Strange Life of a Cat-Chapter 175 - Relying on a Mountain

Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Relying on a Mountain

Chapter 175 -175: Relying on a Mountain

Zheng Tan stood on a fence post in the courtyard, boredly yawning before looking down at the earthworm crawling on the ground.

Inside the small tile-roofed house, the old lady and Ermao were recounting the experiences of the past years as well as some past events. Zheng Tan had no interest in listening to their stories, so he simply came out for some fresh air.

In fact, without needing Ermao to say anything, the old lady had already guessed the blood relation between her and Ermao. Ermao couldn’t deny it even if he wanted to. According to their relationship, Ermao should call the old lady great aunt. Zheng Tan heard from the villagers that the old lady had come to this village over forty years ago when she was already forty years old, which meant she would be almost ninety in two more years.

After yawning about a dozen times, the wooden gate squeaked open. Ermao came out from inside.

From the expression on Ermao’s face, it seemed like the conversation went quite well. There wasn’t any of the crappy look from when the old lady had toyed with him before.

“Let’s go,” Ermao beckoned to Zheng Tan, signaling that it was time to leave.

Zheng Tan glanced over at the small tile-roofed house and then at Ermao. Was that it after recognizing the kinship?

It wasn’t.

It wasn’t convenient for Ermao to take the old lady with him since he hadn’t driven here, and even if he had, the roads weren’t easy to navigate. He planned to go back first, discuss with his family, and then come back to pick up the great aunt—it wasn’t a small matter after all.

Since Ermao had put his phone on silent before arriving, it was only on the minibus ride towards Gaiyang’s city center that he noticed the nineteen missed calls, all from the same number, belonging to Wang Bin. Ermao glanced at it but didn’t return the call.

Zheng Tan just heard Ermao sighing all the way. He knew that this time, Ermao couldn’t avoid having a talk with his family.

After spending a night in a hotel in Gaiyang’s city center, Ermao drove back to Chuhua City early the next day. The return trip was relatively smooth, and the first thing Ermao did upon reaching Chuhua City was not to discuss the great aunt’s matter with his mother, but to pick up Heimi from the Pet Center.

Heimi was probably mad about being left at the Pet Center. As far as Zheng Tan knew, for the following three days, Heimi ignored Ermao, paying no attention even when Ermao dangled its favorite plush toy in front of it, merely pawing at it half-heartedly. Ermao initially thought it was sick, but after an examination at the Pet Center revealed nothing wrong, the veterinarian jokingly said that the cat was probably just in a mood. After three days of Ermao’s attendance, Heimi returned to its normal self.

For a while after returning from Gaiyang to Chuhua City, Ermao was often not at home, and no one came to look for him. Wei Leng did visit once, taking Zheng Tan out to play at Night Building, and he also shared a bit about Ermao’s home situation.

As the saying goes, having an elder at home is like having a treasure. For Ermao, this newly-found great aunt was indeed such a “treasure.” Previously, a few elders at home had a difficult rapport with him, but with the great aunt stepping in, she became Ermao’s biggest support in Chuhua City. The great aunt had no children and got along well with Ermao, so the family elders had nothing to say about Ermao spending so much time at the great aunt’s place, and even Ermao’s grandfather encouraged it.

Rumor had it that whenever Ermao had a quarrel with his dad, he would run off to seek refuge with his great aunt. With the great aunt around, Ermao’s dad, no matter how angry, had to hold back. Therefore, Ermao didn’t have to hide anymore and even recently bought a house beside a scenic lake for the great aunt and hired someone to take care of her. The old lady graciously chose Ermao’s house and declined the arrangement made by Ermao’s parents.

“You really can stir up trouble,” Wei Leng said to Zheng Tan.

Feeling more emboldened, Ermao became much more arrogant, yet he didn’t move out from the East District courtyard. And if Wei Leng hadn’t told Zheng Tan, he would never have guessed that Ermao’s father was the head of the provincial government; probably the entire residents of the East District courtyard wouldn’t know that a governor’s son lived there.

Speaking of Ermao being arrogant, it was in comparison to his previously secretive and avoidant behavior. As long as Ermao kept silent, no one could guess his background. Moreover, within a certain circle, everyone knew of Wang Bin, the governor’s son, but Wang Ming was a completely unfamiliar name.

Up in the tall Chinese parasol tree, Zheng Tan lay on a branch, watching Ermao walking his cat on the grass below. Lately, when Ermao took his cat for a walk, he guarded against other cats as if they were wolves, with the exception of Ah Huang, the only neutered male cat.

“Ermao!” Someone sauntered leisurely from the entrance of the courtyard.

Zheng Tan looked over and recognized the person as Qin Tao, the same one he had led to Sky Shit Road before, resulting in him getting hit by bird droppings. The man’s attire was similar to last time, casual suit, leather shoes, looking dapper.

“You knocked off early again,” Ermao glanced at him.

It was only around three in the afternoon, so for Qin Tao to be here definitely meant he had left work early.

“Sitting there was boring. Played a couple of games and lost both rounds. I lost interest, so I plan to go back and sleep. I’ll hit the bar tonight and maybe find a pretty girl,” said Qin Tao nonchalantly. He came over every day like this, and if it was bad weather with wind and rain, he’d just sleep through at home without a second thought. After all, the company didn’t actually need him; the employees all knew he was just a figurehead decoration.

Ermao had no comment on Qin Tao’s reply.

“I just came over to tell you that this Saturday is my birthday. At seven in the evening, I’ve booked a private room at Dream Huasha. I’ll introduce some friends to you then. Get to know everyone so we can hang out together, instead of spending all your time with cats. Ain’t that boring for you?” Qin Tao said disdainfully.

“Will Wang Bin be there?” Ermao asked.

“That guy is now a busy and respectable member of the People’s Congress and never joins these kinds of activities. Since he’s been in Chuhua City, I’ve hardly ever seen him. But we’re different from him; we’re the bad students who enjoy life to the fullest,” Qin Tao gave a knowing look.

“Alright, Saturday at seven in the evening, I’ll be there on time,” assured Ermao when he heard Wang Bin wouldn’t be attending.

“By the way,” Qin Tao scanned the surroundings, “where’s the Black Cat?”

Ermao pointed towards the tree where Zheng Tan was lying.

The leaves on the trees weren’t very dense yet, so it was easy to spot Zheng Tan’s tail hanging beside a branch from below.

Following the direction Ermao pointed, Qin Tao looked up, and Zheng Tan curiously looked back at Qin Tao. What did this guy want with him? Revenge?

“Ermao, bring this Black Cat along when you come over on Saturday,” said Qin Tao.

“Why? You’re inviting cats to your birthday now? Are you a cat in the Chinese zodiac or something? Besides, you’re not that close to it… No, wait, why are you inviting it instead of ‘my daughter’? Are you discriminating?!” Ermao glared.

“Tsk, I really don’t know what you cat slaves think about all day, why does your brain always go off on a tangent?” Qin Tao shook his head, “It’s my little cousin, she’s got a bit of a temper, but she’s really good with cats. The only problem is that she never takes care of them properly. Either the cats themselves run away or some accident happens; in any case, she can’t keep a cat. But when there is a cat around, she’s in a much better mood. Lately, the girl has been so upset, like she’s eaten gunpowder. You know, I’ve received a lot of care from my uncle in Chuhua City, so I have to take care of this little cousin. I can’t not invite her to my birthday, so it would make me feel better to have a cat there to keep her temper at bay.”

Hearing Qin Tao’s explanation, Zheng Tan summed things up: in essence, Qin Tao wanted his birthday party to go smoothly, to be more fun, and to prevent his cousin from causing trouble, so he was dragging Zheng Tan along as a companion. In Qin Tao’s eyes, Heimi was less reliable than Zheng Tan. Even though the guy was a bit of a scoundrel, he had a good eye.

Playing the role of a companion, huh…

Zheng Tan flicked the tip of his tail. Why should he go without any benefits?

Just as he was thinking, Zheng Tan heard Ermao say from below the tree, “Ten thousand.”

“What?” Qin Tao was taken aback and didn’t immediately catch on to Ermao’s meaning.

“I said,” Ermao raised his index finger, pointing at the Black Cat in the tree, then extended his hand towards Qin Tao, “the appearance fee for that cat is 10,000 yuan.”

“Shit, do you think I’m hiring a golden cat or something?! 10,000 yuan! That much money could buy hundreds of those cats! Oh, and even cheaper from the hands of cat traders; a few tens of yuan can get you a plump one.”

Ermao wasn’t in a hurry, he started counting on his fingers and explained the pros and cons to Qin Tao, “Think about it, if your cousin throws a tantrum, the cost of the drinks she might smash would exceed that amount, right? And then there are the various compensation fees for tables, chairs, benches, and such…”

Zheng Tan nodded inwardly at Ermao’s words. The child was indeed teachable; Ermao could be quite useful at times.

“Alright, alright, it’s just 10,000 yuan. That’s settled then. Saturday night at seven, you and that black one, be on time.”

Ten thousand yuan wasn’t really much for Qin Tao. After achieving his goal, Qin Tao took a rushed phone call and hurried off—his assistant’s call, there was an urgent document requiring his signature and approval. Although his position in the company was mostly for show, the necessary procedures still had to be followed.

After driving out of the gate of Chuhua University, Qin Tao suddenly realized, damn it, that Black Cat wasn’t even Ermao’s; what the hell gave that guy the right to negotiate someone else’s cat’s appearance fee! He’d been played, just because he wasn’t paying attention!

Qin Tao was actually misjudging Ermao. The reason why Ermao negotiated the appearance fee for Zheng Tan was because of what Wei Leng said. Wei Leng told Ermao that if he ever wanted Zheng Tan to do something in the future, it was best to offer some incentives, otherwise the cat would just do a perfunctory job.

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If Zheng Tan knew the truth, he would certainly feel that Wei Leng understood his way of doing things better.

After getting Wei Leng’s advice, Ermao had thought that cat food and plush toys were of no use; it was better to directly ask for money, which he would then give to the Jiao Family, saying it was a red envelope as a token of appreciation from someone else’s family.

Ermao was now much more familiar with the Jiao Family, often taking the initiative to help move things, which greatly increased the family’s fondness for him. So, when Ermao proposed to take Zheng Tan out, Jiao Ma hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed.

With Wei Leng setting the precedent, and because Ermao and Wei Leng were fellow students, plus the fact that their own cat liked going out, Jiao Ma could only sigh in her heart; their cat had been spoiled rotten. But if she didn’t let it go out to have fun, she also couldn’t bear to see it looking dejected, ears drooping, listlessly sprawled on the couch. In short, it’s all due to spoiling.

On Saturday, Zheng Tan still had dinner at home. As for Qin Tao’s birthday party, Zheng Tan didn’t expect to find anything edible there. Best to fill his belly first, so if something happened, he’d have the energy to make a quick getaway.

Dream Huasha was a private club, owned by a woman in her forties. Although she was about the same age as Qin Tao’s mother, Qin Tao still called her Ms. Sha, rather than “aunt,” because many women of that age prefer a younger-sounding title.

Ms. Sha happened to be in the shop that day and was momentarily startled when she saw Ermao, but then she greeted him with a smile. She had met Wang Bin and was just surprised to see Ermao.

Zheng Tan was inside the backpack, but his head stuck out to survey the surroundings.

The place was busy with people coming and going. If Zheng Tan walked on the ground, he feared he would get kicked or stepped on, which is the sad reality for small creatures.

“Oh, you brought a cat too,” Ms. Sha said with a light laugh after seeing the black cat’s head on Ermao’s backpack.

Too?

Had Qin Tao prepared other options in case Zheng Tan couldn’t make it?

Seeing Ermao’s puzzled look, Ms. Sha explained, “Just now, a pretty young lady came with a Leopard Cat that was larger than the average cat, looking very impressive. She was also headed to Qin Tao’s gathering, so…”

Glancing at Zheng Tan, Ms. Sha earnestly advised, “Be careful, that cat looks like trouble.”

(To be continued. If you like this work, your votes of recommendation, and monthly votes are welcome at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)