "I'm just worrying for nothing. You've been more sensible than me since you were little. Even without me saying anything, you would do a good job."
Xie Qi didn't know what to say to him, his heart felt heavy, and in the end he could only step forward and say, "Brother, take care."
Xie Su laughed loudly: "Don't worry, I won't die."
He spoke lightly, but his expression quickly turned serious. After a moment of contemplation, he beckoned Xie Qi to come closer and leaned down from his horse to whisper to him, "In my room, the fourth brick under the bed is loose. Hidden under the brick is evidence I used to investigate the Xu family case years ago, which I obtained in exchange for my severed hand. Three years ago, I also found two watchmen who witnessed someone climbing over the wall to enter and exit when the Xu family of three was poisoned. Unfortunately, the next day, a case of a runaway horse charging into pedestrians occurred in the inner city. Not only were the watchmen trampled to death, but other innocent merchants were also implicated. However, the person who rode the horse claimed that the horse was accidentally startled and that he was also injured, and the matter was hastily closed."
“If I can truly reopen the Western Regions route and return alive like Marquis Bowang, you don’t need to take these words seriously. Just pretend I farted today. If…” Xie Su paused, then smiled and patted his younger brother’s shoulder casually, “If news of my death comes from afar in the future, don’t forget this case. If you have the chance, you must help your brother investigate it and not let so many innocent people die without justice.”
After saying this, Xie Su stood up, took one last deep look at Xie Qi, pulled on the reins with one hand, squeezed the horse's belly with both legs, and galloped westward like a shooting star, never looking back.
After Xie Su left, Xie Qi stood alone in the night for a long time.
His parents and great-grandmother wanted to come and see him off, but he refused, saying he didn't want to leave in tears, as he wouldn't be able to leave in peace. He said he had failed to repay all the kindness he had received in his life, and had lost his teachers and friends. He only wanted his ninth son to accompany him on his final journey.
Perhaps he had already planned this out, not wanting to cause his parents any more heartache or worry, and wanted to say these final words to them.
Thinking of Xie Qi, Xie Qi looked at the cat in Chen Miao's arms again, and felt a pang of sadness. His elder brother also kept two fat cats in his courtyard, which never caught mice, but only loved to scratch the bed curtains. Because of this, every single one of his brother's bed curtains was adorned with delicate tassels. Now that his brother was gone, his two cats had been sent to his great-grandmother's courtyard. He could only hope that the two fat cats wouldn't scratch his great-grandmother's bed curtains like that.
"Sigh, I've gone around twice already, and I haven't found the kitten's mother or any other mother cat that can nurse it. Otherwise, spending some money to have someone else's cat nurse another kitten would have been a solution. Now, this is really troublesome." Shen Miao sighed deeply.
The flickering lights of the night market illuminated Madam Shen's furrowed brows like a reflection in still water, creating a scene of beauty reminiscent of viewing flowers through water. He glanced at her and hurriedly looked away, instinctively saying, "I have a cat at home. Perhaps I can help Madam Shen raise it for a while, and then return it to her after weaning."
Shen Miao was overjoyed: "Then I will entrust it to Ninth Brother without hesitation!"
Xie Qi's cheeks flushed as he smiled at her smiling face. He subconsciously took the soft, palm-sized cat, not having time to think about whether the cat his brother had left behind was male or female. Instead, he looked down at the cat, gently stroked its back, and asked, "So what should we call it?"
“We just met this dog, and we haven’t named it yet…” Shen Miao said embarrassedly, scratching his head and pointing to the dog at his feet: “I really don’t know how to name dogs. We’ve had this dog for so long, and we still haven’t named it.”
Xie Qi thought for a moment and then smiled, “Since you already have Thunder in your home, why not name it Chasing Wind? That way, it will have the elements of Wind and Thunder from the Four Symbols. And since this little cat has a tuft of yellow on its forehead and a short, thick tail, why not give it the other element of Fire from the Four Symbols and name it Qilin?”
Shen Miao nodded vigorously. "Great! Finally, someone has helped me come up with a nice name."
From now on, Aunt Li will finally be free from glaring at her.
So after Xie Qi parted ways with Madam Shen, he found himself with a cat named Qilin in his arms. Looking down at the kitten that kept snuggling into his embrace, he gently poked its soft fur and murmured to himself, "You are Madam Shen's cat. Although you reside in the Xie family, you should still take Madam Shen's surname. Therefore, your full name will be Shen Qilin. When you grow up, I'll give you a courtesy name..."
The carriage swayed and rocked. Zhou Da, who was riding in the carriage, heard Ninth Brother's nonsense and shook his head.
The old lady is right, Ninth Brother seems to have really gone mad.
When Xie Qi returned home, he rushed to his great-grandmother's yard to look for the cats. But when he lifted the tails of the two fat cats, he was dumbfounded. Both of his brother's cats had two bulging hairy balls hanging from their tails—how could they both be male cats!
Madam Xie was already grieving the sudden departure of her third son, and she and her father even embraced and wept during dinner.
Having just been comforted by Madam Xi and somewhat come to terms with things, Xie Qi's idea of raising cats made him laugh so hard he spat out his tea. Forgetting all about being sad, he laughed loudly, his fingers trembling, "Ninth Brother, Ninth Brother, let alone these two being male cats, even if there were female cats, where would the milk come from to feed them if they didn't have kittens? You've never raised any furry creatures since you were little, you really have no common sense. Alright, alright, Mama Yu, go and melt a bowl of my usual goat milk cake to reward our Ninth Brother's kindness!"
Xie Qi breathed a sigh of relief, holding the goat milk and the cat, and dutifully went back to be the cat's father for the whole night.
The next day, he was summoned by his mother, Madam Xi, with dark circles under his eyes. He was so tired that his steps were unsteady. Every hour and a half, the Qilin would meow loudly from hunger, so he had to get up every one or two hours to feed it. He had already suffered the hardships of raising a child at a young age.
As soon as he entered, Madam Xi was still doing her accounts. Without looking up, she asked while fiddling with the abacus:
"I didn't have time yesterday, but I remembered today. Go and discuss the workshop with Madam Shen. How did the discussion go?"
Xie Qi stood there stunned for a while before remembering what had happened. He tapped his head, his mind filled with the sounds of "Mimi Mimi." Looking at Xi Shi's puzzled gaze, he smiled wryly and said, "Madam Chen agreed immediately, but... but she originally mentioned something about firewalls and separation of finances, I forgot..."
Xi Shi: "..."
Seeing Xie Qi yawning sleepily, she helplessly closed the ledger beside her, thinking, "Fine, I'll go by myself today."
This child has been acting strangely lately; it's a good opportunity to go and see what's going on.
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