Strange Life of a Cat
Chapter 411 - Chapter 411 Chapter 395 Oh My Cat

Chapter 411: Chapter 395 Oh! My! Cat! Chapter 411: Chapter 395 Oh! My! Cat! “Uncle Lin is a renowned veterinarian around here, a heritage going back generations in his family. He’s just not very famous outside this area, but his skills are exceptional. He frequently comes over to give Dashan massages, acupuncture, and so forth. If Dashan falls ill and needs medication, he concocts something specifically for him, as Dashan is not like the average cat around here. Plus, Uncle Lin’s regular visits give the Master some company; they play chess, chat, and such,” Ermao explained.

Gong Qin was intrigued by veterinarians, but her experience had mostly been with Western medicine. The idea of acupuncture for animals had never crossed her mind.

“When does Uncle Lin do acupuncture on Dashan? Could I observe?” Gong Qin asked.

“Of course! No problem at all. We used to watch him do acupuncture on Dashan all the time. Besides the Master, Uncle Lin is the second person who can keep Dashan settled down. However, Uncle Lin usually comes in the morning to do the acupuncture. At this time, he’s probably just here to chat with the Master and might give Dashan a casual massage,” Ermao replied.

“Massage?!” exclaimed Gong Qin, tossing aside what she was holding to go learn more.

As Ermao cleaned up the remaining items, she complained to Er Yuan, “Your mom gets all excited about this stuff. She said she was a bit dazed from the long car ride just a moment ago, now look at her, as energetic as ever!”

While speaking, Ermao’s gaze fell on Zheng Tan, crouched by the side with his head hanging down, seemingly lost in thought. “Black Coal, you should let Uncle Lin give you acupuncture too. Dashan owes his health to Uncle Lin’s care. You’re getting old, and you scared your Cat Dad and Cat Mom last year when you fell ill and had to be hospitalized. Let Uncle Lin take a look at you, get an early treatment for any ailments. We can vouch for Uncle Lin’s skills. I remember a cat of a family here who went into shock, and nothing else worked. It was Uncle Lin who managed to revive it with the needles,” she said.

Zheng Tan didn’t doubt Ermao’s words. Although Ermao could be frivolous at times, she wouldn’t fabricate such matters, and Dashan’s current condition must indeed be Uncle Lin’s doing.

Maybe, just maybe, he should let Uncle Lin have a go with the needles?

Zheng Tan might just be a cat, but he valued his feline life dearly.

After the room was tidied up, Ermao left with Er Yuan, and Zheng Tan followed suit.

Ermao and Wei Leng’s guest rooms were all on the second floor, which housed many rooms. The one Ermao was staying in was where he had lived before. Upon entering, Zheng Tan noticed an extra small bed, recently made, with a thick layer of cotton padding to prevent any bumps and bruises. It just goes to show that despite their unassuming exterior, the elderly had prepared many things meticulously ahead of time.

As Zheng Tan followed Ermao downstairs, Uncle Lin was in the living room giving Dashan a massage, explaining some massage techniques and acupuncture knowledge to Gong Qin, who listened intently.

“Our country’s practice of animal acupuncture originated from primitive societies, which began to develop during the slave society, and by the feudal era had formed a unique academic system that spread beyond our borders starting from the Southern and Northern Dynasties… As for the acupuncture prescription you mentioned just now, our prescriptions generally consist of King, Minister, Assistant, and Messenger acupoints. ‘Basic Questions. Ultimate Truth’ says, ‘The main illness is the King, the one assisting the King is the Minister, and the one responding to the Minister is the Messenger.’ The King acupoint is the main point in the prescription, it primarily addresses the main symptoms of the illness. The Minister acupoint assists and enhances the effect of the King acupoint. The Assistant acupoint helps treat secondary symptoms, and the Messenger coordinates the overall use of acupoints. Let me give you an example; the symptoms of spleen deficiency you mentioned, the prescription comprises Spleen Yu, Jiao Chao, Zhi Gan, and Housanli, these acupoints are the King, Minister, Assistant, and Messenger respectively.”

While speaking, Uncle Lin pointed out these four acupoints on Dashan’s body and proceeded to explain to Gong Qin why those particular acupoints were chosen.

“The King acupoint, Spleen Yu, is the back-shu point for the spleen, the point where the spleen meridian transfers its energy to the back. To strengthen the spleen and stomach, regulate qi and stop diarrhea, it is chosen as the primary acupoint…”

One talked enthusiastically, the other listened attentively, completely forgetting the Master, seated in the main place.

However, the Master sat beside, sipping his tea, not minding at all, even appearing to be in a good mood.

Dashan lay with squinted eyes, appearing utterly content and self-indulgent, basking in the enjoyment. Upon hearing Ermao’s arrival, Dashan’s ears twitched, but he didn’t open his eyes.

Zheng Tan was always tempted to tweak the tufts of fur at the tips of Dashan’s ears, but of course, it was just a thought – he wouldn’t actually do it, or they would surely end up fighting.

Seeing Zheng Tan entering the hall with Ermao, Uncle Lin’s eyes lit up as he took a closer look at Zheng Tan, whom he had not paid much attention to when he arrived. After a closer examination, he sensed something unusual.

“This cat is quite exceptional,” Uncle Lin remarked.

“How so? Tell us,” Ermao asked as she led Er Yuan to find a seat nearby.

At that moment, Wei Leng’s family had also finished tidying up and came downstairs. Hearing Uncle Lin’s comment, they too were curious about what he meant.

“This cat’s a bit old, isn’t it?” Uncle Lin spoke. Although his statement ended with a questioning tone, there was certainty in his voice.

Ermao nodded, “Yeah, at least seven or eight years old.”

Uncle Lin nodded, “In cat years, that is indeed nearing old age. But, from what I see, this cat is very robust.”

He used the word “robust,” not just “healthy.”

Ermao gave Uncle Lin a thumbs up, “You have a sharp eye. You didn’t even need to feel the bones to pinpoint the truth. I’m not boasting, but Black Coal is the only one I’ve seen who eats human food, spices and all, wanders around causing trouble, and still maintains his strength despite his age. Last year, he suddenly became ill and was unconscious for a week, but that was the only time. As soon as he recovered, he was back to his usual self, showing no signs of weakness from the illness, and even the Pet Center staff couldn’t find anything abnormal. How about you give him a look, Uncle Lin?”

Ermao said all this in the hopes that Uncle Lin would take a closer look at Zheng Tan. Without a detailed introduction, Uncle Lin might not expend as much effort on Zheng Tan. Now that he had piqued Uncle Lin’s interest, he’s more likely to put in extra effort. Even if Uncle Lin didn’t find any issues for the moment, he would probably ponder it afterward.

When Ermao mentioned “causing trouble,” Zheng Tan twitched his whiskers, but thinking about Ermao’s intentions being for his own good, he decided not to protest.

Indeed, after hearing Ermao’s words, Uncle Lin became very curious. He slowed down his massaging movements and gently patted Dashan, “Dashan, go sit aside for a bit. I’ll take a look at this little black cat.”

After getting up, Dashan didn’t directly jump to the ground but instead hopped onto a chair nearby and watched Zheng Tan just like everyone else.

Facing the gazes of so many people and cats, Zheng Tan went to the oval-shaped stand where Dashan had lain. He wasn’t quite used to it, but for the sake of his life, he decided to endure it.

Having dealt with countless cats and dogs, Uncle Lin took one look at Zheng Tan and knew this cat was obedient, so he confidently pressed down on Zheng Tan’s body.

Zheng Tan cooperated with Uncle Lin’s examination.

Soon, Uncle Lin pondered for a moment and said, “This cat hasn’t been sleeping well recently.”

That was true; Zheng Tan had started dreaming again recently. Adding to that the long-distance travel and the discomfort of being in the car for an extended period, his sleep was nowhere near as good as it had been at home. Uncle Lin could see this, and now Zheng Tan believed even more in this man’s skills.

“However…” Uncle Lin paused, then continued, “Aside from the poor sleep and a few minor issues, this cat’s physical condition doesn’t resemble at all what Ermao described–a cat that always eats human food, indulging in delicacies and roaming outside all day.”

Human food tends to be high in salt content, especially the rather spicy and flavorsome kind, right?

“Hey, Uncle Lin, I wasn’t lying to you. Things like onions, garlic, chocolate, and many other things that even cats don’t eat, it gobbles up with relish,” Ermao said.

Zheng Tan, Uncle Lin: “…” That sounded very awkward.

What does it mean by even cats don’t eat those? Is this one not a cat? Uncle Lin shot Ermao a sideward glance.

“Don’t give me that look, Uncle, I haven’t finished yet. Not only does it eat those things, but it also drinks alcohol, eats cream, drinks coffee–none of which Heimi at my home touches.” Ermao nodded towards Uncle Lin, as if to say: See, it’s just that eccentric.

Doubtful, Uncle Lin gave Zheng Tan another thorough check-up, but the results were no different from before.

“There are always exceptions in this world,” Uncle Lin said. “For now, let’s give it a few acupuncture needles to alleviate its insomnia and to probe for any other undetected ailments.”

“Alright then, I appreciate your efforts. Black Coal, endure it, for your life’s sake, a few needles should be no problem,” Ermao said.

Uncle Lin opened the medicine box he always carried with him and began preparing the tools. Ermao and Wei Leng helped move things around because they definitely wouldn’t perform the acupuncture in the hall.

Er Yuan and Little Wei were admonished by their dad not to shout or make a fuss. Since they wanted to watch, they had to behave, so the two kids sat quietly in their chairs and looked as if facing a formidable enemy when they saw the needles in Uncle Lin’s hands.

“Uncle Lin, there must be specific details regarding those needles,” Gong Qin said after seeing the needles Uncle Lin had taken out.

“Of course, giving needles to animals is different from giving needles to humans. The size of the acupoints is related to the cross-sectional area of the needle used. If the needle is too thick, it will definitely cause harm. For example, clinically, 28-30 gauge acupuncture needles (0.32-0.38mm) are commonly used for humans. But if you were to use a 28 gauge (0.38mm) needle on a small mouse, the stimulation would be too intense, just like using such a thick needle on a human,” Uncle Lin explained, indicating the width with his hands, causing the people present to shiver involuntarily.

“On the other hand, animals’ skin tends to be thicker than humans’, so if the needle is too thin, it makes it difficult to perform acupuncture. So, considering various factors, I typically use 36 gauge (0.2mm) needles for small mice, but for cats, 28 gauge works as well.”

All the while, Uncle Lin had finished the preparations.

Being about to receive acupuncture, Zheng Tan still felt nervous. He never really liked needles to begin with, but now, as Ermao said, for the sake of his life, why not give it a try?

Initially anxious, when the actual needling began, it was nothing much. Zheng Tan didn’t feel anything too special and gradually relaxed.

While Uncle Lin was giving Zheng Tan acupuncture, Ermao had already taken out his phone to snap some photos. After shooting, he sent them to the Jiao couple. Having your cat receive acupuncture is definitely something they should know.

At that moment, in a Chuhua University School of Life Sciences lab, Mr. Jiao was helping a graduate student with sampling due to a large workload and not enough hands, and since he had some spare time, he was there in his lab coat lending a hand. When Ermao’s photo came through, Mr. Jiao’s phone buzzed with a notification. By then, Mr. Jiao had more or less finished his tasks and, removing one glove, he reached into his pocket for his phone, while still holding a pipette (a common laboratory micro liquid transfer device, colloquially known as a ‘gun’) in his other hand.

After seeing the photo of a cat with many tiny needles stuck into its body on his phone, Mr. Jiao reflexively shot the pipette tip out with a “click.”

The students nearby exchanged glances. Their boss usually paid great attention to lab standards, and any used pipette tips would go directly into a box designated for disposal. But now, Professor Jiao had actually flung a pipette tip out! What could he have seen on his phone that excited him so much?

Elsewhere, Jiao Ma, who was practicing spoken English with several students out in the hallway, also received the picture.

And so, those students heard their typically mild-mannered English teacher suddenly exclaim with a startled expression, “Oh! My! Cat!”

The students: “…” Teacher, don’t get excited, God isn’t a cat. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for it at Qidian (NovelFire.net), your support, that’s my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.NovelFire.net.)

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