Strange Life of a Cat
Chapter 262 - Chapter 262 255

Chapter 262: 255 Chapter 262: 255 Because of the issue with the little kitten, Feng Baikin and his friends had become much closer with Mr. Jiao, and there was no longer the formal interaction that one would typically expect between a landlord and his tenants at the beginning.

The name of the little kitten was given by Feng Baikin. Since the kitten always liked to keep that tiger toy in its den and would keep calling out without it, Feng Baikin simply named him “Tiger.”

The name “Tiger” is a common nickname for some people. In Mr. Jiao’s hometown, many people have the nickname “Tiger,” but it is also a name used for pets, especially pet dogs. Aunt Li and that uncle were both quite satisfied with this name. The little fellow looked tough and robust, and though he was small now, that did not necessarily mean he would remain small in the future.

When Zheng Tan visited to see the little kitten, those two uncles and aunts were standing by, watching it play.

“The folks at the pet hospital even told me this little guy will definitely grow up to be tall and strong!” Aunt Li said delightedly.

“That’s just them comforting you. Look how tiny this kitten is, and its parents are unknown. Who knows what it will become,” the uncle scoffed, but Zheng Tan saw a smile in his eyes when he looked at the little kitten, clearly fond of it, even though he always said he preferred dogs.

The little kitten’s condition had clearly improved a lot over the past few days; it was frolicking with the ball of wool, looking very spirited.

Zheng Tan watched for a while and then left.

This little kitten would probably grow up to be restless. Just thinking about that Leopard Cat, one could tell it had good genes, and Zheng Tan suspected that the Leopard Cat might have gotten pregnant at the Cat Fighting Arena. If it inherited the fierce and combative nature…

Could this area remain peaceful when it grew up?

A three-month-old cat is the equivalent of a 5 or 6-year-old child. A one-year-old cat is equivalent to a 13 to 15-year-old human, and a two-year-old cat is like a 24-year-old. Generally speaking, a cat’s adolescence is between one and two years old. So, in just one year, this little guy would have grown up.

Taking Huasheng Tang as a reference, that fellow would grow up and wander off to mark his territory and get into fights. If these two met up in the future, who knows what could happen.

The thought alone gave Zheng Tan a headache.

After leaving the villa, Zheng Tan didn’t immediately leave the area. Instead, he walked to the lakeside and strolled along the path.

A fish leaped out of the lake, then with a “plop,” dove back in.

Zheng Tan was enjoying the lakeside scenery when he suddenly heard several cat cries coming from the greenery along the road. Those were the cries of cats fighting.

He focused on that direction and soon, whoosh whoosh, two cats ran out from the bushes. The leading cat looked a bit bigger, while the one behind… Zheng Tan recognized.

Wasn’t that the three-legged tortoiseshell cat owned by Ermao’s great aunt?!

Zheng Tan had heard from Ermao that his great aunt lived in a house by the lake, but he never knew which one. The first time he came around this area, he wondered if that old lady lived here. He didn’t look closely then, but now it seemed she indeed did.

The tortoiseshell cat with the missing leg might be at a disadvantage, but Zheng Tan knew how fierce it could be, even catching those big, fat mice. Now, it had proven that it could hold its own in a fight, as the healthy, four-legged cat in front was being chased and attacked by it.

The tortoiseshell cat seemed to recognize Zheng Tan as well, casting a glance in his direction without any further action. After the cat it was chasing ran off far away, it didn’t pursue anymore, and instead of paying any further attention to Zheng Tan, it turned and walked away.

Zheng Tan followed. The tortoiseshell cat was presumably heading home, and he also took the opportunity to find out exactly where Ermao’s great aunt lived. Once he figured it out, he would walk around this area in the future.

The tortoiseshell cat sauntered slowly, and when it moved, it was clearly different from a cat with all four limbs intact. However, when it ran, you couldn’t be so sure. Zheng Tan certainly didn’t underestimate it.

Ermao’s great aunt lived somewhat farther from where Feng Baikin and his friends resided. It was also a two-story villa, a little smaller than Feng Baikin’s, but the yard was bigger. Zheng Tan watched the cat jump over the fence to get in and peeked into the yard.

There was a wheelchair in the yard, and in it sat the old lady.

“Yo, Little Heitan, what a rare visitor!” the old lady in the wheelchair said, squinting her eyes, seemingly very pleased with Zheng Tan’s arrival.

Zheng Tan hadn’t expected the old lady to notice him just by showing his head. He didn’t intend to go in and greet her to make his presence known; he had just wanted to confirm that the old lady lived here. Surprisingly, the old lady’s observation skills were quite sharp.

After entering, the tortoiseshell cat jumped into the old lady’s lap, found a comfortable position to lie down, closed its eyes, and seemed indifferent to everything around it.

Seeing that Zheng Tan didn’t come in, the person in the wheelchair waved at him, “Little Heitan, come here, let’s have a chat.”

Zheng Tan hesitated for a moment. He always felt the old lady was quirky and unpredictable. But even for the sake of Mr. Jiao and Ermao, the old lady was unlikely to harm him, especially since she was seated in a wheelchair.

Having vaulted over the fence, Zheng Tan stopped three meters away from the wheelchair, gazing at the old lady sitting in it. Locked in a gaze with the old lady’s wrinkly, smiling face, Zheng Tan always had an uncomfortable feeling.

“Little Heitan, how have you been these days?”

Zheng Tan didn’t answer, nor could he, he merely watched the old lady, waiting for her to continue.

“Must be tough being a cat, isn’t it?” the old lady still sported that smiling, wrinkled face as she watched Zheng Tan.

At that moment, Zheng Tan felt a chill down his spine–had this old lady figured something out?!

As Zheng Tan tensed up, the old lady on the wheelchair slowly averted her gaze and said with an even tone, “Have you heard the story about an old Zen master who was taking a stroll in his monastery one evening? He saw a chair by the wall and realized that someone must have violated the monastery’s rules by climbing over the wall. But he didn’t blow the whistle; instead, he walked over, moved the chair away, and crouched down where the chair had been. Pretty soon, a young monk climbed back over the wall, and in the darkness, he stepped on the Zen master’s back to jump into the yard. When his feet hit the ground, that’s when he realized he hadn’t stepped on the chair but on his own master. The young monk was panic-stricken, thinking the Zen master would scold or punish him, but to the young monk’s surprise, the Zen master didn’t reprimand him loudly nor punish him. He simply said in a calm voice, ‘The night is cool; go put on an extra layer of clothing.'”

By coincidence, Zheng Tan had heard this story before. Jiao Ma once discussed it with Mr. Jiao while reading an educational book, calling it a ‘Taiji-style’ education. It’s like Taiji, dissolving problems into nothingness–silence here speaks louder than words; in the silence, one hears thunder. The master’s calm demeanor left the student shaken to the core, moving from ‘exposure’ to ‘initiative’, from ‘external governance’ to ‘self-governance’, allowing the wrongdoer to discover and correct their mistakes with dignity.

However!

In this context, Zheng Tan always felt the old lady’s words carried another layer of meaning.

“Sometimes it’s wise to be confused!”

After saying her last piece, the old lady closed her eyes, as if unwilling to talk anymore and ready to rest.

Hearing the last statement and thinking back to the previous story, Zheng Tan’s heart jumped.

In different historical contexts, the meaning and context behind “Sometimes it’s wise to be confused” vary; some use it mockingly, some for self-improvement. Clearly, the old lady’s statement illuminated one thing–some people understand; even if you pretend, it’s only for others to see.

Zheng Tan was not merely a qualified cat; even to this day, he couldn’t quite gauge the extent of his uniqueness–careless moments could reveal details far beyond what other cats were capable of, such as reading, making phone calls, recognizing maps, etc. And those aware of Zheng Tan’s abilities weren’t just one person–Mr. Jiao, Little Youzi, Ermao, Fang Shaokang, Wei Leng, and so on.

In terms of intellect, Zheng Tan was far behind many of the people around him. He was somewhat slow to think, often only understanding things in retrospect. Yet, it’s likely that many near him had already sensed that something was amiss, or had even thought in directions that seemed bizarre to others but close to the truth. It’s just that everyone lived in peace, upholding a tacit agreement between what’s known and what’s concealed.

To some people, like Long Qi, it didn’t matter whether Zheng Tan was a deity or a demon as long as he was harmless to them.

Zheng Tan once overheard a philosophy student say during a walk: “Life is an art, but in reality, people often overlook its artistry, always wanting to make sense of everything, not tolerating even a speck of dust in their eyes, always appearing smarter than anyone else. Yet, often, their actions backfire. One should not be too smart in everything or fuss over every detail, as it can be utterly exhausting and even counterproductive. But neither should one be confused about everything–if one is ignorant and irresponsible about everything, that’s true confusion.” Zheng Tan thought philosophers were a bunch of nutcases with wild imaginations, busy thinking what others think and what others cannot think. But Zheng Tan had to admit, they made sense.

After all is said and done, it’s a matter of “proportion,” and Mr. Jiao and the others grasped that proportion very well.

There are far more clever people in the world than one might imagine.

There are also plenty of extraordinary people and events in this world, and not everyone is a scientific eccentric out to exploit research as a pretext for utilizing state funds. Besides, Zheng Tan had many people covering for him. He hadn’t paid much attention before, but when he thought about it carefully, he indeed had many slip-ups, yet he had been safe up to this point and was still able to run around freely every day.

With that in mind, Zheng Tan felt life was still full of sunshine, and he wasn’t fighting alone.

Taking a deep breath, Zheng Tan lifted his head and noticed that the old lady had left at some point, leaving him alone in the yard.

After leaving the old lady’s yard, Zheng Tan walked along the lakeside concrete path, heading back to Chuhua University with a light step.

A fish leapt up on the lake surface and then disappeared without a trace, the ripples on the water gradually vanished.

Back at Chuhua University, Zheng Tan saw there was still time before lunch and decided to stroll over to the kindergarten to see what Zhuo Xiaomao, that little brat, was up to.

Yes, the 2.42-year-old Zhuo Xiaomao student had started kindergarten.

The 2.42 years came from Zhuo Xiaomao’s self-introduction at the beginning of the school year–“My name is Zhuo Yang, my nickname is Zhuo Xiaomao, I also have an English name, called Zhuoxiao Cat, I am 2.42 years old this year…”

Zheng Tan couldn’t help but laugh when he recalled squatting by the window sill of their classroom that day, watching the scene unfold.

When Zheng Tan arrived at the kindergarten, the little ones were playing with toys and sliding down slides, while Zhuo Xiaomao was building something with blocks on the side, with a twenty-something unfamiliar man standing next to him.

However, just by the way Zhuo Xiaomao’s eyes were bent, Zheng Tan knew he was up to some mischief. With Zheng Tan’s knowledge of the little tyke, that pleasant-looking man talking with Zhuo Xiaomao was about to run into some bad luck. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (NovelFire.net) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.NovelFire.net.)

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