Chapter 22
"Recently, our city's efforts to rescue stray animals have reached a fever pitch. Many caring citizens have found homes for some of these animals, saving them from the harsh realities of the weather. This initiative has helped curb the proliferation of stray animals in the city and further improved and enhanced the city's image."
"In addition, regarding this activity, many people have chosen to ignore government requirements and engage in immoral and life-threatening behavior. Preliminary investigations have determined that the recent cat transport incident in our city has triggered legal action, and the driver involved has been safely apprehended by police. The kittens, of various breeds, aboard the vehicle have been transported to a rescue facility in our city. Their photos have been uploaded to our rescue website, and their families can use the photos to locate them. We hope these kittens can return home soon!"
…
Outside, the sky was overcast, and the gentle patter of spring rain tapped silently against the window. Gradually, the window grew hazy, and winding streaks of water, like nimble snakes, shed their water. The sound of the rain was crisp and seemed to grow louder.
Inside the house, under the warm white light, fish scales appeared and disappeared with the light waves, and a cat and a person were quietly nestled in the bed.
Today I rest with Li Ying'an.
It was a rainy day, so he and I weren't going anywhere. I curled up in a furry ball, like a pillow, clinging to him. My head rested on his arms, which had been lowered for me. I held him like a child, enjoying the sound of his long breathing and the warmth of his small stove.
Li Ying'an was watching a video. He paid attention to the comments and played the entire video back and forth many times, which woke me up from my sleep.
Cat transporter?
The lazy ball of fur in the last second suddenly rolled over in the next second. Instinctively, I arched my back and stretched, and my eyes went from blurry to bright in an instant.
I stared at Li Ying'an's cell phone screen intently.
"Awake?" Li Ying'an was completely focused on my noisy movements. "Are you hungry, flat stomach?"
I ignored him and stretched out my claws, eager to pay attention to the news and make sure Xiaoju was not affected.
Whenever I do something that goes against common sense, Li Ying'an always asks me whether I am a spirit.
My purpose was so clear to him that he felt both helpless and amused. He slid according to my instructions while muttering to himself, "Did you see your companions? That's why you're so worried about them? I've never restricted your cats' freedom, but you have to be careful lately. The comments say only one cat trafficker was caught, but he had accomplices, so there aren't just any lost cats listed online."
That little orange...
I haven't smelled it around lately.
"Want to go to the rescue network?" Li Ying'an saw me pressing the exit button with my paw. He first laughed in surprise, then pinched my chin and said, "You are really an amazing kitten."
I stood in Li Ying'an's arms, with my front paws bent and resting on his forearm that was across my body, my eyes fixed on Li Ying'an's unskilled and slightly clumsy operation.
Hard work pays off. After a few minutes, all the cats rescued online were finally displayed on Li Ying'an's mobile phone.
The page scrolled slowly, and I peered intently, but I didn't spot a single familiar figure. But that didn't mean Xiaoju wasn't in danger. On the contrary, it was worse if Xiaoju wasn't here. There's more than one cat transport driver who's been apprehended, and no one knows if Xiaoju is still on another, awaiting his fate's ruthless destruction.
My right eye moved up and down wildly several times as if I was panicking.
The abnormal silence made Li Ying'an lower his head. He stroked my head with his hand, and the softness of his thumb when it passed over my ear pulled me back from all the bad thoughts about Xiaoju.
I didn't want to appear too human in front of Li Ying'an, so I put aside these thoughts for the time being and sat there heartlessly with my belly up.
The rain was still falling outside the window, and it was getting heavier and heavier. The glass seemed to be broken, and any scenery outside projected on it would produce a strange and distorted feeling.
The world is becoming demonized.
The intermittent rain stopped after two days, and it was not until noon on the third day that the sky became clear blue.
As summer approaches, the comfortable warm breeze blowing in the air seems a bit dry, especially in the afternoon, when the strong sunlight shines through the glass into the supermarket crowded with goods. The floating dust rises and falls in the light and shadow, which makes people feel suffocated. The heat accumulates in the heart, making it difficult to breathe and even dizzy.
I was so sleepy that I almost couldn't breathe. The sleepiness made my eyelids droop like cats fighting in the street, pulling at my eyelashes.
Compared to the night shift I just finished, I am becoming less and less accustomed to the morning shift. The stimulation of light does not make me energetic, but makes me sleepy. When the novelty of my first morning shift wears off, what keeps me going is the obsession with seeking happiness for Li Ying'an.
Sure enough, cats are supposed to parade at night.
Occasionally, I would be sneaky and take a nap on the bench when no one was paying the bill. My hearing was so sensitive that I had to be extra alert in the early stages of dozing off. The friction sound of a light piece of paper falling on the ground could wake me up, let alone the sharp cry of a child.
I woke up in shock from my dying dream!
"You kid, what's with you crying and shouting for what you like on grandpa's birthday? Talk about it after your birthday!"
As a mother, her child's behavior suddenly attracted the attention of those around her. She felt ashamed and helpless, and could not help but slap the child to stop the behavior. However, she did not expect that the principle of extremes would backfire. Not only did the child not become obedient because of her scolding, but he had to make a fuss and cry loudly.
"I don't want it, I want a car, I want a car, buy me a car..." The little boy cried intermittently, and it seemed as if there were a few morning birds hidden in his throat, and every time he opened his mouth, it would make people's headaches split. "I want it, I want you to buy it for me... If Daddy is here, he will definitely buy it for me!"
The child's mother was so angry at his words that she was shaking, and she did not forget to look at the people around her with a look of deep apology.
Out of helplessness, the mother compromised with her son.
When checking out, I raised my hand to signal the woman to scan the code to pay.
"Wait a moment," she said, busy stuffing everything on the table into the cloth bag she brought with her, and trying to stop her son from misbehaving from time to time. "Yu Xiaochen, take it out and play!"
When the son heard this, he made a face at her and turned and ran away.
Facing the direction her son had left, the woman opened her mouth, words of admonition lingering on her lips. Then, she turned her head and gave me another apologetic smile, her mouth still mixed with complaints about how difficult it was to manage children at this stage.
Then she opened her phone and reached out to scan the code as I had instructed.
"It's over." She showed me the payment figures.
I didn't pay attention to the cold string of numbers. My eyes were attracted by the gold jewelry exposed on her wrist.
It was golden and leaf-shaped. I had seen this kind of jewelry before. I remember it was worn on Sui Yusheng's wrist.
My distraction had a different meaning in the woman's eyes. She panicked a little and asked, "Is the account wrong?"
Sensing the uneasiness in her tone, I immediately reacted and tactfully denied her current thoughts.
Since no mistakes have occurred, the guest should leave.
Even when I saw the frail figure of the woman, the gold leaf bracelet remained in my clear memory. Together with Sui Yu's voice, it was as if there was a line in the middle, bringing the two unrelated people closer.
The earth nurtures many human beings. It is normal for two bracelets that look the same to be worn on different people's hands. I know very well that what is trapping me is that I still remember someone saying that Sui Yusheng was a picked-up child.
But no matter what, even if the woman is not young, she definitely cannot be Sui Yusheng's mother. This is too ridiculous.
Besides, I am not qualified to find parents for Sui Yusheng.
"Xiao Feng, what are you thinking about? You look so lost in thought."
Deng Yu's appearance interrupted my thoughts. No matter how Sui Yusheng came to her side, logically speaking, the grace of giving birth is not as great as the grace of raising a child, and she should be Sui Yusheng's mother.
I came back to my senses and smiled at her. I can't speak, so we need the cleaning lady to communicate. But the cleaning lady got off work early today, so there was no need for me to communicate with her.
After earning another day's salary, I walked out of the supermarket with ease, but unexpectedly I almost bumped into an acquaintance coming towards me.
Fortunately, my body's reaction was the same as that of the cat, and I had quietly avoided Li Ying'an before he touched me.
Even though we often run into each other on this street during work, he was still taken aback when he saw me today.
"Are you off work?" What a polite way of greeting.
I nodded: Are you coming to the supermarket to buy something?
"Yes," he said, "Tomorrow is the birthday of the old man who took me in for a winter. Coincidentally, the boss has to close the shop tomorrow for something, so I wanted to celebrate his birthday when I had some free time."
As a human being, we should know how to repay kindness. There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Li Ying'an did.
I didn't stay any longer and got ready to leave.
"Hey—" He suddenly stopped me, "Don't you want to see your friend buried under the sycamore tree?"
He was inviting me to go see the old man in disguise.
This made it difficult for me to make a decision.
Although I went there under the pretext of seeing the kitten, a birthday is a birthday, and the protagonist is the old man. I know that I am not as familiar with the old man as Li Ying'an, and I am mute. On such a lively day, I can't even offer the most basic blessing, so why should I go?
Do you want a cup of sweet soup or a piece of cake?
Besides, even if I didn't know anyone well, I couldn't go to someone's birthday party empty-handed. I had already saved my salary in an envelope and secretly hid it under Li Ying'an's bed. I had no money to buy gifts or buy new clothes.
What a coincidence, Li Ying'an seemed to see through the reason for my hesitation, and he really understood my thoughts.
He also knew that I had no connection with the old man, that we had only met once, so he wouldn't let me spend money on the gift, saying he'd just buy a cake and let me carry it along. He wasn't particular about clothing, as if he understood me, and he also knew that the old man wouldn't judge anyone's appearance.
Even so, Li Ying'an still found it a little difficult to understand my appearance, or more precisely, my clothes.
"I see you always wearing clothes like this."
He said this without disdain. I've heard many people say this to me before, often with a hint of sermonizing and disgust laced in their words. I know they blame me for not paying attention to hygiene, for wearing the same clothes year after year without even knowing how to wash them...
But actually, as an adult cat, I have the ability to lick myself clean, so I don't have to be as sloppy as I say.
The Goddess of Wuqing granted me the rights of an adult, but it did not involve issues like clothes. My clothes are made to fit the cat's body, so I will not be affected by cold or heat despite the change of seasons. If I change them into human clothes, it doesn't matter whether they fit or not. It's okay in summer, and it doesn't matter whether I wear them or not. What I'm afraid of is the cold winter.
To me, human clothes are not as comfortable as my own clothes. I would freeze to death if I wore human clothes in winter.
I knew what Li Ying'an meant, so I decided to make it short: all the money was donated and used to buy things for the animals.
It seemed to me that Li Ying'an had spent almost all his money on me, so my money would surely be invested in me again in the future. I knew too well Li Ying'an's love for cats, and if I delved too deeply into such a topic, it would implicate my true background. Therefore, I remained indifferent. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that I didn't want to discuss it further, and Li Ying'an would understand even better.
He thought for a while before asking, "Are you still going?"
I don't need to take the gift. Besides getting free food and drinks, I can also take a day off. Why not?
I promised Li Ying'an.
Just when I had asked for leave and everything was properly resolved, Li Ying'an quickly grabbed my drooping arm.
"How about you stay at my place today?"
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