Chapter 34: Meow
The snow had just stopped, and the welfare institute had a lot of work to do. As a volunteer, Jing Zhi was a bit busy today.
Suddenly, a little zongzi(Sticky rice dumplings) “crashed” into him aggressively.
“Papa!”
The little zongzi accurately hugged him straight on, his voice unlike its usual softness, sounding like it was lit on fire.
Jing Zhi hurriedly stopped what he was doing, bent down to comfort him, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
He had seen a crying cub, but this was the first time he saw a puffing-mad cub.
Who made him angry?
Jing Mimi immediately told Papa everything that happened just now.
After hearing this, Jing Zhi couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless.
For an elderly person who didn’t know much about cats, it was really possible not to know about the Scottish Fold breed. Except for Scottish Folds, almost all cats had erect ears, while common dogs mostly had drooping ears. So the old grandpa couldn’t really be blamed.
But the old grandpa wasn’t here, so Jing Zhi naturally sided with his own cub.
“Really a dummy grandpa, not even knowing about Scottish Folds. Let’s not stoop to his level. Mimi, don’t be angry. When Papa finishes work, I’ll video call Big Papa with you.”
Jing Zhi pretended to whisper the last sentence close to the little cub’s ear, so only the two of them could hear.
He had also discussed with Mimi long ago not to mention Big Papa outside.
The purpose was to avoid unnecessary trouble due to his homosexual relationship with Jiang Suifeng. At least until the adoption procedures for Mimi were successfully completed, he didn’t want any mistakes.
But his explanation to Mimi was: The children in the welfare institute didn’t have parents and didn’t know when they would meet parents who would adopt them and take them home. Mimi already had a Papa, and some children already envied Mimi. While envying, they would also feel sad because they didn’t have one. If Mimi’s secret of having another Papa was known by them, they would definitely be even sadder.
Jing Mimi could understand and comprehend. Not wanting to make other children sad, he never mentioned Big Papa in the welfare institute, only when he was alone with Little Papa.
Coaxed by Little Papa and hearing that he could video call Big Papa, Mimi’s mood cleared up slightly.
Seeing that Little Papa still had work to do, Jing Mimi didn’t disturb him anymore. He whined and acted coquettishly for a while before leaving.
Just after leaving the room, Jing Mimi heard the Cat God’s voice in his head.
The Cat God said: “Mimi, you almost completed the mission just now.”
Jing Mimi stopped in his tracks.
Reminded by the Cat God, he also realized something belatedly.
Just now, that old grandpa had already drawn a kitten on the snow with a branch. If he had used a branch to draw one following his example, the mission would have been completed.
For the first time in his life, the kitten regretted not controlling his emotions well.
The Cat God wanted to remind Mimi at that time, but fearing that suddenly speaking in his head would scare him and make his behavior look strange to others, it remained silent.
Moreover, it was the Cat God. It knew the identity of that old grandpa and knew Mimi would have many opportunities to continue completing this mission, so there was no rush.
So the Cat God comforted: “It’s okay. If destined, you will meet again.”
Jing Mimi wasn’t comforted. He quickly returned to the place where he met the old grandpa just now.
However, the old grandpa’s shadow was long gone.
Jing Mimi slowed down dejectedly, lowered his little head, and came to the spot just now.
The heart and the Scottish Fold cat he drew were still there intact.
But the kitten drawn by the old grandpa was erased.
Did the old grandpa erase it?
Actually, the kitten he drew looked quite nice.
Staring at the snow rubbed into a ball, a sense of loss suddenly surged in Jing Mimi’s heart.
…
Grandpa Jiang fled from the welfare institute in a panic.
Time had to rewind to when the little cub turned and left angrily.
Grandpa Jiang stood there at a loss for a while, but still chose to follow quickly.
He couldn’t leave a bad impression on Mimi at their first meeting.
Jing Mimi was small, but when angry, his two short legs moved very fast, like little wind-fire wheels. Grandpa Jiang really couldn’t catch up for a moment.
While following, Grandpa Jiang suddenly saw a familiar figure unexpectedly. He stopped abruptly. Before his brain could react, his body had already turned quickly and slipped away, afraid of being discovered if he was slow.
It was Jing Zhi.
Although so many years had passed, he still recognized him at a glance.
The only time they met was when his wife hadn’t passed away yet. Suifeng was still studying for his master’s degree at University A, and Jing Zhi was his roommate. Because he was a local of City A, he provided them with a lot of help, so he and his family asked Suifeng to invite him for a meal.
He was an outstanding child both in appearance and inner qualities. At that time, he was even secretly pleased that his grandson could meet such an outstanding roommate and become good friends.
So much so that when his grandson came out to the family later, it was like a bolt from the blue, hitting him so hard he almost passed out.
After so many years, the green university student back then had matured a lot. Later, he also saw him on his grandson’s phone screen, but only a glimpse. He dared not look more, afraid he couldn’t control his emotions.
He didn’t expect Jing Zhi to be in the welfare institute too.
Probably because of Jing Mimi.
Fortunately, he ran fast and shouldn’t have been seen by him.
He just didn’t know if Mimi would say anything to him.
But based solely on Mimi’s retelling, Jing Zhi couldn’t possibly associate it with him.
Mimi should dislike him very much now… leaving so angrily.
Children could be seemingly “moody.” You don’t know when or why you upset them. But this wasn’t an annoying point. This situation occurred precisely because they were pure enough, not hiding any emotions in their hearts. Laughing when happy, crying when sad, angry when mad, unlike hypocritical adults.
Just coax them and figure it out, and it would be fine.
He originally wanted to catch up with the little cub, coax him, and figure out why he was so angry.
Unfortunately, he bumped into Jing Zhi and could only leave in a sorry state.
All the way to the entrance of the welfare institute, Grandpa Jiang hailed a taxi casually.
Sitting in the car, his wildly beating heart showed a trend of calming down slightly.
He didn’t really know how to use a smartphone, so in his pocket was still the elderly phone Jiang Suifeng bought for him. The elderly phone couldn’t search online for kittens with folded ears, so he could only be anxious.
Jiang Suifeng had actually talked to Grandpa Jiang about the kitten Mimi he and Jing Zhi raised and wanted to show him photos of Mimi.
But because of his eldest brother’s matter back then, hearing Jiang Suifeng talk about these things, Grandpa Jiang always uncontrollably thought of his eldest brother and the cats his eldest brother used to raise in the yard. So he dared not listen too much, showing a very perfunctory expression every time.
Jiang Suifeng simply thought Grandpa couldn’t accept him being with a man and didn’t even want to hear about the kitten they raised together.
Grandpa Jiang brainstormed all the way and finally returned downstairs to his old comrade-in-arms’ house.
The smell of leather in the car was a bit strong, making Grandpa Jiang even dizzier. Getting out of the car and being frozen by the cold air outside cleared his head a bit.
Grandpa Jiang wrapped his collar tighter, blowing in the cold wind for a while before going upstairs.
It was Grandpa Chen who opened the door for him. Grandma Chen was making soup in the kitchen, and the enticing aroma of food wafted out faintly.
Chen Ankang was sitting at the table, holding a pair of scissors, cutting paper.
It was a hobby developed back then to exercise finger coordination. Every end of the year, he would cut many beautiful window decorations and give them to neighbors, relatives, and friends. There were still window decorations cut by him on the windows of Grandpa Jiang’s house.
Grandpa Jiang walked quickly to the table and asked him, “Ankang, do you know what kind of cat has folded ears? Can you help me search?”
Chen Ankang paused his hand movements and replied immediately, “Scottish Fold cats. What’s wrong? There is a kind of cat called Scottish Fold; their ears are folded down.”
He had raised a cat and searched a lot of cat-related content online. He knew a bit about cat breeds and knew about Scottish Folds.
Grandpa Jiang pursed his lips, didn’t answer, and continued to ask him, “What do Scottish Fold cats look like?”
Chen Ankang put down the paper cutting in his hand, opened his phone, and searched for photos of Scottish Fold cats for him.
Grandpa Jiang took the phone and looked through them one by one.
Oh my, the ears really drooped down… he was ignorant.
Because of these small ears, the whole face looked aggrieved, particularly endearing.
This was the first time he had seen such a kitten.
Seeing Grandpa Jiang watching intently, Chen Ankang explained, “But folded ears are a genetic defect with a 100% incidence rate. Scottish Fold cats are quite pitiful; getting sick is very painful. Random genetic mutations are one thing, but there are unscrupulous merchants specifically breeding Scottish Fold cats for money.”
Grandpa Jiang was educated and could understand genetic defects.
Listening to Chen Ankang’s explanation, Grandpa Jiang thought of Jing Mimi again.
The little guy must like Scottish Fold cats very much; otherwise, he wouldn’t have had such a big reaction.
Did he also know about Scottish Fold cats?
Would Jiang Suifeng and Jing Zhi explain it to him?
Could the kitten Jiang Suifeng and Jing Zhi raised be a Scottish Fold?
…
Questions surged up like a tide, and his thoughts had long become uncontrollable.
Thinking of his grandson and his grandson’s boyfriend again, he gradually lost his former resistance, replaced by more curiosity and inquiry.
Finally, all thoughts were completely occupied by a small figure leaving angrily.
Grandpa Jiang took the phone and sat on the chair next to Chen Ankang.
“Ankang, teach me paper cutting.”
…
The next day was another fine sunny day.
The snow on the ground melted a bit more, becoming thinner.
Jing Mimi held a branch, drawing randomly on the snow. With many children in the welfare institute, the snow had been trampled so much that there weren’t many places left to serve as paper.
Thinking of the mission almost completed yesterday, Jing Mimi felt even more depressed.
Although he video called Big Papa for a long time last night and also told Big Papa about being mistaken for a puppy by the dummy grandpa, and Big Papa comforted him, he just felt depressed and lost.
The Cat God said they would meet again if destined.
He didn’t know when they would meet again.
Although he was just a little cub transformed from a kitten, he knew fate was a very mysterious thing. Meeting his papas in his cat life was already the greatest fate.
As for that old grandpa… he had his own cat worrying about him, so he probably wouldn’t have any fate with him.
Just like the previous wish targets, he never saw them again.
Just as he was thinking, a fully armed figure suddenly appeared in front of Jing Mimi.
Jing Mimi was originally squatting on the ground, using a branch to write and draw in the unpolluted places whenever he could. Suddenly, he felt completely enveloped by a large shadow.
Jing Mimi looked up in confusion and met a pair of familiar elderly eyes.
Although covered tightly, wearing a hat on his head, a mask on his face, and earmuffs on his ears, with only a pair of eyes exposed, Jing Mimi still recognized him as the old grandpa from yesterday.
Jing Mimi’s eyes lit up, but he was still somewhat stunned.
Why was the old grandpa dressed so strangely today? Appearing suddenly beside him, was he looking for him?
Yesterday he called him “dummy grandpa” and ran away directly. He also erased the kitten drawn on the snow. He should be unhappy too.
Jing Mimi couldn’t figure out the situation, so he didn’t dare to move.
Although he really wanted to complete the mission, for a moment he couldn’t think of any other way to make the old grandpa teach him to draw a kitten.
So, in the silent staring contest, the fully armed Grandpa Jiang became the proactive one.
He nervously took out a red thing from his pocket and handed it to the little cub.
Jing Mimi focused on this thing he didn’t recognize. After thinking for a moment, he threw away the branch in his hand and took it.
“Open it and see.” Grandpa Jiang guided him.
Jing Mimi carefully unfolded the paper cutting.
He had learned to make some small crafts with paper in the handicraft class at the welfare institute, so he wasn’t particularly unfamiliar with it.
But this was the first time he saw such a paper cutting.
The hollowed-out shape inside was actually a Scottish Fold kitten!
Jing Mimi’s eyes grew even brighter.
Grandpa Jiang took his reaction into his eyes, and the stone hanging in his heart finally fell. He hurriedly explained, “Dummy Grandpa didn’t know there was a kind of cat called Scottish Fold before, thinking all kittens’ ears stood up. Dummy Grandpa checked after going back last night and found out there really are kittens with folded ears. It was Grandpa’s fault yesterday, making you unhappy. Grandpa specially cut a Scottish Fold kitten for you as an apology.”
Jing Mimi stood up holding the Scottish Fold paper cutting preciously, looked up at him with his little head, “Thank you, Grandpa. I forgive you.”
Saying that, he took out a small candy from his pocket.
It was “Little Dragon Man” milk candy. He liked it very, very much, but Papa didn’t let him eat too much, saying it was bad for his teeth, giving him only two pieces a day.
“Here.”
Now, he gave one of them to the grandpa in front of him.
Not only because he was the mission target and needed to build a good relationship, but also because the dummy grandpa was actually very nice and gave him such a beautiful Scottish Fold paper cutting.
Grandpa Jiang naturally accepted it, flattered.
Jing Mimi lowered his little head again to admire the paper cutting in his hand.
Several children from the welfare institute were attracted over, and Jing Mimi immediately showed it to them.
Suddenly, Jing Mimi caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.
“Papa!”
Jing Zhi walked over with a smile, followed by a new volunteer at the welfare institute. Seeing his cub holding a touch of red and surrounded by many children, a hint of inquiry appeared in his eyes.
“Papa, look, the Scottish Fold paper cutting Grandpa gave me!”
While excitedly showing the paper cutting in his hand to Jing Zhi, Jing Mimi turned his little head to look at the position where the old grandpa was, but saw nothing.
“?”
Where is Grandpa?
***
Author’s Note:
Grandpa Jiang: This old man will perform an instant disappearance trick directly.
