Strange Life of a Cat
Chapter 381 - Chapter 381 Chapter 371 Flower Bud

Chapter 381: Chapter 371: Flower Bud Chapter 381: Chapter 371: Flower Bud Huang had his own supply channels, and though driving there took some time, what Zheng Tan and Ermao were more interested in wasn’t the goods to be purchased but the potentially undiscovered individuals they might encounter on the trip.

For instance, there was the auntie butchering fish at a certain market, the uncle with a street stall near a middle school, and others Zheng Tan felt resembled those “Sweeping Monk” type characters from stories.

Is this the ultimate show-off?

Of course, these weren’t the only ones, and there were also the so-called “Life Winners,” riding in luxury cars and always accompanied by bodyguards.

If Huang hadn’t pointed them out, Zheng Tan would have never noticed any difference between these individuals and ordinary people.

Art hides within life, regardless of whether it’s at the bottom or top layers.

These people generally kept to their own and didn’t interfere with others. At times, Zheng Tan wondered why those with extraordinary abilities would be content with mediocrity. He believed that if they chose to, they could ride in luxury cars and live in high-rise villas, enjoying a lavish lifestyle. True all-around development is the realm of the absolute top-notch geniuses, a very small minority. Among the general population, having one specialized skill could actually lead to a better life than developing all areas to a mediocre level. Therefore, these individuals could certainly make a name for themselves with their unique skills.

But their living standards seemed drastically different at a glance.

“A man is not a fish, so how can he know the joy of a fish?” Huang understood these people’s choices quite well.

Zheng Tan thought the same; how could you know that others are not living well? Perhaps they have another kind of life behind the scenes?

Zheng Tan didn’t need to reflect too much on others’ lives; his own situation was quite unconventional.

Everyone has their own life to live, and cats have their own ways. Even Zheng Tan, a pseudo-cat, had to follow some of those feline behaviors. If he acted too human in everything he did, that would simply be asking for trouble. However, since becoming a cat, he felt that some cats truly led better, more leisurely lives than humans.

Is it good to be a cat?

Zheng Tan didn’t think it was particularly good, but fortunately, he now had a good home and had met some good people.

Ermao, peering out of the car window, had no clue that the cat crouched behind him was mentally handing out “good person” cards to them.

The crossroads seemed to be getting congested, it probably would take a few more minutes to clear.

“Hey, Old Huang, that guy,” Ermao said, gesturing with his chin in a certain direction.

Zheng Tan stood up and pressed his face against the window to look in the direction Ermao was pointing.

There was a patrol officer, who looked to be in his twenties.

“Oh, him? His last name is Liao, I think. I’m not sure what his full name is. I’m not familiar with him; I’ve only spoken to him briefly when I once encountered a scam during a restock. He’s a pretty impressive young fellow,” said Huang.

Zheng Tan took a look but didn’t see anything special about the man. But soon, he noticed that the young policeman walking slowly nearby suddenly picked up his pace and headed straight towards a fork in the road just as someone ran out from the other side. The policeman lunged at that moment and tackled the person to the ground, who tried to resist but found that handcuffs had mysteriously appeared on his wrists.

Zheng Tan didn’t see clearly when the handcuffs were put on; it happened in the blink of an eye, and suddenly the man’s wrists were adorned with the icy metallic sheen of handcuffs.

Had it not been for Ermao and Huang’s earlier conversation, which made Zheng Tan pay special attention, he probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all. Even then, he didn’t catch the details.

As the young policeman picked up the subdued man, two other panting individuals arrived from another path–also police officers. They chatted and laughed with the young officer after seeing the situation, indicating they were probably working together.

A police car pulled up to the curb, and the three officers loaded the suspect into the vehicle, with the young officer trailing behind. Before getting into the police car, he glanced over at Zheng Tan and the others.

After the police left, the surrounding crowd discussed the incident, but it was only temporary. By the time Zheng Tan’s group finally managed to cross the intersection, the area had returned to its usual state, with passersby unaware that a brief police chase had just taken place there.

“If you ever run into trouble around here, you might try looking for him. He’s not exactly enthusiastic, but he has the right heart,” Huang said.

Zheng Tan knew that having ability didn’t guarantee a good heart. Even those in uniforms could have ulterior motives, but since Huang spoke highly of him, Zheng Tan felt the young officer was probably decent.

What was it that Huang had said? His last name is Liao?

Zheng Tan silently committed the name to memory. He wasn’t sure if he would ever need the man’s help, merely thinking that since he was quite capable and had caught the attention of Huang and Ermao, he wasn’t an ordinary person. Thus, he made a note of it, while also carefully distinguishing the surrounding buildings and street signs, getting a mental picture of where they were.

Huang had been in Chuhua City for only a year or two. He wasn’t very familiar with many places or people, so the number of people he could call on wasn’t large. In the city where he had previously lived, he could rattle off a whole list of names, both friends and foes alike.

Even so, Zheng Tan was somewhat astonished. The number of people Huang mentioned seemed quite large to him, as Zheng Tan had been unaware of such individuals in the city where he had lived for five or six years. But it didn’t matter how many there were; Zheng Tan’s typical activities were limited, and he didn’t expect to interact much with them.

Zheng Tan and Huang went to several places to stock up, with Ermao and Huang doing most of the work while Zheng Tan watched. He couldn’t really help, neither by carrying things nor by checking items, and even if he could, it wasn’t something he could show.

By the time he returned to the grocery store, it was already after four in the afternoon. Ermao helped them unload the goods, and all three employees pitched in. While checking off items, one complained to Huang, “Today Bai Mi tossed around mice and bugs again, and kept throwing them at me too; that habit needs to change.”

Zheng Tan glanced at the stern-faced, sharp-eyed white cat and couldn’t help but curl his lip slightly.

Every cat has its mischievous streak, to varying degrees.

Huang had planned to organize the delivered goods and then take everyone out for a meal, including Zheng Tan, but Zheng Tan did not want to stick around. He’d been sitting in the car for such a long time that day and hadn’t moved much while unloading. The limited physical activity throughout the day made him restless; even on rainy days at home, he’d wander in and out of rooms, or slip through the doors in the building. Besides, after they finished restocking and were on the way back, the pickup’s rear seats were piled with items, leaving Zheng Tan with even less room to move about – not even enough for stretching. His compulsive need for exercise made him feel uncomfortable without a sufficient amount of movement, so now Zheng Tan decided to take a long walk and went straight home.

It was still early, and there was no one at home, so Zheng Tan strolled around the campus.

With the start of school approaching, the campus brimmed with many new, youthful faces – clearly freshmen, who were excited about everything and eager to snap pictures.

As Zheng Tan contemplated whether to tease the freshmen during their military training, he saw Old Man Lan humming a tune from an opera and walking with a spring in his step, probably in a good mood. Likely, the old man had just been bragging with an old friend.

Zheng Tan hadn’t intended to go over, but seeing him, Old Man Lan’s face burst into a chrysanthemum-like smile, prompting Zheng Tan to shake his whiskers vigorously.

“Heitan, out for a stroll?” As he spoke, Old Man Lan waved to Zheng Tan, gesturing for him to come over.

This much enthusiasm?!

Indeed, it had been several days since Zheng Tan last saw Old Man Lan. Sometimes, when Zheng Tan came out in the morning, Old Man Lan had already left, and at noon, Zheng Tan rarely went home. In the afternoon, Old Man Lan would have returned by the time Zheng Tan got back.

Zheng Tan hesitated, then slowly made his way over to Old Man Lan, observing his attire. He must have been to the small flower bed, as there was mud on his shoes – mud from that flower bed, distinguishable from the soil in the school flowerbeds, a difference Zheng Tan spotted.

“Heitan, that treasure you gave me is about to bloom!”

As soon as Zheng Tan approached, Old Man Lan said this with palpable excitement.

Treasure?

Zheng Tan racked his brain, trying to remember when he had given away a treasure. Considering the speaker was Old Man Lan, naturally, the ‘treasure’ referred to an orchid.

It took Zheng Tan several seconds to recall that he had given Old Man Lan two orchid plants three years ago.

They were about to bloom in early September?

Zheng Tan remembered that when he found the orchids in the mountains at Qi’s place, it was after National Day.

Of course, the blooming period wasn’t fixed, and Zheng Tan wasn’t familiar with it. Seeing Old Man Lan so happy, and knowing that the orchid was not only alive but also blooming, reassured him that his effort to bring the plant all the way back had been worthwhile.

If Old Man Lan hadn’t mentioned it today, Zheng Tan would have forgotten about the flowers he had brought back three years ago.

As Old Man Lan continued to gush about his orchid, Zheng Tan had already lost interest, but since Old Man Lan brought it up, Zheng Tan’s curiosity was piqued again. He wondered if the orchids Old Man Lan had raised looked the same as those Zheng Tan had stumbled upon in the mountains.

If the blooming orchid looked no different from the usual Iron Bone variety, it wouldn’t be too interesting. Nevertheless, the orchid must be different, given Old Man Lan’s excitement.

Zheng Tan, who had been captivated by the sight of that orchid back then, wondered if it would still hold his attention now.

Following Old Man Lan to the small flower bed, Zheng Tan observed five buds. According to Old Man Lan, they would bloom in two or three days.

Zheng Tan leaned in to catch the scent, which was somewhat familiar and similar to that of the orchid he had encountered in the mountains – it must be the same.

Old Man Lan, concerned that Zheng Tan might nibble the flowers just like the sheriff, was about to speak up. Seeing Zheng Tan back away, he held his words. After all, Zheng Tan didn’t have a history of ruining flowers like the sheriff did, and since the orchid came from Zheng Tan, Old Man Lan’s attitude towards him was much better. Had the sheriff been there, Old Man Lan would’ve chased him away by now.

Old Man Lan guarded this pot of orchids diligently; there was a flower shed and a wire mesh in place, enough to keep the sheriff at bay.

The pot no longer contained just a couple of pitiable seedlings. Zheng Tan didn’t count exactly how many there were, but at a glance, there were at least a dozen or two.

“Heitan, isn’t this flower beautiful?” Old Man Lan grew excited again at the sight of the orchid pot, “These buds look almost jade-like, the bloom will definitely be extraordinary, I’m telling you…”

Zheng Tan, hearing those words, immediately turned tail and ran. When Old Man Lan finished speaking and looked around, Zheng Tan’s shadow was nowhere to be seen.

Zheng Tan thought the orchid buds would bloom soon, but two days later, when descending the stairs, he bumped into Old Man Lan, whose face was not as cheerful. Had the orchid bloomed, Old Man Lan wouldn’t be looking like this.

Without Old Man Lan at the flower bed, Zheng Tan couldn’t see the flowers, so he waited another two days, noticing Old Man Lan getting anxious. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (NovelFire.net). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.NovelFire.net to read.)