Chapter 1
It was a snowy winter.
In my original form as a servant of the Goddess Wuqing, I stood dignifiedly on a withered and bare branch of a sycamore tree, quietly watching the chaotic and pitiful farce happening across the street.
"Don't force me, an old woman, to say such harsh words, and don't even think we'll accept you into our family. If you really want to do this for my daughter's sake, leave here now. Leave now!"
The elderly woman with hair as white as snow threw the quilt in her hand onto the seemingly downtrodden man opposite her without any hesitation. She then threw the two large white steamed buns in her hand towards him fiercely as if she were sending away a beggar: "Get out!"
The man had his back to me, so I couldn't see his face clearly and couldn't guess his age. Judging from his back, he looked like a young man. He and the disheveled woman in the arms of the silver-haired woman opposite him didn't look like a couple.
The woman in the silver-haired woman's arms looked pitiful, like a frightened animal. Although she was wrapped in layers of cotton clothes, one could still see that she was shivering.
She hugged the woman who was hugging her tightly, like a child hugging its mother to act coquettishly and suckle. The difference was that she did not have the enjoyment of a child. The fear in her eyes was like a flooding tide, surging over her entire weathered face, washing away all the beauty in it, leaving only paleness and fear.
Behind her was another man, with pale silver hair like the old woman.
Perhaps he couldn't bear to see the girl shaking violently in front of him, so he took the initiative to step forward and wanted to lend a hand to help lift the quilt. However, he didn't expect that what he got in return was a heart-wrenching scream, accompanied by crazy dancing and uncontrollable convulsions.
The man was so frightened that he stepped back repeatedly. With no one to comfort him, he turned his anger towards the stupid man opposite him.
"Get out of here! Don't you see what you've done to my daughter? We don't recognize you, get out!"
After saying that, the middle-aged man quickly stepped forward and used the most brutal but effective force to snatch the quilt from the man who was standing there in a daze. He rolled it into a ball and threw it heavily on the road. Before leaving, he even did not forget to glare at him with hatred.
Poor quilt, it beat up the snow particles that had accumulated on the road. When it landed on the ground, the fluttering snowflakes seemed to have fallen again, slowly covering the quilt again.
A gust of cold wind blew, and I couldn't help but squint my eyes.
The snow was getting heavier, brought with it a bone-chilling cold wind. At the same time, more and more people were chatting around watching the show. Like the group of people in the market, these people were still happily chatting with each other, not afraid of the cold gusts of wind.
Some people sympathized with the man standing there stupidly, saying that he was indeed pitiful. He was not loved by his father and mother. He finally found his grandparents' family, but could not be reunited because of the old people's personalities. It was still unknown where he would go in the end. In such cold weather, it was possible that he would freeze to death.
But some people disagree, thinking that instead of sympathizing with the silent man, they should feel more sorry for the old girl who has just been found and the family who have been searching for the old girl for many years without success but only found a girl with white hair. Even if the man was indeed born innocent, his existence is a burden and a lifelong nightmare for the crazy woman.
Some people also talked about the man's biological father, and their faces were full of contempt when they talked about this. They claimed that since the man was from there and grew up there, he was influenced by his surroundings and must have had a twisted mind. He probably hid it well and didn't reveal it, which made people feel pity for him.
There were many different opinions, and the discussions became more and more heated and louder, but no one wanted to avoid talking about the person involved.
The man who was the subject of conversation stood there in a mess. He looked frail and helpless as the snowflakes continued to fall on his head. It was just as others had said, it made people feel pity for him.
The frightened woman was supported by her mother, and the two of them slowly turned back into the house, while the father covered them from behind without a slack. Before closing the door, the father turned around, his expression identical to when he threw the cup, even more so. His face was cold and indifferent, and he didn't even spare a glance for anyone outside before slamming the door shut.
The protagonists of the story had almost all left, and the people watching the excitement suddenly felt cold, so no one stopped to look at the man parked on the side of the road. They pushed and shoved each other, looking very unhappy, as if they had watched a wonderful movie, and then turned into a flock of chirping birds returning from feeding in the early morning, and left with laughter.
Suddenly, a whole row of commercial buildings stood silently amidst the snow. It was a holiday, and the roads were devoid of traffic. Not a single animal was visible amidst the white expanse; everything was still. Even the stunned man, like an ice sculpture, stood there.
I withdrew my bored gaze and looked up at the sky.
The gray clouds weren't thinning, but were growing heavier. I figured a heavy snowfall would follow this flurry of salt snow. I unconsciously lifted my front paws, shaking off the snow particles from my paw pads.
Winter is the season I hate. Not only is it cold, but food and water are also the hardest to find.
In the spring when flowers are blooming, most shops are open, and I can sneak in without any scruples and take away whatever I like to eat. Occasionally, I will meet a few kind people who will give me food, so I never have to worry about starving to death due to lack of food.
The door is always closed in winter. If I want to enter, I can only transform into a human form. But I have no money, so I can't steal things openly.
The parents of that crazy woman were the owners of the shop. I came here today to see if there was anything I liked to eat, but I didn't expect to encounter such a farce. The couple in the shop were very nice to me. Every time I sneaked into their shop, they would warmly entertain me.
But today they seemed very angry. I could clearly feel the ups and downs of their emotions. I was afraid that they would indulge me and do something to hurt me, so I could only wait here with an empty stomach and observe the situation.
However, the situation was not favorable for me.
I saw the woman's father open the door again. Thinking he'd spotted me, I leaped down from the tree in surprise and was about to run over there. But I never expected him to slam the pull-down door shut with a deadpan expression, a resounding thud that shut everything out with a refusal to do business.
I quietly stopped across the street from the shop, just like the man standing in the snow, stunned.
It’s so cold today, I know I’m going to starve.
The duck in my mouth flew away, and I was almost exactly like the old father, venting all my anger on the man who was carefully cleaning the quilt in his hands.
I was so angry that I wanted to scratch him, but when I was halfway through running, I suddenly saw the two white steamed buns in his hand, and I suddenly gave up the idea.
Although the steamed bun was not tasty, I still approached him quietly and was about to jump up to tear the plastic bag.
Unexpectedly, the man holding the quilt discovered me.
Our eyes suddenly met, and my quickened brain and agile body drove me to run towards the holly bushes on the side of the road. In the blink of an eye, I was hiding in the dense grass.
The crunching sound was getting closer, and I knew it was the sound of footsteps on soft snow.
I couldn't help but shrink back, looking warily at the pair of worn leather shoes standing still in front of me, until the owner of the shoes squatted down and looked at me.
I met his gaze again.
"Mimi," he said, opening the plastic bag and pinching a small piece of soft dry food between his fingers. I wasn't particularly hungry, but I instantly felt hungry. I smelled the aroma of rice on the steamed bun and heard him say, "Are you hungry in this cold weather? Mimi, come out and eat something."
I turned a deaf ear to his soft call and just stared cautiously at his face which was slightly distorted because he was looking down at me.
The sky was getting darker and darker. It was almost noon, but it felt like dusk.
The snow continued to fall, and the chill wind whistled against my face like a knife, flattening my hair. The aroma of steamed rice steamed buns carried by the wind tempted me to stay. I swallowed, struggling with my thoughts.
Suddenly, I thought of a word from our animal kingdom——
Keep each other warm.
I've been in the human world for four years now, and even after all these years, I still can't quite judge whether humans are kind or malicious towards me. Some are good, some are bad. It takes too much time for me to approach them, and some seem impatient. If I hesitate for a moment, they'll turn and walk away. Therefore, there aren't many people I can actually get close to.
The man squatting in the wind and snow calling me has been there for about ten minutes, but I am still hesitant as a timid person. After all, humans are the most camouflaged animals I have ever seen.
But this guy, he seems to be very patient.
"Hey, you're shivering." He called me again, "Kitty, are you really cold?"
I understood what he said and lowered my head to glance at the fluff on my chest blown by the wind.
Although I was born with real fur, I still couldn't withstand the cold wind. I know winter is the season when most cats die. For the first four years, I stayed with the old man through the winter. The next spring, I left as soon as the weather warmed up. People often said I was an unfriendly person.
I haven't found the right person this winter, so my eyes can't help but stare at the face squatting outside the bushes, wondering what to do in this cold winter.
Just like the flowers and plants in the house prefer the hostess, I don’t trust men’s care.
In heaven, I was originally a civet cat that was kept by the Goddess Wuqing all year round. According to my four years of observation, men are far less patient than women. Compared with dogs, most of the people around me don’t like cats very much.
I am a cat with a mission, and let’s put aside the question of whether I have a mission or not for the moment. Even if I am traveling around the world at ease, I must always ensure my own safety, not to mention that I am here to find a companion.
I curled up my front legs and pressed them under my body, turned my head to the side, neither eating the steamed bun nor looking at the man.
The man squatted for nearly twenty minutes before moving.
When I heard the sound of shoes rubbing against the ground, I immediately turned my head and looked over.
I saw him take out the steamed bun with a small piece missing from the plastic bag, break it in half, break the other half into small pieces and put them in front of my eyes. Then he took out a plastic bottle cap of a fairly deep size from the grass, melted the white snow into water with the palm of his hand, slowly dripped it into the bottle and pushed it in front of me.
"You seem afraid of people, so I won't bother you here anymore. Remember to watch out for cars when you cross the road."
He stood up after he said this.
I looked up from below. Perhaps he had been squatting for too long, so he freed one hand, bent down, and gently pounded his knee. He didn't stay for long. Within a minute, the ground and the soles of his feet creaked again.
He walked away towards the west.
Listening to his footsteps gradually fading away, I cautiously stepped out from the holly bushes.
My eyes followed his dejected and lonely back, and for a moment I felt a little curious about him.
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