Chapter 93 Birthday Oolong: Zhizhi and the Cat's Gift
The starry surprise Xinglin created on her birthday night was like a carefully treasured candy, its sweetness gently permeating Shi Wan's busy days that followed.
She still spins around like a top every day, but there's always a soft spot in a corner of her heart.
She always had a smile on her face. People are always happy when they feel cared for and loved.
It was another sunny Tuesday morning. Shi Wan was checking the design drafts when her phone, which was on the table, suddenly rang loudly, and the words "Zhizhi" appeared on the screen.
Shi Wan answered the phone in surprise, and Wang Zhizhi's energetic voice came from the other end, "Shi Xiaowan! Hurry! Come to the farm gate to greet me! I've come with generous gifts to give you guidance!"
Shi Wan was even more confused. "Zhizhi? You don't have to go to work today? Why did you suddenly come over?"
Judging from that sound, it doesn't sound like someone who's heartbroken or unemployed; it sounds more like someone who's won the lottery.
"Hey, don't ask so many questions! Come out quickly! It's a surprise!" Wang Zhizhi urged, and there seemed to be the rustling sound of plastic bags in the background.
With her doubts, Shi Wan put down her work and walked towards the farm gate.
As soon as I reached the door, I was so shocked by the sight before me that I took a half step back, almost thinking that a small grocery store had just opened in front of my farm.
Wang Zhizhi was dressed in a vibrant orange tracksuit, standing there with her hands on her hips, surrounded by bags and boxes of all sizes and colors, looking like a human Christmas tree.
Upon closer inspection, there were exquisitely packaged pastry boxes, expensive-looking imported snack gift packs, several brand-new board games, and a very professional-looking... health-preserving foot bath tub?
There were even two bottles of red wine that looked expensive, and several bulging eco-friendly bags whose contents were hard to discern.
"Zhizhi...did you get laid off and come to me for help? Or are you starting a side business by setting up a stall?"
Wang Zhizhi gave her a look that said, "You're so ignorant," bent down to pick up the foot bath tub, and said with great pride, "What layoffs and street vending! I'm here to celebrate your birthday! Look! The empire I've built for you!"
Birthday?
Shi Wan paused for a moment, then subconsciously scratched her head. "Um... Zhizhi, but my birthday has already passed."
"It's over?!" Wang Zhizhi's smile froze, and she hurriedly pulled out her phone. "Impossible! It's clearly marked on my calendar! It's today! We celebrated your birthday on this day last year too! How could I be wrong!"
Seeing her almost questioning-the-life-of-life look, Shi Wan couldn't help but laugh and quickly explained, "That's right, you're remembering the date on your ID card, which is the Gregorian calendar. But my family is used to celebrating birthdays according to the lunar calendar, and the corresponding Gregorian calendar date for the lunar calendar isn't fixed every year. My lunar birthday this year was already over ten days ago."
"The lunar... calendar?" Wang Zhizhi blinked her big eyes, her face full of confusion about the traditional calendar. "You mean... the one that's calculated by looking at the moon? And the dates change every year?"
She tried to process the information, then tossed her neat short hair, adopting a "if I can't figure it out, I won't think about it anymore" attitude. "Garlic bird, garlic bird! Who cares about the Gregorian or Lunar calendar! Anyway, I'm here today, I've bought the things, and I've ordered the cake, so let's just consider today my birthday too! I'll celebrate it for you again!"
She raised her overly bright smile again, opened her arms and gave Shi Wan a big hug, her voice clear and loud, "Happy birthday, Shi Wan! May you have boundless happiness, longevity, abundant wealth, and a prosperous family!"
Shi Wan was so amused by her antics that she almost fell over, and the fatigue she felt from being so busy instantly vanished.
She hugged Wang Zhizhi back, accepting the blessing with a smile, "Thank you, President Wang! You're so generous!"
The two of them worked together to move the pile of "empire" into the main house.
Tangyuan became very interested in the foot bath tub and circled around it.
While smiling, Shi Wan broke off a piece of pet cake for Ju Bao, who had come over, and sent a message to Su Qing, asking if she wanted to come to the main house and play with them.
Su Qing replied quickly, with just one word: "Busy".
But less than half an hour later, she appeared at the main door, holding her ever-present tablet computer.
Today she wore a sharp charcoal gray suit and trousers, which contrasted sharply with Wang Zhizhi's orange tracksuit.
"This must be Attorney Wang? I've heard so much about you." Su Qing raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over the pile of things, lingering for a moment on the foot bath tub, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible teasing, "I've heard of you many times before, and today I finally meet you in person. This setup is indeed as impressive as your reputation suggests."
Wang Zhizhi immediately put down her board game, her eyes lighting up. "You're Su Qing? Shi Xiaowan always praises you for being super capable. You're even more handsome in person than I imagined! I heard you've managed the Second District very well and are even expanding into physical stores? That's amazing!"
She extended her hand warmly.
Su Qing was taken aback by the overwhelming enthusiasm, then chuckled and shook hands with her, "Lawyer Wang, you flatter me. I'm just trying to make a living."
She glanced at the room filled with all sorts of things and looked puzzled.
"I'm here to celebrate Shi Xiaowan's birthday," Wang Zhizhi explained.
Su Qing looked at Shi Wan, who smiled and nodded.
Su Qing understood and didn't ask any more questions. She took out her phone, tapped a few times, and said to Shi Wan, "I ordered a small gift for you. It'll arrive later."
Shi Wan asked curiously, "What is it?"
Su Qing glanced at her, her tone still indifferent, "A necklace, from T brand, I think it suits you quite well."
She gave a brand name; it was a luxury brand known for its minimalist yet luxurious style.
Shi Wan was taken aback, "This is a bit too extravagant..."
Su Qing waved her hand, her tone casual yet carrying an undeniable certainty, "Isn't the point of making money to spend it? As long as it looks good on you, that's all that matters."
She glanced at the foot bath tub that Wang Zhizhi had brought and, unusually, made a joke, "Perfect, it can be used in conjunction with Lawyer Wang's prized possession, so you can achieve both health and wealth."
Wang Zhizhi laughed heartily and patted Su Qing on the shoulder.
"Manager Su has a good eye! Let me tell you, this foot bath is super high-end, it even has a massage function! We can go on foot baths together in the future, and exchange... uh, exchange health tips and pitfalls... and workplace experiences!"
Su Qing was amused by her overly familiar manner, and a clear smile curved her lips. "Sounds good, but I have no experience in ripping off customers. Our farm is all about sincerity."
"That's right, that's right! Sincerity is a must!" Wang Zhizhi nodded repeatedly, then her face fell. "Sigh, you guys have it so good, you're your own bosses. Back home, we're constantly fighting wits with shrewd bosses and colleagues. It's exhausting..."
“Management is the same,” Su Qing took over the conversation, unusually, with a hint of sympathy. “You have to keep an eye on the production line, work with the distributors, and train new employees. None of it is easy.”
The two of them stood amidst a pile of gifts, chatting away about the bizarre experiences they had at work, creating an unexpectedly harmonious and congenial atmosphere.
Shi Wan watched as these two friends, with such different styles yet inexplicably compatible, met for the first time and couldn't help but chuckle.
After playing around for a while and eating cake, Su Qing checked the time, stood up briskly, and said, "Alright, I have a production coordination meeting in Zone 2, so I have to go there first. You guys have fun."
She looked at Wang Zhizhi, her tone much more familiar than when she first arrived, "Lawyer Wang, let's chat again sometime. Listening to you vent is quite relaxing."
Wang Zhizhi waved her hand reluctantly, "No problem, President Su! You're busy! Next time I'll bring better tea, and we can chat while soaking our feet!"
After Su Qing left, Wang Zhizhi winked at Shi Wan, "Wow, Wanwan, your friend is so cool! She's so cool, stylish, and makes money! Most importantly, she's also quite interesting! I like her!"
Shi Wan smiled and agreed, then quietly said to Xing Lin, "Xing Lin, please write this down for me and find out when Su Qing's birthday is. I must give her a big gift in return."
The main house was filled with joyful laughter for the rest of the day.
Shi Wan and Wang Zhizhi played board games, soaked their feet, and chatted until sunset, when Wang Zhizhi left with a slightly tipsy and contented feeling.
After seeing her off, Shi Wan returned to the quiet main house. Looking at the mess on the floor and the conspicuous foot bath tub, she couldn't help but laugh.
This birthday, which started out of a misunderstanding, was filled with unexpected encounters and double the joy.
She picked up Tangyuan, stroked its fluffy head, and felt an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.
Shi Wan didn't rest. She started bending down to clean up the joyful mess left by Wang Zhizhi, gathering the empty snack bags together. Suddenly, she felt her trouser leg being gently tugged.
She looked down and saw that it was glutinous rice balls.
He found a small, slightly yellowed piece of paper with its edges carefully chewed flat from somewhere and pushed it in front of her with his paw.
On the piece of paper were several plum blossom prints, crooked and uneven, made with a wet paw, which could barely spell out the words "Happy Birthday".
The last character "乐" (le) was only half printed, probably because there wasn't enough ink on the claw.
Tangyuan tilted her head back, and the usual arrogance was gone from the eyes of the mandarin ducks; instead, there was a clumsy earnestness in their attempts to remember.
He meowed softly, his voice not as clear as usual, but rather a little low and hoarse, as if it came from a distant memory.
“Wanwan, happy birthday. Mimi remembers how your mom and dad wrote your name.” He gently rubbed his head against Shi Wan’s leg. “It took Mimi a long time to learn how to print it.”
At that moment, Shi Wan felt as if her heart was being gently grasped by a warm, slightly rough hand, and a bittersweet feeling welled up at the tip of her nose.
She seemed to see herself a long time ago, when she was a little girl sitting at the table celebrating her birthday, and Tangyuan was squatting beside her, watching her parents write blessings for her.
It turns out he remembered everything... This old friend who accompanied her throughout her childhood and is still by her side today is using his own way to etch the warmest moments of her memory.
She carefully picked up the piece of paper that carried the weight of time, her fingertips trembling slightly. "Tangyuan, thank you. I really like this gift. I like it very, very much."
Seeing that Tangyuan had taken the lead, the other cats immediately gathered around.
DouDou huffed and puffed as it ran in from outside, carrying a large handful of catnip covered in mud and dew in its mouth. It smacked the pile of catnip at Shi Wan's feet and then patted it with its muddy paws.
With graceful steps, Mianmian laid down a "necklace" made of unidentified red berries and soft vines. The berries were bright red and juicy, and paired with the emerald green vines, they had a wild and charming beauty.
The old woman strolled over slowly, carrying nothing in particular. She simply hopped onto the chair next to her, extended her paw with its thick pads, and gently placed it on the back of Shi Wan's hand, her touch warm and steady.
She purred softly, like an old lullaby, her round cat face radiating kindness. "Good child, may you be safe and happy."
Ju Bao was the most anxious. It dragged its little stand and tried its best to push the little mouse toy that Shi Wan had just given it to play with today. It held it up with its little head, tilted its head back like it was offering a treasure, and its eyes were bright and full of sincerity, as if it were giving you its most precious things.
Shi Wan looked up and saw a group of cats behind the door, each carrying something in its mouth, staring intently at her as if waiting to give her their gifts.
Looking at the group of little creatures at her feet, expressing their love in the most direct and pure way, Shi Wan squatted down and hugged these furry little angels. Her cheek pressed against Tangyuan's warm body, feeling the warmth of the cats rubbing against her. "Thank you for the gifts, everyone. I really, really like them."
The air was filled with the scents of catnip, earth, berries, and sunshine, mixed with the warm body heat and thunderous purring of the cats.
At that moment, Shi Wan felt as if she were enveloped by the purest love in the world.
The stars remained silent, but at that moment all the lights in the farm flickered subtly in unison, as gentle as a silent sigh, or as an embrace, firmly guarding this warm world that the cat and she had built together in the center.
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