Chapter 22: Pudding Kitten Will Always Be With You
Shi Wan curiously opened the user manual, wanting to see if this cat food formula simulator was the kind she needed.
The instruction manual was filled with dense text, including a lot of self-satisfaction and boasting from Meow Meow King.
It took Shi Wan a long time to figure out how to use it.
The cat food formula simulator has a built-in database of many beneficial fruits, vegetables, and meats for cats, and its operating logic follows scientific proportions. Users can simulate formula development by adding various raw materials.
The simulation machine uses scientific calculations to determine whether the product produced by the current formula is feasible and qualified.
In short, by purchasing this machine, Shi Wan can independently develop formulas other than those provided by the system store, without wasting raw materials.
Even though the farm's raw materials are currently limited, she can use the simulator to try to develop the next suitable cat food. Once the development is successful, she can then use the formula to purposefully unlock related plant cultivation or animal breeding.
This greatly increases the cost of trial and error.
Shi Wan was overjoyed and immediately decided that she had to buy this cat food formula simulator. She absolutely couldn't miss out on such a good thing that promotes sustainable development.
Otherwise, she would definitely regret it.
Machines are generally very expensive, and this cat food formula simulator is no exception, priced at 750 points.
Shi Wan's current points savings are almost gone.
Although they were almost the same, she couldn't help but start having a headache again.
I don't know how much space this machine will take up, or where I'll put it after I buy it.
If the area is large, will she need to unlock another factory building first? Or will she place it in the currently empty exhibition hall for now?
One problem can lead to a whole host of problems.
Fortunately, developing new formulas is not an easy task either, and it also requires a lot of time investment.
Instead of urging her to produce results immediately, "Pudding is not a dog" agreed through discussion that Shi Wan must complete the task within two months at the latest.
This extended time was still due to concerns about the health of the pudding.
She checked the backend order status again, took out her calculator, and calculated whether she had enough time to accumulate enough points to invest in the simulation and final production, based on the current order volume.
After calculating for a long time, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It's enough, but you can't completely relax either.
Shi Wan replied to "Pudding is not a dog" and arranged a time to sign the contract, while also asking if she could see Pudding in person.
"Pudding is not a dog" readily agreed.
They discussed some details over voice calls, and when she learned that the brand's contact person and manager were both women, her vigilance lessened.
"Pudding's Not a Dog: So when you come the day after tomorrow, I'll drive to the high-speed rail station to pick you up. We'll go eat first, and then I'll take you to my house to see Pudding?"
"Cat paws are open for business: totally OK."
With everything settled smoothly, Shi Wan could finally relax. She didn't plan to stay too long; a day trip would be ideal.
After all, there are many cats at home that I care about. Even though I know they lived independently before I met them, it's still hard to let go of them emotionally.
I'm always thinking about it: Have you eaten? Is there any clean water left?
So she usually doesn't leave the farm for too long, and doesn't prepare too much food for her cats at home, just enough for the day.
The two cities are very close. Shi Wan got on the bus and sat down. She arrived at her destination in about an hour and a half.
There were quite a few people coming and going at the station. She carried her bag and followed the signs to the parking lot.
"Pudding is not a dog" had already sent her photos of his license plate and parking location. Shi Wan compared them one by one with her phone and finally found her near the exit.
"Pudding is not a dog" was wearing a light yellow knitted sweater. She looked very thin and was a girl who gave a comfortable and elegant first impression.
When she saw Shi Wan walking towards her, she immediately smiled and greeted her, "Hello, are you a staff member at Cat Paw?"
"Yes, my name is Shi Wan, Shi as in time and Wan as in gracefulness," Shi Wan smiled and shook hands with her. "You must be Pudding's mom?"
The girl took the initiative to lead half a step ahead, guiding her towards her car. "Yes, you can call me Jiajia."
Jiajia drove her to a private restaurant. "You must be tired from the long drive. This is one of my favorite restaurants. The food and the atmosphere are both great. You should give it a try."
This restaurant is not big, located on a street in the old town, and looks quite ordinary from the outside.
However, the moment the dishes were served, Shi Wanguang felt that the trip was worthwhile just by smelling them.
His restaurant isn't the type that only serves one type of cuisine; the menu is quite extensive.
Moreover, they can make all kinds of dishes delicious and with their own style. Most importantly, when you see the dish, you won't feel that it has been modified beyond recognition.
They are the type who genuinely put their heart into cooking.
Shi Wan enjoyed the meal very much.
Jiajia is also very talkative. I don't know if it's because she works in social media, but she's good at finding topics and never makes people feel bored during discussions.
After dinner, Jiajia drove her home.
Her family lives in a relatively luxurious villa area in the new city, where the house prices are ridiculously high.
“Our Pudding isn’t afraid of people, but Egg Roll is a bit shy,” Jiajia explained as she pushed open the door, not forgetting to joke, “Luckily, it wasn’t for Egg Roll, otherwise I would have had to search the whole room to catch him.”
"He's harder to pacify than the pig slaughtered for the New Year."
When the door opened, two kittens were seen crouching on the carpet in front of them. However, one of them immediately sprang out and disappeared behind the curtains.
Jiajia sighed, unsurprised. "Danjuan is just too timid. I don't dare take him out. Every time I take him to get a bath, I'm afraid he'll be stressed. He's better now that he's older. When he was little, we had to hire a pet store to come and bathe him."
But Pudding the kitten was very well-behaved. She stood on the carpet, tilting her head back and looking at her owner obediently, occasionally glancing curiously at Shi Wan.
However, it still affectionately snuggled up to Jiajia's legs, rubbing against her and meowing softly.
Jiajia found new slippers for Shiwan before carefully picking up Danjuan, her voice soft and gentle, "Pudding baby, Mommy's home! Did you eat well? Do your feet hurt?"
She took out a bottle of mineral water and handed it to Shi Wan, saying, "I'm sorry, we don't cook often at home, and there's no hot water. Just make do with this mineral water."
Shi Wan took the bottle and drank a couple of sips to moisten her throat, as she had gotten a little thirsty from talking on the way. "It's okay, I often buy bottled water at home too."
She was looking at the pudding in Jiajia's arms.
Pudding's fur is a dark brown with stripes, and it has big, round eyes. Its ears are folded forward and close to its head, like a little owl. It is very quiet in Jiajia's arms.
Scottish Fold cats suffer from many skeletal diseases and respiratory problems due to genetic mutations, and are also at high risk of heart disease. This disease is irreversible and incurable, and many Scottish Fold cats endure intense pain throughout their lives, eventually leading many owners to choose euthanasia for them.
Although they are the product of inbreeding, many unscrupulous breeders choose to breed Scottish Fold cats for high profits because of their cute appearance, regardless of how painful their lives may be.
Many Scottish Fold cats die during the breeding process due to their weak constitution, which is very sad.
The most fundamental way to reduce this situation is to stop breeding.
However, it is very difficult to do in reality.
Shi Wan looked at her quietly nestled in Jiajia's arms and felt a pang of tenderness, wanting to touch her, but also afraid that her touch might hurt her.
Jiajia gently patted Pudding's head and sighed, "Pudding is already four years old. She started having symptoms a year ago. Every day I hoped she would be an exception, but in the end she still had symptoms."
"But Pudding is very well-behaved. Even though I give her medicine every day, she takes it obediently. Sometimes I don't dare to hold her because I'm afraid she'll be in pain, but Pudding will still come to me on her own initiative, lie on me, and whisper for a pat."
“I just thought I had to take care of her no matter what, no matter how much money it cost. I saved her; I stayed with her for three days to bring her back to life. I don’t want to give up on her.”
Jiajia's voice sounded very calm, as if she had said it to herself many times before, "My mother was afraid that I would be sad after Pudding left one day, so she gave me the egg roll. The egg roll looks a lot like Pudding, and my mother really spent a long time choosing it."
"But how can they be the same? I only have one Pudding, and she's so good. No one can replace her."
Shi Wan felt a pang of sadness. She remembered how she cried every day when Tangyuan first went missing.
One day after school, her father took her to a pet store, wanting her to buy a new cat. Shi Wan angrily stomped her foot and ran home.
They are different.
Tangyuan is just tangyuan.
There will never be another glutinous rice ball in the world.
There will never be another glutinous rice ball who would run over to hug her and bury its head in her neck to comfort her after she cried and came home from a bad test.
She thought of glutinous rice balls and suddenly felt a pang of longing for them, so she took out the contract from her bag. "This is the contract. Can you see if there's anything else you need to add? I will definitely try my best to develop a pudding-free cat food as soon as possible."
Jiajia looked at it carefully, and since there were no problems, she signed it.
Shi Wan took the opportunity to scan Pudding's condition with the system and obtained more detailed data.
She didn't stay there for long, just sat for a while and chatted with Jiajia about Pudding's childhood. Before leaving, she squatted down and touched the little Pudding who had come to say goodbye.
Pudding stared at her with its big, round eyes, looking at her docilely without resisting. Instead, it gently nudged her hand with its head.
Back at the farm, she was exhausted from a day's journey. After a quick wash, she crawled into bed.
Tangyuan squatted on the dining table, and after being haphazardly touched, stared at the person who had fallen into a deep sleep on the bed.
Then he nimbly jumped down, then onto the bed, squeezed and crawled to Shi Wan's side, found a position for a while, and finally slammed himself into Shi Wan's arms with a thud.
Shi Wan subconsciously hugged the warm cat in her arms and stroked its fur.
Tangyuan sniffed her face, and finally snuggled up to her and fell asleep.
Life is a vast ocean, and on this long journey you will encounter many people and things, but the kitten will always be with you.
Never to be separated from.
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Author's Note: Today's Employee Profile:
Name: Huanhuan
Breed: Rainbow Civet
Appearance: Its fur is black, yellow, and white, covered with tabby markings. It's a very beautiful calico tabby cat with white chest fur that's long and looks very soft to touch. It has pointed ears and large, round eyes that seem to have natural eyeliner – a truly beautiful cat.
Personality: Very lively and always on the go. She loves patrolling the entire farm, jumping around everywhere. She's a good fighter and very competitive. If you praise her skills, she'll come over and chime in.
Identity: Member of the Meow Meow Clan, Employee of Factory No. 1
Age: Around four years old (she's a big sister cat)
Hobbies: Parkour, fighting, sunbathing, catching birds
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